Our Clients Say…

Steven & Julie Houston, Cheshire, UK (Build Your Own tour to Barbados, St Lucia, Dominica and St Vincent. January 2024)

We just wanted to thank you both so much for the great trip that you organised for us. We had a great trip especially seeing all our targeted endemic birds.

The guides were all professional, competent, fun and focussed on making sure that we both had good views of the targeted birds.

We would both highly recommend using Birding the Islands to arrange trips in the lesser Antilles and we are looking forward to booking further trips to other islands in the lesser and greater Antilles with you.

The guides, requested accommodation type, food and overall experience were outstanding, Alex and Ryan clearly care about customer service and the overall experience of their clients.

We would highly recommend Birding the Islands for your birding experience and their organisational expertise.

Phil & Carolyn Hall, Norfolk, UK (Build Your Own Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles tour. January 2024)

This has been an exceptionally wonderful and unique experience. Everything went like clockwork from our arrival to our final day. Being met by Ryan as we emerged from the arrivals hall was such a fantastic start to our trip. He made us feel very welcome. So often we have arrived somewhere and been left feeling anxious until a driver eventually materialises.

In fact every guide/driver who met us on all the islands was there to meet us as promised. This was so important to our experience. Travelling from island to island by sea and air was perfectly organised without any hiccups. Phil’s luggage wasn’t put on the flight to Montserrat but it arrived as promised the next morning. It was not a major problem.

The daily updates and little tips from Alex were particularly helpful especially when knowing the local way to board and disembark the inter island ferries.

The accommodation, always clean and comfortable, was carefully planned to be as convenient as possible for access to airports/ferry ports. We appreciated that there were no long road journeys through heavy traffic to get to the departure points.

We learnt a lot from the guides who shared with us the stories and histories of each island so that the trip became much more than a birding experience.

It was indeed a very successful birding trip in that we saw all the endemics bar one, the Grenada Dove. The guides were determined that we saw them all and went to great lengths to ensure this.

David, Mallory, Ava & Sidney Shackelford, Texas, USA (Build Your Own tour to St Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St Vincent. November 2022)

One word to describe The Shackelford Family Adventure: Caribbean Style - Ava: Lively! Sidney: Fantastic! David: Adventurous! Mallory: Connection!

Birding the Islands organized a magical experience for our family of four to some of the most amazing destinations the Caribbean has to offer. With such diverse interests, it is a tall task to build an itinerary that meets the expectations of experienced birders looking to clean up the island endemics and two kiddos with endless energy and curiosity. Somehow Alex and her team managed to build the ultimate Caribbean adventure, including the logistics of 5 different islands, plenty of beaches, rum, and luxurious accommodations. The guides we met forever changed the lives of our children and made a huge impression on their love of nature, learning, and culture. From catamaran rides to canyoning to mud baths, Birding the Islands ensured we made the best use of our time to make core memories as a family. 

Max Vollstadt and team, Copenhagen, Denmark (University of Copenhagen/University of Miami Research Expeditions to the Lesser Antilles, Trinidad & Tobago. April - June 2022 & February - May 2023)

We are an international team of ecologists focusing on questions around plant animal interactions and our main “study subjects” are birds.

We chose the islands of the Lesser Antilles as a study system, as they allow us to answer many questions we have. Islands are often considered “natural laboratories” since factors such as island size and isolation from the mainland allow for approaches that would not be possible in other places. Since our aim was to sample the communities of all major islands within the Lesser Antilles plus Trinidad and Tobago, 15 islands in total. It was clear that our main (non-scientific) challenge would be to figure out the logistics of travelling from island to island and finding accommodation, transport, etc.

Luckily, we stumbled across “Birding the Islands” early in the planning stage, and it was clear that this would be the perfect solution for us. “Birding the Islands” have years of experience travelling across these islands, they are specialized on birding (as the name implies) and they offer solutions to the problems we were facing.

Naturally, we contacted them and explained what we were looking for. Alex, who is designing itineraries, sourcing accommodation and otherwise taking care of all the logistics behind such a trip, very quickly put a journey together for us. Alex’s solution included all the inter-island transfers, accommodation on each island, rental cars, etc. 

