Faraaz Abdool writes about the birds that you might see in wetlands all around Tobago. Let’s learn to recognise them and allow them to co-exist in our space.
On an island as small as Tobago, inland bodies of water are not exactly common. It seems like somewhat of a reversal for a land mass wholly surrounded by water to then encase other bodies of water. Whether there is a connection to the surrounding ocean or not, inland waterways support unique and essential ecosystems. The gentle topography of southwest Tobago allows water rushing down from the central hills to come to a relaxed pace, depositing sediment and widening passages en route to the ocean.
While we tend to associate webbed feet with water – ducks, gulls, and terns – there are countless other species that rely heavily on the presence and flow of water through the land.
[caption id="attachment_1021284" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A Little Blue Heron hunts obsessively at the crack of dawn. - Faraaz Abdool[/caption]
Living along these waterways are a selection of predatory birds. Sly, stealthy and patient, herons come in a variety of sizes and forms, but all employ the same sit-and-wait technique. These slender birds lack the powerful feet of aerial predators like hawks; they don’t even have a hooked bill! At first glance herons may seem somewhat benign. Their secret weapon is a spring-loaded neck attached to a razor-sharp bill. Forward-facing eyes ensure that they can lock on to a target. Once prey meanders within reach, the spearfisher pulls the trigger and within a split second, impalement occurs. These voracious predators consume all manner of aquatic life, whether fish or frog. Opportunistic, herons will not pass the chance to snack on a snake or mouse.
The Green Heron is the smallest of these and the most common on Tobago. Though richly coloured he can be surprisingly difficult to see as he stands motionless, hiding in plain sight. Green Herons have long, prehensile toes which can grasp firmly onto low-hanging vegetation. Bird-brained they are not! They have been documented using various forms of bait as fishing lures. Tool use has long been considered a phenomenon unique to mammals, but birds like the diminutive Green Heron are helping us to change that.
Slightly larger but built in very much the same way is the Little Blue Heron. As its name implies, it is mostly blue with a slight wash of purple on its neck. Young Little Blue Herons have not a speck of blue on them; they are stark white! These youngsters could easily be mistaken for the closely-related all-white egrets. However, at all life stages, Little Blue Herons have green legs!
[caption id="attachment_1021287" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Green Herons are often too preoccupied with hunting to bother about human observers. - Faraaz Abdool[/caption]
Similarly sized and perhaps one of the most sinuous of all herons is the Tricoloured Heron. These long-necked and slender-billed herons have an interesting hunting strategy. They open their wings while standing in water to c
