|
Species list |
List of species seen
|
Brown Pelican |
These were only seen on the 2
days that we were at the coast. 3 birds were on the boats with Laughing Gulls
at Waterloo, and at least 20 birds were flying past and fishing over the sea
adjacent to Tobago airport |
|
Brown Booby |
2 groups totalling about 16
birds were resting on 2 floating platforms just off the beach from Tobago
airport. Most were juveniles in wholly brown plumage, with only 2-3 adults in
dapper brown and white livery |
|
Neotropic Cormorant |
Only one was seen on the
coast at Waterloo, perched on a buoy just offshore, but more were seen flying
over Caroni Swamp |
|
Anhinga |
Only one bird was seen, in perhaps the most surprising of places – circling high on thermals with raptors over Wallerfields |
|
Magnificent Frigatebird |
The only inland bird was a
singleton high over the Pax Guest House, with more predictable birds at
Waterloo (~8) and over the sea just off Tobago airport (~20) |
|
Great Blue Heron |
Only one seen – perched for
some time on the mudflats at Waterloo |
|
Tricoloured Heron |
4 birds were in the distance
on the mudflats at Waterloo, but most were seen at Caroni Swamp, were in excess
of 80 birds flew in with Snowy Egrets to roost |
|
Little Blue Heron |
After a single bird flying in
to the Trincity Ponds, the most impressive numbers were feeding on the mudflats
at Waterloo, with at least 50 birds present. A further 6 birds were seen over
the Rice Fields earlier that same morning, with an additional 30 or so at
Caroni Swamp |
|
Snowy Egret |
6 birds were feeding on the
mudflats at Waterloo, but the most impressive numbers were the hundreds flying
in to roost with the Ibis at Caroni swamp. Many flew on to roost elsewhere, but
a large number landed in the trees in around the large open lagoon |
|
Great White Egret |
4 birds were feeding together
on the mud at Waterloo, and 6 flew over Caroni Swamp later that day |
|
Cattle Egret |
Abundant |
|
Striated Heron |
2 were around the stream and
cattle sheds at the Aripo Agricultural Station, one appearing from beneath the
bridge over the track; 1 close in perched on an exposed piece of wood at
Waterloo mud flats; 6 at Caroni Swamp |
|
Night Heron |
Only 2 were seen – 1 on the
mudflats at Waterloo, and 1 in the mangroves at Caroni Swamp |
|
Yellow-crowned Night-heron |
5 on the mudflats at
Waterloo; 6 at Caroni Swamp |
|
Scarlet Ibis |
The spectacle of hundreds of birds coming in to roost at Caroni Swamp is world famous, and we found that this was not disappointing. We paid $US10 each for a ride on James Madoo’s boat through the swamp, which also passes other bird species on the way. Single and small groups of birds were seen on the journey through, but the main mass of birds was seen later in the afternoon. The boat is parked opposite an island in a large clearing of water, and the birds started appearing at around 17:00. They tended to come in high, and most went on to roost at other parts of the swamp, but a sizeable number landed on the island in front of us |
|
Blue-winged Teal |
The only wildfowl we saw were
about 12 of these birds flying over us while waiting for the Scarlet Ibis at Caroni
Swamp |
|
Black Vulture |
Abundant |
|
Turkey Vulture |
Abundant |
|
Osprey |
1 over Wallerfields; 6 at
Waterloo (including 4 perched on posts on the mudflats); 1 over Caroni Swamp |
|
Pearl Kite |
The sighting of this bird
came as a bit of a surprise, since they are not too common on the island. The
single bird we saw was perched on wires right above the car at the base of the
road to Aripo Heights. They are deceptively small and delicate (smallest raptor
here – even smaller than Bat Falcon), but probably one of the most impressive
birds that we saw |
|
Double-toothed Kite |
A single bird was perched in
the distance at Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Plumbeous Kite |
This is a migratory species,
and so we weren’t expecting any to be present at the time of our visit. We were
pleasantly surprised to find that they were not too difficult to see in the
Aripo Valley, with 4 on both days in the Aripo Heights area, when walking from
the Aripo Cottage, and a single bird perched on the tops at the end of the week
when again visiting the lower elevation of the Aripo Heights. Once seen flying,
they have a distinctive shape, with pointed wings reminiscent of a falcon |
|
White Hawk |
This is a most impressive
raptor, with contrasting black and white plumage, and large but compact shape
in flight, due to its very broad wings and short tail. Most were seen in
flight, but one bird landed in trees twice very close to us in the grounds of
Aripo Cottage. Aripo Heights (8 on 13th, 1 on 14th, 1 on
15th); 2 from the terrace of Pax Guest House (19th) |
|
Common Black-hawk |
These were seen every day,
most being in the mountainous areas. The peak was 10 on the 13th
(Aripo Heights) |
