10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2023

One of the interesting aspects of Trinidad’s nature is that both southern corners of the roughly boot-shaped island are dotted with wetlands. Some weeks ago, I elaborated on some of my experiences on the eastern and southeastern ends. Birds are of course, plentiful here.

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Trinidad Protest Protesting Protesters 167

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2022

As we all know, birding is very much a lottery. Sure there were birds. Gradually I was able to get a visual on some of the birds as they flitted about. Even though finding birds may have been difficult, the rainforest itself is a magical entity – especially at twilight. Such is nature. Even the bugs were scarce!

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Trinidad ALA Experience Experiments 251

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2023

I remember being mortified at the depiction of a hummingbird on a Caribbean Airlines jet many years ago for the bird’s very obvious aqua-hued wings. I, meanwhile, have come to experience a species of hummingbird that has up-ended my perceptions of them being wholly brown-winged creatures. Could this be a real bird?

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Trinidad Experience Experiments Rights 130

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

After a lifetime of lockdown measures we’re all surely chomping at the bit to get back out and slip back into that birding groove. I shall not get into those, as we may never get to the birds! My first experience was with a nesting pair, one bird was out at the time and the other was comfortably sitting quite low in the nest.

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Birds Owls Litter Trinidad 257

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Birds of Belize by Steve N. Howell and Dale Dyer and Birds of Costa Rica by Dale Dyer and Steve N. Dale Dyer put in years working on his paintings for Birds of Central America , both in the field and in the museum. Howell utilizes the IOC World Bird List (v.11.2, Why are these issues? © 2023 by Steve N.

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Costa Rica Belize El Salvador Birds 233

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2022

One of the most regularly traversed roads for the purpose of birding on the island of Trinidad is the Arima-Blanchisseuse Road. Most folks who have come here for birding have stayed at the Asa Wright Nature Centre (likely reopening later this year – but more on that to come) which is located along this picturesque road.

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Trinidad Squirrels Birds Species 241

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2022

Having spent all my life in Trinidad, it was the first time I would be stationed away from the island of my birth. Last month I took the boat back to Trinidad as I was booked to guide a trip there for a week and a half. The disparity in species could be stark, for example if one were to bird on different sides of the planet.

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Trinidad Turkey Squirrels Species 271

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2022

Admittedly this has never crossed my mind as being remotely interesting, young birds are generally awkward things, not yet fitting into the sleek and streamlined expectation of the dictionary definition of “bird” Furthermore, thrushes are often underappreciated creatures on their own.

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Trinidad Emotional Breeding Cats 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2020

Going birding is even more of a no-brainer now than before. Many moons ago, when I used to work in the (supposedly) booming petrochemical industry in Trinidad, most of my time was actually spent birding. These irruptive visitors to T&T always are a pleasure to experience. Sign me up! Bay-headed Tanagers.

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Trinidad Battery Industry Bats 240

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

Having been penned in our house for the last month (and more), the last time we have been out birding seems like a distant memory. I was ardently working to finish a years-long project on the birds of T&T so those last few weeks have not been bird-less by any means. A tree that is loved by birds is also loved by the birder.

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Trinidad Hunting Venezuela Woodpeckers 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2021

Shorebirds – or “shorbs” for the cuteness factor (as if that needed any enhancement) – remain one of the most fascinating families of birds for me. It seems like ages ago and almost a completely foreign concept, but once upon a time we used to travel for birding! There is still so much to learn!

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Buffalo Kenya Trinidad 2019 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 24, 2013

If you are a birder and you visit Trinidad and Tobago you must go to the Caroni Swamp. If you visit Trinidad and Tobago you must visit Caroni Swamp. What’s not to like about big, bright red, big-beaked, birds? For more information about visiting Trinidad and Tobago a good place to start is the official tourism website. ….

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Trinidad Spain Hunting Cooking 201

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2013

Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was exceptionally hard for him to choose. After all, he was in Trinidad until Saturday afternoon. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed. Birding best bird weekend'

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2013 Trinidad Birds Experience 166

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2012

A cherished handful of Central and South American locations enjoy international renown as absolutely mandatory destinations for adventurous bird watchers and nature lovers. Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad holds a prominent position on that list of luminaries. Seriously, highly coveted birds are rarely this readily available.

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10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2012

Just to keep that sweet paternal vibe going, I’m going to award double points to anyone whose best bird of the weekend was seen in the company of a dad or by a dad with his child. However, I spotted that egregious invasive while in Miami during a layover fro Trinidad and Tobago. What was your best bird of the weekend?

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Hungary 2012 Miami United States 170

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

The Latin name of the Long-billed Starthroat , Heliomaster longirostris roughly translates to ‘long-billed sun chaser’ Truly, it is a bird that has captivated my interest from the moment I laid eyes on it roughly a decade ago. That was a fleeting occurrence, and part of the beauty of the experience altogether.

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Experience Experiments Birds Trinidad 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2021

This has always been a wish of mine, since many of my favorite birds here stand out as much for their songs as for their appearance. And while the the gully-loving White-tipped Dove is a bird that is almost never seen, you had better know its ubiquitous song if you’re going to go birding in Michoacán. Thanks, Clare!

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Trinidad Emotional Transported Mexico 195

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Truth is, we’ve been getting so many migrants passing through that there hasn’t been much of a need to bird elsewhere. Plus, laziness kicks in pretty often and a 20 minute drive to see relatively rare birds like Nacunda Nighthawks and Glossy Ibises is a definite no-brainer. Can you see both birds? Aplomado Falcon.

