Dr. Lourdes Mugica, Professor of Biology at the University of Havana, shares with us news of the first edition of the Cuban Ornithologists Year Book. Congratulations to this amazing group on their tremendous work and the creation of this excellent resource.
The last BirdsCaribbean International Conference celebrated in Guadeloupe (July 2019) had many positive outcomes for Cubans, but not all were evident during the conference. Firstly, a record number of Cuban people from all over the country — 20 persons — received support to attend the conference. This was possible thanks to the amazing efforts of BirdsCaribbean and its donors.
It was a great occasion not only for international exchange and networking, but for internal exchanges as well. During the conference, we Cubans organized a meeting to analyze the present status and future of Cuban ornithology, and how we could encourage more research, education, capacity building, and conservation throughout our island. Several initiatives were developed, including the publication of an annual Cuban Ornithologists Year Book (Anuario Ornitológico de Cuba 2019). We are excited to share the first one, and in doing so starting a new tradition. We hope to publish it annually.
The goal of the Cuban Ornithologists Year Book is to gather all the results obtained by Cuban ornithologists and volunteers during the year in different fields, all of them contributing in some way to ornithology and bird conservation. The Year Book shows what we have accomplished during the year, including publications, events, awards, PhD theses, capacity building, and national and international projects. Authors and institutions are listed for each activity. The Year Book also includes a Directory of Cubans and volunteers contributing to the results — email addresses and phone numbers are listed to facilitate scientific exchange. It was labor-intensive to gather all the information at the country level; it is great to now see it completed.
The results include the publication of 29 scientific papers, participation in 15 events with 40 presentations, 49 projects in progress, 1 PhD and 1 Undergraduate thesis defended, 6 awards received, and 8 capacity building courses delivered. All of this information is organized at the national, institutional, and personal levels. Some of the most outstanding results are highlighted. The Year Book concludes with a Directory containing contact information for the 50 Cubans involved.
Many thanks again to BirdsCaribbean for their support for several of the projects mentioned in the Year Book, and for helping so many Cubans attend the BirdsCaribbean conference in Guadeloupe that resulted in this major project.
Dr. Lourdes Mugica is a full professor at the University of Havana where she teaches classes on Conservation Biology and Biodiversity and Conservation. Her main areas of research are Bird Ecology and Bird Conservation, especially of waterbirds. She is also very active in outreach, capacity building and education efforts in Cuba. Download the Year Book here.
The Cuban contingent! A record 20 Cubans attended the 2019 Guadeloupe Conference, thanks to our generous sponsors! (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Antillean Crested Hummingbird, one of 3 species of hummingbirds that are resident in Antigua and other Lesser Antilles islands plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. (photo by Nick Hollands)
We have all had to adapt to a drastically different way of life in a very short time. One of our partners, the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) in Antigua and Barbuda, has risen to the challenge and made the best of a difficult situation. They organized an online “Birding for Beginners” course to encourage more people in Antigua to learn about local birds, take up birdwatching as a hobby, and to help with citizen science initiatives in Antigua. Here they describe the course and initial outcomes.
The Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) in Antigua and Barbuda is constantly seeking out means to connect our people with nature. EAG aims to promote a greater understanding of and appreciation for how our natural environment provides essential services that support our very lives.
Much of the work that EAG is involved in promotes the conservation of birds and their habitats. One of our goals is to encourage our residents to go out and become citizen scientists—observing birds, collecting data, and sharing it on a platform that can be used by scientists and decision-makers.
A Virtual Introduction to the World of Birds
Yellow Warbler or Canary, as it is commonly called in Antigua. This small bright yellow bird is often found among Wild Tamarind plants and has a beautiful song. (photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
But first, how do we get people to bird, if they don’t know much about the birds? And how do you bird during a pandemic lockdown? The EAG team decided to launch an online Bird Training session called Birding for Beginners, in the month of May. This consisted of six webinars that taught the basics of birding, including identification, behavior, habitat, ecology, Important Bird Areas, monitoring techniques, threats to birds, conservation, and ethical birding.
Antigua and Barbuda is home to numerous species of resident birds, and over one hundred species of migratory birds spend part of their year here. Birds are ubiquitous on our islands; they are found from the mountain tops of the Shekerley mountain range right down to the wave-chasers on our sandy beaches. We have big, imposing raptors and tiny little hummingbirds. We have land birds, shorebirds, wetland birds, and in-between birds!
Getting to Know Birds
Ruddy Turnstones are common winter shorebirds in Antigua and the Caribbean. They find invertebrate prey items on the beach by flipping over stones, hence their name “turnstone.” (Photo by Arnaldo Toledo)
During the webinars, the participants were challenged to learn to identify birds by their shape, size, colour, behaviour and location. For example, one should be able to look at a bird’s bill and decide if it’s a meat-eater, a seed-eater, an insect-eater, a fruit-eater, or otherwise. Some birds glide in flight while others flap. When feeding, some probe and peck, while others snap prey out of the air, or flip over everything in sight. How about their behaviour on the ground? Some run around, some pose majestically with a piercing gaze, and some even “twerk” (bobbing their tail incessantly)!
Participants learned about the important part birds play in our environment. The EAG webinars highlighted some of birds’ vital ecosystem roles. These include keeping the insect population under control, dispersing seeds, pollinating flowers, cleaning up carcasses, advising on the weather, enriching the soil – and even influencing fashion! Participants also learnt about birding “hotspots,” Important Bird Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas across our islands. Examples of these are our offshore islands, Christian Valley, Wallings, McKinnons Pond, and the Codrington Lagoon.
An International Study Group is Born
The Barbuda Warbler, found nowhere else in the world except the tiny island of Barbuda (photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Of course, we also examined identifying common birds, as well as rare birds and resident and migratory species. We highlighted birds of conservation concern due to threats they face, both human-caused (e.g., destruction of their habitats) and natural (e.g., hurricanes). Special mention was made of our endemic Barbuda Warbler, found nowhere else in the world but – Barbuda.
To wrap up the course, participants learned how to implement actions to conserve birds, how to monitor them, and how to use the online applications eBird Caribbean and Merlin to identify birds and store their birding observations.
The participants were eager and enthusiastic, joining EAG via Zoom and Facebook. The interest was greater than expected and they all returned regularly to keep up with the course. Most of our participants were local, but others from across the region joined us – including participants from Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts, and Trinidad and Tobago. Even persons from the UK and US who are regular visitors to the island followed the course!
Inspiration and Support – Thank You!
Shawn Maile was enthusiastic about the course and his new-found hobby and shared his experience and certificate proudly on his LinkedIn.
One of the participants, Shawn Maile, shared his thoughts in an article he posted on his LinkedIn: “I jokingly posted a status to say that maybe I should take up birdwatching. Next thing you know, I was signed up for an online birding course in the middle of a pandemic and starting a new hobby.”
He further commented, “Fast forward to the end of the course and I have currently logged over 25 different species of birds. I can no longer walk, drive, run, or simply go outside without seeing, hearing or sensing a bird. Now armed with the skills to identify and count the avian species, I can proudly say I am a certified beginner birder. Armed with my binoculars and ebird app, I forge into the unknown tracking and viewingmy winged friends.”
Following the course, we are pleased to announce the formation of our very own bird club, the Wadadli Warblers! Our first team outing occurred last week as we began field training at McKinnons Pond, all while wearing masks. We anticipate building up our team of local contributors who monitor birds and their habitats (e.g., participating in the Caribbean Waterbird Census), traveling the Caribbean islands to see the region’s incredible diversity of birds (there are 171 endemics) – and having fun doing it!
The Wadadli Warblers take on their first birding expedition to birding hotspot, McKinnon’s Pond, in Antigua.
This training opportunity and ongoing mentorship would not have been possible without the support of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Cape Cod Bird Club, BirdsCaribbean, and the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. Our participants were treated to a special appearance by Dr. Herbert Raffaele, former Director at USFWS Division of International Conservation (funding millions of dollars for conservation projects around the world), and award-winning author of several books including the important field guide, “Birds of the West Indies.” Special thanks to Dr. Lisa Sorenson of BirdsCaribbean for her assistance, and for being present at every webinar, supporting the presenters and answering questions.
We urge you to start appreciating our natural world. We urge you to take this time to reconnect to nature. Join the EAG and join the bird club too! For more information, contact us at 268-462-6236 or eagantigua@gmail.com. To donate and support our programs, click here. And enjoy the photo gallery below (click on each photo to see it large and view as a slide show).
Editors Note: Congratulations to the EAG team for this hugely successful and engaging online training. EAG has been a long-time partner of BirdsCaribbean and the 3 facilitators of this course, Natalya Lawrence, Shanna Challenger, and Andrea Otto, have all been active members of BirdsCaribbean. They have participated in our workshops and conferences and have been awarded many grants to carry out education, monitoring, restoration and conservation projects in Antigua and Barbuda. We applaud their enthusiasm, professionalism and sheer hard work to advance awareness, appreciation, and conservation of Antigua and Barbuda’s incredible biodiversity. We encourage you to support the amazing work of the EAG either through membership or a donation.
To learn more, check out the following articles and Youtube videos:
The ongoing Black Lives Matter movement continues to challenge us and to confront deeply-entrenched attitudes and assumptions about race that affect so many individuals and communities negatively. This includes the vibrant and growing communities of Black scientists, naturalists and birders, in the Caribbean and beyond. At BirdsCaribbean, we have been similarly inspired to reach out directly to the organizers of Black Birders Week, who swiftly took action following the Central Park incident – a blatant display of white privilege. We applaud this strong response, because their goals reflect our own: inclusivity, diversity, solidarity, teamwork – and of course, the common love of birds that brings us together.
Here is an article co-authored by three co-organizers of Black Birders Week, Amber Wendler, Alex Troutman, and Chelsea Connor, who met up with Executive Director Lisa Sorenson and other BirdsCaribbean leaders recently on Zoom. We look forward to continuing the dialogue, to building our relationship, to sharing ideas and to working together on concrete plans and actions that will empower Black birders and shine a light on their amazing work. Rome was not built in a day, as the saying goes, but we at BirdsCaribbean are committed to supporting Black Birders Week, fighting discrimination, and bringing hope. We are stronger together!
#BlackBirdersWeek flyer with list of events created by Sheridan Alford and Danielle Belleny. Full text at tinyurl.com/BlackBirdersText
Black Birders Week was created in response to a racist incident in New York City’s Central Park: Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the police on Christian Cooper, a Black birdwatcher, and lied, saying, “There’s an African American man threatening my life,” when he politely asked her to put her dog on a leash in an area that required her to do so by law. Many people do not realize that racist incidents, such as this one, happen every day – they are just not captured on video. The recording of this incident highlighted some of the challenges Black people face when going birdwatching or participating in other outdoor activities. In addition to not feeling safe, many Black people feel as if they do not belong in outdoor spaces predominantly occupied by white people. Black Birders Week was organized by individuals of BlackAFinSTEM, which is a collective of Black birders, nature enthusiasts and scientists. The goal of Black Birders Week was to increase the visibility of Black birders and nature enthusiasts and promote inclusivity in the outdoors.
After Black Birders Week, co-organizers Amber Wendler, Alex Troutman and Chelsea Connor virtually met with members of BirdsCaribbean, so that we could all share our experiences and discuss how the birding community can take action to become more diverse and inclusive. It felt as if we all already knew each other and were friends, catching up after a few years of being apart. It was inspiring to hear everyone’s stories and the projects that they have worked on and plan to do in the future. We’re excited to meet in person next July at the next BirdsCaribbean International Conference in Trinidad, and we’re looking forward to continuing these conversations virtually in the meantime.
Participants in the Zoom Meeting. From left to right. Top row: Chelsea Connor, Lisa Sorenson, Alex Troutman. Second row: Amber Wendler, Justin Proctor. Third row: Emma Lewis, Howard Nelson, Ancilleno Davis. Fourth row: Adrianne Tossas. BirdsCaribbean Board member, Leno Davis (Bahamas) commented: “Being a scientist can be challenging for some and less challenging for others. Our group spoke of privilege, racism, tokenism, implicit and institutional biases, representation, and shifting cultural perspectives and norms. Being black in the Caribbean is different from the USA or UK experience but they are all valid.”
What does Black Birders Week mean to you?
Amber Wendler is a PhD student at Virginia Tech pursuing research on Puerto Rican Todies.
Amber Wendler: Black Birders Week means a lot to me. It has given me a sense of community. I could not be happier to finally see so many other birders who look like me and have had similar experiences to me. I am blown away by all the support this week has received and it has given me hope for the future.
Alex Troutman: Black Birders Week means freedom, inspiration, and growth. Freedom to immerse yourself in nature. It has been inspiring to see all the people supporting Black Birders Week and saying that they are going to make a stand to make sure birding is inclusive for all people! Black Birders Week means growth, not only because I grew as a birder and individual by telling and hearing other birders’ stories; but also because the birding community is growing stronger in numbers and morally. More people stand to make a change, or call out actions and behavior discouraging others who do not fit the typical birder profile of an older white male.
Chelsea Connor: Black Birders Week meant getting my voice, and the voices of others like me amplified. We had been talking on and off about the struggle we face with the outdoors, but now we were more widely heard, and invited to share. I got to see so many Black people outside, doing what they love and to hear their stories and the inspiration that this event gave them. I’m so proud and that will all stay with me forever.
What did you take away from Black Birders Week and what do you want others to know?
Alex Troutman is a Masters Student at Georgia Southern University studying the dynamics of insect communities and MacGillivray’s Seaside Sparrow nestlings in tidal wetlands of Georgia.
Amber Wendler: People too often value biodiversity of nature more than diversity of people. Ensuring that Black people and other under-represented groups have access to and feel welcomed in the birding community and outdoor spaces leads to a diversity of ideas and perspectives, which greatly benefits the community and advances scientific research. I am truly amazed by the BlackAFinSTEM group. Individuals from this group saw an opportunity to bring awareness to an important issue, quickly came together to plan and were able to change the minds of many people.
Thanks to Black Birders Week, we increased the visibility and amplified the voices of Black birders. Individuals and organizations started to take action to make the birding community more diverse and inclusive, and many Black birders who previously felt alone now have a supportive community. However, it’s important to recognize that systemic racism was built up over hundreds of years and thus will not be fixed in a week. There is still a lot more work that needs to be done until all Black people will feel safe and welcomed in outdoor spaces. We all must continue to listen to people’s experiences, learn and take anti-racist action.
Alex Troutman: Black Birders Week has not only encouraged me, but it has also given me a sense of pride. First, I am proud that 30+ Black people in the STEM field who identify as birders could make this happen without ever being in a room together and not ever officially meeting each other besides Zoom sessions. Next, I had a sense of pride and encouragement from all of the support that we have been given from people who participated in Black Birders Week in some way, whether it was following with each day’s hashtag or viewing the live streams.
It has been encouraging to see all of the Black birders and Black nature lovers who are out there. I thought I knew a good bit of them, but Black Birders Week has allowed me to connect with so many others who I probably never would have met if it wasn’t for Black Birders Week. Some people were even within the same state. It has also been encouraging to see the younger generation get excited about birding! Black Birders Week gave me community, support, and encouragement to keep going! I hope that others got as much out of BBW as I did. I want others to see that everyone can and should be welcome to go birding without FEAR, DISCRIMINATION, and LACK of ACCESS. It truly takes everyone to make sure that nature can be used and enjoyed by all.
Chelsea Connor is a herpetologist and science communicator. Birds were her first love growing up in Dominica. She currently is a student in Texas researching anole diets and tweets anole facts and about her island, @ChelseaHerps
Chelsea Connor: I want people to remember that silence is complacency. A lot of the things that happen that are witnessed by someone can be stopped by the simple intervention of a white ally. Allies should use their platforms as much as possible to amplify the voices and experiences of BIPOC (Black and Indigneous People of Color) and to create paid opportunities and spaces for them where they are fully supported. Too often BIPOC get hired, but then they’re left alone to face discrimination and racism from their coworkers and peers.
I feel like Black Birders Week has definitely made that conversation start happening more. It’s so encouraging and heartening to see everyone who participated and still hearing about the effect it had for them. I expected the event to go over well, but the international recognition it got blew my mind. It makes me feel hopeful, like much needed change can start happening. I’ve also gotten to connect with so many great people and institutions and I cannot wait to see them grow. Depending on your background, you may not know what it’s like to not feel heard and then to finally have that – but I can tell you, it’s been quite an experience and I’m so happy to have had it. I can’t wait to see more representation of us outdoors and in the natural sciences. Thank you for being part of this too.
Sincere thanks to Amber, Alex and Chelsea for talking with us and writing this wonderful article! Big thanks also to our colleague, Andrew Rothman (@The_Rothman), for introducing us. We appreciated tuning into #BlackBirdersWeek events and look forward to further discussions, opportunities to partner, and actions we can take together to make sure Black birders are welcome and supported everywhere. We welcome Amber, Alex, Chelsea, and all others to our BirdsCaribbean community, a diverse network of wildlife professionals, birders, tour guides, educators, community members, and more. Stay informed about Caribbean bird news by signing up for monthly newsletter here. Join us here. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@BirdsCaribbean).
We know. It has been a difficult time, and you might be starting to get “itchy feet.”
You’re probably not quite ready to travel yet, but as soon as it is safe, where would you go?
Think green, forested hills filled with bird song; cool rivers with the splash of waterfalls and deep pools to enjoy; or inviting turquoise bays fringed with silvery white sands. This is the Caribbean, and it’s waiting for you!
Our Amazing Island Guides
The Purple-throated Carib is endemic to a handful of islands in the Lesser Antilles (Photo by Barbara and Frank Lilievre).
BirdsCaribbean has the perfect tool to help you with your future plans: a newly updated Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) Guide page! Expert local guides are essential to getting the most out of your travel experience, so we have gathered information on the best in the region—all within one handy directory on the CBT website.
These guides, from 21 islands—and counting—have completed the CBT Interpretive Guide Training Program or have obtained training or certification through other programs. They are trusted partners of BirdsCaribbean and the partner organizations we collaborate with on the islands. These knowledgeable guides will satisfy bird, nature, and adventure tourists of all kinds. From birding, boating, and botanical gardens to mountain trails, waterfalls, and even rum tours … there is something for everybody.
Adams Toussaint, St. Lucia Birding & Wildlife Ambassadors
If you browse through our directory, you will see what an extraordinary range of expertise these local guides have to offer.
