Saint Lucia
Birding Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It is a beautiful Caribbean island blessed with a bounty of indigenous fauna and flora. The lush, vibrant landscapes, mountainous interiors, dense rainforests and palm-fringed beaches of Saint Lucia are the perfect backdrop for a beautiful holiday and the ideal setting for bird watching.The volcanic island is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being Mount Gimmie, at 950 metres (3,120 ft) above sea level. Two other mountains, the Pitons, form the island’s most famous landmark. They are located between Soufrière and Choiseul on the western side of the island. Saint Lucia is also one of the few islands in the world that boasts a drive-in volcano.From a birding point of view Saint Lucia is very accessible being just 27 miles long and 14 miles wide and is probably one of the most important of the Lesser Antilles as it holds 6 single island endemics.
Saint Lucia has six endemic species, one of which is the islands national bird, the St. Lucia Parrot (Amazona Veriscolor), a species that recovered from dangerously low population numbers in the early 1980s. The other endemics are the St. Lucia Pewee, St. Lucia Warbler, St. Lucia Oriole, St. Lucia Black Finch and Semper’s Warbler. This number gives Saint Lucia the distinction of having the highest number of endemic birds in the Eastern Caribbean region.
St Lucia Parrot The St Lucia Parrot is about 42-46 cm (16.5-18 inches) in length. It inhabits the rainforest in the mountains of St. Lucia. It feeds in the forest canopy on a wide variety of fruits, seeds and blowers. The parrot nests in the cavities of tall trees. St Lucia Black Finch The Black Finch is about 13-14 cm in length. It is found in both moist and dry forest areas. It forages in the leaf litter in dense understory. The finch usually nests in a spherical nest of twigs built in a low shrub or palm about 2 m above ground.St Lucia Pewee The adult pewee grows to about 15 cm in length. It is quite common and resides mostly in moist forest, but also found in dry forest areas. It perches low and sallies for insects. The pewee nests in a cup-shaped nest made of leaves and moss placed on a branch.St Lucia Oriole The adult oriole grows to about 22 cm in length. It is found in woodlands including dry and moist forest. It is uncommon and perhaps becoming scarcer. It feeds on insects, fruits, flowers and nectar. The oriole builds a nest sewn under a leaf or palm well above the ground.St Lucia Warbler The Warbler is about 12.5 cm in length. It is found in all forest types and at all altitudes. It forages for insects and spiders from leaves and twigs. It lays in a nicely woven, cup-shaped nest built in a tree about 1-5 m above the ground.Semper’s Warbler The Semper’s Warbler is extremely rare or possibly extinct. The bird is about 14.5 cm in length. The plumage of the adults is dark grey at the upperparts and greyish white at the underparts. The last reliable sighting was in 1961. Though unconfirmed sightings were in 1965, 1972, 1989, 1995 and 2003The St. Lucian race of the House Wren is considered by some as an endemic species (although this is not as yet widely accepted). Another Lesser Antillean endemic bird in St. Lucia is the endangered White-Breasted Thrasher.
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Number of bird species: 186
(As at September 2018)National Bird: St. Lucian Amazon Amazona versicolor
Of 186 species recorded six are endemic and there are 11 endemic sub-species and 7 Lesser antillean regional endemics.
Number of endemics: 5
St. Lucia Parrot Amazona versicolor, St. Lucia Oriole Icterus laudabilis, St. Lucia Warbler Dendroica delicata, St Lucia Black Finch Melanospiza richardsoni, St. Lucia Pewee Contopus oberi, Semper's Warbler Leucopeza semperi
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iGoTerra Checklist
iGoTerra ChecklistFatbirder Associate iGoTerra offers the most comprehensive and up to date birds lists on the web
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The Birds of St Lucia
| (An Annotated Checklist) | by Allan R Keith | BOU | 1997 | Hardback | 176 pages, 40 colour plates photographs, maps, table | ISBN: 9780907446194 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
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St Lucia National Trust
WebsiteThe Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) is a membership organization established in 1975 under the Saint Lucia National Trust Act, Chapter 6.02 of the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia to conserve the natural and cultural heritage of Saint Lucia, and to promote values which lead to national pride and love of country.
