16 Feb 2026 - 01 Mar 2026 (14 days)
USD8,995 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Lev Frid
Tour Leader: Ryan Chenery
Tour price (Per person): USD8,995 * GBP7,158 * EUR8,624 * AUD14,390
Single Supplement: USD950 * GBP756 * EUR911 * AUD1,520
Flight costs: USD2,310 * GBP1,838 * EUR2,215 * AUD3,695
An epic adventure covering 6 countries and 10 islands, taking in all the single island and Lesser Antillean Endemics. Made up of the southerly Windward and the northerly Leeward Islands, the Lesser Antilles are the last frontier of Caribbean birding. These volcanic islands on the edge of the Caribbean Plate are the gateway between the harsh Atlantic Ocean and the warm, tranquil Caribbean Sea. Originally settled by the Taino of South America, the islands have played host to multiple colonisers from the Caribs to the more modern European giants of Britain, France and the Netherlands. Through multiple wars, slavery, epidemics, natural and man-made destruction, the island’s wildlife has managed to escape mostly intact, but equally lives a precarious existence that can be wiped out by a single event.
Starting from Barbados, the most easterly of the islands we embark on numerous short hops to Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Barbuda and ultimately Antigua. Hosting 18 single island endemics, 10 Lesser Antillean endemics, 9 Caribbean endemics and upwards of 43 endemics sub-species (with many liable to be full splits), this travel intensive, but birding relaxed tour appeals to the birder, twitcher and photographer alike. Gaudy birds, picture postcard beaches, turquoise seas, rugged landscapes and friendly locals make this tour one of our birding highlights.
2024 Tour itinerary (routing & tour length) are likely to change due to logistics and availability of local airlines.
St. Vincent, Red-necked, Imperial & St. Lucia Amazons, Barbados & Lesser Antillean Bullfinches, Green-throated & Purple-throated Caribs, Antillean Crested & Blue-headed Hummingbirds, West Indian Whistling Duck, Grenada Dove, Lesser Antillean Swift, Caribbean Elaenia, Grenada Flycatcher, Lesser Antillean Tanager, Whistling, Plumbeous, Barbuda & St. Lucia Warblers, Brown & Grey Tremblers, Cocoa & Forest Thrush, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Scaly-breasted Thrasher, St. Lucia Black Finch, St. Lucia, Montserrat & Martinique Orioles, Lesser Antillean Pewee, Rufous Nightjar, Lesser Antillean Saltator, Antillean Euphonia, Guadeloupe Woodpecker, Bridled Quail-Dove.
Short-finned Pilot, Humpback & False Killer Whales.
tropical islands, beaches, volcanic foothills, forest
tropical
8 with 2 Rockjumper Leaders
relaxed with some moderate walks
good to very good
easy, with some tricky species
stunning local cuisine, deserted beaches
good to excellent
This tour far exceeded our expectations. The pace was mostly fast, and many days were long with early starts, but we fully expected this for an endemic search tour; but we still managed lots of comradery, jokes, and cocktail time. We fulfilled our tour goal of finding all the endemic island species plus most of the endemic subspecies, including those that are most likely to be split in the future. We also got to sample the local culture and food of every island. Our tour was extremely productive and a very fun trip. We had a very experienced group of participants, and everyone was pleased with the tour. Our leaders were exceptional. Forrest Rowland and Ryan Chenery made an excellent team. Both are very knowledgeable, personable, and funny, as well as expert birders. Their knowledge of the species was profound. They worked hard to find each target and to make sure that everyone got on the birds. On several islands, we also had local leaders/drivers who were top-notch birders. They thoroughly knew their local species habits and vocalizations. The Lesser Antilles are Ryans domain; he expertly planned and conducted the tour. When you lead a group of people to ten different islands in 14 days via airplanes, ferries, and speedboats, you know that various matters will require attention and Ryan adeptly dealt with all issues that cropped up, most of which were not even apparent to us. Thanks, also, to Ryans wife Alexandria, who we got meet on their home island of Barbados, who ran the back-office logistics dealing with confirmations and handling real-time changes, as needed. The team of Forrest, Ryan, and Alex kept everything running smoothly and seamlessly. The Rockjumper home office also did a great job of handling the registration and payment processes and all associated travel paperwork and communications. This was our first Rockjumper tour, but it certainly wont be our last.
We have travelled with Rockjumper many times and have been totally satisfied. However, this trip was easily the best we have experienced. We saw many birds we have not seen before, but the highlight was the way in which the tour was run. We have travelled with Adam before. This time we found his knowledge amazing despite the fact that he had never been there before. Ryan was different in that he lives in this part of the world and his birding knowledge was extraordinary. Add to that his ability to organise all other aspects of the tour made life so much easier for us.
A fantastic trip with Ryan Chenery and Adam Walleyn, just the logistics of this trip are mind blowing and seeing ALL the endemic birds out of this world.
When a tour leader like Ryan Chenery represents your company, you know you've got a good thing going. Sometimes you run across a leader who knows the birds and their songs, handles the logistics seamlessly, is always upbeat and has a sense of humor. Ryan has all those attributes and exemplifies what I want in a leader.
This trip was exceptional. It exceeded our expectations in every way. The two guides, Ryan and Adam were outstanding in every aspect and greatly complemented each other. I highly recommend both of them. There is a fair amount of logistics involved in this trip and everything was well planned, with back up plans if needed. There was a great chemistry among the group, and even though our group varied from intense, hard-core birders to those that were a little more easy going, everyone got along great and the leaders worked well with everyone, helping everyone see all the birds and having a great time while doing it. This is a trip designed to see the endemics of the area and that is what the focus is. The total number of birds seen is certainly less than other trips, but the quality of the birds seen is amazing.