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Besides the avian attributes of flight, feathers and laying eggs, potoos are quite possibly the most unbird-like birds in the world. Sometimes called “Poor-me-ones” on account of their haunting calls, these bizarre denizens of the night come in 7 different flavors from the family Nyctibiidae within the order Caprimulgiformes. 10,000 Birds writers have previously featured 2 [...]

Besides my 3rd grade teacher, I had never encountered a witch before. That is until a recent Nikon’s BATV film trip to Jamaica revealed a unique avian femme fatale, the Crested Quail-dove – also known colloquially as the mountain witch. Widely regarded as the toughest of the 28 Jamaican endemic birds to find, this charismatic [...]

“Jah Man (pronounced Jamon)” is something you will hear often when visiting Jamaica. You will hear it as a greeting, an affirmation and as encouragement. And, if you are baffled by the Jamaican accent or dialect, you can safely use it as a reply. When our local driver asked me in Patois, an English-lexified creole language [...]

The haunting call of the West Indian Whistling Duck has long been a sound synonymous with the ever-shrinking wetlands of the Caribbean. But, as with so many other species, these birds have been left to do their own whistle blowing. The whistling duck call carries with it the crimes of big business, the failures of [...]

An era of phenomenal photographic field guides is dawning, its golden rays finally extending all the way to the blue-water beaches of the Caribbean islands. Only last year, I declared Birds of the West Indies by Herbert Raffaele to be the finest field guide to the entire region.  Visitors to Jamaica would still do well to purchase that excellent reference [...]

While we’re on the subject of truly sensational hummingbirds, I’d like to introduce one of the finest specimens to be found in the Greater Antilles… Enter the Black-billed Streamertail! Of course, the bird’s stately silhouette proves the provenance of its name but only suggests its brilliant emerald raiment… The Black-billed Streamertail (Trochilus scitulus) is a Jamaican endemic, either conspecific [...]

Ecclesdown Road, a steep track that cuts through Jamaica’s lush John Crow Mountains, boasts some of the best birding in the country. On my visit there in the jolly company of John Fletcher, expert on island avifauna and president of BirdLife Jamaica, I beheld amazing endemics like Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo, Rufous-tailed Flycatcher, and both Yellow-billed and [...]

In the past few years, my most excellent fortune has been to visit a variety of eco-lodges in the Neotropics. Most of these destinations have been absolutely fantastic yet still slightly… rough. Perhaps rustic would be a better descriptor for some, or homey or even, if I may be so bold as to introduce a [...]

I’ve raved about the birds (and beaches) of Jamaica, even highlighting the island’s lovely lizards, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I liked its leps. Jamaica offers predictably potent butterfly watching. For example, the island is swell for swallowtail butterflies, with a number of endemics including the largest swallowtail in the [...]

Most visitors seem to be drawn to Jamaica for its admittedly world-class beaches and with good reason; having enjoyed that warm, clear Caribbean from a gorgeous, white sand beach myself, I wish I had spent more time at the seaside. Yet, when I look back on my all-too-brief visit to Jamaica, my thoughts first turn [...]

Visiting Jamaica is truly a sensory experience. Not only does one see astounding beauty and feel that warm Caribbean sun, but one also hears every night a collection of chirps, croaks, and hoots that fairly falls between a symphony and a cacophony. This unmistakable ruckus, which persists until birdsong takes over at dawn, is the [...]

With its wealth of endemic avifauna and varied microclimates, Jamaica may offer the best bird watching in the Caribbean. In Jamaica, the birding may very well be best in Portland Parish, the northeastern corner of this gorgeous island. Narrowing our focus even further, the best birding in Portland is reputed to be found on Ecclesdown [...]

Self-help supplicants know that the Nile isn’t just a river in Egypt. But did you know that the Rio Grande isn’t just a river separating the United States from Mexico? In fact, the the name “Rio Grande” has been bestowed upon waterways all over the Americas and beyond. Of course, most of these countries consider [...]

Preparing for a birding excursion can be tremendous fun if one actually enjoys studying field guides, trip reports, and various and sundry other resources. I personally love the process. Not only does the preliminary research heighten anticipation of an already exciting trip, but the payoff in the field when I have no problem recognizing a [...]

Jamaica is the perfect destination if you’re looking for sensational Caribbean birding. Considering the colorful nicknames bestowed upon just about every species on the island, Jamaicans truly love their birds.  And of these birds, none is more beloved than the delightful Doctor Bird. Doctor Bird is the name given to the fetching avian identified in [...]

Since I’m headed to Hotel Mocking Bird Hill in Jamaica in November (and you’re still invited to join me), I’ve been brushing up on my Caribbean avifauna. The hours invested learning expected birds prior to a birding trip not only pay massive dividends in the field, but also enhance the anticipation of actually arriving. In [...]

The 10,000 Birds team does more than its share of birding at Jamaica Bay but at last we (as in ME) will be on location on a bay in Jamaica. And you’re invited! Jamaica has a lot more to offer naturalists than just resorts and rastas. With at least 28 endemic species and tons of [...]