Wetland Sites

St. Vincent

Carenage in Calliaqua

This coastal area with a very small river estuary and some remnant mangroves still plays host to a few coastal species, sea birds and occasional migrants.  This habitat located at Ratho Mill on the southern coastline is just about 15 minutes drive from capital Kingstown.

Brighton Salt Pond

Brigthon Salt Pond, which is privately owned, is located on the south-east coastline at Milikin Bay.  The best representative block of mangrove remaining on mainland St. Vincent, it is home to the Yellow-crowned Night Heron and flocks of Cattle Egrets that roost there at evenings.  You will only need to drive 20 minutes from Kingstown to arrive at this site.

Buccament Estuary

The Buccament River which drains one of this country’s prominent watershed ends its journey at the Buccament Bay creating a habitat for such species as Gallinules, Common Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little and Great Blue Herons.  It may not be unusual to see other migrants like the Blue-winged Teal wading in the river’s mouth.  This habitat located on the south-western coastline will also provide a mixture of seabirds and coastal terrestrial species.  The site is approx. 20 minutes drive from Kingstown along the Leeward highway.

Union Island

Lagoon Swamp – Clifton

Located along the southeastern coastline of Union Island, this coastal mangrove ecosystem is bordered by a fringe of Red Mangroves and contains stands of Black Mangrove in the interior.  In 1990 it was measured at 50 acres (Metz 1990), but in recent years some of this has been cleared.  The mangrove is adjacent to the harbour which makes it very accessible.  Shore and wetland birds will be found in this habitat.

Belmont Salt Pond and Richmond Bay

The Belmont Salt Pond when flooded is host to waders and many species of sandpipers, some of which are migrants.  It is surrounded by a 5.0 acre fringe of White, Black and Button Mangrove and clumps of Red Mangroves.  It is located about 200 metres inland from the Belmont Bay “Big Sands” on the Northern Coast of Union island.

The Richmond Bay 15-acre Red, White, Black and Button Mangroves adjacent to Belmont Bay is complimentary to Belmont Salt Pond.  It is a habitat for many shore birds and migrants that travel to this part of the world.  Bird activity level at these sites will peak during the rainy and migratory seasons.

Mustique

Note:      This is a privately owned Island in the Grenadines.

Lagoon Bay

The Lagoon Bay in terms of setting is typical of salt ponds with a large circular pool that is surrounded with Red, White and Black Mangroves.  This is an excellent site for viewing the various waders, Herons, Sandpipers and coastal species that inhabit and visit the Grenadines.  The Nature Trail on the periphery provides good access to the pond.  This site is located on the southwestern coast and is just about 7 minutes drive from the Airport.

Bird Sanctuary

As the name implies, this is a designated bird sanctuary (27 acres) that will give visitors one of the best representations of the various wetland species that are found in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The hidden pockets provide a desirable habitat for several wetland birds that include Caribbean Coots, Moorhens, Blue-winged Teals and a variety of Herons.  The Bird Sanctuary is directly adjacent to the Airport strip in the North of the Island.

Rainforest Sites

Vermont Nature Trails

The Vermont Nature Trails nestled in the Parrot Reserve in the Upper Buccament valley is just seven miles from Kingstown.  This is one of the best known areas for seeing the St. Vincent Parrot.

La Soufriere Volcano Nature Trail

The tour to La Soufriere is a 90-minute drive along the east coast which takes you through lush banana fields  up to the trail head.  Recent secondary vegetation continues to colonize the slopes since the last volcanic eruption (1979).  Sounds of Thrushes, Wrens and Tanagers emanate with a wonderful opportunity to see the endemic Whistling Warbler.

Mt. St Andrew’s

This majestic mountain is part of the central mountain range overlooking Kingstown.  Located 3 miles from the capital, the bird watching experience starts within agriculture lands and summits in secondary rainforest.  A variety of fruit and forest trees attract birds such as the Rusty-tailed Flycatcher, Hummingbirds, House Wren, Trembler, Black-whiskered Vireo and Thrasher.

Petit Wallilabou (Trinity Falls Trail)

The location is 1.5 hours drive from Kingstown along the Leeward coast and takes you through an easily accessible trail which affords spectacular views for bird watching.  The area which is renowned for the Trinity Falls provide a habitat that is frequented by Herons, Sandpipers and the Kingfisher.  The St. Vincent Parrot can also be seen.

Fenton Valley

A cool scenic route, about 10 minutes drive from the capital with several panoramic views. The tour begins in Green Hill community and travels through agricultural lands intermixed with natural secondary forest.  This quiet hidden valley is enveloped by lush mountains and is home to many birds.  You are likely to see the Hooded Tanager, Blue-headed Euphonia, House Wren (St. Vincent Race), Hawks, Tremblers and other edge dwellers.

Garden and Urban Sites

Botanic Gardens

The Botanic Gardens, the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, is approximately 5 minutes from the heart of Kingstown. 

The area covers some 30 acres of land and hosts a mixture of indigenous and exotic plant species which support a tremendous variety of birds; some such as the Black Hawk which ordinarily is found in the rainforest.  Other birds to be seen are the St. Vincent race of the Banana Quit, Tropical Mockingbird and Rusty-tailed Flycatcher.  Occasionally migrants such as the American Kestrel and Cape May Warbler are also observed.

