Caribbean Birding Trail

Know the Caribbean, Bird by Bird

Donate
  • 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
      • Aruba
        • Spaans Lagoon
      • Bahamas
        • Abaco
        • Andros
        • Cat Island
        • Crooked Island and Acklins
        • Eleuthera
        • Exumas
        • Grand Bahama
        • Great Inagua
        • Long Island
        • Mayaguana
        • New Providence
        • San Salvador
      • Barbados
      • Bonaire
        • Dos Pos IBA
        • Gotomeer
      • British Virgin Islands
        • Josiahs Bay Salt Pond
        • Sandy Cay
      • Cuba
        • Guanahacabibes
        • Humboldt National Park
        • Mensura-Piloto National Park
        • Viñales
        • Zapata Swamp
      • Curaçao
        • Christoffel National Park
        • Salt Pans of Jan Thiel
      • Dominica
      • Dominican Republic
        • Central Mountain Range
          • Constanza and Valle Nuevo
          • Ebano Verde Reserve
          • Hatillo
          • Jarabacoa with Armando Bermúdez and José del Carmen Ramírez National Parks
          • La Joya de San Francisco
          • Loma Quita Espuela
          • Pico Diego de Ocampo, Santiago
        • Southeast
          • Bávaro
          • Cumayasa
          • Del Este National Park
            • Del Este National Park: Boca de Yuma
            • Del Este National Park: Guaraguao
            • Del Este National Park: Padre Nuestro Trail
            • Del Este National Park: Saona Island
          • Ecological Foundation Trail, Punta Cana
          • Limón Lagoon
          • Los Haitises National Park
            • Los Haitises National Park: Caño Hondo
            • Los Haitises National Park: Los Limones
          • Monte Plata
        • Southwest
          • Aguacate and Zapotén
          • Cabo Rojo and Pedernales
          • Cabral Lagoon
          • Cachote, Eastern Bahoruco
          • Jimaní
          • Lake Enriquillo
          • Loma Charco Azul
          • Oviedo Lagoon, Jaragua National Park
          • Puerto Alejandro and Tortuguero
          • Rabo de Gato and Puerto Escondido
          • Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
            • Los Arroyos, Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
        • North Coast
          • Cayos Siete Hermanos
          • El Choco National Park, Cabarete
          • El Limón, Samaná
          • Estero Hondo
          • Loma Guaconejo
          • Loma Isabel de Torres, Puerto Plata
          • Monte Cristi and Saladilla
          • Nalga de Maco National Park, Río Limpio
          • Samaná
        • Around Santo Domingo
          • Las Salinas de Baní
          • Mirador del Norte Park
          • National Botanical Garden
          • Ozama Wetlands
      • Grenada
        • Antoine Lake
        • Beausejour/Grenville Vale
        • Diamond Rock
        • Grand Etang National Park
        • Levera National Park
        • Mt. Hartman National Park
        • Telescope Pond
        • Woburn Bay MPA
      • Guadeloupe
        • Mountain Road
        • Pointe des Chateaux
    • Countries J-Z
      • Jamaica
        • Ahhh…Ras Natango Gallery and Garden
        • Barbecue Bottom Road
        • Black River Great Morass
        • Cockpit Country
        • Ecclesdown Road
        • Flagstaff
        • Green Hills Field Station
        • Hardwar Gap
        • Hope Gardens
        • Portland Bight Protected Area
        • Stewart Town
      • Martinique
        • Rocher du Diamant
      • Montserrat
      • Puerto Rico
        • Camuy Coastal Area
        • Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
        • Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge
      • Sint Eustatius
        • Pilot Hill
        • Quill/Boven National Park
        • Zeelandia Beach
      • St. Lucia
      • Sint Maarten
        • Great Salt Pond
        • Little Bay Pond
      • St. Martin
        • Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House
        • Étang Cimetière de Grand Case
        • Étang de la Barrière
        • Pic Paradis
      • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
        • Grenadines
          • Bird Sanctuary
          • Mustique Lagoon
          • Mustique Ponds Walk
        • Saint Vincent
          • Richmond Beach
      • Trinidad and Tobago
        • Tobago
          • Kilgwyn Swamp
          • Little Tobago
        • Trinidad
          • Asa Wright Nature Centre
          • Brasso Seco Paria Village
      • Turks and Caicos
        • Grand Turk
        • Middle Caicos
        • North Caicos
        • Providenciales
        • Salt Cay
        • South Caicos
  • Tours
  • Guides
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us

