Sun, sand, sea and….birds? Yes that’s right, birds! While Barbados is celebrated for its immaculate beaches, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes, this Caribbean gem is also a haven for migratory birds and a great place for birdwatchers. From charismatic shorebirds to colorful warblers, Barbados offers a veritable treasure trove of avian wonder for those who know where to look. In October 2024, BirdsCaribbean teamed up with local NGO WIRRED to shine a spotlight on this hidden birding paradise by hosting a transformative week-long Caribbean Birding Trail Guide Training workshop. Together, we aim to change perceptions and unlock the island’s incredible birdlife for visitors and locals alike!
Although Barbados may not be known primarily as an ecotourism or bird watching hotspot, its wetlands and coastlines are critically important in supporting tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds each year—making them a goldmine for bird lovers! Barbados is also home to the Barbados Bullfinch, a unique and delightful species found nowhere else on earth. Positioned further east in the Atlantic than the rest of the Lesser Antilles, Barbados often welcomes unexpected feathered visitors, adding to its special charm! By cultivating a vibrant birding culture and tourism market, Barbados has the opportunity to raise awareness of the value wetlands and other habitats for birds, fostering sustainable livelihoods in local communities, and build momentum for long-term conservation efforts.
From October 21-25, participants dove into an immersive workshop designed to equip them with the essential skills for delivering exceptional birding experiences. The comprehensive curriculum covered bird identification, behaviour, ecology, habitat conservation, and environmental interpretation—the art of telling stories to connect visitors with the natural and cultural heritage of Barbados. Led by expert instructors from BirdsCaribbean, the training blended in-depth knowledge and hands-on field experiences, including visits to key birding sites around the island to hone bird identification and guiding techniques. Curious about the highlights? Keep reading as Georgie Thornton, Project Officer at WIRRED, and her colleagues share their insights!
The Wonderful Wetlands of Barbados
I have always been extremely proud of living in Barbados. We’ve got amazing people, gorgeous beaches, flamboyant gardens, and a generally positive atmosphere. But one thing that wasn’t on my ‘must see and do’ list for the island was birdwatching. After five incredible days immersed in the Caribbean Birding Trail Bird Guide Workshop, packed with thrilling tours to Barbados’s top birding spots, I’ve come to realize that no trip to Barbados is complete without exploring the island’s exceptional birdlife!
This tropical paradise serves as a vital stopover for countless migratory bird species, making it a haven for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts alike. Over the last 10 years, Walkers Reserve has been creating or rehabilitating habitats that have attracted a wonderfully diverse variety of birds. Since I joined the team, I have started to recognise just how important birds are to the ecosystems throughout Barbados, and have developed a healthy respect for these feathered friends.
In 2022, we hosted BirdsCaribbean’s Wondrous Wetlands Workshop where I was able to dip my toes into the world of birding. Ever since, I have been waiting with great anticipation for the CBT Bird Guiding Workshop held this October. I was looking forward to deepening my appreciation for our resident and migratory birds and to sharing the experience with the 20 other local and regional participants!
Which Bird Sparked Your Passion?
Venicio ‘Beny’ Wilson broke the ice on the first day by asking everyone to name their ‘trigger bird’—the bird that first drew them into birding or made them start noticing birds. While some participants shared the same bird, everyone had their own wonderful and unique story. One participant mentioned a falcon seen at just 9 years old, shown to them by their grandparents on the south coast boardwalk. Another was completely captivated by the Osprey, which ignited their birding passion. My bird is the Bananaquit. It has always been a constant presence in my garden, gorging itself on the sugary nectar of the banana and bird of paradise flowers.
Dr. Amelia Rouse, Research Consultant at WIRRED, shared her experience of those first days of the workshop:
“I’ll be honest, before the workshop I wasn’t that interested in birds. I liked the typical Osprey and falcon—the big birds of prey with sharp claws. But the workshop helped me see differently. Suddenly all of the birds roaming around had names, features, field marks, bills, calls, and curious behaviours. Some just chill in the pond, some birds hover over the pond, and some birds even twerk by the pond. Who knew…”
Hear the Bird Call and Spread Your Wings
It was the start of a fantastic week of bonding over birds. It was awesome to see everyone spread their wings as they started to understand how to differentiate similar ‘sandpiper’ species, and to tell the call of the Lesser Yellowlegs from that of the Greater as they fly overhead. As the mini quizzes got harder, everyone stepped up to the challenge and soon, an uninitiated person dropping into the conversation wouldn’t have had a clue what we were all talking about!
Interactive classroom sessions came to life with learning activities and field trips to important birding locations on the island. These included visits to Walkers Reserve, Woodbourne Shorebird Sanctuary, Cherry Tree Hill, Harrison’s Point, and King George V Park.
