Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us in our virtual “From the Nest” edition! Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Bridled Quail-Dove
The Bridled Quail-Dove is a mostly orange-brown dove with a white stripe below its eye. Its mournful who whooo call can usually be heard in May during peak breeding season. It is endemic to the West Indies and can be found in forested areas where it forages on the ground for seeds, fruits and the occasional gecko. They use their bill to toss aside leaf litter while searching for food.
It is exciting to see this species because they are quite shy and afraid of humans. If you’re lucky enough to see one, move slowly or stand very still and you may get a glimpse of its shimmering turquoise neck feathers. More often than not, the quail-dove will walk away rather than fly, allowing you a little time to admire its beauty.
The Bridled Quail-Dove is found in the Lesser Antilles, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Its natural habitats are tropical dry forests or moist lowland forests. It is considered uncommon or rare everywhere in its range and isolated populations are declining. Habitat loss from development and hurricanes threaten this species, as well as predation by cats and rats.
Unfortunately, not much is known about the quail-dove due to its secretive nature, but BirdsCaribbean is working with partners to try to learn more about its status on different islands and how we can help. If you want to help too, you can start by teaching others about this bird, as well as supporting conservation of forests in the Caribbean where it occurs.Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Bridled Quail-Dove!
Download the page from Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the drawing above or photo below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Bridled Quail-Dove
The Bridled Quail-Dove call is a mournful who-whooo, on one pitch or descending towards the end, getting loudest in the middle of the second syllable, and then trailing off. Note that there is also a Zenaida Dove calling in this recording; it’s call is coo-oo, coo, coo, coo, the second syllable rising sharply.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Bridled Quail-Doves forage on the forest floor but they frequently perch on rocks or downed tree trunks to rest and preen. (Photo by Hannah Madden)Bridled Quail-dove (Geotrygon mystacea) in the Quill (photo by Hannah Madden)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Complete our All About Birds Crossword Puzzle! How many words do you know? If you need help, check out our Glossary for some definitions that will help you complete this puzzle. And here is a the Answer Key to the puzzle.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us in our virtual “From the Nest” edition! Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Bananaquit
Sugar Bird, Banana Bird, See-see Bird, Beeny Bird—these are all affectionate nicknames for our beloved Bananaquit. The Bananaquit is a small, friendly songbird found throughout the Caribbean (except mainland Cuba), and parts of Central and South America.
They are distinctive birds with down-curved bills, black upperparts, bright yellow belly, and a conspicuous white eyebrow. Their plumage color varies greatly across the Caribbean, however, with more than 41 recognized subspecies! Features such as the color of the throat (white, gray, or black), length of the bill, and amount of yellow on the belly vary. On Saint Vincent and Grenada, Bananaquits can even be entirely black!
Bananaquits are gregarious and are often found noisily foraging in large groups. Although they occur in nearly all habitats, they are especially common in gardens, parks, and other suburban areas where flowers are abundant. They are energetic birds, flitting from flower to flower in their search for nectar, their main diet. They also eat insects and insect larvae.
The Bananaquit’s nickname, Sugar Bird, comes from its fondness for bowls stocked with sugar, a common method of attracting these birds. Bananaquits can hang upside down to reach the nectar from flowers. And they sometimes “steal” nectar, piercing flowers from the side, to take the nectar without pollinating the plant. Despite this sneaky behavior, we all love this friendly songster; note that it is the logo bird for BirdsCaribbean! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Bananaquit!
Download the page from Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the drawing above or photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFFromTheNest
Listen to the song of the Bananaquit
The bananaquit’s song is a rapid series of high-pitched, shrill, unmelodious squeaks which is heard most noisily while foraging in groups.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
The Bananaquit’s main diet is nectar. (Photo by Roger Zachary)Bananaquits feasting on bananas. (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Many birds can be recognized by their size, the way they stand or fly, or the shape of their body. Depending on the light, sometimes all you can see is the outlined shape of a bird – this is called a silhouette. Try our bird identification quiz! Try to notice any clues about these silhouettes that may help you figure out what type of bird they are, simply based on their shape! FOR ADULTS: Why are there so many different subspecies of Bananaquits throughout the Caribbean? And how did they become “superstars”? Learn more about this fascinating bird in this fun article published in ZiNG magazine, LIAT Airline’s in-flight magazine. (Birdscaribbean contributes articles on birds and nature to each issue). Download the PDF.
HAPPY EARTH DAY! On this 50th Anniversary of Earth Day and during these incredibly difficult days, we are thinking of all of our friends around the world and hope everyone is safe and healthy. Earth Day is a great time to reflect on how important the natural world is to all of us and the simple actions that we can all take to reduce our impacts. And while we are home-bound, we can learn to better know and appreciate the birds and nature in our own backyards.
To say that the times are challenging is an understatement. We are confused and fearful at times. Avoiding contact with others outside of our household is an unusual and difficult transition; we are social beings by nature. It is important that we find ways to adapt to this situation, so we protect our mental health, while preserving our physical health.
The most important piece of advice that can be given at this point, is to stay active. Although we may not be able to leave the confines of our yards, we cannot allow ourselves to sink into a state where all is gloom and doom. Apart from catching up on, or picking up new, hobbies such as reading, cooking, or learning a language, one of the easiest and quickest ways to lower stress and anxiety levels is to immerse yourself in nature. The natural world has not stopped. Whether COVID-19 is with us or not, taking the time to observe our surroundings does much to improve our health and well-being.
The majestic Broad-winged Hawk can often be seen atop street posts or on tree branches carefully surveying the ground beneath (Photo by Nick Hollands)
The Home Observatory
Many of us are “on lockdown” these days. Whether our home is a high-rise apartment in the city, a house with a garden, or a townhouse complex, we are spending almost all our time indoors. We are not encouraging anyone to break “stay home” orders designed for your own health and safety; but there are many simple ways you can be close to nature without any harmful side effects. Right from your window, patio, or back steps, you can observe the birds that pass by. You will likely start to see “new” birds! Sometimes these may be common residents, that you may have never observed properly before. It is almost as if you are seeing them for the first time.
Now is a great time to look for migrants that have started their journeys northward from the Caribbean. Look for warblers such as the lively American Redstart, the Black-and-White Warbler, or the attractive Prairie Warbler. Which migratory birds are still with us, and which ones are arriving? Make a note of the dates when you see a warbler for the first time, or a summer migrant, or a more unusual visitor that might just be passing through. It is a time of change in the bird world.
A Prairie Warbler male in striking breeding plumage. Prairie Warblers winter in the Caribbean and also pass through on migration. (Photo by Mark Tegges)
While some species are embarking on great journeys, other resident and endemic birds are settling down in yards and gardens across the region. It is springtime and that means the start of the breeding season for many. You may see a Bananaquit collecting nesting material in your yard. You can watch the amusing antics of the Loggerhead Kingbird darting for food for its young ones.
The handsome Loggerhead Kingbird is a common and widespread resident of pine forests in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the Cayman Islands. (Photo by Sergey Uryadnikov)
Some birds, such as Jamaica’s White-chinned Thrush, sing melodiously during the breeding season. Like the Red-legged Thrush, it is a common visitor at gardens and can be seen hopping along country roads looking for insects, lizards, and frogs to eat. And now, at dusk, you may hear the rasping call of the Antillean Nighthawk, chasing flying insects.
The Red-legged Thrush is found in the northern Bahamas, Hispaniola, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands, and Dominica. It is a common and year-round resident and visitor to gardens and yards. It hops along the ground looking for insects, fruits and small invertebrates to eat. (Photo by Dax Roman)
Bringing the Birds to You
So, what can we do to bring birds closer to us? We would suggest that you maintain your feeders and if you have the space in your yard, put up a bird bath or spray to attract birds to your yard. The birds will come to you, happily bathing. As the weather is beginning to heat up, birds get thirsty too, so you will find them sipping water.
Or what about the raptors? There are still quite a number around, including the intimidating Broad-winged or Red-tailed Hawks, that boldly announce their arrival with a loud scream. Or even the fearless American Kestrels. How about the majestic, commanding presence of one of our larger visiting raptors, the Osprey? Nature has not stood still; it is alive and vibrant all around us.
Ospreys are one of the many species of birds that you may be able to see as you observe nature from the safety of your home (Photo by Natalya Lawrence)
Now you have time. Lots of it. So, why not spend it setting up an eBird account? (If you are in the Caribbean, use eBird Caribbean). You can start logging your counts on a daily basis and contribute to the global knowledge base on birds. Become a citizen scientist! You may enjoy wearing this new hat while on lock-down, and beyond. Do not forget to also keep a good bird guide at hand, or consult with a phone app, like Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Merlin Bird ID App.
Yards Are Good for You…and the Birds Too!
There is another activity that you might also enjoy, whatever the size of your yard. And you and the birds will benefit! Gardening is a popular, but an often time-consuming pastime that you may find you now do have some time for! The plants that suffered months of neglect due to our busy schedules can now become the pride of our eyes as we nurture them with attentive care. Having trees and small plants around the house has many benefits: Gardening is therapeutic and a healthy occupation; flowering plants offer nectar to birds and bees; trees and plants provide shade and vegetation around our homes; and trees lining our streets can lower temperatures by a few degrees. Many plants attract birds (and butterflies) also! For more information and ideas on what can work, explore our free, downloadable eBook on Native Trees and Plants for Birds and People in the Caribbean. For the less adventurous, how about trying your hand at an herb collection that can thrive in small pots? Basil and French Thyme grow easily in tropical climates.
For the industrious, try your hand at composting! With a bit of extra time on our hands, it is much easier to separate your waste. Do not forget to separate plastics for recycling and to refrain from dumping organic matter. Compost it and use it to fertilize your garden.
Finding Balance…With Nature
You see, being at home is not that bad at all. Just sit down, plan out a list of actions, and if you have children in the house, get them involved. I will never forget the first time my son picked a sweet pepper from the tree he nurtured himself! He watched over that plant from seed in the dirt to picking that pepper, and the look of pride as he picked it, and watched it being incorporated into our meals is unforgettable.
While our daily routines are disrupted, the birds happily continue with theirs. We can learn more about them and enjoy their day-to-day behavior. Who knows, they may help us to achieve that mental and emotional balance that we are seeking these days.
While we wait out this pandemic in the safety of our homes, it is important that we keep ourselves busy, focused, and grounded. Most importantly, let’s be responsible and be safe!
Earth Day, April 22nd, is also the start of our one month Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF). Join us as we celebrate the CEBF with our virtual “From the Nest” edition! The theme is Birds and Culture. We are sharing an Endemic Bird of the Day, colouring pages, online bird puzzles, webinars, and links to fun, free activities and resources to do with your kids. Follow us on social media (@BirdsCaribbean) and check our website every day for new stuff. We look forward to sharing with you about our beautiful endemic birds! #CEBFFromtheNest
Thanks so much to Natalya Lawrence, Emma Lewis, and Nathan Wilson for this inspiring essay.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us in our virtual “From the Nest” edition! Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Antillean Crested Hummingbird
The Antillean Crested Hummingbird is a small iridescent green hummingbird with a short, straight bill. It is easy to identify as it is one of the few hummingbirds with a tall spiky mohawk, that is, crest. The male is brightly colored while the female is more plain and lacks a crest. This hummingbird is a year-round resident throughout the Lesser Antilles (as well as the Virgin Islands and parts of Puerto Rico).
The Antillean Crested Hummingbird can be spotted in open vegetation like parks, plantations, and the borders of forests. It’s a wonderful visitor to backyard gardens. It spends its day visiting flowers to drink nectar. It also eats small insects and spiders. It breeds year-round but mainly from January to August. The nest is a tiny cup of cotton or fine fibers with lichens coating the outside and firmly bound together with spider webs (see photo below). Hummingbirds have to eat all day because it takes a lot of energy to keep their wings flapping so fast (up to 80 beats per second!). Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Antillean Crested Hummingbird!
Download the page from Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the drawing above or photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the call of the Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzles as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Photo by Matt Elliott)Antillean Crested Hummingbird on nest (Photo by Howard Nelson)
FOR ADULTS: On this Earth Day, 50th Anniversary celebration, learn about key native plants that are beneficial to native and migratory birds with our eBook: Heritage Plants: Native Trees and Plants for Birds and People in the Caribbean. The plants highlighted in this book are perfect for backyard gardens, neighborhood landscaping, and other habitat restoration projects big and small. Browse the book, get inspired, and find new plants to grow in your backyard! Check with your local Forestry Department as they may have some of these plants available at no cost. Available in both English and Spanish!
Soaring above the tree tops of Los Haitises National Park is the mighty Ridgway’s Hawk. Conflicts with humans and changes in its forest habitat have made it hard for this species to survive. Marta Curti gives us an update on the exciting work of The Peregrine Fund to save this Critically Endangered raptor.
Since 2000, when we began our project to conserve the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic (DR), we began to hire and train local crew members to help carry out the field work. In 2011, we increased our recruitment and training efforts greatly. One of our main goals is to make the project sustainable in the long-term, which means giving locals the opportunity and the means to support their families while working directly for conservation.
We currently have over 20 Dominicans employed on our project. Most were born and raised in the very communities where we work, right in the heart of Ridgway’s Hawk territory. These residents range in age from late teens to over 60. They are trained in nest searching, monitoring, data collection, data entry, tree climbing, banding, treating nests to prevent nest fly infestations, and environmental education techniques. They spend long hours in the field, hiking over rough terrain, sometimes in oppressive heat and humidity or torrential downpours, to monitor and protect the hawks. While we are always so grateful for the work they do, this year, more than ever, their commitment to this project has proved invaluable.
Members of the community of Los Brazos create a home-made sign that reads “Welcome to Los Brazos. This community protects the Ridgway’s Hawk” to show their support of the conservation project
Communities Take Up the Reins During COVID-19
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Thomas Hayes (Ridgway’s Hawk Project Director) and Marta Curti (Ridgway’s Hawk Project Environmental Education Specialist), will not be able to travel to the DR for the next several months, if not longer. If this were a “normal” year, we would both be planning a trip now, as the next few months are critical to our project’s success. Ridgway’s Hawk breeding season is in full swing and it is important to continue monitoring, banding, and treating nests. Thanks to our local crew, this work is being accomplished without a hitch!
At our first reintroduction site, the Punta Cana Resort and Club, our team is monitoring 17 pairs. Six of these pairs have hatched 13 young so far this year, while 9 have eggs waiting to hatch! This is an incredible achievement, considering that Ridgway’s Hawks hadn’t been documented in this area since the 1970s and breeding pairs didn’t start to form there until 2013! Though our environmental education efforts have been postponed in order to maintain social distancing, we were still able to reach 1,594 individuals at the beginning of the year. Our crew in Los Limones had a beautiful mural painted at the entrance to the town.
Our field crew in Los Limones organized the painting of a beautiful mural at the entrance to the community to highlight the importance of conserving Ridgway’s Hawk in the area (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)
Los Brazos: An Eco-Friendly Release Site for Ridgway’s Hawks
While our seasoned crews are doing an amazing job in Punta Cana and Los Haitises National Park, we are particularly grateful for the newest additions to our team – our crew from the town of Los Brazos, located within the Aniana Vargas National Park in Dominican Republic. The small town of approximately 100 people relies heavily on the production of shade-grown certified organic cacao. Young and old, men and women, work daily to harvest, dry, process, and sell the crop.
The town itself consists of one dirt road with houses scattered on either side. In and around the town are cacao plantations interspersed with tall trees, wildflowers and wildlife. To maintain the organic certification, they must heed certain rules: no use of pesticides, no killing of wildlife, no cutting of forests. This, and the fact that this area was designated as Aniana Vargas National Park in 2009, was the main reason we chose this area as the newest site for Ridgway’s Hawk releases. Though every area has its unique challenges when it comes to releasing birds of prey, we knew we would be ahead by leaps and bounds releasing birds here. Thanks to support from the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, we were able to release 25 young hawks in this area in 2019.
Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Sete Gañan, leads a jewelry-making workshop in the community of Los Brazos, the site of our newest release site for Ridgeway’s Hawk (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Exciting News to Report
Though we had planned to release another group of hawks this coming field season, we have decided to postpone this year’s releases due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, thanks to our local crew, we have some amazing news to report. Our team has documented a pair of hawks building a nest in the area. This is the first pair formed from the previous year’s cohort of released birds, and a huge step in developing an additional hawk population in this region.
A nestling Ridgway’s Hawk is in good hands with our local biologists (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
While there is so much uncertainty in the world at this time, it is an opportunity to focus on the things we are grateful for. I, for one, deeply appreciate the work of our amazing team and their unending dedication to protect this hawk. And I am grateful to the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund and BirdsCaribbean for continuing to support our work.
By Marta Curti, The Peregrine Fund. Marta began working as a field biologist with The Peregrine Fund (TPF) in 2000 when she worked as a hack site attendant on the Aplomado Falcon project in southern Texas. She has since worked as a biologist and environmental educator on several TPF projects from California Condors in Arizona to Harpy Eagles and Orange-breasted Falcons in Belize and Panama. She has been working with the Ridgway’s Hawk Project since 2011. This project is funded in part by BirdsCaribbean’s Betty Petersen Conservation Fund. Please donate to help this save the Ridgeway’s Hawk!
Our local field crew tracking reintroduced hawks using radio telemetry. Each young hawk was fitted with a transmitter – paid through support from the Betty Petersen Fund – so we could monitor them after release. This is a key part of the program as it helps us keep track of the young birds during the first critical weeks after release (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
A Ridgway’s Hawk nest with young (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
A local team member climbs a Ridgway’s Hawk nest tree in order to band nestlings before they fledge. Banding young is an important part of our project as it helps us monitor dispersion patterns and survivability of young hawks through band re-sightings (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Our local field crews participate in First Aid training to help keep them safe in the field. This is just one of several training programs we provide (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Julio Gañan, trains one of our local volunteers, Fredelina Espino Campo, in tree climbing techniques (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Sete Gañan, observes released Ridgway’s Hawks along with a young community member from Los Brazos. Everyone in the community showed a great interest in the project, and we had visitors both young and old almost every day during the releases (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Sharpen your pencils and prepare your paints, everyone!
The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) is just around the corner. This year, much of it will be celebrated virtually, as we continue to experience unusual challenges at this time. Nevertheless, BirdsCaribbean has a special surprise for young (and not so young!) bird enthusiasts: a beautiful 64-page Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book.
Back and Front Covers of the Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book
“We will be shipping out boxes, free of charge, to our partners to use in their education programs on birds and nature — and of course for their Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) celebrations,” noted Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean. “Due to the current difficult situation, we realize that the usual exciting CEBF events will not be possible and distribution of the colouring books will be delayed. In the meantime, we will share some pages online with everyone as part of our celebration of CEBF at home.”
With delicate, detailed wildlife drawings by naturalist, educator, and illustrator Christine Elder, and informative text by writer Mark Yokoyama, the book offers children of all ages the opportunity to learn interesting facts while learning the techniques of colouring the birds’ vibrant plumage.
Barbuda Warbler and Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo Colouring Pages
The Colouring Book includes 50 endemic birds, with a focus on the most vulnerable, widespread, and colorful species. The front cover has an extra page that folds in and provides a Colouring Key to all 50 birds. There are also colouring tips, and background information on endemic birds, the threats they face, and how kids can help. At the end of the book there are Activity pages and a Glossary.
Colouring Tips and Colouring Key
BirdsCaribbean is working on preparing the Spanish version of the colouring book — it should be ready within a few weeks’ time. The French version will follow soon after that.
“Kids are often amazed to learn that there are birds and other animals that live only on their island,” commented our writer, Mark. “These birds, and this book, can help them discover how special their home is.”
Artist Christine Elder said, “It was an honor to work with BirdsCaribbean to illustrate these beautiful endemic birds. I’m confident that this book will serve as a valuable tool for conservation and I look forward to seeing the children’s drawings.”
“BirdsCaribbean wishes to thank the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and BirdsCaribbean members for their tremendous support for this project,” said Lisa Sorenson. “This Colouring Book has been a dream of ours for quite a long time. It was delayed by pressing issues, such as our urgent work on hurricane relief the past several years. We are so proud of the final product. We hope our partners and the public they serve will enjoy using it as a fun educational tool, and we look forward to receiving feedback.”
Help us get these books to children across the islands!
We are short on funds to ship this book to 25+ Caribbean countries as well as funding to print the Spanish and French versions. If you would like to help, please click here. No donation is too small!!
How to obtain copies of Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book
If you are an educator working for an NGO or government in the Caribbean and would like to receive one or more boxes of the coloring book, please fill out this form. To save on shipping costs, we are aiming to limit the number of shipments per country. We ask for help with distribution by a local institution to NGOs and governmental ministries for use at bird and nature education events.
You can download the colouring book for free on our Resources page.
If you would like to purchase a copy of the coloring book (US$7.99 + shipping), we anticipate that we will be able to ship you the book by the end of April. At this time, we can easily sell only to customers in the U.S. or Canada, and in small quantities (e.g., 6 or less). (Customers in other countries, or in need of large quantities, should contact Lisa Sorenson).
You can purchase up to 6 copies of the book via PayPal using the menus below (PayPal will add the shipping). If you prefer to purchase via check, please make the check out to BirdsCaribbean and mail to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760. On your check, indicate the total number of books you would like and calculate the total cost for the books plus shipping by referring to the chart below.
There is a $1 discount for paid-up (2020) BirdsCaribbean members; if you wish to join BirdsCaribbean, click here. If you need to renew your membership, click here. If you are not sure of your membership status, please contact our Membership Manager, Delores Kellman).
Are you staying home right now? Sit back, relax and enjoy this vivid account of a trip around four islands, an adventure in search of the Amazona parrots. Ryan Chenery, the Barbados-based CEO of Birding the Islands will take you there. Ryan’s company is a proud partner of BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) and shares our philosophy of directly involving and benefiting local communities. Birding the Islands tours often using CBT-trained local guides—not only contribute to conservation efforts across the islands but also to support locally owned businesses. These tours are multi-faceted, but…“We always come back to the birds!” says Ryan.
St. Vincent Parrot (Amazona guildingii) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
Birding the Islands and BirdsCaribbean February 2020 trip to: St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent, and Trinidad
Day 1: St. Lucia, Airports and Aupicon
We exit the plane at the vibrant Hewanorra International Airport and get straight into some productive airport birding. We easily spot the endemic subspecies of Carib Grackle and seemingly ever-present (yet fascinatingly split) near endemic subspecies of Bananaquit, flitting from one heavily laden calabash tree to another. A juvenile Merlin perched high atop a swaying Australian Pine is a surprising and welcome addition to our fledgling Lesser Antillean list. What a great start!
As we make for our first birding hotspot of the trip, the spectacular scenery of St. Lucia leaps out at us. This is a breathtakingly beautiful island – the perfect blend of towering forest-covered mountains and pristine white sand beaches lined by sparkling turquoise seas. It is no wonder that, centuries before, the French and British fought fiercely and passionately for the right to fly their flag atop its highest peak.
St. Lucia Parrot (Amazona versicolor) (Photo by Birding the Islands client John Dyson)
We plan our arrival at the sprawling Aupicon Wetlands to coincide with the return to their roosts of several species of heron and egret. After our vehicle winds its way through a corridor of towering Coconut Palms (their produce once the primary export crop of this lush tropical island), we catch our first sighting of migratory Blue-winged Teal and resident Common Gallinule – the brilliant blue wing coverts of the former and radiant red frontal shields of the latter gleaming in the last of the sun’s rays. Adding to the spectacle, large flocks of Snowy as well as Cattle Egrets now begin a near continuous approach to favoured roosting sites in the middle of the wetlands. The darting bills and dancing legs of Tricolored and Little Blue Herons contrast nicely with the bobbing of Pied-billed Grebes and American Coots (white-shielded Caribbean subspecies). A lone Osprey returning from the sea with a freshly caught fish is the cue for us to head to our accommodation for dinner.
Day 2: Endemic Overload!
The morning begins at our peaceful Inn, tucked away in quiet Mon Repos, where we enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast (yes, more freshly picked pineapple is on its way Nick!) on the sweeping veranda overlooking the densely forested hillsides and glittering waters of Praslin Bay.
Mon Repos is ideally located in the vicinity of some of the last remaining Dry Atlantic Forest on the island, and we start the morning’s birding by entering this wilted, scrubby landscape… only to be treated to absolutely cracking views of an inquisitive Mangrove Cuckoo. This seemingly impoverished habitat also yields our first three endemic sightings of the trip. A charming pair of St.Lucia Black Finch forages amongst the leaf litter, their pink legs dancing amongst the crisp brown leaves. With every step closer the gleaming black of the male provides an ever more diagnostic contrast to the soft cinnamon brown of his mate. We also see a stunningly patterned St. Lucia Oriole; and a brilliant adult St. Lucia Warbler, its subtle patterns fully visible in the neutral morning light.
The strikingly patterned St. Lucia Oriole (Icterus laudabilis) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
We continue northwest over the dominant mountainous spine of the island and down to the scenic west coast, gliding through the sleepy towns of Laborie and Choizeul. There is a striking difference between the rich fertile soils found here in the shadow of the cavernous Mt. Soufriere and the parched earth of our last birding site. While living beneath a volcano is not without its risks, the rewards can also be great – as evidenced by the wealth of produce in the form of yams, dasheen, sweet pototato, plantains and much more being sold here at small roadside stalls. The unparalleled fertility of this region also attracts large numbers of indigenous birds, drawn to the wondrous variety of fruiting citrus trees. We soon find ourselves surrounded by a host of other new and exciting regional specialties.
First to appear however is a curious and hitherto unknown species—“the rare St. Lucia Bum Bird”! Or at least that is what we call the odd rufous-feathered buttock sticking out of a large ripe grapefruit at the side of the trail. It is not until the head of the owner of said buttock emerges from the depths of the fruit cavity, that we are able to accurately identify it as a Lesser Antillean Bullfinch. No sooner had our group exchanged smiles and taken photos than a flurry of wings announced the arrival of a splendid Gray Trembler! As is so often the case with this fascinating near endemic (known only to the tiny islands of St. Lucia and Martinique), upon landing the bird immediately begins to convulse its entire body in a violent trembling motion – hence its name. The brief display over, the trembler proceeds to sink its impressive bill into the fleshy centre of the grapefruit, from which the bullfinch had been so unceremoniously usurped!
