birdwatching in Dominica

Introduction to Dominica
Getting to Dominica
Scuba + Whale watch outings
Boiling Lake
What to do + see in Dominica
Morne Trois Pitons National Park
Nature Island Destinations GUESTBOOK

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Syndicate Falls

bananaquit

mangrove cuckoo

ground dove

lesser Antillean bullfinch

brown trembler

pelicans at dusk

zenaida dove

tropical mockingbird

lesser antillean flycatcher

yellow-crowned night-hero


little blue heron

red legged thrush


antillean crested hummingbird

purple throated hummingbird

blue haeded hummingbird

rufous throated
solitaire

young sisserou parrot

bare eyed robin


smooth-billed ani


green-backed heron


egret


streaked saltator


grey kingbird


Birdwatching in Dominica

Bird-watch field trips with Dominica's
foremost authority

The number of known bird species to be seen in Dominica during the various seasons of the year totals 176, including 4 types of native humming bird. Whether it is the Blue-hooded Euphonia, Mountain Whistler, Broadwinged Hawk or our two unique parrot species you wish to see, Bertrand knows just where to find them and, once located, his tripod mounted telescope will allow you to observe them closely. Your tour could be conducted in a great many choices of prime locations throughout the island, though the favourite spot, where both the Sisserou & Jacquot parrots (unique to Dominica) are most commonly sighted, is the Syndicate Forest area on the western slopes of the Morne Diablotin National Park.


Syndicate

Nearby Syndicate Falls (known locally as Milton Falls) is on the Dublanc River, just a short hike and the perfect picnic spot where you can enjoy a traditionally prepared picnic lunch. You are unlikely to find this spot without a guide, as the access to it is not signposted or near to the Syndicate Forest trail.

An all day tour could also include a row boat ride up the tranquil Indian River where you will be unlucky not to spot the giant Ringed Kingfisher and where you may take refreshments at a forest 'bush bar' before returning. It could also include a visit to Cabrits National Park - a peninsular which has well maintained nature trails to hilltop view points and the ruins of Fort Shirley which are currently being restored under the warchful eye of Dominican historian Lennox Honychurch. Even if you you are only a novice bird watcher, this tour is a must. Due to Bertand's occupation as a Forester, tours are conducted at weekends only or during public holidays.


Indian River


Note:- you may book a bird tour by contacting Dr. Birdy direct.

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We can also arrange weekend tours with a forester who is Dominica's leading authority on botany.


Read the experiences of some of our clients who have already taken advantage of this excellent opportunity to engage the services of Dominica's bird expert and Forester to take them out on a birdwatch field trip to Syndicate Forest, Milton Falls and, time permitting, the Indian River and Cabrits National Park, in our Nature Island Destinations Guest Book.

Illustrations below:
Sisserou (Imperial) Parrot Jacquot (Red-necked) Parrot

Sisserou Parrot - unique to Dominica aaa Jacquot Parrot - unique to Dominica

forester, tour guide & local bird expert,
Bertrand (Dr. Birdy), pictured below.
Dr.Birdy

If you book your accommodation in Dominica through Nature Island
Destinationsm, contact us to arrange your birdwatch field trip

May 2012 update - new residents
In the garden of our home on the mid west coast, where we have resided since 1997, two new species have been noted in recent months who's range previously did not extend to Dominica. Both have now been permanently resident in our area since late 2011.
1. The Bare Eyed Robin (Turdus nudigenis), also known as the Spectacled Thrush, easily recognised by the bright whitish yellow rings around it's eyes is not often sighted but is heard frequently, distinctive by it's unusual call which resembles a meowing cat.
2. The Red Legged Thrush (Turdus Plumbeous), is distinctive not only by it's bright red legs but also by it's equally bright red beak and rings around the eyes. Often spotted quietly hopping around lawned areas in search of worms and insects.

