Wild Tobago

Faraaz Abdool leads us on a journey of reconnection; and encourages us to find joy, beauty and commonality in nature. Birding, he advocates, is an easy entry to nature, and to “being.” To wrangle the disciplines of ecology and philosophy and neatly package seemingly diverse teachings and guidelines seems improbable and ambitious with lofty, unattainable aspirations. Let us not overthink it as we set out on this journey of being. Let us not think about it at all. Before we can explore the concept of being, let’s consider why we should cast attention toward birds. Of all the nature-based activities on offer, what makes birds so special; why is the reader being coerced into birding? For starters, it is extremely likely that you have noticed a bird before. Familiarity, check. They are literally everywhere: every habitat in almost every continent. They are probably the most noticeable creatures of the natural world, infiltrating even the most urbanized areas. We have national birds ...

  Faraaz Abdool designs itineraries to show off food, culture and natural vistas in his tours for birders. Homebound for a couple years, many people have fallen in love with their backyard birds and by extension the magic of birding. Now, with travel restrictions easing in most countries, people are eager to visit new places, see new sights, and experience new birds. Pre-pandemic birding tourism was already a significant sector of the burgeoning ecotourism market, and it is gradually regaining momentum as more and more people take flight. Birding tours take eager persons from all walks of life to incredible and remote places as varied as the birds themselves. As the destinations vary, the tours branch out to cater for the various cadres of birders – some who keep lists with magnitudes of thousands, some who are seeking that elusive winning photograph, others merely interested in the experience of being in nature. Most people who travel for birds fall in any combination of t...

How becoming aware of birds in nature can affect your mood and mind: Faraaz Abdool reflects on what birds can teach us about living in the now. Even accidental or occasional birders can enjoy the benefits of birds. All photos by Faraaz Abdool   While scrolling through my social media feed a couple days ago I came across a word I hadn’t previously seen: “ornitherapy.” Aside from the word rolling supremely easy off the tongue, it jumped out at me for a couple other reasons. Firstly, “orni“ indicates something bird-related, and secondly “therapy” suggests a practice which would result in the overall betterment of one’s state. I couldn’t believe it, here was a word describing a familiar – and formerly indescribable – feeling. A single word to summarize the warm euphoria experienced when sharing a moment with any number of feathered beings. I did a quick search and found a book entitled Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul by Holly Merker, Richard Crossley, and Sophie Cross...

Faraaz Abdool tells us why birders love our islands. All photos courtesy Faraaz Abdool   The mind of the travelling birder is constantly roaming, searching for new destinations packed with incredible species. Whether it is to add to an ever-expanding list of species observed in the wild or to immortalize the feathered creatures in photographs and videos, most birders are well acquainted with the myriad of species on offer within the tropical forests around the world. It can safely be said that countries like Colombia – with a mind-boggling tally of 1,878 species – rank high on the bucket list of nearly every birder. The number of bird species in a particular country is always relative, however. Colombia is a massive territory and there are many logistical hurdles to navigate regarding travel within the country. Which brings the question of species density to the fore. Looking at birds through this lens elevates certain other countries to the top of the pile. The tiny islands ...

Rain might be the main attraction of the Main Ridge Forest Reserve. But the well-watered rainforest also supports a multitude of Tobago’s birds. Travel with Faraaz Abdool to see a few of these birds. Dawn was just breaking at Roxborough as we turned away from the pounding surf and into a lush, verdant landscape. We had been driving for close to an hour in the darkness of the early twilight. In retrospect, the twilight did seem a little too dark – low-lying and rain-bearing clouds shrouded the hills and blotted out the first quivering rays of light, but not enough for us to realize that we would be in for a soaking as we entered the Main Ridge Forest Reserve.  The road that snakes through this magical forest connects two radically different coastlines. We ascended into misty, clouded rainforest where any bend might lead to Papa Bois himself; the gloomy weather brought clouds that were thicker and lower. Rufous-vented Chachalacas shrieked at each other with typical ‘co-cri-...