|
Great Black-hawk |
These are not always easy to
separate from Common Black Hawk, since size and shape comparison is not
reliable to the inexperienced. However, tail patterns were seen well on the 2
birds identified as this species (1 each on the 13th and 14th
– Aripo Heights) |
|
Savannah Hawk |
What was likely to be our
first sighting of this species was a bird tantalisingly perched on wires next
to the main highway south of Tunapuna, but we weren’t able to stop and look at
it properly. However, the 3 birds at Wallerfields / Aripo Savannah were easily
identified in flight. At the Aripo Agricultural Station later that same day,
much better views were obtained of one bird perched on a telegraph pole as we
entered the station, and a second hunting for insects on the ground. Another 4
were over the Rice Fields the next day |
|
Grey Hawk |
Seen at Aripo Heights (5 on
13th, 1 on 14th), Waterloo (1), Aripo Heights lower
elevation (1 perched), and Caroni Swamp (1) |
|
Short-tailed Hawk |
This dapper and small Buteo
is quite easy to see at Pax Guest House. The first was seen when we found a
view over the valley from the Old Donkey Trail. 3 further birds were seen from
the terrace of the guest house during our stay there |
|
Zone-tailed Hawk |
One of the best places to see this species is from the terrace to the rear of Pax Guest House. We had been told this by Gerard shortly after we arrived, but the best time to see them is mid-morning, and we were usually out by this time. However, we didn’t leave the area until 11 o’clock on the morning of our departure, and so one obligingly soared right in front of us some time before leaving |
|
Yellow-headed Caracara |
3 single birds seen – perched
on a telegraph pole next to the road on the way to Wallerfields; over Caroni
Swamp; flying adjacent to the airfield on Tobago airport |
|
Peregrine |
2 birds seen circling over the hills behind Pax Guest House, on the 15th and 19th |
|
Limpkin |
3 separate birds on the Rice
Fields |
|
Wattled Jacana |
An initial 15 or so birds
were seen on the Trincity Ponds. None were particularly close, since they were
at the centre of one of the marshy lagoons, although they could be seen well
with optics. However, the Aripo Agricultural Station held the most birds (~60),
and many of these were just on the other side of a small barbed wire fence next
to the track, and were very approachable. Included in these were a good number
of juveniles |
|
Southern Lapwing |
We took our opportunity to
get a good look at a single individual in the grounds of a house at
Wallerfields, but the 10 seen relatively close in at Waterloo, and the even
more numerous birds (~30) at Aripo Agricultural Station made that action
redundant |
|
Semipalmated Plover |
~30 birds were at Waterloo,
the majority being close in on the South side of the Temple by the Sea path,
mixed in with peeps, another group being a little more distant on the mudlflats
to the South |
|
Killdeer |
1 at the Aripo Agricultural Station |
|
Short-billed Dowitcher |
Waterloo (~30); Caroni Swamp – about 20 birds within the mangroves, with some quite close to the boat |
|
Greater Yellowlegs |
1 was in the stream at very
close quarters at the Aripo Agricultural Station; the 10 at Waterloo mudflats
were a lot more distant; and the 15 at Caroni Swamp were attempting to roost
with other waders on the roots of the mangroves |
|
Lesser Yellowlegs |
2 were in the stream channel
at Aripo Agricultural Station |
|
Solitary Sandpiper |
5 were quite approachable in the wet areas next to the track at the Aripo Agricultural Station, and a single bird was on the mud at Waterloo |
|
Spotted Sandpiper |
Trincity Ponds (6); Aripo
Agricultural Station (2); Caroni Swamp (12); Tobago airport (1) |
|
Willet |
Waterloo (~20); Caroni Swamp
(2) |
|
Turnstone |
~10 at Waterloo; 5 in the
Caroni Swamp |
|
Knot |
Waterloo (~20) |
|
Semipalmated Sandpiper |
A flock of peeps next to the
path leading to the Temple by the Sea at Waterloo contained both these and
Western Sandpiper, allowing comparison between the two. Only 6 of these were
identified |
|
Western Sandpiper |
In the mixed flock mentioned
above, this was by far the most numerous species, with ~50 birds |
|
Least Sandpiper |
The ~20 at the Aripo
Agricultural Station were all very close and approachable, including a couple
of birds under the barbed wire fence next to the track |
|
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
1 resting on a large branch
in the centre of the Waterloo mudflats |
|
Laughing Gull |
Very common at the coast, with
good numbers at both Waterloo and next to Tobago airport |
|
Royal Tern |
~20 flying past and resting
on a wall next to a small resort at Tobago airport, and one perched on a rock
at Waterloo |
|
Large-billed Tern |
10 of these robust, yellow
billed terns were either perched or flying around the mudflats at Waterloo.
