Caribbean Birding Trail

Know the Caribbean, Bird by Bird

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  • About the CBT
    • Interpretive Guide Training
  • Countries
    • Countries A-I
      • Anguilla
        • Cove Pond
        • Dog Island
        • East End Pond
        • Forest Bay Pond
        • Katouche Canyon
        • Long Pond
        • Meads Bay Pond
        • Merrywing Pond System
        • Prickly Pear Cays
        • Road Salt Pond
        • Scrub Island
        • Sombrero
        • West End By-the-Sea Ponds
        • West End Pond
      • Antigua and Barbuda
        • Bethesda Dam
        • Christian Valley
        • Codrington Lagoon
        • McKinnon’s Salt Pond
        • Two Foot Bay National Park
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        • Spaans Lagoon
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        • Abaco
        • Andros
        • Cat Island
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            • Del Este National Park: Saona Island
          • Ecological Foundation Trail, Punta Cana
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          • Aguacate and Zapotén
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        • Antoine Lake
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        • Camuy Coastal Area
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        • Great Salt Pond
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You are here: Home / Anguilla / Prickly Pear Cays

Prickly Pear Cays

  • About Prickly Pear Cays
  • The Birds
  • How to Get There
  • Tour Operators and Guides

The sister islands of Prickly Pear East and West are located just 5 miles north of Anguilla and are separated by a narrow channel. Both islands are uninhabited, however, Prickly Pear East is home to two restaurants that attract tourist traffic from Anguilla and the nearby islands of St. Martin/Sint Maarten and St. Barths.

Prickly Pear Cay East (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Prickly Pear East consists of an expansive beach on the northern and eastern side with rocky outcroppings to the west. A small pond is located behind the main beach on the north side. Less easily accessible, Prickly Pear West consists of one small, ever-changing beach and low limestone cliffs dotted with scrub.

Prickly Pear Cay West (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

In an effort to restore Anguilla’s population of Lesser Antillean Iguanas impacted by the arrival of the Green Iguana with Hurricane Luis in 1995, the Anguilla National Trust has relocated a small number of the native species to Prickly Pear East.

The waters surrounding the Prickly Pear cays are protected as part of Anguilla’s Marine Park system.  Endangered Hawksbill and Green turtles are known to nest on the beaches of Prickly Pear East, while the surrounding reefs provide an excellent opportunity for snorkeling.

Brown Boobies Perched Along the Rocky Coastline (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Prickly Pear West is where you will find Anguilla’s only colony of regionally important nesting Brown Pelicans.

Brown Pelican Colony on Prickly Pear West (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Other regionally important species include: Red-billed Tropicbirds, Brown Noddies, Brown Boobies, and Least Terns. It has been reported that a small number of Red-footed Boobies have nested on the interior scrub. Touring the island via boat it is easy to see many of the birds along the cliff line. Keep an eye out for Red-billed Tropicbirds as they fly overhead and gangly baby pelicans on the eastern slope.

Red-billed Tropicbird (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Prickly Pear East is an excellent spot to see Anguilla’s globally important colony of Laughing Gulls.

Laughing Gulls on Pricky Pear East (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Brown Boobies, Red-billed Tropicbirds, Least Terns, Brown Noddies, and Bridled Terns can also be seen nesting at this site. Be sure to visit the pond behind the main beach to see shorebirds like the Black-necked Stilt, as they feed along the edge.

Brown Noddy on Nest (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)
Bridled Terns on Prickly Pear East (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

One of the main visitor attractions of Prickly Pear East is the “Sugarbird” feeding station near the Prickly Pear Restaurant bar.  Here Bananaquits and Yellow Warblers literally eat sugar out of your hand. Even those who do not identify as birders, giggle with delight at this fun experience. Keep an eye out for Anguilla’s National Bird, the Zenaida Dove, and the Lesser Antilles Restricted Range Caribbean Elaenia, in the surrounding trees.

Bananaquit (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Recent confirmed sightings of an endangered Piping Plover and a lovely male Blackburnian Warbler, mean you just never know what new birds you may find on a visit to these fun offshore cays.

Piping Plover (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Access to Prickly Pear East is best made via boat at the northern beach. A number of companies provide day charter service from Anguilla including: Gotcha Sea Charters, Tradition Sailing, Funtime, and Calypso Charters.

Due to the fact that the birds that frequent this island are predominately ground nesters, we recommend that you do not enter the seabird colonies without a trained guide.

Nature Explorers Anguilla offers tours to this site!

Prickly Pear Cays

Anguilla Sites

  • Cove Pond
  • Dog Island
  • East End Pond
  • Forest Bay Pond
  • Katouche Canyon
  • Long Pond
  • Meads Bay Pond
  • Merrywing Pond System
  • Prickly Pear Cays
  • Road Salt Pond
  • Scrub Island
  • Sombrero
  • West End By-the-Sea Ponds
  • West End Pond

Anguilla Partners

  • Anguilla National Trust


Anguilla Tour Operators

  • Nature Explorers Anguilla

Recommended Bird Guides

A Guide to the Birds of Anguilla by Steve H. Holliday, Karim V. D. Hodge, and Damien E. Hughes

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

Birds of the Lesser Antilles by Ryan Chenery

 

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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