Funny as it may sound; you can actually enjoy bird watching while on your Caribbean vacation along the tropics.
You might come upon the Asa Wright Nature Center in Trinidad, which lies ten miles north from Arima. It is a place within a 200 acre rain forest, covered with a canopy of trees you can walk along the path of and catch glimpses of some of the different species which inhabit the area. You can really enjoy the place more if you spend a few days there. You will most likely get a lot of sightings of the various birds that this lovely forest has to offer.
Bubali Pond is another bird sanctuary along Eagle beach in Aruba; it is here you will find pelicans along the area; with black cormorants and sandpipers and wood storks. Try catching them bathe, play, and fish in this picturesque scenic waterscape. The best period to catch sightings are in either close to dusk or dawn.
If you are after brown pelicans, herons, frigates, and egrets why not go to Aruba’s Spanish Lagoon. There, you will find large parakeets in shades of green and yellow.
Barbuda also offers a frigate bird sanctuary, which is a secluded area accessible only by small water crafts. A tour guide will show you where you may see the “man o’ war birds”. It is actually another name for magnificent frigate birds. They are usually close to 40 inches in length and have a wingspan of around 85 inches; males are black in color with crimson red pouches which they inflate during mating season. These frigate birds live among 170 other species of birds within the area.
If you get to dock at Jamaica and have the time to spare, try going to the Rockland bird sanctuary. They take care of around 289 species, 28 of which are exclusive to the area. They also have yellow-billed and black-billed parrots, which are some of the birds on the list of endangered species. Upon entering the sanctuary, you are given a choice if you want to roam around your own or pay a guided tour, in which they will take you to enclaves of streamertails, Jamaican Mango, hummingbirds, grassquits, and orangequits. You can hand feed them, so this adds a little excitement to your tour.
Caribbean cruise packages do not include bird watching tours, you have to inform them of your plans and itineraries if you plan to go bird watching. Always remember to bring your sun block, binoculars, some food and water, and, of course a camera.