Our most recently trained guides in Grenada can take you out to sea, birding on sailboats (Vaughn Thomas at Archipelagics) and in kayaks (Kendon James at Conservation Kayak). Seasoned guides such as Adams Toussaint in Saint Lucia, and Lystra Culzac in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been leading birdwatching tours for years. They know exactly where to take you to find all the unique birds of their islands, including the extra special (and incredibly beautiful) St. Lucia and St. Vincent Parrots.
Lystra Culzac, guide in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
You will also see that our guides offer tours in several languages. Binkie van Es on Sint Maarten speaks four languages, and David Belfan in Martinique speaks no less than five! If they have written a bird guide, this is also highlighted. For example, Erika Gates (Bahamas), Anthony Levesque (Guadeloupe), Ann Sutton (Jamaica), Kate Wallace (Dominican Republic), Roger Neckles (Trinidad and Tobago), as well as Birdy Jno Baptiste and Stephen Durand from Dominica are all published authors of field guides for their countries!
So … Where To?
This beautiful bird, of resplendent plumage, is the National bid of Cuba. It’s colors match the colors of the Cuban flag (Photo by Jose Pantaleon).
Maybe you will opt for the largest island in the Caribbean: Cuba! There are 26 bird species on Cuba that are found nowhere else in the world, from the smallest bird in the world (Bee Hummingbird) to their beautiful National Bird (Cuban Trogon). There you can meet up with Ernesto Reyes, who will introduce you to these birds and so much more. Ernesto is a Cuban biologist with more than 15 years of experience with birds in Cuba, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. He offers multi-day birdwatching and bird photography tours (including two tours with BirdsCaribbean) that allow visitors to observe more than 95% of Cuba’s bird species. What riches!
Maybe instead of big, you go small. You might consider putting Anguilla in your plans. This 35-square mile, neatly wrapped package of an island contains a surprising amount of biodiversity. Go with Jackie Cestero of Nature Explorers Anguilla to explore the island’s more than 20 wetlands—once the center of a thriving salt industry dating back to prehistoric Amerindian inhabitants. Today these wetlands provide critical habitat for both resident and migratory species as they travel along the Atlantic Flyway. Be sure to pack your snorkel and fins, because Anguilla’s extensive marine park system is home to a number of species of turtles, colorful reef fish, and corals. Many of the island’s beaches provide nesting habitat for endangered sea turtles and, if you’re lucky, you’ll also spot migrating whales and dolphins.
Make Your Plans Happen
Hopefully by now you’ve got some ideas of where to go, and who to go with. Whatever you decide, just be sure of two things: hire local guides and keep going back to the Caribbean! No two islands are alike.
Beautiful jungle path through the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico beckons you to come visit. (photo by Dennis van de Water)
The Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) is a project of BirdsCaribbean. The CBT has been developed to connect people to the extraordinary places, diverse cultures, and people of each island. The CBT promotes authentic experiences that benefit local people and encourages the protection of the Caribbean’s natural resources, including birds and their habitats.
Through our CBT Interpretive Guide Training Program, we are partnering with operators and guides in the region to organize one of the most comprehensive guide training and certification programs in the region. The course is facilitated by National Association of Interpretation (NAI) Certified Interpretive Trainers, and participants learn not only to identify the local bird species and their connection to the environment, but also how to effectively communicate information to audiences in a meaningful and enjoyable way. To date, we have held International Training Workshops in Grenada, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Bonaire, Cuba, and St. Vincentand theGrenadines.
We would love to have your feedback. Have you been on a birding tour with a great birding tour guide from on or off our page? We’d love to hear about it. If you would like to recommend a great guide we don’t know about, organize a guide training program in your country, or want to know about the next program we might offer, drop us a line at info@caribbeanbirdingtrail.org and—when you do go on the Caribbean Birding Trail (and we hope you will)—let us know how it went for you.
Special thanks to our Caribbean Birding Trail Project Coordinator, Aly Ollivierre, and our website developer, Kathleen McGee, for working so hard to get the site updated over the past six months!
Check out our short video on the Caribbean Birding Trail:
Recent, tragic events serve as a stark reminder that racism and racial injustices continue to tear apart and divide communities around the world. Direct and indirect violence, discrimination, and oppression against black people cannot be tolerated.
Our hearts go out to those that have been—and continue to be—hurt and affected by these inhumane and heinous actions. We stand in solidarity with black communities demanding accountability, reform, and respect.
The BirdsCaribbean community, spread out across the Caribbean islands and around the world, strongly supports efforts to advance justice, peace, and unity, and we stand beside those who work so tirelessly to see these goals achieved.
Our organization will prioritize actions to become a bigger part of the collective solution moving forward, using our reach, influence, and mission to create the safest environment possible and most equitable treatment of our friends, colleagues, and partners.
BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce a new collaboration with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that gives our members FREE access to Birds of the World – the best website for comprehensive information on all of the world’s species of birds.
Birds of the World is a powerful new online resource that brings together scholarly content from four celebrated works of ornithology into one rich and colorful hub where you can find comprehensive, authoritative information on birds. All of the information from Birds of North America and Neotropical Birds (originally published by the Cornell Lab) has been merged with information from Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive and Bird Families of the World (originally published by Lynx Edicions) into one online platform.
With the integration of millions of bird observations from eBird and images from the Macaulay Library, Birds of the World is the most powerful ornithological resource ever created. It’s a single platform where biologists, birders, and anyone with an interest in birds can explore comprehensive life history information on birds.
Every Bird has a Story
Cuban Tody (photo by Wayne Fidler; Macauley Library ML 98811491)
The platform includes 249 bird family accounts, and species accounts for all 10,721 known species. Content includes topics such as description, taxonomy, distribution, habitat, diet, behavior, breeding, movement, and more. All species accounts have range maps and a growing number have “intelligent maps”—science-based abundance maps and animated migration maps (created from eBird data). Magnificent colour plates from many of the world’s top illustrators are backed up by the massive Macaulay Library resource – a media asset of photographs, video and audio recording. Every species displays its IUCN conservation status and additional ornithological notes as appropriate. The common species names are even available in more than 50 languages!
And here’s a neat feature – because it is linked to eBird, when you are logged into Birds of the World each species account shows a blue badge indicating whether or not you’ve seen, photographed, or taken audio recordings of the bird. If you’re not yet an eBird user, now is a perfect time to sign up and start using this wonderful app to find birds, keep track of the birds, and contribute to science! And if you’re in the Caribbean be sure to use our special eBird Caribbean portal.
The Birds of the World home page has a few species accounts that are available for a free preview, allowing you to check out all the great info available on this site.
One overriding feature of the resource is that it will be constantly revised by ornithologists to include the latest taxonomic revisions and latest information about each species.
ALL OF THIS FOR FREE TO BIRDSCARIBBEAN MEMBERS
Thanks to our partnership with Cornell, full access to Birds of the World (BOW) is available for free to all current (2020) and Life members of BirdsCaribbean. So make sure you are a member to take advantage of this unique offer! Click here to become a NEW member.Click here to RENEW your membership. Once you become a member it may take several days to activate your access to Birds of the World – please be patient!
If you are not sure of your membership status, please contact our Administrative Assistant Delores Kellman, and she will be able to help you.
How to access Birds of the World: Current BirdsCaribbean members with an eBird account should simply use your ebird username login and password to sign in. If you have forgotten your username or password or have trouble logging in, please review this page to gain access. If you don’t have an ebird login but are a member of BirdsCaribbean, you’ll be getting an email from us with instructions on how to log in.
Contribute to Birds of the World
In exchange for free access to all BirdsCaribbean members, we have agreed to adopt and update a set of the Caribbean species each year. So would you like to contribute to Birds of the World? BOW is keen to use species experts to help author the species accounts. If you are interested in helping or would like to learn more, contact: Justin Proctor (justin.proctor@birdscaribbean.org), Managing Editor of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and Vice President of BirdsCaribbean.
Why Join BirdsCaribbean?
Not only will you have access to Birds of the World, but you will receive other benefits as well, such as discounts on our meetings, programs, and materials; the opportunity to meet and network with scientists, birders, educators, and conservationists across the region; and the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping in our urgent fight to save habitats from destruction and birds from extinction. Your membership also supports the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, an open access, peer-reviewed journal covering all aspects of ornithology within the Caribbean region.
Note that annual membership in BirdsCaribbean costs less than an annual subscription to Birds of the World.
Your membership helps our efforts to raise awareness, train and mentor conservation professionals, support research and monitoring, and engage people in citizen science and conservation actions. We look forward to welcoming many new members as well as welcoming back lapsed members!
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: West Indian Whistling-Duck
The West Indian Whistling-Duck (WIWD) is a tall, graceful, mostly brown duck with a beautiful haunting call. It is endemic to the West Indies and can be found in different wetland habitats, like salt ponds, mangroves, marshes, swamps, rice fields, and palm savannas. It is always a thrill to see this species because they often remain hidden during the day, roosting in mangrove trees or other vegetation. They become active at sunset when they fly around to different wetlands to feed.
This duck was once common, but populations are now very small and isolated on each island. Destruction of wetland habitats, illegal hunting, and invasive predators (like mongoose) have all contributed to the decline of this species. The gorgeous WIWD is the flagship species for wetlands conservation and education efforts by BirdsCaribbean and partners. You can help save this species by reporting illegal hunting, teaching others about this bird, and supporting conservation of mangroves, ponds and marshes on your island. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the West Indian Whistling-Duck!
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 WIWD
The call of the WIWD is a shrilly whistled Chiriria, which is the origin of one of its Spanish names.
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!
Close-up of the beautiful West Indian Whistling-Duck (photo by Ray Robles)Two West Indian Whistling-Ducks having a rainwater drink in Antigua (photo by Nick Hollands)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS! Learn about what makes a bird a bird, and play Bird Spy Bingo in your backyard. Parents – some great activities for your kids to help them enjoy and learn about nature in your own backyard. Do one or all of the activities described in this lesson. Print the Bird Spy Bingo game and play with the whole family!
Lisa Sorenson wearing our BirdsCaribbean buff as a face mask. The long stretchy tubular fabric has been folded back on itself twice to form a triple layer.
We’ve got you covered! The CDC and local governments recommend wearing a face mask when you go out, and even cloth/ home-made masks are helpful. Our BirdsCaribbean and Caribbean Birding Trail multi-purpose “buffs” work well for this.
We have two patterns available for sale: BirdsCaribbean logo and Caribbean Birding Trail logo (see photo to the right and in the gallery below). Get one of each so that you can wear on alternate days and wash them.
Many of our members have long worn our “buffs”—stylish tubular bandannas which can be worn in multiple ways. They are great as neck warmers, head bands, hair bands, caps, for mosquito protection in the field, and now as face masks.
If you would like to purchase one or more of our buffs, please use the links below. Apologies, but we are only able to ship to U.S. addresses right now. Limit of 6 per order.
Wear your buff and tag us! @BirdsCaribbean #BirdsCaribbeanStrong #HumansofBirdsCaribbean
Your purchase helps support our bird conservation programs – thanks!
To Use as a Face Mask:
Turn the buff inside out, then fold back it back either once or twice so that you have a double or triple layer of fabric for your mask. You are now ready to face the world with a comfortable and stylish mask! Stay safe!!!
Our buffs are made by the company Hoo-rag. The fabric is soft and stretchy. They have a UPF30 sun protection rating and are made of 100% moisture-wicking polyester microfiber. They come in individual packages.
Approx. 19” x 8.5”.
One size fits most. Machine wash cold. Line dry.
We are thinking of all of our friends and hoping everyone is healthy and staying safe. We are sending love, strength and positivity. We will get through this – together.
“Protect birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution.”
A beach clean-up at Punta Cucharas Nature Reserve, Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eduardo Llegus)
Islands across the Caribbean turned the focus on the devastating impact of plastic pollution on rivers, wetlands and seas with the theme for World Migratory Bird Day 2019 (WMBD 2019). Grassroots organizations, government ministries and agencies and non-governmental organizations collaborated on a range of activities focused on the fascinating species that appear on the islands later in the year, and stay until spring.
Since 2017, a number of Caribbean countries have started initiatives to fight single-use plastics. – including Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominica, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Turks and Caicos Islands. Others are starting to look at measures to ban Styrofoam manufacture and imports. More plastic and Styrofoam bans are set to take effect in 2020. While much more work is needed on the ground and in partnership with governments, there is growing awareness on the islands that plastic pollution is harmful to both land and marine environments. Whether these are wetlands or coastal regions, many areas affected provide habitats for migratory birds.
Mangroves, Masks and Migratory Birds
We did it! Students display the results of their BirdSleuth Caribbean Scavenger Hunt in Salt River, Jamaica. (photo by Emma Lewis)
In Jamaica, the Portland Bight Discovery Centre in Salt River, Clarendon hosted World Migratory Bird Day with teachers and students from nearby schools. Science Officer at the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM) D. Brandon Hay gave an illustrated talk, outlining how ingesting plastic affects bird life, and which species suffer. After a lively Q and A session, the students took a guided walking tour of a nearby wetland area, using BirdSleuth Caribbean’s Scavenger Hunt materials. The students also created and displayed colorful birdfeeders, and performed original educational pieces, including dub poetry and song – all reflecting the theme! After a guided boat ride through the mangroves, their day ended tallying points earned from these activities. The first prize winner was the Mitchell Town Primary and Infant School!
Education Officer in Dominica Ameka Cognet reported highlights of the day’s activities. Primary school students enjoyed making colourful migratory bird masks. They then went on a birdwatching tour of the Botanical Gardens in the island’s capital, Roseau. The children learned a great deal about the migratory species that visit the island annually. They also gained a much deeper understanding of how plastic pollutes the environment, choking land and sea and harming birds and other wildlife.
A First for St. Croix and Record Numbers for St. Martin’s Seventh Celebration
Creative use of plastic waste to make bird feeders! St. Croix Environmental Association WMBD event. (photo by Jen Valulius)
The St. Croix Environmental Association in the U.S. Virgin Islands (the site of BirdsCaribbean’s very first international meeting in 1988) celebrated WMBD for the first time – and they did it in style. They organized two events in October at the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. Arts and crafts, bird walks, bird banding, and storytelling activities were on the agenda. A bird rescue expert gave a talk, and informational displays were presented. The activities included a coastal clean-up, where participants saw for themselves how much plastic is in the environment. “Every activity had a meaningful impact on each participant,” said Jennifer Valiulis, local coordinator. Clean-up materials provided by Environment from the Americas were also distributed to participants.
No less than 250 residents, young and old, enthusiastically joined WMBD celebrations spearheaded by the non-governmental organization Les Fruits de Mer in St. Martin. “We were able to reach more youth than ever, and it is all thanks to our sponsors,” said event organizer Jenn Yerkes. St. Martin’s seventh annual Migratory Bird Festival at Amuseum Naturalis was a great success, with students using BirdSleuth Caribbean materials for several activities. Crafts are always popular, and the children decorated canvas backpacks to take home with them. Technology was also an exciting feature this year; the mobile media and learning hub IdeasBox shared videos and e-books.
Education is Key! And Thanks to All the Sponsors
Young artists at work on bird-themed bags at Les Fruits de Mer’s Migratory Bird Festival in St. Martin. (photo by Mark Yokoyama).
World Migratory Bird Day offers another opportunity for our partners across the region to educate residents on the importance of conserving habitats and ensuring that our visiting species continue to thrive when they visit our islands. This year, the message was about how plastic pollution affects not only our birds, but our own quality of life also. There are solutions, but we must take action for our own health as well as that of the vulnerable birds that we enjoy every day.
We would like to thank all the sponsors – local, national, and international – who provide funding for these important activities. Special thanks to Environment for the Americas for providing awesome materials. If your organization participated in an event and if you would like to share your experience, please send us a message to sdiaz-mendez@environementamericas.org. It’s about the birds, the habitat and the people.
A Few Lines of Poetry to End With
Caribbean people love poetry as a form of expression. We end with these few lines from Greta, a University of the Virgin Islands student and presenter of World Migratory Bird Day at Southgate Coastal Reserve, who offers this advice:
Be a solution To plastic pollution. Always walk with a garbage bag and pick up your trash. Do not throw it where the birds hatch.
Let’s spread the word and fight plastic pollution in the Caribbean!
Enjoy the gallery of photos from WMBD events in 2019; hover over each photo to see the caption or click on a photo to see a slide show.
The beach is much cleaner now!
Students from Rose Hall Primary School in Jamaica do a little research. (photo by Emma Lewis)
A beach clean-up at Punta Cucharas Nature Reserve, Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eduardo Llegus)
Alieny Gonzalez, WMBD Coordinador in Cuba counts shorebirds for WMBD.
How big is your wing span? WMBD event in St. Croix, US Virgin islands.
Educational materials on display at the WMBD Community Festival in Quinta de Los Molinas, Cuba.
The sad impacts of plastic pollution on birds- this cormorant will not survive long with this plastic ring stuck on its bill and neck.
A timeline of Jamaica’s bans on single-use plastic. (photo by Emma Lewis)
This is my wingspan! A student at the WMBD event in St. Martin spreads her “wings.” (photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Beach clean-up in Guanabo, Cuba.
A young girl is happy with her migratory warbler tattoo at a WMBD Community Festival in Quinta de Los Molinas, Cuba.
Dominos are very popular in Cuba, especially this version made with birds!
Dominos are very popular in Cuba, especially this version made with birds!
We did it! Students display the results of their BirdSleuth Caribbean Scavenger Hunt in Salt River, Jamaica. (photo by Emma Lewis)
Learning all about the impacts of plastic pollution on birds in Cuba.
Some little ones are taking their bird art seriously, but others have time for a toothy smile – at the Amuseum Naturalis in St. Martin. (photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Beach clean-up for WMBD in St. Martin/ Sint Maarten, organized by EPIC (Environmental Protection in the Caribbean).
Painting hand-made bird feeders. (photo by Jen Valiulis)
Students in Dominica proudly show off their bird masks.
Beach clean-up in Guanabo, Cuba.
Creative use of plastic waste to make bird feeders! St. Croix Environmental Association WMBD event. (photo by Jen Valiulis)
Least Sandpipers at the Portland Bight Discovery Centre, Jamaica. (photo by Emma Lewis)
Highlight of this year’s celebrations in Dominica were a migratory bird mask-making activity with primary schools, followed by a birdwatching tour at the Botanical Gardens in the Roseau Area.
Young artists at work on bird-themed bags at Les Fruits de Mer’s Migratory Bird Festival in St. Martin. (photo by Mark Yokoyama).
Youth work hard at beach clean-up in Guanabo, Cuba.
Working out bird puzzles at the WMBD Community Festival in Quinta de Los Molinas, Cuba.
Beach clean-up in Guanabo, Cuba.
A young Brown Booby caught on a fishing lure. Many kinds of plastic are dangerous to Caribbean birds. (Photo by Michiel Oversteegen)
Learning all about raptors at St. Croix Environmental Association’s WMBD event. (photo by Jen Valiulis)
On the scavenger hunt on the Portland Bight Discovery Centre’s boardwalk through the mangroves, Jamaica. (photo by Emma Lewis)
Working together to clean up a beach in Cuba overloaded with plastic trash. (photo by Alieny Gonzalez)
World Migratory Bird Day Poster showing different groups of birds that are affected by plastic pollution. (Artwork by BirdsCaribbean member, Arnaldo Toledo, from Cuba)
Brandon Hay, Science Officer at the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM) gives a talk to students and teachers on the impact of plastic pollution on our birds. (photo by Emma Lewis)
Story time in St. Croix, all about the amazing long distance migration of the Whimbrel. (photo by Jen Valiulis)
Bahama Parrots trying to find fruit to eat in a Gumbo Limbo tree stripped bare from Hurricane Dorian, Abaco Beach Club. (photo by Ancilleno Davis)
It is almost two months since a Category Five Hurricane named Dorian completely devastated the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco from September 1 to 3. Here is what has been happening since BirdsCaribbean sent out an online appeal for emergency funding to help birds and restore habitats on these islands. If you have not already done so, please consider donating even a small amount. There is much work still to be done, and Bahamian birds and nature will be grateful!
Still a Long Way to Go
Media reports have made it clear: life has by no means returned to normal on the islands. Many lives have been lost. Many residents have lost everything and are homeless. A large number have left the islands to seek a new life elsewhere.
Meanwhile, what needs to be taken into consideration, as rebuilding starts? This is up for debate. At BirdsCaribbean, when the time comes we hope that reconstruction will take place on an equitable basis, taking into account the need for coastal resiliency and habitat restoration. In other words, the environment takes priority.
What We Have Done So Far
Nectar feeders (400) and nectar concentrate have reached Grand Bahama and are being distributed to help birds during this post-hurricane food shortage period.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are pleased to report that contributions are going directly to restoration and long-term planning efforts across both islands. As we reported in our first update, 2,000 pounds of bird seed, 300 tube seed feeders, 400 nectar feeders, and nectar concentrate (enough to make 1,900 gallons) are currently being distributed in Grand Bahama (items are also been sent to Abaco). We will be sharing an update on which communities received supplies and the results of the feeding effort shortly. See a photo essay report on the first bird survey conducted on the East End of Grand Bahama on October 3rd, one month after Hurricane Dorian lingered over the area for 3 full days.
We also reached out to our valued partners at Bahamas National Trust (BNT) with essential new equipment. These include cameras, binoculars, a drone, iPad, GPS equipment, rangefinders, compasses, backpacks and other equipment vital for field survey work.
Our Partners Have Been Out in the Field
Thanks to generous donors, we were able to supply Bahamas National Trust with field equipment needed to carry out post-Hurricane Dorian field surveys. (photo by Scott Johnson)
Armed with the equipment they received from BirdsCaribbean, our colleagues at BNT did not waste any time. They went straight out into the field to assess the impacts of the storm on wildlife. Your support is helping to cover the cost of Rapid Assessment Field studies. A team from BNT and Audubon Florida just completed an initial 5-day survey of Abaco focused on the Bahama Parrot (also known as the Abaco Parrot) and its habitat.
Our partners found that conditions on the island of Abaco varied widely. In southern Abaco, both humans and birds appeared to be recovering and spirits were positive. Life was going on, homes were in relatively good condition, stores and bars were open and a fuel station at Sandy Point was open for business. Common bird species such as House Sparrows and Cuban Pewees appeared unaffected by the storm’s impact.
The northern part of the island painted a very different picture – a very sad picture. Many trees and buildings were destroyed. Older trees had lost their leaves or were severely damaged, losing limbs and bark. They were just beginning to sprout small leaves and shoots.
Getting Down to Work
Abaco Field Survey Team (left to right): Caroline Stahala, Bradley Watson, Giselle Dean, and Ancilleno Davis
The team got organized. They divided up tasks, in order to get as much done as possible in a short space of time.
Abaco Parrot researcher Caroline Stahala Walker (Audubon) and Bradley Watson (BNT Science Officer) worked on vegetation surveys. Occasionally, they were joined by David Knowles (BNT, Chief Park Warden, Abaco National Park), who had lost his own home in the hurricane, but is still continuing to work; along with Marcus Davis, the BNT Deputy Park Warden, whose home further south remained intact.
Giselle Deane (BNT Assistant Science Officer) and Ancilleno Davis (Blue Lagoon Island and BirdsCaribbean Board member) collected the bird survey data using the binoculars and rangefinders BirdsCaribbean was able to provide, thanks to the emergency funds raised. Visual records are vitally important. Bradley Watson used his new camera provided by BirdsCaribbean to take plenty of photograph of birds, plants, and habitats throughout.
Will Abaco’s Parrots Recover?
Bahama Parrots foraging on the ground; normally they feed only in the trees but their fruit trees have been stripped bare of food. Feeding on the ground has made the parrots vulnerable to predation by cats (seen hunting nearby). The team set up feeding stations to help the parrots survive during this critical period of food shortages. (photo by Ancilleno Davis)
It was disturbing to see the birds foraging in the dirt for fallen fruit at a resort development in central Abaco, while a cat prowled around nearby. The parrots’ usual habit is to only eat the freshest fruit directly from the trees, dropping small portions on the ground. Abaco’s population of the Bahama Parrot is also especially vulnerable since they nest in rock cavities on the ground.
But all is not lost. The team found small flocks of Bahama Parrots flying in Abaco. They are making themselves heard again across the island. The team put out supplemental food stations, to help the parrots survive during this critical period of food shortages.
It’s not clear, however, whether prospects for the parrots are encouraging in the long term. This is because the destruction of large parts of the birds’ habitat in central and northern Abaco means that food will remain in short supply. While the researchers remain cautiously optimistic, it is clear that a much wider effort to restore foraging habitat will be needed to help sustain the parrot population year-round and outside of the breeding season, which is May/June.
A Mixed Picture
The survey team will soon be releasing a full report on their findings on Abaco. There is much more work to be done, and the post-hurricane period is critical for the welfare of the birds and indeed all wildlife on these devastated islands.
Meanwhile, human residents are still picking up the pieces – in some cases literally – and many challenges remain.
PHOTO GALLERY – Hover over each photo to see the caption, to see a slide show click on the first photo.
Sincere thanks to all who have donated so generously to our Hurricane Dorian Recovery Fund! We will continue provide updates on our work to help restore birds and habitats and help local partners like the Bahamas National Trust with recovery work on Abaco and Grand Bahama.
Bradley Watson (BNT) made good use of his new camera on Abaco, documenting birds, plant specimens and habitats on the recent post-Dorian Abaco survey trip. (photo by Ancilleno Davis)
Giselle Dean practices using her new compass. (photo by Bradley Watson)
Cat hunting near ground-foraging Bahama Parrots on Abaco after Hurricane Dorian, October 13 2019. Cats are known predators of Bahama Parrots. (photo by Ancilleno Davis)
Thanks to generous donors, we were able to supply Bahamas National Trust with field equipment needed to carry out post-Hurricane Dorian field surveys. (photo by Scott Johnson)
2,000 pounds of special Island Relief Wild Bird Seed Mix are being distributed in Grand Bahama to help birds survive a period of food shortage. Thanks to Lizzie Mae Bird Seed for this donation!
Field survey team on Abaco (left to right): Ancilleno Davis, Giselle Dean, Bradley Watson and Caroline Stahala (photo by Ancilleno Davis)
Bird seed on pallet ready to be shipped to Grand Bahama. It is being distributed to residents, along with tube feeders, nectar feeders and nectar concentrate.
Bahama Parrot foraging on the ground in Abaco, unusual behavior for this species. Parrots were forced to search for food on the ground due to lack of fruit on trees stripped of vegetation by Hurricane Dorian. (photo by Bradley Watson)
Scott Johnson with his new binoculars, GPS and backpack. (photo by Bradley Watson)
Scott Johnson’s Facebook post, expressing his gratitude for receipt of new field equipment from BirdsCaribbean – thanks to all the donors who made this possible! (photo by Scott Johnson)
Giselle Dean, BNT Science Officer, ready for field work with her new equipment. (photo by Bradley Watson)
Join Martha Cartwright and her five birding companions on their intrepid journey to the East End of Grand Bahama (GB) Island one month after Hurricane Dorian. Their mission was to check on the status of the birds and habitats devastated by this monstrous Category 5 Hurricane. Martha paints a vivid and sobering picture of the “new normal” on GB for people and nature in the early stages of recovery.
I love birding on Grand Bahama, and I have a sweet spot in my heart for birding on the east end of the island. One highway runs from Freeport eastwards, but to call it a “highway” is a misnomer. It is two simple lanes, often potted with holes, and lightly traveled. It can be tedious, this road: mile after mile of Caribbean Pine trees and “bush” (our word for the native Thatch Palms, bushes, Century Plants, vines and orchids that grow under the pine trees). After rains there are usually pockets of standing water along the road; but there is never enough elevation to glimpse the beauty of the ocean, paralleling the road just off in the distance, nor the wetlands that are a hidden haven for birds of all kinds.
To love birding the east end, one has to learn to wait, to walk along unpaved trails in the pines, along miles of pristine beaches, around mangrove swamps…And let the birds slowly reveal themselves.
Six Grand Bahama Island Birders carried out the first bird survey of the Eastern End of Grand Bahama Island one month after Hurricane Dorian. Left to right – Shelagh Paton-Ash, Delores Kellman (BirdsCaribbean’s Administrative Assistant), Gena Granger, Bridget Davis (recorder) and Erika Gates (our leader and driver). We’re smiling for the camera, but we were not a happy group. I’m behind the camera, just where I like to be. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Three Days of Fear and Waiting
It was this same East End of the island that took the brunt of Hurricane Dorian, that slow-moving storm whose feeder bands we started feeling Sunday and who, if we were lucky enough to keep our houses, kept us inside until Tuesday.
From September 1 to September 3, for those three days, the world had been watching in awe and anguish the videos coming out of Abaco and Grand Bahama Island. Friends and family all over the world held their breaths, waiting with troubled hearts to hear that their loved ones had survived, waiting to hear if their homes were intact. For many of us in or near the storm without power, internet or cell service for weeks, realization of the devastation came in dribs and drabs. For me, the terrible news came mostly through conversations and shared stories, over the fence, waiting in lines, driving around or walking over debris to check on friends.
We heard grim stories of hours spent in the attic of flooded homes waiting for rescue, inspiring stories of courage as people on jet-skis headed over the bridge on Tuesday to rescue stranded families, sorrowful stories of the loss of family members – drowned or “missing.” Daily we watch news of global catastrophes – floods, fires, tornadoes. But when it is your own back yard that lies tattered and torn, emotions sit heavy in the heart and mind. The body keeps moving forward day by day, but the trauma burrows deeps and lingers.
#Grand BahamaStrong
While we were in the midst of the storm, thousands of rescue and relief organizations had already started to mobilize to bring in the necessities of survival. We saw the scenes on TV and the Internet and they were real. The disaster drills that rescue and relief organizations mobilized to bring in water, food, medical support, shelter, cadaver dogs. These organizations made good use of the millions of dollars donated for our recovery by caring people all over the world.
The people who work in humanitarian relief and rescue are amazing angels of hope and strength for the people whose lives they touch. Help from the outside gives local people time after a hurricane to take the initial steps towards recovery. We had to clear debris, salvage belongings, tend to businesses that were also damaged, and watch out for our neighbors. On Grand Bahama, we are so grateful to all who have helped and are continuing to help.
How Did the East End Fare?
This is the view as we drove east along Grand Bahama Highway, seeing for the first time the damage from salt-water surge and hurricane force winds. We were a quiet group, stunned and saddened during the drive. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
We wondered how our birds fared out east, but for the most part we kept our eBird recording to the Freeport area, where most of the Grand Bahama Island Birders (GBIB) live. It took us a month to gather a group of six for our initial survey of the birds out east. Roads that had been dangerous and nigh impassable except for relief trucks were now open. I wanted to go. I wanted to know about the birds, but truthfully, for days I dreaded the trip. People were still missing. Habitats were like moonscapes. Relief organizations were setting up camps, helping families, distributing supplies. People first. But what was happening to the birds?
Our Tour Begins With Many Questions: Owl Hole
Grand Bahama and bird survey sites on the highway out to the East End of Grand Bahama. (Map by Aly Ollivierre)
We stopped first in the pine barrens around Owl Hole Road. On one birding excursion in 2016, we had spotted 25 species for a total of 93 birds in the forest. It was home to the Common Ground-Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Cuban Emerald, Hairy Woodpecker, Western Spindalis, Red-winged Blackbird, Black-faced Grassquit, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Cuban Peewee, mockingbird, thrushes, vireos, and warblers.
Now, we were wondering. The Bahama Warbler is known only on Grand Bahama Island and Abaco – has it survived? The Bahama Yellowthroat is seen in other islands beside our two Northern Islands, so it has a better change of survival. The Caribbean Pine or Yellow Pine, native to the four northern islands of the Bahamas (Andros, Abaco, Grand Bahama and New Providence) is also the only known home to the Critically Endangered Bahama Nuthatch. How long will it be before we know whether that little bird, that endemic species has survived Dorian?
Happier days birding along Owl Hole Road, before Hurricane Dorian. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
The endemic Bahama Warbler, photographed on Grand Bahama before Hurricane Dorian, occurs only on Grand Bahama and Abaco. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
This post-Dorian trip at Owl Hole we spotted four species for a total of 11 birds: one Common Ground Dove (in someone’s yard), three Turkey Vultures, five Palm Warblers and two Prairie Warblers. We were ecstatic to see our first bird, a Palm Warbler! (Owl Hole eBird checklist)
The Pine Forest habitat was inundated with salt-water and later burned with bush fires. (photo by Martha Cartwright)We were ecstatic to see our first bird, a Palm Warbler. There is not much food for birds, so each bird seen was a jubilation. (photo by Erika Gates)
Erika Gates pointing out the new growth in the scrub palm. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Some Encouragement in Lucayan National Park
Our next stop was the beautiful Lucayan National Park (LNP.) With the higher elevation around Ben’s Cave, no surge had flooded the Blackland Coppice. Recent rains had encouraged leaf growth. I saw my first Gray Catbird of the season. We marveled and took comfort in how quickly nature started to bring back her green mantle. One hundred and twenty-six species have been spotted in the Lucayan National Park. We walked the elevated Coppice area and saw just seven species, nine birds total. Not many, to say the least. (Lucayan National Park eBird checklist)
Gold Rock Beach before Hurricane Dorian. Downed casuarina trees along the shore are from previous hurricanes. Unless hauled away, the uprooted trees stay for… I don’t how long – decades? Casuarina eradication programs can’t keep up with this invasive species. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
The elevation near the Lucayan National Park Visitors’ Center afforded us a view of the ocean. This is unprecedented in our lifetimes; usually the elevation of the dune blocked the view. The dune with its sea oats, trailing Morning Glory and other dune stabilizers had been washed away by the storm. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Bridget stopped in her tracks at Lucayan National Park: we tried but were unable to get to Gold Rock Beach or even to the edge of the mangroves due to standing water and washed out boardwalks and trails. This area previously had wonderful paths, boardwalks and bridges through the mangroves to the beach and signs describing the birds and mangroves. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
On to the Wetlands
One of my favorite birding spots out east are the wetlands that run just inland from the beach. They are almost hidden from view and difficult to access. With good rains, the wetlands run from west of the oil bunkers down to Pelican Point. I always smile to think of Anthony Levesque birding out there, opening the car door and standing on the edge of the door so that he was high enough to see into the wetlands. He would have preferred the roof, but Frantz and I insisted on the door frame. On this trip, we didn’t need to stand on any part of the car. The vegetation had been stripped. Despite the better views, there were not many birds in the area. Again there was jubilation at seeing a Tri-colored Heron and a Little Blue Heron!
(Wetland near Statoil eBird Checklist).
The wetlands west of the oil storage tanks. We did not see visible signs of oil in the area, but we did not go into the water to take samples. (photo by Martha Cartwright)We were excited to spot a Tricolored Heron. (photo by Erika Gates)
Clean-up in progress at Equinor. (StatOil changed its name to Equinor.) The storm blew tops off some of the tanks and heavy oil covered the area. With all the work crews, equipment, and security, we did not even consider trying to access the beach south of the oil storage tanks. (photo by Martha Cartwright)Driving past the Equinor oil spill which is in the process of being cleaned up. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Wetlands east of the oil storage tanks were often filled with large wading birds, ducks, and shorebirds before Hurricane Dorian. One month post-Dorian, very few birds present. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
I love birding in the wetlands and on the beach at the “bend in the road” just before Pelican Point. The long, curving, isolated beach, with sandy shoals at low tide, is habitat for a variety of plovers, Sanderlings, American Oystercatchers, yellowlegs, warblers, egrets and herons. On this trip, no birds were spotted on the beach. Only a few Royal Terns and a Laughing Gull flew overhead. (Pelican Point wetlands eBird Checklist)
I think of this as Bend in the Road Beach. On the way east our birding groups always stop here to look for shorebirds. This picture was taken March 28, 2019. (photo by Martha Cartwright)Bend in the Road Beach one month after Hurricane Dorian, high tide. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Pelican Point: A Scene of Destruction
Our final eastern destination for the day was what used to be the beautiful, idyllic shoreline settlement of Pelican Point, host to the annual Coconut Festival. Dorian had transformed it from a dynamic, well-tended little village into a warzone of rubble and gutted houses. We left relief supplies with a woman, who said that only three homes were still habitable in the area.
Pelican Point before Hurricane Dorian, habitat for turtles and shorebirds. Not always in large numbers, but we have seen Piping Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers and larger birds along the coast. I love when the Brown Pelican idles by. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Pelican Point Beach this past April during the annual Coconut Festival. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Same Coconut Festival beach after Dorian. Bridget is dwarfed by the roots of the downed casuarina tree. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Pelican Point Beach after Dorian. Photo taken from the location of the now missing Nesting Turtles sign. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Shorebirds were often seen along the Pelican Point beaches, particularly during migration. Here, before Hurricane Dorian, a photo of Sanderlings resting on the rocks near the gentle surf. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Same beach post-Dorian, but no Sanderlings spotted on this trip. In fact, no shorebirds at all were seen on the Pelican Point Beach. Is there no food on the damaged beach? (photo by Martha Cartwright)
This past week, while waiting to fill my bottles at a water station at the Anglican Church, I met a Mr. Laing from Pelican Point. He had lost his home, but with a smile he told me that like all the families in the area he planned on rebuilding! Pelican Point was his home and would continue to be his home. Time and again I am humbled by the resilience and strength of island people.
A Visit to High Rock
Our last stop heading back home to Freeport was at Marilyn Laing’s home in High Rock. Being on the higher side of the main street, the house avoided the brunt of the storm surge. Marilyn is General Manager at the Garden of the Groves, and during the week, with assistance from Sanitation Services, she is working hard on restoring the gardens. On weekends she works to restore her home and community. We dropped the last of our relief supplies off with Marilyn, whose house has been a depot for relief goods in High Rock. She is a member of our Grand Bahama Island Birders group and well-known to BirdsCaribbean for her excellent education work with youth. And of course, while at Marilyn’s we lifted our binoculars to see the warblers flitting through the trees.
Despite an owner’s efforts to protect a home from the hurricane, this photo shows the power of the surge that swept over much of Grand Bahama. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Our empty bus sits with Marilyn’s house in the background. It is just across the street from the house in the previous picture. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
The long ride back to Freeport. (photo by Martha Cartwright)
Recovery for Humans and Birds – and Some Rare Visitors
For some families in Grand Bahama, recovery will take years. For others, life seems almost “normal,” if you don’t visit certain parts of the community. Businesses and families are working hard to rebuild. (We do miss and need our tourists!)
And for the birds? It was sobering, but not surprising to see so few birds out east. Their instinct is for survival, and food is fundamental. Thanks to donations from BirdsCaribbean, our Grand Bahama Island Birders group has been distributing seed feeders and bags of wild bird seed, as well as hummingbird feeders and red nectar concentrate to anyone wanting to help our birds. Many people want to help our birds by making food available. Sarah left yoga class this morning with a seed feeder and a bag of seeds, asking, “May I take some more nectar?”
Again, thank you, Birds Caribbean.
Post-Dorian birders have been recording rare birds to the islands, perhaps vagrants after the hurricane. I’ve been excited to see a Hudsonian Godwit and a Yellow-headed Blackbird. Late yesterday afternoon, a Barn Owl sat in Erika’s garden long enough for us to get a good look at this normally elusive resident.
Playing Our Part…While the Birding Continues
What about habitat recovery? The Bahamas National Trust, in a recent article in the Bahamas Tribune, indicated that it would begin to conduct “comprehensive assessments to determine the impact of Dorian on wildlife.” We are happy to hear this. I encourage environmentalists and scientists worldwide to travel to these storm-ravaged habitats to assess the damage to water, soil, plants and animals; to search for our fragile endemic species; and to recommend steps to enhance recovery and minimize damage from future hurricanes.
Bird feeders, seeds, and nectar are a welcome start, but more will need to be done. I encourage BirdsCaribbean to continue their work. I implore the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, American Bird Conservancy, BirdLife International, Manomet, The World Wildlife Fund, and all other groups dedicated to the conservation of birds to assist BirdsCaribbean and Bahamas National Trust with our recovery.
As local birders, we will continue what we love to do…bird! We will report our findings to eBird Caribbean and the International Shorebird Survey (ISS). We will continue to distribute feeders and food for the birds. Mother Nature has already started to do her recovery work; no self-pity, no complaints, she will continue. Now it is time for each of us to insist that our governments and leaders take seriously the detrimental effect of climate change on our planet – and do their part. If you are reading this article, I am sure that you must care. You care deeply. I hope my story of the birds of East Grand Bahama after Dorian will encourage you to continue to act. You must know that your efforts will be appreciated, and are important.
Martha Cartwright receives her certificate from Lisa Sorenson at BirdsCaribbean’s “Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and their Habitats” Workshop in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, March 2019.
It’s raining now as I finish this article. Since our normally potable tap water is still salty, I stop to put out large coolers to catch the rainwater for my plants and bird bath. From my desk I spot a Smooth-billed Ani up in the fig tree. Oh, and two Eurasian Collared Doves.
Goodbye for now, from Grand Bahama – an island in recovery.
Martha Cartwright has been an avid birder on GB since 2014. She is particularly fond of shorebirds and participated in BirdsCaribbean’s Conservation Caribbean Shorebirds Workshop in Puerto Rico last March. Together with bird guru-in-chief, Erika Gates, and their close group of Grand Bahama Island Birders, they regularly carry out birding excursions and counts in many habitats on GB and also do a lot of habitat restoration, outreach, and education about birds and nature on the island.
BirdsCaribbean is extremely grateful to all who have donated to our Hurricane Dorian Recovery Fund; donations are providing bird seed, nectars and feeders, replacing equipment and infrastructure lost in the storm and helping to fund bird and habitat surveys and restoration in Grand Bahama and Abaco. We are working with the Bahamas National Trust and other partners on this recovery work. Please click here or here if you would like to help with this work.
Pristine and beautiful Gold Rock Beach in Lucayan National Park in 2003. We could not reach the beach to check its status and look for birds on our October 3rd, 2019 birding trip. (photo by Erika Gates)Another pic of beautiful Gold Rock Beach in Lucayan National Park. We could not reach this beach to check its status and look for birds on our October 3rd, 2019 birding trip. (photo by Erika Gates)
Partners in Flight 2018 Leadership Award to BirdsCaribbean — a beautiful carving of a Bananaquit, our logo bird.
We are patting ourselves on the back! But the feeling is bittersweet…
It was a special moment at our 22nd International Conference in Guadeloupe on July 29, when BirdsCaribbean received a 2018 Partners in Flight Group Leadership Award. This was in recognition of our response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria across several islands in September 2017. President Andrew Dobson accepted the award alongside many members who had participated in the hurricane recovery effort.
Our efforts were twofold: Immediate relief for Caribbean birds, providing for their critical needs after the storms passed. Despite expected post-hurricane logistical challenges “Operation Feeder Rescue” succeeded in delivering crucial food resources across the affected islands for over 60 species of birds. 4,000 nectar feeders, almost 2,000 bottles of nectar and five tons of bird seed arrived in the islands’ ports. Secondly, through fund-raising efforts we were able to fund fifteen small grants for post-hurricane assessments, restoration, and recovery of birds and their habitats. At the same time, BirdsCaribbean helped to raise awareness and knowledge among the public on these islands about the needs of birds stressed by hurricanes. Many realized that it was not only humans who had suffered, and eagerly volunteered to help in the effort.
Greg Butcher (USFS) presents BirdsCaribbean with a 2018 PIF Group Leadership Award for Hurricane Relief and Recovery for Caribbean Birds and Habitats, with Andrew Dobson (President, BirdsCaribbean) accepting. Pictured from left to right are persons who participated in the hurricane recovery effort: Jennifer Yerkes (St. Martin), Mark Yokoyama (St. Martin), Scott Johnson (Bahamas), Natalya Lawrence (Antigua and Barbuda), Stephen Durand (Dominica), Frantz Delcroix (hidden, Guadeloupe), Anthony Levesque (Guadeloupe), Jose Colon (Puerto Rico), Julissa Irizarry (Puerto Rico), Laura Fidalgo (Puerto Rico), Judd Patterson (USA), Eduardo Llegus (Puerto Rico), Alcides Morales (Puerto Rico), Fernando Simal (Bonaire), Kathleen Wood (Turks and Caicos Islands), Adrianne Tossas (Puerto Rico), and Jennifer Valiulis (US Virgin Islands). Note that not all persons that helped with hurricane relief and recovery were present at the conference for this award. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
So, why bittersweet? Because, just a few weeks after receiving the award, our members in the Bahamas were hit with the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. The violent Category Five Hurricane Dorian hit the Abaco Islands and then Grand Bahama on September 1 and 2, stalling for nearly two days close to Grand Bahama. People and wildlife are again suffering.
Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director, explained: “BirdsCaribbean was thrilled to get this award, but saddened that our members and islands are again facing devastation. We learned so much from this effort in 2017 and in fact had a whole symposium on it in Guadeloupe. Many lessons were learned and we are applying them to our current efforts to help the northern Bahamas with recovery, including supplying bird feeders and seed, replacing items that were lost, and funding bird surveys and restoration actions.”
Partners in Flight (PIF) Awards recognize exceptional contributions to the field of landbird conservation, in the categories of Leadership, Investigations, Public Awareness, Stewardship, and Lifetime Achievement. The PIF Leadership Award honors an individual or group that demonstrates outstanding guidance and direction that contributes, or has contributed, to advancing Partners in Flight conservation efforts. BirdsCaribbean received a 2018 PIF Group Leadership Award for Hurricane Relief and Recovery for Caribbean Birds and Habitats.
Thank you to Partners in Flight for this honor. Congratulations and thanks again to all who participated so enthusiastically in our recovery efforts for birds and habitats over the past two years. And sincere thanks to the many caring and generous individuals, organizations and companies that donated to help make this and our current efforts possible!
Dave Lee holding a White-tailed Tropicbird in the Bahamas. (photo by Mary Kay Clark)
David S. Lee was a pioneering naturalist and conservation biologist who helped get BirdsCaribbean started nearly 30 years ago, and inspired many naturalists with his work and his writing. He was a man of many interests, and with respect to the Caribbean, published numerous papers and articles in the popular press on seabirds, Bahamian fish, turtles, snakes, bats, and orchids.
Donations from Dave’s wife, Mary Kay Clark and his mother, June Bash, allowed the establishment of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds that will award money to conservation projects in his honor. The money is being held in a trust and will be used to award an annual grant for innovative projects that protect Caribbean birds and their habitats.
Goal of the Fund: The David S. Lee Fund for Conservation seeks to continue David’s passion for protecting wildlife. The fund will support direct, innovative conservation work in the Caribbean Region for birds and their habitats. The fund will be managed by BirdsCaribbean and used for annual small grants.
A striking male Magnolia Warbler perches momentarily on a branch while foraging for food during its spring migration. (photo by Gerald A. DeBoer, Shutterstock)
Eligibility: Scientists/naturalists working in the Caribbean, in conservation organizations or academic programs, may apply. Applicants should be students or early career ornithologists, conservationists, or wildlife professionals (i.e., not established faculty or senior staff of a conservation organization, less than 7 years post-graduation). A student must be enrolled in accredited Masters or PhD program in ecology, biology, conservation, or related field to be eligible. Applicants must be paid or sponsored members of BirdsCaribbean at the time of application.
Use of Funds: The funds can cover travel to field sites, living expenses in the field, or costs for equipment and supplies to conduct conservation projects. Examples of equipment and supplies include traps, cameras, automated recording units, nest boxes, etc. Ineligible costs include salary or other wages, overhead fees, etc. Projects that foster collaboration between scientists/naturalists in different island groups of the Caribbean, such as joint projects to test conservation techniques for similar species, will be favored.
Application Guidelines:
Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. All should have an English version of the abstract
Applications should be emailed as a Microsoft Word document.
The application should include a cover page, proposal (download guidelines below), and a curriculum vitae for the applicant.
Separately, by email, three individuals who can attest to your effectiveness in previous work should submit letters of recommendation. For students, this would include your academic advisor.
Evaluation:
A committee appointed by BirdsCaribbean will review the proposals and award the grants.
The awardee will be required to submit a report one year from the day of the award explaining how the award money was spent and the results of the project to that point. The awardee is also asked to write an article for BirdsCaribbean’s blog about their work (informal article for a lay audience).
But wait! What if you are not eligible to apply for funds, you ask? You can still support this worthy cause by being a sponsor!
Reddish Egrets (dark morph). (photo by Tania Thomson, Shutterstock)
This fund will be for the conservation of any bird in the Caribbean as a reflection of Dave’s diverse interests. He was an important part of many projects, ranging from those of the Black-capped Petrel and Seabird Working Groups to the scholarly debate leading to the elevation of the Bahama Yellow-throated Warbler to a full species.
At the moment the fund contains $12,000. Our initial goal is to raise $25,000 so that we can award $1,000 every year to a worthy student or early career ornithologist, conservationist or wildlife professional. Not only will this fund encourage creative field work for projects that make a difference, but it will also help build the knowledge and skills of young conservationists that are urgently needed to make sure that the Caribbean birds and habitats that Dave treasured are still around for future generations to enjoy.
Cuban Parrot surveying his domain. (photo by Elliotte Rusty-Harold, Shutterstock)
At the 2015 BirdsCaribbean meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, a round of beers was purchased in Dave’s honor, since he always seemed to have a cooler full when people wanted one (and even when they didn’t). Think of this fund like a cooler full of refreshing beverages that Dave would have around if he were here. We owe it to Dave to stock that cooler—to vitalize naturalists and empower them in their work to help wildlife.
Please give a tax deductible donation to the David S. Lee Fund. Give generously. The more we put into the fund, the more we can give out each year. Thanks to all those that have contributed to the fund!
If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for the David S. Lee Fund. If you have questions or to make other arrangements for donating, please feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Financial Officer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org)
Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760-2076
World Migratory Bird Day Poster showing different groups of birds that are affected by plastic pollution. (Artwork by Arnaldo Toledo)
The month of October heralds a change in the seasons — even in the Caribbean. The days grow shorter and the fierce heat of the sun lessens. Countless birds journey to their winter homes in the Caribbean. For World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), Caribbean people celebrate the birds that come here every year.
In the Caribbean, about a third of the 500 often seen species of birds are summer or winter visitors. More than 50 events on 18Caribbean islands are already lined up to celebrate these amazing birds. More than 80,000 residents and visitors will join in the activities this fall, led by BirdsCaribbean and Environment for the America partners.
The 2019 theme for WMBD in the Caribbean is “Protect birds: Be the solution to plastic pollution.” Plastic pollution has become a worldwide epidemic and a great threat to birds around the world. It is estimated that since the 1950s, we have made 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. Over 90% of plastic is not recycled and ends up in our landfills and the natural spaces.
Plastic can hurt birds in many ways. Birds can mistake floating plastics like bags, drinking straws and bottles, covered in algae, for food. Parent birds feed plastic to their chicks. Swallowing sharp plastic can kill birds by piercing organs. Birds can starve with stomaches full of plastic, and birds can die after being trapped in plastic waste or fishing line.
To celebrate, local coordinators on each island will raise awareness about simple actions that people can take to keep birds safe from plastic pollution. For example, practice the three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle plastic and other trash. Some events will include clean-up activities and, by supporting local and global action against plastics. Festival events will include birding walks, tree plantings, church services, media interviews, street parades, fairs, information booths, games, and drama and art competitions.
World Migratory Bird Day is officially the second Saturday of October in the Caribbean and Latin America (October 12th in 2019), but you may celebrate at any time of the year that is convenient to you. Fall migration in September, October, November tends to be the best period as this is when a lot of migrants arrive to the islands or are passing through.
Visit migratorybirdday.organd birdscaribbean.org for ideas on how to celebrate and many free resources. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information about the WMBD, to find events in your area, and see an event map on worldmigratorybirday.org and updates throughout the month.
What can we do about plastic?
BirdsCaribbean workshop participants clean up plastic trash in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
We know that all the plastic ever manufactured since the 1950s is still with us, in some form or another. Globally, only around 9% of plastic is recycled. According to the Ocean Conservancy, which sponsors International Coastal Cleanups in the Caribbean and around the world, 8 million metric tons of plastic enter our seas annually – adding to the 150 million tons that is already floating around!
Like other parts of the world, the Caribbean has become increasingly aware of the scourge of plastic pollution. Several islands have already moved to ban various forms of plastic as well as Styrofoam, including Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and the French-speaking islands—kudos to these countries! Others have plans in place to reduce the use of single-use plastic in the next year or two. Meanwhile, private and government-led plastic recycling programmes have started up. But much more needs to be done.
Plastic pollution ruins our beautiful beaches and coastlines, and blocks drains and gullies. It impacts our own health and lifestyle and hampers economic growth, especially in the tourism sector. What is more, it is harming all kinds of marine life, including endangered Caribbean turtles.
During recent beach cleanups around the Caribbean, non-biodegradable, indigestible plastic has been by far the most common type of trash to be collected from our shorelines, rivers and gullies by local volunteers. Plastic bottles, especially for soda and water, are the most common plastics that end up in our waters and on our beaches, as well as small items such as bottle caps, single-use plastic cutlery and straws and toothbrushes. Electronics (e-waste) of various types is increasingly washing up on our shoreline. Plastic shopping bags are also a great danger to our marine life, including birds.
Killer Trash
A dead seabird tangled in a balloon string.
Have we thought about how plastic affects our birds? It is estimated that 80% of seabirds and waterbirds have ingested plastic.
“Plastic pollution is a global issue. Here in the Caribbean it is having a major impact, not only on our important tourism product, but also on our fragile environment,” explained festival coordinator Sheylda Diaz Mendez. “Our islands are home to over 170 endemic birds – found nowhere else in the world. Just like our human visitors, the birds that live year-round on our islands need to feel welcome and comfortable in a clean, healthy environment. Solid waste, mostly consisting of plastics, is upsetting the balance of our ecosystems, for birds and for ourselves.”
“The number of seabirds dying as a result of plastic may be as high as one million annually,” said BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Lisa Sorenson. “Many Caribbean birds are eating plastic daily. The pileup of plastic can also hamper nesting, breeding and feeding on land and prevents important habitats such as mangroves and wetlands from flourishing. This year, our volunteer CEBF coordinators will be organizing this spring, to raise awareness about plastics pollution, how you can reduce your use of single use plastic, doing clean-ups and other activities.”
World Migratory Bird Day Poster showing different groups of birds that are affected by plastic pollution. (Artwork by Arnaldo Toledo)
Plastic breaks down into tiny fragments (microplastics), which can be ingested and lead to disease and suffering in birds – as well as in smaller members of the food chain that birds may eat. It can gradually kill a bird, filling its stomach and essentially starving it to death. Plastic bags can choke and smother birds and animals. In the Caribbean, birds often become entangled in plastic fishing nets, lines, and other equipment, causing serious injury or death.
Which birds are particularly impacted by plastic pollution? The twelve bird species selected for the beautiful WMBD poster produced by Environment for the Americas this year have each been negatively affected by plastic, even though their feeding habits and the places where they live are very different. They are the Magellanic Penguin; the Black Skimmer, which feeds by flying low over the waves; the Lesser Scaup, a diving duck; the Chilean Flamingo; the Common Tern; the Northern Fulmar; the Magnificent Frigatebird (which you may see soaring around our coastlines), the splendid Osprey, a fish hawk; the lively Belted Kingfisher; the stately Tricolored Heron; the Killdeer, a shorebird; and the lovely yellow Prothonotary Warbler.
By the way, the gorgeous artwork on this poster is by Arnaldo Toledo Sotolongo, from Santa Clara, Cuba, a BirdsCaribbean member, who works as a scientific illustrator, photographer and designer and volunteers in conservation projects in his free time.
Be the Solution
Plastic is a worldwide epidemic. We need to work together to be the solution, for the sake of our birds and ourselves!
What YOU Can Do to Beat Plastic Pollution:
Use reusable metal bottles for your drinking water.
Travel with your own metal cutlery and use glass or metal storage containers.
Take cloth shopping bags with you to the grocery store.
Try reusable bamboo or metal straws.
Refuse plastic straws or containers in restaurants and stores.
Avoid plastic packaging in food stores as much as possible, including clamshell containers.
Take your plastics to the nearest recycling centre.
Reuse plastic items as much as possible in and around the home.
Host a beach or community cleanup day. Get local companies on board as sponsors. Share your photos.
Get involved! Join a local environmental or community group. Get your neighbours involved, too!
Design art competitions highlighting the problem of plastic trash.
Contact your local environmental group to find out about events on your island, or contact WMBD Coordinator in the Caribbean, Sheylda Diaz-Mendez, to organize an event of your own.
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is a celebration of the thousands of birds that make their way to and fro across the Americas and the Caribbean each year. It was created in 1993 as International Migratory Bird Day, by visionaries at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. In 2007, WMBD found its “forever home” at Environment for the Americas (EFTA), a non-profit organization that connects people to bird conservation through education. Each year a single conservation theme is chosen to help highlight one topic that is important to migratory bird conservation. These educational campaigns have been integrated into numerous programs and events, focusing on topics including the habitats birds need to survive, birds and the ecosystem services they provide, the impacts of climate change on birds, and the laws, acts, and conventions that protect birds, such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Convention on Biodiversity. Click here to learn more.
To raise awareness about the need for bird conservation, volunteer coordinators organize events in the Caribbean in April and May for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) in the spring and WMBD the fall. For much more information about CEBF, WMBD and the 2019 plastics theme, visit www.BirdsCaribbean.org and www.migratorybirdday.org/
“There’s really no way to gauge how valuable this experience was for me…As I sat with my new mentor at lunch, the lessons that he was passing on to me had been gained over forty, maybe fifty years of a career. So now it’s my responsibility to take the baton and carry it forward.”
Bradley Watson (BNT Science Officer) and Dr. Herb Raffaele (retired Chief of USFWS International Affairs Program) get to know each other at the Mentorship Workshop in Guadeloupe, July 2019.
Bradley Watson, a new staff member at the Bahamas National Trust who is working on the Kirtland’s Warbler, was speaking enthusiastically from the recent BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe. At the conference in July, a new Mentorship Program was launched. Bradley’s mentor is Dr. Herbert Raffaele, former chief of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of International Conservation, and author of Birds of the West Indies, among other books.
BirdsCaribbean Directors-at-Large Dr. Adrianne Tossas and Dr. Ancilleno Davis had developed the concept of a mentorship program, which they were able to debut at a workshop in Guadeloupe. Its purpose is to further BirdsCaribbean’s goal of building competence in education, conservation, and research in the region. Mentorship is one way of deliberately engaging and supporting the career development of young conservationists and professionals who were born, live, and work in the region. The exchange of information and guidance provided by mentors also helps to spur regional leadership in conservation and avian science.
A few weeks before the conference, delegates were offered a survey to participate in the new program, with 75 responding favorably. Due to the differing backgrounds of respondents, it was challenging to organize them into mentor-mentee pairs, but four main areas were determined to be most useful, based on the responses: conservation management, research, outreach and education, and ecotourism.
Mentors and mentees chat over dinner about careers in conservation – (left to right): Jeanette Victor (St. Lucia), Adrianne Tossas (Puerto Rico), Francoise Benjamin (Haiti), Jen Valiulis (US Virgin Islands), Lisa Sorenson (USA).
A Mentorship Workshop was held on the second day of the Conference to introduce and explain the purpose of the program. Participants spoke up about the needs of mentees in general, and considered ways in which mentoring would be most effective and beneficial. Afterwards, newly-paired mentees and mentors had dinner together. It was a lively meal where they got to know each other and shared information that was of value for both sides of the relationship. What was most exciting to watch was how so many of the pairs remained talking after dinner, late into the night, excited about their new friendships and eager to take advantage of the time they had together in person.
Josmar Marquez, a younger conservationist who works with the group AveZona in Venezuela, was paired with Simon Guerrero, a well-known professor and researcher from the Dominican Republic. “This program has been very enriching for me because it allowed me to discuss my work, specifically my research methodology, with an ornithologist with a different background than mine.” Josmar goes on to highlight how this mentorship program is fitting for a BirdsCaribbean conference; “I was given great advice not only by my mentor, but by so many other Caribbean colleagues surrounding me throughout the week we shared together. Now, together, we will be trying to implement and achieve results by the time we all see each other again at the next BirdsCaribbean conference!”
“It is really exciting that BirdsCaribbean has started a mentorship program,” exclaimed Cartographer and Caribbean Birding Trail Project Coordinator, Aly DeGraff Ollivierre. “It’s such a great way to share our collective knowledge and experiences with each other, and an excellent opportunity to form deeper relationships with our colleagues.””
Leno Davis and Adrianne Tossas get the Mentorship Workshop started at BirdsCaribbean’s International Conference in Guadeloupe, 25-29 July 2019. (photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Jane Håkonsson, a young ornithologist from the Cayman Islands, commented: “BC’s mentorship programme has provided me with a type of personal and professional support I would have otherwise not had access to. The programme has helped me narrow my focus and identify and prioritize developmental steps.”
BirdsCaribbean is extremely grateful to the group of 41 mentors who generously came forward to serve as role models for the new, younger members—offering their time, their valuable insights, and experience. We also thank the 34 mentees that took the initiative to reach out and get involved. These individuals are eager to learn and grow in their role as the new generation of science and conservation professionals.
Bradley Watson says being a mentee has given him a sense of purpose and direction. “I feel a bit of a responsibility,” he emphasizes. “When I look at what everybody else has done [for conservation, as reported at this conference], I know what I need to do, and how important it is.”
In these new-found partnerships, mentors and mentees will be moving forward together with the important mission of Keeping Caribbean birds aloft!
*If you would like to be a mentor or want to be connected with one, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Email Mentorship Program leaders Adrianne Tossas (agtossas@gmail.com) and Ancilleno Davis (ancillenodavis@gmail.com).
Mentor-Mentee pairs meet up at the workshop and immediately begin talking and sharing. Pictured from left to right: Ezra Campbell (Grenada), Hana Weaver (USA), Louis Mandela Wens Skendly H. (Haiti), Jose Salguero (Puerto Rico), Adam Kent (USA, Anne Campbell (Grenada). (photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Video of Bradley Watson by Ancilleno Davis.
Special thanks for the conference are due to our major sponsor, Parc National de la Guadeloupe, as well as the Karibea Beach Hotel, Environment Canada, the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Para la Naturaleza, The David Webster Charitable Trust, Benjamin Olewine IV, American Bird Conservancy, Caribaea Initiative, Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wildside Nature Tours, Optics for the Tropics, Inc., Holbrook Travel, Environment for the Americas, NuStar, the Bermuda Audubon Society, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Vortex Optics, Carefree Birding, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Levesque Birding Enterprise, Amazona, The Friendship Association, Hideaways of Ti Heights, and many private donors and supporters.
“Horrific…. Unprecedented.…Complete and utter devastation…Human, environmental and economic ruin.“ These are the words people are using to describe to me the impact of Hurricane Dorian, the Category 5 storm that pounded the northern Bahamas for 2 straight days.
McLean’s Town on the eastern end of Grand Bahama Island. (photo by Meredith Kohut)
Last night I spoke with Erika Gates, a recent BirdsCaribbean Board member and resident and owner of eco-tourism businesses in Grand Bahama. She told me that the area around the Lucayan National Park is still in search and rescue/recovery mode. Rescue teams have not even reached the farthest east community of McClean’s Town yet!
In the community of High Rock, only 12 out of about 100 homes are still standing. One resident (and member of our Birdscaribbean community) is cooking for 100 people a day when supplies are brought in! The non-profit World Central Kitchen (Chef José Andrés) is cooking 6,000 meals a day on location to feed those that have lost everything.
We have also received reports that Dorian left the oil facility in High Rock in shambles. Sam Teacher, founder of the Freeport-based non-governmental organization Coral Vita, saw the damage firsthand. He said that the tanks’ white domes and sides were stained black and six of the domes that top the tanks were gone. Oil was soaking into the soil, lying across the highway, and covering a now-flightless bird.
The Need for Clean, Fresh Water
The oil tanks at the Equinor South Riding Point oil facility in High Rock, Grand Bahama, were severely damaged, causing a large spill. Eric Carey, Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust, commented: “This can be a serious environmental disaster that we need to get on top off because this could be catastrophic.” (photo by Sam Teacher)
Petroleum is toxic and fresh water is limited on Grand Bahama. The population is almost entirely dependent on its aquifers for drinking water, and the water table on these islands is usually near the land surface. The spill could have an equally horrendous effect on marine life—which people depend on for both food and their economy. Sam worries the oil could further erode the coral and mangrove, already damaged by the hurricane, and destroy the natural sea wall that is supposed to protect the island from storms.
Our hearts go out to the people of these islands, many of whom are BirdsCaribbean members and friends. We are thankful that, as far we know, our friends and colleagues are safe and accounted for. We stand with our 30-year partner, the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), and pledge to do our best to help them with recovery of their birds, wildlife and national parks. To do this I need your help right now!
Our Experience With Major Hurricanes
Two years ago, we saw similar devastation when Hurricanes Irma and Maria cut a swathe of destruction across 18 different islands and leveled them. We know from experience that there are three tiers of action required to alleviate the situation:
Massive trees were felled and most were stripped of leaves and fruit, leaving little food for birds. (photo by Erika Gates)
Crisis management – simply addressing the most immediate needs of all survivors, both human and wildlife, to receive food and shelter;
Rapid assessment of restoration needs. For BirdsCaribbean that means assembling teams that can survey and evaluate the situation of species at risk and the habitat restoration needed to ensure their survival.
Formulating long-term policy changes that will make the communities and island’s habitats more resilient and better protected from the next terrible storm. That storm will inevitably appear on the horizon, now that climate change has made extreme hurricanes an annual event.
We know that the most immediate need will be supplemental food for starving birds. Most trees have been stripped of flowers, leaves, fruit and seeds. As we did for Hurricanes Irma and Maria, we are organizing delivery of nectar feeders and seed so that hungry birds will have help getting through a period of serious food shortage.
Delivering Hope
Students from Bagatelle Primary School, Dominica, with bird feeders and nectar after Hurricane Maria devastated this country and others in 2017.
Feeding the birds is beneficial not only to the birds, but also indirectly to people. Hundreds of people on multiple islands, who received supplies for the birds in 2017, told us they were happy to help the birds, even though they themselves were struggling to survive. The simple act of helping another living creature was truly uplifting in a situation where people felt helpless. As birds began to recover, people felt this was a tiny but important first step towards normal life. The birds lifted their spirits, reminding them that nature – and their own lives – can be rejuvenated and renewed.
Right now, there is a huge need to help with the ongoing humanitarian crisis. We are gratified to see the outpouring of assistance with food, water and shelter, as well as rescue and evacuation to other islands and the U.S. for the tens of thousands that lost their homes. BirdsCaribbean’s role is to focus on the birds and ecosystems we all depend upon.
Mobilizing for the Restoration
As soon as conditions on the islands are stabilized, we are ready to help with the surveys, restoration and recovery actions: clean-ups, planting trees, and repairing and replacing damaged equipment and infrastructure in national parks and birding hotspots. It is a massive amount of work and we need your help to make it happen.
Four threatened endemic species on Grand Bahama and Abaco (clockwise from upper left): Bahama Parrot, Bahama Swallow, Bahama Warbler, Bahama Nuthatch. (photos by Lynn Gape, Melanie Rose Wells, Erika Gates and Bruce Hallett)
With huge parts of both islands flooded and hammered by strong winds for two days, we are seriously concerned about how four threatened and endemic birds that live on these islands are doing after the hurricanes. These species will be the focus of the first surveys. They include the Bahama Parrot (ground nesting population in Abaco, also occurs in Inagua in the southern Bahamas), the Bahama Nuthatch (only occurs on Grand Bahama, Critically Endangered), Bahama Warbler (only occurs on these 2 islands) and the Bahama Swallow (GB and Abaco comprise 2 of its 3-island range). Intensive surveys of the Bahama Nuthatch in 2018 found just 5 birds; this species has declined by more than 95% since the 1960s and 70s.
Other country and island endemics like the Olive-capped Warbler, Bahama Woodstar, Cuban Emerald, Red-legged Thrush, and many migratory warblers (like Kirkland’s Warbler, Painted Bunting), waterbirds and shorebirds (Piping Plover, Reddish Egret), and others also call the diverse habitats on these islands home.
We know from experience that birds are resilient; many are able to survive severe storms and hurricanes by hunkering down on the ground or sheltering in low vegetation. The fact that Hurricane Dorian raged for 48 hours without a break is almost without precedent. We are fearful about how many birds were able to survive this onslaught. Undoubtedly, many were lost during the storm.
By restoring the incredibly diverse ecosystems of the Grand Bahama and Abaco Islands, we will greatly increase our birds’ chances of survival. In addition, the sooner the islands and parks recover, the sooner we can restore residents’ livelihoods that are dependent on these ecosystems.
The gorgeous Bahama Woodstar, endemic to the Bahamas, is one of the many species impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Dorian. (photo by Keith Salveson)
Although they will never be quite the same, we are optimistic and determined that these islands can be restored to their former glory once again, teeming with tropical vegetation and beautiful wildlife across the landscape. I need your help to make this happen, please give generously.
Thank you to all of you that have expressed concern and have already donated, and to those that are donating now!
Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean (Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org)
If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for Hurricane Dorian Relief. If you have questions or wish to make other arrangements for donating, please feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Financial Officer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org) or Lisa Sorenson (Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org).
Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760-2076
“Mango Delight” by Daniel Gabriel Angelo Jean-Baptiste.
Silk painting artist Daniel Gabriel Angelo Jean-Baptiste of Saint Lucia uses tropical nature as his inspiration and silk as his canvas. His creations reflect on a life of growing up in the beautiful tropical paradise of the Caribbean.
“Mango Delight” is a commissioned one-of-a-kind. It is hand painted using Sumi sheep hair brushes to apply a water-based liquid pigment silk paint onto 10mm, 100% Habotai silk. This magnificent image measures 40″high x 30″wide. The piece is unframed and is shipped as a rolled textile. The painting is valued at $6,000.
Daniel’s works are in the private art collections of golf champion Arnold Palmer, heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, singer/songwriter Paul Simon, U.S. President Bill Clinton, U.S. President George W. Bush, South African President Nelson Mandela, and CEO of Sandals Resorts Gordon “Butch” Stewart.
Daniel states, “My life is one which is so close to nature that I feel a part of all her splendor and mystery. When I paint, I become my subject, from the tree frog in the mist of Fond St. Jacques rainforest to the sea turtle gliding in the deep blue waters of Anse Chastanet Bay… I do not just want to paint, but I want you to create so that you too can feel the intense joy that I experience in being here.”
Other Amazing Prizes
Vortex VIPER HD 8X42 ROOF PRISM BINOCULAR. This premium-quality, award winning binocular is packed with everything you need and nothing you don’t. It is rugged, waterproof, compact and lightweight (one of the lightest full-size binoculars on the market)! In addition, the binoculars come with Vortex’s incredible unlimited, unconditional life-time VIP Warranty!
GICLEE PRINTS BY ACCLAIMED CUBAN WILDLIFE ARTIST NILS NAVARRO. Celebrate the endemic birds of Cuba with prints of the gorgeous original artwork: the Bee Hummingbird (the world’s smallest bird) and the Cuban Trogon (national bird of Cuba). The giclee prints are signed and numbered, measuring ~8.5″ by 11″.
The drawing for the Raffle is on Saturday, October 5th, 2019. Now is the time to purchase tickets!Proceeds from the raffle support our conservation programs and provide travel support for BirdsCaribbean delegates to attend our workshops and conferences.
Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. You can purchase tickets online, or send a check made out to “BirdsCaribbean” and mail to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760. Any questions, contact Lisa Sorenson. Remember to get your tickets before October 5th, and good luck!
It only takes one to win, but you can’t win without one!
Sincere thanks to our generous donors for providing awesome prizes for the Raffle: Daniel Gabriel Angelo Jean-Baptiste, Vortex Optics, and Nils Navarro.
September has come around again, and that means it’s time to head for your favorite birding spot (or spots) to count Caribbean shorebirds. World Shorebirds Day 2019 is Friday, September 6th.
This year’s Global Shorebird Count will take place from September 3 to 9, 2019. All across the Caribbean, birders will be compiling checklists from island to island and recording them on eBird Caribbean. BirdsCaribbean urges you to participate! Our migratory shorebirds are more vulnerable than ever, threatened by human activities that have changed their habitat. Most species of shorebirds are in decline around the world.
Where are these fascinating birds to be found? While you will find them on shores and beaches, some shorebirds use habitats further inland, including freshwater and brackish marshes and ponds. Shorebirds are also fond of salt ponds, mud flats, mangrove areas, and tidal flats. Last year, the Whimbrel, a regular migrant through the region, was selected as “Shorebird of the Year.”
eBird Caribbean is a critical tool for tracking and understanding bird migration and population changes – never more so than for our shorebirds. If you do not have an account, it is easy to register – here’s a quick start guide. A useful free mobile app is also available for recording your data in the field.
To make your submitted data visible to World Shorebirds Day, please be sure to share your checklist with worldshorebirdsday eBird username of World Shorebirds Day, or add shorebirdsday@gmail.com email address, to your contact list, and share all your related checklists with us. Only checklists made during the World Shorebirds Day count period between 3–9 September 2019 (inclusive) are eligible. Guidelines for sharing checklists are here.
We hope you will visit as many sites as possible during the 6 days of the count! For more tips on how to do the Global Shorebird Count, go to the World Shorebirds Day website.
For helpful resources on Shorebird ID, including our Shorebird poster, visit this page and this page.
Which species will be Shorebird of the Year 2019? Whichever one is selected – all our shorebirds are precious. The Global Shorebird Count is an important way to help us to learn more about them.
Participate in the International Shorebird Survey (ISS)!
Some of our birds are already on the move. BirdsCaribbean invites all shorebird lovers to schedule some extra counts during the migration season (August to October and March to May) by volunteering for the International Shorebird Survey, a year-round initiative organized by Manomet since 1974. On eBird Caribbean simply do a Caribbean Waterbird Census entry, choosing one of the CWC Count Protocols (Point Count, Traveling Count or Area Search) on Step 2 of “Submit observations” in eBird Caribbean. Fill out a Site Form if you are new to ISS.
Depending on the timing of migration, you may see a lot of birds or just a few at your site(s). Don’t be disappointed if you only see just one. Remember that very effort counts and adds to our knowledge of shorebirds and waterbirds and their habitat needs in the Caribbean!
Good luck and we look forward to hearing about your findings and seeing your photos! Please share on our BirdsCaribbean Facebook page.
Banded Birds
Be sure to be on the lookout for banded birds! Especially Piping Plovers, Red Knots, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings. You may report your sightings to BandedBirds.org and the USGS Bird Banding Lab which oversee all banding in the United States.
Handout from the US Fish and Wildlife Service that provides information about Piping Plover banding locations and how to read and record the flags for reporting.
Plunging Brown Pelicans put on a show each day next to our dining terrace at Karibea Beach Hotel, Le Gosier, Guadeloupe. (photo by Holly Garrod)
Plunging pelicans, soaring terns and majestic frigatebirds put on a dazzling show outside the dining terrace, as we ate delicious French cuisine. Impromptu discussions sprang up over coffee and drinks. Bright T-shirts, bird paintings and merchandise were on sale; members’ posters sparked intense learning sessions; and brilliant keynote speakers kept us on the edge of our seats.
It happens every two years, and it just keeps getting better. This year, BirdsCaribbean held its 22nd International conference in Le Gosier, on the French West Indies island of Guadeloupe. 250 delegates from 34 countries gathered for discussions, lectures, workshops – and perhaps most importantly, to connect with each other – under the theme, Keeping Caribbean Birds Aloft.
The conference took place at the lovely seaside Karibea Hotel from July 25 – 29, 2019. BirdsCaribbean partnered with the Parc National de la Guadeloupe for an exciting week of learning, sharing, and discovery.
While #BirdsCarib2019 is now behind us, the memories and friendships made will keep us aloft as we collectively continue to move our science and conservation work forwards. For those who were not able to attend this year and for delegates feeling wistful for woodpeckers and croissant, here is a recap of some of the highlights and activities that made this event so special.
All About Birds – and People
250 delegates from 34 countries gathered for out 22nd International Conference in Guadeloupe. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
The first day of the conference started with some rock n’ roll, literally, as our delegates were shaken awake by a 4.7 earthquake! On arrival, registration buzzed with the laughter and excitement of a family reunion – was it really 2 years ago that we saw each other last?
Our delegates quickly got to work birding across the island. Who was the first to see the endemic Guadeloupe Woodpecker? An incredible 422 checklists were entered into eBird Caribbean by our delegates and more than 95 bird species were detected. We couldn’t have done this without the help of our local guides. BirdsCaribbean conferences are great opportunities for local guides to showcase their islands, their natural beauty, and best spots for seeing wildlife.
And once again, the Guadeloupe conference highlighted the Caribbean’s amazing diversity—its birdlife, peoples, and cultures. A critical discussion during the conference was the need to expand and develop bird tourism in the region through BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT). Everyone was excited that the CBT Project recently launched a new and much improved website.
Featured speaker, Anthony Levesque, shared his excitement and many accomplishments about his work with birds on Guadeloupe. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Always a highlight of our conferences, delegates packed the main room each morning to hear our passionate keynote speakers celebrate the diversity of thought, culture, knowledge and work within our community. On the first day, dedicated BirdsCaribbean member, Anthony Levesque, opened our traditional session to celebrate our host country – Guadeloupe Day – and shared his personal journey of how Guadeloupe, its nature, and its birds have shaped his life. His excitement was infectious as we applauded his own phenomenal efforts and felt his hope about the future for his island’s capacity for science and conservation.
We also welcomed Ambassador Dessima Williams to the island, an Elected Partner of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute and former Ambassador to the United Nations, who inspired us to engage with the UN’s sustainable development goals to enable bird conservation. Other keynote presentations on each morning of the conference inspired delegates on topics as diverse as the evolution of beauty, relationships between birds and plants, landscape management, avian olfaction, and restoration of a damaged wetland.
Challenges, Solutions, Optimism
The Guadeloupe conference saw the launch of an exciting new Mentorship program* where younger BirdsCaribbean members paired with mentors that have more experience in their specific areas of interest, including scientific writing, data analysis, research techniques, conservation strategies, education, bird guiding, career development, and more. The launch culminated in an energizing mentee-mentor dinner, with pairs spilling out across the venue long into the evening, to share knowledge, inspire, support and learn from each other.
Conference workshops offered practical opportunities to learn new skills and share important knowledge, including grappling with data analysis in R, being the solution to plastic pollution, addressing shorebird harvesting, and becoming a media maestro.
Ancilleno Davis had the audience dancing to his dubstep remix of inspired by eBirders! (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Other topics addressed included the challenges to the survival of the region’s birds and habitats, including illegal wildlife trafficking, invasive species, and the threat of development. Several speakers and sessions emphasized the need for stronger advocacy, involving communities, and education to fight the greed that is the root cause of many of our environmental problems.
We heard inspiring stories about engaging young people through education and diverse audiences via social media, and explored visual art and dubstep music as conservation tools. We heard about valuable contributions to our scientific understanding of avian ecology, and learned how to address the challenges of hurricane recovery, caged birds and illegal wildlife trade. And we took the time to acknowledge and celebrate our successes, including invasive species eradication, endangered species recovery, and successful restorations of habitats believed too-far gone to ever be brought back.
The passion continues to flow
The heart of BirdsCaribbean and our conferences is the passion of our members to support conservation of regional endemic and endangered birds as well as migratory species that visit our islands. Most importantly, our conferences give us an opportunity to share and celebrate the new and continued work of our members. Much of what made this conference special is symbolic of all biennial BirdsCaribbean conferences and we encourage you all to look out for details about our next conference in 2021!
Delegates from Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines gather for a group pic. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
The momentum continues amidst the growing comradery and passion that the conference helped fuel. We will be sharing a series of posts over the next few weeks that highlight the work our partners have done, and provide more details on some of the presentations and conference content. If you have a suggestion for an article, please email us at info@birdscaribbean.org. Thank you for reading, and please subscribe and consider donating to help us “Keep Caribbean Birds Aloft”.
Special thanks are due to our major sponsor, Parc National de la Guadeloupe, as well as the Karibea Beach Hotel, Environment Canada, the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Para la Naturaleza, The David Webster Charitable Trust, Benjamin Olewine IV, American Bird Conservancy, Caribaea Initiative, Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wildside Nature Tours, Optics for the Tropics, Inc., Holbrook Travel, Environment for the Americas, NuStar, the Bermuda Audubon Society, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Vortex Optics, Carefree Birding, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Levesque Birding Enterprise, Amazona, The Friendship Association, and Hideaways of Ti Heights.
*If you would like to be a mentor or want to be connected with one, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Email Mentorship Program leaders Adrianne Tossas (agtossas@gmail.com) and Ancilleno Davis (ancillenodavis@gmail.com).
Dominicans and Lisa Sorenson. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
The Founders Award for Best Student Paper went to Christopher Cambrone.(Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Keynote Speaker, Gabrielle Nevitt, shared her exciting research an avian olfaction and the ability of seabirds to smell plastic! (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Keynote speaker, Dr. Howard Nelson, called for more collaboration across the Caribbean to save birds and their habitats. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Kate Wallace (Dominican Republic) won a Life-time Achievement Award for her 20 years of tireless bird education and outreach work. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Guadeloupe conference souvenir bird bands. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Smiling volunteers help with conference check-in, left to right, Jen Mortenson, Alieny Gonzalez, Natasha Atkins, Arnaldo Toledo. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Keynote Speaker, Orisha Joseph (Sustainable Grenadines Inc) told us about the incredible restoration of Ashton Lagoon in Union Island. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Group selfie attempts. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Delegates from Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines gather for a group pic. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Ancilleno Davis had the audience dancing to his dubstep remix inspired by eBirders, say what?! (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Jennifer Wheeler sounding the conch to signal the start of a session. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Much learning took place at the evening poster sessions. (photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Dessima Williams, wowed us with her inspiring and poetic keynote talk. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Important conference notice about dancing with Herb at the party on the last night.
Old friends reunited: Leo Douglas and Maurice Anselme. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Featured speaker, Anthony Levesque, shared his excitement and many accomplishments about his work with birds on Guadeloupe Day. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Featured speaker, Beny Wilson, did a mini-training on bird guiding and the bird tourism market during the Caribbean Birding Trail session. (photo by Fred Sapotille).
Arnaldo Toledo and Maikel Canizares show the beautiful t-shirt artwork created to fight the Caged Bird problem in Cuba, Caged Bird Working Group meeting (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
The Cuban contingent! A record 20 Cubans attended, thanks to our generous sponsors! (photo by Fred Sapotille)
The right person, Stephen Durand, got this one-of-a-kind binocular harness with Imperial Parrot artwork by Jessica Canizares (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
“Keeping Caribbean Birds Aloft” was the theme of BirdsCaribbean’s 22nd International Conference in July in Guadeloupe.
Anthony Levesque (Guadeloupe) won a President’s Award for his bird research, education and conservation work in Guadeloupe. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Conference organizer-in-chief, Justin Proctor with Guadeloupe organizers, Maitena Jean, Catherine Chicate-Moibert and Anais Abatan. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Our fearless translators provided English-French-Spanish translation throughout the entire 5-day conference! (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Andrea Thomen (Dominican Republic) shares her work with Leo Douglas (Jamaica / USA). (photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Keynote speaker, Tomas Carlo, gave an exciting talk on bird-plant interactions and their consequences for habitat restoration. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Dancing with the local performers on the last evening of the conference. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Plunging Brown Pelicans put on a show each day next to our dining terrace at Karibea Beach Hotel, Le Gosier, Guadeloupe. (photo by Holly Garrod)
Leno Davis talks about engaging diverse audiences through creative avenues, like music and art (photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Keynote speaker, Richard Prum, dazzled the audience with his fascinating talk on The Evolution of Beauty and bird mating tactics. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Two of our fearless leaders, Justin Proctor (Birdscaribbean Vice President) and Lisa Sorenson (BirdsCaribbean Executive Director) on the first morning of the conference. (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Maurice Anselme, General Director of the Parc National de la Guadeloupe (PNG) and Mylene Musquet, Executive Director of PNG, on the last evening of the conference. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
New friends (Photo by Fred Sapotille)
We thank Director of the Parc National de la Guadeloupe (PNG), Maurice Anselme, and his fabulous crew for outstanding help with organizing the conference! (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Bird Hide at Grand Etang on Waterfalls Field Trip.(Photo by Anais Abatan)
Conference t-shirts for sale on Day 1 of the conference (photo by Mark Yokayama)
Herb Raffaele supporting new Grenadines bird guide with authors Aly Ollivierre and Juliana Coffey. (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Busy and not-so-silent Silent Auction (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)
250 delegates from 34 countries gathered for our 22nd International Conference in Guadeloupe. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
St. Martin delegates, Jenn Yerkes, William Allanic,and Mark Yokoyama, in Les Fruit de Mer uniforms.(Photo by Fred Sapotille)
Prepping conference bags with the Cubans (Photo by Justin Proctor)
Main conference room at Karibea beach Hotel. (photo by Fred Sapotille)
Visit the newly-redesigned website for information on the best sites, guides and tours in the region!
More visually appealing. Easier to navigate. A LOT more information about birding hotspots in the Caribbean, how to get there, and which guides and operators can offer the best birdwatching experience on the ground.
Those were our objectives when we embarked on redesigning the Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) website. Now, we are finally ready to launch the CBT’s new online home and to share it with you, and the world! Click here to access the new website.
The CBT was launched in 2011 by BirdsCaribbean in order to promote authentic experiences that benefit local people and encourage the protection of the Caribbean’s natural resources, including birds and their habitats. The website has always been a key part of making this happen.
Overhauling the website and building a customized directory (and beautiful maps!) of the birding gems of the Caribbean was no small task. To do the project justice, we knew we would need to learn as much as possible about every birding nook and cranny there is on each island. And we are here to tell you…there are many!
What’s Special about the New CBT Website
Map of the West Indies from the CBT website showing locations of Birding Sites, History/Culture Sites, and bird-friendly Accommodations. You can also toggle on and off eBird Hotspots on this map. Note that this is a work in progress: we need YOUR help to add many more sites!
As you scroll through the pages, you will find information about 138 birding sites in 24 countries. We are also proud to be promoting more than 50 guides and tour operators. These are people and enterprises who are from the Caribbean, or who now call the region home. We also aim to include a listing of every field guide and book that our partners have published for their islands. We also provide links to as many additional resources as we possibly can, giving you as full a picture as possible of the wealth of birds, habitats, and local customs and folklore.
Through the website, we also strive to tell the story of the Caribbean and its incredible natural heritage through pictures. There are nearly 700 species of birds known from the Caribbean, including 171 species that are endemic to the region and found nowhere else in the world. Furthermore, there are thousands of endemic plants, snails, lizards, frogs, mammals, and insects; and the beautiful landscapes and geological treasures that the birder will discover along the way. We have collected almost 1,000 photos thus far, and hope for many, many more.
Narrow-billed Tody by Dax Roman
It’s a Work in Progress, and We Love Our Partners!
If you are one of the dozens of individuals who supplied us with photos and/or information about people and places, we thank you! And we ask that you keep the information coming. We are not planning to stop adding to the website. In fact, our goal is for the CBT’s new site to become the number one resource in the world for planning a trip to the Caribbean to see birds, or simply to enjoy the nature and culture of the islands. We are going to build it into the “go-to” site for Caribbean birding.
We consider this website a work in progress. We will always accept suggestions for additional sites, guides, and accommodations to add; or edits and corrections to existing pages. We also greatly appreciate high quality photos, especially of birds.
Our online presence has already helped spur fruitful discussions with tour operators, and as a result BirdsCaribbean has partnered with three different companies (Wildside Nature Tours, Birding the Islands, and Carefree Birding). These companies are committed to giving back to the islands, and they donate a portion of their profits from Caribbean tours to BirdsCaribbean to invest in conservation.
The CBT…More than Site Promotion
CBT Guide Training in Cuba.
The CBT project is not just about places to go. Through the CBT we are also helping create authentic experiences, and building capacity where needed in the Caribbean to do so. Essential to this is the Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Training program, a five-day intensive course where participants not only learn to identify the local bird species and their connection to the environment, but also discover how to use interpretation techniques that will bring this knowledge to life for their birding guests.
The training helps guides to uncover unusual pieces of local science and cultural context that will spark the imagination of the birders and have them fully engaged during their tours. Professional bird and nature guides, certified through the National Association of Interpretation in the U.S., conduct this exciting, hands-on training program.
The reason we thought this important is for the same reason we think the Caribbean Birding Trail itself is important. It is because birds are windows to nature. And in the Caribbean, they are also portals for getting away from the tourism hubs and into the beating heart of the islands. They facilitate discovery, having an authentic experience, and bird by bird, getting to know the real Caribbean.
Our new video is now available on the CBT website and on our YouTube channel. The four-minute long video gives the viewer an enticing glimpse into the birds they will see, and a taste of the culture they can get immersed in when they go looking for those birds.
With Deep Gratitude
Thank you again to everybody who contributed to the original CBT website and this much-improved 2.0 version.
Special thanks to our CBT cartographer, Aly DeGraff Ollivierre for creating the awesome maps and helping solicit, organize, and upload content to the website. Also to Holly Robertson, the CBT Project Manager, for her role as webmaster and digging deep into the world of WordPress.
We would be nowhere without the patience and fortitude of our web designer, Kathleen McGee of BTN Designs, and the vision of Ted Eubanks and Fermata, Inc in originally charting the course of the Caribbean Birding Trail and establishing the first iteration of the website.
With deep gratitude we also thank the donors who financially supported the development of this website over the years: the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund, the Marshall-Reynolds Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Program.
Links to articles about our Caribbean Birding Trail Guide Training workshops:
Colorful and friendly, the Cuban Tody is one of Cuba’s most beloved endemic birds. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)
Join BirdsCaribbean, the Caribbean Birding Trail and acclaimed Cuban bird guide, Ernesto Reyes Mouriño, on the adventure of a lifetime in January or March of 2020.
Cuba is well-known for its amazing landscapes, vibrant culture and unique biodiversity. According to the new Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba: 2018-2019 Edition, 394 birds have been recorded in Cuba, including 28 which are endemic to the island and 30 which are considered globally threatened. Due to its large land area and geographical position within the Caribbean, Cuba is also extraordinarily important for Neotropical migratory birds—more than 180 species pass through during migration or spend the winter on the island.
Our itinerary takes you to several of the best and most beautiful birding locations in Cuba, providing opportunities to see many of Cuba’s endemic species and subspecies as well as many migrants. Along the way, we will meet people in local communities, stay in Bed & Breakfast establishments (casas particulares) and eat in private restaurants (paladars), allowing you to experience Cuba’s rich culture, delicious food, friendly people, and generous hospitality. We will also have the opportunity to meet and have discussions with local ornithologists and conservationists that have been working with BirdsCaribbean for many years.
BirdsCaribbean is offering two tours in 2020: a 9-day trip in January and a 12-day trip in March. Find detailed itineraries for both trips below. Traveling with us helps Caribbean birds as a portion of the proceeds from the trip supports our bird conservation programs and partners in Cuba and the Caribbean. See some of the world’s most beautiful and memorable birds, knowing you are helping ensure their welfare by supporting the people who study and protect them.
Read testimonials and see photos from past trips in the gallery below. Purchase the Endemic Birds of Cuba Field Guide here. Check out the report and photos from our January 2016 trip here and from our July 2017 trip to Havana and Zapata Swamp here.
NOTE: The recent policy changes in the Cuban Assets Control Regulations do not affect BirdsCaribbean’s birding trips or the requirements of US citizens traveling with us. Our birding trips consist of group travel under the general license that authorizes travel transactions that provide “Support for the Cuban people.” The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) requires that: 1) travel be conducted under the auspices of an individual or organization (BirdsCaribbean) that promotes independent activity intended to strengthen civil society in Cuba, and 2) the tour must consist of “a full-time schedule of activities that: (i) enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba or promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities; and (ii) result in meaningful interaction with individuals in Cuba.” While you are on the trip, BirdsCaribbean will ensure that you have a full-time schedule of activities that engages with and provides support for private citizens (e.g., local guides, Cuban biologists, private business owners), and avoids transactions with the State Department’s List of Restricted Entities and Subentities Associated with Cuba (“the Cuba Restricted List”).
Youth decorate bird feeders made from plastic bottles at the Endemic Animal Festival on St. Martin. (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)
At dozens of events on more than 20 islands, people of all ages came together to celebrate and protect their birds. The events were part of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, organized by BirdsCaribbean. The festival highlights endemic birds—the ones found only in the region—and how to protect them.
There are over 170 kinds of bird that live only in the Caribbean. Many of these live only on a single island, and many are rare. The events celebrating these unique birds are also unique. Groups all over the region find different ways to celebrate and learn about these birds.
This year’s festival theme was a profoundly important one: Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution. As in other parts of the world, the Caribbean faces a serious plastics pollution problem. Coordinators enthusiastically tackled the topic with many activities featuring cleanups and learning about plastic waste. In Puerto Rico, the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources took part in several events, including presentations about plastics waste and microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 mm in size) and how they are harming birds and entering the food chain .
In Jamaica, the National Environment and Planning Agency led activities and games from the BirdSleuth Caribbean program. These activities help kids learn about the problems that birds face, like plastic debris. In Venezuela, the group Ave Zona held a beach cleanup on Isla de Coche. On the island of St. Martin, kids decorated bird feeders made from reused plastic bottles.
At the Ponce Museum of Art, Adrianne Tossas led a special guided tour that shared birds and nature in the museum’s artwork. Twenty visitors learned about topics related to ornithology, conservation and sustainable through 14 selected pieces of art. Participants were very enthusiastic and contributed interesting comments. This was the first tour of its kind in the 60 years since the museum was founded. Eliezer Nieves-Rodriguez shared a great video of CEBF activities at the San Juan Bay National Estuary, including learning all about micro plastics and the impacts on birds and the environment.
Child from Happy Day Preschool plants a tree with staff from Dominica’s Forestry Division.
In Dominica, the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division went all out with a full month of exciting activities. A major highlight was this year’s Choral Speech competition among the country’s schools with the CEBF festival theme: Protect Birds – Be the Solution to Plastics Pollution. The winner was a group of youngsters from Wesley Primary School who gave a rousing performance with an important message about reducing plastic pollution. The video can be seen at this link. Forestry staff also organized beach clean-ups with communities, bird watching excursions, presentations in schools, an art exhibition on endemic birds, a radio show on plastics pollution, and several tree planting activities with children. The trees species planted included Sea Grape, Almond, Anglin, Kenip and Pwa doux Maron, which will help provide habitat for birds, timber and protect the coastline from future storms and hurricanes.
In Montserrat the Department of Environment (DoE) led several activities including visits to primary schools to give talks on birds and taking kids birding. The schools received bird feeders, bird posters and a tree seedling of their choice. Students received prizes such as activity sheets, exercise books, bottles, bird bands, stickers and child temporary bird tattoos. The DoE also hosted an exhibition all about the birds of Montserrat and shared materials. During the event they gave away nectar feeders so that residents could enjoy the island’s endemic hummingbirds and Bananaquits—great preparation for the upcoming hurricane season. Guests also received bird seed, reusable shopping bags, and pamphlets with information about how to protect birds.
Children from “Verano Artístico Recreativo” of CREARTE in Puerto Rico show off their bird masks with Ingrid Flores, DNER Educator. (Photo by Carmen Peña)
“We are so happy that our 18th Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival reached so many people,” said festival coordinator Eduardo Llegus. “We are especially happy to see the many creative ways people have found to share, honor and help our birds. Our birds are unique symbols of our region. To protect them is to protect our heritage, our nature and our communities.”
The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is organized by BirdsCaribbean. Thousands of youth and adults participate each year in activities hosted by dozens of local groups on over 20 islands.
Thanks to all our dedicated and hard-working coordinators for the amazing and creative ways that you found to celebrate with your schools and communities. And big thanks to Environment for the Americas for providing materials and resources.
Children visiting the Endemic Bird Art Exhibit at the Botanical Gardens, Dominica.
Jamaican youth record the birds they see on a CEBF field trip organized the National Environmental and Planning Agency. (Photo by Otto Williamson)
Haitian youth participated in a school presentation that focused bird arts and crafts , endemic birds and what threatens them (including hunting and plastic pollution). Activities by o Jeunes en Action pour la Sauvegarde de l’Ecologie .
Ingrid Flores shares information about the dangers of micro plastics to birds and people; Department of Natural and Environmental Resources in Puerto rico.
Youth learn about micro plastics in the environment; activity by Department of Natural and Environmental Resources in Puerto Rico.
Learning the parts of a bird in a CEBF educational activity in San Lorenzo, PR, educational project of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.
Schoolchildren from local secondary school at coastal-cleanup in Punta Cucharas Nature Reserve, Municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Organized by Proyecto: Reverdece y Educa tu Comunidad. Plastics was the most abundant category among wastes collected. (Photo credit: Aquela Photography by: Karla M. Oquendo)
Schoolchildren birding with coordinator, Ivelisse Rodriguez, from Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Aguirre, PR.
The DNER celebrated the Caribbean and Puerto Rico Endemic Bird Festival with a talk presentation to a Community Group of Lomas Cubuy, Canóvanas, PR.
Schoolchildren celebrating endemic birds at Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Aguirre, PR.
Presentation about endemic birds to primary school children in Montserrat by Ajhermae White, Environmental Officer with the Dept of Environment.
The Environmental Awareness Group in Antigua did a great job with a media campaign about plastics pollution and how everyone can reduce their use of plastic.
A classroom in Jamaica receives a BirdSleuth Caribbean kit filled with resources to learn about birds, thanks to the National Environment and Planning Agency.
Jamaican schoolchildren learn the parts of a bird, thanks to the National Environment and Planning Agency. (Photo by Otto Williamson)
Celebrating CEBF 2019 at San Juan Bay National Estuary, children showing off their bird face masks. (photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Bird watching and learning to identify Jamaican endemic birds, activity led by the National Environment and Planning Agency. (Photo by Otto Williamson)
Visitors learn about nature in art during a guided tour of Ponce Museum of Art in Puerto Rico. (Photo: Adrianne G. Tossas)
Spotting birds along the Blenim River in Dominica for CEBF 2019.
Many kids had the answer to questions about birds, presentation by Grupo Accion Ecologica.
Endemic Bird Exhibition in Montserrat, hosted by the Montserrat Dept of Environment. Ajhermae White, Environmental Officer shares materials with a visitor from the community.
Students on seabird watching excursion in Dominica.
The Puerto Rico Dept. of Natural and Environmental Resources helped students of the Bayamón Central University with planting trees and creating an arboretum. (Photo provided by: DNER)
Birding field trip in Dominica with Forestry Officer, Stephen Durand.
Enthusiastic youth learning about Puerto Rico Endemic Birds, Endangered Species Conservation and Plastic Pollution to SU Oscar Porrata Doria School of Comerío, PR, thanks to the Dept. of Natural and Environmental Resources.
Students learn while playing a game from the BirdSleuth Caribbean program. (Photo by Otto Williamson)
CEBF clean-up activity in Venezuela, led by Ave Zona.
Children birdwatching in Bosque Piñones, Puerto Rico celebrating CEBF 2019 with San Juan Bay National Estuary, San Juan, Puerto Rico. (photo by Eliezer Nieves)
School children in the Dominican Republic learn about the many endemic birds in the DR, thanks to Grupo Accion Ecologica.
“Keeping Caribbean Birds Aloft” is the theme of BirdsCaribbean’s 22nd International Conference in July in Guadeloupe. Parc national de la Guadeloupe is our local host. (artwork by Guillaume Zbinden)
Every two years, BirdsCaribbean holds its international conference. The meeting is the largest of its kind, attracting hundreds of guests from the region and beyond. This year, it will be held on the island of Guadeloupe from July 25-29, partnering with local host, Parc national de la Guadeloupe.
BirdsCaribbean is the largest conservation group in the region. Its members come from nonprofits, forestry departments and universities all over the region. They do research, save wild spaces and share the magic of birds and nature all over the Caribbean. At the conference, over 200 members will gather in one place to share the latest in research and more.
The conference is important because it is the one time when people working all over the Caribbean come together to learn and share. Training workshops teach skills like how to do a bird survey. New research and techniques for helping birds are shared. This know-how is brought back to dozens of islands where it can be used to save rare birds or protect valuable habitats.
This year’s conference is “Keeping Caribbean Birds Aloft” (or “An nou poté mannèv pou zozio karayib volé” in Créole). In keeping with the theme, the conference will feature many ways to help birds in the Caribbean.
“Our birds face many challenges, and we want to address them,” noted Lisa Sorensen, the Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean. “We will work on how to protect birds from threats like plastic pollution or habitat destruction. We are also working to promote birds for their value as a tourism attraction and the benefits they provide to people.”
The Guadeloupe Woodpecker is found only on the island of Guadeloupe; conference delegates will have a chance to see this bird on conference field trips. (photo by Frantz Delcroix)
You can learn more about the conference here, including keynote speakers, workshop themes and field field trips. Registration is open – it is not too late to join us! BirdsCaribbean is also still seeking sponsors to help delegates attend that would not be able to otherwise. Click here to help sponsor a delegate – any donations are gratefully received! Sponsorship donations are tax-deductible for US donors.
BirdsCaribbean is very grateful for the help and financial support of many companies and organizations to make this conference a success, including Parc national de la Guadeloupe, Karibea Beach Hotel, Environment Canada, US Forest Service International Programs, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, para la Naturaleza, Benjamin Olewine IV, American Bird Conservancy, Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Caribbean Initiative, Wildside Nature Tours, Carefree Birding, Optics for the Tropics, NuStar, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Bermuda Audubon Society, Holbrook Travel, Levesque Birding Enterprise, AMAZONA, and The Friendship Association.
We wrap up our series of our 30th Anniversary celebrations with this final video. In the Caribbean we celebrate not only the diversity of our birds (172 bird species found only in the region!), but also our members. For 30 years we have brought people together from dozens of countries to learn from each other, share ideas, and forge friendships and partnerships. Our members often tell us how much they value our network for the support and inspiration that it provides. It gives us the strength to keep going in the face of many challenges. And sometimes our members even fall in love.
First up is Jessica Rozek, graduate student at Tufts University. Jessica is studying sustainable use of wetlands in Trinidad and important stopover and wintering sites for shorebirds in the Caribbean. Jessica joined BirdsCaribbean in 2016 and has been an active member ever since. She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and a contributor to our blog. As our Waterbird Program Manager, Jessica is coordinating our upcoming Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and their Habitats Workshop in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico and our Caribbean Waterbird Census Small Grants program.
Ingrid Flores worked for four years as Regional Coordinator of our Caribbean Endemic Bird and International Migratory Bird Festivals. The festivals introduce people to the joy and beauty oif local birds. They also help people understand how these birds are part of each island’s natural heritage and it is up to local communities to conserve them. Ingrid helped coordinators organize activities, shipped out materials, and managed social media around the festivals and bird education. She is passionate about Caribbean birds and encouraging people to become involved.
Glenroy Gaymes is the Chief Wildlife Officer in the Forestry Dept in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He is well-known as a local expert on all aspects of the country’s flora and fauna, and is involved in many conservation initatives. Glenroy is also a founding member of SCIENCE, a local NGO. Together with member Lystra Culzac and other SCIENCE officers, Glenroy is active in teaching youth and local people about birds. His team carries out our BirdSleuth Caribbean program with school clubs and summer camps. He is also active as a local bird guide to residents and visitors alike.
Maydiel Canizares is a Cuban Biologist. For the past five years, he worked as a Biologist in the protected areas of Zapata Swamp Biosphere Reserve. Twenty three of the 28 endemic birds of Cuba can be seen here, in addition to ~300 resident and migratory birds. It’s a very important place for migration, featuring many types of diverse habitats. It’s also an Important Bird Area (IBA) and a Ramsar site. Two big conservation initiatives in Zapata Swamp that Maydiel worked on are: 1) encouraging locals to landscape with native plants (which will help endemics like the Bee Hummingbird), and 2) installing nest boxes for threatened psittacid species: the Cuban Parakeet and the Cuban Parrot. Maydiel is also an experienced bird guide and led several of BirdsCaribbean’s bird tours at our conference in Cuba in 2017.
Jen Mortenson is a Post Doctoral Fellow at the University of Arkansas . Through her PhD research Jen was able to provide key data and recommendations for the first conservation plan of the White-breasted Thrasher, an endangered bird found only on St Lucia and Martinique. You can read about Jen’s exciting research here. We are grateful to Jen for this important work and so happy to have her as an active member of BirdsCaribbean.
Lisa Sorenson (Executive Director) and Jennifer Wheeler (recently retired Treasurer) are well-known to the BirdsCaribbean community for their many years of service in developing programs, raising funds, helping partners, and keeping the organization running smoothly. They had fun wishing BirdsCaribbean a very happy 30th birthday.
Editor’s note: After many months of paperwork and a visit to the US Embassy in Guyana, Maydiel immigrated to the US this past October. He and Jessica married in November 2018, the second BirdsCaribbean couple that we know of – congratulations!!!
Sincere thanks to Esther Figueroa (Vagabond Media) for putting together this video and Ingrid Flores, JC Fernández-Ordóñez, and José Colón-López for Spanish translation. Thank you to José (Pepe) González Díaz and Felisa (Fela) Collazo Torres for the video footage of the Green Mango (hummingbird) in Puerto Rico feeding on one of our donated feeders after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. Golden Swallow photograph is by Dax Roman. Special thanks to our members, partners and supporters who make this work possible!!!
In case you missed them, view our other fun 30th Anniversary videos at links below:
Another short entertaining video in our series celebrating our 30th Anniversary! Thanks to our members and partners for sharing your thoughts with us in creative and entertaining ways!
First up is our partner, Sustainable Grenadines Inc. (SusGren), based in Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Drone footage shows recent progress on the restoration of Ashton Lagoon, which is underway now! After more than 12 years of hard work and perseverance, this -mangrove-salt pond-coral reef ecosystem damaged by a failed marina development is being restored to its former glory. BirdsCaribbean has been a partner on this project from the very beginning! Our initial Wetlands Education Training Workshop way back in 2004 was the catalyst for this work and we have assisted with fundraising and project planning. Congrats to SusGren Team and we look forward to further updates!
Next up is Hannah Madden, a biologist working with the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute based in St. Eustatius. She has been studying the nesting ecology of Red-billed Tropicbirds on St. Eustatius since 2012 but also conducts research and monitoring on other avifauna, such as the Bridled Quail-dove. Hannah is Secretary of the Board of Directors of BirdsCaribbean starting Jan 2018. She is an active member, attending our various workshops and conferences, carrying out waterbird monitoring through the Caribbean Waterbird Census. and leading local education events for World Migratory Bird Day and the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. She has published a number of papers on different taxonomic groups, but always tends to gravitate towards birds.
Jeff Gerbracht is the Lead Application Developer for eBird at the Cornell Lab or Ornithology. Jeff has been a long-time member and key partner of BirdsCaribbean. He has provided critical help to us in developing our bird monitoring programs as well as our own eBird Caribbean online portal. Jeff is a facilitator at many of our training workshops and conferences. His enthusiasm, knowledge, and love of birds is inspiring. Thanks to Jeff for donating so much time to us to help us advance conservation of Caribbean Birds!
Anthony Levesque has discovered over 40 species never before recorded in Guadeloupe and banded more than 10,000 birds. He is currently carrying out research to advance our knowledge of the impacts of hunting on shorebirds in Guadeloupe. When he is not shaving ;-), he is also the Guadeloupian coordinator of the World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) since its inception in 2006 and served as Regional Coordinator for many years. Anthony is co-chair of our Checklists Working Group. He is a founding member of AMAZONA – a local bird NGO, active in Guadeloupe with over 300 members. His enthusiasm and sense of humor are always a delight!
We first met Binkie van Es in 2014 when he attended our BirdSleuth Caribbean International Training Workshop, an innovative education program that reaches thousands of youth across 18 islands. Since then Binkie has been putting what he learned to excellent use in Sint Maarten/ St. Martin, educating hundreds of youth and community members about the beauty and value of our birds. Recently retired, Binkie is also a certified bird guide – he took our Caribbean Birding Trail Guide Training Workshop in 2016 and has been helping visitors and residents alike to find and enjoy birds on his home island. Binkie’s passion is infectious – we are lucky to have him as a partner for both education and bird tourism!!!
Ricardo Miller works as a biologist for the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) in Jamaica. He is committed to doing all he can to ensure that Jamaica’s birds and wild places are conserved for future generations to enjoy. He does this through his work at NEPA and also tireless volunteer efforts educating youth in schools and taking Jamaicans out birding for our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and World Migratory Bird Day. Ricardo is also an outstanding bird guide and has own business, Arrowhead Birding. For 30 years BirdsCaribbean has provided conservationists across the Caribbean the ability to share information and strategies for studying and conserving birds and their habitats through training workshops, conferences, working groups and regional projects, as well as the academically acclaimed Journal of Caribbean Ornithology.
