Because our last few international birding trips had been high-energy, 3-week marathons that required moving to a new hotel almost every night, we decided it was time for a more relaxed trip based in a single, comfortable and birdy location. Having heard many good things about the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad we decided to spend a week there, and subsequently tacked on a few days in Tobago for good measure. We made our arrangements through Caligo Ventures, AWNC’s U.S. booking agent (http://www.caligo.com). Caligo offers a 7-day package deal for independent birders that includes 4 nights at AWNC and 3 nights in Tobago plus pre-booked boat trips to Caroni Swamp and Little Tobago Island. We added two more nights at AWNC to this itinerary and also signed up in advance for guided day trips to Blanchisseuse road and Nariva Swamp in Trinidad. We arrived in Trinidad to find that we had been booked as a private tour, and had been assigned our own guide for the duration of our stay at AWNC. Dave Ramlal turned out to be one of the best guides we have had anywhere in the world and we thoroughly enjoyed birding with him – he has an intimate knowledge of Trinidad’s birds, a phenomenal ear (able to hear and identify the slightest “chip” while driving 60 mph down a busy road!), and in addition is just a very gregarious, likable guy. With only one or two exceptions, he found us every species we could possibly have expected to see in Trinidad, and in addition got us some very difficult species that no other birding groups saw during our week at AWNC. Dave is a freelance guide who takes sub-contracts from Caligo and other tour operators, but he is also happy to arrange custom trips for visiting birders himself (undoubtedly a less expensive option than booking through an agent) – he has no internet access, but can be contacted by phoning AWNC (1-868-667-4655).
In Tobago we stayed at Cuffie River Nature Retreat, one of the two options offered by Caligo (the other is Blue Waters Inn, which is in a beautiful and remote beachside location but with fewer birding opportunities on the premises). Cuffie River is a lovely lodge set in a very secluded site adjacent to the southern edge of Tobago’s Main Ridge Forest Preserve; although the surrounding forest is mostly second growth, there is excellent birding on the property. To see all of Tobago’s specialty birds also requires trips to the wetlands in the south of the island and to the heart of the Main Ridge Preserve (where White-tailed Sabrewing occurs), and we realized only belatedly that a rental car would have been very useful here. After our arrival, Cuffie River’s owner made arrangements for local birding guides to pick us up and take us to these other locations, an acceptable but somewhat expensive solution to our transportation problem.
Although mid-May is usually the start of the wet season in Trinidad and Tobago, this year had been exceptionally dry and no rains had yet fallen. As a result the hillsides everywhere were parched and numerous bush fires were burning on both islands, resulting in terrible air quality on most days. Only a few days before we arrived a fire had burned to within about 50 m of the buildings at Cuffie River, and some of their trails were closed as a result. The weather was also unusually hot, with temperatures in the low 90s in lowland areas. Although our guides warned us that birds might be difficult to find as a result of the drought and fires, we saw almost everything we had hoped to see, and ended the trip having seen 164 species in Trinidad and 89 in Tobago for a combined trip total of 201 species.
12 May: Asa Wright Nature Center
Having arrived at AWNC in the dark the previous evening, we were up at first light, eager to identify the sources of the very loud dawn chorus enveloping our room. The hoot of a Blue-crowned Motmot, cackling duet of Barred Antshrikes and raspy kiss-ka-deee of a Great Kiskadee were easy to identify, and the other major contributors to the din turned out to be the extremely abundant Palm Tanagers and Bananaquits, as well as Cocoa Thrush and Tropical House Wren. We made our way up to the verandah as the hummingbird and fruit feeders were being replenished for the day, and soon enjoyed watching at close range all of those species plus Blue-Gray, Silver-beaked and White-lined Tanagers, three species of honeycreeper, Violaceous Euphonia, Gray-fronted and Ruddy Ground Doves, Great Antshrike, Bare-eyed Thrush, and an assortment of hummingbirds that included White-necked Jacobin, White-chested Emerald, Black-throated Mango, Tufted Coquette, Blue-Chinned Sapphire, Rufous-breasted Hermit and Copper-rumped Hummingbird. Nearby trees held White-tailed Trogon, Yellow Oriole, Grayish Saltator, Streaked Flycatcher and Golden-Olive Woodpecker, a White Hawk circled slowly up the valley, and in the distance we could see Channel-billed Toucan, Orange-winged Parrot, Scaled Pigeon and Crested Oropendola perched on the treetops. After breakfast Dave met us to take us on a tour of the AWNC grounds. We worked our way down the Discovery Trail, passing by the active Golden-headed and White-bearded Manakin leks, and ending up at a spot where Bearded Bellbirds were bonging away in the canopy. Along the way we saw a pair of Violaceous Trogons, a Squirrel Cuckoo, and Dave called in a cooperative White-bellied Antbird right to our feet. We returned to the lodge via the Chaconia Trail, along which we picked up Cocoa Woodcreeper, Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Yellow-Olive Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike and Golden-fronted Greenlet. In the late afternoon we made our way back down to the bellbird lek, where we enjoyed long but neck-breaking views of about four male Bearded Bellbirds engaged in feeding and chasing one another through the canopy. Walking back via the Bellbird Trail we found Lineated Woodpecker, Plain-brown Woodcreeper, a dust-bathing Rufous-breasted Wren and a female Collared Trogon.