When we searched through the terns over the sea at Tobago airport, they seemed
to be less common than the similar, orange billed Royal Terns (10) |
|
Black Skimmer |
About 25 birds were seen at
Waterloo. These consisted of a group flying in from the sea, a single bird
feeding over the mudflats, and another group resting towards the centre of the
mudflats |
|
Scaled Pigeon |
The only bird seen was some
distance away, perched at the top of a tree in the Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Pale-vented Pigeon |
Only 2 of these supposedly
common birds were seen, and even they were separately perched in trees next to
Tobago airport |
|
Eared Dove |
Again only seen next to
Tobago airport, with a total of ~10 seen |
|
Ruddy Ground-dove |
Abundant |
|
Grey-fronted Dove |
The books make this and
White-tipped Dove reasonably easy to identify, but the truth in the field isn’t
quite like that. Although the latter does have noticeable white on the tail,
Grey-fronted also has some white, so this is not a definitive field mark unless
seen extremely well. Also, the orbital ring around the eye can differ in
colour, and is not always easy to see. The 6 birds identified all had obvious
grey on the front of the crown, which again is not always easy to see (Asa
Wright Nature Centre – 2; Caroni Swamp – 2; Tobago airport – 2) |
|
Green-rumped Parrotlet |
2 birds flew across us at the
entrance to the Aripo Agricultural Station, and landed in a tree next to where
our car was parked. They are a tiny parrot, and the 2 we saw allowed us to get
quite close |
|
Lilac-tailed Parrot |
A single bird flew in front
of us and then landed out of sight while watching from the terrace of the Pax
Guest House on the 16th |
|
Blue-headed Parrot |
A group of around 30 birds
landed on one of the tall trees only 30 metres or so from the front terrace of
the Aripo Cottage on the morning of the 15th. They fed here for
quite some time. The only 2 other birds landed on tree just below Pax Guest
House on the 18th |
|
Yellow-crowned Parrot |
Large numbers of this species
and Orange-winged Parrots could be seen and, most definitely, heard in the
hills. Unless the wings or facial patterns are seen well, they cannot be
identified as either species. Good views of both were seen through the week,
although none were seen on the 18th or 19th |
|
Orange-winged Parrot |
These were often mixed in
with Yellow-crowned Parrots, or could not be separated (many of the large
numbers of birds were flying overhead). Again seen, every day but the 18th,
with 4 on the morning of the 19th near to Pax Guest House |
|
Squirrel Cuckoo |
These birds are extremely
impressive, with their long black and white barred tails complementing their
rufous colour. Despite their size, they are usual quite difficult to see, since
they spend their time in thick foliage (as the bird seen on the Old Donkey
Trail at Pax Guest House was). However, 2 birds on the 19th were out
in the open for some time next to St Benet Hall at the head of the Mount
Benedict road up from Pax |
|
Smooth-billed Ani |
Very common, seen in groups of usually 5-10 birds on every day apart from the 17th. Greatest daily number was ~30 birds on the 16th |
|
Striped Cuckoo |
A single bird landed briefly
near to where the car was parked when returning from the sand pit lagoons at
Wallerfields |
|
Oilbird |
This is probably the bird
that the island is best noted for. There are 6 caves holding colonies around
Trinidad. We took up the offer of a day long walk to the Aripo Caves. This only
cost us $US10 each, with Mervyn from the Aripo Cottage as our guide. The hike
there and back is around 2½ hours each way, and is a lot more strenuous than
those offered by the Asa Wright Nature Centre and Pax Guest House. However,
once at the cave, we had reasonably close views of the birds (closest about 25 metres),
and we were the only people there. For viewing, a powerful torch is ideal,
although my video camera has a night shot incorporated, and the birds could be
seen well using this. Not only are these birds one of the strangest to look at,
but the raucous calls coming from the cave are also quite loud and unique |
|
Common Potoo |
We had been hoping to see one
of these on the boat trip through Caroni Swamp, since they are quite regular
there. Despite looking in what seemed an appropriate place, James failed to
find one. This was not too disappointing, since Harold, our guide at Asa Wright
Nature Centre, had pointed one roosting at the top of a tree on the Discovery
Trail |
|
Chestnut-coloured Swift |
We had thought that we had seen
some of these earlier in the week, within large flocks of Chaetura
swifts. However, they do need to be seen well, and it wasn’t until the visit to
the Rice Fields that we identified 6, including some showing the chestnut
collar, which is often difficult to see, amongst a huge mixed flock of swifts |
|
Band-rumped Swift |
Much smaller numbers seen
than Grey-rumped in the hills around Aripo, with up to 10 seen each day. A
further 6 were seen in the hills on the approach to Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Grey-rumped Swift |
The most common swift in the
hills, where it was seen in the hundreds during all 3 days at Aripo |
|
Short-tailed Swift |
This is the common swift of
the lower hills and lowlands – small numbers were regularly seen around the Pax
Guest House, but the largest numbers were hundreds over the Rice Fields |
|
Fork-tailed Palm-swift |
These birds are an incredible
shape – very long and pointed, and quite different in appearance to other swifts.
