Category: Betty Petersen Conservation Fund

BirdsCaribbean brings you highlights from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in our feature “Just Published in JCO”. Here, Zoya Buckmire, the Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at various research on the Critically Endangered and endemic Ridgway’s Hawk.

Photo of a Ridgway's Hawk perched on a branch. — The Ridgway’s Hawk is one of the most critically endangered raptors in the world with fewer than 400 individuals remaining. It is endemic to Hispaniola. (Photo by Dax Román)

Few things are more exciting than the rediscovery of a once-extirpated species, and the case of the Ridgway’s Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi) is no exception! This Critically Endangered raptor is endemic to Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), but despite its historically widespread distribution, it had not been spotted in Haiti since 1962. A chance encounter on one of Haiti’s satellite islands prompted hope and a follow-up study as Anderson Jean and colleagues sought to confirm their suspected sighting of the species. Thus began an epic scavenger hunt to rediscover this unique hawk on the Haitian side of Hispaniola! The authors shared a behind-the-scenes look at their discovery and their ongoing work to conserve the Ridgway’s Hawk.

Map showing current known Ridgway’s Hawk distribution on Hispaniola. (Map by Leah Dunn of The Peregrine Fund)

The first sighting in 2019 was entirely by chance—or rather, by fate. Anderson Jean and Maxon Fildor were conducting a rapid ornithological assessment of Les Cayemites, two islands off the southwestern coast of Haiti, as part of a baseline study for the recently declared Baradères-Cayemites protected area. They were compiling information on the terrestrial vertebrates present to inform the management plan for the region. It was then that they spotted two raptors in flight—rushing to document what they could, they speedily took pictures, videos, and audio recordings to aid in identification. One of those two birds was later identified as a juvenile Ridgway’s Hawk, the first sighting of the species in Haiti in over 50 years, and the first sighting for Les Cayemites in over a century.

A juvenile Ridgway's Hawk perched on a branch.

Juvenile Ridgway’s Hawk spotted by Anderson Jean and colleagues on Petite Cayemite. (Photo by Anderson Jean)

Photo of a Ridgway's Hawk perched on a tree with a snake held in its talons.

Adult female Ridgway’s Hawk with a green vine snake on Petite Cayemite. (Photo by Thomas Hayes)

With this confirmation, the authors returned the following year with a purpose, partnering with The Peregrine Fund to conduct systematic surveys on the Baradères Peninsula and both Petite and Grande Cayemite. Between 2020 and 2021, the group detected as many as 19 Ridgway’s Hawks in the region—a veritable population! And not only is a population present, it also has the potential to persist as the birds are breeding.

The authors describe their most memorable moment as the instance, in 2021, when they found two nests on Grande Cayemite for the first time. Whilst the nest was located high in a tree on a weak branch too high and risky to climb, the evidence of breeding was enough. On the smaller cay, Petite Cayemite, they have only observed one breeding pair to date, but that pair has nested every single year since they were spotted in 2019. Another exciting development is that the authors banded their first Ridgway’s Hawk chick in 2023, which will surely provide more insights to this ongoing research.

Ridgway’s Hawk nest in a gumbo limbo tree with a juvenile hawk perched above. (Photo by Anderson Jean)

Ultimately, Jean and colleagues hope that their research will contribute to the body of knowledge on this charismatic species, and help conservationists understand the causes of population decline and to increase the population size in Les Cayemites. They are continuing their search in nearby areas like Pestel, Grand Boukan, and Gonâve Island. Although White et al. did not find any sign of the species in their 2012 raptor survey of Gonave Island, it is possible that Ridgway’s Hawk have recolonized the island in the decade that has since passed. Anderson Jean and his colleagues hope to eventually witness the reintroduction of the species throughout its historical range.

Photo of a deforested hilltop on an island. — La Gonâve Island, Haiti. (Photo by Justin White)

Amidst this exciting rediscovery in Haiti, on the other side of the island of Hispaniola, another fascinating investigation was underway! Samantha Hagler and colleagues studied the breeding behavior of the species—looking particularly at pre-breeding behavior—observing and recording the birds to gain insights into how they form and strengthen pair bonds. This research supports ongoing conservation efforts to restore the Ridgway’s Hawk population, including a past project by The Peregrine Fund that translocated hawks to create a new population in Punta Cana. Translocating the hawks was a challenge within itself, with initial successes limited by high mortality rates due to power poles near the sites. Dwyer et al. document the creative solutions that had to be used to minimize hawk mortality, leading to eventual success of the program.

Ridgway’s Hawks hatched in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic thanks to The Peregrine Fund’s Assisted Dispersal Program. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)

Photo of a Ridgway's Hawk feeding its chick in its nest. The prey is dangling from the parent's beak with its back turned towards the photographer but head turned sideways.

Ridgway’s Hawk parent feeding its chick in the nest. (Photo by Dax Román)

At the newly established population in Punta Cana, Hagler et al. tracked three established breeding pairs to compare them (and their behaviors) to the source population in the Los Haitises National Park. Interestingly, pre-breeding behaviors actually differed between the two groups. This could be a function of the populations’ size, density, or different levels of development—and raises even more questions that will be critical to better understanding and conserving the species.

Between these two populations in the Dominican Republic and the newly found population in southwestern Haiti, the future of the Ridgway’s Hawk looks brighter than in previous years. Thanks to the award of a BirdsCaribbean Betty Petersen Conservation Fund grant, Anderson Jean is continuing his urgent work to map and protect Ridgway’s Hawk populations in Haiti. His surveys will be further extended to the larger island of Grand Cayemite. To additionally address anthropogenic threats, the team will initiate an educational campaign directed at local communities, especially schoolchildren and farmers. Outreach materials will be distributed in the communities and a special curriculum will be presented in local schools.

We look forward to further research and reports on this important endangered and endemic raptor, as it provides hope for the conservation of other raptors throughout the Caribbean.

The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology publishes the peer-reviewed science on Caribbean birds and their environment that is so important to inform conservation work. All of the publications are free and open-access.

New Educational Guide on Caribbean Raptors Gets Off to a Flying Start in the Dominican Republic

The Peregrine Falcon is famously known as the fastest animal on Earth, reaching speeds of up to 240mph when in a dive. (Beth Hamel)

Birds of prey are magnificent, powerful creatures, with a mystique all their own. They play an essential role in Caribbean ecosystems. Sadly, however, their significance as the only native terrestrial predators in the region is often underestimated and misunderstood.

Hispaniola Program Director at The Peregrine Fund, Marta Curti, is one of those conservationists who believe that raptors don’t get the attention they deserve. To inspire others with her own personal passion for the birds, she has written a remarkable new 200-page publication entitled “Raptors of the Caribbean: Education and Conservation Resource Guide.” It is available in Haitian Creole, Spanish and English, and divided into four chapters, each including fun and enlightening educational activities and a learning evaluation. The guide covers identification of raptor species, conservation techniques, and—most importantly—explains “Why Raptors Matter.”

Cover of the new Raptors of the Caribbean Education & Conservation Resource Guide.

“I believe the completion of this guide is a major milestone for raptor conservation throughout the Caribbean,” says Marta. “I hope this guide will help in fostering passion and compassion for the region’s birds of prey and will inspire students, teachers, biologists, and others to work to conserve these amazing birds.”

After piloting a draft version at the 2022 BirdsCaribbean Conference in Puerto Rico, Marta is now busy conducting in-person teacher training workshops in the Dominican Republic, using the completed guide to expand educators’ knowledge and awareness of the birds.

The workshop includes hands-on, dynamic activities including constructing life-sized hawks using recyclable materials, participating in “raptor Olympics,” a “food chain relay race,” and putting on a play. Marta’s goal is to extend these workshops across the region—while at the same time “training the trainers” to continue teaching students, community members, and educators about the importance of our amazing hawks, falcons, and kites.

Nature sketching and bird observation. (Marta Curti)

Training Workshop practicing bird observation skills. (Marta Curti)

Building a life sized Ridgway’s Hawk out of recyclable materials (Marta Curti)

Caribbean birds of prey vary greatly in size, behavior, and their preferred habitats. Some are migratory or passage migrants, transiting through the region, such as the Peregrine Falcon itself, which may be becoming more common in urban areas. Another speedy and powerful hawk, the Merlin, also migrates from north to south in the winter. Others such as the American Kestrel and the Red-tailed Hawk are seen more often. While some raptors are quite adaptable to new environments, several endemic species and subspecies are in need of help: for example, the Ridgway’s Hawk, Cuban Kite, Grenada Hook-billed Kite, and Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk. Climate change, deforestation, hunting, and persecution are among the dangers they face.

The Ridgway’s Hawk is one of the most critically endangered raptors in the world, with fewer than 500 individuals remaining. (Dax Roman)

Merlin Female taking off. (Phoo Chan)

The American Kestrel is a more frequently seen migrant to the region. (Photo by Imran Ashraf)

Since the printing of the new guide, Marta has completed two training workshops for a total of 39 people, including teachers, field technicians with the Ministry of the Environment, biology students, and women from rural communities who she hopes to involve more in our conservation efforts through a Women’s Conservation Fellowship. One of the best comments we received from participants were: “These activities really show how much we know about the Ridgway’s Hawk,” and “I am so surprised about how much we have learned in just two days.” Another great comment was short and sweet, “I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time as I have during this workshop.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the workshops and/or how to access a copy of the Raptor Education Guide, please contact: Marta Curti

BirdsCaribbean is proud to support this groundbreaking initiative, through the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund; along with the VanTienhoven Foundation, ACSEH, and National Aviary and partners in the Dominican Republic: Fundación Propagas, Fundación Grupo Puntacana, the Dominican Republic Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, and ZOODOM (National Zoo of Santo Domingo).

