Section 1 - Introduction, logistics, itinerary and general information.
Section 2 - Birding sites (Martinique).
Section 3 - Birding sites (Guadeloupe).
Section 4 - Birding sites (Dominica).
Section 5 - Birding sites (St. Lucia).
Section 6 - Annotated checklist.
St. Lucia
The single-island endemic birds of St. Lucia are the St. Lucia Parrot, St. Lucia Nightjar (probably a race of Rufous Nightjar), St. Lucia Black Finch, Semper's Warbler (possibly extinct), and St. Lucia Oriole.
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The other restricted-range species which should be looked for are Adelaide's Warbler (St. Lucia is the only island on which it occurs in the Lesser Antilles), and Grey Trembler (commoner here than on Martinique). St. Lucia Thrasher occurs in the remote northeast. Forest Thrush also occurs but is rare. As the island is very touristic, accommodation is readily found. One of the most noticeable features of St. Lucia is its maze of twisting roads. Even with a good map it is easy to take incorrect turnings - ask often if unsure. Both the Lonely Planet guide and birding reports draw attention to the fact that the Fer-de-Lance has been introduced on St. Lucia, where it is supposedly locally common. We saw none. St. Lucia 1. Edmund Forest. Alt. 500 m. The mountain slopes of the Edmund Forest Reserve are the most important birding site on St. Lucia, as they are the best place to find St. Lucia Parrot, and have Adelaide's Warbler, St. Lucia Oriole and St. Lucia Black Finch. The Reserve is situated in the mountains of the south central part of the island above Soufrière on the west coast. Soufrière is an hour's drive from Castries, the capital, on newly paved roads. |
Once in Soufrière turn left off the main coastal road, keeping to the right side of the church. At the first fork, after about half a kilometre, keep left. From here it is about six miles (allow 45 minutes) on paved, but rough, roads. Although the route is fairly straightforward, you will probably need to keep asking the way at the numerous turns, twists and forks - just ask the locals for the road to the parrots. Previously it was possible to drive all they way to the reserve entrance, but following the devastation of Hurricane Daniel in 1994 the last mile is now a series of landslides and only passable on foot. It does not look very likely that the road will be opened to traffic in the near future.
Once at the reserve entrance you will find a general information board and a single, wide, well maintained trail running through the forest. Be sure to keep left at the first fork in the trail (after about 200 metres), and you will have no problems. Unfortunately, as no one had warned us of this, we went right, and subsequently spent the best part of two hours walking along various forks, all of which progressively came to dead ends. The parrot can be seen anywhere in the reserve. We saw several feeding in the forest, and a couple while walking along the road to the entrance. In addition, several viewpoints can be found within the first couple of kilometres of the main trail. The best time for viewing the parrots is supposedly early morning and late evening, though we saw none at these times. The St. Lucia Black Finch is not common, and prefers dense undergrowth. We found a couple in the denser forest undergrowth along the first section of the mail trail before the first fork, where it was unobtrusive, but not shy. St. Lucia Oriole and Adelaide's Warbler can occur anywhere, and are both fairly common. The warbler is readily located by its voice which is not unlike Northern House Wren.
Accommodation is readily available in Soufrière. We stayed at the Khayere Inn which is perched on the hillside just before the town when coming from Castries. Although not cheap at 100 US$/triple (inc. breakfast) the standard was very good, and the food excellent. For evening meals we tried Captain Hook's (good, but slow and not particularly good value) on the left as you enter town, and the Sunset Restaurant (local, cheap and good value) on the main street through town.
Species recorded at Edmund Forest:
Tricoloured Heron 4 |
Black-whiskered Vireo 6 |
St. Lucia 2. Northeast coast
The northeastern corner, the most remote part, of St. Lucia is the area in which to find the remaining population of the St. Lucia Thrasher. Other birds of interest include St. Lucia Black Finch, and the distinctive St. Lucia races of the House Wren and Rufous Nightjar. As we discovered, a 4x4 vehicle is essential to visit the area, and it would also be beneficial to bring camping equipment and food, as it is at least a two hour drive back to Castries, which presumably would be driven at night if staying in the area to search for the nightjar.
All these species can be found in the dry ravines between Petite Anse and Anse Pouvert. The St. Lucia Thrasher is probable most numerous in the Ravine la Chaloupe. The wren, although uncommon, is not confined to ravines, and can be encountered anywhere in the area. Sightings of the nightjar have centred around Grand Anse and Petite Anse. The ICBP study report 33 (ICBP, 1987) provides an extensive overview of these species and the area. If driving from Soufrière it is highly recommended to take the longer route around the southern coast of the island, than to return northward to Castries and cross the central highlands. This will save driving time.
St. Lucia 3. Other possibilities
Although generally confined to the northeast, the exact distribution of the St. Lucia Nightjar is poorly known, and it probably occurs in many other areas with suitable habitat. It certainly occurs on the west coast around Anse la Raye, where we found it simply by working suitable habitat on the hillsides to the south of the village. Typically the bird favours dryer, open, well-wooded scrub and woodland edge.
A worthy task for those with time and dedication is to attempt to relocate Semper's Warbler. This species has only been seen a handful of times this century. All records have been from montane forest around 550 metres altitude along the Barre de l'Isle ridge between Piton Flore and Piton Canaries in the central highlands. This area includes the Edmund Forest Reserve, but most recent attempts to relocate the species have concentrated around the slopes of Piton Flore. However, a recent report of this bird is from around Gros Piton - an area from which the bird has not previously been know. For full details refer to Red Data Book (Collar, 1992).
The rocky headlands on the northern end of the island, look interesting on a map. However, the whole northern end of the island is a series of expensive condominiums and private areas effectively barring getting a good view from the headlands. The only exception might be the headland of Pigeon Island Historic Park, which at the time of our visit was completely overcrowded.
Other Islands
The other islands in the Lesser Antilles which have single-island endemics inhabiting them are Montserrat (Montserrat Oriole), St. Vincent (St. Vincent Parrot and Whistling Warbler) and Grenada (Grenada Dove).
On Montserrat the Oriole can be found in rain forest above 800 m. in the Soufrière Hills and the central highlands. The area around Chance Peak above Galway's Soufrière seems to be a reliable spot.
On St. Vincent, both the parrot and the warbler can be found along the forest trails of the Vermont Forest. Grenada Flycatcher and Lesser Antillean Tanager can also be found in the same area.
On Grenada, the highly endangered Grenada Dove still hangs on in the dry scrub in and around the Hartman Estate in the southwest corner of the island. For more information see Blockstein (1991). The flycatcher and tanager occur in the same area.
Section 1 - Introduction, logistics, itinerary and general information.
Section 2 - Birding sites (Martinique).
Section 3 - Birding sites (Guadeloupe).
Section 4 - Birding sites (Dominica).
Section 5 - Birding sites (St. Lucia).
Section 6 - Annotated checklist.