Morrocoy National Park

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Photo © Fernando Flores from Caracas, Venezuela

Photo © Fernando Flores from Caracas, Venezuela — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the Caribbean coast of northwestern Venezuela meets protected coastal waters, a mosaic of mangrove forests, sandy beaches, and coral reef systems defines Morrocoy National Park. Spanning approximately 733 square kilometers across Falcón State, this Category II protected area encompasses one of the most ecologically significant transition zones in the region, where shallow marine habitats give way to terrestrial scrublands and scattered dry tropical forest fragments. The park's waters support dense populations of reef-associated fish, crustaceans, and mollusks that form the foundation of a complex food web, while its mangrove channels and lagoons provide critical nursery grounds for commercially important species and breeding habitat for herons, egrets, and other wading birds. The terrestrial margins host small mammals adapted to dry conditions, reptiles and amphibians that thrive in the seasonal climate, and raptors that hunt across both coastal and inland zones. Coastal vegetation grades into xerophytic scrub and occasional deciduous woodland, creating a landscape shaped by salt spray, dry winds, and irregular rainfall—harsh conditions that have filtered this ecosystem to its most resilient inhabitants.

Pelecanus occidentalis

Magnificent Frigatebird

Fregata magnificens

Neotropic Cormorant

Nannopterum brasilianum

Zenaida auriculata

Sula leucogaster

Machetornis rixosa

Nemosia pileata

White-cheeked Pintail

Anas bahamensis

Blue-tailed Emerald

Chlorostilbon mellisugus

Southern Lapwing

Vanellus chilensis

Mycteria americana

Coragyps atratus

Red-and-green Macaw

Ara chloropterus

Northern White-fringed Antwren

Formicivora intermedia

White-naped Xenopsaris

Xenopsaris albinucha

Tropical Gnatcatcher

Polioptila plumbea

Sporophila intermedia

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna autumnalis

Fork-tailed Palm Swift

Tachornis squamata

Groove-billed Ani

Crotophaga sulcirostris

Columbina squammata

Wilson's Plover

Anarhynchus wilsonia

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Sternula antillarum

Large-billed Tern

Phaetusa simplex

Butorides striata

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Brown-throated Parakeet

Eupsittula pertinax

Blue-and-yellow Macaw

Rusty-winged Antwren

Herpsilochmus frater

Black-crested Antshrike

Sakesphorus canadensis

Northern Scrub Flycatcher

Sublegatus arenarum

Social Flycatcher

Myiozetetes similis

Golden-fronted Greenlet

Pachysylvia aurantiifrons

Passer domesticus

Eastern Meadowlark

Sturnella magna

Orange-crowned Oriole

Icterus auricapillus

Northern Waterthrush

Parkesia noveboracensis

Coereba flaveola

Sicalis flaveola

Two-banded Puffbird

Hypnelus bicinctus

Pitangus sulphuratus

Southern House Wren

Troglodytes musculus

Common Tody-Flycatcher

Todirostrum cinereum

Red-crowned Woodpecker

Melanerpes rubricapillus

Blue-grey Tanager

Thraupis episcopus

Green-rumped Parrotlet

Forpus passerinus

Bare-faced Ibis

Phimosus infuscatus

Smooth-billed Ani

American Flamingo

Phoenicopterus ruber

Eudocimus ruber

American Oystercatcher

Haematopus palliatus

Yellow-headed Caracara

Daptrius chimachima

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Numenius hudsonicus

Common Black Hawk

Buteogallus anthracinus

Tricolored Heron

Egretta tricolor

Egretta rufescens

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Crested Caracara

Caracara plancus

Black-necked Stilt

Himantopus mexicanus

Thalasseus maximus

Tropical Mockingbird

Pandion haliaetus

Quiscalus lugubris

Tringa semipalmata

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

Pluvialis squatarola

Roseate Spoonbill

Greater Yellowlegs

Tringa melanoleuca

Great Blue Heron

Bicolored Conebill

Conirostrum bicolor