You are here: Home / Bahamas / Abaco

Abaco

  • About Abaco
  • The Birds
  • Tour Operators and Guides

Great and Little Abaco lie on the east side of the Little Bahama Bank, sharing the shallow area with Grand Bahama that lies on the south edge of the bank. From the northwest tip of Abaco to the east tip of Grand Bahama lie a chain of small cays. A small ferry runs between the two larger islands and there is also a small airline running a service twice a day between Freeport and Marsh Harbour.

Marsh Harbour, roughly in the middle of Abaco, is known as the “hub of Abaco” and a good place to stay. The Queen’s Highway runs the entire length of Little and Great Abaco. From Marsh Harbour there is an excellent ferry service to the off-lying islands nearby. It has an international airport and two domestic airlines fly several times daily from Nassau.

Abaco has many of the species that are particular to the Bahamas. Visit the Bahamas National Trust office in Marsh Harbour for more information.

Marsh Harbour is a popular yachting stop as well as a good birding locale, especially on the grounds of the Great Abaco Beach Hotel and walking on the road towards the Albury’s Ferry Landing. Look for the West Indian Woodpecker on telephone poles.

Going south from Marsh Harbour:

Abaco National Park

Birding in the Abaco National Park (Photo by Linda Huber)
Birding in the Abaco National Park (Photo by Linda Huber)

Location: 32 square miles of pine forest at the southeast corner of Great Abaco.

The Abaco National Park was created to protect the habitat of the Bahamas race of the Cuban Parrot. Driving south, the park begins at the Bahamas National Park sign (see photo) at “Road 9” where there is a good chance of finding the Bahama Warbler and other specialty birds. A little further south, the Great Abaco Highway splits, the eastern fork leading through the park to the Hole in the Wall lighthouse. The road south of the split is very rough but you should be able to find the parrots without going very far. Early morning or before dusk are the best times to see these noisy birds. This parrot nests in cavities in the ground among the oddly sculpted limestone formations, making it vulnerable to feral cats and introduced raccoons. A program is in place to eradicate these invasive species.

As you drive south towards the park, stop from time to time in the pine forest where it is safe to pull off or where you see a track going into the forest . Anywhere in the pine forest can be found the two woodland endemics, the Bahama Yellowthroat and the Bahama Warbler. Also look for the Olive-capped Warbler. The Bahama Woodstar and the Cuban Emerald are often in the pine forest, as well as the Bahama Mockingbird. Keep a lookout for Bahama Swallows flying overhead or perched on the wires, particularly in the south part of the island.

Abaco National Park Sign (Photo by Bahamas National Trust)
Abaco National Park Sign (Photo by Bahamas National Trust)

Bahama Palm Shores

Bahama Palm Shores is a residential area about 20 miles south of Marsh Harbour on the way to the Abaco National Park and is a good place to view many woodland birds, including the Greater Antillean Bullfinch and the West Indian Woodpecker. Parrots are also often in this area.

Sandy Point at the south west corner of Abaco is worth a visit for shorebirds and landbirds. Try to visit near low tide.

Going north from Marsh Harbour:

Treasure Cay is approximately 20 miles north of Marsh Harbour. There is also an airport here. Stop from time to time to bird the roadside. North of the turnoff to Treasure Cay and south of the Treasure Cay airport, are a couple of good birding spots. An abandoned nursery known as Tom Roberts Nursery is on the east side of the road opposite Sunset Ridge. A road leading to a small blue hole also offers good birding. North of the Treasure Cay turnoff and before reaching the ferry for New Plymouth, take a small dirt road off to the west, go about 4km to a left turn which is a muddy short trail to the blue hole. Look for the endemics here. You can also take a dip in the blue hole.

Treasure Cay Hotel and Golf Course offers good birding but is private so seek permission before entering.

Gillam Bay

For the best shorebird habitat in all of Abaco, and maybe even the Bahamas, visit the sand flats at Gillam Bay on the southeast corner of Green Turtle Cay. These are always good at low tide, and during migration you can expect to see large numbers of Red Knots and hundreds of Plovers, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitchers and more.

