From the air, Trinidad and Tobago look unmistakably Caribbean — lush, green islands ringed by bright water. Biologically, however, they tell a slightly different story. Sitting just 11 kilometres off the coast of Venezuela, Trinidad in particular is not so much a classic island as a fragment of South America that happens to be surrounded by sea. Owen visited the islands in July 2025 and made a thrilling discovery as well as getting the opportunity to photograph some iconic species.
The country’s proximity to the South American continent has shaped everything about the wildlife. During the last Ice Age, lower sea levels connected Trinidad directly to the mainland, allowing animals and plants to move freely back and forth. When the waters rose again, Trinidad was cut off yet kept its distinctly continental cast of characters. The result is one of the richest bird sites in the Caribbean, with over 450 recorded species packed into a relatively small area.
Add to that a warm tropical climate, seasonal rainfall, mangroves, lowland rainforest, savanna, and foothills that rise into cloudier forest, and you have a country that feels like a condensed version of northern South America. For photographers and birders alike, it’s an alluring mix.
Many of the birds Owen photographed will be familiar to anyone who knows Neotropical birding: trogons glowing in the shade, tanagers like scattered jewels, herons and egrets stalking wetlands with that eerie confidence.
Then there are the birds found nowhere else. Trinidad & Tobago has just two endemic bird species, and Owen was fortunate enough to photograph both of them. One is the Trinidad Motmot, a striking forest bird with rich greens and blues and a racketed tail.
The most famous — and the most imperiled — of the endemics, however, is the Trinidad Piping-Guan. This large, turkey-like bird, locally known as the pawi, is classified as Critically Endangered. Once widespread, it was pushed to the brink by a combination of habitat loss and hunting. Today, only a small population survives, largely thanks to decades of protection efforts, education, and the commitment of local conservationists and communities.
When Owen finally saw and photographed the guan, the moment carried far more weight than a rare tick or a beautiful image. The reaction of the local guides — sheer, unfiltered joy — spoke volumes.
Few birds are as closely associated with Trinidad as the Scarlet Ibis, whose intense red plumage seems almost unreal against green mangroves and evening sky. Large flocks gather at places like the Caroni Swamp, where the birds return to roost at dusk, a spectacle that has become a national symbol.
Small and wearing an electric blue cape, the aptly named Blue-backed Manakin is a quintessential forest bird of northern South America, and a perfect example of how Trinidad’s avifauna leans continental rather than Caribbean. Often heard before it’s seen, it inhabits shaded forest interiors, where subtle movements and sudden flashes of color reward patient observation.
That oversized bill belies a playful demeanor: the Channel-billed Toucan is a social bird known for gently clipping small fruits from stems, tossing them into the air, and skillfully catching them in their beaks. Common in Trinidad’s forests and forest edges, it thrives where fruiting trees remain plentiful, making it an indicator of healthy habitat.
One of the largest hummingbirds in the region at 12 cm long, the White-tailed Sabrewing is especially associated with Tobago, as well as mainland Venezuela. Its size, speed, and audible wingbeats made possible by those thickened, curved wings challenge expectations of what a hummingbird should be. Males have blue throats and a white “moustache”, and both sexes sport that gorgeous metallic green plumage with white outer tail feathers.
