BirdsCaribbean Partnership Tour
JAMAICA: Endemic Birding
TOUR FOCUS
BIRDS & WILDLIFE
SCHEDULED TOURS
TRIP LEADERS
TOUR COST
From: $2,100 (See details)
Cost is per person, double occupancy from Montego Bay, Jamaica. (MBJ)
GROUP SIZE
4 - 8 Participants
AVAILABILITY
8 spaces available
PRIVATE TOUR OPTION
This tour is available as a private trip for any size group. The tour cost will vary with the number of people and any custom requests.
TESTIMONIALS
Highlights of JAMAICA: Endemic Birding
Description of JAMAICA: Endemic Birding
Jamaica birding is easy and fun… the Red-billed Streamertail, a hummingbird, is Jamaica’s the national bird, so it has to be a fun place to visit!
Add 27 more endemic species and a load of Caribbean specilties and Jamaica becomes a destination no birder should miss!
Jamaica is the 3rd largest of all the Caribbean Islands, yet, it is still reasonably small by UK standards, from East to West….146 miles and from North to South at its widest point is 51 miles.
On this trip we are concentrating on the Eastern side of the Island, this is lush green mountainous country with many habitats and offering opportunity to see all the endemics at an easy going pace with leisurely birding. We intend to bird locally and to travel to other areas, no more than 2 hours drive away to catch up with specific species which are more localized.
Length of Tour
6-Days/5-Nights
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive Montego Bay / Transfer to Toby’s Resort
Day 2 – Birding Stewart Town
Day 3 – Birding John Crow Mountains
Day 4 – Birding John Crow Mountains / Ecclestown Road
Day 5 – Birding Ecclestown Road
Day 6 – Return Home
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive Montego Bay / Transfer to Toby’s Resort
Arrive early afternoon between 1:00pm and 3:00pm.Transfer from Montego Bay airport as everybody arrives and drive to Rocklands Bird Sanctuary, a 25-30min drive.
Red-billed Streamertail and Jamaican Mango are so tame that they might come to a handheld feeder. Yellow-faced and Black-faced Grasquits, Orangequits, Jamaican Woodpecker, Caribbean Doves, Jamican Tody and more will be possible here.
Out of Rocklands we’ll stop on Bogue Treatment Plant for waterfowl and shorebirds.
Day 2 – Stewart Town
After breakfast we’ll drive to Stewart Town area. In this area it will be possible to see around 20 endemics! Though our main targets will be Black-billed and Yellow-billed Parrots, any others will be very welcome, as usual, giving us more time birding for difficult endemics.
Day 3 – John Crow Mountains
An early start, 6:00am, with packed breakfast will allow us reasonable time at the Hardware Gap area birding for more of Jamaica endemics, such as Jamaican Blackbird, Blue Mountain Vireo and the beautiful Crested Quail Dove. We’ll also seek Chestnut-bellied and Jamaican Lizard Cuckoos and others, while enjoying the beautifully breathtaking landscapes!
We will take a packed lunch and take a break for a cup of famous Blue Mountain Coffee. Afternoon birding a little further up the road enjoying more of Jamaica’s bird life on the way to our hotel.
Day 4 – John Crow Mountains / Ecclestown Road
This morning is very flexible. If still needed, before breakfast looking for Crested-quail Dove.
After a relaxing breakfast we will begin birding our way along the road looking for anything missed or better views needed in these magical mountains.
Day 5 – Ecclestown Road
Today we will drive to the foothills of the John Crow Mountains, to an area called Ecclesdown Road.
Ecclesdown Road offers a good number of endemics and one ne of the targets here today is the Black Billed Streamertail. It is endemic to a small area of Jamaica and a bird that we will not encounter anywhere else.
After lunch at local restaurant, we’ll drive back to Green Castle Estate where we can relax by the pool or do some liesurely birding along the trails.
Day 6 – Return Home
Final day, pre-breakfast walk. After breakfast we will set off to Montego Bay and your departure flight. Airport drop-off will be at 12:00noon, so plan flights accordingly.
Cost
Cost is $2,100 per person, based upon double occupancy, from Montego Bay, Jamaica. (Airport code MBJ).
This trip ends in Montego Bay (Airport code MBJ).
Single Supplement
If a single room is preferred, or we are unable to find a suitable roommate for you, a single supplement fee of $400 will be assessed.
Deposit Requirements
A $500 deposit per person is required to hold each space on this tour. Deposit may be made online by clicking the "Book Your Trip Now" button and using any credit card. If you prefer, you may call us at 888-875-9453 to pay by phone. You may also mail us a check, however, remember that all space is held on a first come-first served basis as deposits are received.
Minimum Number
If fewer than the minimum number of required participants are registered, we may still be able to run the trip by adding a small-group supplement fee, per person, determined by the number of participants registered.
How to Book
In order to hold your space, click the "Book Your Trip Now" button above and complete the deposit process, including payment of the deposit through our Paypal portal using ANY CREDIT CARD. Upon completion of deposit, please visit our secure, online CLIENT INFORMATION FORM to complete your registration.
Final Payment
For all land-based tours: full payment by check is due 120 days prior to the departure date.
For all boat-based adventure cruises of 7-days or longer: full payment by check is required 180 days prior to departure.
NOTE: If you prefer to use credit card for final payment, a 3% fee may be added to cover the credit card merchant fees we incur.
This trip includes standard hotels.
Activity Level Rating: 2 (Note: 1 is easy and 5 is difficult)
Mostly easy walks. Some rough roads to drive on.
Non-smoking Tour
Smoking is not permitted at any time during our tour.
Purchasing Flights
Do not purchase your flights until the trip has been confirmed to go.
Detailed Trip Information
Upon notification that final payment is due (120 days prior to departure for land based tours / 180 days for boat based tours), you will receive a trip package of detailed information for your tour.
Any additional information about the trip, including lodgings, contacts, participants, meeting locations, etc., will sent about 2 weeks prior to the trip departure, or after final payment is received for late registrants.
Travel Insurance
As with all tours, we highly recommend purchasing Travel Insurance to cover your investment. Please see our section on Travel Insurance.
Passport & Visa
US Citizens may require a visa to enter certain foreign countries. See above for any required visa information.
Participants arriving to the USA from a foreign country may need to get a travel visa to enter the United States. Be sure to check the requirements for your country of origin.
Itinerary Changes
The trip itinerary is developed many months ahead of time. Occasionally, despite our best planning, changes may occur during the trip, or we may be forced to alter our plans. Changes may occur because of weather, road conditions, safety concerns or other circumstances. In these situations, it is the leader(s) responsibility to carefully consider and implement appropriate alternatives. Any additional costs incurred because of changes will be the responsibility of each individual participant. Refunds will not be issued as a result of itinerary changes.
