Faraaz Abdool speaks in defence of the cocrico, which has flourished alongside Tobago’s development. What better credentials for a national bird?

TT is a unique and gifted nation. We are arguably the only country in the world with two national birds.

Others have additional birds as national symbols, as do we, in the form of

the hummingbird; 366 species of these glittering gems are scattered across the Americas, 18 of which can be found on our islands. On our coat of arms, the scarlet ibis is prominently featured opposite the rufous-vented chachalaca, two national birds for two islands in one nation.

As national birds, both creatures are supposed to enjoy a degree of protection and veneration. Yet one of these has drawn the ire of many; an issue which is as complex as our history.

Though it's known worldwide as the rufous-vented chachalaca, we learned about it as the “cocrico” in schools. Both chachalaca and cocrico are onomatopoeic names, meant to replicate the raucous sound the bird makes. According to the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, the designation of this bird as the national bird of Tobago was made as it was a “native of Tobago…but is not found on Trinidad.” On the official website for the national birds of TT, there is a photo of a scarlet ibis, but none of the cocrico. Two grossly outdated “alternative” names are offered for the cocrico on this website: “red-tailed guan” and “rufous-tailed chachalaca.”

These subtle actions do little to elevate the standing of the cocrico among locals, and recently a prominent public official insisted that this “awful, unacceptable bird” should be removed from our coat of arms. He continued that the cocrico is a “destructive pest” with “no redeeming features” – a fact that our current prime minister addressed in August 2024 with the sterling advice to “shoot three-quarter of them.”

It is, however, illegal to kill the cocrico, given its status as national bird.

[caption id="attachment_1141224" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The ornate hawk-eagle is one of the most beautiful birds of prey on Earth, but has been exterminated from Tobago. - Photo by Faraaz Abdool[/caption]

It is difficult to spend time on Tobago and not encounter the cocrico, so there is some level of empathy for those who have their crops raided and sleep-in Sundays ruined by these very social birds. As with all things, we must look into the past for some level of rational understanding regarding our present situation. Surely, before the arrival of humans, there was equilibrium. An over-preponderance of any species – especially on an island – would spell disaster.

Given that the cocricos have exploded in population, what caused this? And are we the authors of our own annoyance?

Unlike the mud-probing, crustacean-devouring scarlet ibis on Trinidad, the cocrico feeds on a variety of fruits, shoots, and leaves. In its usual, pristine forest habitat, food availability is seasonal. During the wet season, fruit consumption peaks, this decreases during the leaner, drier months.

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