Birding in Jamaica
Jamaica may be the land of sun and fun, but it’s a birders’ paradise as well. An excellent destination for either the beginner or the advanced birder, it has over 250 bird species, including 21 sub-species found nowhere else on the planet.
For Beginning Birders
The doctor bird, the national symbol of Jamaica, is easy to spot. Just look for a hummingbird with a long streamer tail! One of the best places to see the doctor bird is Rocklands Feeding Station (see below).
Another commonly seen bird is the Zenaida dove, a cooing dove that feeds on dried seeds. The colorful bananaquit, a yellow-and-black bird thats not shy about begging for crumbs (and its favorite treat, sugar) is another island resident.
Magnificent frigate birds are also sighted here. Their wings may span of over seven feet and are sharply angled like boomerangs. The black frigate bird is easy to spot. It soars high and is aggressive to other birds, often hitting the red-footed booby in flight in an attempt to make it disgorge its meal and provide an easy dinner.
Rocklands Feeding Station
Bird-lovers find one of the Caribbean’s most unusual sites at the Rocklands Feeding Station in the village of Anchovy near Montego Bay. This is where Lisa Salmon, Jamaica’s best-known ornithologist, once lived, for years making her home in this bird sanctuary surrounded by clouds of grassquits, saffron finches and, most especially, hummingbirds. Today the late ornithologist's home is open to the public.
Popular Birds Seen in Jamaica
Bananaquit. This small bird is found throughout Jamaica and has a distinctive yellow-and-black coloration. True to its name, the bananaquit feeds mostly on nectar and so is usually found around flowering plants.
Brown pelican. If you’re staying at a beachfront hotel, don’t be surprised to see a resident brown pelican working the waters just off the coast. In Negril, we once enjoyed watching a pelican every day of our stay hunting in the clear waters, diving into and scooping up fish in his pouched bill, ignoring the humans on the nearby beach. The pelican is sometimes known by its local name, Old Joe.
Cattle egret. A fairly recent immigrant to Jamaica, these large white birds are typically seen accompanying cattle in the fields where they feed on insects disturbed by the grazing cattle.
Greater Antillean grackle. This grackle resembles its North American counterpart both in its appearance and its behavior, but is somewhat smaller. It is glossy black with startling yellow eyes. The grackle is very urbanized, sometimes making a pest of itself around resort dining areas by begging or stealing food from tables. This bird is usually called the “cling-cling” in Jamaica and is also known as the “shine-eye.”
Ground dove. Sometimes called “duppy birds” by locals, these small doves are seen everywhere. Look for a slightly pinkish belly. The ground dove tends to gather in small flocks of two to four birds.
Jamaican oriole. This colorful bird is endemic to Jamaica, although it resembles other orioles with its yellow and black plumage and in the construction of its hammock-like nest. Its main diet consists of insects, although it also favors fruit; hence its popular name of “banana bird.”
Jamaican owl. This small owl is generally found in rural areas, although it will often roost near a home. It can measure as tall as 12 inches and is adorned with the familiar hornlike tufts of feathers atop its head. It is also called the brown owl or “patoo.”
Jamaican parakeet. This small colorful bird frequents rural areas where chattering flocks can sometimes be spotted around gardens or cultivated fields. Its brilliant green color and distinctive parakeet shape make it easy to identify.
Magnificent frigatebirds. The black frigatebird, or Man-of-War bird, has a wingspan of over seven feet. It is fairly easy to spot, with wings sharply angled like boomerangs. Frigatebirds soar high over the sea and are aggressive to other birds, often hitting the red-footed booby in flight in an attempt to make it disgorge its food and provide an easy meal.
Mango hummingbird. This is one of three hummingbirds found only in Jamaica. Shown at left, it is fast-moving, but you might be able to spot it feeding on banana blossoms. Just six inches long, the mango hummingbird is a bronze-purple tone.
Red-tailed hawk. These large birds are solitary predators which sometimes hunt chickens around towns and villages (hence their common name of chicken hawk). But their main diet consists of rats and birds. Their most distinctive feature is a broad tail, which appears dark red when in the sunlight.
Sparrow hawk (locally “killy-killy”). This small predator, right, thrives on lizards, insects and smaller birds. It can often be seen perched on a roadside fence or tree branch and can be identified by its long, straight tail, brownish back and hooked bill.
Streamer-tailed hummingbird. This hummingbird is usually known by locals as the doctor bird, and is Jamaica’s national bird. Although its body is only four or five inches long, its graceful tail extends another eight to 10 inches. We’ve frequently watched the doctor bird visit flowering plants in the lush resort gardens, but it has been spotted all over the island.
Turkey vulture (commonly called the John Crow). This large vulture is found in all parts of the island. It has a bald pink head and dark brown or black feathers. Turkey vultures can reach over two feet in length and are usually spotted circling high overhead as they search for dead animals on which to feed.
Vervain hummingbird. This tiny bird is often mistaken for an insect, hence its local moniker of bee hummingbird. It is not much bigger than a bee, and can be seen darting around flowering plants.
Zenaida dove. This is a large dove, sometimes reaching 12 inches in length. It has pinkish brown coloration with a white streak on its tail feathers and frequently travels in pairs, feeding on the ground. In flight, the Zenaida dove emits a unique whistle, caused by air rushing around its wings. It is often called a pea dove.
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