Garden birds of Bonaire

The tropical gardens of Bonaire are green oases that attract many birds. Do you want to know which birds you can simply spot in your garden on Bonaire, or have you seen a garden bird on the island that you want to learn more about? Below, you’ll find a list of all the garden birds of Bonaire.

Have you seen all the garden birds? Explore the wild birds of Bonaire during our tours!

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Caribbean Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus)

We call the Caribbean mockingbird (chuchubi in Papiamentu) the blackbird of Bonaire. In the morning, it consistently kicks off the bird concert with its beautiful melodies. But even throughout the rest of the day, this somewhat plain-looking bird often vocalizes loudly, making the other garden birds of Bonaire much quieter.

The mockingbird has a dark gray upper body and a white to light gray underbody. It has a black pointed beak and a black eye stripe extending from the beak. Its gracefully long tail is black with a white tip.

The loud singing mainly serves to ward off other members of its species from its territory. The mockingbird not only chases away members of its own species but also other birds, like the troupial. It feeds on fruits, seeds, and insects, but it also eats young birds, small lizards, and frogs. If you offer a bowl of fresh water in the garden, it will regularly come to drink, and if you’re lucky, it may even take a bath.

Another gray bird is the Gray Kingbird. This bird is featured in our blog about Bonaire’s flycatchers. They are less frequently seen in gardens, but during our Customized Birdwatching Tours, we encounter them quite regularly.

Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)

One of the most well-known birds on Bonaire is the Bananaquit. You will definitely encounter it during your vacation! They are black birds with a yellow belly, which is why they are called barika hel (yellow belly) in Papiamentu. The head is adorned with a white eyebrow and drooping red corners of the mouth, giving the bird a somewhat stern appearance.

Naturally, the Bananaquit flies from flower to flower to obtain nectar. They peck a hole in the flower’s calyx to access it. They expand this sugar-rich diet with small insects. With the arrival of humans on Bonaire, these resourceful birds quickly realized that sugar bowls on tables contain much more sugar than flowers. Their name in Dutch translates to sugar thief. Not because they steal sugar from the table, but because they take the nectar by pecking at the flowers without assisting in pollination.

People often feed tropical birds with sugar. However, it should be done in moderation, as too much sugar can also lead to diabetes in birds.

Bananaquits breed throughout the year. They weave a spherical nest from grass, with an entrance on the side. You can find these nests not only in trees and bushes but also in decorative cacti and lampshades. Once the female approves of the nest, mating occurs. The female incubates the eggs and cares for the young.

Pearly-Eyed Trasher (Margarops fuscatus)

The pearly-eyed thrasher is slightly sturdier than the Caribbean mockingbird and has the same diet. This brown bird has, as the name suggests, a beautiful pearly-white eye.

We have a love-hate relationship with this bird. It can sing soft melodies for hours, a delight to drift away while lying in your hammock! It also loves water. If you place a water bowl, it will come to drink regularly. Once it trusts the watering spot enough, it indulges in extensive bathing sessions. No other bird bathes as elaborately and frequently.

However, this thrasher also has less pleasant sides. At the feeding place, it prefers to be the sole ruler and attacks other birds out of the blue. Besides the lovely melodies, it can also scream deafeningly. But it’s quickly forgiven when it hops back to the water bowl…

The Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) bears some resemblance to the pearly-eyed thrasher, although you are less likely to encounter this brown bird with a gray chest and yellow belly in your garden.

White-Tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi)

The white-tipped dove (Aladuru in Papiamentu) is a common gray dove frequently seen in the gardens of Bonaire. The dove may appear dull at first glance. They are gray with a light underside, and there is a patch of blue skin around the eye. In flight, the white-tipped dove surprises with its brown underwings. He also displays this when he wants to impress other birds. He stretches both wings upward to make himself appear larger.