Gray Trembler (Cinclocerthia gutturalis) about to dig in! (Photo by Mark Greenfield)
“Beak plunging” appears to be the order of the day. An obliging Lesser Antillean Saltator is the next to start tucking into a meal. This time, the weapon of choice is a gargantuan cone-shaped beak, and the victim—the soft flesh of the golden orbed breadfruit.
Lesser Antillean Saltator (Saltator albicollis) (Photo by John MacLennan)
The birding, already going well, suddenly and unexpectedly gets even better as out of the valley below a pair of St. Lucia Parrots wing their way up towards us and perch not 30 feet away. Perfect light and unimpaired views allow for an absolutely enthralling encounter with this large and stunningly patterned parrot—the first in our Search for the Amazonas!
We round off a terrific morning’s birding with a delicious buffet lunch of creole chicken, steamed mahi mahi, fried plantain, and yam pie… all washed down with freshly squeezed lemonade and enjoyed on the balcony of The Beacon—the restaurant with an unrivaled view of the magnificent twin-peaks of Les Pitons.
Back at our locally owned accommodation some of the group enjoy a relaxing late afternoon swim in the pool before dining on yet more delights prepared by the Paris-trained chef. Tonight’s specialty: lobster bisque, flank steak (or Creole mahi mahi) and crème caramel.
Not a bad place to return to and relax after a great day’s birding!
Day 3: A Breezy Farewell
Today sees us make for the pride of St. Lucia – the splendid Des Cartiers Rainforest. Upon arrival, we enjoy our pre-packed breakfasts before starting our way along the well-maintained trail. Here we are immediately transported into another world – one dominated by towering emergents, prehistoric tree ferns and dangling lianas.
When in St.Lucia, Birding the Islands works alongside local guide and BirdsCaribbean partner, Vision, who is a superb “birtanist” (birder and botanist rolled into one) and as we walk, Vision pauses to point out the many fascinating native tree species all around us (and explain their myriad uses). These make for fascinating topics of conversation between birding hotspots.By far the most dominant tree here is the mighty Lansan. It is known only to four Lesser Antillean islands. Its aromatic resin is a key ingredient of the slow-burning incense still used widely in St. Lucia homes to ward off evil spirits.
Our first bird experience in Des Cartiers is certainly one of the most memorable: a St. Lucia Parrot poked its head out of a nest cavity some 50 feet above us. But this ancient forest is to have many more surprises in store before we leave. At an observation area with breathtaking views of the riverine valley below, we enjoy incredibly close views of the Antillean Euphonia daintily hopping amongst strands of mistletoe. A pair of Lesser Antillean Flycatchers interrupt proceedings with a low fly-by. Other arrivals during our time at this site include a fabulous Green-throated Carib effortlessly gleaning insects from the underside of a leaf, a positively delicate St.Lucia Pewee seemingly freeze-framed on a looping vine, and an overly inquisitive Pearly-eyed Thrasher.
The delightful St. Lucia Pewee (Contopus latirostris) (Photo by Jane Hartline)
After a lunch enjoyed on the white sand shores of Cocodan, our final birding stop of the day is the towering peak of Moule a Chique, where we brave the blustery winds to look down upon Red-billed Tropicbirds hurtling beneath us – their brilliant pure white plumage contrasting perfectly with the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
Later that evening after a pre-dinner cocktail, we settle in to dine on Kingfish (delivered earlier from the traditional fishing village of Dennery, where the previous day we had the opportunity to witness an intense bartering culture in action). Experiencing the culture of the islands as well as supporting local communities, while illustrating the correlation between us visiting birders and the economic prosperity of many local businesses and citizens is extremely important for Birding the Islands Ltd and our partner BirdsCaribbean. We adopt this approach on every island we visit.
Hold onto your hats!!! Our group high atop Moule a Chique (pictured from Left to Right: the Bajan Birder-Ryan Chenery, Mark Greenfield, Valerie Brown, Ken Kuehn, Jane Hartline, John MacLennan, Bonnie Sample, St. Lucia Guide-Vision James, Jane Fenton, Nick Gibbons and Liz Tymour).
Day 4: Dominica, A Day of Close Encounters
The large boulders dotted throughout this islands’ lush landscape point to a violent volcanic past. However, as our vehicle makes its way around long winding corners and upwards along the coast, the sight of sparse tree canopies and fallen forest giants are glaring reminders of the after effects of a far more recent natural disaster (Hurricane Maria in 2017). This leaves us with a deep appreciation of the hardships endured by the inhabitants of this wild and stunningly beautiful land.
Red-legged Thrush (Turdus plumbeus) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Mark Greenfield)
Arriving at our cliff-side hotel, we enjoy a hearty lunch of line-caught tuna, steamed plantain, and veggie rice, enjoyed throughout in the company of a Red-legged Thrush and an absolutely brilliant Purple-throated Carib—its dazzling throat glinting in the sun as it feeds.
This Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis) provided constant entertainment at meals (Photo by Birding the Islands client Mark Greenfield)
Later in the afternoon, a sudden downpour restricts any extensive foray into the sprawling Syndicate Estate. But before the rain falls, we are treated to what surely must be one of the closest ever encounters with a Red-necked Parrot (Jaco) in the wild! Having entered the Estate in the presence of Dr. Birdy (Bertrand Baptiste) himself—the most experienced bird guide on the island and long-time BirdsCaribbean partner, we soon find ourselves surrounded by the gleeful calls of several Jaco in the fruiting trees around us. However, one particularly close cry draws us towards a heavily laden guava tree. In the heart of the sparsely leafed tree one of these brightly coloured Amazonas delicately plucks a swollen guava from the tree with its beak, and flies to a low cecropia perfectly positioned over our path. Following an excited period of hastily focusing scopes and training binoculars on the bird, we soon realize that the parrot is so distracted by its food that we can slowly approach—until we are standing a mere 15 feet beneath it! A full half an hour elapses with us caught up in this magical moment with this beautiful bird. Finally, its meal finished, it flies off towards a more secluded area.
What an experience!
Tonight we soak up the tropical ambiance at a candlelit dinner in the outdoor restaurant of our hotel—the sounds of the rolling waves beating against the black volcanic shores below.
Day 5: To the Seas!
After a mid-morning arrival at the bustling port of Roseau, we board our vessel and jet across the waters off the southwest of the island, in search of the giants that call Dominica’s deep oceanic trenches home. A whale-watching trip can be rewarding for pelagics, but in addition to the usual suspects of Magnificent Frigatebirds, Brown Booby and Laughing Gulls, this trip surprisingly only reveals a Sooty Tern and a Red-footed Booby as new species for the trip. The whales however are far more cooperative. We do not have to wait more than twenty minutes before the captain bellows “BREEEECH”! He knows these waters well, and skillfully guides us towards a pod of mighty Sperm Whales in such a manner that the next surfacing is far closer than the last. We are so close we can even listen via hydrophone to the popcorn popping sounds emanating from the giants as they hone in on prey below us!
From the bow of the boat we are afforded superb views as some of majestic behemoths rest near the surface, before resuming their feeding. Sadly the excitement of the encounter apparently proves too much for the engine of our craft, resulting in an earlier than planned end to our whale-watching adventure.
Maintaining our maritime theme of the day, we enjoy sumptuous fish tacos for lunch (what on Earth is in that sauce?) before settling in to a quiet final night at our beach-side hotel on Dominica. The spectacular Brown Pelicans in the height of breeding plumage settle in to roost in nearby trees.
A stunning sunset seen from our hotel room balconies on our last night in Dominica (Photo by Bajan Birder)
Day 6: A Day of Wonder
On our final day in Dominica we wake at dawn to travel into the montane forest for which this island is so renowned. As the skies clear, the birds begin to steadily appear. The methodical notes of Black-whiskered Vireo, a startlingly pugnacious Antillean-crested Hummingbird, and an inquisitive andscratchy-throated Plumbeous Warbler all provide us with excellent views. An obliging male Blue-headed Hummingbird steals the show by feeding at a flowering ginger growing conveniently close to our trail.
The fluid musical notes of a House Wren (Antillean) later lead us to a copse of flowering coffee, and an audience with this endemic subspecies. Increasing research on these islands is leading to many new species splits and the identification of a plethora of endemic subspecies throughout these closely neighbouring islands. That this wren (and many other subspecies in the Lesser Antilles) may well attain full species status in years to come is very possible indeed.
Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
The awesome power and force of the hurricane season of two years ago has transformed this forest. A large number of trees have been either felled or their canopies have been blown off. This has resulted in a huge increase in the amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor, which has in turn provided young saplings with the impetus needed in their never ending quest for the heavens. Out of devastation comes new life, and here in this magical setting, new life is all around us. Right on cue, Liz spots a young Red-rumped Agouti scurrying out of a path in front of the group.
Back at the hotel we enjoy our now customary three-course meal before setting off for the airport. An afternoon flight to St. Vincent awaits!
Bonnie and Jane enjoying a chat before heading to the next island on our itinerary – St. Vincent (Photo by Jane Hartline)
Day 7: St. Vincent, The Perfect Send-off
Serenaded by the calls of Yellow-bellied Elaenia and the gentle cooing of Scaly-naped Pigeons, we enjoy breakfast in the spacious open-air dining room of our beachfront hotel, located on the south west coast of spectacular St. Vincent. As we chat and await our meals, we briefly lower our cups of freshly brewed Vincentian to watch a school of flying fish—scales glistening in the early morning sunshine—leaping from the vast expanse of Caribbean Sea. Their gliding attracts the attention of a large number of Brown Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds, who immediately alter their flight course in pursuit. The boobies begin shallow exploratory dives, while the frigatebirds attempt to snatch the gliding fish from mid-air. A closer inspection with binoculars also reveals a boiling sea below the birds—perhaps an indication that this feeding frenzy was started by large predatory Dolphin or Crevalle targeting the flying fish from below.
What a start to the day.
Ahh—here come the omelettes!
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) having just caught a fish (Photo by Mark Greenfield)
After breakfast, the wonderful and knowledgeable Lystra Culzac (Caribbean Birding Trail certified guide) arrives to guide us to the birding hotspots on the island (the best of which requires her having negotiated with landowners for access to private land). We journey along the wave-ravaged Atlantic coastline, through the coastal settlement of Georgetown, with her black sand beaches and wind lashed rooftops and onward north to the volcanic slopes of towering Mt. Soufriere.
Its entrance guarded by brilliantly sapphire-headed St. Vincent Anoles, the well-maintained Soufriere Trail is lined with two species of endemic begonia. The raging Atlantic is clearly visible to the east, and expansive montane forest lines the volcanic slopes to the west. This is a forest in which the weird and wonderful come alive before your eyes. First, we spot the unique dark morph of Coereba flaveola attrata (endemic subspecies of Bananaquit) and St. Vincent Tanagers gorging themselves high in a fruiting fig. The eerily ethereal call of the Rufous-throated Solitaire, deep low notes of Ruddy Quail Dove and positively hyperactive vocalisations of Scaly-breasted Thrashers and Brown Tremblers (an entire genus restricted to the Lesser Antilles) all lead us deep within this ancient primary forest.
Rufous-throated Solitaire (Myadestes genibarbis) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
However the star of the show is so far remaining elusive…and quiet.
The song of the Whistling Warbler can travel for miles. We reach a now dry river bed, which for millennia slowly carved its way through the dark volcanic bedrock beneath our feet – and we hear THE CALL.
Cautious spisshing lures the tiny vocalist ever closer, until in a flash there he is—flitting ever so briefly out of the dense undergrowth, before once again retiring to a dark tangle of mistletoe and epiphyte-laden trunks. This is a Critically Endangered species and we are fortunate to have had even a glimpse.
Some treasures are meant to remain secret.
St. Vincent is a largely quiet and laid back island. We pass several rural communities tucked into the pocketed hillsides of a mountainous interior, on our way to the largest remaining roost of St. Vincent Parrotson the planet.
The tracks leading up to this secret location are narrow and heavily potholed, so we abandon our van and climb aboard a 4wd SUV—the only vehicle capable of making this ascent.
Crossing streams home where Green-throated Caribs bathe, lined with a multitude of tropical butterflies, we soon arrive at a quiet small holding perfectly framed by a scenic ridge.
As we arrive at the summit of the ridge, that quintessential call of parrots the world over begins to echo out of the east.
They are coming…
The birds first arrive in pairs (their constant calls seeming to reassure their respective life partners of their presence in the now steadily fading light), but slowly their numbers build, to the point where dozens of this once critically endangered parrot are winging their way over our heads.
A pair of St. Vincent Amazons (Amazona guildingii) winging their way in to roost (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
The thrill of being directly beneath them is exhilarating. However, we are only able to get a clear view of the truly spectacular deep blues and vibrant greens and oranges of their flight feathers when the parrots begin to tack hard and low down towards their favoured roosting trees, against a backdrop of the lush, verdant, forested valley below. These are stunningly beautiful birds. As they settle in to land, there are audible gasps of delight from our group.
We spend a full hour in the presence of St. Vincent’s national bird, enjoying every rhythmic twist and turn of their approach. This is one of the undoubted highlights of the trip.
A celebratory Dinner that night is a selection of creole fish dishes, washed down by the local Hairoun beer!
Day 8: Trinidad, The Spectacle
Masked Cardinal (Paroaria nigrogenis) in Caroni Swamp (photo by Mark Greenfield)
Several of us wake early to enjoy another dip in the calm waters typical of this Caribbean coastline. Then we settle into a delicious breakfast of pancakes and french toast, or for those of us feeling adventurous—salt fish buljol with all the local fixins!
The short 15-minute drive to the airport is filled with fond reminiscing of the variety of unique Lesser Antillean species seen… but we also talk about the many South American wonders that await.
We touch down in Sweet Sweet T&T (as the popular soca song so fondly refers to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) and are met by beaming Lester Nanan (our terrific local guide and grandson of the renowned conservationist Winston Nanan). We board a large comfortable bus and as we have arrived at midday, it is not long before a cooler is produced and we begin tucking into pre-ordered(and gigantic) chicken rotis (done the traditional Trinidad way—bone and all) as well as veggie rotis brimming with large chunks of mango, papaya, eggplant and more.
Trinidad is such a contrast to the small quiet islands of the Lesser Antilles that we have spent the last week travelling between. The area around the airport especially has the feel of a large metropolis. But (delicious rotis in hand) we are soon leaving all this behind and making for one of the treasures of the Caribbean—the Caroni Swamp.
En route we stop to bird productive grasslands, sheltering such vibrant secrets as Red-breasted Blackbird and Saffron Finch. We visit sheltered ponds and canals home to a plethora of water—loving species—from blazingly neon-crowned Yellow-hooded Blackbirds and nesting White-headed Marsh Tyrants to Southern Lapwing and Pied Water Tyrants.
The birding is thick and fast, but as 3pm arrives, we gather back at the bus in fervent anticipation of our next destination.
There are several wetlands in the Western Hemisphere that get birders’ hearts racing, and the Caroni Swamp is one of them. This sprawling 12,000-acre wetland is home to one of the greatest spectacles in the animal kingdom—the return to roost every evening of over 3,000 Scarlet Ibis!
Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) perched directly above us (Photo by Mark Greenfield)
Although this is the main event, the warm up acts are none too shabby, as evidenced by the pair of roosting Tropical Screech Owls, their intricately patterned breast feathers perfectly mirroring the marbled bark of the White Mangroves in which they roost. We have good views of the superb stock-still Boat-billed Herons from our flat-bottomed boat, as it negotiates its way through the mangroves.
Cruising through the mangroves in our comfortable flat-bottomed boat
As we edge deeper into the swamp, the long tendril-like roots of Red Mangroves seem to reach ever further into the water, providing prime perching positions for an unbelievable array of species. The roots are festooned with oysters, barnacles and home to a plethora of Mangrove Crabs…and occasionally Mangrove Boa. A magnificently coiffured Masked Cardinal and dainty Bicolored Conebill, along with both Green and Pygmy Kingfishers, all give us cause to pause and admire. We are even treated to a vociferous exchange between warring factions of Grey-necked Wood Rails!
After almost an hour of delightful travel we approach the famous roost site, a welcome low tide ensuring an added bonus encounter with 30 American Flamingos.
As we tether the boat, and start to share out the locally brewed rum punch and freshly baked pastries, wave upon wave of 50, 100, 200 ibis at a time begin continuously streaking by. Before long the dark green of the mangrove island upon which they roost is unrecognisable. It has been transformed into a rhythmic and convulsing mass of colour. The brilliant reds of the breeding adults contrast perfectly with the soft subtle pinks of non-breeders—all set against the wondrous backdrop of Trinidad’s stunning Northern Range.
An unforgettable experience.
Scarlet Ibises (Eudocimus ruber) coming in to roost (Photo by Mark Greenfield)
Later that evening we arrive at the world-renowned Asa Wright lodge where a delicious buffet dinner awaits us. We duly indulge, before strolling to our cottages located in the heart of the densely forested Arima Valley.
Day 9: Dawning of the Light
At daybreak we make our way to the veranda of the main lodge where, coffee in hand (locally harvested from trees on the Asa Wright estate), we settle in and prepare for what is surely one of the most incredible birding experiences in the region.
Below us, the waking sun is proving the catalyst for the inhabitants of this vast rainforest to begin to stir. The sprightly melody of a Cocoa Thrush, the rapid-fire staccato of a White-flanked Antwren and cat-like call of the Spectacled Thrush, mixed in with the somewhat demonic laughter of the Barred Antshrike combine and build to a feverish crescendo.
Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) (Photo by Biridng the Islands client Beatrice Henricot)
As more light steadily filters down through the canopy, the last of the nocturnal brigade (in the form of Pallas’s Long Tongued Bats) begin to surrender their positions at the feeders to a veritable onslaught of colour.
A sudden white flit across the feeders—the breast of a White-chested Emerald; a sprinkle of neon pink – the stunning crown of a male Ruby Topaz; brilliant orange ear tufts and a gently bobbing tail diagnostic of the bedazzling Tufted Coquette.
The dazzling Ruby Topaz (Chrysolampis mosquitus) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Beatrice Henricot)
And still they come.
There are the dazzling rich blues and emerald greens of Blue-chinned Sapphires and glistening Copper-rumped Hummingbirds—so close you can see the minuscule fluffy white garters on their legs.Purple as well as Green Honeycreepers, White-bearded Manakins, and Violaceous Euphonias all join the fray. In the distance, away from this hive of activity, a pair of Green-backed Trogons are taking turns to diligently and carefully excavate a cavity in a termite nest affixed to a gargantuan trunk. A dozen feet below them, a lone Golden Olive Woodpecker silently begins its measured investigation of the same tree.
With all of this birding brilliance, we almost miss breakfast…almost.
The entire day is ours to walk the myriad trails coursing through the private forests of Asa Wright, and after breakfast we begin by heading down Jacaranda Trail for an encounter with Oilbirds. Isolated from the rest of the bird world in a family of their own, living in caves and using echolocation to negotiate their nocturnal feeding forays, this is easily one of the strangest birds we connect with on the trip. The cave at Asa Wright is one of the most accessible sites to see them in the world and we are rewarded with sensational views! On our way back, and after passing under a spectacular Bee Orchid, we soon enter the realm of the Bearded Bellbird—its otherworldly metallic call boldly proclaiming this land to be his. Once we have tracked the call down to a favoured perch, the bird is brilliantly visible, its superb wattled neck flickering in the shafts of sunlight with every resounding CLANK of its call.
Bearded Bellbird (Procnias averano) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Steven Kornfeld)
After this excitement we retire in the heat of the day to the veranda, where we continue to watch the birding entertainment on show. Some of us round off the afternoon with a dip in the cool fresh water pools found throughout the Centre grounds.
After dinner, our night walk provides a fascinating insight into the lives of some of the nocturnal residents of these forests. Huge Trinidad Chevron Tarantulas cling to bamboo stalks; minuscule but “swerve-worthy” scorpions, velvet worms and land crabs line the banks of the roadside; and bats flutter almost constantly overhead.
Day 10: Desserts and Delightful Birding
The Asa Wright Centre grounds are superb, but to get a true sense of the variety of inhabitants of the highest peaks in the Northern Range, one must take to the Blanchisseuse Road. We do so on our final full day in Trinidad.
Birding is slow and steady at first, with initial stops revealing sightings of Tropical Parula and a magnificent pair of Collared Trogons. Later the ground appears alive with army ants, allowing for a close (but not too close) examination of the intricate relationship that Cocoa and Plain Brown Woodcreepers as well as Great Antshrikes have with these tiny marauders of the forest floor.
Great Antshrike (Taraba major) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
We enjoy lunch at a local chocolatier’s farm, where the proprietor explains that his return to the land and harvesting of cacao has had a positive effect on many local communities in and around Arima, with an upturn in financial independence. The birding is good here too, for Rufous-breasted Hermit, Turquoise Tanagers, a Lineated Woodpecker, and hordes of Yellow-rumped Caciques all appear as we are wrapping up our chicken pelau and treating ourselves to a dessert of his delicious chocolates!
Turquoise Tanager (Tangara mexicana) (photo by Mark Greenfield)
At our final stop, the scale of diversity and sheer beauty of the birds of the Northern Range is truly revealed. Rufous-tailed Jacamars swoop from favoured perches to pluck swallowtail butterflies effortlessly from the air. A pair of Scaled Pigeons select the highest possible perch and turn purposefully to catch the last of the afternoon light on their brilliantly chevroned breasts. A young Forest Elaenia pleads with her parent, which ever so delicately plucks and then proffers a berry to its offspring to take a bite. Later a flock of seven spectacular Blue-headed Parrots silently wing their way in to a nearby cecropia and are joined at the canopy by a stunning Channel-billed Toucan. We cap off our frenetic and highly rewarding birding of the highlands with a young Yellow-headed Caracara flying directly over our bus. A pair of Tropical Kingbirds is hot in pursuit.
Day 11: A Ferruginous Farewell
On our final day of the trip, and after our now customary morning visit to the veranda, we take a leisurely stroll along the driveway that winds its way into the Asa Wright Centre. The forest that has yielded so many of its treasures to us has one more surprise in store: a superb sighting of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, which staunchly resists the urge to flee from incessant harassment by a large mixed flock of tanagers and flycatchers.
Life in the rainforest is never dull…for any of us!
At the airport, before boarding our flight, we pay a visit to the best Doubles hut on the island and positively chow down on these uniquely Trinidadian delicacies. There’s no way we were going to come to Trinidad and not have Doubles. The fusion of chickpeas, sweet tamarind sauce, pickled cucumber and hot sauce lights up the taste buds, and is a perfect send off to our tour—a tour which has given us a true flavour for the spectacular birding that the Lesser Antilles and Trinidad has to offer.
Thanks to our Caribbean Birding Trail partner, Ryan Chenery and his company Birding the Islands, for this positively wonderful and enticing trip report! To learn how you can join Ryan and BirdsCaribbean on our next In Search of the Amazonas tour (Nov. 21st to Dec. 1st, 2021) please contact Ryan at thebajanbirder@gmail.com. To learn more about the Caribbean Birding Trail, birding sites, tours, and guides throughout the islands, click here.
An absolutely stunning look at Oilbirds, one of the strangest birds we connected with on our February 2020 trip. Isolated from the rest of the bird world in a family of their own, Oilbirds live in caves and use echolocation to negotiate their nocturnal feeding forays. The cave at Asa Wright is one of the most accessible sites to see this species in the world and we were rewarded with sensational views!
Aliya Hosein shares about her recent trip to Saint Vincent to learn more about the endemic St. Vincent Parrot, one of the most beautiful and colorful parrots in the region!
St Vincent Parrot (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
I recently enjoyed an exciting trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I spent nine days on this wonderful, mountainous island; and I can certainly say that St. Vincent Parrots (Amazona guildingii), flying over the lush ridges at Jennings Valley, was the most memorable sight of all.
I spent months preparing for this trip. I carefully planned lodging and flights and made endless calls to my friend Cathlene Trumpet, who is a Forestry Officer with over fifteen years of service to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Forestry Department. Among the questions I asked her were “Who sells the best burgers and donuts on the island?” and “Where should I go to see the parrots?” Then it was time to leave Trinidad and fly towards my adventure.
Cathlene and I met through the Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean (CLiC) Fellowship Program. For 18 months we worked on an intense, sometimes hilarious, and occasionally scary project on the illegal trade in Blue and Gold Macaws in Trinidad. I remember being in awe as Cathlene related stories about the national campaign to build pride among Vincentians for their endemic parrot. Later, I flipped through my “Parrots of the World” book to find a picture of it.
In the past the St. Vincent Parrot, locally called the Vincie Parrot, was targeted for the local and international pet bird trade because of its beauty and rarity. Although St. Vincent and the Grenadines is made up of over 32 major islands, the St. Vincent Parrot is found only on the mainland of St. Vincent. Poaching and hurricanes, from colonial times to the present day, are still significant threats to the parrot’s habitat. These pressures have resulted in it being listed as Vulnerableon the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and in Appendix I by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It is estimated that there are only 850 St. Vincent Parrots in the wild.\
How Gorgeous is the St. Vincent Parrot!
Saint Vincent Amazon in flight (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
This parrot lives mainly in the upper west and east ridges of the central mountain range, just south of Mount Soufriére and the La soufriére volcano at elevations between 125 to 1,000m. It is a large parrot, certainly larger than the Orange-winged Amazon (Amazona amazonica) I am used to seeing in Trinidad. About 40 cm long, it is mostly bronze-brown, multi-colored with yellowish white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts. It has grey feet, reddish eye, and violet blue-green wings. Its tail feathers are centrally banded violet-blue with broad yellow tips. Two morphs exist: a yellow-brown morph and a less common green morph. Male and female birds are similar. The parrot feeds on the flowers, nuts, fruits and seeds of many plants such as Ficus, Clusia and Cecropia.
There Is More to Be Learned
At the breeding facility at the Botanic Garden (Photo by Cathlene Trumpet)
Before making the trek up into the moist montane forest to see the parrots, I had the pleasure of meeting the Director of the Forestry Department, Mr. Fitzgerald Providence. Initially I was intimidated by his title and stacks of reports on his desk. But once we settled down in his office, I was relieved to find out that he was delightfully welcoming and eager to tell me about St. Vincent.
