Barred-Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) A perched female

Barred-Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) A perched female

This is a very trusting Antshrike that is quite happy with being close to humans, well so long as you keep a respectful distance, usually seen in pairs, they will happily chatter and chuckle away as they feed, the constant calling keeping the pair aware of where each other is, it is normal for the male to lead, the female bird coming along not too far behind her mate, both share nest duties and bringing up the young.

Photography : Samsung Pro815 digital bridge camera
Location : Kilgwyn Mangrove woodland, Tobago, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies

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#barred #antshrike #thamnophilus #doliatus #female #bird #Tobago #Samsung #Pro815 

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Hawks of the Caribbean

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Hawks of the Caribbean

From breeding grounds in Northern America to wintering grounds in Southern Chile & Argentina the Osprey is a magnificent migrant Hawk that lives off fish caught in might talons, the bird plunge diving often from great heights. This respected bird of prey can remain in Tobago for a season or two and there are usually a handful of Osprey to be seen year round.
Samsung Pro 815
Location: A water inlet at Atlantic facing Petit trou beach, South Eastern Tobago, Trinidad & Toabgo

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#osprey #pandion #haliaetus #hawk #bird #prey #photos #Tobago #Trinidad

Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima) in Tobago

Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima) in Tobago

Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima) is not on any official list or guide for Tobago however this South American bird of prey has been breeding here for over five years, preferring tall palm trees to both roost and nest in, the Caracara can often be found around cattle (happy to relieve ticks from them) and known to take carrion.

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#yellow #headed #caracara #milvago #chimachima #Tobago #bird #prey #South #American

Yellow-crowned Night Heron in meditation?

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

There are times as a wildlife photographer when you fear that you may disturb something beautiful. This juvenile night heron stood motionless facing the setting sun as if in meditation, standing straight with the under parts of it's wings turned upwards to the last rays of the day.
He is not alone in this practice, I have noticed many species with the same aim, and first understood the practice observing hummingbirds. During late afternoon birds position themselves to expose hard to reach areas to direct sunlight to remove parasites. The heat soon has parasites moving for cooler areas. This makes them easier for the bird to scratch or peck off. For most it is an active practice, but this guy remained motionless, and I left him quietly to his contemplations.

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Smooth-billed Ani juvenile guarded by female adults

Smooth-billed Ani juvenile guarded by female adults

A young smooth-billed Ani is guarded by two female adults as other members of the group search for food. The Smooth-billed Ani build a communal nest where females lay eggs on top of each other in one large nest. Obviously only a few eggs at the top of the nest hatch into young birds. Nesting duties and parental duties are undertaken by all members of the group which usually number around 12 birds. Smooth-billed Anis are members of the Cuckoo family (Cuculidae), and are restricted to the tropical Americas.

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Great Egret

Great Egret (Egretta alba)

Great Egret

Order : Ciconiiformes
Ciconiiformes compromise five to six families of large, long legged wading birds with long bills. They primarily occupy fresh or shallow saline water where they feed on fish, crabs, crustaceans, insects and carrion. Most nest in trees, though some nest in swamps or on the ground. the young are altrical (born bare and blind and dependant on parents for food) Most species are colonial, but the use of sound is limited or uncommon, the birds relying more on displays and rituals. Most are strong, often elegant flyers.

Family : Herons (Ardeidae)
The family Ardeidae is made up of Herons, Egrets and Bitterns where Egrets are considered simply as white Herons with decorative plumes and not a biologically separate group. Herons fly with their necks retracted not outstretched like some other members of the Ciconiiformes order. Typically Herons feed in shallow waters or marshes taking fish, frogs, crabs, and even small birds or mammals. They are widely distributed around the world but are most common in the tropics. The nest is made of twigs, usually placed in trees near water, and usually grouped in colonies called Heronries. Herons are sub divided into three groups. Typical Herons which include the genus Egratta, feed during the day. Night Herons, which are usually shorter legged and thick billed, are more active at dusk and during the night, and Tiger Herons which are six species of the more primitive Herons.


