Trinidad & Tobago Birds
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For Trinidad birds and Trinidad birding, this site is sure to become your #1 bookmark. Here you'll find everything you could want to know about Trinidad birding -- books, audio tapes, checklists, trip reports, and loads of links to other Trinidad websites.
At Trinidad Birding, you'll discover an easy to use, information-packed web site. Trinidad birds -- just click here!
Here's an excerpt from one of our reports:
"As on most days that followed, many of us were up before dawn to savor one of the most enchanting places anywhere, the Asa Wright Nature Centre veranda. Aided by AWNC staff naturalists Sheldon Driggs and later by Kenny Calderon, we began sorting through the almost overwhelming variety of birds. By the time the breakfast gong sounded, names like Bananaquit, Blue-gray Tanager, Palm Tanager, Crested Oropendola, Great Kiskadee, Green and Purple Honeycreeper, and many others had become part of our vocabulary. A splendid male Tufted Coquette, looking just like the photo on the cover of my book, probed the blue Vervain below the feeders while constantly pumping its tail. After breakfast we took a leisurely walk with Jogie to explore the grounds of the Centre. Just above the car park grew a sizeable Calabash (Crescentia cujete)tree festooned with its large gourdlike fruits. The natives hollow out the dried fruits and use them to hold water. Along the trail we were introduced to many tropical plants, including Mountain Immortelle (Erythrina poeppigiana), with fiery blossoms that attract tanagers and Bare-eyed Thrushes; Balisier or Lobster Claw (Heliconia wagneriana); Deer Meat (Centropogon cornutus), whose tubular red flowers were clearly designed for hummingbirds; Hot Lips (Cephaelis tomentosa), whose name aptly describes the appearance of the blossom; and the national flower, Chaconia or Wild Poinsettia (Warszewiczia coccinea). At the Centre, as well as throughout Trinidad, the bright yellow Cassia or Golden Shower Tree was in bloom. We identified Breadfruit (Artocarpus incisus) trees and learned to distinguish them from the closely related Breadnut tree. We also learned to identify Coffee (Coffea arabica), Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), Banana (Musa sp.), and a variety of citrus trees. Mangoes (Mangifera indica) were conspicuous everywhere, and Papaya (locally called Pawpaw) (Carica papaya)and Cecropia trees
were invaders, found wherever slashing and burning had left clearings."
"An anomaly in a rainforest, a Magnificent Frigatebird passed overhead, along with zillions of Black and Turkey Vultures and a wide variety of raptors including Merlin, Double-toothed Kite, White Hawk, Common Black-Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, and Zone-tailed Hawk. A cacophonous flock of about 50 Violet-tailed Parrotlets moved from tree to tree, instantly disappearing as they landed and nestled among the identically colored leaves. Parrotlets usually are hard to find, but on our trip they were an everyday occurrence. When I exclaimed, "You wouldn't believe how seldom we see this species!" I had no idea of how many more times during the trip I'd utter that phrase.
"Unusual new birds included Green Hermit, Brown Violet-ear (only my second ever), Blue-crowned Motmot, Crested Oropendola, and Chestnut Woodpecker at the feeders; a reliable pair of Channel-billed Toucans in a nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) tree down the valley; a Buff-throated Woodcreeper hitching itself up the mango tree to the left of the veranda; and later a stray Blackpoll Warbler on the grounds. Appearing to the naked eye as a spot of white against the otherwise dark green foliage down the valley, a male Bearded Bellbird sat atop a Matchwood tree emitting its powerful KONK call. We became acquainted with many kinds of Wild Ginger (Alpinia sp.) and Ginger Lilies, watching these favorite nectar sources of the hermit hummingbirds carefully in hopes of spotting one of these somber-hued, supersonic, low-flying species."
Besides hours of enjoyable reading and pleasurable browsing, you'll find valuable, current information on all kinds of "things Trinidad" -- including links to such sites as the weekly Trinidad & Tobago rare bird report -- all at Trinidad Birding!
