A Green Honeycreeper approaches the feeding table at Asa Wright Nature Center. Photo: Judy Davis
Trinidad and Tobago, the beautiful, mountainous green islands off South America’s northeast coast, are widely celebrated among birdwatchers, for whom they have an enduring and particular appeal. Nowhere, it seems, are tropical birds more accessible and more easily studied, and nowhere is there a place more ideally suited than the Asa Wright Nature Centre for seeing them in an intense yet relaxed way. At an elevation of 1,200 feet in Trinidad’s Northern Range, surrounded (one might almost say invaded) by rainforest, with a cool climate and a broad prospect of the Arima Valley, this former coffee plantation offers comfortable lodging and truly excellent cuisine. Smaller and somewhat farther from the mainland, Tobago is probably the best island in South America for vagrant birds, and its Caribbean atmosphere, coral reefs, and picturesque coastline provide many pleasing contrasts.
This tour is conducted at an easy pace, and while it provides a good introduction to tropical birds, it also has much to interest even the experienced South American birdwatcher. The trip list includes a number of birds difficult to find elsewhere, among them Oilbird and such hummingbirds as White-tailed Sabrewing and Tufted Coquette. And finally, the trip includes two marvelous avian spectacles: the Scarlet Ibises in Caroni Swamp and the seabirds at their island colonies off Tobago.
Day 1: The tour begins this afternoon at Trinidad’s Piarco Airport. Upon arrival we will transfer to Asa Wright Nature Centre, where we will spend this and the next five nights.
Days 2-5: Even before dawn breaks over the Northern Range of Trinidad, birds herald the start of a new day. The low-pitched vocalizations of Blue-crowned Motmot, the unforgettable call of the Great Kiskadee, and the repetitive whistle of a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl beckon us to the famous veranda of Asa Wright Nature Centre. As the sun comes over the ridge, we will sip our coffee or tea and watch an amazing variety of birds assemble around the veranda. Twenty-five or more species regularly visit the fruit and nectar feeders, while many more forage in the nearby flowering shrubs. Still more probe the orange Erythrina blossoms overhead when they are first touched by sunlight or pluck fruit from the topmost branches of matchwood trees in the valley. The hummingbirds, honeycreepers, and tanagers are fearless around the feeders, and their brilliant colors and breathtaking closeness create an engrossing spectacle we’ll return to time and again. We’ll walk along the narrow and winding entrance drive, bordered by stands of giant bamboo and coffee, cocoa, and citrus trees, and search for species not attracted by the feeders. Well-maintained trails below the guesthouse allow us to visit a lek of White-bearded Manakins performing their courtship dances, seemingly oblivious to our peering eyes and clicking cameras. The constant tonk-tonk-tonk ringing through the forest will lead us to the haunts of an exotic cotinga, the Bearded Bellbird.
Of eight breeding colonies of Oilbirds in Trinidad, the best known and most accessible is Dunston Cave, on the grounds of the Nature Centre. The cave is actually a narrow, dimly lit defile, and with the use of a flashlight we’ll have detailed views of these birds resting on ledges.
On many of our days at the Nature Centre we’ll venture farther afield. One of our trips will be along the Blanchisseuse Road, where we’ll look for forest birds of the Northern Range such as the vocal but skulking Stripe-breasted Spinetail, Black-faced Antthrush, Speckled Tanager, Plain Antvireo, and Golden-crowned Warbler. As mid-morning approaches we’ll scan openings in the forest to search for soaring raptors, including the striking White Hawk and Common Black-Hawk. On a late afternoon trip to the Aripo Savannah we’ll search moriche palm glades for such specialized species as Moriche Oriole, Sulphury Flycatcher, and Red-bellied Macaw. As night falls we’ll search for Pauraques and White-tailed Nightjars and will listen for and attempt to locate Tropical Screech-Owls and Common Potoos as they start their rounds.
On Trinidad’s west coast we’ll visit a picturesque shoreline where good numbers of herons, shorebirds, gulls, and terns feed. We’ll take an evening boat trip in Caroni Swamp to explore narrow watercourses through the mangroves in search of Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Silvered Antbird, Black-crested Antshrike, or Clapper Rail. An intensely colorful finale is presented by the hundreds, sometimes thousands, of Scarlet Ibises gathering to roost.
On the island’s east coast we’ll visit another wetland, Nariva Swamp, where we’ll look for retiring species such as Pinnated Bittern, Azure Gallinule, and Yellow-chinned Spinetail. A sunset vigil at a grove of royal palms will allow us to witness Red-bellied Macaws as they noisily assemble to roost.
Trinidad Piping-Guan, Trinidad’s only endemic species, is being sighted more frequently on the island. While in its forest habitat, we will constantly scan distant trees and listen for the distinctive wing-drumming sounds in the early morning hours in hopes of spotting one of these highly endangered birds. Nights at Asa Wright Nature Centre.
Day 6: Leaving early for Piarco Airport, we’ll take a short flight to Tobago and be met by our local guide. From Crown Point Airport we’ll drive to Speyside, where we will be based for two nights. After lunch overlooking the sparkling Caribbean, we will depart on a 20-minute boat trip to Little Tobago Island. Following a short hike along a forested track, we will witness a seabird extravaganza as Red-billed Tropicbirds sail past in screaming groups and Brown and Red-footed Boobies glide over the waves below and land on their cliff nests. Magnificent Frigatebirds will join the groups of boobies and tropicbirds, sometimes harassing them to give up the food they have just caught. If we’re lucky, we may catch sight of a Masked Booby or Audubon’s Shearwater. Night at Blue Waters Inn.
Day 7: Today we will visit a variety of habitats as we spend the full day exploring the island. Sites should include wetlands, coastal lagoons, and beaches, and we’ll visit Grafton Estate, where we should be treated to close-up views of Tobago’s national bird, the cocrico or Rufous-vented Chachalalca, as well as Pale-vented Pigeon, Blue-crowned Motmot, and other species that overcome their wariness to partake of the daily offerings of food. Other special birds to look for today may include the superb Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Green-rumped Parrotlet, Great Black-Hawk, White-cheeked Pintail, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, and Red-crowned Woodpecker. Night at Blue Waters Inn.
Day 8: After an early breakfast, we’ll head to Gilpin Trace Rainforest Reserve. Our primary target here will be the White-tailed Sabrewing, a spectacular near-endemic hummingbird, but we’ll also search for other species found on Tobago but not on Trinidad, including Fuscous Flycatcher, Blue-backed Manakin, Venezuelan Flycatcher, Yellow-legged Thrush, and Olivaceous Woodcreeper. Other notable species could include Collared Trogon, White-throated Spadebill, and Plain Antvireo. After lunch we will start heading south towards the airport, taking in some birding en route.
Day 9: The tour concludes this morning in Tobago.
Updated: 21 November 2008
Prices
- 2011 price not yet available
- (2009 price about $3,750)
Notes
Maximum groups size 10 with one leader (and local guides). Single room availability may be limited at Asa Wright Nature Centre.
This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird.