Trinidad & Tobago

Our Trinidad & Tobago birding tour begins at Trinidad’s Piarco Airport where you will be met and transferred to our lodge. Night at the Asa Wright Nature Centre.

The next four exciting days will be spent exploring the classic destinations that Trinidad has become famous for over the many years we’ve been birding the island. Our accommodation is set in a strategic, very scenic location above Port-of-Spain that allows for half- or full-day excursions, depending on the destination. It is also famous for feeders that provide photographic opportunities.

The birding around the lodge is fantastic, with two hundred bird species possible. Hummingbirds might include Copper-rumped Hummingbird, White-chested Emerald, Blue-chinned Sapphire, White-necked Jacobin, and the awesome Ruby-topaz Hummingbird and Tufted Coquette.

From the veranda one has a fine view of most of the Arima Valley, and this is an excellent spot to see such fabulous birds as Ornate Hawk-eagle, White Hawk and Channel-billed Toucan. One of the trails leading from the veranda is aptly named Bellbird Trail, after the Bearded Bellbird whose loud ringing “Bok” call is a characteristic sound of the centre. There are leks of both White-bearded and Golden-headed Manakins within easy reach of the centre, and there are usually Blue-headed and Orange-winged Parrots flying overhead, Great Antshrikes and Squirrel Cuckoos calling from the underbrush, and Black-faced Antthrushes whistling from dense ground cover.

We visit a cave where Oilbirds reside. Oilbirds are relatives of nighthawks and nightjars (such as Whip-poor-wills); however, unlike their relatives they do not eat flying insects but rather have a diet of fruit, and they have adapted to nesting in caves.

Further afield, one morning we will visit the Aripo Savannah, where open-country birds will be easy to see, providing a good introduction for those newer to birding. Guests can expect to see the ubiquitous Southern Lapwing, not to mention Pied-Water-Tyrant, Red-breasted Blackbird, Savannah Hawk, and Grassland Yellow-Finch. Elsewhere in palm groves and wetlands we will listen for the raucous calls of macaws. Two species are possible here: the rare Blue-and-Yellow Macaw and the smaller Red-bellied Macaw. When mixing forest and wetlands we often amass a large bird list and today will be no exception. These habitats can produce a varied set of birds with bizarre names including Rufous Crab Hawk, Pinnated Bittern, Bicolored Conebill, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Large-billed Tern, Wattled Jacana, Violaceous Euphonia and Silvered Antbird. We should be close to getting into the triple digits on our species list today.

On another morning after a hearty, fruit-filled breakfast we’ll embark along the most northerly extension of the Andes mountain range, in the highlands of Trinidad. Here we’ll encounter some different species than lower down, and tanagers are one of our targets. This diverse guild of forest birds is one of the reasons many birders jump on a plane to visit this part of the world. We’ll look for a dozen species including Turquoise, Speckled, Swallow, Bay-headed Tanagers, and the migrant Summer Tanager—familiar to some folks from home. Three large forest raptors might be spotted today: the glorious Ornate Hawk-Eagle, the more common Black Hawk-Eagle, and the striking White Hawk. Bearded Bellbird, Lilac-tailed Parrotlet, Guianian Trogon, Trinidad Motmot, and Yellow-rumped Cacique are other targets for the day.

After a relaxed morning, when the coffee will flow and the garden birds entertain us, we’ll head to the Waterloo area for migrant shorebirds then we set forth one of T & T’s most memorable forays: a boat trip to Caroni Swamp. The star attraction here is the hundreds of Scarlet Ibis that arrive to roost in the mangroves. Other less flamboyant species such as flamingos and egrets are common here too! We’ll also look for the mangrove-loving Black-crested Antshrike, Black-throated Mango, Anhinga and Tricolored Heron. This trip goes down well with a rum punch at sunset!

Nights at Asa Wright Nature Centre.

After a transfer to the northeast part of Trinidad we’ll be based in Grand Riviere, where a single species is our principal target: the critically endangered Trinidad Piping-Guan with a population hovering around 100 individuals. We’ll focus on finding these canopy-dwelling birds, one of only two endemic species on T & T (the other being the Trinidad Motmot). Other species we’ll look for are: Trinidad Euphonia (not endemic!), Golden-headed Manakin, Purple Honeycreeper, Magnificent Frigatebird, and various other coastline species. After all, we’ll be based on the shores of the Caribbean! Nights in Grand Riviere.

We depart Grand Riviere after final morning of birding and make our way back to the airport in Port-of-Spain for a short flight to Tobago midday.

Birding on Tobago is much different than on Trinidad. It is small enough that a short visit is sufficient to visit the major hotspots, much of the agricultural land is reverting back to second-growth habitat, and it’s a fairly obvious Caribbean paradise.

We visit the central highlands, mangrove swamps, and take a boat ride to Little Tobago Island, with the target of finding those species not found on Trinidad. These include Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Striped Owl, White-tailed Sabrewing, White-fringed Antwren, Blue-backed Manakin, Scrub Greenlet, and Black-faced Grassquit. Some species are easier to find and observe on Tobago than on Trinidad, and we have a good chance of locating Yellow-legged Thrush, Stripe-breasted Spinetail, Venezuelan Flycatcher, and Great Black-hawk, and especially Trinidad Motmot.

At Little Tobago the seabirds are the main attraction and highlights include Brown and Red-footed Boobies, Magnificent Frigatebird, and the stunning Red-billed Tropicbird. A glass-bottomed boat gets us across a postcard-quality coral reef, with an option for some snorkeling en route. Many guests decide to stay on Tobago for a night or two after the tour. Nights at Blue Waters Inn.