We chatted about the island’s biodiversity; about flora and fauna both known and waiting to be discovered. He had noticed that the feeding habits of the parrots were changing. The parrots are now visiting agricultural areas on the island. He attributed this change to the influence of climate change on fruiting patterns of the parrot’s natural food plants. In general, however, he felt that much was still to be known about the St. Vincent Amazon. This parrot was proving to be quite mysterious. I was hooked and more than ever wanted to see them in the wild.
Afterwards we visited the Botanical Garden of Saint Vincent where there is a breeding facility for the parrots. The breeding program was established to provide a safety net for the parrots should there be a sudden decline in the wild parrot population following, for example, a hurricane.
An Early Morning Start
The next morning, Cathlene, Ray – her fellow Forestry Officer – my friend Nandani and I headed to Georgetown in a 4-wheel drive along the winding highway. It was five in the morning and people were already up and moving. The radio was airing an announcement to farmers and a reminder of the soon-to-be closed hunting season. We stopped to pick up Ian, another Forestry Officer, before continuing along the highway.
Sunrise over Jennings Valley (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
After about 20 minutes we ventured off into a narrow rugged road leading to Jennings Valley. We arrived at a farmed property with a small cottage. The sun was now beginning to rise and I really did not expect to see or hear any parrots. About 10 minutes into our uphill walk to the look-out point we heard their loud squawks “quaw….quaw…quaw” followed by shrieking “scree-ree- lee.” It was enough to stop us in our tracks. Pairs of parrots were emerging from the ridges north of us. It was still too dark and all we saw were their silhouettes.
As the sun began to rise more parrots began flying out, sometimes directly above us. I was mesmerized by the many colours of the St. Vincent Parrot in the sunlight, against an all-green backdrop. At times it seemed as though the pairs were touching each others’ wings while flying. The largest flock we saw was a group of twelve. They were all squawking, possibly deciding where to go to have breakfast. By now we had reached the look-out; a plateau with mountain views on the northern, western and southern sides and the deep blue Atlantic Ocean on the eastern side.
The Group, Gosfield Charles, Cathlene Trumpet Wyllie, Aliya Hosein, lan Christopher, and Ray Charles, at Jennings Valley (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
For about an hour or so we continued to see parrots flying over. Only one pair flew down into a golden apple (Spondias dulcis) tree near the cottage. I could not see what they were doing from my vantage point, but my guess is that they were feeding, because they were very quiet. A flock of three flew over us. Ian suggested it was a family in which the parents, with their stocky bodies and short tails, were leading the way, with their offspring straggling behind. After this sighting there was a lull in activity. The parrots either rested at the top of the trees or disappeared into the trees along the mountain ridges. We waited for about an hour again before leaving.
It really was a remarkable experience seeing the St. Vincent Parrots flying free, with people who truly appreciated their beauty. Nevertheless there is still a lot to learn about these birds’ ecology and their role in the island’s montane forests. Not much is known beyond its population estimate and description of nesting sites. An understanding of its habitat requirements and reproductive biology are critical components of well-developed protective measures to ensure the long-term survival of this incredible bird on the island.
Article by Aliya Hosein, member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group. Aliya works as the Leader of the Welfare and Wildlife Program at the Centre for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago. She is a biologist and avid conservationist, especially fond of parrots and hummingbirds.
Join Jennifer Wheeler as she shares real-life stories from the field about the challenges of saving the endangered Black-capped Petrel, aka Diablotin, from extinction. You might laugh, you might cry, you might want to join the project. Hopefully you’ll feel as inspired as we are about the future of this species, thanks to the hard work of many organizations and people.
Only a very small number of people on the planet can say they have had close contact with a Black-capped Petrel. This mid-sized seabird comes to land only to breed, only at night under cover of darkness, and often heads quickly out of sight into underground burrows. This covert behavior as well as the species’ eerie, wailing vocalizations in the night sky, earned it the name Diablotin (“little devil”) from early European and African arrivals to the Caribbean. It was the birds that should have been afraid: human settlement of the Caribbean, accompanied by the introduction of invasive mammals, reduced the Diablotin from abundant on many Caribbean islands to widely considered extinct by the early 1900s.
The Black-capped Petrel nests in burrows or crevices located at typically hard-to-reach, high-elevation spots in both the Haitian and Dominican Republic portions of Hispaniola. Petrel burrows have yet to be found on any other island (Photo by Jim Goetz)
I’ve been cheerleading and coordinating conservation of the Diablotin for a decade, working with numerous partners in the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. The species turns out not to be extinct but very rare. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the total world population is estimated at no more than 1,000 breeding pairs. Only about a hundred Diablotin burrows have been located to date, all on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). It’s actually much easier to see a Diablotin out at sea than find one inland.
My first encounter with the species was in 2009. I saw them zipping by at a distance over the open ocean from the Stormy Petrel, a seabirding tour boat operating out of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Though the Diablotin’s breeding range is limited to the Caribbean, it turns out that they concentrate in a foraging area off the southeast U.S. To observe them at sea, one needs to be out over deep marine waters near or in the Florida Current and Gulf Stream, and that is most easily done where the Outer Banks protrude into the Atlantic. In the subsequent years, I got no closer, and I certainly wasn’t one of the group of people that could say they had touched a Diablotin, seen one up close, or even smelled their fishy body odor. Last year, I decided it was time to change that.
The small number of people who have seen a Black-capped Petrel have usually seen them at a distance from a boat well out at sea in deep marine waters (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Hoping for Haiti
In April 2019 I planned on experiencing the Diablotin first-hand on a trip to Haiti. This is the country where most of those one hundred burrows are known to occur. In fact, it was in Haiti that they were re-discovered on a mountain ridge in 1961, after being lost to science for decades. This is miraculous considering that Haiti is one of the most deforested nations in the world, with some estimates that Haiti has retained less than 1% of its primary forest. Almost all of Haiti has been converted to agriculture or grazing, and secondary forest is degraded by wood-cutting and forest product collection. Petrels don’t need trees for nesting but trees and shrubs provide cover and root structure needed for burrow construction. Additionally, socioeconomic conditions in Haiti are so dire that people encountering these species are quite likely to consume them, which of course, is what introduced rats, cats and mongoose would like to do.
The Black-capped Petrel’s exact nesting locations in Haiti have not been easy to find. Even with the knowledge that they persisted on Haiti, it took until 2002 to locate an active burrow and until 2011 to see a living chick. Finding that little fluffball took an incredible number of hours crawling along cliffs and the forest floor, aided by information collected by radar and automated sound recording devices.
There is a small but significant nesting population of Diablotin in southwest Haiti, in a small patch of primary forest near the village of Boukan Chat. Since the discovery of the Diablotin in this area, local and international conservationists have been building relationships with the citizens of the village. Beginning with humanitarian projects, conservationists now pursue a strategy of improving farming practices and empowering local farmers to convert to more sustainable crops. More productivity on existing farmland reduces the likelihood of encroachment into the forest. Winning the hearts and minds of the local people also involves outreach, education and celebration. Foremost among these is the now annual Festival Diablotin Boukan Chat, which I had hoped to personally experience.
The conservation of the Diablotin relies on the actions and support of the local people. In the Haitian village of Boukan Chat, farmers are encouraged to switch to sustainable tree crops in buffer areas around the remaining patch of forest harboring petrels (Photo by Ernst Rupp)
Unfortunately, 2019 was not a good year for Haiti and its people. Anti-government protests turned violent last February, with accompanying increases in crime. The U.S. State Department and other authorities advised against travel to Haiti. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) is the organization spearheading much of the education and outreach in Boukan Chat. Adam Brown, project leader, made the disappointing but prudent decision to cancel attendance by international festival team members, including myself.
And yet, civil unrest did not deter the local members from carrying on with the festival! Boukan Chat held a Black-capped Petrel parade with musicians, pupils, farmers, and community members from the village to the soccer pitch. The celebrations ended with a soccer match between two soccer teams, including the appropriately logo’ed Boukan Chat team, ‘The Diablotins.’ There was a nighttime screening of the short film, Haiti, My Love, My Home which tells how the villagers, conservationists and humanitarians, have come together to protect the Diablotin. EPIC just released another amazing film The Diablotin Festival, which portrays the festival and just about makes me cry every time I watch it. I sincerely hope I can attend the Diablotin Festival in-person in the future, and more importantly, that peace returns to Haiti.
A young man in a Black-capped Petrel costume leads the parade during the Festival Diablotin held in Boukan Chat, Haiti. The festival also includes a soccer game and film screening, and is designed to instill interest and pride in the rare bird nesting in nearby forest (Photo by Anderson Jean)
Lost (it) At Sea
May 2019 brought a new opportunity to encounter petrels. This involved another trip on the Stormy Petrel in North Carolina, but with a twist. A team would be attempting to capture petrels at sea in order to fit them with tracking devices. The goal was to learn more about Diablotin movements, and if the transmitters lasted until breeding season the following winter, track them to possibly new and unknown nesting locations. The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) invited Chris Gaskin from New Zealand and his super nifty, specially designed hand-held net launcher for the job.
New Zealander Chris Gaskin prepares the air compressor used to launch a spreading net into the air. The net was specially designed to capture flying Black-capped Petrels at sea, in order to fit the birds with tracking devices (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Even with this, I confess, I was a doubter. There was no way this was going to work. Petrels are fast flyers and don’t come all that near to boats. What I didn’t realize was that Chris would be shooting from a small, inflatable Zodiac, which apparently doesn’t spook petrels, especially those fixated on the smelly fish oil put out to attract them. On May 8, as I prepared to drive down to North Carolina from Virginia to join in the expedition, I received a text with an image of a flying net enfolding a Black-capped Petrel!
Turns out that the team was fantastic at catching petrels. Brian Patteson, captain of the Stormy Petrel knew where to find the birds. Brad Keitt with ABC and Pat Jodice with the U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Coop unit at Clemson University took turns piloting the Zodiac and Chris into position. Chris never missed after his first shot. Yvan Satgé, also with Clemson, deftly fit each bird with a small solar-powered tracking device and took measurements and photos. Arriving in North Carolina, I helped celebrate the first six Diablotin ever captured at sea and I couldn’t wait to observe and assist.
The weather did not cooperate. The first day after I arrived the seas were too rough to be safe. The next day the seas were too calm; open ocean seabirds like wind. The third day was too rough again. I was out of time and actually began driving home. What was I thinking!?! An hour out I came to my senses and turned back to Hatteras to wait for good seas. Finally, on May 14, conditions looked very promising. And they were! It was so exciting to see a bird netted by Chris and watch the Zodiac speeding back to the boat to hand it over to me. And then, the dream came true: I held a living Diablotin in my hands!
One of the first Black-capped Petrels ever to be caught at sea and fit with a satellite tracking device awaits release. In total, 10 birds were tagged in May of 2019, tracking petrel movements to as late as January 2020 (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Not for long. I rushed to disentangle the net, then thrust the bird into someone else’s hands so I could rush to the side of the boat and throw up my breakfast. My big chance to handle a live Diablotin and I nearly foul its feathers with vomitus. Sigh. I was seasick for the rest of the day, providing only comic relief while the rest of the team successfully captured and fitted four more birds with satellite transmitters. Over the months to come, the birds’ movements were followed via satellite. Amazingly, the bird I almost upchucked upon was still transmitting 8 months later, longer than any other. Maybe it felt the love.
Determined in Dominica
As noted, one of the hopes of the satellite tracking was to see if any of the birds traveled to new nesting locations. Diablotin burrows have been found only on Hispaniola, but hope and evidence exists that they also persist on other islands: notably Dominica, where evidence is very strong. In 2015, radar surveys performed by EPIC picked up 900+ petrel-like targets heading in and out of the mountains of that island. Additionally, individual birds were observed through night-vision scopes during those surveys. And over many years, a handful of grounded birds have been found well inland. Following the radar surveys, technical exchanges were arranged to train and assist in ground searching. In April 2016, a team from the Dominican Republic visited Dominica; another exchange in the opposite direction took place in April 2017. Unfortunately, bad weather limited search time and no burrows were located on Dominica. Then, petrel work and just about everything else on that island was derailed when Hurricane Maria blasted Dominica in September 2017, the strongest storm in that island’s recorded history.
Jennifer Wheeler takes a break on a newly opened trail in Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica, during a January 2020 expedition to look for evidence of Black-capped Petrels on that island. (photo by Stephan Brown)
Last month, I invited myself to assist EPIC’s trip to Dominica to repeat radar surveys after five years and to help resume ground searches. Overcoming the challenges of arriving in Dominica late and alone, needing to navigate across the island’s high mountains in the dark, and driving on the “wrong” side of the road, I began to feel quite confident and helpful. I met with staff from the Division of Forestry; attended to the logistics of rental car, rental house, and groceries and obtained the heavy marine batteries needed to power the radar. My greatest success was finding a supply of small desiccant packs (those little bags of silica used to absorb moisture). I visited a dozen shops dealing with computers, appliances, and clothing, affirming that yes, I did mean those little packets that say Do Not Eat, and finally, met success at a shoe store! I was so proud. But pride goeth before the fall.
Did I mention that Dominica has really narrow roads? And it was hard to see my front left side while driving with a right side steering wheel? Fortunately, the burly body-builder was very nice about the big dent I put in his car. Repairing the suspension from shoving his car into a culvert was going to be costly though. The good news was that the damage to the rental truck was minor! You can be sure that I was relieved to turn over the driving to Adam Brown when he arrived on the ferry from Guadeloupe after two weeks of radar surveys there. And I must report that Adam often turned over the driving the really winding roads to local team members Machel Sulton and Stephen Durand. Things went smoothly after that.
We assembled the marine radar equipment and headed into the hills. Sure, setting up takes some work, but this field activity was really pleasant. We positioned ourselves on a hilltop and watched the sun set, enjoyed the cool breezes, and looked and listened for night flying creatures. Petrels appear as a distinctive pattern of blips on the radar screen. Adam would note them coming and call out for us to attempt a sighting with the night vision or thermal image scope. As was the case in 2015, the surveys detected a number of petrels at a number of locations, flying rapidly in and out of the mountains. The peak of activity commenced about 45 minutes after sunset and tapered off at about three hours. At 9 p.m. we were packing up and headed to dinner, excited about our findings but a little concerned about the drop in petrel target numbers since 2015.
Adam Brown, Stephan Durand and Machel Sulton set up for an evening of radar surveillance in Dominica in January 2020. Five years earlier, the first radar surveys conducted on the island revealed hundreds of petrel-like targets flying in or away from several of Dominica’s mountains (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Daytime work to place soundmeters required more exertion. Radar surveys only point the way to the peaks where petrels might be nesting. Placing automated recording devices in these areas to collect any vocalizations helps narrow down the sites and seasons to search. As noted, work on Dominica to find petrels discontinued in late 2017, and the trails to the peaks selected for soundmeter placement had yet to be cleared of trees felled by hurricane and two years of new growth. Division of Forestry foresters are really very good breaking trail with machetes; regardless, it was a slow, hot hike up to the first of the selected peaks. It was certainly not unpleasant, given the varied foliage, numerous orchids and occasional songbird; but I wish we had packed more food! Once we reached higher elevations, there was the chance of finding petrel burrows so off trail into the thick, prickly underbrush we went. Crawling through the dirt, peering under roots and sniffing at holes, I fantasized about finding a burrow entrance. I’m a finder by nature—I’m happy to spend hours looking for beach glass, fossils, antiques—and I just KNEW at any moment, I would see a hole with a tell-tale plop of guano or catch a fishy whiff of petrel. What a find it would be! Alas…I did not nor did anyone else. There is still no documented nesting in Dominica since 1862.
Persistence
Now it’s February, and petrel conservationists are gearing up for field work and community-based conservation on Hispaniola. I’ve heard that the biologists in Cuba are planning an expedition into the Sierra Maestra. There will be detailed reports coming out on the surveys in Guadeloupe and Dominica, with the findings from monitoring and recommendations for continued searches. Soundmeters are placed and listening. The members of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group are strategizing for the long term and seeking funds. With the Diablotin, we must be persistent. Finding the petrel is difficult; contemplating the magnitude of its threats—human population growth, habitats invaded by introduced mammals, and climate change foremost among them—can be overwhelming. But as long as there are Diablotins, there is hope.
Here’s one more story to serve as a symbol of surviving against the odds. After placing a new soundmeter in Morne Trois Pitons National Park in Dominica, we went in search of one deployed in 2017 and actually found it. It was bleached, scratched, and breached by rainwater. The tree to which it was strapped was broken and battered by the 160 mph winds of a Category 5 hurricane. It was difficult to open the unit. Yet the SD card inside survived, containing readable data. Miracles do happen.
Jennifer Wheeler is an avid adventurer and loves volunteering her time to help conservation causes. She was the coordinator of the Waterbird Council for 10 years and Board member and Treasurer of BirdsCaribbean for 8 years. She is currently co-chair of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group and Financial Officer for BirdsCaribbean.
The activities noted in this article were largely supported by Seabirding/Stormy Petrel, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Plant with Purpose, Jeune En Action Pour La Sauvegarde De l’Ecologie En Haiti, Soulcraft All-stars, Grupo Jaragua, BirdsCaribbean (and the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund of BirdsCaribbean), American Bird Conservancy, U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Coop unit at Clemson University, Dominica Division of Forestry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Disney Conservation Fund.
Please Donate!
To help save the Black-capped Petrel from extinction while also working with the people of Haiti to farm more sustainably, please donate here or here.
To view larger images in the gallery, click on each photo; they may also be viewed as a slide show.
Conservation actions in Boukan Chat, Haiti include educational programs for both adults and children. The long-term goal of these programs is to provide local people with knowledge and appreciation for sustainable agriculture and other livelihoods that increase standard of living and protect natural resources into the future. (photo by Anderson Jean)
Adam Brown takes a GPS measurement on a ridge overlooking a valley where radar detected petrel movements in and out of the nearby peaks (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Stephen Durand takes in the view overlooking a Dominica valley where radar detected petrel movements in and out of the nearby peaks. (photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
A soundmeter placed in early 2017 in Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park was recovered in 2020. Though the data are yet to be analyzed, the unit’s sound card was intact inside the unit, despite the devastation wrought by Category 5 Hurricane Maria (Photo by Stephen Durand)
Members of the team aboard the Stormy Petrel are all smiles after a successful expedition to catch Black-capped Petrels at sea. Can you tell who was seasick most of the trip? Back row, left to right: Yvan Satge, Chris Gaskin. Front row: Captain Brian Patteson, Jennifer Wheeler, Kate Sutherland, Brad Keith.
Jennifer releases a Black-capped Petrel fitted with a satellite tag.
The Cayman Islands Government is urging residents who are keeping Cayman Parrots as pets to have their birds registered with the Department of Environment (DoE) before February 29th, 2020. This amnesty is part of the Government’s efforts to reduce poaching and prevent further decline in the wild parrot populations on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.
The Grand Cayman Parrot (Amazona leucocephala caymanensis) and the Cayman Brac Parrot (A.l. hesterna), both represent the national bird of the Cayman Islands. The local name is “Cayman Parrot” but these parrots are a subspecies of the Cuban Parrot, which occurs in Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands and was formerly called the Rose-throated Parrot (read more on eBird Caribbean).
The Grand Cayman Parrot is generally green, with a white forecrown, white eye-rings, red cheeks (depending on whether male or female), black ear patches and blue wing feathers which are only seen in flight. Their tails are green with blue edges and red and yellowish-green underneath. The Cayman Brac Parrot is smaller in size and has a more pure white forehead with a large maroon area on its abdomen.
Cayman Parrot in the wild (Photo by Jane Håkonsson)
As is typical of parrots, they are active during the early morning, when they go out in search of fruits and berries. During the breeding season they look for food as well as tree cavities in which to raise their young. When resting quietly after their morning activities, they ‘comb’ and clean their feathers using their beaks. It is almost impossible to spot them at this time as they are perfectly camouflaged among the leaves of the trees. In the late afternoon they return to their roost.
The Cayman Brac Parrot previously inhabited Little Cayman but its prime nesting sites were destroyed in the Storm of 1932. It now has the smallest known range of any Amazon parrot in the world. Its survival depends entirely on the protection of remaining old-growth forest which can still be found on Cayman Brac.
Natural disasters such as hurricanes are a threat to the Cayman parrots’ survival—but not the only one. Habitat loss through development and trapping for the illegal pet trade also jeopardize the future of these birds.
DoE Research Officer, Jane Håkonsson, inspecting a pet Cayman Parrot
These parrots have been highly sought “gifts” and pets, even though they are protected by law. It is illegal to trap, sell and keep the birds in captivity. Yet, many people still keep them as pets. In an effort to curb the illegal trade in the national bird, the DoE set up a six month amnesty program, running from September 1st 2019 to February 29th 2020. Pet parrot owners can now legally register their birds without the risk of their pets being taken away.
Each pet parrot will be checked by a veterinarian, given an identification number printed on a small band around the parrot’s leg and implanted with an identification chip, similar to the ID tags used to register dogs and cats, at no cost to the owner.
About a year ago, the DoE started a collaboration with a private member of the public to open a much-needed Parrot Sanctuary in East End. The Cayman Parrot Sanctuary boasts native plants and trees. Parrots that are not yet able to return to the wild are housed in secure, clean and spacious aviaries. The Sanctuary is managed by Australian-born Ron Hargrave, who is very much invested in the conservation and well-being of parrots and Cayman wildlife.
The Sanctuary takes in injured parrots and provides rehabilitative care, with the goal of releasing the birds back into the wild population. The birds have a much higher chance of survival in the wild following releases from the sanctuary. They are given thorough medical exams and their health is continuously monitored. Parrots are also taught how to be wild birds again. They have natural foods to eat and learn where to find them; they are also able to form social bonds with other parrots.
Cayman Parrot at the Parrot Sanctuary (Photo by Jane Håkonsson)
Following every release, the birds are provided with temporary supplemental feeding stations. Their behavior and movements are monitored in the wild. To date seven parrots have been released.
Not all parrots can be released back into the wild. Therefore, pet parrot owners are discouraged from releasing their pet birds themselves. They should instead contact the DoE. Also, if you are a Cayman Parrot owner but have not yet registered your bird, please call Jane Håkonsson on 925-1807 or 949-8469 or email doe@gov.ky.
Spread the word and help protect the Cayman Islands’ national bird for generations to enjoy!
Special thanks to Aliya Hosein (Leader of the Welfare and Wildlife Program at the Centre for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago) and Jane Ebert Håkonsson (Cayman Islands’ Department of Environment Research Officer) for this blog article!
Erika Gates reports on the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in Grand Bahama, just 4 months after Hurricane Dorian devastated large parts of the island. Initial surveys revealed badly damaged habitats and very few birds. What would they find on their 20th CBC?
Grand Bahama Birders and visiting participants gathered for our annual CBC, which took place in the West End area on January 4th and covered Central Grand Bahama on January 5th of this year. The group was worried. We did not know what species and bird numbers we could expect after the habitat and environment had only experienced 4 months of recovery, following the devastating damage of Hurricane Dorian over 3 days (Sept 1–3, 2019).
We had assessed bird life in the Eastern part of our island one month after the storm and sadly witnessed the catastrophic damage that the storm and surge had done there to humans and their homes! Very few of our resident birds had survived out east, especially those that depended on the Caribbean Pine forest and Hardwood Coppice like the Bahama Warbler, Olive-capped Warbler, Loggerhead Kingbird, Cuban Pewee, Hairy Woodpecker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Black-faced Grassquit. Arriving winter migrants would have inspected the non-existent habitats, vegetation, and food sources and most likely continued on south.
The orientation evening prior to our first count day is always a happy occasion as Erika Gates welcomed visiting birders and team leaders back. This included Count Compiler Bruce Purdy from Florida, Team Leader Bruce Hallett from Atlanta, Team Leader Dr. Woody Bracey (Bahamas), and visiting birders Craig and Barbara Walker (California).
Group photo of all participants at the 2019 Christmas Bird Count in Grand Bahama. (Photo by Jock Hall)
Special guests at the Gates’ that evening were Ann and Sidney Maddock from South Carolina. Ann is finalizing her photographic hummingbird book “Winged Jewels” in the Bahamas while Sidney is conducting a winter months survey for of Piping Plovers on many Bahamian islands (with funding from Environment Canada). Upon distribution of clipboards with team and area assignments we all sat together, shared a meal, chatted a while, and then everybody retired early. I felt a sense of anxiety in the air about what to expect the next morning!
Taking a Step Back in Time
The first Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on December 25th in the year 1900 in the United States. Up until then it had been a tradition for persons that liked the outdoors to engage in the Christmas Bird Hunt. People would go into the fields and forests in teams and shoot any bird they saw. The winning team would be the one that brought in the largest number of dead birds! Many persons became concerned about the indiscriminate, senseless slaughter of these beautiful feathered creatures and worried about declines in bird populations. Dr. Frank Chapman, founder of Bird-Lore which evolved into Audubon magazine, suggested the alternative of counting rather than shooting birds. Thus began the first Christmas Bird Count in the year 1900 with 27 dedicated birders observing and counting birds.
Grand Bahama has participated the CBC for the past 20 years. The count now includes all Canadian Provinces, some Caribbean islands, the Bahamas, South America and several Pacific islands. This year more than 80,000 birders will have participated in this count on one chosen day between December 15th and January 5th from sunrise to sunset. The count data is becoming increasingly important in predicting the effects of climate change and decline in bird populations. Our local birders, together with their international partners, will be contributing valuable information to the longest running database in ornithology.
Team Reports
West End Teams
Jill Cooper, Gena Granger, Bruce Hallet (team leader), Woody Bracey, Randrew Martin, Barbara Zill, Erika Gates, Delores Kellman (recorder) and Bridget Davis (photographer)Louise Durocher, Bruce Purdy (team leader), Arlene Kerber, Candice Woon, Gail Woon, Melanie Darville (recorder), Judith Dawkins, Craig Walker, Barbara Walker, Rudy Sawyer, Martha Cartwright (photographer)
As expected, both West End teams got a 7 am start on a windy day of the count. Bruce Purdy’s sites included Eight Mile Rock, Holmes Rock wetlands, Josie’s Cave, Bootle Bay and Bayshore Road. Bruce Halletts’s team had been assigned to survey the Old Bahama Bay property and the West End golf course. Both teams returned back to Freeport at sunset and were elated with a combined number of 71 species observed, matching the West End count in 2017! There were several rare species to report as well, like Gadwall, Mottled Duck, Whimbrel, American Pipit, American Oystercatcher, and Snow Goose.
