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Trinidad is a magical place to explore, and what could be a better base than the venerable Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge, a 200-acre wildlife sanctuary in Trinidad’s rainforested Northern Range. The Centre has a 50+ year legacy of research and conservation that continues today. The Centre is a place you can readily soak in the ambiance of lush montane forests over your morning coffee or afternoon rum punch or tea.
This short and sweet tour is set at a relaxing pace to which you can add field trips if you wish. Without getting in a vehicle you can surround yourself in tropical wonder. Walk the Centre trails and watch a rainbow of birds from the famous verandah. Photographers delight in beautiful images of the varied and colorful species at close range including honeycreepers and hummingbirds. We include three of our most popular outings, of course watching Scarlet Ibis come in to roost in Caroni National Park. Walk to the Dunstan Oilbird Cave, and bird your way up the Blanchisseuse Road to Brasso Seco Village for lunch and to sample some scrumptious local chocolate. This is birding at its best, punctuated by special meals, camaraderie, and fun.




Tour Highlights
- Experience outstanding birding from cozy cottages used as our base for exploring the mountains, savannah, and mangroves of Central Trinidad
- Enjoy big vistas up in the mountains of Trinidad’s Northern Range
- Bird in varied habitats from savannah to mangroves, lowland forest to mountain terrain
- Dine in a local village known for making quality chocolates and great birding
- Discover intimate views and potential photos of birds at gardens in selected lunch stops, with brilliantly colored hummingbirds, honeycreepers, tanagers, toucans, and more
- Witness skies turned crimson with thousands of Scarlet Ibis coming in to roost in Caroni National Park as you glide through mangroves on a quiet boat ride
- Find the tiny Tufted Coquette and up to 14 other species of hummingbirds




Trip Itinerary
Itineraries are guidelines; variations in itinerary may occur to account for weather, road conditions, closures, etc. and to maximize your experience.
Thurs., Mar. 26 Arrival & Welcome to the Asa Wright Nature Centre
Our guides meet all flights arriving at Trinidad’s Piarco International Airport in Port of Spain. Expect a warm greeting at the Centre, where the colors of the birds rival are a sight to behold, and hospitality is shared to make you feel welcome. Coffee and tea is served at 4:00 PM, Rum Punch at 6:00 PM, both accompanied by one of the most amazing bird shows of any eco-lodge in the world! Share dinner with other tour participants and guests staying at the Lodge in the Centre’s cozy dining room.
In the evening, we walk the Centre’s driveway though lush overhanging forest, listening to night sounds and with luck, the call of Tropical Screech Owl. If your flight arrives late in the evening, you may wish to come in the day before so as not to miss anything. Or, despite the late hour, come on up and get settled, knowing you will wake up to the birds!
Accommodations at the Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC) (D)
Fri., Mar. 27 Forty Species Before Breakfast | Birding the Northern Range from Blanchisseuse Road | Brasso Seco
Morning begins with the raucous noise of the Crested Oropendola and a host of other exotic sounds. A first-time visitor might see 20 – 30 life birds among the 40 or more species often seen before breakfast! Treasure the rainbow of color at arm’s length as honeycreepers and hummingbirds come in to feed.
Today’s scenic, day-long excursion takes us high into the Northern Range on the Blanchisseuse Road. We make frequent birding stops and then enjoy a local lunch and cacao demonstration in picturesque Brasso Seco. We then continue through the mountains to the village of Morne la Croix for afternoon tea and cakes (yum!) as we enjoy watching parrots head in to roost.
Today also offers the opportunity to examine the strange world of leaf-cutter and army ants, as well as the chance to photograph butterflies, orchids, and other tropical flora.
Accommodations at AWNC (B,L,D)
Sat., Mar. 28 Oilbirds | Exploring Centre Trails
After breakfast, we visit Dunstan Cave, one of Trinidad’s major colony sites for Oilbirds, a unique species in that it is a nocturnal, fruit-eating bird. This colony has been monitored for many years. Enjoy a chance to learn about their ecology and conservation. The trail to the cave is steep in some locations, so wear secure footwear especially in wet conditions. We take it at a birder’s pace and if you are not up to it, feel free to enjoy free time on the verandah or grounds at your leisure.
