When to Visit Trinidad and Tobago: What’s Special Each Month of the Year 482 species of birds have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago: 257 are year-round residents and 57 regular seasonal migrants. The species list for Tobago alone stands at 259, of which 97 occur year-round. The islands of Trinidad and Tobago are tropical, there is good birding year round with no equivalent to northern hemisphere migration, though some North American Migrants spend the winter there, and some Austral migrants come up from South American to breed. Tropical birds respond more to the timing of their food, and move around accordingly. Trinidad and Tobago is as far south as Colombia, so properly South American. The main breeding time for resident birds (April and May) is just as northward migrants leave, though larger species start earlier. Specialties Seen Year Round: Golden-olive Woodpecker Chestnut Woodpecker Trinidad Piping-Guan Lineated Woodpecker White Hawk Blue-headed Parrot Ornate Hawk-Eagle Red-bellied Macaw Black Hawk-Eagle Great Antshrike Pearl Kite Barred Antshrike Long-winged Harrier Black-crested Antshrike Black Skimmer Cocoa Woodcreeper Scaled Pigeon Black-faced Antthrush Striped Cuckoo White-bellied Antbird Squirrel Cuckoo Forest Elaenia Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Sulphury Flycatcher Tropical Screech-Owl Bearded Bellbird Common Potoo White-bearded Manakin Oilbird Golden-headed Manakin Band-rumped Swift Blue-backed Manakin Gray-rumped Swift Black-tailed Tityra White-tailed Sabrewing White-winged Swallow White-necked Jacobin Rufous-browned Peppershrike Rufous-breasted Hermit Rufous-breasted Wren Green Hermit Long-billed Gnatwren Little Hermit White-necked Thrush Tufted Coquette Silver-beaked Tanager Long-billed Starthroat Blue-gray Tanager Blue-chinned Sapphire Speckled Tanager (higher in forest) White-chested Emerald Turquoise Tanager Copper-rumped Hummingbird Bay-headed Tanager Green-backed Trogon Blue Dacnis Guianan Trogan Purple Honeycreeper Collared Trogon Green Honeycreeper Trinidad Motmot Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Channel-billed Toucan Masked Cardinal Rufous-tailed Jacamar Yellow Oriole Ringed Kingfisher Crested Oropendola American Pygmy Kingfisher Violaceous Euphonia When to Visit Trinidad and Tobago: What’s Special Each Month of the Year January February Dry season is January to May, though rain is Dry season (rains less), sun intensity high possible any time of the year. In the dry season, Peak season for international visitors storms are short and sun intensity high escaping winter in northern hemisphere Peak season for international visitors escaping Flowers scarce, more activity at feeders winter in northern hemisphere December to March sees migrants from Flowers scarce, more activity at feeders North America mixed with local species December to March sees migrants from North November to March finds peak numbers for America mixed with local species roosting Scarlet Ibis November to March, peak numbers for Swallow Tanagers arrive late Feb/early roosting Scarlet Ibis March, nest at AWNC, April to mid-June January to July, best time for Cocoi Heron feeding young, and stay through August Seabird breeding season on Little Tobago Broad-winged Hawks migrate through Island – tropicbirds and boobies Trinidad by the hundreds in February; also a Audubon’s Shearwater in burrows, Little resident race in Tobago Tobago Island Swallow-tailed Kite seen in Grand Riviere, Ruby Topaz Hummingbird, predominately flying up valley catching insects lowland species, present January through Caribbean Martin, February through August in Aripo savanna and on Tobago for October; come to breed by the thousands breeding and post breeding before dispersal to but post breeding is a mystery Venezuela Plumbeous Kite, breed at Trinity Hills, see at Asa Wright, northern range, Arima Valley Large-billed Tern, on the west coast of Trinidad from late February through October in post breeding dispersal Seabird breeding season on Little Tobago Island– tropicbirds and boobies Audubon’s Shearwater Broad-winged Hawk Ruby Topaz Hummingbird March April Dry season (rains less), sun intensity high Rains start late April or early May, triggering Peak season for international visitors escaping prime breeding season winter in northern hemisphere April to September is the Austral Winter Flowers scarce, more activity at feeders when South American migrants head north December to March sees migrants from North to Trinidad and Tobago, and mix with local America mixed with local species species Northward migrants leave at the end of the Heliconia plants flower April through month August, providing important nectar sources Raptors on nests