Home ≫ World Birding ≫ Central America & Caribbean ≫ Trinidad & Tobago

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Tufted Coquette Lophornis ornatus ©Glenn Bartley Website

This page refers to information for Trinidad & Tobago or that specific to Trinidad – see the link below to the page for Tobago for information specific only to that island.

Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean region of North America; it is home to just over one and half million people, and covers over 5,000 km2 (c.2,000 square miles) Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago separated by a 32 km (20 mile) strait and numerous much smaller islands, including Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos, Gaspar Grande (or Gasparee), Little Tobago, and Saint Giles Island. It is situated 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and 130 kilometres (81 miles) south of Grenada. It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the east, Grenada to the northwest and Venezuela to the south and west. Trinidad and Tobago is generally considered to be part of the West Indies. The island country’s capital is Port of Spain and its metropolitan area has around one third of the country’s people, while its largest and most populous municipality is Chaguanas. Trinidad and Tobago lie on the continental shelf of South America, and are thus geologically considered to lie entirely in South America.

The terrain of the islands is a mixture of mountains and plains. On Trinidad the Northern Range runs parallel with the north coast, and contains the country’s highest peak (El Cerro del Aripo), which is 3,080 feet above sea level, and second highest (El Tucuche, 3,071 feet).] The rest of the island is generally flatter, excluding the Central Range and Montserrat Hills in the centre of the island and the Southern Range and Trinity Hills in the south. The three mountain ranges determine the drainage pattern of Trinidad. The east coast is noted for its beaches, most notably Manzanilla Beach. The island contains several large swamp areas, such as the Caroni Swamp and the Nariva Swamp.

Nariva Swamp – ©bShiv Trinidad Skey, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Major bodies of water on Trinidad include the Hollis Reservoir, Navet Reservoir, Caroni Reservoir. Trinidad is made up of a variety of soil types, the majority being fine sands and heavy clays. The alluvial valleys of the Northern Range and the soils of the East–West Corridor are the most fertile. Trinidad is also notable for containing Pitch Lake, the largest natural reservoir of asphalt in the world. Tobago contains a flat plain in its south-west, with the eastern half of the island being more mountainous, culminating in Pigeon Peak, the island’s highest point at 1,800 feet. Tobago also contains several coral reefs off its coast.

Blanchisseuse Beach – ©Aneil Lutchman, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The majority of the population reside on the island of Trinidad, and this is thus the location of largest towns and cities. There are four major municipalities in Trinidad: the capital Port of Spain, San Fernando, Arima and Chaguanas. The main town on Tobago is Scarborough.

Trinidad and Tobago has a maritime tropical climate. There are two seasons annually: the dry season for the first five months of the year, and the rainy season in the remaining seven of the year. Winds are predominantly from the northeast and are dominated by the northeast trade winds. Unlike many Caribbean islands Trinidad and Tobago lies outside the main hurricane alleys. In the Northern Range of Trinidad, the climate is often cooler than that of the sweltering heat of the plains below, due to constant cloud and mist cover, and heavy rains in the mountains. Record temperatures for Trinidad and Tobago are 39 °C for the high in Port of Spain, and a low of 12 °C.

The country contains five terrestrial ecoregions: Trinidad and Tobago moist forests, Lesser Antillean dry forests, Trinidad and Tobago dry forests, Windward Islands xeric scrub, and Trinidad mangroves.

Because the islands lie on the continental shelf of South America, and in ancient times were physically connected to the South American mainland, their biological diversity is unlike that of most other Caribbean islands, and has much more in common with that of Venezuela. The main ecosystems are: coastal and marine (coral reefs, mangrove swamps, open ocean and seagrass beds); forest; freshwater (rivers and streams); karst; man-made ecosystems (agricultural land, freshwater dams, secondary forest); and savanna. Information about vertebrates is comprehensive, with 489 bird species (2 endemics), about 100 mammals, about 90 reptiles (a few endemics), about 30 amphibians (including several endemics), 50 freshwater fish and at least 950 marine fish. Notable mammal species include the ocelot, West Indian manatee, collared peccary (known as the quenk locally), red-rumped agouti, lappe, red brocket deer, Neotropical otter, weeper capuchin and red howler monkey; there are also some 70 species of bat, including the vampire bat and fringe-lipped bat. The larger reptiles present include 5 species of marine turtles known to nest on the islands’ beaches, green anaconda, Boa constrictor and spectacled caiman. There are at least 47 species of snakes, including four venomous species (only in Trinidad), lizards and a few species of terapins and tortoises are present. Of the amphibians, the golden tree frog and Trinidad poison frog are found in the highest peaks of Trinidad’s Northern Range and nearby on Venezuela’s Paria Peninsula. Marine life is abundant.

