Thursday, October 13, 2011

Target Birds - Trinidad & Tobego

Well, as the days wind down and our trip now looks like it will actually happen (nothing was a sure bet there for a while due to labour unrest with our carrier Air Canada) i am again looking forward to what we may see.
There are a number of species i feel good about as far as our chances go but nothing is a given, that's what makes it so fun.
I looked through my copy of Birds of Trinidad & Tobago and made a list (we all love lists right?) of mostly "likely" species for time of year. 
There are a couple of hummers that leave the country for the mainland (Venezuela) in September to November but it seems like the chances are good that i'll see more than a few, i just hope i get some shots of the punky Tufted Coquette, Asa Wright should a good spot for them.
Just so i don't forget my focus when i'm down there i've prepared this little list below.

trinidad piping guan
rufous-vented chachalaca
white-faced whistling duck
muscovy duck
comb duck
white-cheeked pintail
red-billed tropicbird
red-footed booby
masked booby
scarlet ibis
limpkin
american flamingo
king vulture
ornate hawk-eagle
yellow-headed caracara
bat falcon
clapper rail
wattled jacana
southern lapwing
buff-breasted sandpiper
upland curlew
eskimo curlew
large-billed tern
cayenne tern
yellow-billed tern
scaled pigeon
pale-vented pigeon
eared dove
lilac-tailed parrotlet
striped cuckoo
squirrel cuckoo
greater ani
smooth-billed ani
oilbird
common potoo
white-tailed sabrewing
rufous-breasted hermit
green hermit
little hermit
brown violetear
white-necked jacobin
blue-chinned sapphire
white-chested emerald
copper-rumped hummingbird
long-billed starthroat
tufted coquette
guianan trogon
collared trogon
green-backed trogon
trinidad motmot
rufous-tailed jacamar
channel-billed toucan
ringed kingfisher
american pygmy kingfisher
golden-olive woodpecker
chestnut woodpecker
great antshrike
black-crested antshrike
barred antshrike
scaled antpitta
white-throated spadebill
streaked flycatcher
boat-billed flycatcher
white-headed marsh tyrant
bearded bellbird
white-bearded manakin
blue-backed manakin
golden-headed manakin
tropical mockingbird
spectacled thrush
silver-beaked tanager
blue-grey tanager
turquoise tanager
bay-headed tanager
speckled tanager
blue dacnis
red-legged honeycreeper
purple honeycreeper
green honeycreeper
bananaquit
saffron finch
red-capped cardinal
red-crowned ant tanager
golden-crowned warbler
crested oropendola
giant cowbird
red-breasted blackbird
violaceous euphonia
trinidad euphonia

Time will tell just how many we see but if i'm able to photograph even a few, i'll be hi-fiving strangers, in other words, i'll be happy.

PS, anyone who laughed when they saw Eskimo Curlew on the list should know that Trinidad was a traditional winter stop-over for this tragic species, i for one will be keeping my eyes peeled..

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The Waiting Area

The Waiting Area