Abaco National Park

Abaco National Park protects nearly 20,000 acres of Caribbean pine forest and limestone scrub in the southern part of Great Abaco. It was established primarily to protect the Bahama parrot (also called the Abaco parrot), an endemic subspecies that was pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat loss and nest predation. Birders come specifically for this bird, which is easier to spot here than almost anywhere else in the Bahamas.

The park is accessed by a dirt road that branches off the main Queen's Highway south of Crossing Rocks. There is no infrastructure inside — no visitor centre, no marked trails — but the pine forest is open and easy to walk through. Go in the morning for the best chance of hearing and seeing the parrots; they're noisiest around dawn. The road into the park is passable in a regular car in dry weather but can become boggy after rain.

things to do sight wildlife
A story
The Abaco parrot is one of the few parrot species in the world that nests underground, in the limestone cavities of the pine forest floor. This habit — unusual for parrots, which typically nest in tree hollows — evolved in the Abacos where ground-level nesting cavities are plentiful and aerial predators are few. The birds were nearly wiped out by feral cats and habitat clearance but have recovered under park protection.