Fostering Raptor Conservation in the Caribbean Through Environmental Education

Saving a Species in Peril—A Holistic Approach to Conserving the Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic

Community Resilience Boosts Conservation of the Ridgway’s Hawk in the Age of COVID-19

Coming Together for Conservation: How the Support of a Community is Helping Protect the Ridgway’s Hawk from Extinction

August 11, 2023

Una Nueva e Interesante Guía de Campo para Ayudar a los Cubanos a Conocer y Disfrutar de sus Aves Locales: Entrevista con los Autores

Front and back covers of Birds of the National Botanic Garden of Cuba. — Portada y contraportada de Aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba. El Carpintero Verde Cubano, en la portada, es el único representante de los géneros endémicos cubanos que viven en el jardín.

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Con casi 500 hectáreas, el Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba ofrece un oasis verde a las aves, a otros animales salvajes y a las personas, en la capital, La Habana. Es conocido por su extensa colección de palmeras, sus muestras etnobotánicas, sus invernaderos y su sereno Jardín Japonés. De noviembre a febrero es un lugar ideal para observar aves migratorias, mientras que algunas de las aves endémicas y autóctonas más emblemáticas de Cuba pueden verse durante todo el año.

La nueva guía de campo “Aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba” es la obra más completa, autorizada y actualizada de su género. Hablamos con sus autores, el Dr. Martín Acosta, la Dra. Lourdes Múgica y la MSc. Karen Aguilar, sobre la guía de campo. Nos hablan de la exhaustiva investigación que se llevó a cabo para su creación, de cómo el equipo perseveró a pesar de los numerosos contratiempos, de sus sorprendentes hallazgos y gratos recuerdos en el jardín, y de consejos para los aspirantes a autores de guías de campo.

¿Qué los inspiró a crear una guía de campo para las aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional?

Es una larga historia de amor entre nuestro grupo y las aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional. En 1982 el Dr. Martin Acosta comenzó a tutorear una tesis de licenciatura sobre las aves del jardín, desde entonces se dio cuenta que, con sus casi 500 hectáreas y variada vegetación, era un lugar privilegiado, a pesar de que en ese entonces se detectaron menos de 40 especies. A partir de ahí realizamos varios estudios sobre la ecología de las especies que habitaban las diferentes zonas que conforman el jardín.

Portada de la primera guía de campo de las Aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba, publicada en 1990.

Más adelante en 1990 publicamos una pequeña y rústica guía para identificar las aves, contaba con 41 especies, como no teniamos cámara ni forma de obtener las ilustraciones, el Dr. Vicente Berovides, profesor de la Universidad de la Habana, dibujó a mano y con lápiz cada una de las aves, e increíblemente, se lograban identificar. Esa simple guía se vendió rapidamente, con lo cual pudimos constatar que que el público estaba ávido de ese tipo de información.

A partir del año 1990 llega a Cuba el conocido Periodo Especial, con una profunda crisis económica que no nos permitía investigar en las aves acuáticas de las arroceras y humedales naturales, donde centrabamos nuestras investigaciones. Ese hecho dio lugar a que toda nuestra energía y tiempo se enfocara en las aves del jardín, adonde viajábamos en bicicleta desde antes del amanecer para monitorear sus poblaciones y ensambles de aves, o hacer algun estudio de su historia natural y ecología o tutorear a nuestros estudiantes en sus tesis.

Con el tiempo nuestro conocimiento del lugar y compromiso de compartir los resultados fue cada vez mayor. Ambos, Martin y Lourdes pensábamos que nos ibamos a retirar sin cumplir ese sueño, pues no contábamos con fondos para garantizar escritura, edición, diseño e impresión de un libro. Aún sin los fondos, pero con todo el conocimiento acumulado de mas de 30 años, en 2019 logramos el impulso final, cuando la Dra. Banessa Falcón, Directora de Docencia e Investigación del Jardín Botánico Nacional, nos insiste en la importancia de lograr ese libro y la MSc Karen Aguilar se une a los autores para contribuir de forma voluntaria con el diseño, la fotografia y todo lo que hiciera falta.

De igual forma la Lic. Neyda Izquierdo, Premio Nacional de Edición en Cuba, realizó la edición de forma gratuita. Por otra parte la Dra. Banessa Falcón, nos apoyó a trabajar en el libro desde sus comienzos y fue nuestra editora científica por la parte botánica.

Karen y Lourdes viajaron en bicicleta al jardín casi todos los días hasta que el libro estuvo terminado.

De esta manera, logramos reunir un fantástico equipo, con el cual el trabajo se convirtió en un constante intercambio de ideas entre personas maravillosas que le dedicaron numerosas horas a garantizar la calidad de los textos en tiempos de pandemia. En fin, que es una obra colectiva, llena de amor, de compromiso y de ciencia.

Hoy día, con 55 años el jardín cuenta con un ensamble de aves que se ha triplicado en diversidad, como respuesta al desarrollo adquirido por la vegetación, hasta el momento 128 especies, (tres de ellas despues de publicar el libro) han sido registradas en él, por lo cual, este grupo de vertebrados se encuentra entre sus mayores atractivos.

Sin dudas, este era el gran momento para traer a la luz la obra que pareció ser una utopía durante mucho tiempo, la cual nos permite valorar la importancia que puede tener un sitio antrópico bien manejado sobre la conservación de las aves, además de generalizar los resultados obtenidos en numerosas investigaciones de campo, que pueden ser útiles para otros jardines botánicos en Cuba y en el mundo.

¿En qué se diferencia esta guía de guías de aves cubanas?

Se diferencia en varios aspectos:

Es la primera guía de aves cubanas elaborada totalmente con fotografías de aves, las guías que existen en la actualidad están basadas en ilustraciones.
La mayor diferencia está en que incluye los close ups de las cabezas de la mayoría de las especies de aves (85%), que permiten apreciar detalles importantes que no son visibles en fotos generales o dibujos.

En el capítulo cuatro de la guía de campo, cada familia tiene una imagen general con las principales características de la familia y, a continuación, se presentan todas las especies de la familia. Cada especie tiene entre dos y seis fotos; los iconos y el texto completan las descripciones.

Es la primera guía que dedica un capítulo a esclarecer la interdependencia entre el desarrollo de las comunidades vegetales y los ensambles de aves que las utilizan, además de dar a conocer diferentes aspectos de la ecología de algunas poblaciones notables . En otro capítulo se estimula la observación de aves en la sociedad cubana y se ofrecen informaciones para su mejor desarrollo.

En el capítulo tres, los autores promueven la observación de aves y dan consejos sobre cómo atraerlas a su jardín. En esta página se destacan varias estructuras vegetales por el impacto que pueden tener en las aves y los recursos que pueden ofrecer.

Es una guía basada en los resultados científicos originales obtenidos por los autores durante más de 30 años, no en una recopilación bibliográfica, e incluye un capítulo donde se expresan muchos de ellos.

En el capítulo dos se presentan los resultados ecológicos publicados y recopilados por los autores durante más de 30 años en el jardín.

La incorporacion de recuadros dentro del texto de los capítulos generales resulta también novedoso en Cuba y permitió profundizar en elementos científicos vinculados al tema tratado y obtenidos por los autores en este jardín botánico.
Se enfoca en una institución de conservación ex situ dedicada fundamentalmente a la conservación de las plantas, con lo cual se une a un pequeño grupo de jardines botánicos en el mundo que cuentan con una guía de aves.
En el capítulo de la Guía de Campo se lograron presentar las 125 especies con 473 fotos. Aunque los autores cubrieron 70 %, el resto se debió a la desinteresada colaboración de 52 fotógrafos cubanos y extranjeros, por lo que es un resultado de la solidaridad en bien de la conservación.
En sus primeros meses de publicación ha obtenido un premio nacional del Instituto Cubano del Libro (Primer Premio de la Crítica Científico Técnica 2022 y el Premio de la Universidad de la Habana al Mejor Libro Científico de Ciencias Naturales en el año. Es la primera guía de aves cubana que logra estos reconocimientos dentro del país.

Háblanos de los autores- ¿Como contribuyó cada uno?

Fotografiar sujetos en movimiento no es fácil, pero Karen perseveró.

Martin y Lourdes tuvieron la idea general de escribir una guía de aves desde 1990, cuando publicaron una primera versión, mucho más simple. Ambos contribuyeron con su larga experiencia, sus datos de campo, y los resultados de las publicaciones. Ellos hicieron la mayor parte del texto, el trabajo de campo y la revisión exaustiva de cada versión. Martín aportó numerosas fotografías, Lourdes muy pocas, creo que un par de ellas.

Karen diseño el libro, aportó la mayor parte de la fotografía, para lo cual le dedicó numerosas horas al trabajo de campo durante el proceso de elaboración del libro e hizo el procesamiento de las imágenes para el capítulo de la guía. Tambien escribío algunos recuadros generales.

Los tres autores mantuvieron una estrecha colaboración e intercambio durante los dos años y medio en que se trabajó intensamente en el libro. Además participaron activamente en la revisión final de los textos, de conjunto con la editora general y la editora científica.

¿Cuánta investigación ustedes necesitaron hacer para escribir esta guía de campo?

Esa es una buena pregunta, porque nunca trabajamos para hacer una guía de campo, trabajamos para contribuir al conocimiento de la historia natural de las aves que viven en el jardin, y mientras más aprendimos, más preguntas surgían. Así realizamos trabajos de reproducción, territorialidad, alimentación, dispersión de semillas, y composición y estructura del ensamble de aves asociado a algunos tipos de vegetación. Todos han sido de gran utilidad para escribir el libro.

Las aves utilizaban el agua del jardín para mantener sus plumas y satisfacer las demandas diarias, así como el comportamiento anual de muda en diferentes especies de aves.

Tras una exhaustiva investigación, los autores descubrieron que el jardín puede satisfacer las diversas necesidades de las aves: alimento, refugio y seguridad.