13 May: Blanchisseuse Road
After a 6 a.m. breakfast Dave drove us directly up the Blanchisseuse road to the Textel tower access road, the only semi-reliable site in the Arima Valley for the endemic Trinidad Piping-Guan. The guans had not been found for several weeks, however, so we did not know what our chances of seeing one might be. We spent about an hour walking up and down the road, finding Bay-headed and Speckled Tanagers, Blue Dacnis, Golden-crowned Warbler, Blue-black and Sooty Grassquits, and a lone White-collared Swift among the many Chaetura swifts. Finally Dave heard a guan calling in response to his tape, and we were able to get good views of a single bird high in the trees. After this success (we were lucky – several other groups spent a combined total of 3+ hrs looking in vain for this bird the following day!) we moved on to Las Lapas Trace. Here patience combined with Dave’s phenomenal ear got us White-throated Spadebill, Plain Antvireo, White-flanked Antwren, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Green and Little Hermits, and a pair of Swallow-Tanagers nesting in the roadside embankment. We then drove the Blanchisseuse road north as far as the village of Morne Croix, stopping to bird along the roadside for Collared Trogon, Chestnut and Red-rumped Woodpeckers, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, White-necked and Yellow-legged Thrush, and a variety of raptors including Gray Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Plumbeous Kite and Common Black-Hawk. After a picnic lunch in Morne Croix we made one last stop for Rufous-tailed Jacamar, and then headed back to AWNC. We spent the late afternoon on the verandah watching a great hummingbird show that included appearances by several male Tufted Coquettes, a stunning Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird, Long-billed Starthroat and a rare Rufous-shafted Woodstar. During the after-dinner owl walk around the grounds we saw a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, but otherwise the forest was quiet.
14 May: Aripo Livestock Station, Nariva Swamp and Waller Field
At first light we were back down the Discovery Trail trying to lure a calling Little Tinamou into view. Although we failed to see the bird, we did get good looks instead at Black-tailed Tityra, Long-billed Gnatwren and Bright-rumped Attila. The rest of the day was spent exploring a variety of open wetland and grassland sites in eastern Trinidad. As we headed for the lowlands our first stop, however, was along the AWNC driveway, where Dave called in a Black-faced Ant-thrush for close views. Further down the Blanchisseuse road we also stopped briefly by the christophene (chayote) plantation (a gourd-like fruit that was featured in most meals at AWNC). This is a great vantage spot from which to watch swifts, and we finally were able to separate Gray-rumped from Band-rumped Swifts convincingly. At the Aripo Livestock Station we found a good selection of grassland birds, including Savannah Hawk, Southern Lapwing, White-headed Marsh-Tyrant and Pied Water-Tyrant, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Yellow-hooded and Red-breasted Blackbirds, White-winged Swallow, and in wetter areas Yellow-chinned Spinetail and Wattled Jacana. A small population of the Grassland Yellow-Finch has become established here in recent years, and these birds were easy to see on the wire fences along the road. We continued south and east, breaking for lunch at Manzanillo beach before finally reaching Nariva Swamp. During stops along the main road and brief forays into the mangroves we saw Yellow-headed Caracara, Little Cuckoo, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Silvered Antbird, a pair of Black-crested Antshrikes, Yellow-breasted (Ochre-lored) Flycatcher and Yellow-rumped Cacique. The rice fields around Kernahan were very dry and had recently been burned, so we were very lucky to find a Pinnated Bittern and a number of herons, including several Striated Herons. At this site we also saw the very local White-tailed Goldenthroat and a pair of Red-capped Cardinals, both species that are becoming increasingly difficult to find in Trinidad. Our last stop of the day was Waller Field, where Red-bellied Macaws were coming in to roost in the moriche palms. Here we also saw three rare Moriche Orioles, several Sulphury Flycatchers, and a few Fork-tailed Palm-Swifts.