American Oystercatcher (Photo by Erika Gates)Beautiful pair of Mottled Ducks (photo by Bruce Hallett)Snow Goose, a rare migrant to the Caribbean. (Photo by Erika Gates)
Central Grand Bahama Teams
Our spirits were uplifted and we all were in happy moods at sunrise the next morning when we set out in four teams for our Central Grand Bahama count of many of our Freeport birding sites. Some of the most productive areas out of the 25 sites to be surveyed on day two were Lewis Yard wetlands, Emerald Golf Course pond, Reef Golf Course, LIS wetlands, Taino Trail, Garden of the Groves, Barbary Beach, Rand Nature Centre, Pine Tree Stables, and the Gates’ Bird Sanctuary.
By sunset our hopes had been restored that the catastrophic Dorian had failed to wipe out Grand Bahamas’ beautiful feathered friends and that many of our resident and migratory species as well as their habitat had shown tremendous resilience! All four teams were happy with an amazing count of 93 species for the Freeport area, almost coming close to previous years which tallied anywhere between 95 to 110! Rarities for the Freeport area were a Red-breasted Merganser, Willet, Chipping Sparrow, and Canada Goose.
Chipping Sparrow, a rare migrant to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. (photo by Erika Gates)Whimbrel (photo by Erika Gates)Canada Goose (Photo by Erika Gates)
The traditional Tally Rally and Final Dinner were celebrated at Garden of the Groves once again after the Garden had undergone four months of hurricane restoration under the expert and tireless leadership of general manager, Marilyn Laing and her team. Everyone was much encouraged to see and document that birds had returned to habitats that are still recovering.
Intensive surveys are being carried out in both Abaco and Grand Bahama by the Bahamas National Trust with support from partners (e.g., BirdsCaribbean, American Bird Conservancy, Audubon) to assess the damage to habitats and population sizes of species of conservation concern, such as the Olive-capped Warbler, Bahama Warbler, Bahama Parrot and especially the Bahama Nuthatch. We eagerly await results from these studies. For now, we are pleased with our observations from the CBC which shows that more common species are alive and coming back to our recovering habitats.
To learn more about how to participate in the Christmas Bird Count, click here, here, and here.
Erika Gates is owner and operator of Garden of the Groves, Grand Bahama Nature Tours and Grand Bahama Birders’ Bed and Breakfast. Erika is a former Board member of BirdsCaribbean. She is also leading bird conservationist on the island, educating and involving youth and communities through various programs such as BirdSleuth Caribbean, the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, World Migratory Bird Day, Caribbean Waterbird Census, her annual birding course, habitat restoration projects, and more.
The Red-legged Thrush is a key seed disperser in the forests of the Dominican Republic. (photo by Dax Roman)
Spencer Schubert’s adventures into the remote corners of the Dominican Republic Part continue, all in the name of science and conservation.
If you are reading this, I probably do not have to convince you that birds are great. The more interesting discussion to be had, of course, would be what makes them so great. We are all drawn to birds for different reasons. For some of us, the sights and sounds they provide to the ambience of our backyard or local natural area are enough to endear them to us. For many others it comes from their experience as pet owners. Even the tradition of hunting can inspire reverence for birds and a passion for their conservation. I have always liked birds, but I can hardly claim that they were any more interesting to me than lizards or turtles, for example. Indeed, on my grumpiest of days, I sometimes refer to myself as a failed herpetologist.
My gateway to birds has been a fascination with their role as seed dispersers. It may not be the first thing that you notice, but no matter where you go, as long as you’re standing on dry land and there is some green vegetation nearby, you would be hard pressed to find somewhere where there aren’t birds eating fruits and seeds. These feeding behaviors by birds are a key component to many terrestrial ecosystems. By swallowing fruits or otherwise carrying away seeds in their bill, potentially flying great distances, birds give plants a major boost in their potential to propagate in the environment.
Our restoration plots, constructed in 2017, are small pasture areas each about the size of a basketball court. By enclosing these areas with barbed wire fences, our objective was to eliminate the effects of cattle grazing, trampling, and landscaping efforts by farmers in order to observe the process of seed dispersal and plant growth. Perches with crossbars were installed to attract birds and collect droppings and seeds.
One of the major implications of seed dispersal in a world with ever diminishing forests is the prospects for degraded ecosystems to bounce back. About two years ago, I contributed an article to this blog on up-and-coming work in the small town Jarabacoa in the central mountains of the Dominican Republic. I was studying whether constructed perches could be used to attract birds to restoration sites on abandoned parcels of farmland, with the goal of promoting natural seed dispersal and forest recovery. It all began with a simple principle: If you build it, they will come.
To some extent this was true. We found that installing perches increased the number of birds visiting restoration plots. However, some key seed dispersers such as the Palmchat, Black-crowned Palm Tanager, and Red-legged Thrush – to name a few – showed little to no interest in our perches. So, I got to thinking, maybe we need a better sales pitch.
Have you ever walked down the streets of a popular street in town looking for a place to eat or hang out? Would you rather walk into an establishment that is silent with no sign of people inside or one that is bustling with music and laughter? Atmosphere is what you’re looking for. All else being equal, you’re much more likely to walk into a restaurant that sounds like there are a lot of people inside than one that is quiet and seemingly empty. We use these social cues to inform our judgments of the quality of different businesses all the time. As it turns out, birds are not so different.
Birders will already be familiar with the magic of playback. Many bird species are readily stimulated by hearing their own call and often rush in to investigate whether the sound is from a mate, new neighbor, or a potential intruder to the territory. This is often used to draw in shy birds for us to have a closer look at them or prompt them to reply for better identification (Note: Playback may cause unnecessary stress for some species, particularly during nesting season, and is prohibited in some parks and in many cases for threatened species). Similarly, birds may be drawn to the sounds of both their own kind and other species as a signal to flock up to find high quality habitat or food.
Black-crowned Palm Tanager (Phaenicophilus palmarum) feeding on Inga vera. (photo by Spencer Schubert)
Here is where my idea set in. One aspect of my studies over the past four years has been the community-level analysis at our sites in the central Dominican Republic in an attempt to fully document all feeding/dispersal relationships between all of the bird and plant species that occur here. Through thousands of hours of observation, we have uncovered enormous variation in the extent to which different bird species act as seed dispersers.
Some “generalist” species are responsible for dispersing the seeds of large numbers of plant species. For example, our research has revealed that the Palmchat eats fruits from 42 species. That’s nearly half of all trees and shrubs that are found, collectively, at the sites we have surveyed! Other “specialist” species, like the Antillean Euphonia, are only known to feed on fruits from just a few species. So, if you were any average Joe Bird in the mood for some tasty fruits, which of these species would you rather take a recommendation from?
Antillean Euphonia (Euphonia musica) feeding on a mistletoe (Phoradendron racemosa). (photo by Spencer Schubert)
This is, effectively, the question we asked with our latest experiment. By broadcasting sounds of fruit-eating generalists, specialists, and birds that do not eat fruits in separate trials, we sought to test how these sounds affect bird activity in our restoration plots. We expected, first of all, that the sounds of particular species would attract members of that same species. Additionally, we expected experimental trials with sounds from generalist birds to attract more birds in general than in trials with sounds from specialists, non-frugivores, and no sound. We used digital video cameras to record the activity of birds in the plots during these experiments. At this time, we are still reviewing the footage from this study. But we have already seen some fascinating results! Several species that we had never before recorded in the plots were confirmed as visitors responding to the sound of their own species during this experiment.
Here we see a family of Grey Kingbirds (Tyrannus dominicensis) frolicking among the perches in one of our restoration plots. Kingbirds are, nominally, insectivores. However, they supplement their diet heavily with a large variety of fruits. Their propensity to venture out into open spaces to hunt for insects makes them highly prolific seed dispersers in deforested landscapes. (Video by Spencer Schubert)
Our work demonstrates that sound and social cues are likely a key factor in birds exploring degraded landscapes. And this exploration and habitat use by birds has a direct relationship with seed dispersal. While our work is only a first glance into these relatively unexplored aspects of bird behavior, there is reason to believe that it could have key implications for environmental management and conservation. Beyond simply tricking birds into showing up to a particular site, taking various measures to promote the local abundance of birds through providing resources and habitat can extend well beyond improving the well-being of birds. Helping birds in this context has great potential for restoring the ecosystem services like seed dispersal that birds provide, which will be key in our future struggle to support biodiverse and resilient ecosystems.
As an extension of plant surveys and phenology monitoring, we used a make-shift space at our field station to germinate and rear seedlings of more than 30 species. At the end of the summer, Plan Yaque Inc. helped us transport these to a large scale nursery that supplies ongoing forest restoration projects for the Ministry of the Environment.
In the time since the inception of our project, we have taken steps to ensure that measures will be taken to improve management practices to make landscapes more supportive of bird populations. Our biggest push in this regard has been emphasizing the importance of planting native species both in restoration areas and in backyard landscaping projects to support native birds.
Over the past year, we have collected seed and grown seedlings of more than 30 species of native plants, all of which produce fruit resources for birds. In July of this year, we donated more than two hundred of these seedlings to Plan Yaque Inc. (a local NGO working to conserve natural resources in the Rio Yaqui del Norte watershed) and the Ministry of the Environment to incorporate into routine forest restoration projects, including the plots where we have done our experiments. We hope that this will be an important first step to reforming forest restoration practices so that they may become more sustainable and effective in promoting native biodiversity.
A Palmchat, endemic to the Dominican Republic and an important seed disperser, uses one of our artificial perches. (photo by Holly Garrod)
I owe gratitude to many individuals and organizations for their roles in supporting this project over the past several years. Chiefly among these were project technicians: Joaris Samuel Gonzalez and Juan Miguel Liberata. Field assistants: Alex Lascher-Posner, Paris Werner, Kim Shoback, Tyler Glaser, Alejandra Monsiváis, Juan Carlos Cárdenas, and Lara Grevstad. Dr. Eric Walters of Old Dominion University helped advise the project and has been instrumental in the progression of my ideas and my development as a scientist. Holly Garrod has closely partnered with this project as a collaborator during the course of MS thesis on todies of Hispaniola. Local organizations Plan Yaque and Rancho Baiguate have provided key logistic support, without which this work would not have been possible. Furthermore, numerous private land owners have generously received us on their farms to conduct our field studies. This research was funded jointly by the Rufford Foundation, the Sophie Danforth Conservation Award from Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Old Dominion University Kirk Wetland Research Award, and the David S. Lee Fund from BirdsCaribbean.
By Spencer Schubert. Spencer is Ph.D. student in the ecology program at Old Dominion whose thesis focuses on the contributions of avian seed dispersal to tropical forest recovery and plant-frugivore seed dispersal networks on farmland landscapes in the Dominican Republic. Spencer is a recipient of two BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund Grants and is using his research as a platform to raise interest in the ecological importance of birds for restoration projects in the region around Jarabacoa.
Trinidad is home to 18 species of hummingbirds – we are all envious of this diversity! Aliya Hosein shares a folk tale of the role these birds played in the creation of one of Trinidad’s natural wonders—The Pitch Lake—and also some amazing natural history facts about these tiny but mighty birds.
Glittering-throated Emerald (photo by David Huggins)
Most cultures around the world have superstitious beliefs, some of which involve birds. In Trinidad and Tobago—and possibly the entire Caribbean region—birds were thought to be messengers of the gods or representation of the gods themselves. Hummingbirds, in particular, were revered by Amerindian tribes. It is reported by historians that Amerindians first named Trinidad, Iere (or Kairi, Caeri) for the hummingbird yerette (or ierette).
These birds are also featured in the story of origin of one of Trinidad’s natural wonders: The Pitch Lake. The Pitch Lake is located in the village of La Brea in southwest Trinidad and covers 100 acres. At its centre it is about 250 feet deep. This Lake is the world’s largest commercial deposit of natural asphalt. It sluggishly replenishes itself causing a “stirring” action in the lake which causes trees and other objects to appear, disappear and re-emerge!
The Pitch Lake was believed to be covered by lush green forest inhabited by an Amerindian tribe. On one day a rival tribe made a sudden attack but the warriors fought with all their might to protect their land. The rival tribe surrendered and left the village as quickly as they could. Only a few huts were damaged.
The tribe was overcome with joy. They wanted to celebrate, but, since the unexpected attack prevented them from hunting that day, they feasted on hummingbirds. They plucked the shimmering feathers off the tiny birds and adorned their own bodies. They carried on with their celebrations paying no attention to their belief that these sacred hummingbirds held the spirits of their ancestors.
White-tailed Sabrewing (Photo by Steve Laycock)
As retribution for their evil deed, the hummingbird gods opened up the ground beneath the village and summoned a lake of pitch that swallowed everything, including the people! The hummingbirds, however, were spared and can now be found throughout the island.
Trinidad and Tobago is home to 18 dazzling species of hummingbirds. Most recently the Glittering-throated Emerald (Amazilia fimbriata) was sighted in the country’s Northern Range bumping the total up to an unofficial 19.
Hummingbirds make up their own bird family. They are tiny, about as heavy as a pack of gum. They have long, narrow bills to sip nectar. Their wings are sabre-shaped for precise flight control. Males, and sometimes females, have small, reflective, colourful feathers on the throat and upper chest. The true intensity of these colours are seen when the hummingbird turns its head to catch the sunlight.
Glittering-throated Emerald (Photo by David Huggins)
Despite being the smallest of birds, they have been built to live an extraordinary life. As expected, small birds mean small eggs. Hummingbirds lay eggs as tiny as peas in equally tiny cup-shaped nests made from spider webs and leaves. After mating, the female protects and cares for the eggs and chicks by herself.
Hummingbirds have powerful down- and up-beat wing flaps. They are tremendously agile fliers; they are the only vertebrates capable of staying in one place during flight and flying backward and upside-down as well. To the flying acrobatics add speed: their wings beat about 70 times per second in direct flight, and more than 200 times per second while diving.
Tufted Coquette (Photo by Luke Seitz)
In order to maintain their fast-paced lifestyle, hummingbirds must be able to locate reliable sources of nectar from flowering plants. This explains why their movements are often tied to the changing pattern of flower production over time and space.
Interestingly, hummingbirds do not forage or fend off predators together. They will instead compete with each other for nectar, which explains the hullabaloo around flowering gardens or bird feeders. However, they do have very good reasons for being obnoxious and feisty around flowering plants.
Flowers take time to produce nectar. Hummingbirds therefore wait to feed at flowers in order to lower the risk of losing a tasty meal to other hummingbirds. In areas where many species live together the largest tries to defend small territories where they know they can get the biggest sips of nectar. Since nectar is low in protein, they switch from flowers to insects during the breeding season. They catch small flying insects by hovering in mid-air which are then fed to their growing chicks. If hummingbirds cannot find enough food, they go into a sleep-like state in which their metabolism slows down and body temperature drops to conserve energy.
White-chested Emerald (Photo by Mark Hulme)
Unfortunately, as human settlements continue to expand, the flowers that hummingbirds prefer are disappearing. The good news is that by planting the right plants (for example: trumpet bush, vervain, powderpuff, and torch lily) in your yard and providing sugar water in hummingbird feeders, you help replace lost food sources.
And you can still help the hummingbirds, even if you are not the ‘gardening’ type, by drinking Bird Friendly certified coffee. When coffee is grown under a diverse canopy of shade trees, coffee plants, the trees that shade them, and the plants that grow on the trees provide a buffet of flowers for these birds and other wildlife that depend upon them.
Hummingbird species recorded in Trinidad and Tobago:
Glittering-throated Emerald (Photo by David Huggins)
Amethyst Woodstar (Calliphlox amethystina)
Copper-rumped Hummingbird (Amazilia tobaci): its subspecies if found only on Tobago
White- chested Emerald (Amazilia brevirostris)
Blue-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon mellisugus)
Blue-chinned Sapphire (Chlorestes notata)
White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora)
Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis)
Green-throated Mango (Anthracothorax viridigula)
White-tailed Goldenthroat (Polytmus guainumbi)
Long-billed Starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris)
Ruby Topaz (Chrysolampis mosquitus): annual visitor to Trinidad
Tufted Coquette (Lophornis ornatus): the lightest hummingbird recorded for Trinidad
Green Hermit (Phaethornis guy)
Rufous-breasted Hermit (Glaucis hirsutus)
Little Hermit (Phaethornis longuemareus)
Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae)- favours high altitudes
Rufous Shafted Woodstar (Chaetocercus jourdanii)
White-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis): listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN, found only on Tobago and Venezuela
Article by Aliya Hosein, member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group. Aliya works as the Leader of the Welfare and Wildlife Program at the Centre for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago. She is a biologist and avid conservationist, especially fond of parrots and hummingbirds.
New twin suspension bridges over breached gaps in failed marina causeway in the Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
The local non-profit conservation organization Sustainable Grenadines (SusGren) welcomed guests to the lagoon’s (re)birthday celebration at its welcoming eco-friendly building on Union Island in the Grenadines on May 31, 2019. The building adjoins Ashton Lagoon, the largest natural bay and mangrove ecosystem in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This area was legally designated a Conservation Area in 1987 and named as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International in 2008.
The story of Ashton Lagoon is worthy of honor and rejoicing, far and wide. The birthday party guests wore beaming smiles.
After 13 years of diligent work, SusGren, supported by its national and international partners, has succeeded in restoring the lagoon—not only for the well-being of the marine and bird life, but also for that of future generations of Union Islanders. Now it is transformed, blossoming into a beautiful place in which to learn, observe, and enjoy the bounties of nature.
Orisha Joseph, Sustainable Grenadines Executive Director, welcomes everyone to the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project Unveiling event on May 31st, 2019. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
As the King said in “Alice in Wonderland,” it’s best to begin at the beginning. The tale of Ashton Lagoon began some 25 years ago, in 1994. That year marked its decline—the moment when an overseas investor said: “Let’s build a golf course over the mangroves. Let’s build a marina for 300 boats!” as Joseph described it. A causeway was to join Frigate Rock to Union Island.
Map of Union Island ecosystems prior to the Ashton Marina Project and the airport runway extension (Map by Price & Price, 1998)
The following year, the investor went bankrupt. The project was abandoned, but the damage had already been done. Joseph described the development as a “catastrophe.” The causeway and marina berths, constructed from metal sheet piles and dredged coral, blocked the circulation of water, causing immense harm to the mangroves, reefs, and seagrass.
Thereafter, Ashton Lagoon languished. With its stagnant green waters and its degraded mangrove forest, locals—including fisherfolk who passed through to their fishing grounds—shunned it. It became a lonely place, Joseph recounted during her presentation in Guadeloupe (which you can watch below!).
But hope appeared on the horizon. In 2004, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean Lisa Sorenson visited Union Island to deliver a Wetlands Education Training Workshop. The group took a field trip to the damaged lagoon and learned about the heartbreak residents and fishers felt living with the eyesore of the abandoned and algae-filled lagoon. Sorenson began work to raise funds, and in 2007, thanks to support from the USFWS, SusGren and BirdsCaribbean held a 3-day Participatory Planning Workshop with local stakeholders. All agreed (including, thankfully, donors) that something must be done. But wasn’t this a Herculean task?
An aerial view of Ashton Lagoon in 2004 shows how the failed marina disrupted the natural water flow. Impacts included stagnant polluted water in the lagoon and marked declines in marine life and the health of the mangrove. (Photo by Michele Kading)
Yes, it was. The Restoration Project was a tough, complex undertaking, not for the faint-hearted. Initially, stakeholders developed a vision for the management and sustainable use of the area, and wrote funding proposals. Surveys and monitoring of the ecologically sensitive area were conducted. And then, there were the engineering issues to be resolved. Joseph reserved special appreciation for the man she called her “miracle worker,” Ian Roberts, Engineer/ Works Supervisor for the restoration.
Joseph emphasized that, apart from the onerous technical issues that besieged them (how to deal with those horrible metal piles?) another challenge was a less “concrete” one: How to keep the local community engaged and interested. They were impatient and SusGren’s credibility and reputation were at stake on this small island with a population of 3,500.
The group went through a funding crisis in 2014—one that Joseph looked back on with wry humor. In 2016, when the funds began to work out, the project’s three broad objectives were refined. These were to restore the ecosystem; to strengthen the community’s resilience to climate change, for its economic benefit; and to increase environmental awareness.
In 2018, the water began to flow again. The “miracle workers” had created some breaches in the marina’s piles for it to flow through …after 24 years. “The lagoon said, ‘I can breathe again!’” laughed Joseph.
There followed a frantic period of activity, as SusGren worked on several projects simultaneously. The mangroves were flooded with new water and circulation in the lagoon restored through strategic breaches and culverts in the causeway and marina berths. Two bird towers were built (one named after Lisa Sorenson’s favorite seabird, the Royal Tern). The Interpretive Centre was built and some moorings at Frigate Island were created. A nursery of 3,000 red mangroves was created; the seedlings, donated by the Grenada Department of Forestry. They were planted using bamboo, rather than PVC. A community-owned apiculture and honey production enterprise started up (“bees like black mangroves,” noted Joseph).
Approximately 3,000 red mangroves seedlings were replanted in the Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
There are also two bridges. After the marina causeway and berths were breached in several places to allow the water to flow freely, the bridges were needed to provide access to the whole causeway—a part of which had been washed away by storms—as a place to walk and watch birds and wildlife. Now, the marina berths are turning into “little islets” with mangroves and other vegetation—growing well and providing a roosting place for birds and habitat for other wildlife.
Hon. Camilo Gonsalves (Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, Sustainable Development and Information Technology) and Hon. Saboto Ceasar (Minister of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries, and Rural Transformation) on the suspension bridge at Ashton Lagoon at the May 31st Restoration Unveiling event. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.).
Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, Lisa Sorenson felt a great emotional investment in the project. “I could not stop smiling at the launch!” she confessed. “We are so proud of SusGren, their local partners and the donors for persevering with the project. This is a shining example of what can be done, with vision and determination, to right an environmental wrong that occurred many years ago. SusGren did not give up on Ashton Lagoon. Now it is a wonderful place for people—and birds—to visit. An American Flamingo showed up there recently, for the first time!”
BirdsCaribbean continues to provide support for clean-up activities, tree planting and additional signs for the bird towers.
Importantly, members of the public are using the Lagoon Eco Trail, including schoolchildren and teachers, eager to learn. In July, Danny’s Summer School on Union Island went birding at the Lagoon, identifying birds and exploring the trail. “This is what brings me most joy,” admits Orisha Joseph. Those years walking round the lonely lagoon with a colleague are gone. Now, at last, it is appreciated by local people. Non-motorized recreational activities have begun to take off. Kite surfing is booming!
Sustainable Grenadines, Inc. Junior Rangers visit to the Ashton Lagoon Trail. Students poses with Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, Dr. Lisa Sorenson, and Mr. Herman Belmar (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
World Migratory Bird Day monitoring with the Stephanie Browne Primary School students and teachers. The students pose with bird ID cards outside of SusGren’s new headquarters at the lagoon. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.).
Of course, more work remains to be done. SusGren and its partners now face a number of new and different challenges. They had not quite been prepared for a sudden flood of publicity (for example, in the Caribbean Compass yachting magazine) and the thousands of “likes” on social media. “We were even featured in the phone book!” said Joseph, with a hearty laugh.
Ashton Lagoon on Caribbean Compass cover
The Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project is still lobbying the Governments of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada—not only for funds, but to have the lagoon properly gazetted as a Marine Protected Area. On the ground, SusGren is tackling such issues as an invasion of cattle in the mangroves during the “let-go season” and management of vehicles. While increasing bird habitat, the organization wants to encourage community involvement that is orderly, and above all sustainable.
Kristy Shortte, SusGren Program Officer, conducts Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) bird monitoring from the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Birding Tower (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Now, the tides are flowing again in the lagoon, and the jewel-like waters, turquoise and opal, are clear and free. The mangroves are busy with bird life. Marine life is thriving. Pedestrian and boat access has been opened up.
Residents of Union Island visiting Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
In some ways, the story of Ashton Lagoon is almost like a Hollywood plot: disasters, disappointments, struggle and ultimately a sense of triumph. The less glamorous sub-plot is the sheer hard work and determination to see the project through, tackling red tape and unexpected obstacles, worrying about funding. It is the story of many conservation non-profits across the region.
The story of Ashton Lagoon has a happy ending—but actually it has not ended. Ashton Lagoon is cared for, again. It has a bright future, for wildlife and for people.
Supporters of the Ashton Lagoon Project at the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project Unveiling event on May 31st, 2019. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Partners and supporters of the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project included:BirdsCaribbean; the Phillip Stephenson Foundation; The Nature Conservancy (TNC); the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Program (CMBP); the German Development Bank (KFW) through the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5C’s); the Global Environment Facility–Small Grants Program (GEF-SGP); US Fish and Wildlife Service, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust; Global Coral Reef Alliance; AvianEyes; Science Initiative for Environmental Conservation and Education; Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries and Industry; Construction Logistics, Inc.; Ministry of National Security, Lands and Survey Department; National Properties Limited; National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority; Grenadines Partnership Fund; University of New Hampshire; Union Island Environmental Attackers; Union Island Tourism Board; Union Island Association for Ecological Preservation (UIAEP); Union Island Ecotourism Movement, and others.
We invite you to enjoy the gallery of photos below. Hover over each photo to see the caption or click on the first photo to see a slide show.
Wilson’s Plovers are common residents of Ashton Lagoon; they nest on mudflats near the mangroves. (photo by Peter Duce)
Lisa and Orisha in front of the Royal Tern observation tower, named after Lisa’s favorite seabird. (photo by Ian Roberts)
Shorebirds enjoying the peace of Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Landbirds of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (side 1) – these waterproof bird ID cards help residents and visitors to know and enjoy the country’s beautiful birds. (cards produced by BirdsCaribbean)
Like mother, like son, birding in the Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Ribbon cutting ceremony for the new office and visitor centre of Sustainable Grenadines, Inc. adjacent to Ashton Lagoon. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Mayreau Government School visits the Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Wallets rest in the protected waters of the Ashton Lagoon mangroves. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc).
