A Birdwatcher's Paradise Awaits At Trinidad's Asa Wright Nature Centre

Forbes

3 days ago

Asa Wright Nature Centre is managed by HADCO Experiences, a Trinbagonian destination management ... More company that specializes in eco-conscious luxury tourism.
While the Caribbean is home to a wealth of wildlife-rich islands, few destinations offer such a fascinating blend of biodiversity as Trinidad. Located just off the coast of Venezuela, this storied island comes equipped with a truly diverse array of native species, with both Caribbean and mainland South American wildlife thriving across its borders—and for a thorough immersion into the vibrant fauna of Trinidad, it's tough to find a better destination than Asa Wright Nature Centre.
Named in honor of Iceland native Asa Wright, this sprawling estate has been a popular destination for birdwatching since the 1950s—and in the modern era, the property is perfect for an ecotourist's getaway into the Northern Range, with 29 spacious rooms and a charming main lodge that's ideal for photographers and casual birdwatchers alike. Though top-tier ecotourism destinations abound all across Trinidad, the Asa Wright Nature Centre offers a glimpse into the pristine beauty of the Arima Valley, with plenty of unforgettable avifauna to find along the way.
In addition to Trinidad, the tufted coquette can also be found in Venezuela, northern Brazil and the ... More Guianas region.
Immediately upon arrival, visitors can bask in the splendor of the Spring Hill Estate building, with high-definition photographs and detailed wildlife paintings lining its walls—but it's the open-air verandah that draws birders in droves, with fresh bananas and other fruit set out each morning to attract all sorts of native species. Within minutes, visitors can marvel at eye-catching birds like the green honeycreeper, silver-beaked tanager and purple honeycreeper, while state-of-the-art spotting scopes are also in place across the verandah, providing visitors with a chance to glimpse species like the channel-billed toucan or common black hawk resting far off in the treetops.
Amidst the fresh fruit, the area is also brimming with hummingbird feeders, transforming this idyllic space into a captivating flurry of beating wings by mid-morning. Classic South American species like the blue-chinned sapphire and white-chested emerald are abundant across the gardens, while the ruby topaz is a particular favorite thanks to the brilliant yellow and red plumage of the males—but there's one species in particular that draws birdwatchers in droves. Known as the tufted coquette, this tiny hummingbird is renowned for its striking appearance, with males boasting a prominent orange head crest and lengthy neck plumes that give the animal a polka-dotted appearance.
The oilbird is one of few avian species that use echolocation to navigate its surroundings.
Guests can have a truly fulfilling day of birdwatching without setting foot beyond the main lodge, but there's plenty of can't-miss avian opportunities to be found across the property's hiking trails as well. While there are more than 15 kilometers of trails to explore across the entirety of Asa Wright Nature Centre, you don't have to venture far from the main lodge to find one particularly fascinating site—the white-bearded manakin lek, to be precise. Each day, this small patch of forest springs to life as males compete for the attention of watching females, engaging in a time-honored ritual that involves leaping, head-bobbing and loud, firecracker-like wing snaps—and to sweeten the deal, the eye-catching bearded bellbird can be found just a short walk away from the lek, inviting birders to cross off two species from their life list in one fell swoop.
Beyond the manakin lek, guests can also embark on a guided journey to spot one of Trinidad's most elusive creatures. Known as the oilbird, this cave-dwelling animal is an evolutionary oddity, serving as the sole flying nocturnal frugivore in the bird world—and the Asa Wright Nature Centre provides the perfect viewing opportunity during daylight hours. After a brief hike along one of the preserve's most scenic rivers, guests will arrive at the mouth of a small cavern, with plenty of native frogs and crabs to spot along the way. Upon entering the cave, several nesting oilbirds can be found dwelling within as they gear up to search for food at twilight, providing visiting birders with a megatick that's otherwise particularly difficult to accomplish.
The Asa Wright Nature Centre grounds measure in at more than 525 hectares of protected rainforest.
Though Asa Wright Nature Centre offers some of the finest birdwatching opportunities in all of the Caribbean, the property also comes equipped with a wealth of other amenities to keep guests occupied during a stay. After a long birding session, explorers are welcome to cool off with a trip to one of the estate's natural bathing pools, with roaring waterfalls and verdant foliage found at each site. Meanwhile, entomology buffs should be sure to embark on a guided night hike that showcases the many species that roam the forests of the Northern Range in the dead of night. Stick insects, scorpions and spiders are a common sight, while lucky visitors might catch a glimpse of a porcupine scurrying through the canopy.
In addition to ecotourism, the Asa Wright Nature Centre is also a top spot for a thorough immersion into the richness of Trinidadian cuisine. During morning hours, guests can look forward to a superb breakfast spread that offers some of the island's most beloved dishes, with options spanning from melongene choka—a hearty eggplant dish that's brimming with notes of garlic—to saltfish buljol, a vegetable-heavy dish that's infused with salted cod. Later in the day, visitors can dine on savory plates like curried goat and curried shrimp, but no visit is complete without sampling some of the fresh fruits that grow across the island, with options including governor's plum, papaw and Julie mango.