Overview
North Point in Barbados include some rather steep limestone cliffs around the northernmost point in the country/island. The area also includes some quite flat areas that become flooded when the summer/fall rains set in and become ideal shorebird habitat at that time. Finally, the area includes what is known as Animal Flower Cave where there is access to some caves with small sea anemones in shallow ponds inside the caves. These are fed by waves and therefore likely to be permanent. There is also a restaurant that among other things market the organically fed sheep (Barbados Black-belly Sheep) that the owners raise (information current in 2020).
Birds
Notable Species
The attractions here include birds breeding in the cliffs and shorebirds visiting the temporary ponds that coincide with the fall migration of northern shorebirds. More rarely, the birds present may also include southern breeders occurring outside their breeding season. The cliff-breeding birds can include Caribbean Martin and Roseate Tern.
Rarities
Some of the interesting birds that have been identified at this location in recent years include Collared Plover and Wilson's Phalarope. Even more rare were Eared Dove, White-winged Tern, Common Tern, Black Skimmer, Eurasian Spoonbill, and Northern Wheatear.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Feral Pigeon, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Common Ground Dove, Zenaida Dove, Black Swift, Green-throated Carib, Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Common Gallinule, Black-necked Stilt, Black-bellied Plover, American Golden-Plover, Collared Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Stilt Sandpiper, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Phalarope, Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Willet, Lesser Yellowlegs, Laughing Gull, Kelp Gull, Least Tern, Roseate Tern, Red-billed Tropicbird, Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Glossy Ibis, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Caribbean Elaenia, Gray Kingbird, Caribbean Martin, Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Shiny Cowbird, Carib Grackle, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Bananaquit, Barbados Bullfinch, Black-faced Grassquit
Other Wildlife
This is probably not the place to see any mammals, which anyway are introduced on the island. You would expect to find anoles in the area.
Site Information
History and Use
There are a few foundations of buildings and fencing that indicate the area has been used for sheep farming and possibly habitation in the past.
Areas of Interest
During the fall shorebird migration, the temporary ponds are the main attraction. However, a trail leading west of the Animal Flower Cave can also be worthwhile.
Access and Facilities
There is road access to the Animal Flower Cave area which has a large parking area when they are open. Midway between them and the public road there is a gravel road exiting east of the access road which leads in between the temporary ponds. If parking at the Animal Flower Cave, there is pedestrian access to the area with ponds and in addition, there is a trail leading west of their area along the cliffs that also might be worthwhile.
Contact Details
See link to website for Animal Flower Cave under external links.
External Links
- WEBsite of Animal Flower Cave which occupies part of the North Point
- Ebird observations at North Point
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2023) North point (Barbados). In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 December 2023 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/North_point_(Barbados)
