2019: Trinidad and Tobago – “Home!” Chagaramus – Part Two.

On this day I met up with my good friend and hands down, one of the best birder and nature photographers on the island – David S. Huggins. This “bredda’s” photography is stunning. If you are on Instagram, see him here @dshjicho_trinidad_and_tobago or https://www.davidsteffanhuggins.com/.

When I told David I was coming home, wanted to show me this one particular location in Chagaraumus. “A Master of camouflage” We were treated to the Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus), otherwise commonly referred to as the “Poor-Me-One” The common potoo is the smallest species compared to the great potoo, long-tailed potoo and the northern potoo. (Nyctibius griseus) breeds and resides in tropical Central and South America. From southwestern Costa Rica to northern Argentina and northern Uruguay. The common potoo breeds in lowlands such as woodlands and savannahs. It resides in forest edges and areas that are semi-open with scattered trees and hedges as well as areas with water nearby. The common potoos are insectivores that eat large flying insects. They are nocturnal creatures that are insectivores; hence, they feed at night.

We then hit up another nearby spot, we were greeted by a troupe of Guyanan Red Howler (Alouatta macconnelli) they were so engaging, as they traversed to the canopy. There are fifteen species currently recognized. 1. Black howler, 2. Mantled howler monkey, 3. Venezuelan red howler, 4. Brown howler, 5. Guatemalan black howler, 6. Red-handed howler, 7. Guyana red howler, 8. Bolivian red howler, 9. Coiba island howler, 10. Amazon black howler, 11.Ursine howler, 12. Purus red howler, 13/Maranhao red-handed howler, 14. Spix’s red-handed howler, 15. Jurua red howler.

We trudged deeper into the forest, keeping a close watch for one particular bird, looking high, low and listening ever so attentively, for the unique vocalization of the Green-backed Trogon (Trogon viridisi) The calls are a series of 15-20 rapid, but evenly tempo spaced notes, starting slowly, accelerating and gaining crescendo towards the end. The green-backed trogon is found in a variety of humid, tropical forests and woodland habitats in South America. They are found in the Amazon, Orinoco Basins, the Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, and there is a disjunct population in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil.

As we were leaving Chagaramus, David pointed out the Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) In the plover family, it is the only wader in the family Charadriiformes. It’s a common and widespread resident of South America, with the exception of densely forested areas. It is also the national bird of Uruguay, where it’s referred to as “tero” due to its bold & pugnacious nature. Do not be lulled by its grace, this bird has aggressive tendencies.

In the same field with the aggressive plover, I saw a Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) The Cattle Egret has gone through one of the most rapid natural expansions of any bird. Originally native to Africa and Asia, it has expanded its range around the world. It reached the Americas in the late 19th century when it was first found in Guiana and Suriname in 1877, and Australia in the 1940s.

Stay tuned for part three of the five-part blog.

Until the next adventure and thank you for stopping by!

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