Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis ©Alan D. Wilson Website
Birding St Kitts & Nevis

While St. Kitts and Nevis are considered sister islands and do share many similarities, they are different. They are both of volcanic origin, with Nevis being less than 900,000 years old and St. Kitts being older. They are comprised of small mountain ranges that rise well over 3000 feet from the sea and are surrounded by coral reefs and numerous beaches. Nevis is circular and St. Kitts is shaped like a guitar with a long, dry, salt peninsula and salt pond.

Most of the birds are crepuscular – active at dawn and dusk. Also remember, these are small islands and, whilst over 148 species are listed for Nevis alone (Most Hotels can supply lists); many are limited in food supply and range, so can be difficult to find. These islands are also not as over-developed as many, so terrain may be rugged. Birders should get and give explicit instructions on where they are going, and give times when they will return. Accidents can and do happen, even to experienced birders!

The mountains and valleys (Called Ghauts, pronounced guts) provide ideal habitat for numerous mountain species. Brown Tremblers, Pearly-eyed Thrashers, Rain Forrest Pigeons, and Bridled-quail Doves are plentiful. If you are lucky and can find the flowering Heliconias, you may see Purple-throated Carib or Green-throated Carib Hummingbirds feeding, they sound like small jet planes. In winter, North American warblers migrate down to avoid the cold weather and lack of flying insects and swifts and Purple Martins are reasonably common too.The shores are easily accessible for birders and provide several species of tern, a few gulls, lots of Brown Pelicans, and soaring overhead everybody’s favourite, Magnificent Frigate Birds. There are also sanderling, plovers, and herons along the surf chasing crabs and crustaceans.

The Salt Pond and inland coastal lagoons support Yellowlegs, stilts, coots, gallinules, Carib Kingfishers and different types of ducks. Around hotels the guests love to watch Antillean Crested Hummingbirds, Banana Quits, and Lesser Antillean Bullfinches. Elanias and Grey Kingbirds are often seen scooping moths and beetles from around the roadsides while Black-faced Grassquits play and eat the little seeds. Over eight species of Hawks have been found on Nevis, though Ospreys are seasonal.At night, birders can look for Black Crowned and Yellow Crowned Night Herons, but don’t step on the crabs that they are eating. You can also find night swifts if you are lucky. It is best to look for these in the early morning.

Contributors
  • Jim Johnson

    Nevis | walknevis@caribsurf.com

Number of Species
  • Number of bird species: 227

    (As at October 2018)
    NB The vast majority (163 are very rare of accidental). Just 64 are resident or regular visitors.
  • Number of bird species:

    National Bird: Brown Pelican Pelicanus occidentalis
Checklist
  • iGoTerra Checklist

    iGoTerra Checklist
    Fatbirder Associate iGoTerra offers the most comprehensive and up to date birds lists on the web
Useful Reading

  • The Birds of the West Indies

    | By Guy M Kirwan, Anthony Levesque, Mark W Oberle & Christopher J Sharpe | Lynx Edicions | 2019 | 400 pages, 1600+ colour illustrations, 650+ colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9788416728176 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Useful Information
  • National Bird

    Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
Museums & Universities
  • Museum of Nevis History

    Information
    The Nevis Historical and Conservation Society encourages environmental awareness and has become involved in educational projects as one way to make positive change on the island…
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Eco-Adventures

    Tour Operator
    Friendly and professional guides are available for all sorts of ecological, historical, and archaeological walks and hikes.
Trip Reports
  • 2004 [03 March] - Ed Hall - Lesser Antilles

    Report
    Brief report and annotated list…
  • 2009 [04 April] - Jim Holmes

    Report
    My family (mom, dad, wife and baby) and I took a Southern Caribbean cruise on the Vision of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) from March 29 – April 5, 2009.
Places to Stay
  • Accommodations in St. Kitts & Nevis

    Accommodation
    Official Site of the St. Kitts & Nevis Department of Tourism with links to a variety of accommodation types.
  • Bird Rock Beach Hotel

    Accommodation
    This small family-owned hotel is set on a hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea
Other Links
  • Bird List

    Information
    This is a list of the bird species recorded in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a small West Indian country, a federation of two neighboring islands in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles. The avifauna of Saint Kitts and Nevis included 236 species according to Bird Checklists of the World as of July 2022.[1] Of them, 171 are rare or accidental and seven have been introduced. One is endemic and three have been extirpated.

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