Swales from the Entrance (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
View of suspension bridges and Union Island. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
View of the rejuvenating Ashton Marina (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Educational signs found in Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
A happy moment – Lisa Sorenson reunited with Martin Barriteau and Matthew Harvey at the restoration unveiling ceremony. Martin is the former Executive Director of SusGren and worked on the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project for many years. Matthew Harvey is a local fisher whose livelihood was harmed by the failed marina development. He never gave up hope that the lagoon would be restored.
SusGren Staff (Sonia, Chandra, and Orisha) and Dr. Lisa Sorenson crossing the gap in 2013 in the days before the bridges! This was necessary to carry out Caribbean Waterbird Census bird counts. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Hon. Saboto Ceasar, (Minister of Agriculture, Industry, Forestry, Fisheries, and Rural Transformation) giving the featured address at the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Unveiling Ceremony (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
View of the causeway, marina berth islets, and Frigate Island from the Twin Bridges (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Kristy Shortte, SusGren Program Coordinator, conducting Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) bird counts (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Mr. Edwin Snagg – Director Grenadine Affairs delivering brief remarks (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Brief remarks by Mr. Joaquin Monserrat, Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy of Barbados, Eastern Caribbean and the OECS. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Richmond Vale Academy, St Vincent- Visit to the Ashton Lagoon. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Students from Stephanie Browne Primary School on World Migratory Bird Day, October 2019 (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Green Heron (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Richmond Vale Academy, St Vincent- Visit to the Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
View of mangroves and suspension bridges in the distance from the Royal Tern Observation Tower. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Humorous Signs Found in Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Ian Roberts, Engineer/ Works Supervisor, and Orisha Joseph on one of the suspension bridges that Mr. Roberts designed. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Many more shorebirds use the lagoon since it has been restored (photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc.)
Louise Mitchell (St. Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund ) and other attendees at the launch event marvel at the new gazebo and bridges. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc).
Drone Shot of the Entrance to the Ashton Lagoon Trail (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Birding Tower, named after local birder Katrina Collins Coy’s favorite bird (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Directional Signs along the Trail (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Manchineel Tree warning sign – although poisonous to humans, the Manchineel tree is a valuable food tree for birds. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Panoramic view from the second floor of SusGren’s new headquarters at the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Unveiling Ceremony, May 31, 2019. (photo Lisa Sorenson)
Richmond Vale Academy, St Vincent- Visit to the Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Tropical Mockingbird (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Mermaid sign and mermaid on trail. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Landbirds of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (side 2) – these waterproof bird ID cards help residents and visitors to know and enjoy the country’s beautiful birds. (cards produced by BirdsCaribbean)
One of the interpretive signs along the trail.
1st Birding tower from the entrance, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Tower (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Wetlands are wonderful places for birds, recreation and learning. View of the Twin Bridges, Ashton Lagoon, Union Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Royal Terns on remains of Ashton Marina (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Beautiful performance by the Cultural Conquerors at the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Unveiling event on May 31st, 2019. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc.)
Signs at the Entrance of the Trail (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Hon. Camilo Gonsalves (Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, Sustainable Development and Information Technology) provides brief remarks at the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Unveiling event. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
A Whimbrel, a migratory shorebird, visits Ashton Lagoon. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Visitors from Caribbean Tourism Authority (CTO) (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Yachts Anchored at Frigate Rock using SusGren mooring services (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Visitors to Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Cinders Creative Nest Preschool visit to the Ashton Lagoon area (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Grenada Flycatchers are found only in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo by Ted Eubanks)
Mangrove Sign (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Migratory shorebirds now find great wintering habitat in the newly restored lagoon, mangroves and salt pond. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Visitors from Caribbean Tourism Authority (CTO) (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Richmond Vale Academy, St Vincent- Visit to the Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Ruddy Turnstone (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
American Flamingo spotted at Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Students from Stephanie Browne Primary School enjoy bird watching on World Migratory Bird Day 2019 (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
View of the marina berth islets and Union Island from the Twin Bridges (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Visitors on the Swing Bridges Following the Official Launch Ceremony for the Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Everyone is excited about the new bridges! Hon. Saboto Ceasar, Orisha Joseph, and Dr. Lisa Sorenson (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
Alex Smith- SusGren Junior Ranger participating in the planting of mangrove seedlings project in the Ashton Lagoon (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.)
The Whimbrel is a fairly common winter visitor to Ashton Lagoon and other wetlands in Union Island. (photo by Peter Duce).
Read more about the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project (and also a project at Belmont Salt POnd) at the links below:
By Emma Lewis, Blogger, Writer, Online Activist, and member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group, based in Kingston, Jamaica. Follow Emma at Petchary’s Blog—Cries from Jamaica.
The Avalon is setting sail again this May for important shorebird and seabird conservation and research – join us! The mission is a continuation of on-the-ground protective and restorative measures to limit human-caused disturbance and control invasive Australian pine at key shorebird and seabird sites in The Bahamas with support from Conservian, BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, and partners.
Volunteers Needed!
Our days will be filled with much adventure aboard the 75ft schooner “Avalon”. (Photo by Margo Zdravkovic)
We need your help to protect beach-nesting birds, nests and young. Conservian is seeking a weekly crew of 10 enthusiastic volunteers for our Bahamas shorebird habitat conservation project in May 2020 aboard our 75ft research schooner. Crews fly to the Bahamas each week to designated airports for shuttle transport to schooner. All trips include bunk, onboard meals, water, & ground transportation associated with project. Trip cost is is $1,750 per person/per week. Please see website for more information at Coastalbird.org A valid passport is required. Airfare & insurance are not included.
This is a wonderful opportunity to gain field experience and shorebird ID skills or simply a once in a lifetime experience! In 2018, BirdsCaribbean’s own Jennifer Wheeler joined the trip. Read all about her amazing adventures here. And check out an article by Margo about one of the past expeditions.
May 2020 Expedition Dates & Locations:
Please note our ports of call were not impacted by Hurricane Dorian. All islands on the 2020 itinerary were unaffected.
American Oystercatcher with young (Photo by J. Gray)
Choose one week or more! Each week includes 7 nights aboard the schooner
Week 1: May 3-10 – Ambergris Cay, Joulter Cays & S. Andros (Nassau Int Apt)
Week 2: May 10-17 – Exumas & Great Exuma (Nassau Int Apt/Exuma Int. Apt)
Week 3: May 17-24 – Cat Island, Little San Salvador, Eleuthera (Exuma Int. Apt/Nassau Int. Apt)
Project Crew Activities:
Protect, post & sign shorebird & seabird sites
Collect new data on nesting shorebirds, seabirds & habitat
Locate & protect shorebird & seabird nests & downy young
Control invasive Australian pine on beach habitats (select trips)
Work with local volunteers to accomplish the above goals
Snorkel reefs in gin clear waters
Learn sailing crew skills
Fish for dinner-catch of the day!
To join our conservation pirate crew please contact Margo Zdravkovic at MargoZ@Coastalbird.org Go to Coastalbird.org for more information on our 2020 expedition and Conservian’s coastal bird conservation work.
Aerial photo of prime shorebird habitat on Andros.
IMPORTANT: Applicants must be responsible, adventurous, in good physical condition, enjoy working in teams, and be capable of walking several miles during warm weather on Bahamas beaches. Applicants must be comfortable living communally onboard a schooner for a week and riding in small boats to access survey sites.
Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines is an innovative new avian field guide by co-authors Juliana Coffey and Alison (Aly) Ollivierre for the Grenadine archipelago shared between the countries of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada in the Eastern Caribbean. This is the first guide to specifically cover these transboundary islands, which are geologically, ecologically, historically, and culturally more similar to one another than to their respective mainland islands (Saint Vincent and Grenada). The book contains:
140+ pages of high-quality photographs of the birds and natural areas of the Grenadines
117 bird profiles with details on identification, diet, habitat, local knowledge, and sightings
14 detailed maps illustrating conservation areas and local toponyms on more than 50 islands and cays
Full chapter of previously undocumented local ecological knowledge, folklore, and prehistoric-to-modern-day human values of birds
To purchase via credit card (more buying options are listed below):
A page of seabird profiles in “Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines” with text detailing a description of each species, including identification, interesting facts, local knowledge, and symbols depicting habitat, diet, and migratory statusOne of the 14 detailed maps, featuring Mayreau and the Tobago Cays, in “Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines”First page of the “People and Birds” chapter of “Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines”
On one fateful rainy day in July 2011, Juliana and Aly met at the airport on Union Island where they had both just moved for work in their respective fields. Not only did they become neighbors, but they quickly became great friends. Early on in their friendship, they saw an opportunity to collaborate on their professional interests and passion for ornithology, cartography and participatory strategies for conservation and management. Both authors have a strong background in community-focused research with Juliana working in co-management and documenting local ecological knowledge amongst indigenous and fisherfolk communities in Canada, Saint Lucia and throughout the Grenadines, and Aly facilitating participatory mapping programs in the transboundary Grenadines and conducting research on participatory mapping in the Caribbean as a whole. Together their shared perspectives on the value of combining scientific with local ecological knowledge made for a perfect partnership.
Juliana and Aly have been living and working throughout the islands intermittently ever since, although not always at the same time or on the same island. Their continued commitment to completing this project allowed the book to be written and designed in all corners of the world—including at sea and remote field camps—as they regularly pursued other opportunities in their careers. They have conducted extensive literature and field research to ensure that this guide is regionally representative of the natural, cultural, and historical contexts of the islands. Local bird names, knowledge, and lore are highlighted throughout the book: compiled through consultation with over 100 stakeholders throughout the Grenadines.
The seven years the authors spent researching and writing Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines is evident in the book—the attention to detail and user-friendly design make the guide a valuable companion for any type of outing in the transboundary Grenadines! Juliana and Aly created this book with the following goals in mind:
serve as a valuable resource for local bird monitors to learn species identification and carry out surveys,
enhance the overall conservation and management of Grenadine resources,
educate the general public, and
be useful to both locals and foreigners with an interest in the avifauna of the region.
They’ve already received great feedback from local environmentalists, casual tourists, bird biologists, government officials and most importantly—the local fisherfolk and resource users who now take pride in seeing their knowledge represented in this publication. If you’re planning a trip to the Grenadines, this book is a must-have.
Alison Ollivierre (author), Lisa Sorenson (BirdsCaribbean Executive Director), and Juliana Coffey (author) at the book launch (Photo by Justin Proctor)
BirdsCaribbean was honored to officially launch this new and exciting avian field guide in July 2019 at their 22nd International Conference in Guadeloupe. Juliana gave a presentation on the local ecological knowledge research that went into the guide which provided additional information to the one Aly had given at the BirdsCaribbean 20th International Conference in Jamaica in 2017. After waiting four years since many of the BirdsCaribbean delegates had first learned about the upcoming book, everyone was excited to share in the celebration of this launch. The guide was especially praised for its skillful combination of scientific and local knowledge as well as its final chapter which focuses on interactions between people and birds in the Grenadines spanning from first occupation by Amerindians to the modern day.
The authors would like to thank everyone who assisted them throughout the duration of this project, including the more than 100 residents and visitors to the Grenadines who took the time to provide local knowledge and lore, and to all of the people that contributed to the crowdfunding and review of the book which made the publication possible. A complete list of acknowledgments is available in the book!
Buy the Book:
Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines can be purchased from BirdsCaribbean with a credit card below, or with a US check or postal money order made payable to BirdsCaribbean and mailed to 841 Worcester Street #130, Natick, MA 01760, USA.
Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines By Juliana Coffey and Alison Ollivierre 142 pages, section sewn softcover (7” x 5”), full color photographs and maps ISBN 978-1-9994585-0-8 Price: US$25 US shipping – $6.95 Canada shipping – $24.95
To purchase via credit card:
Please reach out to Alison Ollivierre if you’re interested in international shipping elsewhere and we can provide a shipping quote.
Books can be purchased within Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada at local businesses, for more information visit: www.grenadinesbirds.com/avian-field-guide
Please also consider helping Juliana and Aly fulfill their goal of getting copies of the books into the hands of all of the schools and relevant community organizations in the transboundary Grenadines! So far, more than one third of the books that have left their hands have been donated. Help them keep up this momentum with any donations that you can.
Interview with the Authors:
How did you first become interested in birds and birding?
Juliana: I first became interested in wildlife in general at a very young age, and at just five years old (even though I couldn’t spell the word “biologist”) I told my family that’s what I wanted to grow up to become. This was likely due to the plethora of stray animals that my parents let me take home and care for, always stating “no more pets!”, but always having room for just one more. When I was sixteen, I officially began my career with birds during a summer internship with a world renowned ornithologist, Dr. Bill Montevecchi, at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and was exposed to both the field research aspect and community outreach.
Aly: I first got excited about birds at an Audubon Youth Camp in rural Vermont in the 1990s when I had the opportunity to mist net and band birds with an ornithologist. I saved up for months for the first edition Sibley field guide, went birding with anyone who would go with me, earned the Girl Scout birding badge, and even competed on a youth team in the World Series of Birding in 2002.
Where did you go from there, did you decide to become ornithologists?
Juliana: I was very fortunate after my internship, that Dr. Montevecchi recognized my passion for wildlife, and decided to keep me involved in his work throughout my undergraduate degree. When I was 18 years old, he sent me to Labrador, Canada, to work in the field with indigenous seabird harvesters. Although I initially expressed that I did not want to work with hunters, his statement that “sometimes hunters are the best conservationists” changed my perspective entirely. After I saw first-hand how skilled and knowledgeable these hunters were, I very quickly became an advocate for traditional ecological knowledge and resource harvesting issues in marginalized communities, and that branched my career in a completely different direction. Since that time, I have always advocated for the consultation of local communities and the documentation of such knowledge that is threatened to be lost in future generations. I focus on seabirds, and as such, I have spent a considerable amount of time at sea and in remote seabird colonies ranging from the Arctic to the Southern Ocean, and working with fisherfolk.
Aly: By the time I got to university I had a hard time choosing between my interests in the hard sciences (environmental science, biology) and social sciences (history, sociology, international studies, political science). When I took my first geography class, I knew that was the perfect field to combine all my passions (think: environmental geography, historical geography, political geography). My career specialties are in participatory mapping and cartography, and while I didn’t become the ornithologist I thought I might be as a kid, I’ve found a really great balance doing conservation work with a geospatial focus.
How did you first end up in the Grenadines?
Juliana: I had been working as a fisheries biologist for a co-management board in an Inuit territory (Nunatsiavut) in northern Labrador and elsewhere in the Arctic. Prior to that I had completed my Masters degree research in Saint Lucia. After departing my job in the north, I wanted to continue in the same field, but gain additional international experience. I applied for a placement through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and was matched with the Sustainable Grenadines, Inc. (SusGren)—a transboundary NGO—in the Grenadines, and worked on implementing multiple grants ranging from research to community outreach.
Aly: After graduating from undergrad and completing an internship at National Geographic, I received a really amazing research fellowship through the Compton Foundation which funded my facilitation of a participatory mapping project I designed to map the important historical, cultural, and ecological heritage sites throughout the transboundary Grenadines to strengthen the countries’ joint application for designation as a mixed (natural and cultural) marine transboundary UNESCO World Heritage site. Through this, I also had the opportunity to work with The Nature Conservancy and SusGren on the marine multi-use zoning plan for the Grenadines. After I finished up my fellowship year, I knew I had to find a way to come back and work in the islands again!
What made you decide to create this field guide?
Juliana: During my career with birds, I always collected and relied on avian field identification guides, that enabled me to effectively do my work. During my bird surveys on Union Island, however, I quickly became aware that there was no field guide for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, nor Grenada, and not even a complete bird list. So, in essence, I needed a bird book for the Grenadines! Through my previous experience in collecting traditional knowledge I also noticed that there was an opportunity to document unwritten information to promote awareness and valuation of birds amongst residents of the Grenadines. I told myself it would be complete in a year. Seven years later, and through my partnership with Aly, it exceeds what I originally envisioned it could be. I could not have completed such an extensive project alone, without Aly’s complementary expertise and commitment. She has had a remarkable patience with me throughout this project since I regularly tell her, “I’m going to sea for a month with no phone or internet – I’ll work on that when I get back”. At times, I was living in a tent and using a generator to charge my computer, so I could have an update to send Aly when I returned from remote field camps.
Aly: This book was Juliana’s brainchild, but I loved the idea and went with her to that first bird meeting she organized back in 2011 when she first floated the idea of a bird book specific to just Union Island! In early 2013 Juliana was still talking about how much she wanted to write this book and I offered to come on board and partner with her to help make it a reality. Given my work with participatory mapping in the Grenadines, I had a lot of knowledge and contacts across all the islands and knew that if we combined our extensive expertise, we could only succeed in making an even better book together!
What was your favorite part about the 7 years you spent working on the book?
Local Ecological Knowledge Interview with Christopher Bartholomew and authors Juliana Coffey and Alison Ollivierre on Carriacou in 2014 (Photo by Vendol Ollivierre)
Juliana: There have been many wonderful times throughout this project. While sometimes it felt like we may never complete the book, I can say what an honest relief it was to finally send it to the printers, and to personally pick them up at a jetty in Saint Vincent. I am also so honored now to be back in the Grenadines to be able to officially donate copies to fisherfolk, local NGOs, schools and others who either helped us along the way or who have an interest in preserving the birds of the Grenadines. We met a lot of great people along the way, and despite rarely seeing each other, Aly and I have remained best friends and continue to work with each other on other projects.
Aly: My favorite part was definitely when Juliana and I were able to do our local ecological knowledge interviews in 2014. It was really important to us to ensure that we had accurately collected as much local knowledge as we could from each of the Grenadine islands and it was also just a lot of fun to travel around and talk to people about birds with my best friend and our local liaison (aka my now-husband, Vendol Ollivierre).
What work are you still involved with in the Grenadines?
Juliana: Currently I am working as a consultant for Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) on the “Conservation of Key Offshore Island Reserves” in the Grenadines. After 20 years of working with seabirds around the world, and 8 years of coming to the Grenadines, I can say that this is a dream project for me. The seabirds in the Grenadines are present in globally significant numbers, yet are located in remote and inaccessible areas and afforded little attention or protection. I work to bring awareness to the plight of seabirds in this region, train local seabird monitors, promote awareness at all levels of society and, of course, get out to see the birds!
Aly: While I am currently based in the USA and working full-time making maps for National Geographic, I am still actively involved with projects in the Grenadines. I serve on the Board of Directors for We Are Mayreau, Inc., which manages the Mayreau Community Centre; I am an Associate with Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) and assist with the Protecting Seabirds in the Transboundary Grenadines project; and I work for BirdsCaribbean as the Cartographer and the Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) Project Coordinator. I also freelance as Tombolo Maps & Design and am currently working on a series of wall maps for the transboundary Grenadines!
Fela and Pepe, inseparable, on the search for Puerto Rican Todies.
Join Justin Proctor on his adventure to Puerto Rico where he was invited to help launch an exciting new book on one of the Caribbean’s most unique birds.
Everybody in Puerto Rico knows José (Pepe) González Díaz and Felisa (Fela) Collazo Torres in the same way: as a husband-wife team just as inseparable from each other as they are from their island’s natural landscapes. They wake up every day just as in love as when they met decades ago, and just as ready as they were the day before (and the day before that) to go out amidst their mountains, valleys, and rivers to discover something new…together. I’ve never met another couple like them. They are, like Puerto Rico, something beautifully special.
It is no hyperbole when I make the claim that Pepe and Fela have collectively spent tens of thousands of hours researching, photographing, filming, and producing educational materials about their island’s flora and fauna. It isn’t difficult to find their Aves Puerto Rico FelPe (Fela + Pepe) insignia on dozens of full length documentaries covering everything from endemic butterflies to birds. Their extensive YouTube channel is a good place to start your way down the rabbit hole. Keep in mind as you look through their material how much “behind the scenes” time and effort it takes to capture some of the high-quality, rare footage of many of the species that are featured. A 20-second shot of never before seen behaviors was likely the product of days, if not weeks, of time spent waiting and watching from within a cramped little blind.
Pepe and Fela’s trademark logo, involving a blend of both their names
A sampling of the multimedia filmed, edited, and produced by Pepe and Fela.
But beyond these invaluable pieces of work, Pepe and Fela are probably even better known for something else.
Todies.
For more than 15 years, they have consumed themselves with unravelling the story of the Todidae family. And the more they dug, the more they found. The Todidae family is unique for so many reasons, but perhaps the most obvious is that it is a small family of only five species, all of which are collectively endemic to the Greater Antilles. You’ll find one species in Cuba, one in Jamaica, two in Hispaniola, and one in Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican Tody, locally named San Pedrito, is one of the five tody species endemic to the Caribbean.
That’s it. They belong to the Caribbean and nowhere else.
Todies are also unlike any other birds that you’ll ever see, guaranteed, which makes them a major attraction for birders and photographers from all over the world. But don’t just take my word on it. Pick up a copy of Pepe and Fela’s coauthored book, La Raíz de las Antillas: La Historia de la Familia Todidae, which has certainly proven itself to be the most comprehensive historical account of these birds ever published. The book is now available on Amazon, and should find its way into the hands of any birder that has ever had the pleasure of spending (or longed to spend) a few moments with a tody.
The book does an excellent job of navigating readers through the last three-hundred years of documentation of the todies, and how so many people struggled to describe these birds for what they really were. Consistently confused with hummingbirds and oftentimes inaccurately illustrated, the todies weaved their way in and out of ornithological accounts as different birds almost every time. And so readers will quickly come to appreciate the detective work that Pepe and Fela have undertaken so as to guide us efficiently and accurately through the convoluted timeline of the todies. The late James W. Wiley summarized it well:
“The book is an important contribution to our knowledge of the family Todidae as well as a major contribution to Antillean ornithology in general. The authors’ exhaustive investigation and compelling presentation are an exceptional model for others to follow.”
Readers will also be quick to notice that the authors have interlaced an important message throughout their book: that their island’s tody species—the Puerto Rican Tody, or locally the San Pedrito—rightfully deserves a change of its scientific name, Todus mexicanus. Through their historical account of the species, Pepe and Fela make a clear case for changing T. mexicanus to T. portoricensis or T. borinquensis (the latter derived from “Borinquén”, the original Taíno name for Puerto Rico). Geographically speaking, this makes sense, because the Puerto Rican Tody has never touched foot in Mexico. And the reason for the misleading mexicanus species name has likely stemmed from just a quick moment of confusion that occurred in the late 1830s, when two tody specimens collected at two different localities were later misidentified and subsequently documented incorrectly.
However, the process of procuring a formal scientific name change through the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) can be a challenging one. Unfortunately, current taxonomy is rife with species that have geographically-misleading scientific names, and the ICZN does not usually address these cases. However, Pepe and Fela’s case has additional ground to stand on (read the book to find out!), and so they are continuing to push forward. For them, the name is important; the San Pedrito is as unique and beautiful as the island of Puerto Rico itself, and because of that, has limitless potential to grow into an icon of pride and stewardship for Puerto Ricans over their island’s rich biological diversity. But the tody and what it can signify loses power and influence when its name does not match the people that should care about it the most.
Pepe and Fela are on a mission to establish the San Pedrito’s taxanomic name as Todus portoricensis
Over the last couple of years, La Raíz de las Antillas (for short) has been enhanced and amplified through a series of revisions and new editions. It was in early 2018 that Pepe and Fela reached out to BirdsCaribbean, and ultimately our Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) editorial team, to see if we’d be willing to help proofread and copy-edit the first full-length English edition, appropriately titled, The Root of the Antilles: A History of the Todidae Family. One of the JCO’s best editors, Alice McBride, decided to take it on. She did such an outstanding job of cleaning the grammar that Pepe was compelled to go back to the original Spanish edition and make some changes. As the Managing Editor of the JCO, I was excited to see us involved with the future of the book, while equally interested in seeing how the collaboration could grow over time. A few months later, the opportunity came in the form of an invite from Pepe and Fela for us to attend the much-awaited, public release of their book scheduled for the 8th of December in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico.
One of the perks of being employed by a non-profit are the (sometimes) flexible hours. With the rest of the BirdsCaribbean and JCO crew tied up with “work,” I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to fly down and represent us. It was a chance to see Puerto Rico for the first time, be hosted personally by Pepe and Fela, and see my fifth and final tody species. Done deal, sign me up! The hospitality I received and the fun I had over just a short five days on the island is worthy of its own full-length account. But in short, it was spectacular, and one of those trips where the puzzle pieces all just come together perfectly, over and over again. From spending afternoons with the Puerto Rican Parrots in El Yunque and the shorebirds in Cabo Rojo, to sipping a fresh cup of mountain coffee while seeing my first San Pedrito at La Mocha, to squeezing in a grand-finale sunset from the Arecibo Observatory (eat your hearts out James Bond fans), I had no choice but to fall in love with Puerto Rico (it would have been easy despite).
Casa Pueblo in Adjuntas, PR made for the perfect venue to celebrate Pepe and Fela’s coauthored book, The Root of the Antilles_A History of the Todidae Family
Through all of that, it was the day of Pepe and Fela’s book release that took me most by surprise. Looking back, I’m not sure what I originally expected to unfold, but it was definitely second-rate to the magnitude of what greeted me. The event was hosted by Casa Pueblo. My best attempt at describing this organization is by saying that they’re engaged with absolutely every initiative that a community needs and wants, and they’re doing it right. An hour before the ceremony was going to take place, the venue’s auditorium that could comfortably seat 75 people was overflowing into every open space available. Among the crowd were members of the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (SOPI), passionate birders, wildlife photographers, professors, school groups, and a myriad of community members. Everyone was excited about Pepe, Fela, the todies, and the great success story surrounding all three. Bands played, beautiful presentations and speeches were made, handmade gifts were given, and food and drink were shared—it was a true celebration, filled with friendship and pride.
The invitation we all received was for a book release, but anyone attending would agree that what actually transpired was an opportunity for Puerto Rico to show its gratitude to Pepe and Fela for all they had done, and continue to do, for the people and wildlife of the island they love. I consider myself lucky and fortunate to have been a part of that truly special day.
The story of the Puerto Rican Tody can no longer be told without the addition of Pepe and Fela, nor can their personal story be told without the tody. I hope that everyone reading this gets a chance to meet all three of them. In the meantime, while the winter days are short and cold, brush up on your tody history by picking up a copy of The Root of the Antilles: A History of the Todidae Family. And by doing so, you’ll be supporting all of the great work and forward progress that it stands for.
Pepe and Justin sit beneath a painting of the San Pedrito done by Pepe himself.