Lo que si podemos decir es que no es suficiente saber la lista de aves que se han registrado en un sitio, se necesitan años de observaciones, numerosas horas de trabajo de campo y estudiar aspectos esenciales de la ecología de las especies de aves que alli habitan, para así contribuir a su conocimiento de forma más efectiva.

Martin cerrando una red de niebla en el jardín. La red de niebla es una herramienta esencial para el inventario de especies, proporciona índices útiles de abundancia relativa y puede utilizarse para seguir las tendencias temporales de abundancia.

¿Que parte de la creación de la guía de campo – escribir, fotografiar, diseñar o editar- fue más difícil de lograr y un mayor reto para completer el libro?

La fotografía y el diseño fueron los grandes desafíos de este libro. La fotografía, porque nos propusimos una guía basada totalmente en fotos, y completar las fotos de 125 especies, en la que muchas de ellas eran raras o difíciles de fotografiar por su comportamiento, como por ejemplo los insectívoros aéreos, era realmente un reto mayor.

Martin y Karen tomando fotos en el jardín.

El diseño porque fue el primer trabajo de diseño de Karen, por lo que asumir esa tarea implicó largas horas de estudio intenso. Ambos retos fueron vencidos exitosamente.

Martin y Karen hablan de modelos de cámaras y técnicas para conseguir las mejores fotos.

En general fue un reto que tanto la escritura como el diseño fueran atractivos para un público muy amplio que queríamos que incluyera a niños, jóvenes y adultos, observadores de aves y especialistas en el tema.

¿Que los ayudó a mantenerse enfocados en un Proyecto tan largo?

En primer lugar el amor a las aves y conocer la importancia de lograr un libro como este que puede tener un gran impacto en la población y una contribución importante a su conservación. Poco a poco nos dimos cuenta de que el jardin puede contribuir y mucho a que la población conozca nuestras aves, y aprecie no solo su belleza sino todos los servicios ecológicos que prestan.

No es fácil visitar nuestras áreas protegidas, porque se encuentran en zonas aisladas de dificil acceso y poca transportación, sin embargo, el Jardín Botánico Nacional es un sitio cercano a la Habana (solo unos 30 km o 18 millas) y es muy visitado por la población de la ciudad.

En segundo lugar el trabajo de equipo que fue fabuloso y estimulante y nos mantuvo unidos y trabajando duro de principio a fin. Cada foto lograda, cada capítulo terminado, cada especie completada, fue un logro que disfrutamos ampliamente y nos mantuvo entusiasmados para alcanzar la próxima meta.

¿Qué fue lo que más les sorprendió aprender durante la elaboración de esta guía de campo?

Aprendimos cosas importantes, relacionadas tanto con las aves, como con la perseverancia y la fuerza de lograr nuestras metas.

En cuanto a las aves nos impresionó la belleza y complejidad de la cabeza de las aves, los close ups pusieron en evidencia detalles que no se capturan con los binoculares, ni con la fotografía de cuerpo completo.

Otro cosa que nos sorprendió fue el importante papel que juega el algodonero rojo (Bombax ceiba) en los meses de pricipios de año, cuando muy pocas plantas florecen en el jardín. En enero y febrero este árbol se cubre de flores de color rojo intenso y con él se asocian numerosas aves, pero no sólo en busca de insectos, néctar y polen, lo más sorprendente es que las flores acumulan gran cantidad de agua y las aves las utilizan como fuentes naturales, para saciar la sed, en estos meses de seca intensa.

En la parte superior de la página de la izquierda se puede ver a un Herrerillo de cara amarilla buscando agua en la flor de un Algodonero de seda roja; en la parte inferior, en el mismo árbol, un Mirlo cubano busca agua o insectos en las flores.

Para Martin y Lourdes no fue difícil escribir el texto, conocían bien el lugar, las aves y ya habían pasado la experiencia de trabajar en otros libros. Pero para Karen el reto fue inmenso, no sabía de diseño, ni de fotografía ni era capaz de reconocer las aves. Estos coconocimientos eran indispensables para completar el libro.

Eso implicó numerosas horas de auto estudio para aprender a trabajar los programas CorelDraw, Photoshop, e inDesign, tomar cursos de fotografia, estudiar el contenido de las principales guías de aves que se han publicado en América, aprender el estilo particular de brindar la información en las guías de campo, y al mismo tiempo, realizar constantes visitas al campo para tomar fotografias, aprender a reconocer las aves, y trabajar en el libro. Todo en tiempos de pandemias con numerosas limitaciones económicas en el país.

¿Tienen alguna historia simpática que les haya ocurrido durante la elaboración del libro que puedan compartir ?

Hubo muchas historias. Al principio karen dijo que quería que la guía fuera con fotos, para que aportara algo diferente con respecto a otras guías cubanas. Cuando intentó tomar sus primeras fotos, a un sinsonte y un gorrión, después de mucho esfuerzo, no logró ni una foto con su lente, en ese momento se dio cuenta que el camino iba a ser largo, difícil y que le faltaba mucho por aprender.

Recuerdo cuando fuimos al zoológico a tirarle fotos a las garzas que permitieran obtener sus close ups. Las garzas querian dormir y bajaban la cabeza con los ojos cerrados, no había manera de que levantaran la cabeza para tirar las fotos, le gritábamos desaforadamente y en el momento que despertaban Karen tiraba la foto, las personas pasaban y nos miraban como si estuviéramos locas con aquellos gritos, realmente nos reimos mucho.

Otro día Karen se fue sola en moto para el jardín a tirar fotos, al entrar ve un grupo de perritos cruzando la cerca y para la moto para disfrutarlos, pues los perritos le cayeron atrás y pasó buen susto, tuvo que correr a toda velocidad para que no la mordieran.

¿Cuánto tiempo les tomó completar la guía de campo?

Comenzamos en junio de 2019, el libro estuvo listo para imprimir en enero de 2022. Pero durante la covid tuvimos una interrupción de unos 6 meses en que estuvimos totalmente aislados sin comunicación, porque no todos los celulares que teniamos los autores servian para usar el internet y sin poder salir, o sea dos años aproximadamente.

Cuando finalmente logramos comunicación entre todos establecimos un método de trabajo que permitió avanzar relativamente rápido. A la misma vez que se iba avanzando en el texto, se trabajaba en el diseño, realizábamos visitas constantes al jardín, y le dedicábamos tiempo a buscar fotografías donde se reflejara lo que explicábamos en el texto y con lo cual actualizábamos la información.

De hecho, hasta 2019 cuando comenzamos a trabajar en el libro, se habian registrado 105 especies de aves, en 2022 ya ese número habia subido a 125.

Una vez terminada la obra, comenzamos a buscar fondos para la impresión, que finalmente fueron aportados por un proyecto de PNUD, logramos tener los primeros 300 ejemplares en noviembre de ese mismo año.

¿Cómo celebró la finalización de la guía de campo?

Los cinco, los tres autores y los dos editores estábamos tan felices, no podiamos creer que lo habiamos logrado, cuando vimos las primeras pruebas de impresión la emoción fue inmensa, lo celebramos pasando tiempo juntos y compartiendo las vivencias de cada uno.

¿Cuántas aves endémicas viven en el jardín?

De las 27 especies endémicas vivientes que hay en Cuba 10 se han registrado en el jardín y 12 de las 20 reportadas para las Indias occidentales, lo que hace un total de 22 especies dentro de esta categoría.

En el libro aparecen 9 endémicas de Cuba, pero recientemente se registró por primera vez el Tocororo con lo que se suma uno más.

¿Cuales son los mejores recuerdos que ustedes tienen observando las aves del jardín?

Cada vez que visitamos el jardín lo disfrutamos tanto, encontramos algo nuevo, un comportamiento diferente, en fin es difícil de decir. Por ejemplo, ver la salida del sol y el despertar de los pájaros, ver por primera vez la Cartacuba, ave típica de nuestros bosques bien conservados nos pareció increible y recientemente, acabamos de observar el Tocororo.

Cuban Trogon — El ave nacional de Cuba: el trogón cubano. (Foto de Rafy Rodríguez)

Recuerdo una ocasión en que empezó a llover, y tuvimos que tirar las fotos bajo la sombrilla para proteger la cámara, ese día registramos dos especies nuevas y logramos varias fotos de calidad para el libro, estábamos eufóricos!

Registrar una nueva especie siempre fue una fiesta para nosotros, lograr una foto que necesitábamos, con calidad y realizando una actividad que mencionábamos en el texto, ya era otra fiesta, puedo decir que los tres disfrutamos ampliamente cada visita, que en esos dos años fueron más de 60.

¿Donde se puede comprar esta guía en Cuba?

Hasta el momento no ha estado a la venta. La primera impresión ha sido muy corta con una alta demanda. Se ha usado para promocionar el libro y se ha utilizado como premio en concursos, festivales, se ha entregado a fotógrafos destacados de naturaleza, decisores, y algunas bibliotecas.

La segunda impresión que se realizará gracias al Betty Peterson Fund obtenido en el año actual debe dar la posibilidad de que se venda en el Jardín Botánico Nacional o en la Librería de la Universidad de la Habana, Alma Mater, en la Ciudad de la Habana.

¿Como se puede obtener una copia fuera de Cuba?

Esperamos poder vender el libro a través del sitio web de BirdsCaribbean.

¿Ustedes tienen en plan elaborar una versión de la guía en idioma Inglés?

Nos encantaría tener una version en Inglés y la idea es buscar fondos en el futuro para la traducción, diseño y revisión.

¿Qué le diría a un observador de aves que esté pensando en publicar su propia guía de campo?

Sigue adelante, no te detengas, trabaja duro, visita el sitio todas las veces que puedas, registra especies, comportamientos, fechas y lugares. Cuando recopiles suficiente información, busca un buen team y a estudiar y trabajar juntos. Una buena guía de campo es una obra colectiva, que puede ayudar a las aves y a las personas.