If we would have had to take care of all these things on our own, we would have needed ages to figure it out. There are so many details to consider when you want to travel across 15 islands. What is the best way to get from one island to the next – ferry or plane? Are transports operating on a daily basis? Where can we stay on each island, so that we are closest to the forest/area that we are most interested in? What is a trustworthy accommodation? Where do we get our rental car from? And many others. Alex just put a document together with an itinerary and all of these questions were solved. All we had to do was pack our bags and enjoy the ride.

Alex was always available for questions, always cheerful and positive and always found solutions to any of the problems and challenges we faced. Even when we had to change the itinerary in the middle of the trip, she managed it for us and helped us find a way.

We cannot stress enough how valuable this was for our project. Alex’s input completely freed us from all the logistics and allowed us to focus on the science and on the birding. A big part of the success of this project is due to the help we received from “Birding the Islands”.

Alex and the rest of the team are simply amazing and everyone who wants to go on a birding trip in the East Caribbean should definitely go and talk to them. They will 100% make your trip an unforgettable experience!

Jim Stratton and Craig Austin, Alaksa, USA (Birding the Islands June 2022 trip: Every Endemics in the Lesser Antilles with Trinidad and Tobago extension)

You'll laugh, smile and get your target bird!!

This was one of the best natural history trips we've ever taken. We did the Lesser Antilles endemic tour including Trinidad and Tobago. Saw them all. Amazing. Ryan is one of the brightest, most engaging guides we've ever had and we bird/travel all over the world. He is local and worldly all at the same time. He knows everyone in the Caribbean bird business, so his local guides are the best. And when travel plans need adjusting, which they often do, he knows just the right people and cheerfully solves the problem. No drama or stress. His sense of humor will keep you in stitches. He just published his own bird guide to the region so he knows his birds and focuses on getting all his clients on the target with the tenacious attention of a bird dog.

David and Sondra Porter, Alaska & Arizona, USA (Birding the Islands June 2022 trip: Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles with Trinidad & Tobago extension)

Goin' birding with Ryan Chenery? Hold on tight to your bins! It's gonna be some trip! Ryan is the most energy-laden guide you will ever find. Need all the endemic birds in the Lesser Antilles, as we did? He's got 'em. You'll hear exclamations, like "OH, YOU BEAUTY...AMAZING... LOOK AT THAT COLOR!" Sometimes you wonder if he'll scare the birds away. But, he doesn't; he produces what you want to see. Combine all that with good to great lodging, good to great food, great local guides and mandatory rum punches on each island, and you've got an unforgettable adventure. You gotta go!

Terry Anderson, Kentucky, USA (Birding the Islands April 2019 trip: Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles)

I have had an interest in the cultures of the Caribbean Islands for a long time and since I became an avid birder I wondered how I could visit these islands and also look for birds. I was stymied until a friend told me about  the company Birding the Islands run by Ryan Chenery that did that ! I signed onto the April 13-25,2019 trip Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles and was amazed at the birds we saw ( yes we got every endemic ) and was able to experience these islands cultures to boot. I highly recommend going on this trip with Ryan, he has a fun spirit, is a great birder who is keen on finding birds and has an in-depth knowledge of each island. An unforgettable experience.

Gunda Narang, New York, USA (Birding the Islands April 2019 trip: Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles)

Ten Islands in 13 Days - Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles was thoroughly enjoyable, worry free, and a great experience. 

Ryan made everyone feel welcome, was very well organized, and handled the various and complicated tour arrangements and group dynamics, such as transportation by air, water and road, accommodation, and food, seemingly with ease.  All of us benefited from his deep knowledge of birds and life and history of the different islands.  He made sure that every participant had as good a look as possible of every bird in question and that no one had missed anything.   Ryan is very personable and has a lot of humor which makes traveling with him a true pleasure.

