Although Jamaica is best known for its beaches and coffee, the country has much more to offer naturalists: it ranks fifth in biodiversity among the world’s islands which is why birding in Jamaica as a holiday is growing quickly in popularity.

 

The goal of our 10-day Birding Jamaica Celebration is to find all 28 of the island’s endemic bird species--most of which are relatively easy to see--at a relaxed pace so that you go home refreshed and satisfied. In addition to time on the Caribbean coast, we will explore a variety of habitats, including steep mountains and rainforest, quiet rivers and lush valleys. Although the distances we travel aren’t great, by the end of your trip you will have a good feel for Jamaica’s varied geography as well as its natural history and heritage.

 

In addition to its unique bird species, discover Jamaica’s butterflies and flora, including a variety of ferns, orchids, bromeliads and other unusual plants. Of Jamaica’s 820 endemic flowering plant species, 66 are orchids! Enjoy walks on mountain trails, discover our local culture, take time to relax on the beach or go snorkeling. This 10-day birding journey is a great opportunity to combine the tropical pleasures of a Caribbean vacation with exploration of an exceptional island. Note: the route and locations are weather dependent and subject to change.

 

YOUR ITINERARY

Day 1 Arrival in Kingston, Lime Tree Farm

Our journey begins in Kingston, where we will arrange transfers for you upon arrival to Lime Tree Farm in Tower Hill, above Mavis Bank in the Blue Mountains. Lime Tree Farm is part of a working coffee plantation with a large variety of fruit trees.

This bountiful food source is quite a draw for both local birds and neotropical migrants. The farm is located in the centre of the Blue Mountains where they grow the finest coffee in the world. This is appropriate, for watching wildlife in Jamaica is rather like drinking Blue Mountain coffee - a refined and acquired taste! Jamaican wildlife is all about quality rather than quantity - not a mug of frothy latte but a cup of espresso - and all the better for that.

 

Enjoy a wonderful breakfast with delicious Blue Mountain coffee before venturing to the higher reaches of the mountains and historical Cinchona Botanical Gardens. Here, we walk through small farmlands and forests with tree ferns, Caribbean pine, bromeliads, and a wide variety of orchids. Bromeliads are extraordinary plants that grow on virtually every tree, wall and telegraph wire. Since they have no earthbound roots, they collect water by growing specially shaped leaves that create a store of liquid in the base of the plant, a technique that has earned them the nickname “ponds in the sky.” As a result, bromeliads play host to all sorts of creatures, including tree frogs and a crab that raises its young many metres off the ground.

 

At Cinchona, you can enjoy the views overlooking the mountain range and landscaped gardens with a variety of lilies, roses and Old Man’s Beard trailing from the trees. After a delicious picnic lunch, we will return to the hotel to relax or explore the small community of Tower Hill or visit the local coffee factory at Mavis Bank.

 

We begin today with an early morning (5.30 am) departure -- picnic breakfast in tow -- to drive to another fabled birding and hiking spot at Abbey Green high in the Blue Mountains. Here we should encounter Jamaican Pewee, Yellow-shouldered Grassquit, Rufous-tailed Flycatcher and the endangered Ring-tailed Pigeon - all endemic species.

Another early morning (5.30 am) departure - again picnic breakfast in tow -- to drive to Hardwar Gap, the renowned birding and hiking spot 5,000 feet in the Blue Mountains. In this lush forested area, listen to the beautiful dawn chorus -- especially the flute-like call of the elusive Rufous-throated Solitaire. This is the scenic realm of the endangered Jamaican Blackbird, which feeds on insects associated with the abundant bromeliads. And with luck, we may encounter the striking Crested Quail-Dove.

After a morning at Hardwar Gap, we’ll stop to do some birding at the private gardens of a coffee estate house near Newcastle, a Jamaican military training camp, then lunch at the Gap Café with lovely views overlooking Kingston.

 

We’ll then return to Hardwar Gap for more birding, often at the edge of local coffee plantations, where fruiting shade trees, particularly figs, can be magnets for birds. Native trees include huge Mahogany, Cedar, Broadleaf, and Blue Mahoe, Jamaica’s national tree. Train your binoculars up and you may see agile White-collared Swifts soaring high above the canopy. With an annual rainfall of more than 100 inches, the forest hosts an array of fascinating ferns; some of the giant tree ferns reach a height of 30 feet!

 

Amid this lush vegetation we will continue to look for high-elevation bird species such as Arrowhead Warbler, White-eyed Thrush, Jamaican Becard, Blue Mountain Vireo, Jamaican Pewee, and more. We can also look for mixed flocks of tanagers and warblers and listen for the noisy Jamaican Woodpecker. The bright green jewel of the diminutive Jamaican Tody is also to be found here, typically sitting quietly on a low hanging branch.

 

Transfer to Green Castle Estate, Robins Bay on the north coast.