Information about invertebrates is dispersed and very incomplete. About 650 butterflies, at least 672 beetles (from Tobago alone). Other notable invertebrates include the cockroach, leaf-cutter ant and numerous species of mosquitoes, termites, spiders and tarantulas.

Despite significant felling, forests still cover about 40% of the country, and there are about 350 different species of tree. A notable tree is the manchineel which is extremely poisonous to humans, and even just touching its sap can cause severe

Birding Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago, the perfect combination of Caribbean and South American birding! Tobago probably separated from Trinidad and the mainland about 12,000 years ago, due to sea level rise after the last ice age. However recent studies suggest the possibility that Trinidad separated from the South American Mainland as recently as 1,500 years ago! Combine this with islands that host extensive wetlands, rainforest covered mountain ranges, savannas, mudflats, dams, and the best; sewage ponds. It all adds up to fantastic birding.

At last count Trinidad and Tobago had 489 recorded birds, the list is certainly pushing up towards 500. Put all this in a country that speaks English (though at times you may not think so); has a low crime rate, and a people with a vibrant culture, which invented the Steelpan. Where birding is as far as your balcony, or as close as your nose as a hummer zooms past chasing an intrepid interloper while nearly going off with a piece of your nose.

Ibis Roosting at Caroni Swamp – ©Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Trinidad and Tobago is noted particularly for its large number of bird species, and so is a popular destination for bird watchers. Notable species include Scarlet Ibis, Bananaquit, Oilbird and various species of honeycreepers, trogons, toucans, parrots, tanagers, woodpeckers, antbirds, boobies, pelicans and vultures; there are also 17 species of hummingbird, including the tufted coquette which is the world’s third smallest. Some highlights include male Oropendolas sticking their heads between their legs, rattling their wings and beaks, while giving a most peculiar song to impress the girls, and they do impress them. The females will build meter long nests (some can reach nearly 3 meters long) for the most impressive male who may have a harem of up to 20 females! Then there are Peppershrikes that are often heard but rarely seen, or Woodcreepers and Antbirds following trails of Army Ants. Manakins buzzing about, clearing their own dance spot in the forest floor, or sliding along a thin branch (they invented the moonwalk, not Michael Jackson); again all to impress the ladies. To top it off there are the showy birds like Scarlet Ibis, Red-Breasted Blackbirds, Turquoise Tanagers, Ruby Topaz, White-necked Jacobins, and Red-legged Honeycreepers.

Then there are the strange birds like the Bearded Bell Bird that can be heard miles away with its toll like call, or the Antshrikes ending their call with a sound like a windup siren that suddenly lost power. Though the ultimate in the strange category are the Devilbirds (Oilbirds) that live like bats in caves going out at night to feed on fruit using echolocation to navigate through the dark forests.

Which time of year is best for birding? The answer really is anytime! Throughout the year there is great birding, in the Northern Winter there are migrants from North America, in the Austral Winter there are South American migrants. The best weather is found from January to May as this is the Dry Season. A large portion of the wet season is the hurricane season, which does blow in a few rare birds. As Trinidad is below the main track of hurricanes, it just get the benefits of the birding.

I stayed on Trinidad at the world-famous Asa Wright Nature centre where one can sit all day on the Veranda overlooking the valley and just watch the parrots fly by, hummingbirds and honeycreepers coming to the feeders, the antwrens picking through the leaf litter or the hawks and vultures soaring overhead. You can wake to the sound of Oropendolas squabbling or the peppershrikes calling. Leaning over the balcony you can watch woodcreepers creeping, hummingbirds humming and bellbirds tolling – Fatbirder

| Tobago |
Top Sites

  • Arima Blanchisseuse Road

    Satellite View
    The road from Asa Wright down to the sea at Blanchisseuse is 19 kilometres of birding, Tanagers and Trogons, Toucans and Manakins, Cuckoos and Jacamars to name just a few. The highest Point of this road where it passes from the leeward to the windward sides is about 2,000 feet above sea level and is know for high elevation birds such as Speckled and Blue Capped Tanagers, and is good for migrant Warblers.