It is quite easy to distinguish from the Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift that also
occurs on the island, since it shows a much more pronounced white belly (dark
on the latter). Wallerfields area had ~25 birds, and a further 10 were in
amongst the large swift flocks over the Rice Fields |
|
Green Hermit |
Of the 3 hermit species
possible on the island, this was the only one seen, and also one of the few
species that we did see that was always in flight. They are a characteristic
bird, with longish decurved bill, eyestripe, and long central tail feathers
tipped white |
|
White-necked Jacobin |
The males of this species are probably the most dapper of the hummingbirds on the island, with well demarcated green on the back, blue face and throat, and white belly and collar. The first birds that we saw were generally hanging around the Immortelle trees at Aripo Heights, and had to be looked up at from the ground. However, the birds at Asa Wright Nature Centre were ridiculously close, with some on feeders literally in front on your nose. Best views were of the pair of males lapping up the rain near to the feeders in front of the terrace (Aripo Heights – 2+, 1, 1; Asa Wright Nature Centre - 3 males, 1 females) |
|
Brown Violetear |
This is one of the more
difficult to see species, and we were lucky to see a regularly returning bird
on a favourite Immortelle tree in the Aripo Heights |
|
Black-throated Mango |
This species was seen on all
days apart from the 15th, and was the first hummingbird of the trip
– a single bird just outside of Tobago airport. The females are equally as
stunning, with the black central line being flanked by white rather than the
green of the male (Aripo Heights - 4 males and 3 females on 13th, 1 on 14th,
1 on 18th; Asa Wright Nature Centre – 1; Wallerfields – 1; Caroni
Swamp – 1; Tobago airport – 2 more on the 19th) |
|
Ruby-topaz Hummingbird |
This is another of the more
difficult to see hummingbirds. We were thus very surprised to find a nest with
sitting female on the track up the Aripo Heights road from Aripo Cottage. The
plain green and white bird stumped us at first, but the sight of chestnut outer
tail feathering bordering by black and white confirmed identification. 3
separate males were seen very briefly towards the end of the week, at the
Wallerfields sand pit lagoons entrance, mansion grounds at Aripo Heights, and
Tobago airport. They are generally a lot darker than appear in the books, but
the rufous tail is a useful field mark |
|
Tufted Coquette |
The tiny size and remarkable
appearance of these birds has to be seen to be believed. We had camped out next
to some likely flowering bushes at Pax Guest House one morning in the hope of
seeing the bird, but that was totally unnecessary, since a small group were
feeding on the flowering bushes at Asa Wright Nature Centre as soon as we got
out of the car. Some also appeared at the feeders in front of the terrace, but
the first ones seemed to be more regular and could be approached quite closely |
|
Blue-chinned Sapphire |
These were only seen feeding
on the flowering Immortelle trees at Aripo Heights, where 6 were seen on the 13th,
and ~12 on the 14th |
|
White-chested Emerald |
Seen every day apart from 18th
(Aripo Heights – 2, 2; Pax Guest House – 1, 4; Asa Wright Nature Centre – 3;
Wallerfields – 2) |
|
Copper-rumped Hummingbird |
Not only is this bird the
most common seen of the hummingbirds (present every day), it also appears to be
the most aggressive, chasing away all comers. This is not always a good thing –
some individuals chased away less common hummers that we wanted to see more
closely. Our first bird became the most well known – a regular branch within
the grounds of Aripo Cottage was almost guaranteed to host the bird. (Aripo
Heights – 2, 6, 3, 4; Pax Guest House – 4, 2, 4; Asa Wright Nature Centre – 4;
Wallerfields – 1; Caroni Swamp – 2, Tobago airport – 1) |
|
White-tailed Trogon |
This was the last of the
three trogons to fall. A pair were together high in the canopy but directly
above us in the Arena Forest |
|
Violaceous Trogon |
2 were seen at the Asa Wright Nature Centre. The first was brought to within about 20 metres by our guide calling on the Discovery Trail. The second was seen later in the day, perched in the open on a dead tree about 70 metres from the viewing terrace |
|
Collared Trogon |
We were surprised that only
one of these was seen, a female alighting on a branch a short distance in front
of us when walking to the Aripo Caves |
|
Ringed Kingfisher |
The 2 that we recorded were only seen briefly, one flying away from us at Trincity Ponds, the other perched above a roadside stream while travelling East on the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway. Despite this, the almost full chestnut underparts on both could be seen clearly |
|
Green Kingfisher |
This was a species that we
had been hoping to see for some years (potential it during previous trips to