Day 5 Greencastle Estate

The 1600-acre Green Castle Estate hosts a plethora of birds: almost 130 species including 21 endemics. If you wish, take an early morning walk down the Waterfall Trail to experience some of these forest birds. After breakfast we visit the working fruit and coconut plantation aspects of the estate. See how the coconuts are processed and what a wealth of products can be derived from the coconut. Wander the grounds at your leisure for more sightings of Jamaican endemics. At night, you may hear the breathy calls of the Jamaican Owl from the nearby Guango trees.

 

Day 6 Hotel Mocking Bird Hill

Today, travel along the coastal road to the lovely Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, your home for the next four nights. This remarkable hotel is set high on a hill with fantastic views of Port Antonio and the Caribbean Sea. Owners Shireen Aga and Barbara Walker run this eco-friendly yet luxe establishment, with rigorous policies designed to minimise environmental damage.

Stop on the way to Hotel Mocking Bird Hill for some famous Jamaican jerk lunch at Blueberry Hill just outside of Buff Bay. In the afternoon, you can either relax by the pool or traverse the trails of the hotel’s verdant grounds for some late-afternoon birding. Here, more than 72 species can be found including a good number of neotropical migrants. Watch for Caribbean Dove, Ring-tailed Pigeon, and Rufous-tailed Flycatcher. You can also see Mangrove Cuckoo as well as both endemic species of cuckoo--the slow-moving Chestnut-bellied and the smaller Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo, known respectively as Old Man Bird and Old Woman Bird.

 

Before dinner, we invite you to relax and enjoy the bar overlooking the Caribbean Sea in one direction and the Blue Mountains in another. Just off the balcony a few feet away, iridescent purple Jamaican Mangos tend to feed or rest in the flowering Poor Man’s Orchid Tree. Joining them are Streamertails of the Black-billed variety (either a full species or well marked subspecies; there doesn’t seem to be consensus among ornithologists yet).

Whereas the Red-billed can be seen all over the island, the Black-billed is only to be found in East Portland Parish. Seeing one of these with their radiant emerald hues is certainly a cure for the northern winter blues.

At day’s end, enjoy fine dining at Mille Fleurs, the hotel’s award winning organic restaurant acclaimed by Gourmet magazine and Caribbean Travel & Life -- a fantastic culinary experience! Enjoy the scent of Night Jasmine and the cool tropical breeze from your room’s balcony.

Begin with an early morning start accompanied by your personal bird guide and a packed breakfast to famous Ecclesdown Road in the foothills of the John Crow Mountains. Spend the morning walking along a forested country road where a number of endemic birds can be seen including Black-billed and Yellow-billed parrots, Jamaican Becard, Blackbird, and Crow.

After a good morning of birding, refresh yourself with a dip at Reich Falls, lovely secluded cascades surrounded by lush forest. Take pleasure in discovering this virtually unspoilt waterfall. Local guides can escort you to the numerous pools upstream towards the source of the river. After the falls we’ll stop for lunch on Long Bay, a lovely spot on the Caribbean Sea. While waiting for lunch, you can walk along the longest beach in Portland Parish.

 

Back at the hotel in the afternoon, your bird guide will accompany you around the hotel’s lushly vegetated grounds. This can be a good time to focus on bird calls as well as experience up close birds you’re becoming familiar with. At day’s end, enjoy another engaging evening of dinner and conversation with your hosts at this beautifully situated hotel.

Day 8 Scenic Rio Grande River Rafting / Sightseeing

Enjoy a change of pace today! After a delightful breakfast, take off for a scenic rafting adventure on the Rio Grande. Originally these bamboo rafts were used to transport bananas; then Port Antonio’s most famous resident, the movie star Errol Flynn, made raft rides popular by challenging visitors to race down the Rio Grande.

 

This voyage may sound decidedly dangerous - but it’s not. You just lazily drift down this mostly quiet, scenic river on two-person rafts, poled by a local guide, and enjoy the landscape while getting close looks at herons, egrets, kingfishers, and possibly shorebirds along the way. Turkey Vultures often sail overhead on stiffly-held wings—but keep your eyes open for a possible flyover by a locally famous partial albino.

 

You’ll make a stop on the river for lunch at Miss Betty's, another chance for authentic Jamaican food. Return to Mocking Bird Hill for the afternoon where you can hang out and relax or visit nearby Frenchman’s Cove, a lush seaside cove with a stream flowing through the gardens. The Cove is described as Jamaica’s prettiest white sand beach.

Day 9 Relaxation

This morning you’re invited to enjoy Frenchman’s Cove Beach where there is also good birding on the property. For those who prefer to spend the morning at the hotel, this is possible and lunch will be served at the hotel after which you can be taken to Frenchman’s Cove for the afternoon. Or simply relax and enjoy the Streamertails from your balcony. Lounging by the pool is also a very enticing option for many! Then enjoy a final, marvelous candlelight dinner at the Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, overlooking the blue Caribbean.

 

Day 10 Departure from Kingston

Following a farewell breakfast, you are driven via a scenic route to Kingston’s Norman Manley Airport to meet your flight home. Depending upon your schedule, a sidetrip to the Hellshire Hills for Bahama Mockingbird is possible. A packed lunch can be provided.