  • Aripo Savannah and Arena Forest

    WebsiteSatellite View
    This is an all day trip around the savannah off the Eastern main Road via Cumuto village and Waller Field, culminating with time in the Arena forest after lunch. The morning is leisurely stopping frequently to scan roadside bushes and open areas and takes in Cumutu village for a colony of yellow-rumped caciques. Waller Field has its specialities too, primarily as it has scarce moriche palms attracting turquoise tanagers, sulphury flycatchers and fork-tailed palm swifts. There are also some pools formed from gravel or sand workings and lots of abandoned runways and roads at the old airfield. Lunch is usually taken as you arrive at the Arena forest (where you may see a roosting barn owl in an abandoned house). The forest itself is old plantation and pretty dense. Tape luring usually brings all three trogons down for crippling views, along with woodcreepers, woodpeckers, tanagers and jacamars. (Cumuto is best early morning or late evening when it can also produce many Red-bellied Macaws and Ruby Topaz.)

  • Asa Wright Nature Centre

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The most relaxed watching anywhere with veranda feeders, acres of secondary forest to wander and the most accessible colony of oilbirds in the world.

  • Caroni Rice Fields

    Satellite View
    The entrance to the Rice Fields is just across the highway from the area where you get the boat for the Caroni Swamp tour. It is best during the Hurricane Season from July to November, though is worth a look anytime of the year. It hosts many migrant birds travelling both north and south to and from wintering grounds and some spend the austral winter there. Pintails, Whistling Ducks, Godwits, numerous Sandpipers, Bitterns, Herons and Plovers may be found here.

  • Caroni Swamp

    InformationSatellite View
    Take a boat ride along the blue river into the mangroves, and then into open water with mangrove clad islets to see the spectacular roost of 2,000 scarlet ibis with a supporting cast of boat-billed and tri-coloured herons, potoos and caracaras.

  • Nariva Swamp

    InformationSatellite View
    There is a seven-mile beach of Cocos Bay on the east coast lined with (so they say) a million coconut palms at the end of which one turns into Nariva Swamp travelling along Bush Bush peninsula that juts out into the Swamp. The swamp itself isn't much of a swamp in the wet season still less in the dry (this is due to unregulated farming in the swamp). There is a creek running beside the very pot-holed road (with fisherman's huts along it) backed by very tall grasses and sedges - The road the creek runs along is called Kernahan Trace. It is the place for the two Gallinules, Pinnated Bittern and Dickcissel. There will be a supporting cast of Herons and Egrets, Tyrants and Yellow-hooded and Red-breasted blackbirds. The trip culminates with rum punch back in the palm trees as dusk approaches and you wait for over 50 Red-bellied Macaws to come into roost in a stand of Moriche palms.

  • Paria Springs Eco-Community

    WebsiteSatellite View
    This is a series of Host Homes located in Brasso Seco, Paria, along with a lodge that will be constructed in 2002. This is a rural community and offers excellent forest birding along roadsides and trails that have little or no traffic. Bellbirds, Toucans, Blue Dacnis, Bay-headed or Turquoise Tanagers, Green Purple or Red-legged Honeycreepers are among the list of showy birds found here. Since this is on the windward side of the Northern Range many Raptors may be see gliding on the thermals. Paria Springs also has a guesthouse in Grande Riverre, Le Grand Almandier, and this area is the best for viewing the Trinidad Piping Guan (Pawi). Also from March to July Leatherback Turtles can be seen nesting on the beach.

  • Pax Guest House

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Not far from Port of Spain, located on the hills overlooking the Caroni Plains it offers, it also offers good birding from its balcony both in its feeders and the forests. A walk along its trails can produce many passerines and at times nesting Raptors may be seen.

  • Point-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust

    Satellite View
    Dedicated to the conservation of wetland birds, it is located in the centre of an oil refinery. It has a main lagoon, which a guided tour can be taken around and offers good views of Whistling Ducks, Anhingas, Cormorants, Green Herons and sometimes a Red-capped Cardinal or a Saffron Finch may make an appearance.

  • South Trinidad

    The Southern Half of Trinidad has many great birding spots, however, unless you are in Trinidad for a significant amount of time, the birding is not so different to North Trinidad as to be worth the long drive. If you do go down there Fullarton Swamp, Icacos and Trinity Hills can be productive.

  • Tobago

    For top sites in Tobago see the separate Tobago page

  • Trincity Ponds

    InformationSatellite View
    Near to the Capital these old sewage ponds should also only be visited as a group as some birders have experienced problems with theft! [I have just been told that recently a fence, with a gate and gateman have been installed so theft is no longer a problem here]. A series of old concrete tanks with waterbirds etc. Great for waders, hirundines, grebes, and passerines. Watch for Caiman, which slide away into the water to get out of your way. Our guide said Look, a caiman. to which an American birder asked Is it in flight?.

