Trinidad and Tobago Index & List

TRINIDAD MOTMOT
One of the two endemic species on the islands

We spent April 2nd through the 13th birding Trinidad and Tobago, led by Kim Risen of NatureScape Tours. The other two members of our little group were Lon & Peggy Baumgardt (my brother from another mother and Shari's sister from a different mister). This was the fulfillment of a long-time desire of mine to bird these islands, where the birds are considered South American species rather than West Indies. The weather was excellent, never much hotter or more humid, than a July day in New Jersey. We had perhaps one half day of rain, which didn't interfere with our birding.

It was a lot of traveling around the islands, staying in five different places. I've organized the blog by the many locations we birded. Specific entries are linked below:
Caroni Rice Fields 4/2--9 Life Birds, 6 Year Birds
Piarco 4/2--GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN, RED-BREASTED MEADOWLARK
Aripo Livestock Station 4/3--29 Life Birds, 7 Year Birds
Caroni Swamp 4/3--9 Life Birds, 2 Year Birds
Arena Forest Reserve 4/4--10 Life Birds, 1 Year Bird
Yrette 4/4--6 Life Hummingbirds & a Honeycreeper
Grand Riviere 4/4-4/5--12 Life Birds, 2 Year Birds
Asa Wright Nature Centre 4/5-4/8--21 Life Birds

Waller Field 4/6--LITTLE TINAMOU, FORK-TAILED PALM-SWIFT, SULPHURY FLYCATCHER, RUFOUS-BREASTED WREN, + MASKED YELLOWTHROAT

Aripo Livestock Station 4/6--COMMON PAURAQUE, WHITE-TAILED NIGHTJAR

Blanchisseuse Road 4/7--16 Life Birds

Asa Wright Nature Centre 4/8--OILBIRDS

Cuffie River Lodge 4/8-4/10--7 Life Birds, 2 Year Birds

Gilpin Trace 4/10--WHITE-TAILED SABREWING, BLUE-BACKED MANIKIN, YELLOW-LEGGED THRUSH

Little Tobago Island 4/11--RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD, RED-FOOTED BOOBY

Piarco International Airport 4/13--SAFFRON FINCH

For the trip we had 171 species with 134 life birds. 

Key to the list: LIFE BIRD, Year Bird, rarity

Species              First Sighting

LITTLE TINAMOU   Waller Field

RUFOUS-VENTED CHACHALACA   Cuffie River Nature Resort

TRINIDAD PIPING-GUAN   Grande Riviere

RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD   Little Tobago Island

Magnificent Frigatebird   Arena Forest Reserve

Brown Booby   Blue Waters Inn

RED-FOOTED BOOBY   Little Tobago Island

Anhinga   Caroni Swamp

Brown Pelican   Paria Main Road, San Souci

Great Blue Heron   Holiday Inn Express Piarco

Great Egret   Caroni rice fields

Snowy Egret   Caroni rice fields

Little Blue Heron   Caroni rice fields

Tricolored Heron   Caroni Swamp

Cattle Egret   Caroni rice fields

STRIATED HERON   Caroni Swamp

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Caroni rice fields

SCARLET IBIS   Caroni rice fields

Black Vulture   Caroni rice fields

Turkey Vulture   Caroni rice fields

Osprey   Caroni rice fields

GRAY-HEADED KITE   Grande Riviere

Snail Kite   Caroni rice fields

PLUMBEOUS KITE   Arena Forest Reserve

COMMON BLACK HAWK   Paria Main Road, Grand Riviere

SAVANNA HAWK   Aripo Livestock Station

Broad-winged Hawk   Cuffie River Nature Resort

MANGROVE RAIL   Caroni rice fields

SOUTHERN LAPWING   Aripo Livestock Station

Semipalmated Plover   Caroni Swamp

WATTLED JACANA   Aripo Livestock Station

Spotted Sandpiper   Aripo Livestock Station

Greater Yellowlegs   Caroni Swamp

Willet   Little Tobago Island

Ruddy Turnstone   Blue Waters Inn

Laughing Gull   Castara Bay

Royal Tern   Castara Bay

Rock Pigeon   Caroni rice fields

PALE-VENTED PIGEON   Arena Forest Reserve

SCALED PIGEON   Asa Wright Nature Centre

RUDDY GROUND-DOVE   Caroni rice fields

White-tipped Dove   Mt. Plaisir Estate

GRAY-FRONTED DOVE   Asa Wright Nature Centre

STRIPED CUCKOO   Aripo Livestock Station

GREATER ANI   Caroni rice fields

Smooth-billed Ani   Caroni rice fields

TROPICAL SCREECH-OWL   Caroni Swamp

FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL   Mt. Plaisir Estate

COMMON PAURAQUE   Aripo Livestock Station

WHITE-TAILED NIGHTJAR   Aripo Livestock Station

COMMON POTOO   Caroni Swamp

OILBIRD   Asa Wright Nature Centre

SHORT-TAILED SWIFT   Caroni Swamp

BAND-RUMPED SWIFT   Aripo Livestock Station

GRAY-RUMPED SWIFT   Cuffie River Nature Resort

FORK-TAILED PALM-SWIFT   Waller Field

WHITE-NECKED JACOBIN   Yrette

RUFOUS-BREASTED HERMIT   Yrette

GREEN HERMIT   Yrette

RUBY-TOPAZ HUMMINGBIRD   Aripo Livestock Station

GREEN-THROATED MANGO   Caroni Swamp

BLACK-THROATED MANGO   Aripo Livestock Station

TUFTED COQUETTE   Asa Wright Nature Centre

LONG-BILLED STARTHROAT   Yrette

BLUE-TAILED EMERALD   Aripo Livestock Station

BLUE-CHINNED SAPPHIRE   Yrette

WHITE-TAILED SABREWING   Gilpin Trace

WHITE-CHESTED EMERALD   Aripo Livestock Station

COPPER-RUMPED HUMMINGBIRD   Yrette

GREEN-BACKED TROGON   Blanchisseuse Rd

GUIANAN TROGON   Grande Riviere

COLLARED TROGON   Asa Wright Nature Centre

TRINIDAD MOTMOT   Asa Wright Nature Centre

AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER   Caroni Swamp

RUFOUS-TAILED JACAMAR   Blanchisseuse Rd

CHANNEL-BILLED TOUCAN   Arena Forest Reserve

RED-CROWNED WOODPECKER   Cuffie River Nature Resort

RED-RUMPED WOODPECKER   Asa Wright Nature Centre

GOLDEN-OLIVE WOODPECKER   Blanchisseuse Rd

CHESTNUT WOODPECKER   Blanchisseuse Rd

LINEATED WOODPECKER   Aripo Livestock Station

YELLOW-headed Caracara   Aripo Livestock Station

BAT FALCON   Arena Forest Reserve

LILAC-TAILED PARROTLET   Blanchisseuse Rd

BLUE-HEADED PARROT   Blanchisseuse Rd

ORANGE-WINGED PARROT   Aripo Livestock Station

GREEN-RUMPED PARROTLET   Aripo Livestock Station

GREAT ANTSHRIKE   Aripo Livestock Station

BLACK-CRESTED ANTSHRIKE   Caroni Swamp

BARRED ANTSHRIKE   Aripo Livestock Station