Nosotros hemos vivido siempre en un país pobre y bajo un fuerte bloqueo, con pocos recursos, poco transporte, problemas de comunicación y con elevada migración de personal joven. Si nosotros lo logramos, cualquiera que se lo proponga y le ponga empeño, constancia y amor lo va a lograr también.

Nuestros pequeños paises caribeños necesitan conocer su patrimonio natural, y estar conscientes primero de lo que tenemos, para que luego tomen conciencia de la responsabilidad de cada uno en cuidarlo y que todos podemos contribuir de alguna manera a su conservación. Libros como este son el primer paso a dar, el conocimiento conlleva apreciación, la apreciación es un paso importante para la conservación.

Puedes y debes.

Los tres autores del libro, de izquierda a derecha, Karen Aguilar Mugica, licenciada en Geografía, Martin Acosta Cruz PhD. y Lourdes Mugica Valdés PhD, ambos ornitólogos del Grupo de Ecología de Aves de la Universidad de La Habana. Karen es voluntaria del grupo desde hace varios años.

Los doctores Lourdes Mugica Valdés y Martín Acosta Cruz son profesores de la Facultad de Biología de la Universidad de La Habana (Cuba). Imparten tanto cursos formales de ecología como en los programas de investigación y educación ambiental de la facultad. Junto con Karen Aguilar Mugica, son miembros del galardonado Grupo de Ecología de las Aves (BEG) de la Universidad de La Habana. El BEG es ampliamente reconocido por su contribución al conocimiento de la ecología de las aves acuáticas cubanas. Además, son miembros y amigos de BirdsCaribbean desde hace mucho tiempo.

BirdsCaribbean Awards Grants for Ten Projects to Study and Conserve Birds

Oldest Birding Group in Cuba Wins Prestigious Ralph W. Schreiber Award at the 2021 AOS Awards!

The Cuban Ornithologists Year Book 2019

August 10, 2023

An Exciting New Field Guide to Help Cubans Know and Enjoy their Local Birds: An Interview with the Authors

HAGA CLIC AQUÍ PARA ESPAÑOL

At almost 500 hectares, the National Botanical Garden of Cuba offers a green oasis to birds, other wildlife, and people, in the capital city of Havana. It is well known for its extensive collection of palm trees, ethno-botanical displays, greenhouses, and serene Japanese Garden. From November to February it is an ideal place to see migratory birds, while some of Cuba’s iconic endemic and native birds can be seen year-round.

The new field guide “Birds of the National Botanical Garden of Cuba” (Aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba) is the most comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date work of its kind. We speak with the dedicated authors Dr. Martin Acosta, Dr. Lourdes Mugica, and MSc. Karen Aguilar, about the field guide. They share the extensive research that went into its creation, how the team persevered through numerous setbacks, their surprising finds and fond memories at the garden, and advice for aspiring field guide authors.

What inspired you to create a field guide to Birds of the National Botanical Garden of Cuba?

It is a long love story between our group and the birds of the National Botanical Garden. In 1982, Dr. Martin Acosta began tutoring an undergraduate’s thesis on the garden’s birds. Since then, he realized that, with its almost 500 hectares and varied vegetation, it was a privileged place, despite the fact that at that time less than 40 species were detected. From there we carried out and published several studies on the ecology of the species that inhabited the different areas that make up the garden.

Cover of the first field guide to the Birds of the National Botanical Garden of Cuba, published in 1990.

Later, in 1990, we published a short rustic guide to identify the 41 birds we had recorded at the garden. As we had no camera or way to obtain the illustrations, Dr. Vicente Berovides, Professor at the University of Havana, drew each of the birds by hand with pencil. Incredibly, his drawings were good enough to identify the birds! That simple guide sold out quickly, so very early we could appreciate that the public was eager to get this kind of information.

From the year 1990, the well-known Special Period arrived in Cuba, with a deep economic crisis that did not allow us to travel to the field and investigate the waterfowl of the rice fields and natural wetlands that were the main focus of our research in that period. That fact resulted in all our energy and time being focused on the birds of the garden, where we traveled by bicycle from before dawn to monitor their bird populations and assemblages, to do several ecological studies, and to assist our students in their undergraduate theses.

Over time our knowledge of the place and commitment to sharing our results were increasing. Both Martin and Lourdes thought that we were going to retire without fulfilling the dream of having a book for the general public. At the time we did not have any funds to guarantee writing, editing, design, and printing. Even without the funds, but with all the accumulated knowledge of more than 30 years, in 2019 we got the final push when Dr. Banessa Falcón, Director of Teaching and Research of the National Botanical Garden, insisted on the importance of achieving this book. Karen joined the authors to contribute voluntarily with the design, photography, and anything else that was needed.

Similarly, Neyda Izquierdo, winner of the National Publishing Award in Cuba, edited the book free of charge. Additionally, Dr. Banessa Falcón, supported us in working on the book from its inception and was our scientific editor for the botanical topics.

Karen and Lourdes traveled by bike to the garden almost every day until the book was completed.

In this way, we managed to assemble a fantastic team, with whom the work became a constant exchange of ideas between wonderful people, who dedicated many hours to ensure the quality of the text in the pandemic times. In the end, it was a collective work, full of love, commitment, science, and fun!

Today, within 55 years, the garden has an assemblage of birds that has tripled in diversity in response to the vegetation development. So far 128 species, (three of them after publishing the book) have been registered, so this group of vertebrates is among its greatest attractions.

Undoubtedly, this was the great moment to bring to light the work that seemed to be just a dream for so long. Our research shows the importance that a well-managed anthropogenic (man-made) site can have for the conservation of birds. In addition, we hope that this field guide may be a useful model to other botanical gardens in Cuba and the world.

How is this field guide different from other Cuban bird guides?

It differs in several aspects:

It is the first Cuban bird guide made entirely with photographs of birds; the guides that currently exist in Cuba are based on illustrations.
The biggest difference is that it includes closeup images of the heads of most bird species (85%), which allow you to appreciate important details that are not visible in general photos or drawings.

In Chapter Four of the field guide, each family has a general picture with the main characteristics of the family and then, all the species within the family are presented. Each species has between two to six pictures; icons and text complete the descriptions.

It is the first guide that dedicates a chapter to the interdependence between the development of plant communities and the assemblages of birds that use them, in addition to revealing different aspects of the ecology of some notable populations. The guide also includes a chapter that encourages bird watching in Cuban society and offers strategies for its development.

In Chapter Three, the authors promote birdwatching and give advice on how to attract birds to your garden. In this page several vegetation structures are highlighted because of the impact they may have on birds and the resources they can offer.

It is a field guide based on the original scientific results obtained by the authors from more than 30 years of research, not on a bibliographic compilation, and it includes a chapter where many of these results are shared.

In Chapter Two, the published ecological results collected by the authors for over 30 years at the garden are presented.

The incorporation of informational boxes within the text of the general chapters is also new in Cuban bird guides. They offer a deeper understanding of the scientific elements, and were obtained by the authors in this botanical garden.
The book focuses on an ex situ conservation institution, dedicated primarily to the conservation of plants, which now joins a small group of botanical gardens around the world that have their own bird guide.
In the Field Guide chapter, 125 species are presented with 473 photos. Although the authors provided 70% of the pictures, the rest are from the selfless collaboration of 52 Cuban and foreign photographers, so this guide is a result of solidarity for the good of conservation.
Soon after the guide was published, we received a national award from the Cuban Book Institute (First Prize for Technical Scientific Criticism 2022) and the Prize for Best Scientific Book of Natural Sciences from the University of Havana. It is the first Cuban bird guide to achieve these recognitions within the country.

Tell us about your team of authors—how did each contribute?

Taking photos of moving subjects is not easy but Karen persevered.

Martin and Lourdes had the general idea of writing a bird guide since 1990, when we first published a much simpler version. Both of us contributed with our long experience, field data, and results from published studies. We wrote most of the text, and did the exhaustive revision of each version. Martin also contributed numerous photographs that are used in the field guide.

But it was Karen who designed the book and supplied most of the photos. She spent many hours doing fieldwork during the book’s development, and processed the images for the guide. She also wrote some informational boxes.

The three authors worked closely and intensively during the two and a half years it took to complete the book. We also actively participated in the final revision of the text, together with the general and scientific editors.

How much research did you need to do for this field guide?

That’s a good question, because we never worked to make a field guide, we worked to contribute to the knowledge of the natural history of the birds that live in the garden, and the more we learned, the more questions arose. So we carried out research on reproduction, territoriality, feeding, seed dispersal, and composition and structure of the assembly of birds associated with some types of vegetation. The findings have all been very useful in writing the book.

The birds used the water from the garden to maintain their feathers and meet daily demands, as well as the annual molting behavior in different bird species.

After extensive research, the authors found that the garden can meet the birds’ diverse needs: food, shelter and security.

What we can say is that it is not enough to know the list of birds that have been recorded in a site. It takes years of observations, and countless hours of fieldwork, to study essential aspects of the ecology of the species of birds that live there to contribute to their knowledge more effectively.

Martin closing a mist net at the garden. Mist netting is an essential tool for species inventory, provides useful indices of relative abundance, and can be used to track temporal trends in abundance.

What part of creating this field guide—writing, photographing, designing and editing—did you have the hardest time with or find most challenging?

Photography and design were the biggest challenges of this book. Photography, because we set out to create a guide based entirely on photos, and getting good-quality photos of 125 species, many of which are rare or difficult to photograph because of their behavior, such as aerial insectivores, was really a major challenge. At the end all species have photos and each species identification page has between 2 to 6 photos.

Martin and Karen taking photos in the garden.

Martin and Karen talk about camera models and techniques to get the best photos.

The design was challenging because it was Karen’s first design job, so taking on that task involved long hours of intense work. Both challenges were successfully overcome.

In general, it was challenging to achieve our goal that both the writing and the design were attractive to a very wide audience, including children, young people, adults, birdwatchers, and specialists in the subject.

What helped you to stay focused on such a large project?

