We have just returned from a week’s vacation with family in Negril Jamaica. Although a resort type holiday I hired a guide to go birding in the Bluefields Mountain area of the parish of Westmoreland. We observed 42 species on our day of birding, observing 19 new lifers of which 16 are endemic to Jamaica.
My trip was set up with Wolde Kristos of RAJ and my guides for the day were Deceita and Tasha, both excellent birding guides. My day was a very enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend them. Their website with contact info is at www.Jamaicabirding.com
Probably the most enjoyable bird to observe was the Red-billed Streamertail.
This long-tailed beauty is Jamaica’s national bird along with the Black-billed Streamertail, which is now considered a separate species. The male has a glittering green body, black crown, and red bill. The younger males and molting birds may not have the signature tail streamers, giving them a somewhat different look. And the female lacks the long tail and is similar to Black-billed Streamertail, but usually shows a pink tinge to the base of the lower part of her bill. Her relatively large size and longer bill help separate her from the Vervain Hummingbird. We were able to observe the Vervain around the resort however I was unable capture a decent image.
Found in forest in most of the island. Local names for this species include “doctor bird” and “swallow tail humming bird”.
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