2 new residents in Dominica - Bare Eyed Robin and Red Legged Thrush

Bird Books available


`Cover`	`Title`	`Author`	`Publisher`
	`A Guide to Birdwatching` `No. 3 in the series -` `Dominica Nature Island` `of the Caribbean` `(available locally)`	`Peter Evans &` `Arlington James`	`Ecosystems Ltd.`
	`Birds of the` `Eastern Caribbean` `(available locally)`	`Peter Evans`	`M Caribbean`
	`A Guide to the` `Birds of the West Indies`	`Herbert Raffaele, James Wiley, Orlando Garrido,` `Allan Keith &` `Janis Raffael`	`Christopher Helm -` `A&C Black Ltd. U.K.` `&` `Princeton University` `Press, N.J. U.S.A.`
	`Birds of the West Indies`	`James Bond`	`Collins`
	`Birders West Indies` `island-by-island-tour`	`Roland H. Wauer,` `Mimi Hoppe Wolf (Illustrator)`	`University of Texas Press`
	`A Photographic Guide to` `Birds of the West Indies`	`G. Michael Flieg,` `Allan Sander`	`New Holland` `Publishers (UK)`
	`Dominica's Birds` `describes birds normally` `resident in Dominica` `(available locally)`	`Written by` `Dominican Foresters` `Arlington James,` `Stephen Durand,` `Bertrand Jno Baptiste`	`Made available in 2006` `Produced by the Forestry,` `Wildlife & Parks Division` `of Dominica.`

Note: Nature Island Destinations has a limited number of copies of Dominica's Birds
signed by Dr. Birdy, available for sale @ US$22.00 + US$12.00 postage & handling.
contact us if you wish to purchase one.
Also available is an attractive coffee table book on Dominica
displaying some wonderful photography by Cecil Clarke
Dominica picture book

price US$25.00 + US$8.00 postage & handling.

We accept payment by Mastercard and Visa credit cards
Due to difficulties experienced with American Exress in Dominica, we
have suspended use of this facility until merchant conditions improve
not American Express


definitive postage stamps 2001 - 2006

Ringed Kingfisher

Checklist of birds recorded in Dominica


Common Name	*Scientific Name*	Local Name (if applicable)


SEA BIRDS 1 Black-capped Petrel 2 Leach's Storm-Petrel 3 Wilson's Storm-Petrel 4 Audubon's Shearwater 5 Cory's Shearwater 6 Greater Shearwater 7 White-tailed Tropicbird 8 Red-billed Tropicbird 9 Magnificent Frigatebird 10 Blue-faced (Masked) Booby 11 Brown Booby 12 Red-footed Booby 13 Pomarine Skua 14 Arctic Skua 15 Sabine's Gull 16. Laughing Gull 17 Ring-billed Gull 18 Herring Gull 19 Gull-billed Tern 20 Caspian Tern 21 Royal Tern 22 Sandwich Tern 23 Roseate Tern 24 Common Tern 25 Least Tern 26 Bridled Tern 27 Sooty Tern 28 Black Tern 29 Brown Noddy .	scientific Pterodroma hasitata Oceanodroma leucorhoa Oceanites oceanicus Puffinus lherminiera Puffinus diomedia Puffinus gravis Phaethon lepturus Phaethon aethereus Fregata magnificens Sula dactylatra Sula leucogaster Sula sula Stercorarius pomarinus Stercorarius parasiticus Larus sabini Larus atricilla Larus delawarensis Larus argentatus Sterna nilotica Sterna caspia Sterna maxima Sterna sandvicensis Sterna dougalli Sterna hirundo Sterna antillarum Sterna anaethetus Sterna fuscata Childonias niger Anous tenuirostris .	local - - - - - - - - fregat or sizo - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .


WATER BIRDS 30 Brown Pelican 31 Olivaceous Cormorant 32 Least Grebe 33 Pied-billed Grebe 34 Least Bittern 35 Green-backed Heron 36 Great Blue Heron 37 Little Blue Heron 38 Tricoloured Heron 39 Reddish Egret 40 Snowy Egret 41 Great Egret 42 Cattle Egret 43 Black-crowned Night Heron 44 Yellow-crowned Night Heron 45 American Wood Ibis 46 Glossy Ibis 47 Scarlet Ibis 48 White Ibis 49 Fulvous Whistling Duck 50 West Indian Whistling Duck 51 Black-ballied Whistling Duck 52 Green-winged Teal 53 Blue-winged Teal 54 Northern Shoveller 55 American Wigeon 56 Lesser Scaup 57 Masked Duck 58 Sora 59 Purple Gallinule 60 Common Moorhen 61 Caribbean Coot 176 Jan 2007American Coot 62 Black-necked Stilt 63 Greater Yellowlegs 64 Lesser Yellowlegs 65 Willet . 66 Whimbrel 67 Hudsonian Godwit 68 Ruddy Turnstone 69 Red Knot 70 Solitary Sandpiper 71 Upland Sandpiper 72 Sanderling 73 Semipalmated Sandpiper 74 Western Sandpiper 75 Least Sandpiper 76 White-rumped Sandpiper 77 Baird's Sandpiper 78 Pectoral Sandpiper 79 Dunlin 80 Curlew Sandpiper 81 Stilt Sandpiper 82 Short-billed Dowitcher 83 Common Snipe 84 Black-bellied (Grey) Plover 85 Lesser Golden Plover 86 Semipalmated Plover 87 Killdeer .	scientific Pelicanus occidentalis Phalacrocorax olivaceus Podiceps dominicus Podilymbus podiceps Ixobrychus exilis Butorides striatus Ardea Herodias Egretta caerulea Egretta tricolor Egretta rufescens Egretta thula Casmerodius alba Bubulcus ibis Nyticorax nyticorax Nyticorax violaceous . Mycteria americana Plegadis falcinellus Eudocimus ruber Eudocimus albus Dendrocygna bicolor Dendrocygna arborea Dendrocygna autumnalis . Anas crecca Anas discors Anas Clypeata Anas americana Aythya affinis Nomonyx dominica Porzana carolina Porphyrula martinica Gallinula chloropus Fulica caribaea Fulica americana Himantopus mexicanus Tringa melanoleuca Tringa flavipes Catoptrophorus semipalmatus Numenicus phaeopus Limosa haemastica Arenaria interpres Calidris canutus Actitis macularia Bartramia longicauda Calidris alba Calidris pusilla Calidris mauri Calidris minutilla Calidris fuscicollis Calidris bairdii Calidris melanotus Calidris alpina Calidris ferruginea Calidris himantopus Limnodromus griseus Gallinago gallinago Pluvialis squatarola Pluvialis dominica Charadrius simipalmatus Charadrius vociferus .	local - - - - kwabye kalali kwabye nwe kwabye nwe kwabye - k-wabye blan kwabye blanc kwabye gad-bef -- kwabye jenga - - - - - - - - - - kanna sovaj - - - - - - poul dlo a kache wouj - - - - - - - - - - - - - - begas - - - - - - . . . . . . .


KINGFISHERS 88 Ringed Kingfisher 89 Belted Kingfisher .	Ceryle torquata Ceryle alcyon .	local gad-layvye cra-cra .


BIRDS OF PREY 90 Osprey 91 Broad-winged Hawk 92 Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk) 93 American Kestrel 94 Merlin 95 Peregrine Falcon 96 Barn Owl .	Pandion haliaetus Buteo platypterus Circus cyaneus . Falco sparverius Falco colombarius Falco peregrinus Tyto alba .	local malfini malfin malfini savann . gli-gli gli-gli moutayn . chawan .


Common Name	*Scientific Name*	Local Name (if applicable)


