Martinique Wildlife & Marine Life
On the French Caribbean island of Martinique wildlife and marine life are fascinating – around 200 species of birds have been recorded, and around 225 reef fishes have been identified in the waters around Martinique.
Wildlife on the French Caribbean island of Martinique includes the West Indian Manatee, bat, snake (Martinique Racer, Martinique Thread snake), lizard species (Lesser Martinique Skink, Great Martinique Skink, Martinique Anole), Volcano frog (endemic), around 46 species of beetle
Birds in Martinique
There are around 200 bird species in Martinique which include the rare black-bellied Whistling Duck and Fulvous Whistling Duck as well as the endangered West Indian Whistling Duck. Also in Martinique are Black-browed Albatross, Shearwater (Cory’s, Sooty, Great, Audubon’s), American Oystercatcher, duck (Masked, Ruddy, Ring-necked), Pintail (White-cheeked, Northern), Mallard, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, Kestrel (Common, American), Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Osprey, Broad-winged Hawk, Harrier (Northern/Hen), Swift, Swallow (several species), Hooded Merganser, Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, Petrel (Wilson’s Storm, Leach’s Storm), Grebe (Pied-billed), Glossy Ibis, Brown Pelican, Egret (Cattle, Snowy, Little), Heron (Little Blue, Tricoloured/Louisiana, Great Blue, Green, Black-crowned Night, Yellow-crowned Night), Martinique Oriole, Magnificent Frigate bird, Tropicbird (Red-billed, White-tailed), Black-winged Stilt, several species of Plover, Northern Lapwing, several species of Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Godwit (Hudsonian, Marbled), Brown Noddy, several species of Tern and Gull, Dove (several species), Brown-throated Parakeet, Cuckoo (Yellow-billed, Mangrove), Nighthawk, Carib, Hummingbird (Antillean Crested, Blue-headed), Kingfisher, Lesser Antillean Flycatcher and Pewee, Elaenia, Vireo, House Wren, Mockingbird, Thrasher, Thrush, Warbler (many species), Bananaquit, Grassquit, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch. To find out more about birds in the region generally, go to the Caribbean Birdwatching & Birds page in the Caribbean Leisure Activities section.
In all around 225 reef fishes have been identified in the waters around Martinique, regularly spotted are the Bluehead, Brown Chromis, Trumpet fish, French grunt, Blackbar soldierfish, Bicolor and yellow-tail damselfish, Yellowhead wrasse, sea bass, Sharpnose puffer, Spanish hogfish, Sergeant major, Redband parrotfish, Blue tang, Bridled goby, Tomtate, Graysby, Coney. There are also chars, butterfly fish, surgeon fish, balloon fish, trigger fish, sea urchin, porpoise, shark, swordfish, barracuda, Moray Eel, porpoise and several species of sea turtle and and whale.
Caribbean wildlife books
If Caribbean wildlife in general, as well as Martinique wildlife, is of interest to you, you will probably enjoy our Caribbean Book Reviews section as we have reviewed several Caribbean wildlife books.
Explore Martinique… ♥ the Caribbean
Images on this Martinique Wildlife & Marine Life page are copyright of Luc Olivier for the Martinique Tourist Board, Atout France, IAGTO (accommodation), www.linda-jackson.co.uk