Jamaica - Feb. 14-22, 2007
Peg Abbott, John Fletcher and Ryan Love, guides; with 11 participants
Bird/Species Trip List

Least Grebe – one bird at the small pond in Hope Gardens, another on the Wagwater River crossing
Brown Pelican – common in Kingston Harbor
Magnificent Frigatebird – Port Antonio, Kingston Harbor
Laughing Gull – Kingston Harbor and North Coast
Sandwich Tern – a few mixed in with more abundant Royal Tern in Kingston Harbor
Royal Tern – numerous and great to see flying, and perched atop old dock pilings by the Art Museum, a few off the East Coast seen as we returned to Kingston
Little Blue Heron – seen on several days, wetlands and rivers
Tricolored Heron – Rio Grande River
Snowy Egret – seen crossing the island, Rio Grande River, North and East coasts
Great Blue Heron – Rio Grande River, harbor at Port Antonio
Great Egret – Rio Grande River, North Coast, East Coast
Green Heron – great looks while rafting on the Rio Grande River
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron – David spotted this species flying over at our breakfast stop on the last morning on the East Coast
Black-crowned Night Heron – both immature birds and adults seen well, roosting in trees alongside the Rio Grande River
Cattle Egret – common, seen daily
Spotted Sandpiper – a few individuals on the Rio Grande River
Semi-palmated Plover – East coast beach our final morning
Lesser Yellowlegs – a group of a dozen or more on a rocky island in the Rio Grande River
Ruddy Turnstone – Rio Grande River and East Coast
Sanderling – a busy little group of this species alerted us to the mixed shorebird group our final morning
Common Gallinule – small pond at Hope Gardens
American Coot – Wagwater River
Turkey Vulture – common, seen daily
Red-tailed Hawk – Jamaica’s only large raptor, seen on several days
American Kestrel – two pair at Hope Gardens with a light and dark colored member of the pair – this Cuban (or Jamaican) race new to many of our group
Peregrine – quick glimpse at this dynamic flyer in a group of gulls, seen on the main North Coast road from our bus
Rock Pigeon – large flocks in urban areas
White-crowned Pigeon – a beautiful bird to be so common, its habit of feeding in the African Tulip trees provided us some great memories
Ring-tailed Pigeon – we got excellent views of this bird in large mango trees on the trail above Forest Park, then later in the scope from a viewpoint above Port Antonio.
Mourning Dove (HO) – agricultural lands near Tamarind Hill
Zenaida Dove – our most common dove, quite a pretty one!
White-winged Dove – more common in the Kingston and Forres Park area
Common Ground Dove – Forres Park and Tamarind Hill
Caribbean Dove – Ann spotted an individual on a wire in a rural area near the dry forest of the southeast coast – our final day
Ruddy Quail Dove – two birds seen well, flying low across the road, and one walking in the road, at Ecclesdown Road
Crested Quail Dove – elusive, but seen flying from the road on two occasions
Green-rumped Parrotlet – noisy and quick flying flocks encountered at Tamarind Hill and on Ecclesdown Road
Yellow-billed Parrot – superb views at Hope Gardens, and a nice comparison of both species on trees of a ridgeline off Ecclesdown Road
Black-billed Parrot – very close views of a small flock, with social antics of several birds seen preening, quarreling and feeding – both days on the Ecc. Rd
Olive-throated (Jamaican) Parakeet – seen in flight on several locations, but finally a very patient bird perched up on a small tree for us to study at Castledon Gardens
Smooth-billed Ani – first seen in the grass at Emancipation Park, then on our walk from Tamarind Hill, and in small communities of the East Coast.
Jamaican Lizard Cuckoo – David spotted this gorgeous bold bird perched at eye level from our bus. Neville negotiated a stop, and we feasted our eyes for several minutes. We then saw it again well from Ecclesdown Road in the John Crow Mountains
Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo – great scope views of a pair on the road below Hotel Mockingbird Hill, seen on two days
Jamaican Owl (HO) – This beautiful owl remained elusive to us this year, sigh….We heard it pass through Forres Park, but could not find its chosen roost tree, despite tips from some local workers
Antillean Palm Swift – Kingston area and Hope Gardens
White-collared Swift – flock above Hotel Mockingbird Hill, again off Ecc. Rd.
Jamaican Mango – outside of Kingston we had two individuals, until an American Kestrel nabbed one in its talons right before our eyes!
Red-billed Streamertail – what a stunning hummingbird. Noone expected to see it so easily and commonly, or to utter that phrase, ‘oh its just another streamertail….’