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Semipalmated Plover

Charadrius semipalmatus

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Tyrannus dominicensis

White-winged Swallow

Tachycineta albiventer

Grey-breasted Martin

Progne chalybea

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Rufous-vented Chachalaca

Ortalis ruficauda

Lesser Nighthawk

Chordeiles acutipennis

Long-billed Starthroat

Heliomaster longirostris

Common Ground Dove

Columbina passerina

White-tipped Dove

Leptotila verreauxi

Short-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Yellow-billed Tern

Sternula superciliaris

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Sarcoramphus papa

Double-toothed Kite

Harpagus bidentatus

Whooping Motmot

Momotus subrufescens

Straight-billed Woodcreeper

Dendroplex picus

Blue-winged Teal

Spatula discors

Band-tailed Guan

Penelope argyrotis

Nyctidromus albicollis

White-tailed Nightjar

Hydropsalis cayennensis

Nyctibius griseus

Rufous-breasted Hermit

Glaucis hirsutus

Sooty-capped Hermit

Phaethornis augusti

Pale-bellied Hermit

Phaethornis anthophilus

Ruby-topaz Hummingbird

Chrysolampis mosquitus

Black-throated Mango

Anthracothorax nigricollis

Red-billed Emerald

Chlorostilbon gibsoni

Glittering-throated Emerald

Chionomesa fimbriata

Blue-chinned Sapphire

Chlorestes notata

Crotophaga major

Common Squirrel Cuckoo

Mangrove Cuckoo

Bare-eyed Pigeon

Patagioenas corensis

Pale-vented Pigeon

Patagioenas cayennensis

Patagioenas subvinacea

Plain-breasted Ground Dove

Columbina minuta

Ruddy Ground Dove

Columbina talpacoti

Blue Ground Dove

Claravis pretiosa

Rallus longirostris

Common Gallinule

Gallinula galeata

Purple Gallinule

Porphyrio martinica

Aramus guarauna

Tachybaptus dominicus

Pied-billed Grebe

Podilymbus podiceps

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Charadrius vociferus

Solitary Sandpiper

Tringa solitaria

Calidris canutus

Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopus

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutilla

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis

Western Sandpiper

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon nilotica

Sterna dougallii

Leucophaeus atricilla

Anhinga anhinga

American White Ibis

Eudocimus albus

Plegadis falcinellus

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Nyctanassa violacea

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Pilherodius pileatus

Whistling Heron

Syrigma sibilatrix

Butorides virescens

Western Cattle Egret

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Cathartes burrovianus

Gampsonyx swainsonii

Hook-billed Kite

Chondrohierax uncinatus

Geranospiza caerulescens

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Buteogallus meridionalis

Great Black Hawk

Buteogallus urubitinga

Rupornis magnirostris

Parabuteo unicinctus

White-tailed Hawk

Geranoaetus albicaudatus

Grey-lined Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

Zone-tailed Hawk

Buteo albonotatus

Short-tailed Hawk

Buteo brachyurus

American Barn Owl

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

Glaucidium brasilianum

Collared Trogon

Trogon collaris

Amazon Kingfisher

Chloroceryle amazona

American Pygmy Kingfisher

Chloroceryle aenea

Green Kingfisher

Chloroceryle americana

Ringed Kingfisher

Megaceryle torquata

Belted Kingfisher

Megaceryle alcyon

Rufous-tailed Jacamar

Galbula ruficauda

Picumnus squamulatus

Golden-olive Woodpecker

Colaptes rubiginosus

Spot-breasted Woodpecker

Colaptes punctigula

Lineated Woodpecker

Dryocopus lineatus

Crimson-crested Woodpecker

Campephilus melanoleucos

Laughing Falcon

Herpetotheres cachinnans

Aplomado Falcon

Falco femoralis

Falco columbarius

Falco rufigularis

Blue-headed Parrot

Pionus menstruus

Yellow-crowned Amazon

Amazona ochrocephala

Orange-winged Amazon

Amazona amazonica

Chestnut-fronted Macaw

Olivaceous Woodcreeper

Sittasomus griseicapillus

Cocoa Woodcreeper

Xiphorhynchus susurrans

Red-billed Scythebill