Name : Great Egret (Egretta alba)
Length : 85 - 107 cm ( 34 - 42 in )
Local Names : Gaulin

Also know as Great white Egret, common Egret and White Heron ( all Egretta alba). Though it should not be confused with the Great white Heron (Ardea occidentalis) which is a white morph of the Great Blue Heron found in Florida. The Great Egret is distinctive from other similar species by it’s long yellow bill and black legs, and it’s neck is retracted during flight. It is a wading bird found in most tropical and warmer temperate parts of the world, although it is very local in southern Europe and Asia. It is partially migratory, with some individuals moving south from areas with cold winters. Although generally a very successful species it is threatened with extinction in New Zealand, and at the turn of the 19th century was heavily hunted in for it’s decorative white plumes. Today, as with all wetland birds, it’s existence is threatened by extensive habitat loss. The Great Egret feeds in shallow waters and comparatively dry areas spearing fish, frogs or insects with it’s long sharp bill. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stork it’s prey. The species breeds colonially in trees or other swamp vegetation, building a large nest of twigs or reeds in which 2 - 5 pale blue eggs are laid.



#Great Egret Egretta alba Egrets Herons Ardeidae Ciconiiformes wading birds big birds tall birds bird birds of Tobago



Bird identification pictures

Cocoa Woodcreeper

Cocoa Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus susurrans)

Cocoa Woodcreeper

Order : Passeriformes
Also known as Passerine’s or perching bird’s. Any member of the largest avian order which includes more than 5,700 species, more than half of all living birds. Passerine’s are true perching birds with four toed feet, three toes facing forward and one larger toe facing backwards.

Family : Woodcreepers (Dendrocolaptidae)
The Woodcreepers are a family of about 50 species of Passerine birds endemic to the neotropics. These mainly brown birds feed on insects taken from tree trunks. They superficially resemble the old world treecreepers but are not related. Woodcreepers are solitary forest birds that nest in holes or crevices. Most are 28 - 38 cm ( 8 - 15 in ) long, and are usually detected by their voice, some repeat harsh or sad notes and others trill.

Name : Cocoa Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus susurrans)
Length : 23 cm ( 9 in )

The Woodcreeper breeds from Honduras through South America to northern Argentina and Trinidad and Tobago. More likely to be recognised by it’s long descending song, the Woodcreeper spends it’s day flying from one tree to the base of another, slowly climbing up the second in search of insects, invertabrates and may even follow army ants feeding on both the ants and any creatures they disturb. It can often be seen probing soft or rotton bark. The nest is built in tree stumps, often palms, is leaf lined, where 2 - 3 white eggs are laid. The Woodcreeper is a forest bird, and rarely ventures beyond the forest edge. It’s brown all over, with a stiff tail used as a prop as the bird climbs the tree. The bill is long and decurved used to probe but not bore holes like woodpeckers.

#Cocoa Woodcreeper #Xiphorhynchus susurrans #Woodcreepers #Dendrocolaptidae #Passeriformes #perching birds #neotropics #treecreepers #tropical #forest birds #bird #birds of Tobago

Bird identification pictures

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Cattle Egret

Order : Ciconiiformes
Ciconiiformes compromise five to six families of large, long legged wading birds with long bills. They primarily occupy fresh or shallow saline water where they feed on fish, crabs, crustaceans, insects and carrion. Most nest in trees, though some nest in swamps or on the ground. the young are altrical (born bare and blind and dependant on parents for food) Most species are colonial, but the use of sound is limited or uncommon, the birds relying more on displays and rituals. Most are strong, often elegant flyers.