Black-billed Streamertail – first seen in the Poor Man’s Orchid tree off the verandah at Mockingbird Hill, also fairly common from Ecclesdown Road, one of the most important flower pollinators on the island; the female was also seen taking insects
Vervain Hummingbird – this tiny dynamo was best seen in the garden at Liguanea, then again from Tamarind Hill and on off the Ecc. Rd
Belted Kingfisher – Tamarind Hill and along the roadside of the Northeast Coast, Rio Grande River
Jamaican Tody – a favorite for many in the group, seen almost daily, often furtive but once found, quite tame.
Jamaican Woodpecker – one of Nancy’s most wanted birds, its call became quite familiar and we got splendid views day after day
Jamaican Eleania – our best views were at the start of the trail near Hardwar Gap; after that we heard it and got glimpses…
Jamaican Pewee – seen on our Hardwar Gap day, and on the morning walk from Forres Park
Sad Flycatcher – seen on the phone wires by the Military Camp on our day in the Blue Mountains, then again in several gardens and wooded areas
Rufous-tailed Flycatcher – three sightings on our first Ecclesdown day, great views the second day there – a fairly secretive bird for a Myarchis flycatcher!
Loggerhead Kingbird – bold, vocal and common, seen daily. What did they perch on before phone wires….
Jamaican Becard – a pair seen well off Ecclesdown Road, near a nest, another pair watched feeding and chasing White-necked Thrush off berries in a fruiting tree
Jamaican Vireo – seen on several days, best views from Mockingbird Hill and from Ecclesdown Road
Blue Mountain Vireo – seen very well on our first walk on the Blue Mountain day, near the Gap, heard again off Ecc. Rd.
Jamaican Crow – we patiently searched them out at Castledon Gardens, then found them readily on Ecclesdown Road – they win the prize for favorite vocalizations (though nearly tied with Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo)
Cave Swallow – Port Antonio
Caribbean Martin – seen from the porch at Tamarind Hill
Rufous-throated Solitaire – seen several times on our day in the Blue Mountains, heard here and on Ecclesdown Road
White-eyed Thrush – elusive but thankfullly vocal, several got scope views, though quickly so!
White-chinned Thrush (Hopping Dick) – common, seen on most days
Northern Mockingbird – bold and vocal, quite common
Worm-eating Warbler
Northern Parula – seen in small numbers but at most locations
Black-and-White Warbler – Blue Mountains, several individuals
Black-throated Blue Warbler – seen on most days, many males quite bright
Yellow-throated Warbler – one at Hope Gardens, quite bright plumage
Prairie Warbler – another regularly encountered warbler, great views
Palm Warbler – Hope Gardens, Forres Park
Cape May Warbler – Hope Gardens, Forres Park and Blue Mountains, a good study of an immature bird in the parking lot at Forres Park
Ovenbird – seen on early morning walk at Forres Park
Common Yellowthroat – seen on two days, in dense low vegetation
American Redstart – our most regularly encountered warbler, all locations
Black-throated Green Warbler – Hope Gardens
Blackburnian Warbler – Hope Gardens
Bay-breasted Warbler – Hope Gardens
Hooded Warbler – one bright male seen in a brushpile atop the San San road
Bananaquit – one of our most common and most vocal songbirds, seen often at close range
Jamaican Stripe-headed Tanager – a gorgeous bird with striking plumage, first encountered atop Hardwar Gap, then seen at many locations, almost daily. We observed family groups with male, female and fledged juveniles on several occasions.
Jamaican Euphonia – our first great views of this mistletoe specialist were at Hope Gardens where the posed for us on bare branches. We then heard, and saw them in forest habitats throughout our journey.
Orangequit – another endemic encountered on day one in Hope Gardens, then on numerous other occasions, often feeding in fruiting and flowering trees with other species around them.
Yellow-faced Grassquit – seen in agricultural lands above Tamarind Hill Great House, nice males singing viewed in the scope…
Black-faced Grassquit – a feeder bird at Forres Park, quite tame at Liganea Gardens, and in Hope Gardens
Yellow-shouldered Grassquit – seen in a small wooded canyon outside Kingston, feeding on the fleshy part of Akee seeds
Greater Antillean Bullfinch – our first good views were along the Eccelsdown Road, adults and immatures feeding on small fruits. We then saw several more in mixed flocks again feeding on fruits.
Jamaican Oriole – seen on our first day in Hope Gardens and then every day of the journey. We had super looks at a bird below us off the verandah of Tamarind Great House.
Jamaican Blackbird – surprisingly excellent views of this rare bird, we found it early on our first day at Ecc. Road, and enjoyed watching it feed. It was quite vocal and visilble, a nice treat!
Greater Antillean Grackle – common in urban and residential areas.
European Staring – our first day at Hope Gardens, luckily not widespread here
Shiny Cowbird – small flock flying over – seen from porch at Tamarind Hill

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