15 May: Lalaja Road and Turtle Trip
After another 6 a.m. breakfast Dave took us up the Lalaja Road for some “clean-up” forest birding. Early morning activity along this road was high and we encountered a number of mixed flocks. Target species that we found here were Turquoise Tanager, Streaked Xenops, Forest Elaenia and Trinidad Euphonia, while better second looks at Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Swallow-Tanager, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Long-billed Starthroat and Chivi Vireo were very welcome. We also made a couple of stops along the Blanchisseuse road to pick up Gray-throated Leaftosser and Stripe-breasted Spinetail, but failed in our quest to locate Lilac-tailed Parrotlet. In the late afternoon we left AWNC to drive to Matura, one of the Atlantic beaches where Leatherback Turtles come ashore to nest. We spent the evening shadowing one of the local researchers who tag and monitor the turtle populations. With him as a guide we followed one female turtle as she selected a nest site, carefully sculpted a hole in the sand, laid eggs, filled everything back in (including excavating a dummy nest to confuse predators) and then disappeared back into the sea. This was definitely a fascinating and strangely moving experience, and we were glad we had taken a break from birding to witness it.
16 May: Oilbird Cave and Caroni Swamp
Finally we were scheduled to visit Dunstan Cave, a grotto on the AWNC property that is home to a colony of the strange, nocturnal, fruit-eating Oilbirds. To minimize disturbance to the birds group tours are scheduled only twice a week, and AWNC’s advertised policy is that only visitors who have stayed a minimum of 3 nights may visit the cave. We were somewhat dismayed to discover, however, that this policy is not adhered to strictly, and anyone who happens to be at AWNC on the day of a scheduled tour can pay to join it. As a result, our group was rather large and more than half the participants were non-birders without binoculars; although the restricted-access trail to the oilbird cave promised good birding, the size and composition of the group limited any opportunities to stop along the way. We were taken into the cave in groups of three and allowed a minute or two to view the roosting birds by flashlight before being herded en masse back to AWNC. Definitely a disappointment. After lunch we left for Caroni Swamp, making a quick stop along the way at the Trincity Ponds, a sewage treatment facility. Several Large-billed Terns were still lingering here, but otherwise the ponds held only an assortment of common herons and egrets. Dave kept his promise to get us Pearl Kite, taking a route past the airport along which we saw several perched on telephone wires above the busy road. At Caroni Swamp we drove down the causeway to the Visitor’s Center, finding Bicolored Conebill and Greater Ani and getting our first look at a few Scarlet Ibis foraging among the mangroves. Dave played a tape of Clapper Rail, which brought one running right up to our feet, searching in vain for an intruder. On our boat trip through the swamp we saw more Bicolored Conebills, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, a roosting Common Potoo, and a sleeping Silky Anteater that could have been mistaken for a fuzzy, football-shaped fruit. The trip culminated with rum punch served while we sat in the boat and watched hundreds of Scarlet Ibis flying in to the islet where they roost, along with many Great and Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, and Neotropic Cormorants.
