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Owling in Trinidad & Tobago

10,000 Birds

While preparing an article this week for a local newspaper on the nighttime denizens of Tobago, it crossed my mind that I never considered owls as a group, far less target species for any particular outing (except for a select few, upon which I shall expound here). This resulted in my only photograph of this species to date.

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Birding in a Refinery

10,000 Birds

In southern Trinidad, however, there is much more at play than what is immediately discernible. While the P-a-P Wildfowl Trust’s main thrust is the breeding and release of five duck species, the habitat encourages a number of native wetland birds to inhabit and proliferate the area.

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The Birds of Trinidad and Tobago: Two Guides, One Book Review

10,000 Birds

There were three profound questions my birding group discussed while we birded Trinidad and Tobago, back in December 2012: (1) How many Bananaquits could fit on a banana? (2) 3) What was the best guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago? 2) Which hummingbird was more beautiful—Tufted Coquette or Ruby-topaz Hummingbird? (3)

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Grasshopper Buffet

10,000 Birds

The southern forests of the island of Trinidad are home to the much-maligned Moruga Grasshopper. International organisations have provided “assistance” to the government of Trinidad & Tobago over the years to placate residents and aggrieved farmers. But little has been said about its ecological function.

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A Near Conjunction

10,000 Birds

The sky cracked open as we ascended into the modest hills of Trinidad’s Northern Range. Cocoa Woodcreepers are the largest species of woodcreeper in T&T, and they have a proportionately massive bill. As if to stamp its approval on the habitat alteration, a Pale-breasted Spinetail voiced its content with the human disturbance.

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Young Thrushes

10,000 Birds

Back in Trinidad, both Spectacled Thrush and Cocoa Thrush would nest in our backyard. I had never seen other young thrushes before that last walk I just mentioned as the other species tend to breed in more remote environments far away from concentrated human settlement. Wise creatures.

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Post Apocalyptic Steampunk Birding

10,000 Birds

This was actually the place where the late Richard ffrench spent much of his time as a music teacher, amassing countless observations of birds that would later form the basis of one of the essential birding guides for Trinidad and Tobago. These scarce residents are rarely seen – and even when visible, are usually quite wary of humans.

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