Family : Herons (Ardeidae)
The family Ardeidae is made up of Herons, Egrets and Bitterns where Egrets are considered simply as white Herons with decorative plumes and not a biologically separate group. Herons fly with their necks retracted not outstretched like some other members of the Ciconiiformes order. Typically Herons feed in shallow waters or marshes taking fish, frogs, crabs, and even small birds or mammals. They are widely distributed around the world but are most common in the tropics. The nest is made of twigs, usually placed in trees near water, and usually grouped in colonies called Heronries. Herons are sub divided into three groups. Typical Herons which include the genus Egratta, feed during the day. Night Herons, which are usually shorter legged and thick billed, are more active at dusk and during the night, and Tiger Herons which are six species of the more primitive Herons.

Name : Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Length : 48 - 64 cm (19 - 25 in )
Local Names : Crabier, Cattle Gaulin

The Cattle Egret is a small white Heron of old world origins but has proved to be a successful coloniser and is now found in warmer parts of every continent except Antarctica, arriving as late as the 1950’s in the West Indies. It’s diet consists mainly of larger insects, especially grasshoppers, which are disturbed by grazing cattle or other livestock. Nesting takes place in colonies, often with other Herons, usually in Mangrove’s where a nest of sticks is placed facing water. Where numbers remain fairly small in Tobago, other Caribbean Islands experience breeding colonies in the thousands. It is all white, with buff neck and back plumage during breeding season.

#Cattle Egret #Bubulcus ibis #Egrets #Herons #Ardeidae #Ciconiiformes #Egratta #bird #birds of Tobago

Bird identification pictures

Carib Grackle

Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris)

Carib Grackle

Order : Passeriforme
Also known as Passerine’s or perching bird’s. Any member of the largest avian order which includes more than 5,700 species, more than half of all living birds. Passerine’s are true perching birds with four toed feet, three toes facing forward and one larger toe facing backwards.

Family : Blackbirds (Icteridae)
The Icteridae is a family made up of 88 species of diverse songbirds from across the Americas including blackbirds, grackles, orioles, cowbirds, meadowlarks, and oropendolas. The majority of Icterids have black in the plumage with yellow also being a predominant colour in many species. Males are usually decidedly larger than females.

Name :Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris)
Length : 24 - 27 cm ( 9½ - 11 in)
Local Names : Blackbird, Bequia-sweet, Merle.

The male is a glossy purple black with a conspicuous yellow eye and the tail is long and keel-shaped. The female is smaller than the male and duller with a regular shaped tail, while juveniles are brown or mottled brown-black with brown eyes. The species roost and nests colonially building large cup shaped nests often high in palm or other trees. The call is a series of harsh clucks and squeaks often ending with a ringing bell like note. They feed mainly on insects, though they are known to eat seeds, and will readily take scraps, being just as much at home in open restaurants as in their more natural habitat of fields and mangroves.

#Carib Grackle #Quiscalus lugubris #Blackbirds #Icteridae #Passeriforme #Blackbird # Bequia-sweet #Merle #songbird #bird #birds of Tobago

Bird identification picures

Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Brown Pelican

Order : Pelecaniformes
A diverse group of aquatic birds that fall into three suborders; Pelicani (Pelicans, Darters, Cormorants and Boobies) Fregatae ( Frigate birds ) and Phaethones ( Tropic birds). All are fairly large birds and all have webbed feet. Each suborder then having specialised adaptations for the different ways of life, the Frigatebird never alighting on water while the Anhinga swims underwater for extended periods of time.

Family : Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
Having been around for over 40 million years the pelican is found on every continent except Antarctica. They are birds of coastal and inland waters where different species have adapted two main ways of obtaining food. The most popular used by White Pelicans is group fishing where they form a line to chase schools of small fish into shallow water where they simply scoop them up. Larger fish are caught with the tip of the bill, thrown up, and swallowed head first. Plunge diving is the second method of fishing used almost exclusively by Brown Pelicans where the Pelican will dive into the water usually folding it’s wings at the last moment. They often fish in small groups, and can be accompanied by Sea Gulls like the Laughing Gull which will attempt to steal the catch literally right from the birds mouth. Pelicans nest colonially, the male bringing the nesting material, the female heaping it up to form a simple structure. Pairs are monogamous for a single season at the nest, but continue to feed independently.

