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Following are some helpful information, recommendations and suggestions for your tour to JAMAICA. Additional and detailed information will be sent within three weeks before your tour departure date.
FLORA & FAUNA
About 27% of plant species recorded in Jamaica are endemic. Only 30% of island cover is represented by forest (8% minimally disturbed). The most important forested areas are in the Blue and John Crow Mountains and in Cockpit Country. Orchids are very common with some 60 endemic species. Elfin wood forest and broadleaf forests occur in the highest mountains, while dry scrub forest and dry woodlands occur at lower elevations and in coastal areas.
Endemic reptiles include the Jamaican Iguana (Cyclura collei), and six species of snakes (including three so-called “Grass Snakes”). None is venomous. The Jamaican Boa, also known as “Yellow Snake”, or “Nanka” (Epicrates subflavus), is the largest snake. Mammals include the endemic “Coney” or Jamaican Hutia (Geocapromys brownii), which is part of a very rare group of rodents endemic to the West Indies.
At least 28 bird species, variable according to different authorities, are endemic, including 4 endemic genera: Trochilus, Euneornis, Loxipasser, and Nesopsar. Some 20 endemic subspecies are also recognized. About 124 species breed in the island, and more than 170 species occur during the winter as wintering migrants, transients, or vagrants. Of this avifauna (see Bird Checklist), 16 species are globally threatened. Some avian rarities can be found in Jamaica, including the family Todidae, and the Jamaican Pauraque (probably extinct), one of the oldest and rarest birds in the New World. The Jamaican Blackbird Nesopsar nigerrimus is an interesting and aberrant species of the family Icteridae, highly specialized for foraging on bromeliads. The national bird of Jamaica is a hummingbird: the “Doctor Bird” or Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus).
Endemic reptiles include the Jamaican Iguana (Cyclura collei), and six species of snakes (including three so-called “Grass Snakes”). None is venomous. The Jamaican Boa, also known as “Yellow Snake”, or “Nanka” (Epicrates subflavus), is the largest snake. Mammals include the endemic “Coney” or Jamaican Hutia (Geocapromys brownii), which is part of a very rare group of rodents endemic to the West Indies.
At least 28 bird species, variable according to different authorities, are endemic, including 4 endemic genera: Trochilus, Euneornis, Loxipasser, and Nesopsar. Some 20 endemic subspecies are also recognized. About 124 species breed in the island, and more than 170 species occur during the winter as wintering migrants, transients, or vagrants. Of this avifauna (see Bird Checklist), 16 species are globally threatened. Some avian rarities can be found in Jamaica, including the family Todidae, and the Jamaican Pauraque (probably extinct), one of the oldest and rarest birds in the New World. The Jamaican Blackbird Nesopsar nigerrimus is an interesting and aberrant species of the family Icteridae, highly specialized for foraging on bromeliads. The national bird of Jamaica is a hummingbird: the “Doctor Bird” or Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus).
PRE-TRIP INFORMATION
When you decide to participate in our Jamaica tour, check with your doctor regarding any pre-and/or post-trip treatment that may be necessary. As on other West Indies islands, domestic animals and wildlife in Jamaica can transmit diseases, especially to persons traveling to wild regions. Please check the CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION website for the most current information about COVID-19, recommendations and vaccinations for travelers to Jamaica (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/jamaica). Also on this website is a Healthy Travel Packing List (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/jamaica/traveler/packing-list) and information about other diseases that currently can be found in that country. Ticks are very common in Jamaica and their bites produce a very itchy spot. For complete information on how to prevent insect bites go to: http://wwwnc. cdc.gov/ travel/page/avoid-bug-bites
Canadian travelers can check information at "travel health" in the website of the PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/index-eng.php).
For complete entry and exit information (about restrictions, passport, etc.) please visit the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE website (https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/jamaica.html).
Canadian travelers can check information at "travel health" in the website of the PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA (http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/index-eng.php).
For complete entry and exit information (about restrictions, passport, etc.) please visit the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE website (https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/jamaica.html).
ARRIVING IN JAMAICA
Our tour starts in northwestern Jamaica, at Montego Bay (Sangster International Airport, MBJ), and ends in the capital city of Kingston, in the southeast. You must depart from Norman Manley International Airport (KIN). Once you arrive in Montego Bay, your leader will meet you at the airport and will transport you from the airport to the hotel. We will provide you with local Jamaica contact telephone numbers in case of any emergency.
ACCOMMODATIONS
During the tour to Jamaica you will stay in 4 standard hotels located in cities, including Montego Bay (1), Kingston (1), Port Antonio (1), and Port Royal (1), respectively. One night is at a lodge in the Blue Mountains and another night is at Marshall's Pen, in Mandeville. Exact hotel information during the trip is provided in a detailed itinerary, along with other complementary tour package materials that you will receive before departure. Also included will be specific information about emergency contacts for the places you will stay. Laundry and Internet services are available at the hotels and lodge we will occupy in Jamaica. In remote localities, internet access can be limited to some specific areas of the facility.
FOOD & DRINKS
Local cuisine is available throughout Jamaica, where typical dishes of the country include "Ackee and Saltfish", "Rice and Peas", "Callaloo", "Jerk Chicken", the "Jamaican Patty", "Guizzadas", "Bammy", and more. Other kinds of food, such as Italian and Chinese, can be found in the capital city of Kingston and other populated places. Seafood is available throughout the coastal regions, where local fresh fish is usually present. All our lunches and dinners in Jamaica are in restaurants, or their equivalents, with the exception of one box lunch en route to Mandeville and another box lunch when we arrive to the Blue Mountains. At Marshall's Pen and at our lodge in the Blue Mountains, our meals are delicious homemade food specialties. We will provide cold bottles of water and soft drinks for each participant in the vehicle(s) and during all birding sessions.
TRANSPORTATION
Our on-land movements throughout Jamaica and its natural areas will be in a comfortable large van, or in a minibus. Our longest ride will be about 3 hours. Most of our driving will be on paved roads, except entering/leaving Marshall's Pen and during a short distance in the Hellshire Hills locality. Please check that your baggage is of a reasonable size for such transportation, as we will be carrying your bags from one point to another during the tour. Your consideration in this matter is greatly appreciated.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Our birding activities in Jamaica are not very physically demanding. Walks are typically short distances from the vehicle and mostly on level paved roads. Only at some trails at Marshall's Pen and in some places at Hardwar Gap, in the Blue Mountains, can the terrain be significantly uneven in some segments. In the John Crow Mountains, our walks can extend as long as a mile along Ecclesdown Road.
