The brown pelican (Pelecanus o. occidentalis).

Found only in Jamaica, the Jamaican Tody (Todus todus) is a small and colourful bird, predominantly green above, with a red throat and yellow underparts, with some pink on the sides. It has a large head and a long, flat bill. It perches on small branches, with its bills unturned and, like its Cuban relative (the Cuban Tody), takes insects, larvae, and fruit. The Jamaican Tody nests in burrows, which it excavates in muddy banks or rotten wood.

The Masked Yellowthroat, it is 13.2 cm long and weighs 13 g. It has yellow-green upperparts, bright yellow underparts, and a mainly black bill. The adult male has a black facemask, bordered above with a grey band. The female is similar, but lacks the black mask.

The loggerhead kingbird is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family. It is found in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and, very rarely, in the United States

A grackle found throughout the greater antilles as well as smaller, nearby islands. Like all quiscalus grackles, it is a rather large, gregarious bird. the 27 cm long male is glossy black with a large tail; the 24 cm long female has a smaller tail and is similar in colour but less glossy than the male. It lives largely in heavily settled areas

The leafcutter ant; They get their name from the way they cut leaves from trees, which they then haul back to their nest. They do not eat the leaves, but instead they use it as compost to grow a particular type of fungus that does not grow anywhere other than in leafcutter ant nests. The ants eat the fungus, and feed it to their young. The fungus is grown in football sized chambers inside the nest. There can be 300 or more of these chambers inside the nest, and all of the earthworks to build them might involve the removal of 18,000kg of earth during the lifetime of the nest.

A large venomous member of the pit viper species found in Belize and Central America. Scientific name: Bothrops asper

Turkey vulture or black vulture. A large carrion feeding bird of prey with a turkey-like bald red or black head.

The Arrowhead Warbler (Setophaga pharetra) is a species of bird in the Parulidae family. It is endemic to Jamaica. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

The Black and White warbler. A small insectivore bird of the genus Minotilta.

A mongrel dog. A dog of indeterminate breed.

A species of bird in the Fringillidae family. It is found in Cayman Islands and Jamaica. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.

Bothrops atrox; A South American venomous pit viper species. This species is very dangerous and is the cause of more human fatalities than any reptile in the Americas.

Bothrops lanceolatus; A venomous pit viper species generally considered endemic to the island of Martinique

The St. Lucia lancehead. A venomous pit viper species found only in St. Lucia.

The Wattled Jacana is a wader which is a resident breeder from western Panama and Trinidad south through most of South America east of the Andes. The jacanas are a group of wetland birds, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws that enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone.

The bobolink - a new World blackbird around 8 inches long. The birds are mostly black, with the males showing a yellow or cream coloured nape.

Avocado. Edible pear shaped or round fruit with an egg shaped seed. The flesh is green on the outside and turns yellow closer to the seed.

Ziziphus Mauritania; A small round berry about 3/4 inches in diameter. The fruit is green and turns yellow as it ripens. Ripe fruit may occasionally develop a rust brown colour and a cracked texture. The unripe fruit is firm and slightly acidic, and grows softer and mushier when it ripens. The berries have a single hard seed.

Tree and fruit native to the Pacific Islands and Malaysia that was brought to the West Indies in the 18th century. The fruit is large with a rough green skin with small hexagonal markings. Some varieties have a spiky exterior. The flesh is white, cream coloured or yellow and has a high starch content. It is eaten boiled, roasted, or fried as a staple food.

The fruit of the Flacourtia indica which is a species of flowering plant native to much of Africa and tropical and temperate parts of Asia. The fruit itself is a pome about an inch thick and red ripening purple. It is very fleshy and has 6 to 10 seeds in layered carpels. The pulp is yellow or white and sweet with an acidic tang. It is eaten raw or made in to jelly or jam. It can be fermented to make wine.

Otaheite apple; Pear shaped fruit with red skin and white flesh. Typically, they contain a single large seed. However, they may occasionally be seedless. The fruit is sweet and is usually eaten raw or used to make drinks.

Mexican Coriander. Eryngium foetidum is a tropical perennial and annual herb in the family Apiaceae used for seasoning and marinating food.

The tree and fruit of Terminalia catappa. It is a large tree (up to 115ft in height), often grown for ornamental purposes and the shade provided by its broad leaves. Parts of the fruit are edible, including the inner seed which resembles almonds in shape and taste.

A creeping herb whose leaves close up and droop when touched - reopening within minutes. Scientific name: Mimosa pudica (Sensitive Plant).

A variety of bitter melon plant (Momordica charantia). A vine bearing a small bumpy skinned yellow or orange fruit. The leaves are used to make a bitter herbal tea that his regarded for its medicinal and purgative properties

This is the fruit of a medium to evergreen tree, endemic of the Antilles with a wide canopy of big, oval leaves. Its wood is hard, firm, strong and very heavy, so it is widely used to build furniture and light posts. Rounded fruit, with a sparse, sweetish pulp, are yellow-orange with creamy taste, sometimes mushy, with a delightful and delicate flavor.

Canistel; A bright yellow ovoid fruit with a pointed tip. It is related to the sapodilla and is edible. The flesh tends to be dryer than other sapodillas and the texture is similar to that of a hardboiled egg yolk.