  • Waller Field

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Lamping on this old airfield can produce two types of owl, nightjars, paraques and potoos and (surprising to me) roosts of waders such as Southern lapwing and semi-palmated plovers. There will also be the chorus of frogs some of which hop across the runway. This is not somewhere to try when unaccompanied as, it is rumoured, it is still occasionally used as an airport by gentlemen of dubious character importing exotic extracts from South America.

  • Waterloo (Temple in the Sea)

    Satellite View
    These are mudflats that are exposed at low tide; so check the tide table in the newspapers. This can produce rare Gulls, Terns, Skimmers, Sandpipers, Plovers, Herons and lots more. Often well over 1,000 birds can be seen feeding on the mudflats. If you have the time going further south from here during low tide and check various coastal spots may be rewarding.
Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 489

    (As at July 2024)

    National Bird (Trinidad)
    Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber

Endemics

  • Number of endemics: 2

    Trinidad Piping-Guan Pipile pipile
    Trinidad Motmot Momotus bahamensis
Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Trinidad and Tobago , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • TTRBC

    Annotated List
    The official list of species of Trinidad & Tobago stands at 496 as of 31st December 2023. This list is updated periodically to reflect additions brought about by the significant increase in coverage by both local and visiting birdwatchers to our islands.

  • Wikipedia

    Annotated List
    The South American Classification Committee (SACC) of the American Ornithological Society lists 489 species of birds that have been confirmed on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago as of July 2024. Of them, two are endemic, seven have been introduced by humans, 131 are rare or vagrants, 11 have been extirpated, and the status of one is not known.

  • eBird

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Useful Reading

  • A Birdwatchers' Guide to Trinidad and Tobago

    | By WL Murphy | Prion | 2004 | Edition 3 | Paperback | 172 pages, 36 b/w photos, maps, figures | ISBN: 9781871104110 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad & Tobago

    | By Richard ffrench & John P O'Neill & Eckelberry | Comstock Publishing Associates | 2013 | Paperback | 407 pages, 40 colour plates, 14 b/w photos and b/w illustrations, 3 b/w maps | ISBN: 9780801473647 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Birds of Trinidad and Tobago

    | By Martyn Kenefick, Robin Restall & Floyd Hayes | Christopher Helm | 2019 | Edition 3 | Paperback | 272 pages, 107 colour plates, maps | ISBN: 9781472941527 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Birds of Trinidad and Tobago

    | By Richard ffrench | Macmillan Caribbean | 2004 | Paperback | 125 pages, colour photos | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780333995846 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • 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

  • Trinidad and Tobago Bird Guide

    | By Robert Dean | Rainforest Publications | 2029 | Unbound | 14 pages, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9780997901832 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Trinidad and Tobago: Wildlife Guide

    | (Mammals - Birds - Reptiles - Amphibians - Invertebrates) | By Mark Wainwright, Enrique Leal C & Robert Dean | Rainforest Publications | 2012 | Unbound | 14 pages, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781888538595 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding Aps

  • All Birds Trinidad & Tobago

    Apple iOS |
    | Mullen & Pohland GbR | Sunbird Images® | 819.5 MB | Requires iOS 8.0 or later | Requires Android 6.0 and up |

Useful Information

Observatories

  • Toucan Ridge Bird Observatory

    Observatory WebsiteSatellite View
    Toucan Ridge Bird Observatory (TRBO) promotes education, conservation, and research for the birds of Belize (and our North American winter migrants).

  • Trinidad and Tobago Bird Observatory and Research Centre- TTBO

    Observatory WebsiteSatellite View
    Advancing avian research, conservation and education in Trinidad and Tobago
Organisations

  • The Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust

    Facebook Page
    The Point-a- Pierre Wildfowl Trust established in 1966. An independent , national , not-for-profit, environmental, non- governmental organisation.

  • Trinidad & Tobago Bird Status & Distribution Committee

    Webpage
    The TTBSDC evaluates reports of birds with the aim of converting them into documented records that can be used reliably for scientific studies of bird distribution and patterns of avian vagrancy.

  • Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists Club

    Website
    The Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists Club, a society for the study of Natural History, is one of the oldest clubs existing in Trinidad and Tobago, having being founded on 10th July 1891. Approximately 250 members share interests in the natural environment such as birding, botany, photography, geology, research and scientific investigation, publication, conservation and protection…
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • BS Point-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The Trust also Believes that only through the education of our People, especially the children, will there be any real hope for the Future. We believe that greater awareness and understanding of the importance of preserving the environment and all our Natural resources, together with the protection and managed breeding of our Wildlife and the propogation of our trees and plants, will assist in bringing greater stability, true growth and a healthier economy and that this awareness will build more responsible and productive human beings.

  • BS WII Caroni Swamp

    InformationSatellite View
    The Caroni Swamp is an estuarine system comprising 5,611 hectares of mangrove forest and herbaceous marsh, interrupted by numerous channels, and brackish and saline lagoons, and with extensive intertidal mudflats on the seaward side. This swamp is an important wetland since it is ecologically diverse, consisting of marshes, mangrove swamp and tidal mudflats in close proximity. The wetland provides a variety of habitats for flora and faunal species and as such, supports a rich biodiversity.

  • Bajnath's Estate Hummingbird Sanctuary

    Facebook PagewSatellite View
    Located in the Matura National Park one of most untouched areas of the Northern Range Trinidad.

  • ESA Narvia Swamp Managed Resource Protected Area

    WebpageSatellite View
    The Nariva Swamp is a largely freshwater swamp, located midway along the eastern coast of Trinidad. The area is approximately 11,340 hectares in size and is the largest and most ecologically diverse wetland in Trinidad and Tobago.

  • NP Caroni Bird Sanctuary

    InformationSatellite View
    The Caroni Swamp is an estuarine system comprising 5,611 hectares of mangrove forest and herbaceous marsh, interrupted by numerous channels, and brackish and saline lagoons, and with extensive intertidal mudflats on the seaward side. This swamp is an important wetland since it is ecologically diverse, consisting of marshes, mangrove swamp and tidal mudflats in close proximity.

  • NP Matura Environmentally Sensitive Area

    WebpageSatellite View
    he Matura Environmentally Sensitive Area (MESA) is a state-owned parcel of land situated in the north-east of Trinidad.

  • NR Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve

    WebpageSatellite View
    It is the habitat of a vast number (approximately 457 species) of threatened, endemic or endangered flora and fauna.

  • NR Asa Wright Nature Centre

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The 720-acre nature centre, nestled on the slopes of the Northern Range of the island of Trinidad, quietly has been carving a name for itself over the past 31 years…

  • WII FR Nariva Swamp

    InformationSatellite View
    The Nariva Swamp is extremely biodiverse. It is home to 45 mammal species, 39 reptile species, 33 fish species, 204 bird species, 19 frog species, 213 insect species and 15 mollusc species. All this contained in just 60 square kilometers.

  • Wetland of International Importance

    WebsiteSatellite View
    Trinidad and Tobago currently has 3 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 15,919 hectares.
Sightings, News & Forums

  • eBird

    Sightings
    The Southeastern Caribbean Bird Alert is published weekly on the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club website, and is also available via email. Its aim is to promote birding and ornithology in the southeastern Caribbean by fostering communication among resident and visiting birders
Guides & Tour Operators

  • Avifauna Tours

    Tour Operator
    Born in Trinidad and raised and schooled in London, England, Wildlife Photographer/Naturalist Roger Neckles is considered by many to be the Caribbean’s most prominent wildlife photographer. His award-winning works, recognized for their mastery of color, composition and perspective, have graced the pages of numerous international natural history books, magazines and archives, including premier publications such as National Geographic, Natural History, Audubon, Wild Bird, Birding, Birdwatchers Digest, Birders World and Caribbean Beat, to name a few.

  • Bird Treks

    Tour Operator

  • BirdFinders

    Tour Operator
    Situated just a few miles off the coast of Venezuela, these two islands provide an excellent introduction to Neotropical birding. We will spend time at the world-famous Asa Wright Nature Centre with its breeding Oilbirds, visit Grande Riviere to find the endemic Trinidad Piping Guan and take a boat to see Scarlet Ibises. On Tobago we will see the second endemic – Trinidad Motmot – and enjoy spectacular views of seabirds on Little Tobago Island.