from March on for hermit hummingbirds November to March finds peak numbers for Great time for species on leks, manakins roosting Scarlet Ibis and bellbirds Seabird breeding season on Little Tobago Swallow Tanagers arrive late Feb/early Island begin to decline March and stay through August January through May see Ruby-topaz When to Visit Trinidad and Tobago: What’s Special Each Month of the Year Audubon’s Shearwater in burrows, Little Hummingbirds Tobago Island, December to early May Leach’s Petrels occasionally pass inshore at Yellow-billed Tern in post breeding dispersal Manzanilla March through October Collared Plover, mid-April through October Cocoi Heron Swallow-tailed Kite seen in Grand Riviere, Plumbeous Kite flying up valley catching insects Swallow-tailed Kite April to late September, Scarlet Ibis nest; Large-billed Tern fewer numbers are seen Ruby Topaz Hummingbird On Little Tobago Island, more noddies and Caribbean Martin terns, fewer tropicbirds and boobies; Swallow Tanager Roseate Tern, Bridled Tern, Sooty Tern come to Tobago to breed, late April through July Leatherback Turtle nesting Audubon’s Shearwater Cocoi Heron Large-billed Tern, Yellow-billed Tern Plumbeous Kite Ruby Topaz Hummingbird Caribbean Martin Swallow Tanager May June Rains start late April or early May, triggering June to December is the wet or “green” prime breeding season season. Short showers provide rain several Resident warblers breed times a day, but the sky clears in between. April to September is the Austral Winter when Rains bring out insect life, with much bird South American migrants head north to activity. Resident tropical birds are actively Trinidad and Tobago, and mix with local breeding and easy to see species Great time for species on leks, Swallow-tailed Kite seen in Grand Riviere, manakins and bellbirds flying up valley catching insects April to late September, Scarlet Ibis nest; April to September is the Austral Winter fewer numbers are seen as they fly over when South American migrants head north roosting area to Trinidad and Tobago, and mix with local Audubon’s Shearwater in burrows, Little species April to late September, Scarlet Ibis Tobago Island through early May nest; fewer numbers are seen as they fly Leatherback Turtle nesting over roosting area Cocoi Heron Nacunda Nighthawk, the easiest to identify Plumbeous Kite uncommon but annual June through October, Swallow-tailed Kite roost in groups on ground, see only in early Collared Plover morning. Large-billed Tern, Roseate Tern, Bridled Most likely to see the austral wanderer, Tern, Sooty Tern, Yellow-billed Tern Jabiru in June and July Ruby Topaz Hummingbird Leatherback Turtle nesting Caribbean Martin Cocoi Heron Plumbeous Kite When to Visit Trinidad and Tobago: What’s Special Each Month of the Year Swallow Tanager Swallow-tailed Kite Collared Plover Large-billed Tern, Roseate Tern, Bridled Tern, Sooty Tern, Yellow-billed Tern Ruby Topaz Hummingbird Caribbean Martin Swallow Tanager July August High numbers of herps Great time to bring families April to September is the Austral Winter when South American migrants head north to Trinidad and Tobago, and mix with local species Best month to see highest numbers and most Leatherback Turtle nest into early August variety of hummingbirds April to late September, Scarlet Ibis nest; Best month for butterflies fewer numbers are seen as they fly over Great time to bring families roosting area July to November is hurricane season in the Collared Plover, see in large numbers in Caribbean. Storms pass further north above August on mudflats, golf course, airfield Trinidad, but it is a great time to find rare White-rumped, Stilt and Pectoral species blown off course. Sandpipers pass through in good numbers April to September is the Austral Winter when Fork-tailed Flycatcher, in pre-migratory South American migrants head north to roost, by the thousands in grasses and wet Trinidad and Tobago, and mix with local meadows, mid August to mid-September species April to late September, Scarlet Ibis Aplomado Falcon, several seen each year, nest; fewer numbers are seen at roosting area most often August to October Most likely to see the austral wanderer, Jabiru Plumbeous Kite in June and July Swallow-tailed Kite White-collared Swift, twice the size of other Nacunda Nighthawk swifts, are present July through October. White-collared Swift Leatherback Turtle nesting Caribbean Martin Cocoi Heron Ruby Topaz Hummingbird Plumbeous Kite Small-billed Elaenia Swallow-tailed Kite Swallow Tanager Collared Plover Large-billed Tern, Roseate Tern, Bridled Tern, Sooty Tern, Yellow-billed Tern Nacunda Nighthawk Caribbean Martin Ruby Topaz Hummingbird Small-billed Elaenia Swallow Tanager When