First of all, the love of birds. Knowing that a book like this can have a great impact on Cubans and contribute to bird conservation also motivated us. Little by little, we realized that the garden can contribute a lot to local knowledge and the appreciation of birds, helping people to value not only their beauty, but also all the ecological services they provide.

Secondly, it is not easy to visit our protected areas because they are located in isolated areas that are difficult to access and transportation is scarce. However, the National Botanical Garden is situated close to Havana (only about 30 km or 18 miles) and can be easily visited by the population of the city.

Finally the teamwork, which was fabulous and exhilarating. It kept us together and working hard from start to finish. Every photo achieved, every chapter completed, every species completed, was an achievement we thoroughly enjoyed and it kept us excited to reach the next goal.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating this field guide?

We learned important things related both to the birds, as well as to perseverance and the strength we have to achieve our goals.

As for the birds, we were impressed by the beauty and complexity of the birds’ heads—the close-up photos highlighted details that are not captured with binoculars or full-body photography.

Another thing that surprised us was the important role played by the Red Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba) in the early months of the year, when very few plants bloom in the garden. In January and February, this tree is covered with beautiful red flowers and numerous birds are attracted to them, but not only in search of insects, nectar and pollen. The most surprising thing is that the flowers accumulate a lot of water, and the birds use them as natural sources, to quench their thirst, in these months of intense dryness.

At the top of the left-hand page you can see a Yellow-faced Grassquit looking for water in a Red Silk Cotton tree flower; at the bottom, in the same tree, a Cuban Blackbird looks for water or insects in the flowers.

For Martin and Lourdes, it was not difficult to write the text, they knew the site and the birds well and already had the experience of working on other books. But for Karen the challenge was immense, she did not know about design, nor photography, nor was she able to recognize the bird species. All this knowledge was necessary to complete the book.

That involved numerous hours of self-study to learn how to work CorelDraw, Photoshop, and InDesign programs. So Karen took photography courses, studied the content of the main bird guides that have been published in America, and learned the particular style of providing the information in the field guides. At the same time, she made frequent visits to the field to take photographs, and learn to recognize the birds, and she kept working on the book every single day during those years.

Any fun stories to share during the process of writing, photographing, design, and editing?

There were many stories. At first Karen said she wanted the guide to be with photos, so that it would bring something different from other Cuban guides. When she tried to take her first photos, a mockingbird and a sparrow, after much effort, she did not achieve anything with her lens—at that moment she realized that the road was going to be long, difficult, and that she had a lot to learn.

I remember when we went to the zoo to take close-up pictures of the herons. They were asleep with their heads lowered and eyes closed. Yelling at them was the only way to wake them up. We shouted wildly and the moment they woke up Karen took the photo very fast. People passing by looked at us as we were screaming at the herons and by the looks on their faces, they thought we were crazy. We really laughed a lot.

Another day, Karen went alone on a motorcycle to the garden to take photos. When entering the garden, she saw a group of puppies crossing the fence and stopped the motorcycle to play with them. But the puppies ran after her which gave her a good scare. She had to run so they wouldn’t bite her.

How long did it take to complete the field guide?

We started in June 2019, the book was ready to print in January 2022. During Covid we had an interruption of about six months in which we were totally isolated without communication, (not all in the team had a good cellular phone to use the internet), and without the possibility to visit each other as we were not able to meet. So we would say that it took approximately two intense years to complete the book.

When the lockdown restrictions were lifted, we established a method of working that allowed us to advance relatively quickly, because at the same time that we were advancing in the text, we worked on the design. We made constant visits to the garden, looking for photographs that helped us explain the text, and with those visits we were constantly updating the information.

In fact, up to 2019, when we started working, 105 species had been registered; in 2022 that number had already risen to 125.

How did you celebrate when the field guide was completed?

The five of us, three authors and two editors, were so happy, we could not believe that we had finished the book. When we saw the first print proof the emotion was immense! We celebrated it by spending time together and sharing each of our experiences.

How many endemic birds live in the garden?

Of the 27 living endemic species in Cuba, 10 are found in the garden; and also 12 of the 20 species reported as endemic for the West Indies—making a total of 22 species in this category.

In the book we report on nine Cuban endemics, but recently the Cuban Trogon was recorded for the first time at the garden!

What is one of your fondest memories of birding in the Botanical Garden?

Every time we visit the garden we enjoy it so much and we learn something new about the behavior of the birds so it is difficult to say. For example, seeing the sunrise and the awakening of the birds, seeing for the first time the Cuban Tody, a typical bird of our well-preserved forests, seemed incredible to us, and recently, we just observed the Cuban Trogon for the first time!

I remember one time when it started to rain, and we had to place the camera under the umbrella to take the photos. That day we registered two new species and got several quality photos for the book, it was unforgettable!

Recording a new species and getting a quality photo that we needed, of a bird doing an activity that we mentioned in the text, was always exciting to us. I can say that the three of us thoroughly enjoyed each visit, which in those last two years amounted to more than 60.

Where in Cuba can someone purchase this field guide?

Right now it is not for sale. We have a small first batch of just 300 printed books and very high demand. The first copies have been used to promote the book and they have been given as a prizes in competitions and festivals, as well as gifted to outstanding nature photographers, decision-makers, and some libraries.

The second printing will be made this year, thanks to a grant from the Betty Peterson Conservation Fund from BirdsCaribbean. We are thinking of selling copies from this second batch at the National Botanical Garden or in the Library of the University of Havana, Alma Mater, in the City of Havana.

How can someone outside of Cuba get their own copy?

We hope to eventually sell the book through BirdsCaribbean’s website.

Do you plan on providing an English translated version of this field guide?

We would love to have an English version and the idea is to seek funding in the future for translation, design, and proofreading.

What would you say to a birder who is thinking of publishing his own field guide?

Keep going, never stop, work hard, visit the site as many times as you can, and record species, behaviors, dates and places. When you gather enough information, find a good team and work together. A good field guide is a collective work, which can help birds and people.

We have always lived in a poor country under a strong blockade, with few resources, little transportation, lots of communication problems, and high migration of young personnel. If we could succeed, then anyone who proposes a project like this and puts in the effort, perseverance, and love will succeed too.

Our small Caribbean countries need to know their natural heritage, and be aware first of what we have, so that later they become aware of the responsibility of each one in taking care of it. We all can contribute in some way to conservation. Books like this are the first step to take—knowledge brings appreciation, appreciation is an important step for conservation.

You can, you should.

The three authors of the book, from left to right, Karen Aguilar Mugica, MSc in Geography, Martin Acosta Cruz PhD. and Lourdes Mugica Valdés PhD, both ornithologists from the Bird Ecology Group of the University of Havana. Karen has been a volunteer with the group for several years.

Drs. Lourdes Mugica Valdés and Martin Acosta Cruz are Professors at the University of Havana’s Faculty of Biology in Cuba. They teach both formal ecology courses and in the faculty’s research and environmental education programs. They, along with Karen Aguilar Mugica, are members of the University of Havana’s award-winning Bird Ecology Group (BEG). The BEG is widely recognised for its contribution to our knowledge of Cuban waterbird ecology. They are, moreover, long-standing members and friends of BirdsCaribbean.

BirdsCaribbean Awards Grants for Ten Projects to Study and Conserve Birds

Oldest Birding Group in Cuba Wins Prestigious Ralph W. Schreiber Award at the 2021 AOS Awards!

The Cuban Ornithologists Year Book 2019

February 28, 2023

BirdsCaribbean Awards Grants for Ten Projects to Study and Conserve Birds

BirdsCaribbean is pleased to announce the 2023 cohort of grantees under our three named awards, the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds, the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, and the new James A. Kushlan Research and Conservation Fund.

These are ten exciting projects that promote the study and conservation of avifauna in six different Caribbean countries. A total of $74,500 was awarded to these projects through the three funds. Learn here about each recipient’s proposed plans, and stay tuned for results and accomplishments featured in future Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and blog articles.

Congratulations to these outstanding researchers and conservationists from our BirdsCaribbean community, we wish you all the best and can’t wait to hear about your results!

Betty Petersen Conservation Fund

Ridgway’s Hawk Conservation and Education Project in Haiti

Anderson Jean, Action pour la Sauvegarde de l’Ecologie en Haïti (ACSEH)

The Ridgway’s Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi), found only on the island of Hispaniola, is one of the most endangered raptors in the world. It is estimated that there are fewer than 400 individuals remaining. Only two populations were known from the Dominican Republic, until 2019 when Anderson and biologists from ACSEH discovered the hawks on Petite Cayemite Island, located off the coast of southwestern Haiti. Since then, they have found more individuals and breeding pairs. These funds will allow the extension of surveys to the larger island of Grand Cayemite. To address anthropogenic threats to this Critically Endangered species, the team will initiate an educational campaign directed at local communities, especially schoolchildren and farmers. Outreach materials will be distributed in the communities and a special curriculum will be presented in two local schools. The project will also organize, for the first time, a Ridgway’s Hawk Festival in May, in collaboration with the mayor and government officials of Les Cayemites.

Birdwatching movement in Cuba as a way to improve the knowledge of Cuban avifauna and promote conservation efforts based on citizen science

Yaro Rodríguez, Cuba Birders Club

Illegal trapping and trafficking of wild birds in Cuba have long been a serious problem in Cuba. However, due to the rise of social media and economic problems caused in part by the pandemic, it has recently reached a crisis point, with tens of thousands of residents and migratory birds captured every year. Yaro along with partner Nils Navarro plan to address this critical problem through growing a nascent bird watching movement in Cuba. These new birders will a) help to put pressure on the authorities to enforce laws protecting wild birds, and b) provide valuable citizen science data to eBird Caribbean, thereby increasing our knowledge of the status and trends of Cuban birds, including further identification of hotspots for endemism and migration stopover sites. The project will provide binoculars and training to community and group leaders that will engage in bird monitoring and share the data through eBird Caribbean. The teams will grow local birding clubs and raise awareness in communities throughout Cuba of the need to protect birds and their habitats through community education and social media. They also plan to increase the interest of participants in birdwatching by organizing a second Cuban Big Year for 2024.