17 May: Cuffie River Nature Retreat, Tobago
Dave drove us to the airport in the morning, promising us Long-winged Harrier en route, which we found in the grasslands adjacent to the main runway. The flight to Tobago lasted about 20 minutes, and a taxi driver hired by Caligo picked us up and delivered us to the Cuffie River Nature Retreat in time for a delicious lunch (we had already heard several rave reviews of the food served at this lodge, and were not disappointed – every meal was exquisite!). We spent the afternoon birding the grounds of the lodge, which included a grassy ½-mile track through second-growth forest. Here we found most of the forest species that are unique to Tobago, including Blue-backed Manakin, White-fringed Antwren, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Venezuelan Flycatcher, Scrub Greenlet, and overhead the ubiquitous Short-tailed Swifts and Caribbean Martins. Blue-crowned Motmots and Rufous-tailed Jacamars were both conspicuous and relatively tame around the lodge, as was White-tipped Dove, a species we had heard frequently but never saw in Trinidad. We flushed a pair of nesting White-tailed Nightjars from the path, and then over dinner watched them foraging under the lights lining the lodge driveway.
18 May: Cuffie River, The Lowlands and Bon Accord
The “rainforest tour” that came with our package deal from Caligo turned out to be just a tour of trails through the second-growth forest adjacent to the lodge. This walk did not start until after an 8 a.m. breakfast, by which time we had already been out birding the property for several hours, picking up Collared Trogon, Fuscous Flycatcher, and the very noisy but surprisingly difficult to see Rufous-vented Chachalachas. Although the walk with Desmond, Cuffie River’s resident naturalist, was pleasant and informative, the late start meant there was little activity, and the only new species we saw were Black-faced Grassquit, Ochre-bellied and Brown-crested Flycatchers, and a soaring Broad-winged Hawk. After lunch we were picked up by William Trim, a local forestry official who moonlights as a birding guide, and taken on a tour of wetlands in the southern part of the island. Our first stop was the Lowlands, where new resort hotels and golf courses are rapidly encroaching on several large ponds. Numerous Anhingas, Common Moorhens, Least Grebes, a few Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and a vagrant Neotropic Cormorant were the main attractions here. We spent the remainder of the afternoon at the more interesting Bon Accord sewage treatment ponds where we found a pair of White-cheeked Pintails sitting on the bank, and saw a greater assortment of herons (including both night-heron species and many Green Herons), Gray Kingbird, Green-rumped Parrotlet, and a few late shorebirds.
19 May: Little Tobago Island
A taxi picked us up at 7:30 a.m. for the 1-1/2 hr drive to the Blue Waters Inn in Speyside, a village at the extreme northeastern tip of the island. From here we were taken out to Little Tobago Island by Frank’s Glass-bottomed Boat Tours. We were the only birding customers on the boat, so after a brief glass-bottom tour of the reef we were dropped off on the island with a guide while the boat took the other passengers back out to the reef to snorkel. We climbed to a saddle and then dropped down a rather precipitous slope on the far side of the island, trying to avoid stepping on the Laughing Gulls nesting alongside the trail. A juvenile Red-billed Tropicbird and nesting Sooty Tern were also sitting within a few meters of our feet, and from the vantage point at the trail’s end we were able to look down and across the cliff into the nests of Brown Noddies and both Brown and Red-footed Boobies. A second, more easily accessible overlook at the top of the island provided a nice view of these seabirds in flight. Other birds that were conspicuous on Little Tobago were Blue-crowned Motmot, both White-tipped Dove and Pale-vented Pigeon, and Bare-eyed Thrush. On the boat trip back to Speyside we also saw Roseate and Bridled Terns foraging over the water.
20 May: Main Ridge Preserve
We were picked up at 6 a.m. by local guide Kelton Thomas to spend the morning birding Tobago’s Main Ridge Preserve. In addition to running his own guide service (Thomas Tours Tobago Ltd.; bubobubo1606@hotmail.com), Kelton is an active falconer who also operates a raptor rehabilitation facility on the island. Our first stop was Top Hill, a less heavily visited trail than the very popular Gilpin Trace. Here we found Olivaceous Woodcreeper, watched two male Blue-backed Manakins singing in unison, and got great looks at several White-tailed Sabrewings. These large hummingbirds happily perch for long periods, and at one point we had two of them sitting very close and in full view, one on either side of the trail. We then proceeded up to Gilpin Trace. The forest was pretty quiet, but we did find both Fuscous Flycatcher and Yellow-legged Thrush, the two species we had hoped to get better looks at here. We returned to Cuffie River for lunch and in the late afternoon strolled down the entrance road one last time. A Green Kingfisher along the river and a Great Black-Hawk overhead were our last new birds for the trip and brought our trip total to just over 200 species. In the evening we flew back to Trinidad, where we spent the night at a B&B close to the airport before our early-morning flight home.
