STORY:
Jamaica has about 150 resident species of bird, of which 29 are endemic (only found here). You can see nearly 110 species in Cockpit Country, including at least 35 Neotropical migrants and 28 of the endemic species -- the highest concentration of endemics anywhere on the island.
MARKET APPEAL:
Bird-watching (tends to be more casual) and Birding (more-serious and includes recognising birds by their calls) have large followings in North America and Europe and their activities help support protection of natural areas. In 2006, wildlife watchers in the US spent USD 44.7 billion. Bird watchers, however, are often independent types who do not want an individual, guided tour but prefer to follow notes and reports from other birders. The obvious market niche for Cockpit Country communities is to provide local accommodation so that the birder can easily be up and about for the dawn chorus or on-site to hear the nocturnal birds.
RESOURCES:
There are many guide books to Jamaica’s birds, including Raffaele et al.’s Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Local knowledge of the birds’ behaviours, types of foods they consume, stories associated with local names (e.g. the Red-billed Streamertail = Doctorbird), folklore (e.g.if someone dies in the forest, the Jamaican Tody will be the first to find you) etc. will be of interest to visitors.