  • BirdQuest

    Tour Operator
    LESSER ANTILLES & TRINIDAD – A beautiful Caribbean island arc full of endemic birds

  • Birding Ecotours

    Tour Operator
    Trinidad and Tobago are a remarkable set of islands, with such close proximity to the mainland of South America the islands enjoy both mainland and Caribbean species. With the Northern Range of mountains, savannas, beaches, and tropical swamps there is a great variety of birds here to enjoy. Tobago also has some nice seabird colonies, making for a well-rounded species list, including several sought-after regional endemics. Combined with its lovely beaches, friendly people, and a wonderful mix of carib/creole/Indian cuisine, this is a great destination to do some fantastic birding…

  • Eagle-Eye Tours

    Tour Operator
    his relaxed and easy-paced birding adventure visits both parts of this two-island nation: the varied rainforests and wetlands of Trinidad and the ocean-oriented paradise of Tobago.

  • FieldGuides

    Tour Operator
    Wonderful introductory birding tour to South America's riches, including bellbirds, toucans, manakins, and motmots.

  • HeatherLea

    Tour Operator
    Join Heatherlea on our updated classic Caribbean holiday! We combine Trinidad and Tobago, the traditional holiday for birding this part of the world, with Saint Lucia, where six endemics and around a dozen other Antillean specialities make for a great experience.

  • Nanan's Caroni Bird Sanctuary Tours

    Local Guyiding
    Simon Oudit Nanan, the son of an early indentured family, lived in Cunupia in close proximity to the Caroni Swamp. He worked as a part time farmer; and on the Sugar Cane Plantation for Tate and Lyle. Simon enhanced his earnings by going into the Caroni Swamp to hunt (hunting was legal then) and fish.

  • Naturalist Journeys

    Tour Operator
    There is no better introduction to birding the New World tropics than a trip to Trinidad and Tobago. The islands contain a diversity of easily-accessible habitats that allow unparalleled access to some of the world’s most beautiful birds. Trinidad, only seven miles off the coast of Venezuela, contains an abundance of species found in northeastern South America, while Tobago’s avifauna is more aligned to the Caribbean.

  • NatureTrek

    Tour Operator
    Lying just a short distance from the coast of Venezuela, the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are an interesting blend of Caribbean and Latin American influences.

  • Rockjumper Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    Over 460 bird species have been recorded in Trinidad & Tobago, and there are few places where such a high diversity of birds can be found in such a small area. Our tour covers the entirety of these beautiful tropical islands, utilizing fantastic accommodations in prime birding habitat, while the photographic opportunities are simply spectacular!

  • WINGS

    Tour Operator
    Lying just off the coast of Venezuela, the island of Trinidad shares much of its birdlife with the nearby continent....

  • Wild Latitudes

    Tour Operator
    Interested in this tour? GET MORE INFO Warm, blue waters, beaches of white sand, and palm trees… and, of course, lots of birds! Lying just six miles off the coast of South America, with a lush, tropical climate, the twin island country of Trinidad & Tobago boasts the greatest avian diversity of any island country in the Caribbean.

  • Wildlife Worldwide

    Tour Operator
    Easy Birding in Trinidad

  • Yerettê

    Local Guyiding
    Visits to Yerettê are organized on an appointment basis only and at fixed tour times. We are open on most days but not every day. Each tour is limited to a maximum of twenty-five persons and is organized as an in-depth educational experience. During the tour, visitors are first exposed to a general introductory talk on hummingbirds. The viewing of live hummingbirds (garden walk) which are usually present in the hundreds, follows this talk.
Trip Reports

  • 2015 [02 February] - Eric Hynes & Tom Johnson

    Report
    We had amazing views of this critically endangered Cracid for about five minutes as it sang its worried, whistling song, then flew past us with a very loud wing clattering. The rest of the day was a blur after the piping-guan, but we did have great luck, finding Black-faced Antthrushes parading around on the ground, a territorial Chestnut Woodpecker, and soaring Ornate Hawk-Eagle and White Hawks.

  • 2015 [03 March] - Stephen Burch

    Report
    ...The veranda at ASA Wright is probably world famous as a relaxing place to watch a good selection of colourful birds and it did not disappoint, despite the weather which was often wet. From the veranda and immediate surrounds we enjoyed views of 10 species of hummingbird. In addition to the common four from Tobago we saw the amazing Tufted Coquette, White-chested Emerald, Blue-chinned Sapphire, Green Hermit and Long-billed Starthroat. A Little Hermit showed briefly at the top of the Discovery trail, nearby...

  • 2016 [01 January] - Tom Johnson

    Report
    ...Some of our most memorable sightings on Trinidad included comparisons of lekking dances of Golden-headed and White-bearded Manakins, the satanic shrieks of the otherworldly Oilbirds, the beautiful view of Crimson-crested Woodpecker perched on a palm, the myriad nightjars (and the roosting Peregrine) at night in the Aripo Livestock Station, lovely comparisons of Fork-tailed Palm-Swifts and a Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, and of course, daily sightings of plucky and stunning Tufted Coquettes....