Promoting conservation of birds and nature on St Maarten through education, birding, and bird guide training

Kevin Sammy, Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSM)

Many of the local population on St Maarten did not receive education in relation to local flora and fauna, and therefore feel little responsibility to protect the environment. Conservation and preservation efforts have proven to be challenging when community members are not in touch with the importance of a balanced ecosystem, and therefore don’t value local natural resources. Introducing and connecting others to and educating them on the beautiful bird populations on the island form the foundation on which to build preservation efforts. Nature Foundation Sint Maarten will recruit and train local people to become birdwatchers and bird guides with the goal of increasing awareness of the importance of protecting bird species and their habitats as well as supporting sustainable livelihoods. The trainees will participate in an intensive workshop, led by trainer, Binkie Van es, (graduate of our Caribbean Birding Trail Guide Training Program) to learn about the island’s flora and fauna. In addition, trainees will receive birding equipment and educational resources to help them in their work as guides and to conduct annual bird counts. Participants will be able to practice their skills in a new bird observation deck planned to be built this year. In addition, a public awareness and education campaign will be launched that includes talks and field trips with youth and communities.

Facilitating community involvement in Pawi (Trinidad Piping-Guan) research and conservation

Mark Hulme, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago

The Critically Endangered Trinidad Piping-Guan or Pawi, is Trinidad’s only endemic bird. Its population has been estimated at only 77 to 231 individuals, restricted to moist forested habitats. The main threats to the species are illegal hunting, disturbance, and habitat destruction through quarrying, logging, agriculture, and construction. Mark’s project aims to recruit members of communities in and close to the habitat to participate in the first species survey in 20 years, and foster enhanced awareness of the Pawi and involvement in its conservation. Community members will receive training in Passive (remote) Acoustic Monitoring, a technique that works well for sparse and cryptic arboreal birds. In addition, the recordings will provide them with a soundscape of all the wildlife in their landscape for other research projects, to develop a sense of pride, and for other uses, such as education and ecotourism.

Bird Conservation in the Botanical Garden: Publication of a new field guide

Lourdes Mugica, University of Havana, Cuba

Cuba’s National Botanical Garden is a crucial institution to promote bird conservation in Havana city since it receives 300,000 visitors annually. In surveys initiated in 1983, members of the Ecology Group of the University of Havana have reported 125 bird species in the garden’s diverse landscape that covers almost 500 ha. This funding will cover the printing costs of an exciting new field guide, Aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba (The Birds of the National Botanic Garden of Cuba), and other educational materials, including a bird identification card, a checklist, and a map of the trails. With this project, Lourdes and her colleagues want visitors to experience birdwatching firsthand, learning about the many endemic, resident, and migratory birds that live in or visit the garden seasonally. Their ultimate goal is to increase awareness and appreciation of Cuba’s incredible avifauna, to help reduce local threats such as trapping and keeping wild birds in cages as pets.

Does Los Roques Archipelago continue to be a safe place for breeding colonies of seabirds of Brown Booby, Red-footed Booby, and Audubon’s Shearwater in the Caribbean?

Josmar Márquez, AveZona

Los Roques Archipelago, off the coast of Venezuela, is an important breeding site for seabirds, including the Brown Booby, Red-footed Booby, and Audubon’s Shearwater, with more than 12,000 nesting pairs reported overall. However, the sustainability of these breeding colonies is threatened by a growing tourism industry. Josmar, along with partners from AveZona and other Venezuelan NGOs, proposes to conduct intensive seabird surveys to determine the population sizes and reproductive success of these species, with the aid of camera traps in nests and drones to reach remote areas. Moreover, they will be engaging people from the local communities in the counts, by providing educational materials, training on seabird identification and conservation, and even reaching out to hotels and inns to provide birdwatching opportunities as an income source.

Reproductive management with artificial nests and its effect on the populations of Psittacidae in the Pico Cristal National Park. Cuba

Inés Fernández, Flora and Fauna Enterprise, Santiago de Cuba

The Cuban Parakeet and Cuban Parrot are two threatened endemic species confined to small remnant forest fragments mainly in protected areas in Cuba. However, they maintain their degree of threat, due to all the negative actions to which they are subjected. These include loss of their natural habitats, and illegal hunting and capture for the pet trade. Inés will work on the implementation of an Artificial Nests Program to collect information about the breeding biology of both species in Pico Cristal National Park in eastern Cuba. The project will include a strong educational component for the communities surrounding the park, including the preparation and dissemination of brochures, manuals, and posters, and the recruitment of local residents to be monitors and technicians that will oversee the protection of these ptsittacids. A national awareness campaign will extend through mass media, including TV, radio, and newspapers, to discourage the illegal capture of these birds.

David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds

Establishing a long-term bird banding station in the National Botanical Garden in Havana, Cuba

Daniela Ventura del Puerto, University of Havana

Neotropical migrants have shown steep population declines since the 1970s. These include a diversity of migratory passerines that spend the winter months in the Caribbean region. In addition, the current status of resident bird populations in Cuba is poorly known, and there are no reliable demographic estimates due to very few marking and monitoring methods and their integration into a system that allows large-scale analysis. This makes it difficult to assess impacts on bird populations from loss and damage to habitats, illegal hunting and trade, and many other threats. Daniela proposes to establishing a permanent bird banding station in the National Botanical Garden in Havana. Her objectives are to 1) evaluate the migration phenology of Neotropical bird species that stop over or winter at the gardens, 2) describe the molt strategies and assess the physical condition, survival, and demographic parameters of both migratory and resident birds, 3) describe the reproductive phenology and population dynamics of the resident and endemic birds, and 4) build capacity among undergraduate and graduate students and volunteers in Cuba through their participation in the bird banding and monitoring activities. Daniela recently completed BirdsCaribbean Monitoring Training and Bird Banding Training workshops and is an active member of BirdsCaribbean’s new Bird Banding Network. The banding and monitoring data will provide invaluable quantitative data to evaluate species population trends and fill gaps in our knowledge of natural history and migration and breeding ecology of many resident and migratory birds.

Investigating male and female vocalizations of an understudied endemic Caribbean songbird

Michelle Moyer, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The Caribbean has eight endemic species of orioles, with half of them considered globally threatened. The Puerto Rican Oriole, is one of eight species of Icterids endemic to the Caribbean, but its behavior, ecology, and conservation status are understudied. In addition, this species and others are threatened by human-caused habitat loss and degradation, introduced invasive species, and climate change, including increasing severe hurricanes and drought. This study intends to compare the singing behavior of males vs females, to understand aspects of its breeding behavior, including pair-bond maintenance, and territoriality in Hacienda La Esperanza, northern Puerto Rico. Individuals from different territories will be identified with the aid of colored and aluminum leg bands, to allow a quantitative analysis of their songs using the software Raven Pro. Knowledge of song rates (both males and females) has the potential to vastly improve population estimates, since point counts are based largely on auditory detection of songs.

James A. Kushlan Research and Conservation Fund

First Field Inventory of the Avifauna in Los Colorados ́s Archipelago, northwestern Cuba

Ivalut Ruiz, Managed Resources Protected Area, Cuba

Los Colorados, north of the province of Pinar del Río, is the least explored of the four Cuban archipelagos. Its 28,260 ha were designated as a protected area as recently as September 2021. Ivalut proposes to determine the bird species richness and distribution, and identify the most important nesting, roosting, and feeding areas. This pilot study will help design a long-term monitoring protocol emphasizing the breeding season of species that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, like the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum), whose nesting areas are determined by modifications to sandbars. The data will also allow the development of conservation strategies that can be used by the Protected Area Managed Resources agency and the selection of the best site for the establishment of a field station. The project will engage local residents, particularly by increasing their awareness of the need to protect bird species and their habitats, and how to generate income from nature tourism.

Are you working on or planning a research or conservation project with Caribbean birds? The next call for proposals will be advertised in the fall of 2023. Members of BirdsCaribbean conducting research and conservation work are eligible to apply. Stay informed and don’t miss our announcements by subscribing to our monthly newsletter, joining our listserve and following us on social media (@BirdsCaribbean on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Linked In).

BirdsCaribbean thanks the scientists and conservationists that provided thoughtful and constructive review of the proposals. We are also indebted to our generous donors for making these awards possible. We are pleased and proud to be able to support a diversity of projects in the Caribbean that advance the development of young Caribbean wildlife professionals and contribute to the conservation of Caribbean birds.

If you would like to help us support future projects, please click here to donate. We also encourage you to consider endowments or other large awards to ensure that our grants programs can continue long into the future.

If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note the fund you are donating to. 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

October 21, 2022

Call for 2023 Proposals Now Open: BirdsCaribbean’s Grants for Research and Conservation

September 22, 2022

BirdsCaribbean Congratulates Haitian Conservationist Anderson Jean, Recipient of Stanford’s 2022 Bright Award

BirdsCaribbean warmly congratulates Haitian environmental hero Anderson Jean on receiving Stanford University’s top environmental prize, the 2022 Bright Award, on its tenth anniversary!

Anderson Jean (center) with Haitian schoolchildren planting trees for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival.

“Anderson’s determination and commitment to Haiti’s birds, despite a number of challenges, is truly inspiring to us all. His work is an expression of hope, seeking to instill a love of birds in future generations,” said Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean.

“Anderson’s optimistic spirit is a marvelous example to other conservationists working hard in the field. BirdsCaribbean has been proud to support his work on the critically endangered Black-capped Petrel – funded in part by the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund – creating awareness at the grassroots level. He has also been instrumental in the rediscovery of the endangered Ridgway’s Hawk in Haiti,” added Sorenson.