Name :Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
Length 105 - 140 cm ( 41 - 55 in )

The Brown Pelican is the smallest member of the Pelican family. It lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Cape Cod to the mouth of the Amazon River, nesting in colonies usually on small Islands. The nest can vary from a simple scrape on the ground to a bulky stick nest made in small trees. The Brown Pelican can usually be seen flying in small groups in single file, often flying mere feet above the water surface. They catch they prey, exclusively fish, by plunge diving head first into the water, giving an aerial display that can continue for hours at a time, resting on the waters surface as needed. The fish are caught in the long bill which has a large throat patch underneath, swallowed quickly, before taking off for another foray. They are mostly brown above, grey- white below with large wings that can span up to 3 meters.

#Brown Pelican #Pelecanus occidentalis #Pelicans #Pelecanidae #Pelecaniformes #aquatic birds #Seabird #Sea Bird #coastal birds #bird #birds of Tobago

Bird identification pictures

Blue - crowned Motmot

Blue - crowned Motmot (Motmotus momota)

Blue - crowned Motmot

Order : Coraciiformes
From the 192 species of Kingfishers, Todies, Motmots, Bee-eaters and others that make up the order Coraciiformes, only the Kingfishers are found in both the Eastern and Western Hemisphere. The New world accounts for about 10 species of Motmots, 6 Species of Kingfishers and about 3 species of Todies. All Coraciiformes regularly perch in trees, though the diets range from vertebrates and invertebrates to fruit and berries.

Family : Motmots (Momotidae)
Mainly found in Central and South America, Motmots range between 17 - 50 cm ( 6½ - 20 in ) in some species the two central tail feathers are elongated and become racket-tipped. Motmots are mostly brownish green often with touches of bright blue on the head or wings. The nest is usually a burrow dug with their bill in sand banks, and results in a higher degree of tick infestation than for tree nesting birds. Motmots take flying insects on the wing, or search among branches and the forest floor for a variety of small vertebrates and invertebrates.

Name : Blue - crowned Motmot (Motmotus momota)
Length : 45 cm ( 18 in )
Local Names : King of the Woods

The Blue-crowned Motmot has green upperparts, rufus underparts, and black head and cap encircled with bright blue. It’s tail is grey underneath and green with a graduating blue tip, the racket-tips being blue. Both sexes are similar. It is a solitary bird of woodland and forest, though it may be seen perched by a quiet roadside. The Blue-crowned Motmot flies in small undulations around it’s territory taking flying insects on the wing, or searching through thick vegetation for small reptiles and fruit, often alighting on the forest floor to catch an insect. It’s call is a deep soft ‘whoop’ or double ‘whoop, whoop’ most likely to be heard during late afternoons as it journeys around in search of a mate.

#Blue-crowned Motmot #Motmotus momota #motmot #Momotidae #Coraciiformes #king of the woods #bird #birds of Tobago

Bird identification pictures

Blue - black Grassquit

Blue - black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) male

Blue - black Grassquit

Order : Passeriformes
Finches are seed eating Passerines mainly confined to the Northern Hemisphere, though some extend to South America. They are small to medium sized birds with a strong usually conical beak. Their flight is a bouncing alternate of flaps and glides on closed wings, and most sing well. There is some confusion over exactly which family the West Indian species belong, some Ornithologists placing them in the family Emberizidae.

Family : Finches (Fringillidae)
Also known as Passerine’s or pearching bird’s. Any member of the largest avian order which includes more than 5,700 species, more than half of all living birds. Passerine’s are true perching birds with four toed feet, three toes facing forward and one larger toe facing backwards.

