Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge

Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge is a wetland fed primarily by rainfall runoff, established in 1989 in southwestern Puerto Rico. It is one of the most important freshwater habitats for resident and migratory birds on the island—nearly half of all bird species recorded in Puerto Rico have been observed at the lagoon and surrounding hills. Notable species include the Magnificent Frigatebird, several heron species, Smooth-billed Ani, and the endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird. In 1996, a 263-acre parcel in the Sierra Bermeja—geologically among the oldest hills in the Caribbean—was added to the refuge, protecting native forest with numerous endemic plant species. The refuge also preserves remnants of subtropical dry forest and grasslands on former sugar cane fields.