WHITE-FLANKED ANTWREN   Blanchisseuse Rd

WHITE-FRINGED ANTWREN   Cuffie River Nature Resort

WHITE-BELLIED ANTBIRD   Blanchisseuse Rd

BLACK-FACED ANTTHRUSH   Blanchisseuse Rd

PLAIN-BROWN WOODCREEPER   Blanchisseuse Rd

COCOA WOODCREEPER   Asa Wright Nature Centre

STRAIGHT-BILLED WOODCREEPER   Caroni Swamp

STREAKED XENOPS   Asa Wright Nature Centre

YELLOW-CHINNED SPINETAIL   Aripo Livestock Station

PALE-BREASTED SPINETAIL   Grande Riviere

STRIPE-BREASTED SPINETAIL   Asa Wright Nature Centre

FOREST ELAENIA   Asa Wright Nature Centre

YELLOW-BELLIED ELAENIA   Aripo Livestock Station

OCHRE-BELLIED FLYCATCHER   Asa Wright Nature Centre

SLATY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER   Blanchisseuse Rd

YELLOW-BREASTED FLYCATCHER   Caroni Swamp

EULER'S FLYCATCHER   Blanchisseuse Rd

TROPICAL PEWEE   Blanchisseuse Rd

PIED WATER-TYRANT   Aripo Livestock Station

WHITE-HEADED MARSH TYRANT   Aripo Livestock Station

BRIGHT-RUMPED ATTILA   Asa Wright Nature Centre

DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER   Blanchisseuse Rd

VENEZUELAN FLYCATCHER   Cuffie River Nature Resort

Brown-crested Flycatcher   Cuffie River Nature Resort

Great Kiskadee   Caroni rice fields

BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER   Arena Forest Reserve

STREAKED FLYCATCHER   Aripo Livestock Station

PIRATIC FLYCATCHER   Grande Riviere

SULPHURY FLYCATCHER   Waller Field

TROPICAL KINGBIRD   Caroni rice fields

Gray Kingbird   Aripo Livestock Station

Fork-tailed Flycatcher   Aripo Livestock Station

BEARDED BELLBIRD   Asa Wright Nature Centre

BLUE-BACKED MANAKIN   Gilpin Trace

WHITE-BEARDED MANAKIN   Asa Wright Nature Centre

GOLDEN-HEADED MANAKIN   Asa Wright Nature Centre

BLACK-TAILED TITYRA   Arena Forest Reserve

Red-eyed Vireo   Aripo Livestock Station

GOLDEN-FRONTED GREENLET   Asa Wright Nature Centre

RUFOUS-BROWED PEPPERSHRIKE   Arena Forest Reserve

SOUTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW   Aripo Livestock Station

CARIBBEAN MARTIN   Cuffie River Nature Resort

GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN   Holiday Inn Express Piarco

WHITE-WINGED SWALLOW   Caroni rice fields

House Wren   Aripo Livestock Station

RUFOUS-BREASTED WREN   Waller Field

YELLOW-LEGGED THRUSH   Gilpin Trace

COCOA THRUSH   Asa Wright Nature Centre

SPECTACLED THRUSH   Grande Riviere

WHITE-NECKED THRUSH   Blanchisseuse Rd

TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRD   Caroni rice fields

Northern Waterthrush   Caroni rice fields

MASKED YELLOWTHROAT   Aripo Savannah

TROPICAL PARULA   Grande Riviere

GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLER   Asa Wright Nature Centre

MASKED CARDINAL   Caroni rice fields

WHITE-LINED TANAGER   Aripo Livestock Station

SILVER-BEAKED TANAGER   Grande Riviere

BLUE-GRAY TANAGER   Aripo Livestock Station

PALM TANAGER   Aripo Livestock Station

TURQUOISE TANAGER   Grande Riviere

BAY-HEADED TANAGER   Asa Wright Nature Centre

PURPLE HONEYCREEPER   Yrette

RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER   Cuffie River Nature Resort

GREEN HONEYCREEPER   Arena Forest Reserve

SAFFRON FINCH   Piarco International Airport

GRASSLAND YELLOW-FINCH   Aripo Livestock Station

BLUE-BLACK GRASSQUIT   Aripo Livestock Station

Bananaquit   Aripo Livestock Station

Black-faced Grassquit   Delaford

GRAYISH SALTATOR   Aripo Livestock Station

RED-CROWNED ANT-TANAGER   Asa Wright Nature Centre

RED-BREASTED MEADOWLARK   Holiday Inn Express Piarco

CARIB GRACKLE   Caroni rice fields

Shiny Cowbird   Aripo Livestock Station

GIANT COWBIRD   Grande Riviere

YELLOW ORIOLE   Aripo Livestock Station

YELLOW-RUMPED CACIQUE   Arena Forest Reserve

CRESTED OROPENDOLA   Arena Forest Reserve

TRINIDAD EUPHONIA   Blanchisseuse Rd

VIOLACEOUS EUPHONIA   Aripo Livestock Station