Name :Blue - black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina)
Length 10 - 12 cm ( 4 - 4½ in )
Local Names : Blue-black seedeater, johnny jump-up

Similar to the Black-faced Grassquit, the Blue-black Grassquit is a bird of open countryside, scrub, grassland and garden. It is almost always seen near the ground where it feeds on grass seeds, or on a perch where it can be observed leaping into the air, spreading it’s wings and tail feathers in time to a musical call, before landing back onto it’s perch. This can be repeated for quite some time. The Male is a glossy blue-black all over, the female closer resembles the female Black-faced Grassquit, being a dull brown upperparts with pale brown underparts often streaked with black.

#Blue - black Grassquit #grassquits #Volatinia jacarina #Finches #Fringillidae #Passeriformes #seedeater #johnny jump-up #bird #birds of Tobago

Bird identification pictures

Black-throated Mango

Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis)

Black-throated Mango

Order : Apodiformes
The Apodiformes are made up of two distinct groups of aerial masters, the Swifts (Apodi) and Hummingbirds (Trochili). The Swifts being split into two families True Swifts (Apodidae) and Tree Swifts (Hemiprocnidae), The Hummingbirds are one family (Trochilidae). The feet in true Swifts are weak and they are unable to perch on wires or branches but cling to a vertical surface except when nesting. Swifts drink by swooping down at the surface of a body of water and take nesting materials and prey in full flight. Most courtship rituals take place on the wing and copulation is known to take place in full flight. Tree Swifts and Hummingbirds can perch, and some species can be highly territorial and will attack vastly larger birds such as Hawks, and even mammals such as Humans.

Family : Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas ranging from southern Canada and Alaska to Tierre del Fuego, including the West Indies. Some northern American species migrate thousands of kilometres south, an amazing feat for such small birds, and certain species are increasingly migrating to eastern North America due to the hanging of artificial feeders in gardens, surviving in temperatures as low as -20C. They are capable of hovering in mid air and they are the only bird that can fly backwards. All are nectar eaters being attracted to brightly coloured flowers, mainly red, and most take insects. Some species have developed special bills adapted to specific flowers. Unlike other birds the Hummingbirds wings connect at the shoulder and they can achieve between 15 and 80 beats per second depending on the size of the bird, the larger the bird, the slower the beat. The Bee Hummingbird of Cuba and the Isle of Pines is the smallest living bird, measuring around 5.5 cm and weighing 2g.


Name : Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis)Length : 10 - 12 cm ( 4 - 5 in )

The Black-throated Mango breeds from Panama south to north-eastern Bolivia, northern Argentina and southern Brazil, as well as Trinidad and Tobago. It is a local or seasonal migrant with some birds moving up to 1,000 miles, quite a feat for a bird that only weighs 7.2g. It is a bird of garden, open country with scattered trees and forest edges where it feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants and trees, and will also take insects. The male has glossy bright green upperparts, his throat and chest are matt black bordered with blue green. The female has bronze green upperparts, white underparts with a black central stripe, immature show some grey or buff feather tips on the head and wings. The fairly long bill is slightly decurved. The cup shaped nest is usually built on a thin bare branch quite high in a tree.

#Black-throated Mango #Anthracothorax nigricollis #Hummingbirds #Trochilidae #Apodiformes #bird #birds of Tobago

Bird identification pictures

Black-faced Grassquit

Black-faced Grassquit (Tiaris bicolor) male

Black-faced Grassquit

Order : Passeriformes
Also known as Passerine’s or perching bird’s. Any member of the largest avian order which includes more than 5,700 species, more than half of all living birds. Passerine’s are true perching birds with four toed feet, three toes facing forward and one larger toe facing backwards.

Family : Finches (Fringillidae)
Finches are seed eating Passerines mainly confined to the Northern Hemisphere, though some extend to South America. They are small to medium sized birds with a strong usually conical beak. Their flight is a bouncing alternate of flaps and glides on closed wings, and most sing well. There is some confusion over exactly which family the West Indian species belong, some Ornithologists placing them in the family Emberizidae.