Mexico and Arizona). A perched bird would have been the ideal, but we had to
settle for a single bird flying across the front of the boat at the early part
of the Caroni Swamp ride |
|
Blue-crowned Motmot |
We had thought that these
stunning birds would be more commonly seen, but the only one recorded was a
single bird which kept returning to the feeders at the Asa Wright Nature
Centre. That being said, it was a superb bird, and lingered for a short time on
each visit |
|
Channel-billed Toucan |
A pair of birds were perched
for a considerable length of time about 80 metres in front of the viewing
terrace at Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Golden-olive Woodpecker |
The first sighting was of a
pair of birds on one of the flowering Immortelle trees next to the track
ascending the Aripo Heights. The 3rd bird was much more obliging,
landing on the tree to the left of the feeders in front of the terrace at the
Asa Wright Nature Centre. This was only a few metres away, and the bird
obligingly lingered here for some time |
|
Chestnut Woodpecker |
It was this species, rather
than Golden-olive, that we had expected to see at close quarters from the Asa
Wright Nature Centre viewing terrace. However, we had seen 2 birds by then,
reasonably briefly at Aripo Heights and the Old Donkey Trail near Pax Guest
House |
|
Yellow-chinned Spinetail |
These are birds that seem to
prefer wet conditions, so it was no surprise that we found a family group of 6
or so birds at Trincity Ponds. A further single bird was also at the Aripo
Agricultural Station |
|
Streaked Xenops |
These are supposedly
reasonably easy to see in the forests around Pax Guest House, and this is where
we saw our 2 birds, both from different parts of the Old Donkey Trail. They
have quite a unique character, with noticeably upturned bill being used to
probe around at the end of dead branches. They seem to behave in some ways like
a woodpecker |
|
Plain-brown Woodcreeper |
The most common and obliging
of the woodcreepers seen. 2 were in the rain forest of Aripo Heights. A single
bird was then seen at the start of the Old Donkey Trail near Pax Guest House,
and this was possibly one of the pair seen on the last morning there in the
same part of the forest. A little bit of patience with the latter birds
eventually found one motionless on the trunk of a tree for some time |
|
Cocoa Woodcreeper |
1 seen in the Arena Forest
close to |
|
Straight-billed Woodcreeper |
1 was seen near the boat at the Caroni Swamp |
|
Great Antshrike |
This rather large and
impressive bird was also quite elusive. Fortunately, a single male made 2 or 3
appearances on the feeding terrace at Asa Wright Nature Centre. Most of the
time that it was present, which was generally not very long, the bird kept to
the undergrowth or low branches, but it did deign to visit the tables briefly |
|
Barred Antshrike |
This is even more impressive than the Great Antshrike in appearance, due to its startling barred plumage and staring yellow eye. This does not make it any the less elusive – the 3 males seen were not for too long each time, although they were a little higher in the foliage and more open than the latter species. 2 were at Asa Wright Nature Centre, 1 on the bushes behind the feeders of the terrace, the other in the lane towards the car park, with a 3rd bird along the track on the approach to Wallerfields air base |
|
White-flanked Antwren |
A pair of birds were seen
briefly when returning along the Old Donkey Trail near to Pax Guest House, and
a 2nd male was fairly close, again briefly, along the Discovery
Trail at Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Bearded Bellbird |
This is another contender for
the strangest bird of the trip award. They are a lot larger than would be
expected (“the size of a chicken” to quote our guide at Asa Wright Nature
Centre). They are also unbelievably loud – the characteristic calls can be
heard from some distance away. There is a sizable lekking rea for 10 or so
birds at the base of the Discovery Trail, and the birds are supposedly more or
less guaranteed here. This is not always so, since it took us some time and
searching to eventually pin down a calling bird which in the end was quite
close. The calls are almost tantalisingly constant, but the birds can be a lot
more distant than they sound |
|
White-bearded Manakin |
5 males of this species were
seen. The first bird was on the trail to Aripo Caves. 2 at Asa Wright Nature
Centre were in different settings – the first was in a small clearing on the
Discovery Trail, the second appeared as we about to leave the centre, being in
a large tree just behind the feeding area in front of the terrace. 2 further
males were seen – 1 in the Arena Forest, and 1 in the lower forest of Aripo
Heights |
|
Golden-headed Manakin |
The 2 manakins on the island
are amongst the top target birds, particularly when lekking. We didn’t see them