Ronald Cicerello - Kentucky, USA (Birding the Islands April 2019 trip: Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles)

I had a great time birding the Lesser Antilles with Ryan and seeing all the endemics and more – as promised! Ryan and his able and interesting local guides know the birds and where to find them. Logistics for this ten-island tour could be challenging, but Ryan’s attention to detail made for smooth boat and air transits. Our lodgings were quiet and comfortable, and meals were diverse, including seafood and a welcome sampling of island specialities. Ryan’s positive attitude and pride in island culture are contagious. Birding with him was pure fun. If you want to see all the Lesser Antillean endemics, and sample some excellent rum, go local and choose Ryan. You cannot do better.

Gerry Hinchcliffe, Surrey, United Kingdom (Birding the Islands April 2019 trip: Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles)

Some years ago I tried to organise a Lesser Antilles trip myself, but although some of it was easy, there were several parts that just wouldn’t work. On Ryan’s tour everything worked and I was very pleased I went! Ryan, the Bajan Birder, is a very personable fellow who really cares about the needs of his clients and knows the islands well, through his repeated visits. None of the walks were too long or too exhausting and there was plenty of interest as each island was very different to the next. We didn’t miss a single endemic, even though a couple of them can be very tricky. In the next few years Ryan plans to run tours to other destinations and we are looking forward to joining him.

Keith and Jade Lovell, Bermuda (Birding the Islands Feb.2018 trip: Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles including Trinidad extension)

We recently enjoyed a wonderful trip to the Lesser Antilles with Ryan Chenery, The Bajan Birder, and cannot praise him and the experience enough.  Ryan’s attention to every detail made the trip a joy, allowing us to focus on each moment of this epic adventure to ‘find the bird’! 

On each island we were met by Ryan’s local contacts to ensure the best opportunity to locate all of the endemics of that island.  In addition, we saw a variety of other wildlife both on land and by boat.

Travelling with Ryan was a great way to visit a number of diverse islands without a worry.  Our air and boat travel were made easy.  Accommodations were both comfortable and varied, and we liked that Ryan included a wide variety of food, allowing us to sample some of the local delights.

In summary, we returned home happy, healthy and with mission accomplished…we got the birds!

Tour group size was limited to 6; the group consisting of a cross section of birders from big listers to casual birders, Ryan kept this diverse group enthused with rare and endemic birds, ocean mammals, snakes and bats as well as tales of the exotic Caribbean and rum punches.  As for birds all the Lesser Antillean and both Trinidad endemics were seen except the invisible Martinique Oriole, c’est la vie. In summary strongly recommend this tour with a Caribbean specialist company for all birders and wildlife enthusiasts irrespective of objectives.

Shane Woolbright, New Mexico, USA (Birding the Islands Feb. 2018 trip: Every Endemic in the Lesser Antilles)

Anyone who has tried to develop a birding trip to pick up the endemics across the islands of the Lesser Antilles knows those 29 birds require visits to ten islands, and that means quite a lot of logistical effort to find flights, boats, and local guides at each island, let alone finding car rental, hotel, restaurants.  So I abandoned my planning efforts to plan a birding trip to finish up my Caribbean list and took the Lesser Antilles birding trip with Ryan Chenery and his company Birding the Islands Ltd.  In 12 days Ryan directed our group through 10 islands, had drivers waiting for us at each airport or boat dock, and was able to have all of the birds that one would want to find in these islands in view, less a few pelagic species desired but not found.  But while pelagics were few, we had good views of six species of whales and several dolphins.  Accommodations were fine.  In fact, we were shocked that on the devastated island of Dominica we were able to stay in new digs with electricity.  Here we also had meals from local gardens and fresh chicken or pork as there were no restaurants.  Breakfast and lunch were often on the go, but dinners were always quite good with differing food choices on each island.  This would seem to be the best way to put away a bunch of islands and their endemics.

Patricia E. Bradley - Birding the Islands client and author of Birds of The Cayman Islands and An Inventory of Breeding Seabirds of the Caribbean

Ryan Chenery is an outstanding birdwatching guide for endemic, indigenous and migrant birds of his native Barbados and the islands of the Eastern Caribbean. Add to this his knowledge of the region’s topography, habitats and people, makes travelling with him a unique and exciting experience. Whether to one island or several, I found his professional and organizational skills excellent and I cannot recommend him too highly. And we always found the birds!