Lying just across the Straights of Florida from the United States, the Bahamas are home to more than 20 species that have rarely or never been recorded in the US. Our tour visits two of the richest islands, where some 25 West Indian specialties can be found.

We'll begin on Abaco, a rather long island carpeted with extensive Caribbean pine forest and mixed hardwood coppice. Here we'll seek out the Bahamian subspecies of Cuban Parrot (whose range is restricted to just two islands). While hummingbirds are few, they include the sparkling Cuban Emerald and the purple-gorgeted Bahama Woodstar. The Caribbean pines are home to Olive-capped Warbler, an attractive cousin of Grace's Warbler, Bahama Yellowthroat, and others such as West Indian Woodpecker, Loggerhead Kingbird, Bahama Swallow, Bahama Mockingbird, and Greater Antillean Bullfinch.

From Abaco we'll travel to Eleuthera Island. Among the birding highlights are the oversized Great Lizard-Cuckoo, which haunts the coppice, and with some luck, we will find a wintering Kirtland's Warbler, an endangered warbler recently found to winter on just a few islands in the Bahamas. While looking for these various specialties, we will have time to enjoy some West Indian butterflies, perhaps including such beauties as the distinctive black, red, green, and blue Atala, the tiny Cuban Ringlet, and the showy DeVillier's, Schaus's, and Bahamian swallowtails.

So, if island endemics, learning new butterflies, eating cracked conch, and trying Kalik beer all sounds like a good time (they are), then join us in the Bahamas!

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Combo Tours
If you would like a longer birding holiday, some departures of this tour may be combined with:
PUERTO RICO