doing this, but, on the other hand, we had found males of both species
ourselves before going to the almost guaranteed habitat at the Asa Wright
Nature Centre. This was the second of the 2 to be found. We already knew of the
lekking area on the Old Donkey Trail at Pax, but when looking up from the
trail, no birds could be found. However, when we rounded the corner of the
trail, so that we were effectively looking down on the site, we waited and
watched for some unfamiliar calls coming from near the canopy (now just above
eye level), and were rewarded with at least 2 males. A 3rd male was
seen from the Discovery Trail at Asa Wright Nature Centre, and the 4th
in the Arena Forest. Female manakins were also seen, but we were not familiar
enough with them to usher positive identification |
|
Southern Beardless Tyrannulet |
The tyrannulets seem to have a carriage and feeding action very different from other flycatchers, being much more horizontal, and creeping around branches feeding off vegetation. The 2 separate birds seen on flowering Immortelle trees at Aripo Heights were no exception to this |
|
Forest Elaenia |
The smaller Elaenias all
tended to be of this species, with a pair fighting opposite St Benet Hall near
Pax showing the white crest stripe beautifully (Aripo Heights – 4, 1; Asa
Wright Nature Centre – 1; St Benet Hall, Pax – 2) |
|
Yellow-bellied Elaenia |
These are a characteristic
species within what can be a difficult family of birds to separate. They are
quite large, have a usually obvious yellow belly, but obligingly usually raise
their shaggy crest, displaying the white crown line underneath. It does seem
strange that we spent a full weeks birding in Trinidad to see only one bird on
the first day at Aripo Heights, but then found 2 very much more confiding birds
just outside Tobago airport |
|
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher |
1 bird in an Immortelle tree
on the Aripo Heights road; at least 2 birds at one time on the tree to the left
of the viewing terrace at Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Slaty-capped Flycatcher |
Wehad not realised that we
had seen this species until we got home and edited the video tapes. A small
flycatcher had been filmed at Aripo Cottage on the rainy morning of the 15th,
but not looked at particularly well (at all?). The characteristic cheek patches
could be seem well on playback, and the somewhat wet grey crown |
|
Olive-sided Flycatcher |
2 birds were perched at the
top of dead trees about 70 metres in front of the viewing terrace at Asa Wright
Nature Centre |
|
Tropical Pewee |
The 4 birds seen were all in
Aripo Heights |
|
Pied Water-tyrant |
These are definitely in the
category of “better than they look in the books”. Like Marsh-tyrant and
Yellow-chinned Spinetail, they prefer wet areas, so it was no coincidence that
all 3 species were seen at the same sites - Trincity Ponds and the Aripo
Agricultural Station. The birds at Trincity Ponds were in small family groups,
with a total of ~10 birds, all being found in the marshy lagoons. The birds at
the Aripo Agricultural Station were a pair that had built a nest over the
running stream next to the cattle sheds, and would frequently be seen
collecting for the nest close to |
|
White-headed Marsh-tyrant |
These are a supremely dapper
little bird, and are everything you would expect from looking in the books.
They also prove to be quite approachable. We hadn’t expected to find the lone
bird patrolling one of the marshy lagoons at Trincity Ponds, but it was a good
prelude to the very close birds (3) that we saw at the Aripo Agricultural
Station |
|
Bright-rumped Attila |
A group of 3 noisy birds were together in the rain forest on the way to Aripo caves |
|
Brown-crested Flycatcher |
1 on the fence of Tobago
airport |
|
Great Kiskadee |
Very common and noisy – seen
every day |
|
Piratic Flycatcher |
The Trinidad checklist has these down as breeding visitors, so we thought we might be a little too early to see them. This was not to be the case – 2 were seen on consecutive days around Aripo Heights, and a 5th bird was around the top of the Mount St Benedict road near Pax |
|
Sulphury Flycatcher |
Not always easily told from
the much more common Tropical Kingbirds, the only definite sightings were of 1
at Wallerfields, and 2 together at the base of the Aripo Heights road |
|
Tropical Kingbird |
These birds are very common – seen every day and in almost any habitat. There is the potential that some could have been Sulphury Flycatcher, but the differences are not always easy to see, and not all the Kingbirds can be checked |
|
Grey Kingbird |
3 birds around Tobago airport |
|
Grey-breasted Martin |
Aripo Agricultural Station
(1); Waterloo (2); Caroni Swamp (2); Pax Guest House (2) |
|
White-winged Swallow |
Apart from the hundreds of birds feeding over the active lagoons at Trincity Ponds, these were seen in small numbers throughout the week: Aripo Heights (1,1); Pax Guest House (1,2); Wallerfields (2); Aripo Agricultural Station (2); Caroni Swamp (2) |
