Aruba Important Bird Area
Oranjestad Reef Islands
208 bird species recorded; the most from April to May and from October to November.
James Martins · CC BY 3.0
This month here
116 species in January.121 species in February.135 species in March.139 species in April.140 species in May.103 species in June.98 species in July.111 species in August.133 species in September.151 species in October.144 species in November.121 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
NT
NTNT
VU
NTNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
208 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 208Speciesrecorded more than once
- 78Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 7ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 143,611Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 8Raptors
- 1Owls
- 29Waders
- 21Gulls & seabirds
- 14Ducks & geese
- 21Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Flamingos
- 78Songbirds
- 35Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 208 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors8 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Falco sparveriusFalco sparverius
- Crested CaracaraCaracara plancus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Swallow-tailed KiteElanoides forficatus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Buteo albicaudatusButeo albicaudatus
Owls1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Burrowing OwlAthene cunicularia
Waders29 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
- KilldeerCharadrius vociferusNT
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaNT
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Southern LapwingVanellus chilensis
- Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaNT
- Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaNT
- Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
- Wilson's SnipeGallinago delicata
- Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusVU
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusNT
- White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisVU
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus
- Western SandpiperCalidris mauri
- WilletTringa semipalmata
- Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaVU
- American golden ploverPluvialis dominica
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Bartram's SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisVU
- Wattled JacanaJacana jacana
- RuffCalidris pugnax
Gulls & seabirds21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Magnificent FrigatebirdFregata magnificens
- Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
- Royal TernThalasseus maximus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Black SkimmerRynchops niger
- Brown BoobySula leucogaster
- Least TernSternula antillarum
- Roseate TernSterna dougallii
- Anous stolidusAnous stolidus
- Sooty TernOnychoprion fuscatus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Red-footed BoobySula sula
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Bridled TernOnychoprion anaethetus
- American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus
- Masked BoobySula dactylatra
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Anous minutusAnous minutus
- Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
Ducks & geese14 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensis
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- Black-bellied Whistling DuckDendrocygna autumnalis
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Fulvous Whistling-duckDendrocygna bicolor
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Masked DuckNomonyx dominicus
Herons, ibises & grebes21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Brown PelicanPelecanus occidentalis
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Green HeronButorides virescens
- Phalacrocorax brasilianusPhalacrocorax brasilianus
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
- Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
- Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
- Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajaja
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Yellow-crowned Night-HeronNyctanassa violacea
- Least GrebeTachybaptus dominicus
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Reddish EgretEgretta rufescensNT
- Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruber
- Whistling HeronSyrigma sibilatrix
- White IbisEudocimus albus
- Striated HeronButorides striata
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Flamingos1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Caribbean FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruber
Songbirds78 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- BananaquitCoereba flaveola
- Carib GrackleQuiscalus lugubris
- Tropical MockingbirdMimus gilvus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Black-faced GrassquitMelanospiza bicolor
- Gray KingbirdTyrannus dominicensis
- Venezuelan TroupialIcterus icterus
- Mangrove WarblerSetophaga petechia
- Shiny CowbirdMolothrus bonariensis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Northern Scrub-FlycatcherSublegatus arenarum
- Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensis
- Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striataNT
- American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Yellow OrioleIcterus nigrogularis
- Brown-crested FlycatcherMyiarchus tyrannulus
- Caribbean MartinProgne dominicensis
- Fork-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus savana
- Northern ParulaSetophaga americana
- Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea
- Quiscalus mexicanusQuiscalus mexicanus
- Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrina
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusNT
- Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia
- Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus
- Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica
- Hooded WarblerSetophaga citrina
- Blackburnian WarblerSetophaga fusca
- Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens
- Brown-chested MartinProgne tapera
- Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarum
- Black-whiskered VireoVireo altiloquus
- Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea
- Saffron FinchSicalis flaveola
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
- Connecticut WarblerOporornis agilis
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- Rufous-collared SparrowZonotrichia capensis
- Variegated FlycatcherEmpidonomus varius
- Caribbean ElaeniaElaenia martinica
- Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- Small-billed ElaeniaElaenia parvirostris
- Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
- Grey-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimus
- Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea
- Louisiana WaterthrushParkesia motacilla
- Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrina
- Empidonomus aurantioatrocristatusEmpidonomus aurantioatrocristatus
- Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
- Yellow-hooded BlackbirdChrysomus icterocephalus
- Myrtle WarblerSetophaga coronata
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Cave SwallowPetrochelidon fulva
- Yellow-bellied SeedeaterSporophila nigricollis
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- Gray-breasted MartinProgne chalybea
- Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens
- Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnolia
- Olive-Sided FlycatcherContopus cooperi
- Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens
- Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
- Southern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx ruficollis
- Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphia
- Canada warblerCardellina canadensis
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Cattle TyrantMachetornis rixosa
- Piratic FlycatcherLegatus leucophaius
- Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicus
- Yellow-green VireoVireo flavoviridis
- Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum
- Black-headed MuniaLonchura malacca
- Prairie WarblerSetophaga discolor
Other birds35 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Bare-eyed PigeonPatagioenas corensis
- Eared DoveZenaida auriculata
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Common Ground-DoveColumbina passerina
- Brown-throated ParakeetAratinga pertinax
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- American CootFulica americana
- Blue-tailed EmeraldChlorostilbon mellisugus
- Groove-billed AniCrotophaga sulcirostris
- Purple GallinulePorphyrio martinica
- White-tipped DoveLeptotila verreauxi
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Ruby TopazChrysolampis mosquitus
- White-tailed NightjarHydropsalis cayennensis
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
- Crested BobwhiteColinus cristatus
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Amazon KingfisherChloroceryle amazona
- Smooth-billed AniCrotophaga ani
- Mangrove CuckooCoccyzus minor
- Greater AniCrotophaga major
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagicaVU
- Ringed KingfisherMegaceryle torquata
- Red JunglefowlGallus gallus
- Antillean NighthawkChordeiles gundlachii
- Rosy-faced LovebirdAgapornis roseicollis
- Scarlet-fronted ParakeetAratinga wagleri
- Yellow-shouldered ParrotAmazona barbadensisNT
- LimpkinAramus guarauna
- BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatus
- Scaly-naped PigeonPatagioenas squamosa
- Gray-rumped SwiftChaetura cinereiventris
- Indian PeafowlPavo cristatus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from April to May and from October to November.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan27°/26°29 mm
- Feb27°/26°15 mm
- Mar27°/26°10 mm
- Apr28°/26°11 mm
- May28°/27°21 mm
- Jun28°/27°21 mm
- Jul28°/27°26 mm
- Aug29°/28°27 mm
- Sep29°/28°51 mm
- Oct29°/28°94 mm
- Nov29°/28°90 mm
- Dec28°/27°60 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Oranjestad Reef Islands.
Islands in Aruba in the Dutch Caribbean
Oranjestad Reef Islands is an Important Bird Area (BirdLife) in Aruba.
208 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 143,611 open records.
The most recorded are the Bare-eyed Pigeon, the Bananaquit and the Carib Grackle.
30 species come for the summer, 45 for the winter and 3 only pass through.
7 are threatened worldwide, including Lesser yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher and Grey Plover.
The most species are recorded from April to May and from October to November.
Get there and watch
- Tamarijnplace to stay · 3.3 km · 1,008 within 10 km
- Oranjestadnearest town · 2.1 km in a straight line
- Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 3 km in a straight lineCar hire at AUA airport (Oranjestad)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1observation towers within 6 kmBubali Bird Sanctuary Observation Tower
- 1visitor centres within 6 kmDe Palm Tours
- 4viewpoints within 5 kmOverhanging cliff and 3 more
- 183car parks within 3 km
- 142restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 2campsites within 10 km
- 1,008places to stay within 10 kmTamarijn, Tamarijn Divi Aruba, Aruba Breeze Condominium Hotel and 1,005 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Oranjestad Reef Islands.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas44 mountains within 25 kmBucurui · 4.6 kmHooiberg165 m · 4.9 km↗Jaburibari · 5.8 kmSero Cristal · 7.6 kmMount Jamanota188 m · 11 km↗Arikok185 m · 12 kmHudishibana · 12 kmSero Cabai · 12 km
Coastya14 beaches within 10 kmFlamingo Beach · 1.4 kmIguana Beach · 1.5 km↗Druif · 4.0 kmManchebo Beach · 4.3 km↗Boca di Pos di Noord · 8.2 km↗Seco di Rogans · 8.4 kmHadicurari · 8.8 kmUrirama · 9.4 km↗
Cavernyas1 caves within 20 kmQuadiriki Caves · 14 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Oranjestad Reef Islands
Aruba
- 76Birdyas Score
- 208Species
- 78Migrants
- 7Threatened
San Nicolas Bay Reef Islands
Aruba · 18 km
- 63Birdyas Score
- 131Species
- 45Migrants
- 6Threatened
Ciénaga de Los Olivitos
Venezuela · 229 km
- 64Birdyas Score
- 160Species
- 52Migrants
- 5Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q100605687) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 143,611 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Islandyas, Coastya, Cavernyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit