Bird Watching

Spectacular natural bird watching on your doorstep

A Bird-Watcher's Paradise

Wildlife greets you on your entrance to Cuffie River, with bands of parrots flying overhead as they make their way to and fro, or hummingbirds of many species whizzing past, mere centimetres from your face. The Cuffie River Nature Retreat and eco-lodge offers the finest in bird watching and nature tours. Walk in the surroundings and encounter some 30 species of tropical birds before breakfast! Truly a birding paradise, you will wonder what kept you from coming before to visit this unique Tobago property. View at close range the nesting and feeding habits of species, call the birds and be answered in return, observe patterns of socialization between and among species or simply sit back and bask in the sheer beauty of these exotic birds. Follow the nesting patterns from courtship to the laying and hatching of eggs, to observing the parents helping the fledglings leave the nest by teaching them to fly.

Our current Census reveals 100 species to be found at the Retreat and its environs. These include all of the most sought-after exotic birds such as the White-tailed Sabrewing hummingbird, Blue-backed Manakin, Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Collared Trogon, Trinidad Motmot, Yellow-legged Thrush, Common Potoo, Striped Owl, and Gray-throated Leaftosser. Many feathered friends come visiting at your window and in your room. Others prefer to have you visit them in their personal hideaways as you go on your bird-watching and nature tours. See our Photo Gallery for pictures of birds taken by guests at Cuffie River Nature Retreat..

Talk about keeping good company at the retreat! Please see our Photo Gallery for a few pictures of birds taken by guests at the Cuffie River Nature Retreat.

Feeding the birds at Cuffie River

Cuffie River Bird Species Census

The following bird species are to be found at the Retreat at various times of the year:

  • Short-tailed Hawk
  • Pauraque
  • Little Cuckoo
  • Bat Falcon
  • Hook-billed Kite
  • Rufous-vented Chachalaca
  • Magnificent Frigatebird
  • Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
  • Green Heron
  • Cattle Egret
  • Great Egret
  • Little Blue Heron
  • Osprey ***
  • Great Black-Hawk *
  • Broad-winged Hawk ***
  • Merlin ***
  • Peregrine Falcon ***
  • Solitary Sandpiper ***
  • Black Skimmer
  • Ruddy Ground-Dove
  • Pale-vented Pigeon
  • Eared Dove
  • White-tipped Dove
  • Green-rumped Parrotlet
  • Blue-headed Parrot
  • Orange-winged Parrot
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo ***
  • Smooth-billed Ani
  • Striped Owl *
  • Common Potoo *
  • White-tailed Nightjar *
  • Gray-rumped Swift
  • Short-tailed Swift
  • Rufous-breasted Hermit
  • White-tailed Sabrewing *
  • White-necked Jacobin
  • Black-throated Mango
  • Ruby-topaz Hummingbird *
  • Copper-rumped Hummingbird
  • Collared Trogon *
  • Green Kingfisher *
  • Trinidad Motmot *
  • Rufous-tailed Jacamar *
  • Red-crowned Woodpecker *
  • Red-rumped Woodpecker
  • Golden-olive Woodpecker
  • Stripe-breasted Spinetail
  • Gray-throated Leaftosser **
  • Olivaceous Woodcreeper *
  • Cocoa Woodcreeper
  • Yellow-crowned Cara Cara
  • Plain-brown Woodcreeper
  • Barred Antshrike
  • Plain Antvireo
  • White-fringed Antwren *
  • Brown Pelican
  • Brown Booby
  • Southern Lapwing
  • Spotted Sandpiper
  • Laughing Gull
  • Roseate Tern
  • Royal Tern
  • Yellow Warbler
  • Yellow-bellied Elaenia
  • Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
  • Yellow-breasted Flycatcher
  • Fuscous Flycatcher *
  • Piratic Flycatcher
  • Streaked Flycatcher
  • Tropical Kingbird
  • Gray Kingbird
  • Dusky-capped Flycatcher *
  • Venezuelan Flycatcher *
  • Brown-crested Flycatcher
  • Blue-backed Manakin *
  • White-winged Becard *
  • Red-eyed Vireo
  • Scrub Greenlet
  • Caribbean Martin
  • Barn Swallow ***
  • (Tropical) House Wren
  • Rufous-breasted Wren
  • Yellow-legged Thrush *
  • White-necked Thrush
  • Spectacled Thrush
  • Tropical Mockingbird
  • Bananaquit
  • White-lined Tanager
  • Blue-gray Tanager
  • Palm Tanager
  • Scarlet Tanager ***
  • Red-legged Honeycreeper *
  • Blue-black Grassquit
  • Black-faced Grassquit
  • Northern Waterthrush ***
  • Blackpoll Warbler ***
  • Crested Oropendola
  • Giant Cowbird
  • Shiny Cowbird
  • Carib Grackle
  • Violaceous Euphonia

*   among the most sought-after species
**  official re-discovery record for Tobago
*** non-breeding migrant

Ruby-Topaz hummingbird
Blue-Backed Manakin
Rufous-tailed jacamar

  • Free Wi-Fi

    Complimentary Wi-Fi is provided. Please note that due to our unique location, signal strength and reliability vary and, subject to your hardware, a Wi-Fi signal may not be available in all rooms.

  • Swimming pool

    Our swimming pool utilises environmentally-friendly purification, using salt instead of chlorine. The elevated location offers stunning views over the surrounding landscape. A ramp provides access to physically challenged guests. An ideal place to cool off with a freshly mixed rum punch or fruit drink after a walk in the rainforest.

  • Restaurant

    Our menus are crafted from local raw materials and cooking expertise and Creativity is second to none. Breakfasts comprises fresh juices, fresh fruit and cereal plus your own menu selection. Dinner menus are "table d’hôte" and reflect the unique, multi-ethnic nature of Trinidad and Tobago. Delicious light lunches are also available.