Meet the Endemic Birds of St Lucia

Saint Lucia, with its lush, vibrant landscapes, mountainous interiors, dense rainforests, and palm-fringed beaches is a birders' paradise. The island is home to six endemic species, the highest in the Eastern Caribbean region. Let us introduce you:

St Lucia Parrot: This is the island’s national bird. Measuring about 42-46cm in length, it inhabits the mountain rainforests, feeding in the cavities of tall trees.

St Lucia Bird Watching

St Lucia Black Finch: Measuring approximately 13-14 cm in length, this finch is found in both moist and dry forest areas and forages in the leaf litter in the dense understory. It usually nests in a spherical nest of twigs built in a low shrub or palm about two meters above ground.

Image credit: drjayf, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

St Lucia Pewee: Growing to about 15 cm in length, this pewee is quite common and lives mostly in moist forests, although it is sometimes found in dry forest areas too. The pewee nests in a cup-shaped nest made of leaves and moss placed on a branch. It perches low, sallying out for insects.

St Lucia Birdwatching Holiday May 2022

St Lucia Oriole: The adult oriole grows to about 22 cm in length. It is uncommon but can occasionally be found in woodlands, including dry and moist forest where it feeds on insects, fruits, flowers, and nectar. The oriole builds a nest sewn under a leaf or palm well above the ground.

Illustration by Joseph Smit - Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

St Lucia Warbler: The Warbler is about 12.5 cm in length. It is found in all forest types and at all altitudes. It forages for insects and spiders from leaves and twigs. The female lays her eggs in a nicely woven, cup-shaped nest built in a tree about 1-5 m above the ground.

Photo by Ross Tsai from Lubbock, Texas, USA

Semper’s Warbler: The Semper’s Warbler is extremely rare, or possibly even extinct. Measuring about 14.5 cm in length, the adult plumage is dark grey at the upperparts and greyish white at the underparts. The last reliable sighting was in 1961, although there have been unconfirmed sightings since.