Trained in Agroforestry and Environmental Sciences, Jean is based in Les Cayes, Haiti. He began volunteering with U.S. researchers surveying the country’s biodiversity. After 13 years in search of the Ridgway’s Hawk, he and a colleague found the endangered raptor in August 2019 on Petite Cayemite Island – a tremendously exciting achievement for him personally, fueling hope for the future.

Adult Ridgway's Hawk — Adult Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo by Pedro Genaro)

Jean also founded the annual festival celebrating the Black-capped Petrel (Diablotin), getting farmers, schoolchildren and entire communities involved in learning about and protecting this remarkable seabird. After training with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Vermont Centre for Ecostudies, Jean served for three years as field biological survey coordinator for Société Audubon Haïti.

In 2017, he founded Action pour la Sauvegarde de l’Écologie en Haïti, which has quickly established itself as a leading advocate for the country’s environment. He currently works with our partner Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC).

Anderson is a long-time member of BirdsCaribbean and has attended a number of our training workshops and conferences. He received a David S. Lee Conservation Fund Award from BirdsCaribbean in 2019 to survey waterbirds at 5 wetlands in Haiti after attending our Shorebird Conservation Training Workshop in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

On his Facebook page, Jean expressed his appreciation: “Thank you to every single one of you who contributed to strengthen my capacity in conservation biology and make me win today the Stanford Bright Award 2022.”

Like BirdsCaribbean, Anderson Jean believes in engaging local residents, inspiring them with a love of birds as an integral part of their own culture. This ensures the sustainability of conservation projects. He is committed to his country, its birdlife – and its people.

Anderson Jean with colleagues from around the Caribbean at BirdsCaribbean's Shorebird Monitoring and Conservation Workshop in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, 2019. — Anderson Jean with colleagues from around the Caribbean at BirdsCaribbean’s Shorebird Monitoring and Conservation Workshop in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, 2019. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Congratulations on your achievement, Anderson! We look forward to continued work with you and wish you all the best in your future research and collaborations. May you stay strong and become ever more successful in support of Haiti’s birds!

To understand more about Anderson Jean’s ground-breaking work, watch his beautiful video, “Haiti, My Love, My Home” – a moving tribute to his country and to the fragile Black-capped Petrel and a discussion on how people and birds can live together, on YouTube (see video below).

Group photo with Anderson Jean and colleagues in Guadeloupe — Anderson (far right) with colleagues from Haiti and Lisa Sorenson at BirdsCaribbean’s Conference in Guadeloupe, 2019.

November 29, 2020

Black-capped Petrel Conservation Through Poverty Alleviation in a Haitian Community

Join Adam Brown as he takes us on a trip to Haiti, to the remote mountain village of Boukan Chat. This village and the people who live there are the focus of conservation efforts to save the elusive and endangered Black-capped Petrel. Find out more about village life and how sustainable agriculture has been helping both the people and the petrels.

The village of Boukan Chat, Haiti is a one-dirt road, dusty small village on the frontier of the Haitian border with the Dominican Republic. To get there from the capital city of Port au Prince is a 6-hour driving adventure that takes you from paved roads, to dirt roads, to riverbeds, and finally up a steep climb to the remote mountain outpost.

EPIC research team driving from Port au Prince to Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by SoulCraft)

Life in the Village of Boukan Chat

With an average income of around $5/day, the residents of Boukan Chat all live in small and simple houses, constructed of concrete blocks with sheet metal roofing that is weighted down on the structure with assorted rocks. There is no power in the village, however, there is a single solar powered streetlight, which is a popular hangout for people after dark.

Everybody in the village is a farmer, from the moms and dads, to the grandparents, to the kids, to the babies on their parents’ (or siblings!) back. The food the people of Boukan Chat eat, is the food they grow. Farm plots range from backyard gardens at residents’ houses in the village to expansive multi-acre farms up in the hills behind town. The local farmers market is on Tuesdays, and as you can imagine, the whole village turns out for the weekly event.

Farmers market day in Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by EPIC)

There is no running water in or around the village. During the rainy season, residents capture and store water in cisterns, but in the dry season, they must travel up to 10 miles by foot, horse, or motorbike to collect their water from a community pump.

Petrel team member Jose Luis, painting a Black-capped Petrel mural on a cistern in Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by EPIC)

There are schools in the village, all of which are private. Often, what this means is that a single teacher in a one-classroom building teaches a mixed-age class of youth, ranging from kindergarten to high school. The classes meet for a couple hours each day, except in the summer – unless the weather is too severe, or a large farm harvest is taking place.

The village is represented in the regional men’s soccer league by an incredibly competitive group of local young men. Games on the weekend are highlights for the whole village and hundreds of people show up to the soccer field, one of the only flat spots in the whole village, to cheer the local squad on.

Two members of the Boukan Chat soccer team (Photo by SoulCraft)

The Search for the Black-capped Petrel Begins

The Black-capped Petrel is an endangered seabird that nests in the Caribbean region. Its local name is Diablotín, which means ‘little devil’, a name likely arising from supernatural beliefs associated with the species’ habit of calling in the dark of night. Currently, the only known nesting colonies are on the island of Hispaniola, although recent evidence suggests that there might also be a small colony on the island of Dominica. With an estimated global population of between 1,000-2,000 nesting pairs, the species is endangered due to habitat loss, threats by introduced predators, and collision hazards along its flight pathways.

Adult Black-capped Petrel sitting on its nest near Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by SoulCraft)

In 2011, the team from EPIC’s partner foundation, Grupo Jaragua, led by Ernst Rupp and consisting of an intrepid group of young field assistants, crossed the border from the Dominican Republic into Haiti and began searching for nesting endangered Black-capped Petrels on the slopes just above Boukan Chat. The team knew little of the village of Boukan Chat but were driven to search these hills, known as Morne Vincent, as they contained some of the last forested areas in Haiti and therefore were likely home to nesting petrels. That year, on that first mission to this area, the team discovered the first known active Black-capped Petrel nests ever recorded.

Petrel team member Perrin using a camera to investigate a Black-capped Petrel nest near Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by SoulCraft)

The Forests and the Farmers

The nesting colony on the forested slopes of Morne Vincent are immediately adjacent to the farming areas of Boukan Chat. These forests and slopes serve as a natural water catchment for the agricultural areas. While surveying on Morne Vincent, the petrel team made introductions with the farmers in the village. Realizing that preserving the forests of this area was crucial to conserving petrel habitat, the team from Grupo Jaragua, along with its partners from EPIC, JACSEH, SoulCraft, and Plant with Purpose endeavored to work alongside these farmers to conserve petrel habitat through sustainable agriculture, increased youth environmental education programming, and improved community savings programs that increase economic resiliency in the face of natural disasters (or a global pandemic!)

The evolution of our Black-capped Petrel conservation initiatives in Boukan Chat and the immediate impact they made on preserving local populations of the petrel, have made it the flagship program of the overall effort to preserve the petrel. With the idea of conserving the petrel through poverty alleviation, our initiatives penetrated most aspects of the Boukan Chat community.

Sustainable Agriculture in Action in Boukan Chat

As part of our sustainable agriculture program in Boukan Chat, we supported the creation of 22 Village Savings Farm Groups, made up of 2,600 people from 409 family farms. Within this program, we do classroom lessons that explain the theory behind sustainable agriculture. Specifically, farmers learned how improved human land use and crop management leads to higher yields, less soil erosion, and increased family incomes. In the field with the farmers, we have together created 520 compost piles, controlled 1,200 linear meters of gullies, installed 6,750 linear meters of anti-erosive barriers, and replaced 96 gallons of chemical pesticides with natural pesticides. Annually, the farm groups together save about $56,280. What do all these numbers mean for the Black-capped Petrel? Less stress on the human communities and reduced encroachment into the last remaining forested nesting habitat of the petrel.

Haitian farmers working to build a soil erosion barrier. — Farmers in Boukan Chat, Haiti working together to build a soil erosion barrier (Photo by Plant with Purpose)

As part of our youth environmental education program, we annually reach 3,600 students in Boukan Chat. Our programs focus on basic environmental themes such as soil and water conservation, the role of plants in the environment, and environmental stewardship in the community. With an eye towards the future, realizing that the youth of the community today will be the farmers of the community tomorrow, we are setting the foundation towards continued sustainable agricultural practices moving forward.

Haitian children learning about the Black-capped Petrel — Petrel team members Jose Luis, Rene Jene, and Anderson Jean teaching a class on petrel biology to a school in Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by EPIC)

The Black-capped Petrel: A Village Icon

Along with the community, we celebrate the collaboration and commitment that we have made together to improve lives of both humans and petrels. We do this through sponsoring the local soccer team, who in turn wear a patch of the petrel on their soccer jerseys. We hire local artists to paint iconic images of the petrel on cisterns in the village. Annually, as part of the Black-capped Petrel Festival, we march together through the village, led by the Black-capped Petrel mascot and the local carnival band, and celebrate our successes together.

Black-capped Petrel mascot leading the parade for the Diablotin Festival in Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by EPIC)

The conservation of the imperiled Black-capped Petrel is about the long game. While we measure our success in short term impacts, true lasting success and firm conservation of the Black-capped Petrel will take decades to implement. Its about buy in with human communities that live among nesting petrels and supporting the improvement of those human lives so that those humans, in turn, are able to make the choice to both support their families at the same time as preserving the petrel. While we have had great success since the first nest was found in 2011, we look forward to the challenges that lay ahead.

This project is funded in part by the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund (BirdsCaribbean), the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Bird Conservancy, and numerous individual donors.

ADAM BROWN is a Senior Biologist with Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC). Adam oversees EPIC’s Black-capped Petrel Conservation Program and has been an active member of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group since 2011. Adam has pioneered the use of radar to track Black-capped Petrels to their nesting colonies on Hispaniola, has led expeditions to locate petrels on islands throughout the Caribbean, and is a strong advocate of collaboration among petrel conservation organizations within the Caribbean region.

find out more about this project and the Black-capped petrel working group here & Here and in the wonderful Videos and articles below!