Take the ferry from Treasure Cay across to New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay and walk or hire a golf cart.

Birds of Abaco:

Screen shot 2014-06-22 at 10.05.26 AMThe bird observation list of Abaco stands at roughly 213 species. To showcase the rich and varied bird life of Abaco, Bahamas a new guide book is available from The Delphi Club called “Guide to the Birds of Abaco.” The book features both resident and migratory species including rarities and unusual sightings. It is available for sale now. Click here to find out more.

A copy of the book is being presented to every school on Abaco and to educational departments! Find out how to purchase your copy by emailing Keith Salvesen at [email protected].

Endemics: Four of the six endemics, the Bahama Woodstar, Bahama Swallow, Bahama Yellowthroat and Bahama Warbler, can be found here.

Bahama Warbler (Photo by Tony Hepburn)
Bahama Warbler (Photo by Tony Hepburn)

Bahamian specialties: Other than San Salvador, this is the only island where the West Indian Woodpecker can be found. There are two populations of Cuban Parrots, Bahama race, found only on Abaco and Great Inagua. Other birds include: White-cheeked Pintail, Zenaida Dove, Key West Quail Dove, Cuban Emerald, Cuban Pewee, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Loggerhead Kingbird, Bahama Mockingbird, Red-legged Thrush, Thick-billed Vireo, Olive-capped Warbler, Bananaquit, Western Spindalis, Black-faced Grassquit, Greater Antillean Bullfinch.

West Indian Woodpecker (Photo by Tony Hepburn)

Birds of the Bahamas

Black-faced Grassquit
Red-legged Thrush
Thick-billed Vireo
Bahama Oriole
West Indian Woodpecker
Abaco Parrot
Bahama Mockingbird
Bahama Swallow
Bahama Warbler
Bahama Yellowthroat
Bahama Swallow
American Kestrel

Bahamas Outdoors Limited is a good company to contact to plan a trip to Abaco to see the island’s birds. This company has been around since 1997 and are great supporters of bird conservation in The Bahamas, and the rest of the Caribbean.

Abaco

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

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!

Get Involved

The Latest from BirdsCaribbean.org

Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Just published in the #JournalOfCaribbeanOrnithology 🗞 (JCO) - understanding susceptibility to 🔬 #avian #malaria in Bananaquits. Learn more about this fascinating study here: bit.ly/JCO-Bananaqui… 📸 Carlos H Almeida #peerreview #openaccess #scicomm #Caribbean pic.twitter.com/BUBT…

reply retweet favorite
5:02 pm · March 24, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

The Smooth-billed #Ani is a bizarre looking #bird 🤨, with its oversized, strangely shaped bill and long tail! Anis are almost always seen in groups and do almost everything together, even incubating #eggs and raising offspring. 📸Russell Campbell ℹ️bit.ly/PhotoContest2… pic.twitter.com/zcdD…

reply retweet favorite
6:01 pm · March 23, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Happy #WorldWaterDay💧 Just like us #birds need water. Sadly, many of their sources are #threatened by #development #pollution & #climatechange But together we can #BeTheChange we want to see & make water conservation a part of everyday life. ✨ ➡️ bit.ly/JA-Backyard-B… pic.twitter.com/xqM2…

reply retweet favorite
3:12 pm · March 22, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Happy #InternationalDayOfForests 🌳 We're celebrating 🎉 by featuring the Bicknell’s Thrush 🤎 —a shy, subtle #bird that depends on #forests year-round. Both in the US, where they breed, & in the #Caribbean 🏝 where they migrate to for the winter. ℹ️ birdscaribbean.org/2… pic.twitter.com/eN6N…

reply retweet favorite
4:30 pm · March 21, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Today is #WorldSparrowDay✨We are particularly excited about this celebratory day because we just can’t resist the cuteness 😊 of these little #birds- like the Grasshopper Sparrow!⁠ Learn more here: youtu.be/7M9FYsM2sxU

reply retweet favorite
7:17 pm · March 20, 2023

Our Site

  • Home
  • About the CBT
  • Countries
  • Tours
  • Guides
  • Get Involved
  • Contact

Search

Follow

Sign up for our Mailing List

Copyright © 2011–2023 Caribbean Birding Trail. A project of BirdsCaribbean.