Our Vice President, Justin Proctor, reports on his recent scouting expedition to Guadeloupe to plan for our 2019 BirdsCaribbean Conference. Read all about the behind-the-scenes action and updates on conference prep. Everyone is invited to join us at what will be an epic gathering of bird lovers and conservationists from around the region and beyond!
Local Organizing Committee at the Parc National de la Guadeloupe headquarters in St. Claude
After just returning from our first scouting trip to Guadeloupe, I’m excited to report back that we are moving full steam ahead with conference preparations for the summer of 2019! A big thank you to everyone that supported the trip and threw so much hospitality my way, including Parc National de la Guadeloupe, my local hosts Lydie and Franck, our beloved birder/guide/photographer Anthony Levesque, and everyone in between. You have helped set into motion so many good things to come!
For many of the BirdsCaribbean community, this conference will excitingly be their first trip to Guadeloupe. I can already promise that this French island, along with its amiable and good-humored people, will not disappoint. You can expect to jump into an entirely different and unique flavor of Caribbean culture, language, food, and sights to see.
I’m excited to share with you a few preliminary details of the preparations underway as well as a sneak preview of what awaits you in the beautiful French West Indies island of Guadeloupe!
Anthony Levesque and Justin Proctor planning for the conference (drinking Carib and spotting swifts flying by) (Photo by J. Proctor)
The Conference Theme
One of our first big challenges with a BirdsCaribbean conference is settling upon a conference theme. Truth be told, the conference theme is a big deal – it sets the overarching tone for the conference, including the plenary speeches, workshops, symposia, and presentations. The theme must be both important and specific to the hosting island, but also largely applicable to the wider Caribbean. The process of whittling down the best ideas can take weeks, and involves a wide range of people. I found that in the final days of deliberation in Guadeloupe, that the entire process served as a great excuse to bond with both the Local Organizing Committee and their fresh Guadeloupean coffee. So without further ado, we are excited that we have settled on the following theme for the Guadeloupe Conference:
“Keeping Caribbean Birds Aloft”
“Keeping” implies that we, as a Caribbean community, are: 1) actively involved in the effort, and 2) working on ways to build resilience in the face of many challenges that Caribbean birds are facing.
Frégate superbe; Magnificent Frigatebird; Fregata magnificens (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
“Aloft” is an encouraging choice of words that reminds us what we’re all in this for – to see our Caribbean birds (1) in flight, (2) alive and well, (3) in their natural place, and (4) thriving.
Another great idea that came out of our brainstorming was to feature the conference theme in Creole, rather than defaulting to French, as Creole is officially spoken on Guadeloupe and also prominently spoken in a few Eastern Caribbean islands and Haiti. It therefore speaks to a wider breadth of Caribbean peoples. The Local Organizing Committee is currently working on translating the message as accurately as possible, but here is a first draft:
“An nou gadé zozio carayib an lè”
The Conference Venue
The venue we choose for the conference is critical. We have a long list of criteria that we try to fulfill when we make this decision, ranging from logistical efficiencies to quality of work spaces to whether the venue adequately represents the island hosting the conference. One of the key elements that we continue to rank high on our list is to what extent the layout of the venue can create an atmosphere that encourages the gathering of people together. While the organized elements of the conference are the core of the entire event, we also recognize the importance of creating time and space for delegates to spend time with each other more informally. Having the right kind of space readily available nearby to the main events is crucial for galvanizing these interactions.
Right now, we have our number one choice selected, and we really like it. What follows in the coming weeks is a negotiation with that hotel and ultimately the creation of a contract with all parties involved. Once we’ve solidified that, we will make the announcement. For now, know that we will be in the Le Gosier area of Guadeloupe (see map below), which offers itself as an excellent launch-pad to any part of the island.
Orienting Yourself
French West Indies (Map by J. Proctor)
Welcome to the French West Indies: seven territories under French sovereignty located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean. French Guiana, although located on the mainland of South America, is often lumped in.
The main butterfly-shaped landmass of Guadeloupe is actually two islands separated by a salt river. The western island is Basse-Terre, and the eastern island is Grande-Terre. Indeed there are only two bridges that connect them.
Guadeloupe (Map by J. Proctor)
The Pointe-à-Pitre international airport (PTP) as well as the location where the conference is going to be held, Le Gosier, are both located on Grande-Terre, only a few short kilometers from one another and centrally located. Note the extensive Parc National de la Guadeloupe that spans almost the entirety of Basse-Terre island, with the highest peak in the Lesser Antilles, La Soufrière (an active stratovolcano, mind you), in the southwest corner. Also take note of the three major Guadeloupean islands just a short ferry-ride away: Îles des Saintes, Marie-Galante, and La Désirade. Interested in birding on all three? So are we!
Some Highlights
La Soufriere – the tallest peak in the Lesser Antilles – makes for a great day hike (Photo by J. Proctor)
Let’s get right to it. The birding is excellent, and made even better by the habitats and landscapes you’ll be passing through to see the most emblematic species on the island. Iconic waterfalls (chutes d’eau), wet tropical forest speckled with Caribbean tree ferns, and black volcanic sand beaches (plages) offer but a few backdrops for you to enjoy some of the best birds (oiseaux), including the:
Guadeloupe Woodpecker (Melanerpes herminieri)
Forest Thrush (Turdus lherminieri)
Plumbeous Warbler (Setophaga plumbea)
Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis)
Brown Trembler (Cinclocerthia ruficauda)
Antillean Euphonia (Euphonia musica)
Ringed Kingfisher (Ceryle torquata stictipennis)
There are a lot of people currently working on putting together a series of pre-, mid-, and post-conference field trips that will offer you the best that Guadeloupe has to offer. Once we have a list of solid options, we will send out a survey for you to rank them based on your interest in each one. That will help us to ultimately generate the best options to offer to all of you. We’re aiming for a good mix of terrestrial, coastal, and inter-island birding options, so stay tuned!
Engoulevent piramidig; Antillean Nighthawk; Chordeiles gundlachii (Photo by A. Levesque)
Getting the most out of your trip to Guadeloupe
Cyathea arborea on the slopes of La Soufriere (Photo by J. Proctor)
For many English and Spanish speakers, it might be a bit daunting to step onto an island where the dominant language is French (and Creole). Knowing that many of us may not have the chance to master the language before July of next year, I suggest the following: take a couple hours to learn some key phrases between now and then. Being able to say “Good morning, how are you?” in the local language (accompanied by a friendly smile, of course), goes a long way. You’ll also be much more successful at finding your way to the local bakery, which I promise you’ll thank yourself for.
French is filled with vowels. It’s really not intuitive how you string them together and then pronounce them. I realized this a few years back when I was reading a book aloud to a group of students and came to a passage with the words “faux pas”. In a desperate attempt to not draw attention to myself, I went with the pronunciation “fox paws” and hoped for the best. Two students immediately called me out on it and I’ve been ashamed ever since.
So, if you want to jump on the bandwagon and improve a bit before conference time, why not spend some time with Duo, and his free, fun-to-use online language program, Duolingo? And if the first thought that comes to your mind is, “what species of owl is that?”, then I suggest you read down through a lengthy forum that attempts to not only answer that question, but also the owl’s gender, clothing choices, and adorable expressions. After a little practice with Duo’s help, you’ll be donning a French beret and happily waving a fresh baguette in celebration of your new language skills.
P.S. – I’ve included a visual to help get you going with some of the island’s most important vocabulary: La boulangerie!
Local boulangerie, where all your dreams come true (Photo by J. Proctor)
Closing Thoughts
Although we are 300 days from the conference, our Scientific Committee is getting organized and will soon be ready to start accepting proposals. Right now we encourage all of you to start thinking about suggestions for workshops, symposia, keynote speakers, and presentations that you would be interested in seeing. We’ll be sending out the call for all of those in the coming weeks.
Our official conference website is almost ready to be launched. There you will find your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about the conference. We’ve updated the look and feel of the website this year, so we hope you like it!
Last, but not least, Guadeloupe’s beaches and rum are top notch. No Caribbean conference is complete without dabbing in a little bit of each. So bring your mask and snorkel, remember to hydrate before you hit the local bar, and come ready to have an all-around good time!
See you in Guadeloupe! #BirdsCarib2019
And if you haven’t done so already, please sign up for our monthly newsletter in order to receive up-to-date news and information regarding the conference. Follow us also Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@BirdsCaribbean). We’re looking forward to seeing you in Guadeloupe!
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 was a terrible day for the British Virgin Islands.
With peak-sustained winds measured at 185 mph and momentary gusts exceeding 225 mph, Hurricane Irma caused catastrophic damage, turning the once vibrant green islands into a dull brown mess.
As conservation professionals, much of our time is spent on convincing people not to encroach upon or damage our important mangroves. I never dreamt that in just one day a “non-human” named Irma could deliver such a devastating blow to the BVI’s entire mangrove forest.
Salt-tolerant plants that grow in or near the water’s edge, mangroves provide countless benefits to nature and humans. Mangroves provide habitat and nursery areas for fish, playing an important role in fishery and coral reef health. Additionally, they help maintain good water quality by providing a catchment area for runoff from higher ground. They also act as a buffer for storm surge – wind and waves – protecting coastlines.
Bakers Bay Before and After Hurricane Irma. Note all the dead mangroves along the shoreline. (Photos courtesy of the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)
Conservation starts with scientific information and planning
In April, with the financial support of the BirdsCaribbean Hurricane Recovery Fund, the Jost Van Dykes (BVI) Preservation Society carried out a rapid assessment of the hurricane-damaged mangrove areas in the British Virgin Islands. The Society also received technical assistance from Dr. Gregg Moore, a restoration ecologist from the University of New Hampshire with vast experience in evaluating post-hurricane mangrove systems in the Caribbean,
Successful Mangrove Seedling growing in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Island waters. (Photos courtesy of the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)
Land and boat-based rapid assessments were combined with UAV (drone) based aerial surveys. Dr. Moore compiled the results of the surveys into a report, which was provided to key BVI government agencies and non-governmental organizations. This report serves as a useful tool for informing future mangrove restoration.
The report confirms what we might have already guessed: about 90% of mature red mangrove trees that form the coastal fringing system have been defoliated and are dead, with very few exceptions. The damage to BVI mangroves is a serious ecological blow to the system, but the storm also took with it the flowers and fruits that we would expect to be the next generation of mangrove trees.
Nevertheless, the study offers some optimistic findings and some important lessons for the BVI and other Caribbean islands that may suffer serious storm damage. The “take home” lessons include:
Lesson 1: “Learn to See the (Mangrove) Forest Through the (Dead) Trees”
Jost Van Dyke youth planting mangrove seedlings with visiting volunteer from Actionquest’s Go Beyond Program. (Photos courtesy of the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)
Let’s repeat together! DO NOT CUT DOWN THE MATURE DEAD MANGROVE TREES.
There are many reasons to support the recommendation to not cut the standing mangrove deadwood whenever possible:
Mangroves provide valuable habitat for wildlife such as birds and invertebrates;
As dead mangrove trees decompose, they release energy and return essential nutrients and carbon to the system;
Mangrove’s physical structure is mainly intact and still buffers wave and storm energy, and helps hold peat and sand in place along fragile coastlines; and
That structure also protects animals and helps trap and protect mangrove seedlings that will regenerate the forest naturally.
Any cleanup of debris should be limited and very carefully managed to avoid further damage. Foot traffic and the hauling of cut wood can trample fragile seedlings.
Even if most of the mature trees are dead, the mangroves are still a forest. Since Gregg’s visit, we have carried out monitoring of as part of a UK Darwin Initiative-funded ecosystem resilience project. During each visit I see perching birds, which help spread forest seeds, resting on the tops of dead trees; herons stalking the crabs that live around the prop roots; and seabirds foraging in nearby marine systems that are supported by our mangroves.
The mangrove forest and the environment are damaged, but the ecosystem is still alive, and needs a chance to recover.
Lesson 2: “The Children are the Future”
Despite severe damage to the mature canopy, virtually every site visited in the BVI had a significant understory of live, rooted seedling plants. Albeit quite young and short today, these young plants are the future of BVI’s mangroves and should be carefully protected.
We should get young humans involved. They will be the future stewards of this important ecological resource, and should play an important role in mangrove restoration work.
Lesson 3: “Think global, but Act/Grow Local”
There is a wide body of literature on mangrove and coastal habitat restoration available. Learn from others around the world about what works (and what does not) in mangrove restoration. Find seedlings that are available locally, or as close to your degraded site as possible. Importing plants carries the risk of introducing invasive species, diseases and other potential calamities.
Lesson 4: “It Takes a Village”
Jost Van Dyke youth and volunteers prepare for JVD’s first mangrove planting. (Photos courtesy of the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)
Involve everyone. Or as many people as possible.
I was pleasantly surprised by the level of interest the stories about our mangrove work in local news publications and on social media generated in the BVI. Undoubtedly, some of the conservation community’s messages about the importance of mangroves have gotten through over the years!
Mangrove restoration across the BVI is going to be an enormous effort. We are excited to be partnering with the Rotary Club of Road Town. The Club plans to help turn mangrove conservation and re-planting activities into a territory-wide effort, involving individuals, community-based organizations and businesses.
We sometimes feel isolated on our tiny, individual islands, but we need to think in terms of broader landscape or seascape-level management. Our BVI-wide rapid mangrove assessments were useful in identifying mangrove sites within the BVI that can be used for the sustainable recruitment of plant stock for restoration and conservation efforts. The slogan “stronger together” is more than just a catch phrase.
Many thanks to generous donors to BirdsCaribbean’s Hurricane Relief Fund for supporting our mangrove restoration and education efforts! In October, Dr. Moore will return to Jost Van Dyke, BVI to assist the JVD Preservation Society and Rotary Club of Road Town in hosting a Mangrove Restoration Workshop. JVD Preservation Society is working to establish a small mangrove nursery site on the island of Jost Van Dyke.
By Susan Zaluski, Director, Jost Van Dykes (BVI) Preservation Society.
Lloyd giving his dramatic presentation about Ashton Lagoon in poetry (photo by Beny Wilson)
Chirp chirp I cried
Flapping my wings from the sky
To see all my siblings from another egg
Black, white, and even red
From the quit of the banana
To that of the dowitcher
Terns and herons
Plovers and flycatchers
Doves and even the belly yellow elaenia
Nice how we diversify
The lagoon who’s gravity we defy
Flapping our multi-colored wings
And showing off our different bills
Come one, come all
Short and tall
To the Ashton Lagoon
Where restoration has placed us
In the showcasing mood
Thanks to those nice people
At SusGren, Inc.
Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Grenada race, one of the common flycatchers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. Note the crest and yellow belly. (photo by Greg Homel).
This poem was written by Lloyd Joseph, a recently participant at BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Bird Guide Training Workshop on Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He described his experience in poetry as well as prose. Lloyd works at Palm Island Resort, another island in the Grenadines. Although he had little experience in ecotourism prior to the workshop, he called himself a “fast learner and very interested in wildlife.” The training took place from May 28 to June 1, 2018 and was hosted by Sustainable Grenadines Inc (SusGren, Inc), a local non-governmental organisation based on Union Island and a long-time partner of BirdsCaribbean.
On the last day of the training, each participant was required to give a five-minute presentation, incorporating what they had learned about environmental interpretation. “Lloyd Joseph blew us away with a dramatic reading of a poem he had written about the restoration of Ashton Lagoon, which was taking place while we were there,” said Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, who was one of the trainers. Susgren Inc is carrying out the Lagoon restoration. View his inspiring presentation below about Ashton Lagoon, where he gives a voice to the lagoon, and his reading of the above poem.
He simply described the workshop experience—and birding in general—as “a fun and educational way of studying and interacting with these amazing creatures called birds.” The fun part was simply enjoying the birds; the learning part was, as he realized:
Lloyd and other workshop participants enjoy spotting and identifying birds during the guide training workshop. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
FUN: Picture not having any family time and always being too busy to enjoy the simple things of life with your family or even on your own. Allow me to introduce you to an enjoyable activity that will blow your mind away and will definitely relax you. The workshop was the most fun and relaxing time I have had in a long time. Using binoculars and even a telescope to view these birds in their natural habitat and watching them feed was great – not to mention the friendliness of the entire class and the instructors. A week well spent, I must say.
LEARNING: One is never too old or too intelligent to learn something new. It is my honest opinion that our biggest challenge as humans is being malnourished in knowledge. To be honest I was so malnourished that I was a bit afraid to attend the workshop! Then attending the workshop my mind was opened and blown away with the vast amount of information that was passed on to me by the instructors. Interpretation skills were taught in the simplest forms so we all could understand. Skills like poetry and the hierarchy of needs (Maslow) emerged when taking a group out on a hike. Also, learning about a jaguar’s mating call, which our instructor Rick gave as an example of an interpretive story (complete with a drum to make the roaring sound), brought the power of the interpretive message home.
What do I think about birdwatching? Why did it take me so long to attend such a program?
The experience is amazing. The beauty of the birds astounding. And yes, the different bird calls—both normal calling and mating sounds—are fascinating.
I would most definitely want to attend such a workshop again. Thanks to BirdsCaribbean, SusGren, and all other participating agencies for making it possible for persons who were so malnourished in knowledge to be nourished. Thanks to Lisa, Rick, Beny, Aly, and all the other information sharers for a time well spent and a great experience. I must say, after this program, that birdwatching has become a part of me and I can’t help but observe, count, and keep track of birds wherever I go, from now on.
By Lloyd Joseph. Check out additional fun articles on the guide training here and here.
Aerial view of Ashton Lagoon and mangrove and Union Island in the distance. The lagoon was damaged by a failed marina development. It is is currently being restored through opening up the causeway and dock fingers to allow water to circulate. (photo courtesy of SusGren)Lloyd receives his Certificate of Completion from the facilitators at the end of the Guide Training Workshop, left to right: Rick Morales, Lisa Sorenson, Lloyd Joseph and Beny Wilson (Photo by Aly Ollivierre)Lloyd received a prize for giving one of the best presentations. (photo by Aly Ollivierre)
To learn more about the restoration of Ashton Lagoon:
A big thank you to all of the sponsors of this workshop for their funding and/or in-kind donations:
Sustainable Grenadines Inc.
Marshall Reynolds Foundation
KfW German Development Bank through Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC)
US Forest Service, International Programs
Optics for the Tropics
Palm Island Resort
Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment, Forestry, Fisheries, Disaster Management and Information
Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC)
Ridge to Reef Project Grenada
Carefree Birding
Private donors
Kings Landing Hotel
Its local name is “Little Devil.” But not much is known about this elusive bird, either on land or at sea. An intrepid group of conservationists go on an expedition in the mountains of the Dominican Republic to find out more about the Black-capped Petrel.
A Seabird in the Mountains
Map of study site in the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park, Dominican Republic (Map by Aly Ollivierre)
We park the pickup trucks at the park ranger’s hut and unload our gear and supplies. I climb the flimsy wooden stairs of the nearby fire tower, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sunset. We have arrived on the ridge of the Sierra de Bahoruco, the Dominican Republic’s southernmost relief and the eastern end of the De la Selle mountain range. This is the backbone of Hispaniola’s southern peninsula. Below me, the forest of Occidental pines unfurls in a deep green velvet. To the north, I can see the dark plains surrounding Lago Enriquillo, already in the shadow of the mountains. To the southwest, the glistening waters of the Caribbean Sea. Further to the west, below the setting sun, Haiti is already disappearing in the fog that has started to accumulate against the escarpment. From atop the fire tower, I try to imagine what might happen in a few hours. Not far from our camp, a small silhouette will pierce the night clouds, crashing through the trees before rushing to its burrow. It’s a Black-capped Petrel – the region’s only endemic seabird and one of the most endangered seabird species in the Atlantic Basin. The petrel is returning to feed its single chick after a week at sea.
For the next two weeks, we will stay in the mountains of the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park to try and gather more information about how this elusive bird behaves at sea. Our team consists of Ernst Rupp, senior researcher and project manager at Grupo Jaragua, the Dominican conservation NGO monitoring the petrel’s nesting sites in the country; Pirrín Jairo Matos, Gerson Feliz, José Luis Castillo and Ivan Terrero, indispensable field technicians with Grupo Jaragua; Patrick Jodice, lead scientist at USGS – South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit (SC CRU); and myself, Yvan Satgé, early career biologist at the SC CRU – Clemson University. As the temperatures drop with dusk and the wind picks up, I join my colleagues huddled around the cooking fire. At 2,000m above sea level, even a mid-April evening in the Caribbean can get cold.
The team, still fresh and clean on the first day of fieldwork. Left to right: Pirrín Matos, Ivan Terrero, Yvan Satgé, Patrick Jodice, and José Luis Castillo – not pictured: Ernst Rupp and Gerson Feliz (Photo by Ernst Rupp)
The Mysterious “Little Devil” – What We Know
The Critically Endangered “Diablotin” or Black-capped Petrel in flight. (Photo by Doug-Gochfeld)
Black-capped Petrels (Pterodroma hasitata), like most gadfly petrels of the Pterodroma genus, are famously hard to study on land. As pelagic seabirds, they spend most of their lives at sea, only coming to land to nest from mid-January to mid-June. They were once more common in the Greater Antilles. They are locally known as Diablotin, the little devil. They are night birds and their eerie calls during the mating season give them their name. The bird’s breeding sites have been especially hard to find. They were only re-discovered in the 1960s in Haiti, and the 1980s in the Dominican Republic. As recently as last year, Ernst and his team found a new nesting area in the central mountain range of the Dominican Republic. There is hope that Black-capped Petrels might also be nesting in the Sierra Madre of Cuba (where they are known as brujas, the witches) and Dominica, but none have yet been found there.
Although better-studied than breeding sites, the marine habits of Black-capped Petrels also remain vague. Until recently, they were thought to fish the waters off the southeastern United States year-round. However, our 2014 satellite tracking study of three adults showed that they might in fact forage off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela while raising chicks. During this expedition, we plan to track a dozen nesting petrels with lightweight GPS loggers and to study their diet. Once we know where they go and what they eat, we will better understand the secrets of their travels and the threats they face at sea.
“Como una aguja en un pajar” – The Proverbial Needle in a Haystack
Grupo Jaragua field technician Pirrín Matos walks among prime Black-capped Petrel nesting habitat in Loma Quemada, Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Yvan Satgé)
Before we can study the petrels though, we need to catch them. This is where the knowledge of Grupo Jaragua’s field technicians comes into play. The expression “a needle in a haystack” translates well in Spanish, and applies particularly well to their mission. In a haystack of dense mountainous vegetation, they are experts in finding the petrels’ burrows—underground “needles” hidden among rocky screes or under thick layers of leaf litter. Pirrín’s skill is in locating the nest entrances among the rocks and vegetation. He confirms his findings with the presence of a fly that seems to favor active nest sites: “Pirrín’s fly”. José Luis is in charge of the borescope. Maneuvering the thick cable of optical fibers as far as 2 meters underground, he inspects every corner of the burrow for signs of recent activity: a well-defined nest cup, an adult incubating the pair’s single egg, or a sleeping chick. Gerson, the team’s memory, can remember every burrow Grupo Jaragua has ever monitored. Knowing how to use rock-climbing equipment, he is also the group’s de facto safety officer, were the terrain to become too abrupt and exposed. Ivan is still a trainee; but if he learns as fast as he walks through the thick vegetation or climbs up and down the steep ravines, he will be finding new nesting sites very soon.
Small but Helpful Gems Found in a Burrow
José Luis Castillo uses the borescope to look for signs of activity in a nest previously located by Pirrín Matos (right). (Photo by Yvan Satgé)
At each active burrow, I collect as many samples as I can. The first nest brings me beginner’s luck: just in front of the entrance a petrel dropping awaits. It is shiny and fresh from the previous night. My colleagues joke as I collect the dark part of the poop as if it were a golden nugget (the white part, urea, is useless for our testing). As insignificant as it looks, this little sample can tell us a lot. Thanks to my fellowship with the Dave Lee Fund, I will use DNA found in the sample and others like it to identify the species of prey eaten by Black-capped Petrels. Dave Lee himself had studied the petrel’s diet off the coast of North Carolina and showed that they favored squid. The technique available at the time, however, tended to put heavier focus on prey species that took a long time to digest (such as squid, whose beak fragments tend to build up in the digestive tract). With the molecular analysis of fecal DNA, I’m hoping to refine our knowledge of the diet of Black-capped petrels. This will help us better understand their life at sea.
José Luis hands me a few breast feathers left behind by adult petrels when they enter or exit the tunnel. Feathers can tell us about the broad diet of the bird through an analysis of stable isotopes. We can also use them to measure the bird’s exposure to mercury, which Black-capped Petrels are prone to bio-accumulate. Finally, if we are lucky, DNA left in the quill will inform us on the genetics of the local population. We are also interested in collecting remnants of eggs. If the egg has hatched, the remaining shell can be tested for contaminants. It can also provide clues to the diet of the female when she produced the egg. If the egg proved infertile, we will collect it with great care to bring it back to the Dominican National Museum of Natural History for their specimen collection.
More Finds for the Test Tube
Typical entrance of a Black-capped Petrel burrow in Loma del Toro, Sierra de Bahoruco, Dominican Republic. Note the chicken-wire of a trap shining inside the tunnel. (Photo by Patrick Jodice)
In an active burrow, I find an insect that seems to use the discarded feathers to make its cocoon, a black tube with protruding white barbs of the petrel’s feather. Could it be Pirrín’s fly? I plop the fly into a test tube; each sample joins our growing collection in a freezer, until we have enough funding to analyze them. Then Ivan comes back to me with good news. The team found a group of four nearby nests, with a chick in each burrow. To limit disturbance, we will be using GPS loggers that remotely send their tracking data to a base-station. Due to the dense vegetation and the steep surroundings, the range of the base-station is limited to a radius of about 300m. It is therefore crucial that we choose nest sites close to each other. Under Pirrín’s supervision, we set chicken-wire traps at the entrance of each tunnel to capture the adults as they return at night. After carefully concealing the traps’ openings under the rocks, sod, or pine needles surrounding the burrow, we take a deep breath and hike up to the nearest ridge. We are hoping for success when we come back at sunrise.
By Yvan Satge. Yvan is a Research Associate in the Lab of Dr. Pat Jodice, at the South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University. He has been studying various aspects of seabird ecology for the last few years.
