Caribbean Birding Trail

Know the Caribbean, Bird by Bird

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  • About the CBT
    • Interpretive Guide Training
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    • Countries A-I
      • Anguilla
        • Cove Pond
        • Dog Island
        • East End Pond
        • Forest Bay Pond
        • Katouche Canyon
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        • Meads Bay Pond
        • Merrywing Pond System
        • Prickly Pear Cays
        • Road Salt Pond
        • Scrub Island
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        • West End Pond
      • Antigua and Barbuda
        • Bethesda Dam
        • Christian Valley
        • Codrington Lagoon
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        • Two Foot Bay National Park
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        • Spaans Lagoon
      • Bahamas
        • Abaco
        • Andros
        • Cat Island
        • Crooked Island and Acklins
        • Eleuthera
        • Exumas
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        • Great Inagua
        • Long Island
        • Mayaguana
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            • Del Este National Park: Saona Island
          • Ecological Foundation Trail, Punta Cana
          • Limón Lagoon
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            • Los Haitises National Park: Los Limones
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          • Cabral Lagoon
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          • Cayos Siete Hermanos
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        • Around Santo Domingo
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        • Antoine Lake
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      • Jamaica
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        • Camuy Coastal Area
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You are here: Home / Bahamas / Long Island

Long Island

  • About Long Island
  • The Birds

Yet another long, thin island, Long Island sports one road running the length of the 113 km island. Again, the shallow water lies on the west side and the ocean is to the east.

Snowy Plover (Photo by Carolyn Wardle)
Snowy Plover (Photo by Carolyn Wardle)

Starting at the north end, Hog Cay is a private island near Stella Maris where the owners feed the West Indian Whistling-Ducks daily. Try to find a good vantage point near dusk to watch these birds flying over to the island. Here is a healthy breeding population even though they are artificially fed. West Indian Whistling-Ducks inhabit remote mangrove wetlands areas, and are difficult to see due to the fact that they are nocturnal, virtually silent, and naturally secretive.

West Indian Whistling Ducks at Hog Cay (Photo by Carolyn Wardle)
West Indian Whistling-Ducks at Hog Cay (Photo by Carolyn Wardle)

Explore the island checking side roads and ponds and also both shores for shorebirds. Near Deadman’s Cay is Salt Pond lagoon, a popular anchorage for visiting and resident boats. Take a side trip to Clarence Town to find Dean’s Blue Hole, the most spectacular blue hole in the Bahamas, some over 180m deep and often used to attempt to break free diving records. Take your swimming gear with you.

Dean's Blue Hole (Photo by Linda Huber)
Dean’s Blue Hole (Photo by Linda Huber)

Further south is the old Diamond Crystal Salt Works, worth spending time here to look for shorebirds. Near the south end at Mortimer’s is another good pond where there might even be flamingos feeding.

This is a very safe island to explore so take your time and check the many different habitats on your way. Key West Quail Doves have been seen flying across the road if you are on the look-out and driving slowly. Don’t forget to listen as you go. Winter warblers will be everywhere and you might even find a Kirtland’s Warbler in low second-growth scrub, they like to live close to the ground.

Five species of bats can be found in Hamilton’s Cave. Daily tours are offered by appointment.

Hamilton's Cave (Photo by Carolyn Wardle)
Hamilton’s Cave (Photo by Carolyn Wardle)

Endemics: Bahama Woodstar

Bahamian specialties: White-cheeked Pintail, Zenaida Dove, Bahama Mockingbird, Thick-billed Vireo, Bananaquit, Western Spindalis, Black-faced Grassquit, West Indian Whistling-Duck, and Greater Antillean Bullfinch

Long Island

Bahamas Sites

  • Abaco
  • Andros
  • Cat Island
  • Crooked Island and Acklins
  • Eleuthera
  • Exumas
  • Grand Bahama
  • Great Inagua
  • Long Island
  • Mayaguana
  • New Providence
  • San Salvador

Bahamas Partners

  • Bahamas National Trust
  • Friends of the Environment (Abaco, Bahamas)
  • The Delphi Club (Abaco, Bahamas)


Bahamas Tour Operators

  • Bahamas Outdoors Ltd
  • Birds “R” Us Adventures
  • Grand Bahama Nature Tours

Recommended Field Guides

Birds of The Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands by Bruce Hallett

A Birder’s Guide to The Bahama Islands (including Turks and Caicos) by Anthony W. White

Beautiful Bahama Birds by Carolyn Wardle, Lynn Gape, and Predensa Moore

The Natural History of The Bahamas by Dave Currie, Joseph M. Wunderle, Ethan Freid, David N. Ewert, D. Jean Lodge

Natives of the Bahamas: A Guide to Vegetation & Birds of Grand Bahama by Erika (Moultrie) Gates

Birds of the West Indies by Herbert Raffaele, James Wiley, Orlando Garrido, Allan Keith, and Janis Raffaele

Want to know how you can be involved?

Do you know of a place that should be part of the Caribbean Birding Trail? Are you the owner of a lodge or hotel and want to attract eco-tourists? Are you a guide interested in the birdwatching market? Then, get involved with our project!

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Have you seen any unusual or rare birds in the last 2 years? Unusually high numbers, 1st record of a species or breeding bird? If yes, we want to know about it!!! Find out more on our blog, & send us your valuable info, pronto! THX! bit.ly/Carib-Bird-Si…🦉🐧🦜 #birdscaribbean pic.twitter.com/ejBC…

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Hope for the Future! Ajhermae White has been busy with her ‘Education on #Shorebirds in #Montserrat’ project. Find out all about her fantastic work, with kids, frigatebirds, & Govt officials thrown into the mix! bit.ly/Montserrat-Sh… #HumansofBirdsCaribbean @SKPguy #proud 💚 pic.twitter.com/Z3nO…

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A Feathery Finale to the Caribbean Waterbird Census on Antigua! Congrats to the @EAGAntigua on another successful CWC, including their creative ‘Bird Mask-erade’ bit.ly/EAG-CWC-2021 #waterbirdscount #CWC2021 #caribbeanwaterbirdcensus pic.twitter.com/IBX1…

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Taking a Look at Shorebirds in Trinidad! Find out from Martin Gebauer how #shorebird populations in Trinidad are doing and if drones can help us to count and monitor them: bit.ly/TT-Shorebirds #waterbirdscount #birdscaribbean @Martin_Gebauer @AlexFSansom @USFWSBirds pic.twitter.com/8AX6…

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The professional ornithological societies of the Americas affirm our commitment to field safety in response to a public allegation of a sexual assault by a well-known birder during a birding excursion in Atlanta, Georgia. wilsonsociety.org/20… pic.twitter.com/3znE…

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