Travel Resources
Flights
At this time, Continental was the only major airline flying to Trinidad from the west coast of the U.S. in one day (via Houston). All other airlines necessitated overnight stops in either New York or Miami. Tobago Express flies from Trinidad to Tobago approximately hourly for 150TT (about $25).
Agents and Accomodations
Caligo Ventures: http://www.caligo.com/
Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trinidad: http://www.asawright.org (although the AWNC web site links to Caligo for reservations, it is also possible to make reservations directly by calling AWNC, 1-868-667-4655)
Cuffie River Nature Retreat, Tobago: http://www.cuffie-river.com/
Leo’s Place B&B, Trinidad: cadalialeosplace@tstt.net.tt (basic suburban accommodations convenient to Piarco airport)
Field Guides
Richard ffrench’s A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad & Tobago (2nd ed., 1991, Cornell University Press) is the standard field guide to this region. Although still useful, some of the information on species’ ranges and status is outdated, and we found many of the plates to be too small. The plates in Steven Hilty’s Birds of Venezuela (2nd ed., 2003, Princeton University Press) are much better, and it was these that we took with us into the field. William Murphy’s A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Trinidad & Tobago (2004, Prion Ltd.) is also a useful source of information on status and habitat and contains good general travel information. Some of the information on birding sites is already outdated, however, and it would be wise to check in advance with local birders about site accessibility. For instance, at the time of our visit security measures and ongoing construction projects had restricted access to Waller Field, and parts of the Buccoo Marsh in Tobago had been drained, making access to the site very difficult.
Complete list of birds seen: Tr: Trinidad, To: Tobago; (H) = heard only
(AWNC = Asa Wright Nature Center, Trinidad; CR = Cuffie River Nature Retreat, Tobago)
Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus): To; common at Bon Accord
Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus); To; nesting on Little Tobago I.
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis): Tr; one at Matura Beach
Red-footed Booby (Sula sula): To; nesting on Little Tobago I. (both color morphs)
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster): To: nesting on Little Tobago I.
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus): Tr, To; Caroni Swamp, one at Lowlands
Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga): To; common at Lowlands and Bon Accord
Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens): Tr, To; common in coastal areas
Great Egret (Ardea alba): Tr, To; fairly common on both islands
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor): Tr, To; common at Caroni Swamp, Bon Accord
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea): Tr; common at Caroni Swamp, Nariva Swamp
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula): Tr, To; Caroni Swamp, Bon Accord
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis): Tr, To; common in pastures and wetlands
Striated Heron (Butorides striata): Tr; several at Nariva Swamp
Green Heron (Butorides virescens): To; abundant at Bon Accord
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax): To; one at Bon Accord
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea): Tr, To: Caroni Swamp, Bon Accord
Pinnated Bittern (Botaurus pinnatus): Tr; one at Nariva Swamp (Kernahan)
Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber): Tr; Caroni Swamp
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis): To; Lowlands and Bon Accord
White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis): To; pair at Bon Accord
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus): Tr; ubiquitous in Trinidad
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura): Tr; ubiquitous in Trinidad
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus): Tr, To; individuals at Trincity Ponds, Speyside
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus): Tr; one at AWNC
Pearl Kite (Gampsonyx swainsonii): Tr; several on telephone wires near Piarco Airport
Plumbeous Kite (Ictinia plumbea): Tr; Blanchisseuse Rd., Nariva Swamp
Long-winged Harrier (Circus buffoni): Tr; one near Piarco Airport
White Hawk (Leucopternis albicollis): Tr; AWNC and Blanchisseuse Rd.
Common Black-Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus): Tr; fairly common
Great Black-Hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga): To; one at CR
Savanna Hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis): Tr; several at Aripo
Gray Hawk (Asturina nitida): Tr; Blanchisseuse Rd.