Pomegranate. Botanical name Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between 5 and 8 m (16 and 26 ft) tall

The Giant Granadilla, it is the largest of the passionfruits, plants of the genus Passiflora. It is a perennial native of Tropical America, having smooth, cordate, ovate or acuminate leaves; petioles bearing from 4 to 6 glands; an emetic and narcotic root; scented flowers; and a large, oblong fruit, containing numerous seeds, imbedded in a subacid edible pulp.

Eggplant. A species of nightshade grown for its edible fruit.

A mango cultivar prized for its rich taste.

The Victoria Regia water lily. The national flower of Guyana.

A small, but hot chili pepper used for cooking. The peppers range in colour from green to red.

Lychee - a sweet fruit native to China. It is similar in structure to the [w=guinep]guinep[/w]. The outside is covered by a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily removed. The inside consists of a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh, rich in vitamin C, with a texture somewhat similar to that of a grape.

Any green leafy vegetable such as callaloo or spinach.

A light cake made with white flour and mixed fruits.

Pineapple - a tropical plant with edible multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries, named for resemblance to the pine cone.

A fried batter made from a mix of flour, [w=saltfish]saltfish[/w], onions, peppers and other spices

The dorado or mahi-mahi; A blue-green and yellowish food fish.

The tree and fruit of Artocarpus heterophyllus. It is related to the [w=breadfruit]breadfruit[/w] and [w=breadnut]breadnut[/w]. The tree produces the worlds largest tree borne fruit - up to 80lbs and 3 feet long. Much of the fruit is starchy and fibrous. However, the seeds are surrounded by a sweet, pleasant tasting flesh. The seeds themselves are also edible after roasting or boiling.

Small red fruits of the Cordia collococca tree, that grows in bunches. They can be sweet, but have a stainy taste and an astringent effect.

Any starchy agricultural product used as food. Examples include, but are not limited to, yams, potatoes, bananas, cassava, pumpkins, and breadfruit.

A preparation of pulses (dried beans) or yellow peas which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split.

The finished dish cooked with turmeric, garlic, onions, pepper and geera. Pureed at end with a dhal to a soup-like consistency. Usually served with rice, or drank as a soup.

A sweet dessert made from flour and cream of wheat.

An edible round, ovoid, or cone shaped fruit around 6-10 cm in diameter, with a lumpy skin. The skin colour changes from bright green to a pale whitish-green as the fruit ripens. The sweet flesh is white or very pale yellow, and has a custard-like texture. Hard , shiny brownish black seeds are spread throughout the insides.

A breakfast porridge made with cornmeal as a primary ingredient. It may also include milk, coconut milk, sugar, and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.

Sweets made by rolling balls of tamarind flesh with sugar and/or spices such as pepper and salt.

Derogatory term for a person of ill repute.

An expression of shock, surprise, frustration, or annoyance.

A modifier used to intensify meanings of words.

A body part intended to be the target of a vicious, brutal blow.

An insertion or substitute for arbitrary words used to add forceful emphasis to expressions.

Any of several species of stinging nettle plants. Contact with human skin causes great discomfort.

A ritually prepared meal of rice intended to trap (tie) a man in a romantic relationship. Women prepare the meal by cooking rice and squatting over the steaming pot allowing the mix of condensation and bodily juices to "sweat" into the rice.

An exclamation of shock, surprise, anger, or frustration.

Prone to tears. Easily upset. Cries quickly and often.

A black person of ill repute, poor morals, or bad character

A man who obsessively seduces and deceives women. A promiscuous heterosexual male.

An insulting gesture where one person catches the eyes or gaze of another then turns her eyes and gaze away in an exaggerated motion

To look at someone from the corners of your eyes

Does anyone know the etymology, where it comes from? Backra and bekes (thaht we use in Guadalupe) are very close to, are they related?

Both Cassidy (Dictionary of Jamaican English) and Allsop (Dictionary of Caribbean English) say it's a form of the word for "white man" among the Efik people. The word is used throughout the English speaking Caribbean and among the Gullah/Geechee people of South Carolina. In modern Caribbean usage it refers to any person in authority; usually one's employer.

Bakra in Surnamese is white person from the Netherlands.

Bakra means white people. She fader dem a Bakra.

yes we say bakra in belize. it is also considered offensive to be called a backra. it's like saying your spoiled and white. mon yu de wan backra!

Bakra means white people. Suriname was a colony of the English first, before the English and Dutch signed a treaty and it was switched with the Dutch for Guyana. According to my grandma the word was already in existence, but Surinames call most white from the Netherlands bakra, they are the lnes who mostly came to the country.

Bakra actually mean (Back Raw) from when slave masters use to whip slaves over their back until the skin on their back were torn, so their skin became raw. thus came the name Bakra (Back Raw). So hence the name "Bakra Man" - Raw Back Man was the man doing the whipping. I was taught that by a wise old man about 60 years ago, I'm 68 now.

In surinam bakra just stand for white person wich started during time of colonisation of surinam then referring to the white slave owners but then became a word for the white people in general..

I remember hearing that it meant..if you're poor,you sat in the back row, thus backra

Any white person, particularly one in a position of power or authority.

A dictionary of Caribbean life. Here you can find words, definitions, pictures, proverbs and sayings.