Wild Tobago

Faraaz Abdool looks at birds on Tobago and on Trinidad, and comments on the amazing diversity that distinguishes Tobagonians from Trinidadians! All photos by Faraaz Abdool   Our two islands, Trinidad and Tobago, boast an astonishing tally of bird species recorded over the course of recent ornithological history. For such small land area, TT’s species count of 492 catapults our tiny nation to the second highest global ranking in terms of species density. The expansion of scientific knowledge and understanding has direct repercussions on this total; more information on bird genetics leads to some species being split and others being lumped together. More often than not, it is the former that plays out as we learn more about the lives of our feathered friends.   The stellar example is the bird that adorns the $5 note – formerly known as the Blue-crowned Motmot, it was a bird found on both islands as well as across southern Central and northern South America. Studies revea...

Faraaz Abdool, birding enthusiast and photographer, shares his fascination for hummingbirds. All photos by Faraaz Abdool They are nature’s bio-mechanical marvels, with heartbeats that sound more like two stroke engines on the highway than things made of sinew. Like every other bird, they are feathered, yet unlike every other bird, their tiny feathers seem to emit their own light, glittering like jewels on a gala night. Their wings do not flap up and down like every other flying bird, but in a mysterious figure-eight pattern. They are hummingbirds, of which there are almost three hundred and sixty species – all of which are found only in the Americas.  A Rufous-breasted Hermit hovers briefly in the open, before darting off to the undergrowth. Photo courtesy Faraaz Abdool It is impossible to maintain one of these birds in a cage, not because of their size as they are the smallest birds in the world, but due to the extreme nature of their daily li...

Look outside your window, your car, your self, and take note of nature nearby. All around us, in Tobago and Trinidad, says Faraaz Abdool, there’s some small natural wonder to connect us with the living world. If we can enjoy the nature in our backyards, we can to a greater extent appreciate the rare and exotic.(Photos of the birds by Faraaz Abdool) As birders, we’re often jaded when it comes to birds we’ve grown accustomed to. As human beings, this occurs not just with birds but with other facets of our lives. A saying has been coined to reflect this very phenomenon: “one man’s trash is another’s treasure” Why has it become second nature to take things for granted? Have we evolved into a superficial species whose lives are comprised of hurried snapshots of our surroundings – surroundings which are quickly fading into oblivion with the increasing popularity of a self-absorbed culture? With instant gratification a baseline requirement, facilitated by continuou...