Anglican Pastoral Centre Grounds

This private property of the Anglican Church lies adjacent to the Botanical Gardens.  It is situated on 4 acres of land and contains an ornamental garden and a dry forest with fruit trees interspersed.

Bird species likely to be seen are similar to those found at the Botanic Gardens.

St. George’s Cathedral Grounds

A short walk through Kingstown takes you to the St. George’s Cathedral – a site frequented by visitors because of its rich history.  Large ornamental trees and shrubs make these grounds a perfect bird watching destination for urban-type bird species.  Such species include the Carib Grackle, Glossy Cowbird, Smooth-billed Ani and Bare-eyed Thrush.

Dry Forest Sites

Brighton – Prospect

This region is situated within a twenty-minute drive along the Windward Highway.  Two unpaved access roads lead from the main road onto relatively expansive pastures, pockets of dry scrub forest and the beaches of Diamond and Brighton.  Birds likely to be seen here are the Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Sea birds and the Banana Quit (Jamaica race) and sea birds.

Buccament – Petit Byahaut

Petit Byahaut is located approximately 2 km west of Kingstown.  It is coastal in nature with an expansive grassland.  Swifts, Martin and Swallows are not uncommon sightings.  The Magnificent Frigate, Laughing Gull and Red-billed Tropicbird have also been observed in this area.

Bambereaux

This is a promontory located about 0.5 miles northwest of the central leeward town of Layou or 40 minutes drive from capital Kingstown. This vista provides for the possible sighting of both terrestrial and sea birds such as Flycatchers, Herons and the Brown Booby.

The Grenadines

An archipelago of islands located south of mainland St. Vincent, the Grenadines is accessible both by air and by sea.  There are two primary vegetation types; dry scrub forest and wetlands dominated by mangroves.

The Grenadines are a bird watcher’s paradise.  Many migrant and sea birds not found on mainland St. Vincent can be observed.  There is also a rich composition of wetland birds which include Sandpipers, Sanderlings and warblers.  The Osprey is also an uncommon visitor.

Happy birding and enjoy the beauty of

St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Some Birds of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Antillean-crested Hummingbird     Orthorhyncus cristatus

Banana quit (St. Vincent race)                                                Coereba flaveola

Banana Quit (Jamaica race)        Coereba flaveola

Bare-eyed Thrush                        Turdus nudigenis

Barn Owl                                      Tyto alba

Belted Kingfisher                          Megaceryle alcyon

Black/Crab hawk                          Buteogallus anthracinus

Black-faced Grass Quit              Tiaris bicolor

Black-whiskered Vireo               Vireo altiloquus

Broad-winged/Chicken Hawk     Buteo platypterus

Carib Grackle                              Quiscalus lugubris

Caribbean Elaenia                       Elaenia martinica

Cattle Egret                                  Bubulcus ibis

Cocoa Thrush                             Turdus fumigatus

Common Ground Dove                Columbina passerina

Forest Thrush                             Cichlherminia lherminiera

Glossy Cowbird                          Molothrus bonariensis

Gray Kingbird                              Tyrannus dominicensis

Green-backed Heron                  Butorides striatus

Green-throated Carib                  Sericotes holosericeus

Hooded Tanager/Princebird        Tangara cucullata

L.A. Crested Hummingbird          Orthorhyncus cristatus

Lesser Antillean Bullfinch           Loxigilla noctis

Little Blue Heron                          Florida caerula

Magnificent Frigatebird                Fregata magnificens

Mangrove Cuckoo                       Coccyzus minor

Mountain Dove                            Geotrygon montana

Purple Martin                               Progne subis

Purple-throated Carib                  Eulampis jugularis

Ramier,Wild Pigeon                      Columba squamosa

Rufous-throated Solitaire            Myadestes genibarbis

Rusty-tailed Flycatcher               Myiarchus tyrannulus

Scaly-breasted Thrasher            Margarops fuscus

Short-tailed Swift                        Chaetura brachyura

Smooth-billed Ani                        Crotophaga ani

Spotted Sandpiper                      Actitis macularia

St. Vincent House Wren             Troglodytes aedon

St. Vincent Parrot                        Amazona guildingii

Trembler                                      Cinclocerthia ruficauda

Tropical Mockingbird                   Mimus gilvus

Violet-eared Dove                       Zeneida auriculata

Whistling Warbler                        Catharopeza bishopi

Yellow Warbler                           Dendroica petechia

Yellow-bellied Elaenia                 Elaenia flavogaster

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron     Nyctanassa violaceus

Zeneida Dove                             Zeneida aurita

Migratory Birds

Blue-winged Teal                        Anas discors

Caribbean Coot                          Fulica caribaea

Great White Heron                     Ardea herodias

Common Gallinule                      Gallinula chloropus

Great Blue Heron                      Ardea herodias

American Kestrel                      Falco sparverius

Northern Waterthrush             Seiurus motacilla

Osprey                                    Pandion haliaetus

Peregrine Falcon                     Falco peregrinus

Ruddy Turnstone                    Arenaria interpres

Least Sandpiper                      Calidris minutilla

Snowy Egret                           Egretta thula

Peregrine Falcon                     Falco peregrinus

Birding Sites