Island paradise
Everything that you’ve ever dreamed about the Caribbean can be found in idyllic Tobago – a warm welcome from friendly locals making you feel truly at home, secluded white-sand beaches lapped by a sky-blue ocean, the distant sound of music on a warm tropical breeze, breathtaking natural beauty and striking wildlife. Tobago’s lush and protected rainforest interior is the island’s emerald blanket. Leave the coral reefs and coast, venture into the trees and you’ll be rewarded with memorable encounters with the island’s wildlife.
Tobago is around 30 km north of Trinidad and within 150 km of the Venezuelan coast. A small island of around 300 sq km, it is home to a wide range of Caribbean and
South American flora and fauna. The national bird list comes in at just shy of 300 species and it ranks an impressive fifth in the world for bird diversity per square kilometre. Most of the regional bird families are represented, but in smaller numbers than the vast continent next door, and this makes it an ideal introduction to South American birding. Among these are six resident species of hummingbird, including the near-endemic and rare White-tailed Sabrewing of the central forest, the spectacular and widespread Rubytopaz Hummingbird and the crisp White-necked Jacobin. Watching hummingbirds visiting feeding stations is a wonderful experience and great for photography.
The lush Main Ridge Forest Reserve covers around 4,000 ha and is the oldest protected forest in the Western Hemisphere, having been designated as a reserve in 1776. More than 100 species can be seen in the reserve and a similar number can be found around the island’s mangroves, wetlands and rocky islets. Various trails make exploration easy and the most famous is the Gilpin Trace, which offers superb opportunities to see an array of tropical birds, reptiles, mammals, insects and plant species. After an exciting time exploring the various trails, you could cool off with a swim beneath the cascading Argyle
Falls.
In addition to the hummingbirds, other birds on the must-see list include the endemic Trinidad Motmot, shiny Rufous-tailed Jacamar, amazing Blue-backed Manakins dancing at
a lek to attract a mate, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Collared Trogon and the noisy Rufous-vented Chachalaca (Tobago’s national bird). You’ll find many of these species in the peaceful wilderness of the Adventure Eco Farm and Nature Reserve. Step into the night air on Flagstaff Hill, overlooking St Giles, and view spectacular displays from some of Tobago’s nocturnal birds. Highlights include White-tailed Nightjar and, for the fortunate, Striped Owl. At the Corbin Local Wildlife Park, meanwhile, you can go birding in 10 ha of beautiful untouched forest. No holiday on Tobago would be complete without an excursion to
Little Tobago, a small island off the north-east coast. This is home to exciting seabird species including breeding Red-billed Tropicbirds,
Brown and Red-footed Boobies, as well as those masters of the air – Magnificent Frigatebirds. The short boat trip across to the island should include a stop to snorkel around one of the world’s largest brain corals and to see brightly coloured fish at Angel Reef. For the more adventurous, excellent scuba-diving off the island’s northern tip will involve a swim with Hawksbill Turtles, Nurse Sharks, huge Manta Rays and colourful reef fish.
The best time to visit is in the dry season from December to May. Temperatures reach the mid to high twenties celsius.
With quality accommodation, an availability of experienced wildlife guides, good tourist infrastructure and direct flights from the UK, Tobago is a wonderful holiday destination for birders and non-birders alike. ■