PIGEONS & DOVES 97 Feral Pigeon (Rock Dove) 98 Red-necked Pigeon 99 White-crowned Pigeon 100 Collared Dove 101 Zenaida Dove 102 Common Ground Dove 103 Bridled Quail Dove 104 Ruddy Quail Dove 105 Ringed Turtle Dove .	scientific Colomba livia . Colomba squamosa Colomba leucocephala Streptopelia decaocto Zenaida aurita Colombina passerina Geotrygon mystacea Geotrygon montana Streptopelia nisonia .	local . . rammier . . toutwel zotolan . pedwi . .
PARROT FAMILY 106 Caribbean Parakeet (Brown-throated) 107 Jacquot (Red-necked) Parrot 108. Imperial Parrot .	scientific Arantinga pertinax . Amazona arausiaca . Amazona imperialis .	local . . jaco . sisserou .
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS 109 Caribbean Elaenia 110 Lesser Antillean Pewee 111 Lesser Antillean Flycatcher 112 Stolid Flycatcher 113 Grey Kingbird 114 Eastern Kingbird .	scientific . Elaenia martinicus Contopus latirostris Myiarchus oberi . Myiarchus stolidus Tyrannus dominicensis Tyrannus tyrannus .	local . siffleur gob-mouch gob-mouch huppe . . pipirit gwo-tet pipwe or pipirit .
HUMMINGBIRDS 115 Purple-throated Carib . 116 Green-throated Carib 117 Antillean Crested Hummingbird 118 Blue-headed Hummingbird .	scientific Eulampis jugularis . Sericotes holosericeus Orythorhyncus cristatus . Cyanophaia bicolor . .	local koulibri made or fal wouj . . . koulibri vert . .
CUCKOO FAMILY 119 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 120 Mangrove Cuckoo 121 Black-billed Cuckoo . 122 Smooth-billed Ani .	scientific Coccyzus americanus Coccyzus minor Coccyzus eruthropthalmus Crotophaga ani .	local . koukou manyok . . mel-kobo .
SWIFTS, SWALLOWS & MARTINS 123 Black Swift 124 Lesser Antillean Swift 125 Caribbean Martin 126 Sand Martin 127 Cliff Swallow 128 Barn Swallow .	scientific . . Cypseloides niger Chaetura martinica Progne dominicensis Riparia riparia Hirundo pyrrhonota Hirundo rustica .	local . . hiwondel zyozyo lapli . . . . .
OTHER CATEGORIES 129 Common Nighthawk 130 White-tailed Nightjar 131 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 132 House Wren 133 Rufous-throated Solitaire 134 Bare-eyed Thrush 135 Red-legged Thrush 136 Forest Trush 137 Tropical Mockingbird 138 Scay-breasted Thrasher 139 Pearly-eyed Thrasher 140 Trembler 141 Cedar Waxwing 142 Yellow-throated Vireo 143 Black-whiskered Vireo 144 Northern Parula Warbler 145 Yellow Warbler 146 Chestnut-sided Warbler 147 Magnolia Warbler 148 Cape May Warbler 149 Black-throated Blue Warbler 150 Black-throated Green Warbler 151 Yellow-rumped Warbler 152 Blackburnian Warbler 153 Blackpoll Warbler 154 Palm Warbler 155 Plumbeous Warbler 156 Black-and-white Warbler 157 American Redstart 158 Prothonotary Warbler 159 Ovenbird 160 Northern Waterthrush 161 Louisiana Waterthrush 162 Kentucky Warbler 163 Common Yellowthroat 164 Hooded Warbler 165 Bananaquit	cientific . Chordeiles minor Caprimulgus cayennensis Sphyrapicus varius Troglodytes aedon Myadestes genibarbis Turdus nudigenis Turdus plumbeous Cichlerminia lherminieri Mimus gilvus Margarops fuscus Margarops fuscatus Cinclocerthia rufcauda Bombycilla cedrorum Vireo flavifrons Vireo altiloquus Parula americanus Dendroica petechia Dendroica pensylvanica Dendroica magnolia Dendroica tigrina Dendroica caerulescens . Dendroica virens . Dendroica coronata Dendroica fusca Dendroica stratia Dendroica palmarum Dendroica plumbea Mniotilta varia Setophaga ruticilla Protonotaria citrea Seiurus aurocapillus Seiurus noveboracensis Seiurus motacilla Oporornis formoscus Geothlypis tricas Wilsonia ctrina Coereba flaveola	local . . . . . rosinyol sifle moutayn (mountain whistler) piwot vantard pye jon gwive blan gwiv grosse gwiv twamble . . chwek . titin nwel . . . . . . . titin . . . papya or chik-chik . petite de feu . . . . . . . sikwiye . . . .
166 Blue-hooded Euphonia (Antillean)	Euphonia musica .
167 Scarlet Tanager	Piranga olivacea
168 Streaked Saltator	Saltator albicollis	gwo-bek
169 Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Pheucticus ludovicianus
170 Indigo Bunting	Passerina cyanea
171 Black-faced Grassquit	Tiaris bicolor	sisi-zeb
172 Lesser Antillean Bullfinch	Loxigilla noctis .	pennwe (male) mweson (female)
173 Bobolink	Dolichonyx oryzivorus
174 Carib Grackle	Quiscalus lugubris
175 Troupial	Icterus icterus

Where to stay in Dominica - island-wide accommodation

Roseau	around Roseau	Roseau Valley & Laudat	South
Interior	mid to north West Coast	north facing North East Coast	East Coast