Campylorhamphus trochilirostris

Streak-headed Woodcreeper

Lepidocolaptes souleyetii

Caribbean Hornero

Furnarius longirostris

Plain Thornbird

Phacellodomus inornatus

Yellow-chinned Spinetail

Certhiaxis cinnamomeus

Pale-breasted Spinetail

Synallaxis albescens

Dysithamnus mentalis

Black-backed Antshrike

Thamnophilus melanonotus

Barred Antshrike

Thamnophilus doliatus

Great Antshrike

White-bellied Antbird

Myrmeciza longipes

Short-tailed Antthrush

Chamaeza campanisona

Myiopagis gaimardii

Yellow-bellied Elaenia

Elaenia flavogaster

Southern Beardless Tyrannulet

Camptostoma obsoletum

Mouse-colored Tyrannulet

Nesotriccus murinus

Yellow Tyrannulet

Capsiempis flaveola

Slender-billed Inezia

Inezia tenuirostris

Pale-tipped Inezia

Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant

Hemitriccus margaritaceiventer

Pale-eyed Pygmy Tyrant

Atalotriccus pilaris

Yellow-olive Flatbill

Tolmomyias sulphurescens

Ochre-lored Flatbill

Tolmomyias flaviventris

Fuscous Flycatcher

Cnemotriccus fuscatus

Pied Water Tyrant

Piratic Flycatcher

Legatus leucophaius

Rusty-margined Flycatcher

Myiozetetes cayanensis

Lesser Kiskadee

Philohydor lictor

Streaked Flycatcher

Myiodynastes maculatus

Boat-billed Flycatcher

Megarynchus pitangua

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus savana

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Myiarchus tuberculifer

Venezuelan Flycatcher

Myiarchus venezuelensis

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus tyrannulus

Lance-tailed Manakin

Chiroxiphia lanceolata

Wire-tailed Manakin

Pipra filicauda

Black-crowned Tityra

Tityra inquisitor

Cinereous Becard

Pachyramphus rufus

White-winged Becard

Pachyramphus polychopterus

Rufous-browed Peppershrike

Cyclarhis gujanensis

Hylophilus flavipes

Riparia riparia

Southern Rough-winged Swallow

Stelgidopteryx ruficollis

Blue-and-white Swallow

Pygochelidon cyanoleuca

Hirundo rustica

Black-capped Donacobius

Donacobius atricapilla

Campylorhynchus griseus

Rufous-breasted Wren

Pheugopedius rutilus

Rufous-and-white Wren

Thryophilus rufalbus

Buff-breasted Wren

Cantorchilus leucotis

Trilling Gnatwren

Ramphocaenus melanurus

Spectacled Thrush

Turdus nudigenis

Lesser Goldfinch

Spinus psaltria

Trinidad Euphonia

Euphonia trinitatis

Grassland Sparrow

Ammodramus humeralis

Golden-winged Sparrow

Arremon schlegeli

Red-breasted Meadowlark

Leistes militaris

Crested Oropendola

Psarocolius decumanus

Icterus nigrogularis

Venezuelan Troupial

Icterus icterus

Molothrus oryzivorus

Molothrus bonariensis

Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

Oriole Blackbird

Gymnomystax mexicanus

Yellow-hooded Blackbird

Chrysomus icterocephalus

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Prothonotary Warbler

Protonotaria citrea

Setophaga citrina

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

Cerulean Warbler

Setophaga cerulea

Tropical Parula

Setophaga pitiayumi

Mangrove Warbler

Setophaga petechia

Blackpoll Warbler

Setophaga striata

Golden-crowned Warbler

Basileuterus culicivorus

Blue-black Grosbeak

Cyanoloxia cyanoides

Hemithraupis guira

Red-legged Honeycreeper

Cyanerpes cyaneus

Olive-grey Saltator

Saltator olivascens

Streaked Saltator

Saltator striatipectus

Black-faced Grassquit

Melanospiza bicolor

Blue-black Grassquit

Volatinia jacarina

Grey-headed Tanager

Eucometis penicillata

White-lined Tanager

Tachyphonus rufus

Silver-beaked Tanager

Ramphocelus carbo

Lesson's Seedeater

Sporophila bouvronides

Yellow-bellied Seedeater

Sporophila nigricollis

Ruddy-breasted Seedeater

Sporophila minuta

White-eared Conebill

Conirostrum leucogenys

Grassland Yellow Finch

Sicalis luteola

Masked Cardinal

Paroaria nigrogenis

Glaucous Tanager

Thraupis glaucocolpa

Thraupis palmarum

Black-headed Tanager

Stilpnia cyanoptera

Burnished-buff Tanager

Stilpnia cayana

Thick-billed Euphonia

Euphonia laniirostris

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