Sincere thanks to Esther Figueroa (Vagabond Media) for putting together this video and Ingrid Flores, JC Fernández-Ordóñez, and José Colón-López for Spanish translation. Thanks to SusGren for their awesome drone mini-video. Photographs are by Sipke Stapert (Brown Pelican) and Tadas Jucys (Purple-throated Carib, Shutterstock). Special thanks to our members, partners and supporters who make this work possible!!!
In case you missed them, view our other fun 30th Anniversary videos at links below:
A Green Mango visits a feeder in Puerto Rico—4,200 hummingbird feeders were distributed across 18 islands hit by hurricanes in 2017. (Photo by Manuel Torres)
We are 30 years old, and what a year 2018 – the Year of the Bird – has been!
The Caribbean has had another extraordinary year. It has been a “Tale of Two Cities” – or rather, two different groups of islands. On the one hand, it has been a story of restoration and a major push for recovery for islands devastated by the 2017 hurricanes. On the other hand, there were many encouraging developments on other islands; a number of conservation programs are under way that offer hope for our bird populations. Hispaniola researchers discovered new nesting sites of the critically endangered Black-capped Petrel. On St. Vincent and the Grenadines, BirdsCaribbean provided 24 people with sustainable economic livelihoods through our Interpretive Bird Guide Training Program.
BirdsCaribbean is deeply grateful for the generosity of donors and supporters throughout the year. This outpouring of support has helped us tackle the very tough work of identifying the post-hurricane needs of bird populations. This vital funding helped us provide our partners with the support they needed to get themselves, and the birds, back on their feet. Literally, at times – as many birds were shell-shocked!
There was much work to be done this year, but the Caribbean is well known for the resilience of its people. Our island-based partners rolled up their sleeves and got started. BirdsCaribbean helped communities rebuild and expand their conservation and education work, and launched new programs that focused on precious bird habitats – forests and coastal natural resources among them. It is always important to keep moving forward.
Over 60 species of birds were helped, including Bananaquits hummingbirds, pigeons, doves, parrots, thrashers, grassquits, and bullfinches-many found only on one or a few Caribbean islands. (map by Aly DeGraff Ollivierre)
However, some major challenges face us, and they are formidable. Some bird species – such as the Imperial Parrot in Dominica and the Bahama Nuthatch – now face extinction from the impacts of climate change, including storms. Island endemics are also threatened by a range of invasive species, and by poorly-planned human development projects. The situation is more critical and urgent than ever.
We do not want to lose these precious species – or the habitats they depend on.
Meanwhile, our vital education, science, and capacity-building programs across the Caribbean continue, in countries that did not make dramatic headlines. We launched the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, raising more than $135,000 for groups that will engage and empower their communities to protect and sustainably benefit from their birds. We now have 15 years of archives from our Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, available for free download and we are working on getting the remaining 15 of our 30 years online. Our Seabird Monitoring Manual is now available in three languages. We supported many studies of species of concern, such as the Bridled Quail-Dove on St. Eustatius – a bird whose population has declined by 76% since Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Students participating in the CEBF Bird Fair in Antigua.
BirdsCaribbean also continues to make connections. We bring Caribbean people together through birds in several ways. We provide materials and small grants for creative annual programs, such as our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (this year including Haiti for the first time) and World Migratory Bird Day activities. This year these community-based events reached over 100,000 people in 20 countries. Our specially designed BirdSleuth Caribbean educational program is in use in 22 countries through 40 teacher training workshops this year. Over 37,775 Caribbean children and 9,329 community members participated in the workshops – yes, we did the math! We continue to work with eco-tourism tour groups, expanding bird watching tours across the Caribbean. In 2018, we promoted trips to Cuba, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
Lastly, but importantly, we have continued our work to help restore critical bird habitats. In hurricane-hit St. Maarten, we helped purchase 300 mangrove seedlings as well as 500 other plants, beginning a long-term restoration project in Cay Bay and Sentry Hill. This was just one of ten restoration projects we undertook on four islands, all impacted by the 2017 storms: the restoration and replanting of Red Mangrove at Anguilla’s West End Pond, restoration and enhancement of nesting habitat for Red-Billed Tropicbirds at the IBAs of Dog Island and Prickly Pear cays, planting of native trees in the British Virgin Islands, and establishing a native tree nursery in St. Martin.
2019 will undoubtedly bring its own challenges. Looking towards the future, BirdsCaribbean is optimistic that it will continue to build a more secure, sustainable future for the islands and their birds, working with our amazing partners. We cannot afford to lose ground as we struggle with complex challenges. With the generosity of our donors, we will make further progress.We need your help as 2018 draws to a close.
We wish all our friends and supporters Happy Holidays and a successful New Year!
Help us protect Caribbean birds and restore habitats in 2019 – THANK YOU!!!One of our highlights from 2018 was our Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Training Workshop in Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Participant Lystra Culzac role plays in her presentation by spotting a St. Vincent Parrot with her “clients.” (Photo by Kristy Shortte)Banded Red Knot “CTK” spotted at Cargill Salt Ponds, Bonaire. This bird was first captured and banded in 2004, making it at least 12 years of age. The salt ponds of Bonaire are providing critical habitat for this and other migratory birds during migration and winter. The salt ponds were recently designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site which will help raise awareness about the importance of Bonaire and the Cargill Salt Facility as a haven for migratory shorebirds. (photo by Fernando Simal)
Our 30th Anniversary celebration of BirdsCaribbean continues! We’re delighted to share another short fun video of our members and partners describing the work they are doing with us to conserve birds and sending messages of congratulations. Thanks to you all for being part of our community, and enjoy!
Starting us off is Scott Johnson, Science Officer for the Bahamas National Trust (BNT). Scott shares his thoughts on how BirdsCaribbean changed his life, including his gratitude to the organization for introducing him to his wife, Janeczka Johnson, from Anguilla – they were married one year ago! Scott and Jan met at our BirdSleuth Caribbean International Training Workshop in Nassau. Scott’s work at BNT focuses on terrestrial fauna in the national parks. He loves Bahamian birds and reptiles and is a talented naturalist and skilled educator.
Jody Daniel-Simon is from Grenada and is working on her Ph.D. She has been working with colleagues at Gaea Conservation Network and Grenada Fund for Conservation to share our BirdSleuth Caribbean education program with teachers and hundreds of island children. This has helped secure a long sought-after Bird Sanctuary in the outstanding mangrove wetland of Petite Carenage. BirdsCaribbean has provided binoculars and BirdSleuth curriculum materials to increase the understanding and appreciation of birds across Grenada and Grenadines.
Akeisha Clarke is from Petite Martinique, part of Grenada – she attended her first BirdsCaribbean 21 International Conference last year. Over 250 participants from 30 islands and countries met in Cuba in 2017 at this conference. For many this is the only opportunity to collaborate on how birds are studied and protected. BirdsCaribbean funded the participation of 120 students and young professionals (including 60 Cubans). Akeisha left the conference excited to start a bird education program at home and she has been going strong since then!
Justin Proctor, our Vice President, shows off his questionable bird ID skills (;-) since becoming a member. For over 10 years BirdsCaribbean has supported science and conservation of the Black-capped Petrel and BC Board Treasurer, Jennifer Wheeler, is the Working Group’s Co-Chair. Justin is Associate Editor of our journal, The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, and is Head of our Organizing Committee for our 22nd International Conference in Guadeloupe.
Bertrand Jno Baptiste, aka “Dr. Birdy,” worked for many years as a Forestry Officer in the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division in Dominica, and has been a long-time member and partner of BirdsCaribbean. Since his retirement from Forestry, Birdy enjoys sharing his passion for birds and nature in Dominica as a bird tour guide and is part of BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Birding Trail program. This program seeks to build sustainable incomes for conservation-minded communities. Since its inception it has conducted 6 training workshops for more than 150 people, giving local residents the skills and tools needed to take visitors out birding as well as well interpret the cultural and natural resources of their islands.
Adrianne Tossas is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla. She attended her first BC meeting in 1998 when she was a graduate student. She considers BirdsCaribbean the backbone of her career and a very significant part of her life, thanks to the support, mentoring and inspiration received from this organization and its members. She is now paying it forward teaching a new generation of students in Puerto Rico about the ecology of birds and conservation.
We especially thank Adrianne for working as our first Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival Coordinator starting in 2002. Each year this celebration raises public awareness, knowledge and appreciation for the region’s many resident and migratory bird species, especially the high number of endemic birds in the region (172)—species that exist nowhere else in the world.
Cynthia Pekarik works as the Coordinator of Migratory Birds Conservation with the Canadian Wildlife Service, a key partner for BirdsCaribbean. Cynthia has helped with funding to develop our Caribbean Waterbird Census program. Her support was key in gathering the data to have Cargill Salt Ponds in Bonaire designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Site. David Mizrahi is a shorebird biologist with New Jersey Audubon and also collaborates with BC on shorebird conservation.
Sincere thanks to Esther Figueroa (Vagabond Media) for putting together this video and Ingrid Flores, JC Fernández-Ordóñez, and José Colón-López for Spanish translation. Thanks to Scott Johnson for his brilliant mini-video. Photographs are by Bruce Hallett (Bahama Yellowthroat) and Gregg Homel (Grenada Dove). Special thanks to our members, partners and supporters who make this work possible!!!
Dave Lee holding a White-tailed Tropicbird in the Bahamas. (photo by Mary Kay Clark)
David S. Lee was a pioneering naturalist and conservation biologist who helped get BirdsCaribbean started nearly 30 years ago, and inspired many naturalists with his work and his writing. He was a man of many interests, and with respect to the Caribbean, published numerous papers and articles in the popular press on seabirds, Bahamian fish, turtles, snakes, bats, and orchids.
Donations from Dave’s wife, Mary Kay Clark and his mother, June Bash, allowed the establishment of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds that will award money to conservation projects in his honor. The money is being held in a trust and will be used to award an annual grant for innovative projects that protect Caribbean birds and their habitats.
Goal of the Fund: The David S. Lee Fund for Conservation seeks to continue David’s passion for protecting wildlife. The fund will support direct, innovative conservation work in the Caribbean Region for birds and their habitats. The fund will be managed by BirdsCaribbean and used for annual small grants.
A striking male Magnolia Warbler perches momentarily on a branch while foraging for food during its spring migration. (photo by Gerald A. DeBoer, Shutterstock)
Eligibility: Scientists/naturalists working in the Caribbean, in conservation organizations or academic programs, may apply. Applicants should be students or early career ornithologists, conservationists, or wildlife professionals (i.e., not established faculty or senior staff of a conservation organization, less than 7 years post-graduation). A student must be enrolled in accredited Masters or PhD program in ecology, biology, conservation, or related field to be eligible. Applicants must be paid or sponsored members of BirdsCaribbean at the time of application.
Use of Funds: The funds can cover travel to field sites, living expenses in the field, or costs for equipment and supplies to conduct conservation projects. Examples of equipment and supplies include traps, cameras, automated recording units, nest boxes, etc. Ineligible costs include salary or other wages, overhead fees, etc. Projects that foster collaboration between scientists/naturalists in different island groups of the Caribbean, such as joint projects to test conservation techniques for similar species, will be favored.
Application Guidelines:
Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. All should have an English version of the abstract
Applications should be emailed as a Microsoft Word document.
The application should include a cover page, proposal (download guidelines below), and a curriculum vitae for the applicant.
Separately, by email, three individuals who can attest to your effectiveness in previous work should submit letters of recommendation. For students, this would include your academic advisor.
Evaluation:
A committee appointed by BirdsCaribbean will review the proposals and award the grants.
The awardee will be required to submit a report one year from the day of the award explaining how the award money was spent and the results of the project to that point. The awardee is also asked to write an article for BirdsCaribbean’s blog about their work (informal article for a lay audience).
But wait! What if you are not eligible to apply for funds, you ask? You can still support this worthy cause by being a sponsor!
Reddish Egrets (dark morph). (photo by Tania Thomson, Shutterstock)
This fund will be for the conservation of any bird in the Caribbean as a reflection of Dave’s diverse interests. He was an important part of many projects, ranging from those of the Black-capped Petrel and Seabird Working Groups to the scholarly debate leading to the elevation of the Bahama Yellow-throated Warbler to a full species.
At the moment the fund contains $12,000. Our initial goal is to raise $25,000 so that we can award $1,000 every year to a worthy student or early career ornithologist, conservationist or wildlife professional. Not only will this fund encourage creative field work for projects that make a difference, but it will also help build the knowledge and skills of young conservationists that are urgently needed to make sure that the Caribbean birds and habitats that Dave treasured are still around for future generations to enjoy.
Cuban Parrot surveying his domain. (photo by Elliotte Rusty-Harold, Shutterstock)
At the 2015 BirdsCaribbean meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, a round of beers was purchased in Dave’s honor, since he always seemed to have a cooler full when people wanted one (and even when they didn’t). Think of this fund like a cooler full of refreshing beverages that Dave would have around if he were here. We owe it to Dave to stock that cooler—to vitalize naturalists and empower them in their work to help wildlife.
Please give a tax deductible donation to the David S. Lee Fund. Give generously. The more we put into the fund, the more we can give out each year. Thanks to all those that have contributed to the fund!
If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for the David S. Lee Fund. If you have questions or to make other arrangements for donating, please feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Treasurer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org)
Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760-2076
With so many recent tragic and conflicted events occurring in the world, BirdsCaribbean wants to share something uplifting. As part of our continuing 30th Anniversary celebration, we present you with a two-minute glimpse of what our Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Mexican colleagues are doing to conserve birds and their expressions of appreciation to BirdsCaribbean. Please take a moment to enjoy their inspiring words and images.
First we hear from Alieny González-Alfonso, graduate student at the University of Havana. Together with her fellow students and professors, Alieny has been a a powerhouse of positive actions for understanding and conserving Cuba’s resident and migratory birds. She is studying Reddish Egrets for her PhD and participates in Caribbean Waterbird Census monitoring every year. Alieny also organizes events to celebrate our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and World Migratory Bird Day each year and coordinates activities across the island. Alieny also conducts teacher training workshops and leads activities for our BirdSleuth Caribbean education program. Congrats and thanks to Alieny and her team for her amazing work!
Next we travel to Puerto Rico and hear from José Colón-López. José is a legend in his native Puerto Rico. As a volunteer with SOPI, he has been active in studying and conserving the endemic and migratory birds of Puerto Rico and their habitats for over 30 years. He generously donates his time to train and mentor others, sharing his passion and vast knowledge with a new generation of conservationists. José is also a founding member of BirdsCaribbean and has been to every single conference of ours since the first one in St. Croix 30 years ago!!! Cheers to Jose and thanks for inspiring us with your dedication and energy!
Adriana Vallarino, Ph.D., is a professor a the Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. She studies Masked Boobies and Least Terns in the Campeche Bank in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, vitally important nesting islands for many Caribbean seabirds. Adriana attended our International Seabird Training Workshop in San Salvador, Bahamas in 2012 and since then, has been carrying out innovative research and conservation work, including studying the impacts of micro plastics on seabirds. She also does a marvelous job organizing bird education events in Campeche, featuring birding walks, bird art and photography, mini workshops and more. We’re proud that Adriana is part of our network!
The videos highlight how our programs are engaging young and old in direct conservation, opening doors for scientific and educational exchange, and promoting sustainable livelihoods in ecotourism. Grab a cup of shade grown coffee, sit back and enjoy an inspirational moment.
Thank you to Esther Figueroa (Vagabond Media) for putting together this video and Ingrid Flores, JC Fernández-Ordóñez, and José Colón-López for Spanish translation. Photographs in the video are by Aslam Ibrahim Castellan Maure (Bee Hummingbird), Lisa Sorenson (American Flamingos), Wilfred Marissen (Reddish Egret), Aslam Ibrahim Castellan Maure (Blue-headed Quail-Dove), Jose Pantaleon (Cuban Trogon), Susan Jacobson (Western Spindalis), Lisa Sorenson (Viñales Valley, Cuba), Gary Donaldson (Trinidad, Cuba), Gary Donaldson (Zapata Swamp), AnnHaynes-Sutton (Masked Booby) and Arnaldo Toledo (Cuban Tody). Special thanks to our members, partners and supporters who make this work possible!!!
Cover of Caribbean Seabirds Monitoring Manual by BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group members (Sutton et al) – revised and updated, October 2018
BirdsCaribbean’s Seabird Monitoring Manual, released in English in 2015, has undergone final copy-editing and has been translated to Spanish and French. All three versions, now dated 2018, are downloadable in PDF format [EnglishSpanishFrench].
Yvan Satgé of the South Carolina Cooperative Unit of the USGS and Clemson translated the manual to French with help from Régis Gomès (Association pour la Sauvegarde et la réhabilitation de la Faune des Antilles), coordinated the translation to Spanish by J.C. Fernandez-Ordonez (Fundación Científica ARA MACAO), and laid out the final productions. The manual covers the underpinnings of a seabird monitoring program, provides protocols of varying levels of sophistication to survey seabirds at breeding sites, and provides life history information for the region’s seabirds. The manual serves as a training and planning tool for staff and volunteers and is meant to encourage an increase in knowledge of seabirds and their conservation needs across the region. The creation of the manuals was spearheaded by Ann Sutton, the co-chair of the Seabird Working Group of BirdsCaribbean.
Brown Noddy nesting in Bay Marigold, San Salvador, Bahamas (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
A reminder that BirdsCaribbean now holds the inventory of Bradley and Norton’s (2009) An Inventory of Breeding Seabirds in the Caribbean, currently out-of-print. This book provides a comprehensive look at the Caribbean region’s seabird populations, and is a resource that every seabird enthusiast should have in their library. The book is available for purchaseat a bargain price, with proceeds of the sale going to BirdsCaribbean. An excellent companion book is the Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles (2012), available through its publisher, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC).
With the manual now widely available, and the years passing since the seabird inventories noted above, the Seabird Working Group is faced with the challenge of undertaking surveys to update our state of knowledge. Let’s keep that conversation going, especially at the upcoming International Conference in Guadeloupe, July 2019.
Dr. Lourdes Mugica, Professor of Biology at the University of Havana, shares with us news of the first edition of the Cuban Ornithologists Year Book. Congratulations to this amazing group on their tremendous work and the creation of this excellent resource.
