Birding at The Cove Eleuthera
These 10 birds are common sights around the property. How many have you seen?
When you think about wildlife in the Bahamas, marine life like blue marlin (the national fish), dolphins, turtles and perhaps sharks are probably top of mind. But the country is also home to one of the most diverse arrays of birds in the Caribbean, with more than 300 species.
With help from the Bahamas National Trust, a nonprofit that manages the country’s national parks, The Cove has planted hundreds of indigenous flora around the resort property. Almost overnight, birds flocked to our private paradise.
The 10 birds highlighted below are among the most commonly spotted around The Cove, offering avid birdwatchers and casual observers alike an incredible variety of colors, behaviors and calls to enjoy.
Bahama Woodstar
One of three species endemic to the Bahamas, the woodstar is a small, brightly colored hummingbird (males have greenish backs with violet throat feathers, while females sport white throat feathers) that is present on the islands year-round.
Great Egret
Elegant, long legs and a yellow bill define this white heron, which wades into the water to spear its own catch and has a wingspan that extends more than four feet.
Bananaquit
This small, energetic bird—known for its love of sugar—has a curved bill that helps it drink nectar from flowers, making it an important pollinator. You’ll recognize it by its yellow belly.
Warblers
We have a few of these songbirds around. The Yellow-Throated Warbler is another sunshine-hued critter. It’s known for its acrobatic foraging skills, sometimes hanging upside down while searching for insects and other sustenance. The Cape May Warbler has a distinctive tiger stripe on its chest and chestnut patches around its eyes; its curled tongue allows it to sip nectar from flowers.
Green Heron
A short-legged heron with a chestnut-colored neck, this bird has developed some smart techniques: It can camouflage itself among shrubs, and it will sometimes use bait (a twig or an insect) to lure fish to the water’s surface.
Royal Tern
Soaring gracefully above the water, these seabirds dive with confidence when they spot fish, capturing their dinner using their tangerine-hued, daggerlike bills.
Red-Winged Black Bird
Males are the ones that sport red patches, ringed with yellow, on their shoulders. The coloring can be hidden beneath their feathers but emerge when the birds are singing.
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
These small woodpeckers drill shallow holes in trees in order to feed on the sap and insects trapped within using their brush-tipped tongues.
Laughing Gull
Named for its loud, laugh-like call, this gull is a bold scavenger. Keep watch over your conch fritters when they’re around.