The Centre is situated in a typical valley of Trinidad’s Northern Range. These sites have been traditional centers of coffee, cocoa, and citrus plantations and many of these plants are still maintained at the Centre. Natural second-growth has taken over and festooned the abandoned plantation vegetation with vines and a host of epiphytes. The whole effect is one of being deep in a tropical rainforest.
The afternoon today is free to allow you to relax or enjoy the trails on an afternoon walk if you like. Choose one of several trails that traverse this rich and diverse wildlife sanctuary with a chance to see species as Guianan Trogon, Channel-billed Toucan, Chestnut Woodpecker, White-bearded Manakin, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, and Turquoise and Bay-headed Tanagers. Or, take a dip in the natural swimming hole on one of the trails decorated year-round by ferns and tropical plants of the wild.
Birds and people both gather in time for the 4:00 PM tea (and cakes). Birding from the verandah of the Asa Wright Nature Centre as the day winds down is one of the world’s most pleasant and exciting ornithological experiences. Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Tufted Coquette, Barred Antshrike, Green Honeycreeper, and Bare-eye Thrush are among the many species that are seen. Golden Tegu Lizard and Agouti are busy below the verandah. 6:00 PM rum punch is next on the list.
Accommodations at AWNC (B,L,D)
Sun., Mar. 29 Caroni Marsh & the Spectacle of Scarlet Ibis
What better way to enjoy the day than the vivid show of rich magenta displayed on the wings of thousands of Scarlet Ibis coming in to roost! The Scarlet Ibis was recently portrayed on the cover of a book about the world’s most remarkable birds. This field trip has long been a highlight of Trinidad’s many wonders.
We board a small boat, reserved for our group, to explore a very specialized mangrove forest that contains several genera and species of mangroves, showing classic examples of plant adaptation in this unique brackish water community. We seek out some of its more specialized denizens — Neotropical Cormorant, Anhinga, Striated Heron, White-cheeked Pintail, Large-billed Tern, Pied Water-tyrant, Bicolored Conebill, and Red-capped Cardinal. Our day ends with the spectacular flight of Scarlet Ibis returning to their mangrove roosts at dusk, truly one of the world’s most dramatic natural moments.
We bring the rum punch along to celebrate, and as we return to the boat dock we search the mangrove-lined channels for the mysterious sounding Common Potoo. Return to the Centre for dinner a bit later this evening, still aglow from your fabulous sightings.
Accommodations at AWNC (B,L,D)
Mon., Mar. 30 Asa Wright Nature Centre
Wake to enjoy coffee on the verandah, watching hummingbirds and more come to the feeders, and agoutis and huge tegu lizards working on the grounds underneath. We spend the morning enjoying gifts from nature, watching and tallying up species that we see from the verandah.
In the afternoon, fueled by a delicious lunch, we walk leisurely out the driveway to the entrance, an excellent route for spotting birds in trees that arch overhead. More adventurous walkers may want to return via one of the forest loop trails.
Enjoy rum punch and relax in the late afternoon on the beautiful verandah as the birds come to you. Finding butterflies reminds you that you are in the tropics.
Accommodations at AWNC (B,L,D)
Tues., Mar. 31 Full Day at the Centre | Optional Field Trip
Today is a perfect day to do what many long to do, spend a full uncharted day at the Centre! Photograph to your heart’s delight, walk with a naturalist to learn more about butterflies and tropical plants, log more tropical species from the verandah, sit quietly among a chorus of Bearded Bellbird on the Discovery Trail, and watch manakins dance on their leks. The Centre holds many treasures that take time to observe and today is the perfect time to do just that.
Optional: Full Day Nariva Swamp Excursion
This field trip is a chance to see more of the country and the special birds of Trinidad’s East Coast and the Nariva Swamp, the largest freshwater herbaceous swamp on the island. This field trip starts with a stop in the morning in the lowlands where may find White-headed Marsh-Tyrant, Pied Water-Tyrant, Savanna Hawk, Bat Falcon, Red-breasted Blackbird, Southern Lapwing, and possibly a flock of Green-rumped Parrotlet.
The east side of Trinidad hosts an ecosystem very different from that of Caroni on the west side. Here, where the Nariva River reaches the sea, freshwater environments are comprised of herbaceous swamp and swamp forest, dotted with a few patches of mangroves such as the area around Bush Bush Creek. Along the edges are “palm islands,” where the tall Moriche Palm is common. Here too we see a unique mangrove community, made up primarily of the stilt-rooted rhizophora mangrove, which often reaches a height of 80 feet. Limpkin, American Pygmy and Green Kingfishers, Black-crested Antshrike, Green-throated Mango, and a mix of other species can be found.
