Wild Tobago

On the occasion of the 58 th anniversary of independence, Faraaz Abdool presents the feathered icons of Trinidad and Tobago, through his photographs, with a plea for greater sensitivity to the wildlife that the islands sustain. Photos by Faraaz Abdool Here in Trinidad and Tobago, birds feature prominently on our coat of arms, currency and as emblems for many of our national organizations. Even a cursory glance leads one to realize that birds are everywhere – from the police to the postal service to the national airline. Such is the extent of birdlife within our twin-island republic that we are one of the few countries to have more than one official national bird! After hummingbirds, one of our well-known birds is the Scarlet Ibis. This wading bird certainly lives up to its name, attaining an almost unreal colour by the time it reaches maturity. As a family, ibises span the globe – but none are as brilliant as the Scarlet Ibis. These resplendent birds are an ecotourism beacon for...

Faraaz Abdool brings you twelve of Tobago’s birds. Enjoy these stunning photos of island residents in their common habitats. All photos courtesy Faraaz Abdool; Trinidad Motmot by Joanne Husain   Tobago boasts some of the bird world’s most incredible representatives –   a mixture of South America and the Caribbean with seasonal migrants from as far as the Arctic Circle. Coincidental confluences of southward migration and the Atlantic hurricane season bring to Tobago some Europeans as well. Exciting rarities aside, let’s look at some of the island’s most familiar inhabitants.  Although Red-billed Tropicbirds don’t quite look like grizzled seafarers, they spend most of their life at sea. Dainty and delicate, they touch land only to breed, preferring uninhabited and often inhospitable offshore islands for protection from predators.. Lacking sharp talons or even an aggressive personality, Red-billed Tropicbirds are extremely vulnerable to human activity on their nes...

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...