|
Southern Rough-winged Swallow |
Small numbers were seen at
Pax Guest House (2,4); Trincity Ponds (4); Wallerfields (4); Asa Wright Nature
Centre (4); Tobago airport (2) |
|
Rufous-breasted Wren |
The rich rufous colour of
this secretive but vocal bird comes as quite a surprise. The first pair that we
saw, at the base of the rough track up to Aripo Cottage, were busily tending a
nest found low to the ground. The only other bird seen was a singing and
preening individual at the start of the Old Donkey Trail near Pax |
|
House Wren |
Seen in small numbers every
day of the trip: Aripo Heights (1,1,1); Pax Guest House (1,2); Arena Forest
(1); Aripo Agricultural Station (3); Asa Wright Nature Centre (2); Tobago
airport (2) |
|
Tropical Mockingbird |
Very common – seen every day |
|
Cocoa Thrush |
Aripo Cottage grounds (1);
Pax Guest House (3 coming to feeders below the terrace); Arena Forest (1); Asa
Wright Nature Centre (4, with 2 coming to the terrace feeders) |
|
Bare-eyed Thrush |
Aripo Heights (4,1,1); Pax
Guest House (3,1, including one at the feeders); Arena Forest (2); Tobago
airport (1) |
|
|
Much more difficult to see
than the above 2 thrushes, the 2 we saw were much deeper into the rainforest,
on the hike to Aripo Caves, and in Arena Forest |
|
Long-billed Gnatwren |
The first pair we saw were
very active, chasing each other through the vegetation on the trail in the
rainforest to Aripo Caves, with a second pair alongside the Discovery Trail at
Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Common Waxbill |
2 of these introduced birds
were seen briefly at Trincity Ponds |
|
Golden-fronted Greenlet |
This is a very plain bird,
and can often be overlooked. The yellow colour to the front of the head tends
to be difficult to see (Arena Forest – 6; Wallerfields – 2; Asa Wright Nature
Centre – 2) |
|
Rufous-browed Peppershrike |
Once we got our ears tuned to
the song, it was likely that quite a few of these elusive birds were heard.
They tend to keep deep into the vegetation, and the colouring doesn’t help find
them against the greenery. However, we did eventually see 2 in the Wallerfields
area |
|
Tropical Parula |
Aripo Heights (5); trees
around St Benet Hall, Mount St Benedict (2) |
|
Yellow Warbler |
Pax Guest House (2,1,1);
Trincity Ponds (1); Rice Fields (1) |
|
American Redstart |
A single male responded to
the tape of Ferruginous Pygmy-owl in a tree at the bottom of the bank from
Aripo Cottage |
|
Northern Waterthrush |
Aripo Heights (1); Arena Forest (1); Caroni Swamp (1) |
|
Golden-crowned Warbler |
3 of these distinctive
wood-warblers were seen, 2 together on the road up towards Aripo Heights from
Aripo Cottage, and a lingering, singing bird around the entrance to Aripo
Caves. An important point to note about the race olivascens seen on
Trinidad is that it sports a greyish white supercilium, and the crown stripe
also appears whitish, neither with the yellow or orange colour expected when
looking at the field guides, which probably show the types more likely to be
seen on the mainland |
|
Bananaquit |
Abundant – this bird seems to
be everywhere. The race here is the yellow bellied, dark throated type |
|
Bicoloured Conebill |
This is a speciality species,
found from the boat touring the Caroni Swamp. It is also a much brighter blue
grey than depicted in the books, and a lot more appealing than would be
predicted. 2 separate birds were feeding in the trees above the mangroves |
|
White-lined Tanager |
The almost all black male
contrasts starkly with the all rufous coloured female, so much so that they
could pass off as separate species. It is another very common tanager, being
seen every day in most habitats and in good numbers |
|
White-shouldered Tanager |
Only seen at Aripo Heights,
with ~10 on 13th, and only 1 the following day |
|
Silver-beaked Tanager |
Another commonly seen
tanager, although nowhere near the numbers of Blue-grey and Palm, the deepness
of its wine red plumage, compared to the white of its lower mandible, makes it
an outstanding bird to see. Greatest numbers were in the Aripo Heights area,
but up to 8 day were seen in the lowlands, apart from none on the last morning |
|
Blue-grey Tanager |
The powder blue breast and
deeper blue of the wings makes this a surprisingly impressive tanager. Despite
being very common, seen every day in good numbers, they were always worth
looking at |
|
Palm Tanager |
Much more drab than its blue
grey counterpart, this species is also even more common, again being seen on
every day |
|
Trinidad Euphonia |
6 birds – a mix of males and females – were in the Aripo Cottage area on the 13th |
|
Violaceous Euphonia |
Seen much more regularly than
Trinidad Euphonia: Aripo Heights (12,4,1); Pax Guest House (1); Asa Wright
Nature Centre (3) |
|
Turquoise Tanager |
2 birds were on the tree to
the left of the feeders at Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Bay-headed Tanager |