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Falcons Experience Experiments Birds 295

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Yesterday morning was simply one of those incredibly eventful birding sessions, about which I may expound upon in parts within the coming weeks. From genuine rarities to undocumented polymorphism – the magic of birding was truly in full swing. A concrete wall halving one of the ponds was a popular rest spot for several birds.

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Elephants Ducks Humane Family 277

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2015

Birders head to Costa Rica to see stunners like Resplendent Quetzal , Three-wattled Bellbird , Orange-collared Manakin , fancy hummingbirds , tanagers, and literally hundreds of other birds. This bunch of possible Costa Rican crypto birds can be grouped into four main categories: (1). Bird species that require further research.

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Costa Rica Species South America America 229

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2020

Just under a fortnight ago, I saw a report on the local bird alert of a sighting of a group of approximately 20 Nacunda Nighthawks at a wetland not more than 20 minutes from where I live. Especially as we were at the time about to experience a rapidly advancing tropical storm. Such is birding, such is life.

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Livestock Ducks ALA illegal 236

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2020

Out of the approximately 26 species of snipes worldwide, two have been recorded on Trinidad. On Trinidad it took me some more time until I saw my first snipe. For many years, even after I joined the Rare Bird Committee , I simply took it for granted that I would have to walk away from some snipe ID questions.

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Trinidad Welfare North America Emotional 277

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2022

While the combination of the words “coast” and “forest” may conjure images of tidal mudflats and mangroves or even coconut trees, the northern coastline of Trinidad features tropical rainforest that plunges steeply into the bejeweled waters of the Caribbean Sea. It almost looks as if the bird is underwater!

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Trinidad Woodpeckers Bats Venezuela 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Having been marooned on Trinidad for the last two years, my body was aching for a change. Pre-pandemic, we’d routinely be in Tobago – birding, guiding, and generally having a blast on the smaller island. With a change in location comes a slew of new backyard birds – some of them are familiar, others less so. Palm Tanagers.

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Trinidad Woodpeckers Species Humane 222

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2020

This sleepy fishing village on the north coast of Trinidad should ring a bell – it boasts the densest nesting population of Leatherback Turtles in the entire western hemisphere. The mature forest deep in the hills is the single best place in the world to catch a glimpse of the critically endangered Trinidad Piping Guan.

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Trinidad Turtles Turkey Birds 236

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2020

Far less experience the two in a single morning. Fortunately, I live in Trinidad and Tobago – a twin-island nation that boasts the second highest density of bird species in the world. Activity was quite muted, the birds were quietly and unhurriedly going about their business. Variegated Flycatcher.

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Trinidad Pelicans Humane Fish 249

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2020

A fact to which my wife will begrudgingly attest, as my memory is excellent when it comes to anything bird-related yet exceptionally poor otherwise. I expected to learn a thing or two and possibly see some birds I had never seen before. Seven hours in total, reaching halfway up the second highest peak on Trinidad, El Tucuche.

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Trinidad Livestock 2015 Groups 187

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2020

Birding in Trinidad and Tobago has been likened to an introductory chapter in the book of birding in the Neotropics. Smaller birds are a bit different, and today I decided to touch on the enigmatic and emblematic manakins. When more birds get together, activity intensifies. And for good reason.

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Trinidad Family America Species 263

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

It actually makes a lot of sense, the geographic features of the isthmus between North America (including Mexico, because Mexico is part of North America) and South America cut across political lines, as do birds. It is the first bird field guide to every country of Central America (plus the islands governed by those countries).

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America El Salvador Costa Rica Honduras 214

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2023

Those who are familiar with my ethos know quite well that I am very much for the experience as opposed to the payoff. Nomenclature aside, few can deny the benefits of simply being in nature, when there are birds around that’s a bonus! Some call it a preference for the journey rather than the destination. It was glorious.

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Trinidad Pelicans Groups Birds 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2019

Here are the results: 3 per cent of respondents (in no particular order): Trinidad and Tobago, Chile, Tanzania, Madagascar. Interestingly, the respondents felt no need to further elaborate why, presuming that everyone knows why they should bird Costa Rica. 4%: Mexico, West Papua (Indonesia), New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya.

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Papua New Guinea America Costa Rica Sri Lanka 214

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2012

In June 2012, I had the great fortune to visit Trinidad and Tobago in a group that included birder and artist Matthew Dodder. Matthew began birding (and drawing birds) as a boy in Boston, during the Great Blizzard of 1977. Above: Spread from “Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide”: Yellow birds.

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Laws Birds California Nevada 220

10,000 Birds

JUNE 10, 2020

Over a decade ago I stumbled upon the first edition of the field guide to the birds of T&T and marveled at the astounding diversity within its pages. I had already been birding for some time, but my photography was poor and my identification skills were abysmal. Many of them were outrageously plumaged. I carefully noted this.

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2012 Bears Experience Experiments 210

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2022

I don’t know what the experience is like in other parts of the world – so do let me know – but at least here in T&T, some of the absolute best waterbirding can be done at sewage ponds. The birds were already out and about, and so were the mosquitoes! This immature bird made a close pass before submerging itself.

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Ducks Groups Experience Experiments 233

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Chacachacare (pronounced shaka-shaka-reh ) is the westernmost of the Bocas islands off the northwestern tip of Trinidad. Accessible by boat only, it takes about half an hour to get there from mainland Trinidad. I must ashamedly admit that prior to this mission, I had never been birding on the island before.

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Trinidad Netherlands Columbus Whales 191

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2012

As 2012 draws to a close we here at 10,000 Birds thought that it would be a great idea if we, like we did in 2010 and 2011 , shared our Best Birds of the Year. We also want to know what YOUR Best Bird of the Year was. Now on to the Best Birds of the Year for those who write on 10,000 Birds! Sound good?

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2012 Birds Guatemala Florida 160