Natu re
A Birder-'s Paradise
Hoping to see a vast array of our feathered friends in a relatively small space? The Caribbean is an avian mecca. By Jill Becker
Iack-faced Solitaires. Fasciated
Tiger Herons.
Slaty-capped
Flycatchers. Nope, these arent
silly rock band names
-
they're
just a few of the exotic species one might encounter on a birdwatching excursion to the Caribbean. "The Caribbean islands are home to more , - than 600 species ofbirds, 160 ofwhich are endemic, meaning they arent found anpvhere else
in the world," notes Sheridan Samano,
the proprietor of Reefs to Rockies, a Denver-
tour group that counts birdwatching trips to Costa Rica and Trinidad among its
based
itinerar-
iand or country can provide unique encounters." Here is a small sampling of the avian adventwes to be had.
ies. "Birders can rack up a wide variety of lifers - a particular bird a birder has never seen before
-
just by
traveling to different regions in the Caribbean, and each is-
5t I
HlrTox molttNTs
forests. It also doesn't hurt that roughly a quarter of the country is designated as protected lands, including the Carara National Park, where you'll find one of the nation's
of
Cosia R!ca
largest populations
Roughly the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica features more species of birds than the U.S. and Canada combined. One rea-
These colorful creatures migrate there each morning from their evening perch along the coast and can be seen rustling in the treetops and heard squawking at the top of their lungs.
son
is its
ranges
topographic diversity, which from sunnl'beaches to dense cloud
scarlet
macaws.
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