These doves forage in many gardens, especially when provided with seeds or peanuts by bird enthusiasts. They feed on what other birds drop on the ground. The white-tipped dove conserves its energy by reacting to danger differently than other birds; instead of flying away immediately, it seeks refuge in the nearest tree or bush, reserving flight as a last resort.

Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata)

Another dove that you can come across in the garden is the eared dove (Buladeifi in Papiamentu). Like the white-tipped dove, it is not very flashy. This light brown dove has only a few black spots on its wings and two stripes on its head as decorations.

The eared dove eats seeds, which it finds under trees and shrubs. When in danger, it flies straight up to disappear among the leaves. In Papiamentu, its name means “jumping dove.”

We offer seeds to our garden birds. While most doves eat what other birds drop, the white-tipped dove is a true adventurer. It eats directly from the feeding trays, just like the other birds.

Bare-Eyed Pigeon (Columba corensis)

The bare-eyed pigeon (Warbakoa in Papiamentu) is a substantial bird with several beautiful details. It has a pink hue over its head and neck, neck scales that sometimes seem to light up, and a white wing edge. But its eyes are the most striking feature. Around the orange eye, there is a border of blue skin, and around that, the bare-eyed pigeon has a sharply defined black ring. A handsome appearance!

Like other doves, the bare-eyed pigeon mainly lives on the ground. It eats seeds but occasionally indulges in fallen fruits from trees. It also builds those typical sloppy dove nests in trees, bushes, and cacti.

Black-Faced Grassquit (Tiaris bicolor)

If you have a garden with many open areas, you’ll also have visits from black-faced grassquits (mofi in Papiamentu). This small black bird forages inconspicuously, searching for food. In direct sunlight, you can see that its back is actually olive-green. If there’s a small gray bird nearby, you’ve spotted the female!

Black-faced grassquits have a typical finch-like beak that allows them to crack seeds. They mainly feed on grass and herb seeds, supplemented with insects and fruits. They communicate with each other using short chirps.

Other Garden Birds

In our other blogs, you will find more birds that you can also encounter in the gardens of Bonaire. To complete this blog, below the photos, you will find links to these blogs. They are listed in order from small to large.

Hummingbirds

The gardens of Bonaire are blooming oases, attracting hummingbirds with delight! Read more about the green hummingbird (blue-tailed emerald, locally known as blenchi in Papiamentu). Also, a red hummingbird is found in Bonairean gardens, although it is seen less frequently. Learn more about the red hummingbird (ruby-topaz hummingbird, also known as dòrnasol in Papiamentu). We also have a photoblog about The Hummingbirds of Bonaire.

Saffron Finch

The saffron finch is fond of seeds. If you offer seeds in your garden, this yellow bird will become a regular visitor. Learn more about the saffron finch (also known as saffraanvink in Papiamentu).

Ground Dove

Among the pigeons at the feeding spot, you may occasionally spot a ground dove. Learn more about the ground dove (also known as totolika in Papiamentu).

Yellow Oriole

If you clean fruit, you can place the leftovers at the feeding spot. The yellow oriole will happily enjoy these treats. Learn more about the yellow oriole (also known as trupial kachò in Papiamentu).

Prikichi / Brown-Throated Parakeet

The parakeets are attracted to the fruit-bearing trees and cacti in the gardens. Learn more about the brown-throated parakeet (also known as prikichi in Papiamentu) in our Colorful Birds Blog.

Venezuelan Troupial

The Venezuelan troupial also enjoys fruit. Learn more about the Venezuelan troupial (trupial in Papiamentu) here.

A Tour with HopiBonaire

During an excursion with HopiBonaire, you’ll embark on a discovery journey to the most remote and beautiful places of Bonaire. Additionally, you’ll have the advantage of being with your own group, ensuring an intimate and personalized experience at your own pace. We don’t rush our tours!

All tours can be customized according to your preferences. We can also create a fully customized birdwatching tour just for you. Are you eager for an adventure? Check out our selection of our tours.

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