Dos Pos is an Important Bird Area on the island of Bonaire that in the rainy season attracts many special birds to its ponds. Dos Pos has become one of the most important birding areas on Bonaire because it is easily accessed from Kralendijk and travel along the north coast of Bonaire takes one through scenic geography, including coasts, cliffs, cactus forests, wetlands, dry forests.

It is almost assured that you will see here the island’s most iconic birds, mainly Caribbean Flamingo and the Endangered Yellow-shouldered Parrot, but also migrant shore birds and other dry-forest species, like the Scrub Flycatcher. The photographic opportunities are outstanding!

Around the area of Dos Pos there are several walking trails that are good for birding. A local foundation, Echo, has a conservation center at Dos Pos and they have also created a walking trail though the birding site with lookouts and bird hides. Not only can you spot rare birds here, but you can learn about the habitat of Bonaire and its history; many of the island’s native trees can be found at Dos Pos. On Wednesdays at 4:30 pm you can join Echo’s donation based tour hosted by a Bonairean lady. The tour takes about 1.5 hours. No reservation needed. Echo also provides a road side sign with information about the walking routes.

Dos Pos is the main foraging, roosting,area for the Endangered Yellow-shouldered Parrot. You can also see restricted range species here such as the Bare-eyed Pigeon, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, and Caribbean Elaenia. Seasonally along the shoreline of Gotomeer Salina you will find many species of over-wintering shorebirds, and aerial insectivores with White-cheeked pintail Ducks further into the lake. In the woodlands adjacent to Dos Pos is a wintering and migration route for many neotropical migrants including Scarlet Tanagers and many warblers found in North America in the summer. Over 100 species of birds have been documented at Dos Pos.

From the small village of Rincon, you follow the road to Gotomeer for about 5 minutes. When you see a big windmill on your right you have reached Dos Pos. Here you can park your car. This is also the meeting point for Echo’s tour. Also recommended for arriving to the site is north along the coastal road, one-way, that eventually leads to the shore of Gotomeer, an inland Salina which is a flamingo sanctuary. The site is also an Important Bird Area for providing critical nesting habitat for birds of global concern, including nesting sites for gulls and terns.

Contact Echo Bonaire to inquire about how and when to visit Dos Pos: www.echobonaire.org/.