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus): To; CR and along roadsides in Tobago
Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus): Tr; one, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus): Tr; Blanchisseuse Rd., Nariva Swamp
Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima): Tr; Nariva Swamp, Caroni rice fields
Rufous-vented Chachalaca (Ortalis ruficauda): To; common in Tobago
Trinidad Piping-Guan (Pipile pipile): Tr; one on Blanchisseuse Rd. (Textel tower)
Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris): Tr; one, Caroni Swamp
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus): Tr, To; Trincity Ponds, Lowlands and Bon Accord
Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana): Tr, To; Aripo, Trincity Ponds, Bon Accord
Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis): Tr, To; common in open areas and wetlands
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus): To; one at Bon Accord
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius): Tr; individuals at Aripo, Caroni Swamp
Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus): To; one at Bon Accord
Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla): To; nesting on Little Tobago I.
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii): To; Little Tobago I.
Bridled Tern (Sterna anaethetus): To; Little Tobago I.
Sooty Tern (Sterna fuscata): To; nesting on Little Tobago I.
Large-billed Tern (Phaetusa simplex): Tr; several at Trincity Ponds
Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus): To; nesting on Little Tobago I.
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia): Tr; in urban areas
Scaled Pigeon (Patagioenas speciosa): Tr; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Pale-vented Pigeon (Patagioenas cayennensis): Tr, To: Nariva Swamp; common in Tobago
Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata): Tr, To; Caroni Swamp; common in Tobago
Ruddy Ground-Dove (Columbina talpacoti): Tr, To: fairly common on both islands
White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi): Tr (H), To: common and conspicuous in Tobago
Gray-fronted Dove (Leptotila rufaxilla): Tr; common and conspicuous at AWNC
Red-bellied Macaw (Orthopsittaca manilata): Tr; Waller Field
Green-rumped Parrotlet (Forpus passerinus): Tr, To; pairs at Aripo, Bon Accord, CR
Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus): Tr; pair, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Orange-winged Parrot (Amazona amazonica): Tr, To: common and conspicuous on both islands
Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana): Tr; one, AWNC
Little Cuckoo (Piaya minuta): Tr; one, Nariva Swamp
Greater Ani (Crotophaga major): Tr; one, Caroni Swamp
Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani): Tr, To; fairly common on both islands
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum): Tr; nesting pair at AWNC
Oilbird (Steatornis caripensis): Tr; colony at AWNC
Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus): Tr; one roosting at Caroni Swamp
White-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus cayennensis): To; common and conspicuous at CR
White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris); Tr; one, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Band-rumped Swift (Chaetura spinicaudus): Tr; common along Blanchisseuse Rd.
Gray-rumped Swift (Chaetura cinereiventris): Tr, To; Blanchisseuse Rd., Main Ridge Preserve
Short-tailed Swift (Chaetura brachyura): To; common throughout Tobago
Fork-tailed Palm-Swift (Tachornis squamata): Tr; several at Waller Field
Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus): Tr, To; common in forested areas, both islands
Green Hermit (Phaethornis guy): Tr; AWNC and Blanchisseuse Rd.
Little Hermit (Phaethornis longuemareus): Tr; AWNC and Blanchisseuse Rd.
White-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis): To; Main Ridge Preserve
White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora): Tr, To; common and conspicuous at AWNC, CR
Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis): Tr, To; AWNC, Lalaja Road, CR
Ruby-topaz Hummingbird (Chrysolampis mosquitus): Tr, To; individuals at AWNC and CR
Tufted Coquette (Lophornis ornatus): Tr; fairly common at AWNC
Blue-chinned Sapphire (Chlorostilbon notatus): Tr; common at AWNC
White-tailed Goldenthroat (Polytmus guainumbi): Tr; one, Nariva Swamp (Kernahan)
White-chested Emerald (Agyrtria brevirostris): Tr; common at AWNC and Blanchisseuse Rd.
Copper-rumped Hummingbird (Saucerottia tobaci): Tr, To; common at AWNC and CR
Long-billed Starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris): Tr; individuals at AWNC, Lalaja Road
Rufous-shafted Woodstar (Chaetocercus jourdanii): Tr; female coming to feeders at AWNC
White-tailed Trogon (Trogon viridis): Tr; common at AWNC
Violaceous Trogon (Trogon violaceus): Tr; AWNC
Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris): Tr, To; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd., CR, Main Ridge Preserve
Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana): To; one at CR
American Pygmy Kingfisher (Chloroceryle aenea): Tr; one, Nariva Swamp
Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota): Tr, To; AWNC, common at CR and throughout Tobago
Rufous-tailed Jacamar (Galbula ruficauda): Tr, To; Blanchisseuse Rd.; common throughout Tobago
Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus): Tr; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus): To; CR, Bon Accord
Red-rumped Woodpecker (Veniliornis kirkii): Tr; Blanchisseuse Rd.
