Caribbean birdwatching is spectacular. White sands, turquoise water–who could ask for more? Learn the various Caribbean Birds with our Birds of the Caribbean.
For bird lovers who’ve always stuck close to home, but wanted to get away to some place tropical, a birding holiday in the Caribbean may be a dream come true. There are countless destinations for great sightings, and when you’re not aiming your binocularss at the tops of trees or at the bright blue sky, you can be relaxing on the beach, sipping a Mai Tai, and reading your favorite paperback novel.
This is rest and relaxation at its absolute finest–because it also includes some of the world’s best birding opportunities.
Birdwatching Holidays in the Caribbean: Birds to See
One of the best things about birding in the Caribbean is that you can do it whenever you want. Unless you’re dead set on cataloguing a very specific bird, you can visit the Caribbean during any month of the year and find some absolutely gorgeous flyers to spy on.
Whereas in other parts of the world, you won’t find good birding in the winter time or summer time, in the Caribbean, birding is a year-round activity. You may see different birds in June than you would in November, but there is a never a drought in the birding industry in places like Bermuda, Aruba, and Jamaica.
Speaking of those sunny paradises, here’s a look at what you might expect from going birdwatching in those corners of the beautiful Caribbean.
The best resource for Caribbean Birding info is at DefinitiveCaribbean.com. Here is their Caribbean Birding map.
Birds of the Caribbean: Bermuda
In Bermuda, you have a fair share of different birds to collect when you raise your binoculars from anywhere on the island. In the fall you can see thousands of birds migrating south from the sands of Bermuda. In the spring, there are many less birds you can spot on their way back north, but the ones that are on display are very much worth your time: what beautiful and colorful plumage!
In general, you can expect to see a great variety of birds in Bermuda, including:
- Spring — Blue Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Scarlet Tanagers, and perhaps even a Swallow-tailed Kite
- Summer — Eastern Bluebirds, Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, and Brown Pelicans
- Fall — Killdeers, Black-Bellied Plovers, Whimbrels, and Cuckoos
- Winter — Pied-Billed Grebes, Double-Crested Cormorants, and Little Blue Herons
Birds of the Caribbean: Aruba
Commonly considered to be the most hospitable place on earth, Aruba is a tropical paradise that embraces your presence from the moment you step on its shores. Delicious food, engaging people, extraordinary relaxation, and some of the most fantastic birding in the Caribbean are waiting for you in Aruba.
Here’s just a sampling of the birds you might see there:
- Spring — White-Cheeked Pintails, Crested Bobwhites, and Neotropic Cormorants
- Summer — Troupials, Carib Grackles, Ruddy Turnstones, and Magnificent Frigatebirds
- Fall — Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks, Blue-Winged Teals, Grooved-Billed Anis, and Eared Doves
- Winter — Tropical Mockingbirds, Ospreys, Tricolored Herons, and Bananaquits
Birds of the Caribbean: Jamaica
Jamaica is more than just a pretty beach–this is a lavishly lush and extraordinarily verdant island that features rainforests, waterfalls, and even mountain peaks in addition to its tropical shores and incredible birding opportunities. If you’re planning a birding holiday in the Caribbean, you must not forget Jamaica!
A glimpse at the beautiful birds in store for you here:
- Spring — Brown Pelicans, Snowy Egrets, Green Herons, and Red-Tailed Hawks
- Summer — Cattle Egrets, Royal Terns, Zenaida Doves, and Grey Kingbirds
- Fall — Jamaican Woodpeckers, Jamaican Lizard Cuckoos, Blue Mountain Vireos, and Orangequits
- Winter — Loggerhead Kingbirds, Vervain Hummingbirds, Saffron Finches, and Jamaican Orioles
Head on back from Caribbean Birds to our Bird Watching Guide.
Or read our birding binocular reviews.
Or even head on back home for more Binocular Reviews.
About Perry
Perry Rosenbloom is the Binocular Dude. He's been an avid birdwatcher since he was 5 years old and bird watching with his Grandpa. You can learn more about him here.