1 was in the rain forest on
the walk back from Aripo Caves; 3 were in the same tree at one time, to the
left of the Asa Wright Nature Centre terrace, and 1 was near St Benet Hall,
Mount St Benedict on the last morning before leaving |
|
Blue Dacnis |
The first bird was rather
distant – perched on bare branches around 100 metres away near to Aripo
Cottage. The male and female seen en route to the Aripo Caves were much closer,
feeding beneath the canopy in the rain forest |
|
Green Honeycreeper |
The iridescent green of this
bird in reality has to be seen to be believed, with the females a rather
strange lime green. They were regularly seen on both the Immortelle trees
around Aripo Heights (12, 4), and almost constantly on the feeders and bushes
in front of the terrace at Asa Wright Nature Centre (20+) |
|
Purple Honeycreeper |
Very similar to Red-legged Honeycreeper, the 2 are difficult to mix up unless at a distance or if seen only briefly. It was certainly more common than its other purple counterpart, with ~15 on the Immortelle trees at Aripo Heights on the first day (only 1 on the second day), and at least 12, including many regularly visiting the feeders with females, at Asa Wright Nature Centre |
|
Red-legged Honeycreeper |
The least seen of the 3
honeycreepers, a fair few were still around. 6 were seen on both the first and
second days in Aripo Heights, usually feeding on Immortelle flowers, but they
were only seen occasionally on the feeders at the Asa Wright Nature Centre (3) |
|
Blue-black Grassquit |
The glossy black of some of
these males is impressive, as is their attempt at a dance for a courtship
display – they basically select a favoured perch, and jump about half a metre
into the air, flapping wings and calling. Aripo Heights (10,6); Arena Forest
(1); Tobago airport (6) |
|
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater |
The seedeaters are generally
quite difficult to find on the island, so the appearance of a pair of males at
the Aripo Agricultural Station was surprising and welcome |
|
Black-faced Grassquit |
2 birds were seen feeding
next to the tables of the outdoor café at Tobago airport on the 12th |
|
Saffron Finch |
As with the seedeaters, these
tend to be quite localised – 2 birds also at Aripo Agricultural Station |
|
Greyish Saltator |
Aripo Heights (6,6,1); Pax
Guest House (1 on the feeders); Asa Wright Nature Centre (3) |
|
Yellow-hooded Blackbird |
The sight of hundreds and
hundreds of these attractive birds, interlaced with Shiny Cowbirds, in and
around the vegetable fields of Trincity Ponds is superb. Most of the birds were
in smart adult plumage, but many others were juveniles. The vast majority of
the flock was feeding on the ground within the vegetable field itself. Only
other birds seen were a group of 4 at the Rice Fields |
|
Red-breasted Blackbird |
The first male was seen on
wires near to the entrance of the Aripo Agricultural Station, with a further
group of 3 to the rear of one of the fields at the station. A single bird was
in the Rice Fields the next morning |
|
Carib Grackle |
Seen every day once away from the Aripo Heights, with a maximum ~30 on 17th |
|
Shiny Cowbird |
Highest concentration of birds were in the vegetable field adjacent to Trincity Ponds, where there were probably hundreds of birds mixed in with the even more numerous Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Apart from 10 birds feeding with Carib Grackles outside Tobago airport, the only other sightings were of singles at Pax Guest House feeders, Arena Forest, and Wallerfields |
|
Yellow Oriole |
These smart birds can be very
confiding, often attending the feeders. Many more birds were seen in the
forests away from the feeders, however: Aripo Heights (3); Pax Guest House (2
in the forest, and 4 in the feeding area at one time); Arena Forest (1); Asa
Wright Nature Centre (2) |
|
Giant Cowbird |
After a single bird was seen
flying over the Rice Fields, a further 20 birds were picked up in a bare tree
on the opposite side of the highway |
|
Yellow-rumped Cacique |
We tried in vain to find the
nesting colony at Cumuto, which was supposed to be in the vicinity of the
police station. Even asking a policeman didn’t help! However, we did see 3
separate birds in the area |
|
Crested Oropendola |
These birds go out of their way to be noticed, since they are not only large with stripes of colour in their black plumage, but they build obvious pendulous nests in colonies, and have the most comical display, throwing their heads back and more or less cackling. Funny! Plenty of colonies were found, and the presence of even a single bird usually meant that more would be around somewhere. Nesting trees holding up to 50 birds were found in the Aripo Heights area (4, including one which could be seen from the breakfast area at Aripo Cottage), Arena Forest, Asa Wright Nature Centre (directly in front of the viewing terrace), and Wallerfields |
|
Species list |