Golden-olive Woodpecker (Piculus rubiginosus): Tr, To; common at AWNC, Main Ridge Preserve
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans): Tr; one, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus): Tr; one, AWNC
Stripe-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis cinnamomea): Tr, To; Blanchisseuse Rd., Main Ridge Preserve
Yellow-chinned Spinetail (Certhiaxis cinnamomeus): Tr; conspicuous at Aripo
Streaked Xenops (Xenops rutilans): Tr; two, Lalaja Road
Gray-throated Leaftosser (Sclerurus albigularis): Tr; pair, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Plain-brown Woodcreeper (Dendrocincla fuliginosa): Tr; two, AWNC
Olivaceous Woodcreeper (Sittasomus griseicapillus): To; one, Main Ridge Preserve
Cocoa Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus susurrans): Tr, To; common in forested areas, both islands
Straight-billed Woodcreeper (Dendroplex picus): Tr; one, Caroni Swamp
Great Antshrike (Taraba major): Tr; common at AWNC
Black-crested Antshrike (Sakesphorus canadensis): Tr; pair at Nariva Swamp
Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus): Tr, To; common at AWNC and CR
Plain Antvireo (Dysithamnus mentalis): Tr, To; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd., Main Ridge Preserve
White-flanked Antwren (Myrmotherula axillaris): Tr; pair, Las Lapas Trace
White-fringed Antwren (Formicivora grisea); To; common at CR
Silvered Antbird (Sclateria naevia): Tr; one at Nariva Swamp
White-bellied Antbird (Myrmeciza longipes): Tr; one at AWNC
Black-faced Antthrush (Formicarius analis): Tr; one at AWNC
Bearded Bellbird (Procnias averano): Tr; lek at AWNC
White-bearded Manakin (Manacus manacus): Tr; common at AWNC
Blue-backed Manakin (Chiroxiphia pareola): To; CR, Main Ridge Preserve
Golden-headed Manakin (Pipra erythrocephala): Tr; common at AWNC
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma obsoletum): Tr; one, AWNC
Forest Elaenia (Myiopagis gaimardii): Tr; one, Lalaja Road
Yellow-bellied Elaenia (Elaenia flavogaster): Tr, To; fairly common, both islands
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (Mionectes oleagineus): Tr, To; AWNC, CR, Main Ridge Preserve
Slaty-capped Flycatcher (Leptopogon superciliaris): Tr; Blanchisseuse Rd.
Yellow-olive Flycatcher (Tolmomyias sulphurescens): Tr; one, AWNC
Yellow-breasted Flycatcher (Tolmomyias flaviventris): Tr, To; AWNC, Nariva Swamp, CR
White-throated Spadebill (Platyrinchus mystaceus): Tr; one, Las Lapas Trace
Fuscous Flycatcher (Cnemotriccus fuscatus): To; CR, Main Ridge Preserve
Euler's Flycatcher (Lathrotriccus euleri): Tr; AWNC
Tropical Pewee (Contopus cinereus): Tr; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Pied Water-Tyrant (Fluvicola pica): Tr; Aripo, Caroni Swamp
White-headed Marsh-Tyrant (Arundinicola leucocephala): Tr; common at Aripo
Bright-rumped Attila (Attila spadiceus): Tr; one, AWNC
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer): Tr; one, Las Lapas Trace
Venezuelan Flycatcher (Myiarchus venezuelensis): To; individuals at CR, Main Ridge Preserve
Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus): To; CR, Little Tobago I.
Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus): Tr; very common throughout Trinidad
Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua): Tr; AWNC
Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus): Tr, To; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd., CR
Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius): Tr; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Sulphury Flycatcher (Tyrannopsis sulphurea): Tr; several at Waller Field
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus): Tr, To; common on both islands
Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis); To; fairly common in Tobago
Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana): Tr; several at Aripo
Black-tailed Tityra (Tityra cayana): Tr; one, AWNC
Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis): To; common throughout Tobago
Gray-breasted Martin (Progne chalybea): Tr; fairly common throughout Trinidad
White-winged Swallow (Tachycineta albiventer): Tr, To; common at Aripo, one at Bon Accord
Southern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis): Tr; Blanchisseuse Rd.
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica): To; one, Bon Accord
Rufous-breasted Wren (Thryothorus rutilus): Tr, To; AWNC, Main Ridge Preserve
(Tropical) House Wren (Troglodytes aedon): Tr, To; AWNC, CR
Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus): Tr, To; common, especially throughout Tobago
Yellow-legged Thrush (Platycichla flavipes): Tr, To; Blanchisseuse Rd., Main Ridge Preserve
Cocoa Thrush (Turdus fumigatus): Tr; common throughout Trinidad
Bare-eyed Thrush (Turdus nudigenis): Tr, To; common at AWNC and Little Tobago I.
White-necked Thrush (Turdus albicollis): Tr; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Long-billed Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus): Tr; individuals at AWNC, Lalaja Road
Red-eyed (Chivi) Vireo (Vireo olivaceus): Tr, To; Blanchisseuse Rd., common at CR
Scrub Greenlet (Hylophilus flavipes): To; common at CR, Bon Accord
Golden-fronted Greenlet (Hylophilus aurantiifrons): Tr; small numbers seen throughout Trinidad
Rufous-browed Peppershrike (Cyclarhis gujanensis): Tr; individuals at AWNC, Lalaja Road
Tropical Parula (Parula pitiayumi): Tr; AWNC, Lalaja Road
Golden-crowned Warbler (Basileuterus culicivorus): Tr; one, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola): Tr, To; ubiquitous on both islands
Bicolored Conebill (Conirostrum bicolor): Tr; several pairs, Caroni Swamp
White-lined Tanager (Tachyphonus rufus): Tr, To; fairly common, both islands
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager (Habia rubica): Tr; one, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Silver-beaked Tanager (Ramphocelus carbo): Tr; fairly common throughout Trinidad
Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus): Tr, To; fairly common, both islands
Palm Tanager (Thraupis palmarum): Tr, To; ubiquitous in Trinidad; at CR in Tobago
Trinidad Euphonia (Euphonia trinitatis): Tr; several, Lalaja Road
Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea): Tr; common at AWNC and Blanchisseuse Rd.
Turquoise Tanager (Tangara mexicana): Tr; several, Lalaja Road
Speckled Tanager (Tangara guttata): Tr; several, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Bay-headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola): Tr; AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana): Tr; pair, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza): Tr; common at AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Purple Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus): Tr; common at AWNC, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Red-legged Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus): Tr; To; fairly common on both islands
Swallow-Tanager (Tersina viridis): Tr; individuals at Las Lapas Trace and Lalaja Road
Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina): Tr, To; Blanchisseuse Rd., CR
Black-faced Grassquit (Tiaris bicolor): To; CR, Bon Accord
Sooty Grassquit (Tiaris fuliginosus): Tr; several, Blanchisseuse Rd.
Grassland Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteola): Tr; small flock established at Aripo
Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis): Tr; pair, Nariva Swamp (Kernahan)
Grayish Saltator (Saltator coerulescens): Tr; individuals at AWNC, Lalaja Road
Yellow-hooded Blackbird (Chrysomus icterocephalus): Tr; Aripo, Nariva Swamp, Caroni Swamp
Red-breasted Blackbird (Sturnella militaris): Tr; common at Aripo
Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris): Tr, To; fairly common in open areas, both islands
Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis): Tr, To; common at AWNC and elsewhere
Giant Cowbird (Molothrus oryzivorus): Tr, To; individuals at AWNC, CR, Main Ridge Preserve
Moriche Oriole (Icterus chrysocephalus): Tr; three at Waller Field
Yellow Oriole (Icterus nigrogularis): Tr; fairly common at AWNC
Yellow-rumped Cacique (Cacicus cela): Tr; one, Nariva Swamp
Crested Oropendola (Psarocolius decumanus): Tr, To; fairly common in forested areas