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IBA Anse la Liberte
InformationSatellite ViewThe site features a diverse landscape featuring ridges and valleys, with both dry scrub forest and rainforest plants as well as many varieties of edible fruit trees remaining from the former agricultural estate. Some 17 species of birds have been sighted at Anse La Liberté, and the charm of bird life at the site is best experienced generally during early morning and late afternoon. -
NR Maria Islands
InformationSatellite ViewThe islands are set about one half mile from Pointe Sable on the South East coast of Saint Lucia. Maria Major is 10.1 hectares and its little sister Maria Minor is 1.6 hectares. The island is also a major nesting site for migratory birds which travel thousands of miles from the west coast of Africa to nest annually. It is usually closed for the nesting season which runs from May to August. This time frame is adjusted annually by the Saint Lucia Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture depending on the birds’ migratory patterns. -
NR Morne Pavillon
InformationSatellite ViewFollowing the loss of the adjacent green belt to development of Mount du Cap in early 2002, a group of interested Saint Lucians and Cap residents collaborated to initiate an effort to preserve the Morne Pavillon site. This effort resulted in the decision by Christopher Lutz to donate the property to the Saint Lucia National Trust for a Nature Reserve and Heritage site. This effort was successfully concluded in December 2010. -
National Parks
WebsiteSatellite ViewOver 19,000 acres of rain forest sprawl across the mountains and valleys of St. Lucia. The lush forest is home to interesting wildlife, giant ferns, wild orchids, and the St Lucia Parrot (Jacquot). Hike the seven-mile nature trail or take a guided tour lead by the Forestry Department
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Focus on Nature
Tour OperatorThis tour may be done in conjunction with our Jamaica Birding Tour which precedes it, or our Puerto Rico Birding Tour which follows it
Click on WAND to see Fatbirder’s Trip Report Repository…
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2012 [11 November] - Richard Sutton
Report…another site for White-breasted Thrasher but the Praslin site is much easier to get to and easier to find the necessary birds although the Wren was found easy enough at this location. Rufous Nightjar is also supposed to be in this area but there was no sign on the evening I spent here… -
2012 [12 December] - John Kirby
Report…Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Spotted Sandpiper, Common Ground Dove, Mangrove Cuckoo, Moorhen and Golden Warbler…. -
2013 [12 December] - Peter & Rosemary Royle
Report… Vision used very loud pishing to call out the birds and this seemed very effective. However overall this guided day was not quite as productive as I had hoped – the rainforest was extremely quiet and the St Lucia Oriole would not respond to pishing (it usually does apparently) – in the event we only got 4 new species which were White-breasted Thrasher, Caribbean Elaenia, Antillean Euphonia and Rufous-throated Solitaire. We looked for Quail-doves, Swifts, Bare-eyed Robin and the Oriole but did not find them. The guided trip including transport etc cost US$100 per head… -
2015 [07 July] - Petri Hottola
PDF ReportOn July 26th, 2015, I arrived in Castries, St. Lucia, on a LIAT flight from St. Vincent, with 22 preceding flights on an OneWorld Global Explorer and some regional tickets. The idea was to score with five St. Lucia endemics – St. Lucia Amazon, St. Lucia Pewee, St. Lucia Warbler, St. Lucia Black Finch and St. Lucia Oriole – and one potential split, the dry habitat St. Lucia Wren (T. (aedon) mesoleucus), in one-and-half days. A sanctaeluciae White-breasted Thrasher would be nice to see, as well. -
2017 [06 June] - Mark Van Beirs
PDF ReportAntigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Santa Lucia, Saint Vincent, Barbados and Grenada were the ten islands we visited on our recent Lesser Antilles tour. Some are independent countries in their own right, while others are Overseas Territories. All these islands exude a quite different flavour, as some are rich and well developed and some are obviously quite poor with pothole-riddled roads and limited infrastructure. -
2018 [07 July] - Colin Manville
PDF ReportWe had been recommended St. Lucia by (non birding) friends as it was pretty! Having a few St. Lucia endemics and Lesser Antilles endemics it was good for me! -
2018 [09 September] - Pete Aley
ReportThis brief report outlines the birding during a week’s trip from 27th August to 3rd September 2018, which I undertook with my wife, Alison Rowntree.
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Fighting For A Rare Bird
WebsiteBefore dawn on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Michael Bobb emerges from the tin-roofed, pink-and-blue cabin that serves as his base in the dense rain forest. A broad-shouldered, barrel-chested officer in St. Lucia`s Forest and Lands Department, Bobb rallies the troops from inside the field station and scattered tents outside: fellow foresters, local students, and foreign biologists and conservationists. Despite the steady downpour, it`s time to look for parrots. -
Natural Attractions of St. Lucia
WebsiteBirdwatching - In areas such as the Bois D`Orange Swamp, the Rain Forest and Boriel`s Pond, visitors can observe some of St. Lucia`s rare, indigenous species, like the St. Lucian Parrot, White Breasted Thrasher, St. Lucia Peewee, St. Lucia Oriole, and St. Lucia Wren. Arrangements can be made through the St. Lucia Forestry Department for early morning or late afternoon trips. Four-hour excursions cost US$40.00 per person and accommodate a maximum of ten persons, minimum of three. -
See the Birds of St. Lucia!
ArticleFrom a bird watcher’s point of view, St. Lucia is a relatively easy island to work being only 28 miles long & 14 miles wide. St. Lucia is also the most important birding destination of the Lesser Antilles as it holds either 5 or 6 single island endemics.
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Artist - Christopher Cox
GalleryChristopher works primarily in watercolour and acrylic, sometimes combining the two media to capture the subtlety of birds' plumages and the muted play of light and shadow in the forest environment. He is best known for his realistic interpretations of local flora and fauna drawing inspiration from wildlife artists that include Robert Bateman, Don R. Eckelberry and John James Audubon