Woodbourne was particularly special for me. Greeted by a stunning rainbow which brilliantly spanned the reaches of the swamp, we were shown around by Ian Alkins, Woodbourne’s dedicated caretaker. We spotted a fascinating variety of birds, including the Wilson’s Snipe, Solitary Sandpipers, and lots of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks—and their very cute babies! We were fascinated as a kingfisher hovered 60 ft in the air before careening down to grab a fish he’d been eyeing so far above.
Give Deeper Meaning to Your Story
In addition to Bird Identification, instructor Rick Morales introduced participants to the art of Interpretation. Through this session, we learned how to tell stories that could foster meaningful and inclusive experiences for our guests, deepening their understanding, broaden their perspectives, and inspire engagement with Barbados’ natural and cultural heritage The workshop helped us to drastically improve our guiding and presentation skills, culminating in a presentation on something we were passionate about on the last day of the course.
Amelia highlights her experience below:
“What I also found interesting about the workshop was how the different presenters engaged us with personal stories. One of the keys of the interpretation module was to add some of your own personality to your guiding and touring presentations. I kept this in mind when I prepared my final presentation at the end of the workshop and used personal stories about my childhood connection to nature and cartoons. The final message was that children can be inspired through cartoons to conserve nature. I’d like to thank the CBT, Birds Caribbean and WIRRED for organising a fun and engaging workshop.”
Other participants presented on native medicinal plants, archaeology, coral restoration, bees, tour guiding in Barbados and Antigua, worm compost, their native quail-doves, and even read moving poems they’d written about their experience throughout the week.
Now, for anyone who visits Barbados and specifically Walkers Reserve, I will always show off our splendid Bajan birds, ensuring they leave with an understanding of just how important these birds are to Barbados and a desire to experience them more. With 21 new birding champions on the island, we hope to foster the birding community here on island to ensure areas important to these birds are treasured.
Participants were thrilled with the experience!
Participants wholeheartedly described it as one of the most enriching experiences they’ve ever had. Amelia explained, “I joined the weeklong course to learn more about bird ID — but I learned so many more things! I learned about interpretive guiding, about the degradation of habitats for shorebirds, and I learned how to present better as a guide! I think it’s a really great course for anybody interested in birds and guiding.”
Participant Chaka Audain agreed that the course delivered way more than he expected: “At first, when I started this course, I really thought it would just be specialized in increasing my knowledge about birds, but I realized that I was just scraping the surface of what the course offered. We dived into business strategy for tour guides, how to connect better with clients — and techniques to really relate to people! I gathered so much more than I originally thought I would in this workshop, and I’d recommend it — not just to bird enthusiasts, but anyone else in the tour guiding business, and anyone else dealing with tourists — it will help you multifold your ventures.”
Next Steps—and a heartfelt Thank You to our Sponsors!
During the workshop, a “Birding in Barbados” WhatsApp group was formed where participants and more experienced birders in Barbados are sharing what birds they are seeing, finding out about the best birding spots on the island, and getting help with bird ID as needed. Some of the group have already been on birding field trips to continue practicing their bird identification skills—essential for becoming a knowledgeable guide. With all this enthusiasm and practice we have at least one participant, not previously a birder, who is already signed up to guide bird tours in Barbados!
Georgia Scarlett, Environmental Projects Manager at the Sandals Foundation, one of the main sponsors of the guide training, explained, “As a Foundation, we know that becoming stewards of your environment begins with education. With this, we continue to support capacity building sessions across the region.”
“This project not only strengthens capacity and fosters stewardship,” Scarlett continues, “but has the added benefit of livelihood development as birding is an exciting tourism opportunity. Globally, travellers are eager to participate in nature tourism activities and, with these sessions, trainees are able to provide this service.”
Georgie Thornton is a Bajan wildlife conservationist. She currently works at WIRRED as Project Officer, managing various habitat regeneration and monitoring programs.
Acknowledgements: The CBT Interpretive Guide Training was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors and local partners. These include the Sandals Foundation, WIRRED, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service International Programs, USAID, and Vortex Optics.
Of course, these images show just a snapshot of our incredible, whirlwind week of Bajan birding, learning, and forming lasting bonds! Head over to our Google Album to go behind-the-scenes with our partners at WIRRED and see more fantastic content from this phenomenal experience!
The Barbados CBT Interpretive Guide training is the eighth training to be carried out by BirdsCaribbean. Previous trainings have been held in Grenada, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Bonaire, Cuba, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. These guide trainings are integral to advancing the vision of the CBT—connecting people to the extraordinary places, diverse cultures, and people of each island. Through the CBT, we promote natural and authentic experiences that benefit local people and encourage the protection of the Caribbean’s natural resources, including birds and their habitats.
