Caribbean Birding Trail

Know the Caribbean, Bird by Bird

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You are here: Home / Jamaica / Hope Gardens

Hope Gardens

  • About Hope Gardens

Officially called the “Royal Botanical Gardens, Hope,” Hope Gardens is within easy reach of the population of Kingston who enjoy picnics, walks, exercise, and concerts all year round. This large green space of sixty acres is located in the northeastern part of Kingston. The Gardens offer a green heaven for children growing up in a dense urban environment—not only for play and recreation, but also as a learning experience close to nature.

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Birding at Hope Gardens (Photo by Doris Gross)

The Gardens started life as part of Hope Estate, stretching from the Blue Mountains right down to the sea. It was owned by Major Hope, a commander in the British Army, who helped to wrest control of Jamaica from the Spanish and was later gifted the estates as his reward. In 1881, some 200 acres of the estate were purchased by the Colonial Government of the time to establish an experimental garden for growing foreign species of plants and trees. It became an important center for the propagation and distribution of ornamental plants, thanks to considerable assistance from Kew Gardens in England.

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View of the Gardens (Photo by Doris Gross)

There are still many exotic trees here, some from as far as Madagascar. This oasis of peaceful greenery and tropical splendour provides a well greened environment for Jamaican birds and migrants alike. Of the 30 endemic Jamaican birds many can be observed here. North and South American migrants can be seen here during the months of September to April. But perhaps the biggest treat are the flocks of Yellow-billed Parrots, Olive-throated Parakeets and Black-billed Parrots (all endemic to Jamaica), chattering loudly in the tree tops as they look down on the visitors with curiosity.

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Jamaican Endemic Yellow-billed Amazon (Photo by Everet Laing)

The best time for birding at Hope Gardens is early in the morning, with the garden’s gates opening at 6am every day. At this time the large trees with their pods, seeds and blossoms attract the early risers, who are looking for food. Loggerheads, Mockingbirds, Bananaquits, White winged- and Zenaida Doves, White-crowned Pigeons, Smooth Billed Anis, American Kestrels and much more are busy eating, picking and building nests.

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Birding in Hope Gardens (Photo by Doris Gross)

Hope Gardens

Jamaica Sites

  • 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

Jamaica Partners

  • Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation
  • Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency


Jamaica Tour Operators

  • Ann Sutton, Independent Guide
  • Arrowhead Birding Tours
  • Wildside Nature Tours

Bird Checklists

Click here for a pamphlet-sized checklist of the birds of Jamaica.

Recommended Field Guides

A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica by Ann Haynes-Sutton, Audrey Downer, and Robert Sutton

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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