It’s been a long time since my Trinidad adventures back in 2019 but looking at all the updates from Faraaz Abdool‘s gallery show (wish I could be there!) made me think about the last time I visited.
We were at Grande Riviere, hoping to see some of the famous leatherback turtles hatchlings, but we stole away to the forest one cloudy afternoon, to see what birds may pop out. As we drove down a quiet road in the middle of a neighborhood blanketed with trees and plants, Faraaz stopped the car and we stepped out to observe.
Trinidad Piping Guan
The Trinidad Piping Guan, also known as the Pawi, is a critically endangered bird, threatened in large part due to illegal hunting, though habitat loss also plays a role. It’s a sad story for the country’s only endemic bird. It’s not an easy bird to see.
Trinidad Piping Guan
But that day must have been filled with magic. After getting out of the car, we saw the first guan in a tree. Already in awe, our conversation turned hushed as we snapped photos and looked through bins. Then someone noticed the second guan. Then the third. Then the fourth! It was suddenly guan city as we were surrounded by some 20-30 birds, with some even flying right overhead, so close we could hear their wings whir.
Trinidad Piping Guan
From the first photo at around 4:20pm to the last at around 5:47pm, we were giddy with glee, though a quiet and respectful glee so as not to scare these incredible birds that had graced us with their presence. Later, Faraaz said that this had been the best experience he’d ever had with the guans. In fact, we were probably surrounded by about 10% of the remaining population, a sobering fact.
Trinidad Piping Guan
I’m not sure what the future looks like for these unique birds and others like it that are at the edge in Trinidad & Tobago. But I hope that with friends like Faraaz working to build awareness and protect them, they have a fighting chance.
Trinidad Piping Guan