Name :Black-faced Grassquit (Tiaris bicolor)
Length : 11 - 12 cm ( 4½ in )
Local Names : Grass Sparrow, Tobacco Bird

Abundant and widely distributed throughout the West Indies, the Black-faced Grassquit is a species of open countryside, grassland, scrub and garden. It’s diet consisting almost extensively of grass or herb seed taken almost exclusively from the ground. The Male is green above with distinguishing black underparts, the female is greenish brown above and lacks any black underparts. The nest is globular with a side entrance, and is usually placed in a bush or tree.

#Black-faced Grassquit #Tiaris bicolor #Grass Sparrow #Tobacco Bird #Finches #Fringillidae #Passeriformes #Passerine #perching #bird #birds of Tobago

Bird identification pictures

Black-faced Grassquit female

Black-faced Grassquit female

Barred Antshrike

Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus)

Barred Antshrike

Order : Passeriformes
Also known as Passerine’s or perching bird’s. Any member of the largest avian order which includes more than 5,700 species, more than half of all living birds. Passerine’s are true perching birds with four toed feet, three toes facing forward and one larger toe facing backwards.

Family : Antbirds (Thamnophilidae)
Antbirds are a large family of subtropical and tropical central and south American Passerines, from the family Formicariidae, making up more than 230 species in 50 genera. All are fairly small birds 9.5 to 37 cm ( 4 to 14 inches), and tend to have drab, fluffy plumage being predominantly brown, black and white, with sexes usually being different. They are insectivorous, and generally share incubation duties.

Name : Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus)
Length : 15 cm (6 in)

The Barred Antshrike is usually seen in pairs, the rufus coloured female not far behind the black and white male, calling in a distinctive chuckling ‘Ka - Ka - Ka’ that accelerates towards the end, it’s tail wags rapidly in time with the notes and it’s crest erects. The pair calling frequently to each other as they move around. The nest is hung under a thin branch like a two handled basket where both parents attend to nest duties, incubating and rearing the young. They inhabit light woodlands and bush, and can frequently be seen in suburban gardens and hotel grounds. The Antshrike’s diet consists mainly of insects found as it hunts through low bushes.

#barred antshrike #Thamnophilus doliatus #antbirds #Thamnophilidae #Passeriformes #Passerine #perching #bird #identification #birds #birds of Tobago

Bird identification pictures

Bananaquit

Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) Honeycreeper

Bananaquit 

Order : Passeriformes
There is a great deal of confusion about just which family or sub family this loosely fitting range of birds belong to. Some authors now place most honeycreepers into either Emberizidae or Tanager families, while others place the Bananquit as the only remaining member of the Coeredidae family. What can be said is that the Honeycreepers are small brightly coloured tropical American birds that feed on fruit, nectar and small insects.


Family : Honeycreepers (Coerebidae)
Also known as Passerine’s or perching bird’s. Any member of the largest avian order which includes more than 5,700 species, more than half of all living birds. Passerine’s are true perching birds with four toed feet, three toes facing forward and one larger toe facing backwards.

Name : Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)
Length : 10 - 13 cm ( 4 - 5 in )
Local Names : Sugar Bird, Sucrier

Ranging from tropical South America north to southern Mexico and throughout the West Indies the Bananaquit is adapted to taking nectar from flowers with it’s slender decurved bill, however it is known for piercing longer flowers from the side therefore bypassing pollination of the flower. It cannot hover like hummingbirds but perches, either on an adjacent stem or branch, or, due to it’s light weight, directly on the flower, often causing fatal damage to the bloom itself. It also eats fruit and insects and has a particular ‘sweet tooth’ often entering homes and restaurants where it will boldly take sugar or dig holes in bread. They are even know to nest inside of chandeliers or other suitable nesting spots inside of a house. The Bananaquit will build two nests during breeding, the first a spherical nest with side entrance where three eggs are laid. The second nest is not as well constructed and believed to be used for a night roost. The male often leaves the female to care for the brood to find

#bananaquit #coereba flaveola #honeycreepers #coerebidae #Passeriformes #Passerine #perching bird #bird #Birds of Tobago

Identifying Images