ABC Islands: Curaçao (February 10, 2026)

A view of the Queen Juliana Bridge as we sailed into Curacao

We arrived in Curaçao’s capital, Willemstad, around 6:30 a.m. As usual, I was up early to watch the ship dock and squeeze in a bit of birding before the day began. My expectations for the island were modest—our plan was to spend most of the day exploring the city rather than touring the countryside or birding extensively as we had in Bonaire. Yet, to my surprise, the day ended with one lifer and eleven new species added to the trip tally.

Juvenile Yellow‑crowned Night‑Heron at Rif Mangrove Park

I said “most of the day” because in the early morning I visited Rif Mangrove Park, conveniently located right next to the port. Unfortunately, when I reached the pay booth I realized I had left my wallet in my room, so my birding was limited to the park’s exterior. Almost immediately, I was rewarded with my fourth lifer of the trip: two parakeets flushed from the trees, flew across the road in front of me, and disappeared into the mangroves. Their mostly green plumage with a wash of blue on the head made it clear these were not the more common Brown‑throated Parakeet (Eupsittula pertinax), but rather Blue‑crowned Parakeets (Thectocercus acuticaudatus). I also added several other species, including Yellow‑crowned Night‑Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) and Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius).

One of the many avian themed murals around Curacao

Curaçao seems to have a special affection for birds—murals of them appear throughout the city. While admiring one particularly striking piece in the square that houses Café Copacabana, I had my best look yet at a Blue‑tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon mellisugus), feeding from a flowering tree nearby. Another memorable sighting was a pair of Green Herons (Butorides virescens) nesting right in the midst of busy pedestrian traffic, a reminder of how wildlife and city life often intertwine in unexpected ways.

As the ship pulled away from Willemstad, I thought back on the day. What supposed to have been the quietest birding day of the trip delivered—a lifer, a few firsts for the year, and fresh additions to the trip tally.

The Stats:

Day's New Birds for the Trip: 9                 Trip Species Tally: 54
Day's New Lifer(s): 1                                  Trip Lifer Tally: 4

New species for the trip: Blue-tailed Emerald, Common Gallinule, Spotted Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Yellow-crowned Nightheron, Green Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Blue-crowned Parakeet, Northern Waterthrush. Images

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