This year’s Great Backyard Bird Count is going to look a little different for me—mostly because my “backyard” will stretch across the Caribbean. Instead of watching my feeders from home, I’ll be counting birds from three countries in four days, with each stop offering its own set of species and surprises.
February 13 kicks things off in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, where I’ll be chasing as many of the island’s endemics as I can find. Jamaica’s birdlife is legendary, and I’m hoping to add several specialties to my life list before the day is done.
Day two, February 14, will be spent at sea, cruising the strait between Cuba and Haiti. With luck, the open water will deliver a few pelagic treasures—maybe a petrel, a jaeger, or one of the noddys that roam the region. Pelagic birding is always a gamble, but that’s part of the thrill.
Finally, on Sunday, February 15, I’ll wrap up the count on Grand Turk, where my targets shift to shorebirds. Piping Plover and Snowy Plover are at the top of my wish list, and the island’s beaches should give me a fighting chance.
It’s shaping up to be a GBBC unlike any I’ve done before—two countries, countless miles, and who knows how many birds. I can’t wait to see what turns up.
GBBC 2026
- Day 1 February 13th - Jamaica
- Day 2 February 14th - Day at sea sailing from Jamaica to Grand Turks
- Day 3 February 15th - Grand Turk
- Birds
- Other
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