  • 2016 [02 February] - Eric Hynes & Doug Gochfeld

    Report
    ...The next morning we headed up the road to explore the Northern Range via the Blanchisseuse Road. We dipped on the previously reported Trinidad Piping-Guan but found plenty of other exciting species. Eventually we descended the north slope to the communities of Brasso Seco and Morne La Croix where we found Blue-headed Parrots and a bustling colony of Yellow-rumped Caciques...

  • 2017 [01 January] - Regina McNulty

    Report
    Trinidad & Tobago are one country but two islands. Trinidad is the larger of the 2 with approximately 1800 square miles. We booked our trip through Caligo Birding Tours.….

  • 2017 [06 June] - David Milton - Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago

    Report
    ...To complete the range of possible new birds in Trinidad, we added 2 nights on the NE coast to look for Trinidad Piping-guan after we returned from Tobago. When we arrived at our guest house at Mt. Plaisir we were informed that we would be sharing the dining area with Sir David Attenborough who was filming the Leather-backed Turtles that were nesting right in front of our room balcony. We hoped to see that program in the future as we would be able say we were there. On our birding tour the next morning with the local guide, Nicholas, not only did we see 2 Trinidad Piping Guan in the Grand Riviere, but we also sampled some of his home-made chocolate....

  • 2017 [06 June] - Mark Van Beirs - Lesser Antilles & Trinidad

    PDF Report
    Our visit to Trinidad produced a splendid selection of Neotropical birds and was a great introduction to South American birding as it offered good views of non-overwhelming numbers of hummingbirds, furnarids, antbirds, tyrant flycatchers, wrens, tanagers, New World warblers and icterids.

  • 2018 [01 January] - Megan Edwards Crewe

    Report
    Annotated list

  • 2018 [03 March] - Bob Rodrigues

    PDF Report
    Everyone was up early before breakfast to watch birds from the verandah feeders. After breakfast we had an orientation meeting with Dave Ramlal who would be our main guide while in Trinidad....

  • 2018 [04 April] - Steve Robertson

    Report
    Our Trip to Trinidad & Tobago: Two Islands, One Magical Experience

  • 2018 [06 June] - Carol Simon & Howard Topoff

    PDF Report
    Also along the Queen’s Park Savannah is another impressive building, The National Academy for the Performing Arts. Designed with a notably modern style, it houses a 1500-seat theater plus much more.

  • 2020 [02 February] - Kelly Vandenheuvel

    PDF Report
    Some of the birds we saw today were the Channel-billed Toucan from a scope on the verandah, plenty of Hummingbirds, a Green-backed Trogan, Black and Turkey Vultures, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Common Black Hawk, Gray-lined Hawk, and we heard the Little Tinamou many times...

  • 2020 [03 March] - Kathy Pasierb

    PDF Report
    We could call this tour, Birding Trinidad & Tobago on the Eve of the Pandemic, a precious opportunity cut short before our eyes. On March 10, the US report 224 new cases of COVID-19, localized in a few geographic areas. By March 17, the US had 1822 cases new cases more widespread and by March 18 it had been recorded in all 50 states. During that week our minds were on Tufted Coquettes and what was coming for dinner–sort of a blissful innocence before the storm.

  • 2022 [12 December] - Sheri L Williamson

    PDF Report
    ...The 33 species recorded from the balcony between breakfast and lunch included a dark-morph/light-morph pair of Short-tailed Hawks, a Zone-tailed Hawk and a Black Hawk-Eagle soaring overhead; the haunting tremolo of a Little Tinamou, an exquisite Long-billed Starthroat with aquamarine crown and garnet throat, and two iconic, male Ruby-topaz Hummingbirds...

  • 2023 [03 March] - Dave Mehlman

    PDF Report
    This delightful tour had pretty much everything: great and generally easily visible birds, super accommodations, plenty of bird feeders and superb guides on both Trinidad and Tobago. We had many wildlife highlights including the Scarlet Ibis that came to roost at Caroni Swamp at sunset, Leatherback sea turtles crawling out of the ocean to lay eggs, plenty of wonderful hummingbird and fruit feeders to bring birds in very close, and generally very pleasant weather with few to no insects. I think we would all go back in a heartbeat!

