The Puerto Rican nightjar, Puerto Rican whip-poor-will or guabairo is a bird in the nightjar family found in the coastal dry scrub forests in localized areas of southwestern Puerto Rico. It was described in 1916 from bones found in a cave in north central Puerto Rico and a single skin specimen from 1888, and was considered extinct until observed in the wild in 1961. The current population is estimated as 1,400-2,000 mature birds. The species is currently classified as Endangered due to pressures from habitat loss.
Region
Caribbean (Puerto Rico)
Typical Environment
Restricted to coastal and subcoastal dry forests, scrub, and thickets in southwestern Puerto Rico, especially on limestone and cactus-dominated substrates. It favors dense leaf-litter floors under low, thorny woodland and second-growth thickets, often near forest edges and along ravines. Core strongholds include Guánica State Forest, Sierra Bermeja, Susúa State Forest, and adjacent protected parcels. By day it roosts on the ground or low perches in shaded cover, relying on camouflage.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive nightjar is endemic to southwestern Puerto Rico’s dry forests and was once thought extinct until rediscovered in 1961. It nests directly on the ground amidst leaf litter, relying on cryptic plumage for camouflage. The species’ soft, repetitive nocturnal song carries far on warm nights and is often the best way to detect it. Habitat loss and fragmentation remain its primary threats, though protected dry-forest reserves have aided its recovery.
Male taking flight
Juvenile
Temperament
secretive and nocturnal
Flight Pattern
buoyant, moth-like flight with short rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in pairs during breeding. Nests on the ground without a built structure, typically laying a single egg; both parents share incubation and chick care. Territorial males sing at dusk and night from low perches or the ground. Roosts by day in shaded leaf litter or low branches, relying on stillness and camouflage.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, repetitive series of clear whistles and trills reminiscent of a whip-poor-will, often delivered persistently at dusk and night. The song carries well through dry forest, aiding territory advertisement and mate attraction.