The critically endangered Diablotin (Black-capped Petrel) in flight; the Diablotin will be studied with David S. Lee award funding. (photo by Doug-Gochfeld)
BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce 2018 awards for the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds. Five young scholars will carry out important research that will increase our knowledge of Caribbean birds and the actions needed to conserve them. The 2018 award recipients are Yvan Satge, Janine Antalffy, Juan Carlos Fernandez-Odoñez, Eduardo Manuel Llegus-Santiago, and Holly Garrod.
The David S. Lee Fund was established in 2016 to recognize the scientific and conservation efforts of David S. Lee, a biologist and naturalist dedicated to Caribbean biodiversity. The award funds innovative avian conservation research in the Caribbean. All projects demonstrate a commitment to engaging with local scientists, government officials, organizations and communities, as appropriate, to involve them in the research, share results, and build interest in local birds and their conservation. The projects are described below.
Thanks to support for the fund from a number of generous donors, BirdsCaribbean is able to provide a grant of $1,000 to each of the 2018 recipients. Congratulations to these dedicated and hard-working scholars, who we are confident will make important discoveries that will lead to enhanced conservation efforts and awareness of our amazing birds. Several students (Holly Garrod, Spencer Shubert, Maya Wilson, Paige Byerly) that received support last year have written blog articles sharing their exciting findings. We wish this new flock of Dave Lee award recipients all the best in their upcoming field seasons and look forward to hearing about their results in future articles and publications.
Foraging choices of the Diablotin Black-capped Petrel: using spatial ecology and diet to inform conservation
Yvan Satge, Clemson University
Yvan Satge will study the diet of Black-capped Petrels using DNA analysis of fecal samples.
The Diablotin (Black-capped petrel; Pterodroma hasitata) is one of the most endangered seabirds in the western north Atlantic and one of only two extant seabird species endemic to the Caribbean. Although loss of terrestrial breeding habitat is a primary threat to the species, disturbances affecting the marine environment, which have been under-studied, are also likely to impact the survival of the population. Yvan Satge will study the diets of adult and juvenile Diablotin through novel DNA analysis of fecal samples collected at nest sites in the Dominican Republic. Data will inform conservation efforts by the Black-capped Petrel Working Group regarding use of marine resources by breeding Diablotin. The success of this project will be measured by evaluating diet composition and comparing those results to at-sea habitat use by tracked birds to assess the distribution of prey in the marine environment.
Conservation biology of the Bahama Oriole, a critically endangered island endemic
Janine Antalffy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Bahama Oriole adult on Andros. It could be a male or a female, as both sexes have this striking black and yellow coloration. (photo Daniel Stonko, UMBC)
The Bahama Oriole (Icterus northrop) is a critically endangered songbird restricted to the Andros island complex in The Bahamas. Having disappeared from the neighboring island of Abaco in the 1990s, a 2011 study suggested that fewer than 300 individuals remained on Andros. Little is known about life history traits and causes of population decline of this species. Janine’s research will contribute knowledge to inform conservation strategies for the species through addressing three questions about the Oriole, including assessing genetic diversity and connectivity between populations in the Andros Islands, assessing the response of this species to logging (to estimate population size during wholesale clearcutting in the mid 1900s), and distribution modelling to look at past populations on Andros and for the extinct Abaco population. These data will be useful for The Bahamas government to determine if the species should be managed as one or several populations, and to guide the reintroduction of the Bahama Oriole to Abaco.
Updating information about Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri loyemilleri) at Los Roques archipelago (Venezuela)
Juan-Carlos Fernandez Ordoñez, Fundación Científica ARA MACAO
An Audubon’s Shearwater feeds along the surface of the water.
Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri) is a small seabird that inhabits warm waters, mostly in the tropics. It breeds in colonies on islands and offshore cays. Once common, it’s status is now vulnerable due to disturbance and loss of breeding habitats. Audubon’s Shearwater is known to breed in the islands of the Los Roques archipelago off the Caribbean coast of Venezuela. Thanks to its strategic geographical location, the 314 islands, cays and islets of this archipelago provide important stopover and breeding sites for migratory and endemic birds. Juan-Carlos will revisit the remote and unspoiled Los Roques Archipelago to locate and survey nesting populations of Audubon’s Shearwater. JC will also identify and describe threats at the breeding sites. These colonies have not been visited in many decades, thus JC’s work will fill in major gaps in our understanding of of the status of these nesting populations. In his analysis, JC will test occupancy models as a much faster way of monitoring remote populations. He will share his results with local managers to aid conservation efforts in the archipelago.
Restoration and Monitoring of Nesting Areas of Shorebirds in the Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Eduardo Llegus (seated with blue plaid shirt) with Punta Cucharas Team. Left to right: Miguel García, Nashalie Aponte, Pier Le Compte, Israel Jr. Rivera, Ian Maldonado, Gilmarie Rivera, Karla Oquendo, Hommy Pacheco.
Eduardo Manuel Llegus-Santiago, University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Eduardo will work to restore and monitor beach-nesting bird habitat in Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve, an estuary ecosystem located at southern Puerto Rico, in the City of Ponce . This community-centered project will rebuild fences that were created to protect birds from invasive dogs, cats, and vehicles during their nesting. The project includes the restoration of the fence and monitoring of the birds with volunteers and an educational program to teach local communities about shorebirds with the production of a bird guide for the area to stimulate bird-friendly tourism. Eduardo will also monitor survival rates of shorebirds in the restored area and compare them with other colonies within the natural reserve.
A tale of two todies: understanding how vocalizations mediate hybridization between two sympatric species
Holly Garrod with a tody in the hand at her field site in the Dominican Republic.
Holly Garrod, Villanova University
Climate change and other human disturbances are causing range shifts in bird populations around the world. In some cases, species that were previously separated may come into contact and hybridize, which ultimately can result in long-term losses of biodiversity. In the Dominican Republic, Broad-billed and Narrow-billed Todies separate on an elevational gradient, with the Broad-billed Tody (Todus subulatus) in lowland wet forests and the Narrow-billed Tody (Todus angustirostris) in montane cloud forest. Climate change may push Broad-billed Todies upslope, increasing the overlap (sympatry) in the two species’ ranges at mid-elevation. Increased competition and hybridization could disproportionately harm one of the species, most likely the Narrow-billed Tody, because the high-elevation tody has “nowhere to go.” Holly will use playback experiments to investigate the extent to which the two species recognize and respond to each as competitive threats (e.g., for males defending territories) and as potential mates. If species recognition mechanisms are imperfect, this could lead to hybridization. To date, one such hybrid has been documented. Holly’s research will likely yield important insights about different ways in which behavior mechanisms influence hybridization. Holly’s research in 2017 (supported with David Lee funds) examined nesting success of todies in different habitats – read about her exciting results here.
To learn more about the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds, click here. If you would like to contribute to the fund and help support future projects, click here. You can choose to designate your gift to the David S. Lee Fund.
BirdsCaribbean thanks the scientists that provided thoughtful and constructive reviews of the proposals. We are very grateful to all that have donated to the David S. Lee Fund. We are pleased and proud to honor Dave’s legacy with the funding of these exciting projects that will advance the development of young Caribbean scientists and contribute to the conservation of Caribbean birds.
Caleb Spiegel, Beth MacDonald, Jen Rock, and Elise Elliott-Smith Searching for Piping Plovers (Photo by Eric Salamanca)
We have heard the painful stories of the 2017 hurricanes, which had devastating effects on humans and birds on some islands. How did our shorebirds weather the storm—especially those we are most concerned about from a conservation viewpoint? Elise Elliott-Smith shares her story of post-hurricane surveys in the Turks and Caicos Islands in February 2018.
For the past three years, I have been privileged to work with an international team of scientists led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center. Working with local partners and other international partners we have conducted surveys for Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) and other shorebird species of conservation concern in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Charming Piping Plover
The Piping Plover is a small, round-bodied shorebird, with a charming, big-eyed look. It breeds on beaches in the interior and Atlantic Coast of the U.S. and Canada, migrating to beaches in the southern Atlantic U.S., the northern West Indies, and across the Gulf Coast into northern Mexico. There are three discrete breeding populations, all of which are listed as endangered in Canada, and threatened or endangered in the U.S.
Piping Plovers (Photo by Eric Salamanca)
Fifteen years ago, no one knew that large numbers of Piping Plover winter in the Bahamas and northern Caribbean. But there was a surprise in store. During the 2011 International Piping Plover Census, it was discovered that around 1,000 birds wintered in the Bahamas. So, searching the Turks and Caicos Islands became a priority for the next Census in 2016 (read about 2016 International Piping Plover Census here). Our 2016 search yielded almost 100 Piping Plover and we counted 174 during an expanded search in January 2017. During this search, we also tallied about 20 other shorebird species, many of which are declining in numbers, or are focal species of the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative. These species included the Red Knot (Calidris canutus), which is also listed as threatened/special concern in the U.S. and Canada.
The Onslaught of Hurricanes Irma and Maria
Destroyed House on South Caicos (Photo by Elise Elliott-Smith)
On September 7, 2017, Hurricane Irma hit the Turks and Caicos Islands as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 175 miles per hour. Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria arrived, packing 125 mph winds and torrential rain. My thoughts were with my colleagues and friends in the Turks and Caicos Islands as the storms passed. Despite extensive damage, and a heavy blow to the islands’ infrastructure, everyone was safe; miraculously, there were no deaths in the Turks and Caicos Islands. And after hearing this, I started wondering about the birds.
Far from the storm, I saw images on my computer screen of the destruction to human property and then the video of injured and dead flamingos in Cuba. I reasoned that given the small size of the Piping Plover, they could likely hunker down in strong winds. Perhaps some were still on their southerly migration and had not yet arrived. But a Piping Plover is not large, nor is it pink. The plovers’ small sand-colored carcasses would surely wash away unnoticed. The truth was, I really did not know how the storms had affected shorebirds or their habitat. But we had collected comprehensive survey data on all shorebird species for two prior winters at many remote sites in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I was eager get back there and see what had changed.
Post-hurricane Surveys Show Drop in Piping Plover Populations
Planning and preparing for these excursions is always exciting and a bit stressful. Our colleagues at the Turks and Caicos Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) wanted to conduct surveys but they needed assistance. Partners at the USFWS and Canadian Wildlife Service – Environment and Climate Change Canada (CWS-ECCC) were also interested in helping but there were a lot of details to work out and questions to answer. Would we get funding? Would we get government permissions? Would we have enough cash to pay for the boats? Would the weather cooperate during the surveys? And would the birds themselves cooperate? This year, however, there was one very big question constantly looming in my mind as I was trying to secure funding for surveys and plan for the trip. How had the hurricanes affected the birds and their habitat? Would they even be there this year?
Surveying Piping Plovers (Photo by Eric Salamanca)
Post-hurricane surveys finally became possible with the support of BirdsCaribbean, the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, DECR, SWA Environmental, USFWS, CWS-ECCC and USGS. We had an excellent International team of surveyors, with the support needed for surveying remote cays. So I found myself flying into Providenciales, TCI on the evening of 30 January 2018. Under the cover of night, I did not get to see the turquoise waters or the tarped and patched roofs of houses damaged by the storms. But looking out the window the next morning I saw evidence of the hurricanes that reminded me the Turks and Caicos Islands are still recovering.
Over the next 10 days our teams conducted surveys on over 15 islands and cays in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We revisited every site where Piping Plover had been seen the prior year and surveyed a few new sites. In total, we saw just 62 Piping Plover. This was a far lower total than had been seen in 2017 or 2016. Counts of Piping Plovers were actually down at all of the sites surveyed in prior years, and they were completely absent from several sites.
Landscapes and Habitats Reshaped by the Storms
Mixed species flock including Red Knot, Short-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers (Photo by Eric Salamanca)
The extent of damage to human structures varied from island to island. Similarly, some Piping Plover sites appeared largely unaffected by the storms, while other sites had been substantially altered. Little Ambergris Cay was one of the sites hardest hit by the storms. The habitat had changed drastically. Multiple sandbars were breached or washed away entirely, interior mudflats were flooded, beaches were over-washed, and the island was literally split in two. Piping Plover had been seen at multiple locations on this island in 2016 and 2017. Despite the habitat changes, there appeared to be quite a bit of suitable habitat remaining in 2018. However, when we conducted a very thorough survey, no Piping Plover were seen. Shorebird numbers in general were down.
Caleb Spiegel (USFWS) and Jen Rock (CWS-EEEC) wading out to survey the high tide roost at remote sandbars south of Middle Caicos (Photo by Elise Elliott-Smith)
Some of the most important sites seemed relatively unchanged. However, storm erosion can be insidious, leaving sites looking deceptively undamaged at first glance. One of the most important shorebird sites in the Turks and Caicos Islands consists of a handful of very remote, tidally exposed sand flats and a tiny island, south of Middle Caicos. At this site, there is only a single small rocky area exposed during high tides. Birds tend to roost in this spot until neighboring sand flats are exposed for feeding. In 2017 we had seen about 3,000 shorebirds of at least 12 species at this site, including about 400 Red Knot. It is hard to identify and count 3,000 shorebirds, especially when they are spread out and moving around, so we planned our surveys for high tide, when birds concentrate. The area appeared to be largely unchanged. However, there were only about 1,000 shorebirds, far fewer than the prior year. We stayed in the area for nearly an entire tide cycle, but much of the sandflats remained shallowly flooded, even at low tide, indicating sand was likely lost during the hurricanes.
The Fate of Missing Birds Largely Unknown
Casaurina uprooted by the storms at Dickish Cay (Photo by Elise Elliott-Smith)
Our early observations add to mounting evidence that there may be immediate negative effects of hurricanes on local wintering Piping Plover and other shorebird populations. However, questions remain. As in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Piping Plover numbers were greatly reduced in the Bahamas after Hurricane Matthew, particularly in areas hardest hit by the storm (Matt Jeffrey and Walker Golder (National Audubon), pers. comm). However, it is not known if shorebirds are dying in hurricanes or leaving in advance of the storm and wintering elsewhere. Spotting marked birds again may be the key to understanding this question of mortality. During our surveys in the Turks and Caicos Islands we observed Piping Plover that had been marked on their Atlantic Coast breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada. Piping Plover tend to be faithful to their winter sites. However, some marked birds seen in the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2017 were “missing” on 2018 surveys. We will be looking for these individuals on migration and breeding grounds this summer. Re-sighting them would indicate they survived the storm. We also hope to return to the Turks and Caicos again in early 2019 to see if these missing birds have returned.
So what of the birds’ uncertain future? How resilient are Piping Plovers to hurricanes over the long term? And how resilient are the ecosystems on which they depend? Will sand be deposited again where it was lost? And how are the invertebrates (aka shorebird food) affected by hurricanes? These questions need further study, especially considering that with changing climates, storms may become more frequent and intense. In addition to searching for marked birds, the next step in answering these question is seeing shorebirds return to their favorite haunts in the Turks and Caicos Islands in higher numbers next winter. If birds survived the storm, we might expect to see a rebound in numbers next year.
Caribbean Waterbird Census – An Important Tool
Tagged Piping Plover (Photo by Eric Salamanca)
We were fortunate to have baseline data before the storm from our previous surveys to assess how well Piping Plovers had survived the 2017 devastating hurricane season. Our results highlight the importance of the Caribbean Waterbird Census (which we have contributed to during our surveys of the Turks and Caicos) and other surveys that provide critical information on bird species abundance and distribution. This helps us gauge avian response to hurricanes and our changing climate and suggests actions that we can take to help birds survive. We cannot prevent the hurricanes from coming. But there is a lot that can be done to protect the birds remote habitats from development and minimize human disturbance.
As I returned home, I felt relief that at least some birds survived the storm and very encouraged by the incredible international support for our work. As an international species of concern, the Piping Plover requires collaboration to conserve their habitats across the different phases of their life cycle. I am optimistic that with the help of many, we can come together again to answer remaining questions and take steps to protect this beautiful little bird.
You can help too! We are still learning about this species’ distribution throughout the Caribbean – so learn how to distinguish them from similar species (like Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Wilson’s Plover, and Snowy Plovers) and help conduct surveys. Be on the lookout on sandy beaches and tidal mudflats, look for bands and flags, take pictures of the birds you see, and report all your observations on eBird Caribbean (and any Piping Plovers to me as well please! Contact Elise Elliott-Smith).
Aerial view of some of the best Piping Plover habitat in the Turks and Caicos Islands including “Piping Plover Cay” (Photo by Elise Elliott-Smith)
Notes from the Field
Searching for Birds on Dickish Cay (Photo by Eric Salamanca)
Day 1: A very rainy adventure to cays between Providenciales and North Caicos with Caleb Spiegel (USFWS), Eric Salamanca and an intrepid boat crew from the Turks and Caicos Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR). Few birds are seen and no Piping Plover are seen on either of the cays where they were documented in 2016 and 2017. This could be due to tour boat disturbance seen at one of the sites, but it is easy to miss birds when it is windy and wet. Need to return for a re-survey in better conditions.
Day 2: After a morning flight to South Caicos, Caleb, Eric and I kayak to what had been the most important Piping Plover site during our surveys the prior two years, a small uninhabited unnamed cay that we’ve affectionately dubbed “Piping Plover Cay”. Looking out the window while the plane landed and driving to the end of the road to put our boats in the water, it appears that South Caicos was hit harder than Providenciales by Hurricane Irma, and lacks the resources of the more popular tourist destinations to make a speedy recovery. Many houses are still missing roofs, some are missing walls, and at least a couple have been leveled by the storm.
Power Line Damage on South Caicos (Photo by Elise Elliott-Smith)
More power lines are askew or knocked down than remain upright. And the salt ponds are too deeply flooded to support small shorebirds. Surprisingly, “Piping Plover Cay” looks good and largely unchanged. However, conditions are windy with some rain and although we see some shorebirds, there are no Piping Plovers in the flocks.
Day 3: Jen Rock and Beth MacDonald, our Canadian colleagues (ECCC), arrived last night. The weather has cleared, and we finally find some Piping Plover!! Seven birds are seen on Dickish Cay, a small uninhabited cay where we had seen them during both of the prior survey years. In 2016, we had accessed the site by swimming across a channel from the end of the road in Middle Caicos and had found 11 Piping Plover on interior mud flats. In 2017 we accessed the island by boat, surveying it twice, and the high count had been 24 Piping Plover, including two marked birds seen on the sandy beach. Piping Plover tend to be loyal to their winter sites, so we look for the marked birds seen in 2017. They are not in our small flock but we do see two newly marked Piping Plover: one marked as a chick in Newfoundland the prior summer and the other marked a few weeks before Hurricane Irma while on a migration stop-over in North Carolina. Although the number of birds is lower than prior years, if anything the hurricanes seems to have had a positive effect on the Piping Plover habitat. Invasive Casuarina has been uprooted and sand has been deposited on the east side of the island, widening the beach.
Caleb Spiegel and Elise Elliott-Smith scanning potential habitat in the windward channel between Middle and East Caicos (Photo by Eric Salamanca)
Day 4: Our team is joined by Kathleen Wood (SWA Environmental) and we head out in the DECR boat to survey Little Ambergris. We split into three teams of two and are dropped off at different locations on the islands so that we can efficiently cover all the habitat. Two sandbars on the south side of the island have been entirely washed away, creating inflows and flooding. We realize that the inflow on the southwest side has broken all the way through to the north side of the island, splitting the island into two. One beach was totally over-washed, widening it by leveling the short vegetation. Twenty-five Piping Plover were seen on this island in 2016 and 29 were seen in 2017. None are seen on this survey and overall shorebird numbers are lower than previous counts. There still appears to be a lot of reasonable shorebird habitat, but much of the habitat is greatly changed. On our way back we stop at Big Ambergris Cay. It is our first Piping Plover survey on this island; we did not survey it previously because the habitat on aerial images did not look ideal. Hurricane damage is very apparent here as well as erosion of beach habitat and cliffs backing the beach. Many structures are seriously damaged. We see no plovers and few shorebirds on the mostly exposed, windswept beaches.
Tagged Piping Plover (Photo by Eric Salamanca)
Day 5: Jen, Beth and Kathleen return to “Piping Plover Cay”. The conditions are good and they see 45 Piping Plover – including two birds that Beth banded in Nova Scotia the previous summer! Caleb, Eric and I do not have as much luck. We return to Dickish Cay but do not see any Piping Plover (they also may use neighboring Joe Grant Cay or Wild Cow Run beach but we do not have time to check there). Our expert boat operator, Tim Hamilton, shows us some habitat in Lorrimer’s channels on Middle Caicos that we had not explored in prior years. It looks like good shorebird habitat but we see few birds.
Day 6: Sandbars south of Middle Caicos. This is the site where we saw about 3,000 shorebirds last year, including Red Knot. We arrive close to high tide and go to the roost spot. The area around the roost is very shallow so we need to get off the boat and wade in waist-deep water a few hundred meters to survey. Caleb and Jen start surveying while Beth, Eric and I stay in the boat to check the other sandbars, which are all inundated. We return to the roost spot and help count. There are only about 1,000 shorebirds this year and around 40 Red Knot. We discuss why we are seeing such reduced numbers and whether some birds could be roosting in an unknown location. We decide to wait for the tide to fall and see if more birds arrive. The sun is setting with the falling tide so we leave just before low tide. Although it is a pretty extreme low tide, the multiple finger-like sand flats all seem to still be inundated. The habitat looked unchanged when we first arrived at the site that morning but it is likely that some of the sand has eroded. As we return to South Caicos the sun is setting with a squall in the distance and a rainbow over the turquoise waters.
Piping Plovers roosting just north of South Caicos on “Piping Plover Cay”, including a bird banded as an adult in 2017 on breeding grounds in Nova Scotia (Photo by Jen Rock)
Days 7-10: Caleb, Jen and Eric return to Providenciales and then to North Caicos where they survey with Naqqi and Flash (DECR). No Piping Plover are seen at the Northwest Point National Marine Park, where one Piping Plover was seen in 2017. Later, they return to re-survey islands between Provo and North Caicos in better weather than day 1, but still do not see any Piping Plover, and few shorebirds. However, they have luck on East Bay Island, seeing 10 Piping Plover where 16 were seen in 2017, including four tagged birds: two that were marked on breeding grounds in Canada and two at breeding sites in the U.S.
Beth and I split off from the rest of the group and travel to Grand Turk where we explore habitat and survey with Katharine Hart (DECR). I had not been to Grand Turk previously and while we see many waterbirds on this island, the habitat is not ideal for Piping Plover. On our second day, we take a very rough and wet boat ride to explore two nearby uninhabited islands, Cotton and Gibb’s Cay. Gibb’s Cay has some good habitat but it is frequented by cruise ships and we only see a couple shorebirds. The next day we take a bigger boat to Big Sand Cay. Katharine has been to the island before for turtle work (it is a National Sanctuary and the most important hawksbill turtle nesting site in the islands) and reports that it has been affected by the hurricane. A tidal surge likely washed out vegetation so that now the east and west side of the island are connected by sand flats in a couple of spots. The habitat looks very good on this island. We do see turtle nests but we don’t see any Piping Plover.
Many thanks to Caleb Spiegel, Beth MacDonald, Naqqi Manco, Kathleen Wood, Emma Lewis, and Lisa Sorenson for input on this article. And special thanks to DECR, BirdsCaribbean, American Bird Conservancy, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, SWA Environmental, USFWS, CWS-EEEC, USGS, and Big Blue Unlimited for providing financial and other support for this research.
East Bay Island Survey Crew: Cardinal Arthur (boat captain), Jen Rock (ECCC), Eric Salamanca (DECR), Junel “Flash” Blaise (DECR), and Brian Naqqi Manco (DECR). (Photo by Caleb Spiegel)
The local school was extensively damaged with the roof completely gone (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
On September 6th, 2017, a Category 5 hurricane named Irma made landfall on the tiny island of Barbuda, devastating homes, stripping the forest bare, and inundating parts of the island with seawater. We all looked on in shock as the way of life for many Barbudans was destroyed. We also feared another disaster was in the making.
Barbuda is the only home for the small Barbuda Warbler, a close relative of the Saint Lucia and Adelaide’s Warblers. Scientists and conservationists alike feared that Irma may have caused its extinction. Even if the birds survived the ravages of the wind and rain, the food they needed to survive (caterpillars and other insects) would be greatly reduced immediately following the storm. Hurricanes have triggered extinctions in the past, on much larger islands like Cozumel. There the endemic Cozumel Thrasher is now presumed extinct, following a series of hurricanes beginning with Gilbert.
Unsafe conditions and travel restrictions to Barbuda prevented an immediate population assessment but as soon as was possible, several members of the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) of Antigua, under the guidance and support of the Department of Environment (DoE), visited Barbuda. The group confirmed that some warblers had survived. BirdsCaribbean, EAG, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and the DOE quickly teamed up to organize and carry out extensive surveys on Barbuda, to assess both the Barbuda Warbler and Yellow Warbler populations.
An Exciting Journey
Barbuda Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
On October 15, less than six weeks after the hurricane, a team of 6 left St John’s, Antigua by boat to cross the 40 miles to Codrington, Barbuda. High seas and heavy rain made it an interesting passage, but we arrived at the Codrington port to be greeted by the team from Guadeloupe: Anthony Levesque, Frantz Delcroix, and Eric Delcroix of Association AMAZONA, a conservation organization in Guadeloupe. They had just arrived by plane (read their story here) to conduct counts at the Magnificent Frigatebird Sanctuary. Though the stormy morning quickly turned to a bright, sunny day, our moods turned somber as we saw first-hand the extensive damage done by Irma. Many homes and businesses were completely destroyed, and rebuilding efforts by the handful of Barbudans on the island were only just beginning.
Our home for the next week was the DoE office in Barbuda, where we settled in, organized the surveys and made some last-minute refinements to the distance sampling protocol for data collection. We conducted observer training for the team members and field tested the protocol, which included a playback of Yellow and Adelaide’s Warbler calls. The Barbuda Warbler is very closely related, and was once considered the same species as the Adelaide’s Warbler of the Greater Antilles and the Saint Lucia Warbler. Recent genetic studies have confirmed that these three should be treated as distinct species, though their vocalizations are very similar. The field test, made on the edge of town, was a success and we recorded our first Barbuda and Yellow Warblers, along with a number of migratory shorebirds (view the eBird list).
An International Team Gets to Work
Part of the team that surveyed the warblers, left to right: Sophia Steele, Jeff Gerbracht, Lenn Isidore, Frank Rivera-Milan and Shanna Challenger.
Shortly after sunrise the following day, the two teams of three observers began the survey with a mixture of excitement, hope and dread. Frank Rivera-Milan (US Fish and Wildlife Service) was joined by Kelvin ‘Biggz’ Samuel and Dwayne Philip (Antigua Forestry Unit). Jeff Gerbracht (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) joined Lenn Isidore, (Saint Lucia Projects Coordinator for FFI) and Rudolph Zachariah (Antigua Department of Environment). Nearly as important as the current population assessment was providing that the training and resources to DOE and EAG staff, to ensure that the Barbuda Warbler population can be monitored long term. To this end, we were also joined by Sophia Steele (Fauna & Flora International) and Shanna Challenger (EAG, DOE and FFI), to learn about the methodology and gain the necessary field experience. That first morning both teams observed Barbuda Warblers and Yellow Warblers while surveying 19 points (view eBird list from that first morning). It was a great start but still a long way to go.
Male Yellow Warbler (migrant) (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Barbuda has about 62 square miles of land and prior to our arrival, Population Ecologist and team member Frank had randomly selected the survey points, which were loaded into our GPS units. Points were at least 400 meters apart. Each team was tasked with covering as many points as possible before late morning arrived, when the warblers became quiet and harder to observe. A typical survey consisted of walking from point to point, covering up to eight miles in a morning. At each point, the team would divide up the tasks. One person would categorize the habitat, food availability and disturbance at each site, while the others would look and listen for Barbuda Warblers. Each observation of a warbler was recorded, along with the distance and direction from the point to each individual bird. “Barbuda Warbler singing between 20 – 30 meters at 110 degrees from North” or “Yellow Warbler seen at 18 meters distance, 35 degrees”. All observations were recorded in detail so that detection probability, occupancy and abundance (density and population size) could be modeled and estimated as precisely and accurately as possible.
Nature is Resilient, But There’s Some Way to Go
One of the survey points deep in the highlands where the forest is green and vibrant with flowers beginning to open (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
During that first morning of surveys, we were all struck by the resiliency of the natural world and how the forests of Barbuda were so well adapted to hurricanes. Weeks earlier the forests had been stripped bare of all greenery; yet the forest was already recovering. Amidst the broken branches and downed trees, life was returning with a vengeance. Trees and shrubs had already put out new leaves and in some cases, flowers and even fruit were in evidence. In addition to the ever-present mosquitoes, we saw lots of other insects and caterpillars, i.e. warbler food. The forest seemed green and alive, in sharp contrast to how it must have appeared just a few weeks earlier.
Lowland forest heavily impacted by the storm surge with little sign of recovery on the south of Barbuda (Photo by Jeff Gerbract)
Unfortunately, other parts of the island weren’t faring nearly as well as the interior. Lowlands on the south of the island were especially hard hit by the storm surge. The forest there was struggling to recover.
To cover as many points as possible, the two teams stayed in different parts of the island. Henry, our driver and guide for the week, made sure that the teams got to where we needed to be. Our daily routine was pretty much the same: Leave for the field early; cover as many points as possible by 10:30; hike back out of the bush to be met by Henry; a quick lunch in town followed by an hour of down time; then back in the field between 2:30 and 5:30. In the evenings, we would review the data collected during the day to make sure everything was in order.
Hopes for Beautiful Barbuda’s Sustainable Recovery
An emotional roller coaster is a good way to describe how I felt throughout the week. Each day we were reminded of the devastation left by the hurricane and the long road to recovery for the Barbudan families. And each day we observed firsthand how the forest is recovering and how well the Barbuda Warbler fared. Barbuda is an island with very little development and miles of natural scrub and forest. The land is communally owned so there are few signs of outside development and that community ownership is reflected in the pride Barbudans feel for their island. I can think of few places where there are still miles of beach or forest with no development or human habitation in sight. This is pristine habitat for the birds. It is also the perfect location for eco-tourism: not only birding, but caving, horseback riding, snorkeling and other pursuits. It’s a rare gem, and the expanse of untouched natural habitat has surely been key in the forest’s rapid recovery.
Dwayne Philip pondering the best route through the damage to our next survey point (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
We had been given permission for one week to conduct these surveys. It came to a close all too soon. With 125 points surveyed once, and 37 points surveyed twice, 50 miles walked and 145 Barbuda Warblers detected, we felt that we had covered as much of the island as possible (eBird list from the final day). Once the numbers are crunched and population models run, we will have a much better estimate of the Barbuda Warbler population (stay tuned!). However, the good news is that all evidence points to a population, which somehow survived Irma’s fiercest onslaught.
As we left the island, we also left part of ourselves there – literally, in the case of the mosquitos and sand flies! In our hearts, there was the sorrow – and also hope – we feel for the Barbudans, their way of life and the island’s natural ecosystems. As more and more of the Caribbean becomes dominated by resort developments, Barbuda is a wonderful and refreshing contrast; a place where the natural world is still evident in abundance. We wish Barbuda a steady, sustainable recovery that will benefit its people and where its beautiful natural habitat will continue to flourish.
By Jeff Gerbracht, lead architect and software engineer at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and co-chair of the BirdsCaribbean Monitoring Working Group. Jeff has assisted Birdscaribbean for many years with eBird Caribbean, and monitoring and training workshops throughout the region.
Frank, Lenn and Jeff would especially like to thank the many individuals who made this population assessment possible, several of whom were also trying to rebuild their own lives on Barbuda:
Kelly Burton and Henry Griffin for ensuring our stay on Barbuda was as comfortable and productive as possible; Wanda for the excellent lunches; and Len Mussington for the exciting boat ride from Antigua to Barbuda.
Lenn Isidore looking out over the coastal scrub near Two Foot Bay (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
We also thank EAG, DOE, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Fauna and Flora International and BirdsCaribbean for their practical support, including the following individuals:
Shanna Challenger and Sophia Steele of Fauna & Flora International/EAG;
Rudolph Zachariah of the Department of Environment, Antigua;
Kelvin Samuel and Dwayne Philip of the Antigua Forestry Unit;
Sasha-gay Middleton of the Department of Environment for organizing our meals;
Matt Young of the Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology for putting together the warbler playback; and
Special thanks to Natalya Lawrence of EAG and Dr. Helena Jeffery Brown and Ruleta Camacho Thomas of the Department of Environment, for organizing so many of the necessary logistics.
BirdsCaribbean is grateful to all that have donated so generously to our ongoing fundraising effort for hurricane relief for our partners and beloved birds that has allowed us to send nectar feeders and bird seed to 13 islands and help our partners with surveys, replacing equipment lost in the storm, and other recovery actions.
Hover over each photo to see the caption; click on photos to see larger images and a slide show.
The destruction in Codrington was heart rending (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Yellow Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Built to last, Martello Tower (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Male Yellow Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Low coastal scrub along the Atlantic coast of Barbuda (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Lenn Isidore looking out over the coastal scrub near Two Foot Bay (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
One of the survey points deep in the highlands where the forest is green and vibrant with flowers beginning to open (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
Looking over the forest from the highlands, towards Codrington (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
White-cheeked Pintail (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
Female/Immature Yellow Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Male Lesser Antillean Bullfinch (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Male Yellow Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Barbuda Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Lenn and Jeff share a light moment in the back of a truck after completing surveys (Photo by Shanna Challanger)
Red-legged Tortoise (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Lenn Isidore inspecting the habitat (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Coastal areas were especially hard by Irma (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
The pants really take a beating (Photo by Sophia Steele)
One of the Rare times when Frank actually sits down (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
Yellow Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Lenn spotting another Barbuda Warbler (Photo by Sophia Steele)
Team ‘Frank’ returning from a morning of surveys, Dwayne Philip, Kelvin ‘Biggz’ Samuel and Frank Rivera-Milan (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
Coastal habitat (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Toppled trees and broken branches are evidence of Irma (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
View of Condrington (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
Scaly-breasted Thrasher, one of three observed together (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Yellow Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Barbuda Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Lenn surveying from the Tower (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Barbuda Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
‘Which way do I go?’ Dwayne Philip (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
Amevia (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
View from Martello Tower (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
Damage along the south coast (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
View of the upland forest, beautiful area (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Barbuda Warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Shows unique Barbuda Warbler habit of cocking up their tail, more like a wren than a warbler (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab)
Sophia Steele surveying from the heights (Photo by Lenn Isidore)
Departing from Antigua, left to right: Rudolph Zachariah, Lenn Isidore, Captain Len Mussington, Frank Rivera-Milan, Jeff Gerbracht, Dwayne Philip and Kelvin ‘Biggz’ Samuel (Photo by Natalya Lawrence)
Sophia and Frank embark on the ‘March of the Penguins’ on their quest to find the Barbuda Warbler (Photo by Shanna Challanger)
All of us at BirdsCaribbean followed the passing of Hurricane Irma with terror, for the people of Barbuda, and also for its birds. Such is the strength of our community that BirdsCaribbean members from nearby Guadeloupe – Anthony Levesque, Frantz Delcroix, and Eric Delcroix – all members of the organization AMAZONA, offered their help in surveying their neighboring island, alongside a team of ornithologists from the United States, Saint Lucia, and Antigua. Here’s Frantz’s story of their 10-hour expedition to Barbuda.
From Guadeloupe to Barbuda: Our Eventful Journey
Eric Delcroix, avid birder from Guadeloupe and Frantz’s husband, stands in front of the Piper PA28 airplane before take-off (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
The start of our day was scheduled for Sunday, October 15, 2017, around 6:30am. Our transport was a small Piper PA28 airplane, with a capacity of 4 people (the pilot and three passengers). The plane was sturdy enough to transport us, our field equipment, a cooler, and our boots! Despite bad weather for several days—an active tropical wave passing by Guadeloupe and Antigua and Barbuda—our pilot assured us that we could travel. Just before leaving, however, our pilot learned that due to cloud cover, the airport in Antigua (where we had to land first) was closed to all VFR (visual flight rules) flights, and was accepting only flights that can fly under IFR (instrument flight rules). Fortunately, we chose the right pilot; his plane was equipped and certified for this kind of flight!
We took off at 6:50am, landing in Antigua around 8:00am. It was a longer flight than we had anticipated, because we were flying under IFR. After passing through immigration, we went to the control tower to validate the flight plan to Barbuda. As we suspected, we had trouble with the fact that we did not have written authorization to travel to the island. Luckily, with the help of the Department of Environment in Antigua, we had taken the precaution of obtaining the necessary contact information for the authority, Major Michael, in Antigua. After a short discussion, the agent agreed to call the Major, and so was able to validate our flight plan to Barbuda. With a sigh of relief, we took off from Antigua around 9:00am and arrived in Barbuda twenty minutes later.
On Barbuda: The Birds’ Message of Hope
The boat captain, Kelly, (standing), left to right – the airplane pilot, Hervé Pennel, Frantz Delcroix, and Anthony Levesque as they set out for Codrington Lagoon (Photo by Eric Delcroix)
Upon arrival we made our first survey: a few Barn Swallows and a Bank Swallow circled above us and an American Golden Plover wandered around the airport parking lot. We were then greeted by an agent from the airfield, who kindly took us to the port where the rest of the team has just arrived by boat. There we met Jeff Gerbracht (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, USA), Frank Rivera (US Fish and Wildlife Service, USA), Lenn Isidore (Flora and Fauna International, St. Lucia), and others and went to the house that served as home base during our trip, as we did some birding around the neighborhood. Jeff, Frank, and Lenn planned to be in Barbuda for a full week to do an intensive survey of the Barbuda Warbler population (stay tuned for their story!). Our assignment was to visit Codrington Lagoon and carry out a survey of the Magnificent Frigatebirds, to see how the population and sanctuary was recovering six weeks after Hurricane Irma hit. We departed at 11:15am for Codrington Lagoon with our boat captain Kelly – and our pilot (who wanted to discover the avifauna of Barbuda with us!)
Male Magnificent Frigatebirds courting and in flight at the colony Codrington Lagoon. (Photo by Eric Delcroix)
We arrived at the colony at 11:30am and were delighted to see hundreds of frigatebirds in flight, the bare and brown bushes adorned with bright red gular pouches. Within a 4.5 hectare (11.12 acre) area, we estimated 1,710 Magnificent Frigatebirds and 17 Brown Boobies. In a count of seven bushes of 279 frigatebirds, 83 females (30%) and 196 males (70%) were counted. Amazingly, 90% of the females were on nests and some of the birds were observed courting and mating, even males carrying nest materials.
We returned to home base around 12:30pm for a lunch break and then went back to the field. Having no vehicle available, we decided to visit a nearby pond we had observed on the Barbuda map, to search for West Indian Whistling-Ducks and other waterbirds. Along the way, we made several surveys of the species present. In a scrubby area near town, we spotted our first Barbuda Warblers eating caterpillars! The warblers were active and responded readily to our “pishing.”
A Barbuda Warbler alive and well! (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
Around the pond, we recorded two Lesser Antillean Flycatchers, two Long-billed Dowitchers, a Stilt Sandpiper, some Semipalmated Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, and a Scaly-breasted Thrasher. Unfortunately, no West Indian Whistling-Ducks were seen.
We continued our surveys until around 2:45pm before returning to home base to pick up our belongings and walk to the airfield for our 3:45pm takeoff. Skirting some clouds along the way, we arrived home in Guadeloupe at 4:20pm with a list of 36 surveyed species in hand.
Our Hearts are with the People of Barbuda
Complete destruction of a home in Barbuda (Photo by Eric Delcroix)
Although we were there to conduct a birding survey, our hearts ached when we saw all the damage on Barbuda. Such utter desolation! We felt anguish and sadness for the people of Barbuda, who lost everything in this category 5 hurricane and are now living in Antigua awaiting word on when they can return home and rebuild. Witnessing the power of nature—its ability to inflict such damage, but also how it can quickly rebound—was an extraordinary experience.
Before the hurricane, the 4,000–5,000-strong frigatebird colony had chicks in the nest. Surveys just after the hurricane found no surviving chicks and only around 300 birds. Now, one and a half months later, there are more than 1,700 frigatebirds starting a new breeding period with almost all of the females nesting! Even the mangroves that suffered from salt burn and had lost all their leaves were bouncing back, beginning to sprout new leaves.
Magnificent Frigatebirds and Brown Boobies in Codrington Lagoon (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
So, we did not leave without hope. Nature is resilient! It can destroy almost everything, and yet incredibly allow a bird that weighs only ten grams to survive!
We thank all of our partners and friends from Antigua and Barbuda and BirdsCaribbean for trusting us and for providing funding and support for our survey, despite the challenges and the relatively short time we had to mobilize. We extend a special thanks to Natalya Lawrence of the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) in Antigua and Lisa Sorenson of BirdsCaribbean
Frantz Delcroix is the President of AMAZONA, a bird conservation organization in Guadeloupe. She is an avid birder, photographer and conservationist. Thanks to all who donated to our Hurricane Relief Fund which provided funding for this survey. Thanks also to support from the Environmental Awareness Group and Dept of Environment in Antigua, and Fauna and Flora International.
Hover over each photo to see the caption; click on photos to see larger images and a slide show.
A view of the Magnificent Frigatebird colony from a distance. It will take a long time for the formerly lush mangroves to recover. (Photo by Eric Delcroix
A view of part of the Magnificent Frigatebird colony from a distance. It will take a long time for the formerly lush mangroves to recover. (Photo by Eric Delxcroix)
Female Magnificent Frigatebird on a nest in Codrington Lagoon (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
Courting male Magnificent Frigatebirds (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
Landing Magnificent Frigatebird over Colony (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
Long-billed Dowitcher, a rare migratory shorebird in this region (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
Frigatebird Colony in Codrington Lagoon (Photo by Eric Delcroix)
Damaged communications building on Barbuda. (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
White-crowned Pigeon (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
Survey boat (Photo by Eric Delcroix)
Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
Counting frigatebirds in the colony (Photo by Eric Delcroix)
Male Frigatebirds in Codrington Lagoon (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
Damaged building on Barbuda – the entire population has been evacuated. (Photo by Anthony Levesque) (1)
Pigs and dogs scrounging for food in Barbuda (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
Frigatebird Colony in Codrington Lagoon (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
Barbuda Warbler (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
Lesser Antillean Flycatcher (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
Map-Location of nesting area on Barbuda-Codrington Lagoon
Male Magnificent Frigatebird with Inflated gular pouch (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
Guadeloupe Field Team-Frantz, Eric and Anthony ready to begin the survey on Barbuda. (Photo by Herve Pennel)
Barbuda Warbler eating a caterpillar (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
White-winged Dove (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
Female Magnificent Frigatebird nesting on bare mangroves. (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
List of birds seen or heard on this day (all have been entered in eBird Caribbean)
Helmeted Guineafowl – Numida meleagris
Magnificent Frigatebird – Fregata magnificens
Brown Booby – Sula leucogaster
Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis
American Golden-Plover – Pluvialis dominica
Semipalmated Plover – Charadrius semipalmatus
Killdeer – Charadrius vociferus
Stilt Sandpiper – Calidris himantopus
Pectoral Sandpiper – Calidris melanotos
Semipalmated Sandpiper – Calidris pusilla
Long-billed Dowitcher – Limnodromus scolopaceus
Solitary Sandpiper – Tringa solitaria
Lesser Yellowlegs – Tringa flavipes
Rock Pigeon – Columba livia
White-crowned Pigeon – Patagioenas leucocephala
Eurasian Collared-Dove – Streptopelia decaocto
Common Ground-Dove – Columbina passerine
Brown Booby at the frigatebird colony. (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
White-winged Dove – Zenaida asiatica
Zenaida Dove – Zenaida aurita
Belted Kingfisher – Megaceryle alcyon
Caribbean Elaenia – Elaenia martinica
Lesser Antillean Flycatcher – Myiarchus oberi
Gray Kingbird – Tyrannus dominicensis
Black-whiskered Vireo – Vireo altiloquus
Bank Swallow – Riparia riparia
Barn Swallow – Hirundo rustica
Scaly-breasted Thrasher – Allenia fusca
Pearly-eyed Thrasher – Margarops fuscatus
American Redstart – Setophaga ruticilla
Yellow Warbler – Setophaga petechia
Blackpoll Warbler – Setophaga striata
Barbuda Warbler – Setophaga subita
Bananaquit – Coereba flaveola
Black-faced Grassquit – Tiaris bicolor
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch – Loxigilla noctis
Carib Grackle – Quiscalus lugubris
Read more about the hurricane impacts on Caribbean birds:
Female Magnificent Frigatebird in flight. Frigatebirds feed by skimming food off the surface of the water or stealing it from other birds—they cannot dive. (photo by Ted Eubanks).
Joseph Prosper shares with us his experiences birding in Barbuda and the choices this pristine little island faces. He discusses the importance of conservation and provides wonderful insights into the birds found here.
Barbuda is definitely torn between two lovers and probably feeling like a fool. This island holds two tomorrows in its hands. One is for it to remain a remote, low-key eco-tourism destination, with a small economy that preserves and features the island’s wealth of pristine natural resources and traditional culture. The other tomorrow is Barbuda becoming a tourist destination with mega resorts, modern lifestyles and greatly lessened natural beauty.
Climate change looms over both of these tomorrows, as the low relief is highly threatened by sea level rise. This is their moment to consider and decide. I know what I would choose.
I have been involved in bird watching for 14 years. I crudely define this activity as a form of wildlife observation in which the observation of birds is a recreational activity. Watching birds in Barbuda can be done with the naked eye, through binoculars or by listening for bird sounds. Surprisingly, in Barbuda, many bird species are more easily detected and identified by ear than by eye. Most birdwatchers, including myself, pursue this activity for recreational and social reasons. I have also engaged in the study of birds using formal scientific methods. Many birdwatchers maintain life lists, a list of all of the species they have seen in their life, usually with details about the sighting, such as date and location. The criteria for the recording of these lists are very personal. Some birdwatchers “count” species they have identified audibly, while others only record species that they have identified visually. Some maintain a country list, parish list, state list, county list, yard list, year list, or any combination of these.
West Indian Whistling-Duck (photo by Ted Eubanks)
My ‘birding’ life started in 2002 when I attended a “West Indian Whistling-Duck and Wetlands Education Training Workshop led by Dr. Lisa Sorenson of BirdsCaribbean (formerly the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds) and the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG).
This was my introduction to the West Indian Whistling-Duck which sparked and sealed a lasting interest in birds and birding. This tall, graceful, brown-spotted duck is found only in the West Indies. It was once abundant and widely distributed throughout the Caribbean, but is now scarce and limited in its distribution due to illegal hunting, introduced predators like the mongoose which eat eggs and ducklings, and loss of much of its wetland habitat from development. In my pursuit of the duck, I traversed little known parts of Antigua and Barbuda, spending many hours observing the duck and widening and deepening my knowledge and experience with birds. My fascination and surprise grew as I realised through my association with other local birders, notably Victor Joseph and Andrea Otto, that as small and as dry as Antigua and Barbuda is, the country hosts well over 182 species of birds including numerous migrants.
Unlike many birders, I do not have a life list, but strive to see as many birds as possible, and rarities and endemics are at the top of my list.
I was therefore thrilled to learn that, as tiny as my country was, Barbuda is home to the endemic Barbuda Warbler, recently elevated to species status after genetic research deemed it worthy of this designation.
One of my best birding moments was setting eyes on this warbler in 2005. My guide, Mr. Calvin Gore, took me to the spot for the Barbuda Warbler. This is quite easy to find: Going south on the main road, about 2 miles from the airport is a thick section of pipe on the left. There is an embankment about 100-200 feet to the left, which holds water occasionally, but was bone dry with no signs of having been a pond on my visit. There is a pond on the right as well, mostly dry. Just before reaching the embankment I heard a warbler sing, and shortly thereafter spotted the Barbuda Warbler, flitting about in the dry scrub. It is a beautiful little bird with gray upperparts, bright yellow underparts, a yellow line above the eye and a yellow or whitish crescent below it. I saw and heard many Barbuda Warblers during the 3 hours I spent here.
The Barbuda Warbler is a species of bird in the Parulidae family. It is endemic to the island of Barbuda and known locally as the Christmas Bird. Its habitat is dry scrubland near wetlands and mangroves. This small warbler has a distinctive bright yellow throat and breast and gray upper parts. (photo by Ted Eubanks).
I spooked a pair of Helmeted Guineafowl and got excellent looks at Lesser Antillean Flycatcher, Mangrove Cuckoo, and Caribbean Elaenia. I saw many migrant and resident shorebirds and waterbirds, including White-cheeked Pintails, Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed-Dowitchers, Black-necked Stilts, Wilson’s Plover, White-rumped Sandpipers, Common Snipe, and a pair of Pectoral Sandpipers. I walked around the town—there were Cliff Swallows with Barn Swallows at the airport, supposedly rare for Barbuda. There is a place in the lagoon where West Indian Whistling-Ducks come in the evening, uttering their beautiful haunting whistling call as they fly in. Visiting Barbuda to see the warbler and the many other special birds that one can see in Barbuda makes it a worthwhile trip for any birder or nature lover.
Visiting the Magnificent Frigatebird colony in Codrington Lagoon, Barbuda. (photo by Karron James)
My love affair with birds and birding led to my membership in BirdsCaribbean, a non-profit regional organization dedicated to studying and conserving Caribbean birds and their habitats, and my travels all over the Caribbean including Trinidad, Tobago, Puerto Rico, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Guadeloupe and beyond to Canada, South America and Europe. Birding allowed me to feed my other great love which is education. I studied birds, focusing on the West Indian Whistling-Duck, and advocated for their conservation on Antigua and Barbuda. and delved into the ways of any bird I encountered. I happily shared my discoveries with many children, residents, and visitors wanting them to experience a similar amazement at the world of birds.
At the Codrington Lagoon in Barbuda where the Magnificent Frigatebird engaged my attention – oh what a sight for my eager eyes! I took a small boat from the harbour in Codrington to the Frigatebird Sanctuary in the northwest of the lagoon. I thoroughly enjoyed the crossing and at the sanctuary I was taken within 2 metres of thousands of birds nesting on top of clumps of short Red Mangrove bushes. They were totally unmoved by my presence. Surveys show there are over 5,000 frigatebirds using the site, making it the largest colony in the Caribbean. It is really something to see these birds and the way they live in the wild. By this time George Jeffrey, my tour guide, was moving me along with a pole, the boat was silent except for the sound of my camera shutter. I was there during mating season (February) and it was fascinating to see the males puffing out their brilliant red neck pouches to attract the females. I could hear the sound of the males drumming their pouches all around me.
Magnificent Frigatebirds adults and chicks in a nesting colony. Perched male Frigatebirds display by inflating their large red throat pouch (photo by Jenny Daltry).
Fascinated, I asked where the ‘downies’ go when there is a hurricane? “When there’s a storm the babies climb deep into the mangroves and wait it out, while the adults fly away,” George said. “Some people call them Weather Birds, because there will be hundreds of them going off in a cloud before the storm hits.” George then provided a demonstration of how important sticks are to the male frigatebirds for building their nests. He threw a stick up in the air and then gave a play-by-play commentary of the male frigates fighting over the stick and even pulling it away from another bird while in flight until they could find a way back to their nest. There were males displaying, chicks and females sitting on nests—an incredible sight. A definite must-see if one is in Barbuda.
My hope is that these birds and the pristine nature of Barbuda will still be here for generations.
Let’s choose a tomorrow that does not succumb to the bulldozer but instead preserves this natural wealth for all to experience and enjoy.
By Joseph (Junior) Prosper, schoolteacher in Antigua and dedicated local conservationist. Reprinted with permission from the tourism coffee table book: Simply Antigua Barbuda. The book is available to order online at this link. The online version of the book can be viewed here.
Male White-cheeked Pintail in Antigua. These sedentary tropical ducks are most often found in brackish waters such as coastal lagoons and mangrove swamps. (photo by Ted Eubanks).
FOR KIDS: Complete our All About Birds Crossword Puzzle! How many words do you know? If you need help, check out our Glossary for some definitions that will help you complete this puzzle. And here is a the Answer Key to the puzzle.
Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines
So, if you want to jump on the bandwagon and improve a bit before conference time, why not spend some time with Duo, and his free, fun-to-use online language program, 