We pass Manzanilla Beach with its swimming beaches and picnic pavilions, and south of here travel through long lines of coconut trees, often with Yellow-headed Caracara or possible Pearl Kite perched in them. A mangrove area nearby can prove fruitful for the more elusive species such as Silvered Antbird, Bicolored Conebill, and Least Bittern. An expansive open area with small ponds and flooded fields known as the Melon Patch hosts Wattled Jacana, and possible (rare) Pinnated Bittern.
We join our comrades back at the Centre for a final dinner together, recounting highlights of our journey
Accommodations at AWNC (B,L,D)
Wed., Apr. 1 Departures
Depart at your leisure today, the Centre arranges airport transfers according to your flight time. If you have a late flight, enjoy the bonus of another day in birding paradise! (B)
Cost of the Journey
The cost of this journey is $4790 DBL / $5290 SGL per person, from Port of Spain, departing Tobago Crown Point. Tour cost is based on double occupancy and includes all accommodations; meals as specified in the itinerary, group airport transfers, professional guide services, local park and other area entrance fees, and miscellaneous program expenses.
Cost does not include transportation to and from Trinidad, or items of a personal nature like laundry, telephone charges, porterage, maid gratuities, or beverages from the bar.
*This tour is limited to two single rooms.
Travel Details
Please plan to make air travel plans only after the minimum group size has been met. We will send you a confirmation email as soon as the trip has been confirmed.
Main Tour Arrival and Departure Airport: Port of Spain, Trinidad (POS)
Main Tour Arrival Details: Please plan your flights to arrive March 26, 2026 at your leisure.
Main Tour Departure Details: Plan your flights to depart April 1, 2026 at your leisure.
Travel Tips: If you arrive early, we can connect you to the PAX Guest House to book an early night. They will meet you at the airport. You will be picked up on the first day of the tour and taken to the Asa Wright Nature Centre.
Entry Requirements: US residents do not need a visa to enter for tourist visits of this length.
Browse below for trip reports and species lists from past versions of this and other tours from this destination.
Trinidad & Tobago
- June 2011
- December 2014
- February 2015
- March 2015
- March 2017 (Trinidad Only)
- January 2018
- December 2018
- January 2020
- March 2020
- December 2022
- March 2023
- April 2023
- June 2023
- November 2023 (Thanksgiving Trip)
- December 2023 (Christmas Tour)
- January 2024
- February 2024
- April 2024
- June 2024
- November 2024 (Thanksgiving Tour)
- January 2025
- February 2025
- March 2025
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Chris Harbard
Chris Harbard is a well-known British ornithologist and conservationist who now lives in SE Arizona. After 24 years working with the world’s largest bird conservation organisation, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, he moved to the Austrian optics company Swarovski and managed their birdwatching website for several years. He is now a freelance author, editor, broadcaster and lecturer, as well as an occasional bird guide in SE Arizona where he and his wife help to run the Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival. He is on the board of the Arizona Field Ornithologists.
Chris writes for Birdwatch magazine and was editor of the Birdwatchers' Guides series of books. His own books include Birdwatch, Songbirds, A Birdwatcher's Quizbook, A First Guide to Birdwatching.
Working as a naturalist lecturer on board expedition cruise ships for the last eighteen years has taken him to remote areas of the Arctic, Antarctic, Atlantic and Pacific. Although his main area of interest is birds, especially seabirds, he also enjoys a range of other wildlife such as cetaceans, butterflies, dragonflies and plants.Other trips with Chris Harbard
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Photo credits: Photo credits: BANNERS: Scarlet Ibis (Hugh Simmons), Smooth-billed Ani (Hugh Simmons), American Flamingos (Hugh Simmons), Red-billed Tropicbird (Hugh Simmons), Group Birding (Hugh Simmons) THUMBNAILS: Purple Honeycreeper (Peg Abbott), Scarlet Ibis, Trinidad Motmot (Hugh Simmons), White-bearded Manakin (Hugh Simmons), Bay-headed Tanager (Hugh Simmons), Channel-billed Toucan (Faraaz Abdool)