  • 2023 [12 December] - Fraser Bell

    PDF Report
    This birding tour of Trinidad and Tobago started in Piarco, Trinidad on the 30th of November 2023 and ended in Crown Point, Tobago on the 11th of December 2023. The tour focused on seeing species from a broad range of neotropical bird families, a number of near-endemics and the two true endemics – Trinidad Piping Guan and Trinidad Motmot. On Trinidad we birded at Asa Wright Nature Centre, Trincity Sewage Treatment Pools, Aripo Savannah, Nariva Swamp, Blanchisseuse Road, Orange Valley, Caroni Swamp, and Grand Riviere. While on Tobago we birded at Cuffie River Nature Retreat, Little Tobago Island, Main Ridge Forest Reserve, Centre Street Ponds, Bon Accord Sewage Treatment Ponds, and Tobago Plantation.

  • 2024 [01 January] - James P. Smith

    PDF Report
    Well over 210 bird species were recorded along with a nice variety of reptiles, amphibians and butterflies. Mammals, however, were notably scarce. Highlights were many but would have to include thousands of Scarlet Ibis heading to roost in the Caroni Swamp, endemic Piping-Guans and Trinidad Motmots, the iconic Oilbirds and Bearded Bellbirds at the Asa Wright Centre, at least 14 species of hummingbirds throughout and a spectacular display of tropicbirds, frigatebirds and boobies on a drizzly afternoon at Little Tobago.

  • 2024 [03 March] - Stephen Grace

    PDF Report
    ...We saw 15 endemic and critically endangered Trinidad Piping-Guan. Hummingbirds were another highlight. The Ruby-topaz was an absolute stunner, and watching the gemlike Blue-chinned Sapphire, the handsome Whitenecked Jacobin and the busy little Tufted Coquette that seemed more like a bumblebee than a bird, provided endless delight...

  • 2024 [06 June] - James Petersen

    PDF Report
    ... Some highlights here included a fantastic look at a low perching Snail Kite as well as over 500 Scalet Ibis and a 25 plus American Flamingos at Caroni Swamp. Our few nights at Asa Wright were memorable as well with two out of the three Manakin species seen as well as the fantastic hummingbird display...
Places to Stay

  • Adventure Eco Villas

    Accommodation
    Adventure Eco Villas is nestled amongst the Tropical Flora and Fauna of a twelve-acre nature reserve and organic farm. Only minutes away from palm-fringed beaches with excellent snorkeling. You will appreciate the elegant comfort, serenity and nature of this unique jewel of Tobago

  • Asa Wright Nature Centre

    Accommodation
    The continental origin and proximity of Trinidad to South America, along with its many varied habitats, has resulted in an unusually diverse fauna. The species lists for this island are impressive: 108 mammals; 400 birds; 55 reptiles; 25 amphibians; and 617 butterflies! No other area in the West Indies, and few if any areas of comparable size anywhere in tropical America, can match this spectacular diversity of species. It is 50 miles long by about 37 miles wide with varied landscape features, including its Northern Range rising to a little over 3,000 feet, most of which is covered by one or another form of tropical rainforest. It is here, in this rich tropical part of this beautiful island, that you will find the magical Asa Wright Nature Centre. Recommended by the Fat Birder who spent a week in this Paradise in 1998.

  • Hacienda Jacana

    Accommodation
    We have over 175 birds spotted on our 22 acre estate and are ranked number one on Trip Advisor for cottages or speciality lodging in Trinidad.

  • Pax Guesthouse

    Accommodation
    Come and relax in our peaceful surroundings or take one of our guided bird watching tours. Enjoy the view of exotic tropical flora and fauna while having breakfast or tea on our balcony overlooking the lush Northern Range of Trinidad.

  • Plantation House

    Accommodation
    Plantation house is located in the Santa Barbara estate in the Maracas Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Set on a hill, in 15 acres of a former cocoa and citrus plantation, there are panoramic views in every direction. It`s a place to rest, relax and unwind.
Other Links

  • Flaming Immortelles

    Website
    At this time of the year great swaths of our forests are turning brilliant vermillion! This is because the Immortelle trees (Erythrina poeppigiana) are flowering. These are large trees; they grow to a height of about 80 feet (25 metres), and begin to flower at the end of the rainy season, late December, each year.
Photographers & Artists

  • Photographer - Roger Neckles

    Gallery
    It is said that I am Trinidad & Tobago's Leading Wildlife Photographer. My pictures have been published on every major newspaper in Trinidad & Tobago, in Business calendars and annual reports, company advertisements, billboards and brochures

Fatbirder - linking birders worldwide...

Skip to content