Missteps and Miracles while Pursuing the Petrel

Rediscovery of Black-capped Petrels on Dominica

Flying with the Devil – Part II: Finger bites and football matches

Flying with the Devil – Part I: On the Ridge

November 23, 2020

Community Resilience Boosts Conservation of the Ridgway’s Hawk in the Age of COVID-19

Local field team member preparing to climb into a Ridgway's Hawk nest — Local field team member preparing to climb into a Ridgway’s Hawk nest (Photo by Eladio Fernandez)

For almost everyone 2020 has been a year of challenges and unexpected changes. The onset of COVID-19 has required all of us to adapt in unforeseen ways. For those working on the Ridgway’s Hawk Conservation Project in Dominican Republic, it has been a year full of surprises, compromises and hope. Find out from Marta Curti what has happened with Ridgway’s Hawk and efforts to promote its conservation in the DR since COVID hit.

Over the past ten years, The Peregrine Fund has invested heavily in recruiting, hiring and training a local team of dedicated, hard-working and passionate parabiologists – local community members who assist conservationists working in the field. We believe our conservation projects can only be successful when they have the support, cooperation and involvement of local people. We believe in this so strongly that a major goal is to build sustainability by eventually having it managed entirely by locals. In a normal year we rely a great deal on our in-country staff, but 2020 put them to the test. They took up the challenge. Even though neither our project manager, Thomas Hayes, nor I were able to travel to Dominican Republic during 2020, our teams on the ground kept working despite the pandemic. Remarkably, they have achieved most of the project objectives to date.

The Most Successful Breeding Year

In 2009, we began a Ridgway’s Hawk reintroduction program in Punta Cana. Prior to that, hawks had not been documented in the area for decades. Thanks to this program, we observed the first successful breeding attempt in 2013, when a young male hatched and fledged from a wild nest. Each year thereafter, the population has been growing steadily. We are very happy to report that 2020 has been the most successful nesting season in Punta Cana to date! During this breeding season, our team monitored 18 pairs of Ridgway’s Hawks, 17 of which made nesting attempts. A whopping 21 nestlings successfully fledged, and our crew was able to band 18 of them. Placing bands on young birds is a way for us to monitor the survival of the fledglings and their dispersal patterns.

Some Hitches and Delays

While our field work continued quite smoothly, we had to postpone a few important activities due to COVID-19. First, we postponed releasing any additional young hawks at our second reintroduction site (Aniana Vargas National Park) until 2021. Despite this setback, our team continued to monitor the hawks we had released there in 2019. While it did not observe any successful breeding attempts this season, a few bonded pairs and some nest building activity were reported!

Adapting to the Pandemic with Online Education

Ridgway's Hawk — Ridgway’s Hawk adult (photo by John Hannan)

Our education and community outreach programs were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We were unable to conduct face-to-face education outreach for most of 2020, and we had to postpone our pilot education campaign which had been scheduled for June.

This is disappointing after such great success in 2019 where, in October alone, we had reached 1,600 adults and children through our environmental outreach program. We were also unable to build on 2019’s outreach momentum. We had distributed 10 chicken coops, held 3 workshops (reaching 34 people, 19 of which were teachers) and visited 18 communities and 4 schools. However, islanders and conservationists are always willing and able to adapt to adverse situations. Although we could not engage in any live Ridgway’s Hawk Day activities this year, we hosted an online presentation followed by a question and answer session with members of our field teams in Los Limones and Punta Cana. We had 17 participants for this event.

An Exciting New Education Guide Goes Bilingual

Child coloring in a Ridgeway's Hawk — Children from Santo Domingo spent a morning learning about birds of prey and engaging in art activities related to the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo by ZOODOM)

We designed and printed new bilingual education materials (in Spanish and Haitian Creole). We provided some of these materials to our counterparts in Haiti for their community education activities. We continue to work on the text and design of our raptor-based environmental education guide, which we originally planned to distribute only in the Dominican Republic. The scope of the guide has now grown, and it will be made available to educators throughout the Caribbean, available in English, Haitian, and Creole Spanish.

Happily, last month, we were able to begin face-to-face educational programs on a limited basis. Partnering with the local platform ZOODOM, we worked with 12 children and 8 adults. They saw a live Red-tailed Hawk and Ashy-faced Owl and then received a short presentation on the Ridgway’s Hawk. Afterwards, the children colored a picture of the Ridgway’s Hawk.

The COVID Experience Has Taught Resilience

As we look to 2021, a great deal of uncertainty remains regarding travel and our ability to carry out face-to-face programs. Our main concern is the safety of our teams and the people in the communities where we work. However, what 2020 has taught us is that we are resilient and so is the Ridgway’s Hawk. Despite the pandemic, this year’s results and the efforts of our team truly give us hope that our project’s sustainability goals are achievable. The long-term protection of this Critically Endangered raptor is also making progress, before our very eyes. We want to thank the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund and all its supporters for making this work possible. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, please rest assured that we will carry on the work and the dream of community-based conservation.

Biologist working with child — Gabriela Diaz, a biologist and environmental education with the The Peregrine Fund, works with children from Santo Domingo to teach them about birds of prey and the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo ZOODOM).

Find out more about the work of The Peregrine Fund to save this critically endangered raptor and read past updates from the project here:

It Takes a Village: The Importance of Community Engagement in Conservation

Coming Together for Conservation: How the Support of a Community is Helping Protect the Ridgway’s Hawk from Extinction

Saving a Species in Peril—A Holistic Approach to Conserving the Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic

And find out more about Ridgway’s Hawk here:

From the Nest – Day 5

November 19, 2020

First Encounters with the Elusive White-breasted Thrasher in Saint Lucia

The White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus) is an Endangered songbird with an extremely small and increasingly fragmented range. Over 80% of the global population is found in Saint Lucia, most of it within the Mandelé range, which is considered the stronghold for the species at about 1,000 adults. (the remaining 20% is in Martinique). Bela Barata, Field Programme Officer with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, takes us into the field to find and study this elusive bird.

A pair of White-breasted Thrashers in the wild (Photo by Robert Curry, 2007)

On a sunny February morning, beneath the canopy of dry scrub forest along the central East Coast of Saint Lucia, staff of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Saint Lucia National Trust and the Division of Forestry prepared to complete the day’s task: checking camera traps in White-breasted Thrasher territory. One factor that limits reproductive success of this bird is nest predation by native predators such as the Saint Lucia boa constrictor and non-native predators such as rats, cats, and mongoose. The team had recently installed a network of camera traps, which take photos when trigged by motion, across the Mandelé range to get an indication of potential predator abundance in the area. These cameras were being monitored on a regular basis by Durrell and our partners.

Saphira Prepares to Meet the Thrasher

This assignment would turn out to be a great occasion for Saphira Hunt, Conservation Assistant at the Saint Lucia National Trust and Durrell’s Project Officer. Saphira has been working to raise people’s awareness to conserve this endangered bird for a number of years. Surprisingly, she has never seen a thrasher in the bush. On that day, however, while checking the cameras, she would come across the Endangered White-breasted Thrasher for the very first time in her life.

Saphira was thrilled with the opportunity and she vividly recalls her excitement: ‘We were trekking into Fer de Lance (Saint Lucia pit viper) territory with two tasks at hand. One was to check on the camera traps placed in the thrashers’ nesting sites and the second task was to see a White-breasted Thrasher live in its habitat—a first for me. Adorned with knee high snake gators, rubber boots, machetes, and snake hooks, we set off on the first trail ever, vigilant for any Fer de Lance along the way. The first camera trap was 5 meters ahead. Guided by a GPS unit, we walked single file; I strategically placed myself between two Forestry Officers each wielding a machete. I figured this positioning would decrease my chances of encountering the venomous Fer de Lance. As much as I was excited to see the White-breasted Thrasher in the wild, it would also be my first time seeing the Fer de Lance in the wild.’

Saphira Hunt, Conservation Assistant at Saint Lucia National Trust and Durrell’s Project Officer, ready for work and moments before spotting a White-breasted Thrasher in the wild. (photo by Durrell Wildlife)

The Sound of Silence (and the Thrasher’s Call)

As we trotted on, we kept our ears and eyes peeled, looking to the ground in hope of seeing the bird thrashing in the leaf litter or calling out to a mate. The lead Forest Officer spotted the first camera trap, while our team got ready to check the SD card for photos of potential predators. The area was scanned for any presence of Fer de Lance. We checked the first camera, and then another one. While we were on the move, a member of our team spotted the thrasher. Everyone stopped to admire, and then silence ruled: we heard nothing but the thrasher’s call.

Saphira describes her first sighting: ‘Onward, forward we went, checking two more camera traps along the trail. Suddenly, we heard the distinctive call of the White-breasted Thrasher. Pius Haynes (Senior Wildlife Conservation Officer of the Forestry Division) moved slowly forward, trying to spot the pair. There they were, perched on a low hanging branch. Everyone moved aside to allow me to quietly walk up to meet Pius where he pointed out the White-breasted Thrasher to me. Oh, what a sight! With their dark topcoats and blinding white under bellies, they were a stunning pair. I stood there in total silence letting the sounds of the forest fill my senses as I watched in awe.’

Pius Haynes sets up a camera trap at the correct height to take photos of our target mammal species. The camera is triggered by motion and will take a photo when an animal passes by (Photo by Jennifer Mortensen)

The team getting prepared to check camera traps in White-breasted Thrasher territory. (photo by Durrell Wildlife)

An Action Plan Took Shape in 2014

Saphira experienced a unique moment; the view of a rare and magnificent bird is something hard to forget. The White-breasted Thrasher was once more widespread in Saint Lucia, but the population is thought to be declining due to fragmentation of dry forest, the thrasher’s habitat, and increased depredation by non-native invasive species, such as rats, domestic cats, and mongoose. Our collaborator, Jennifer Mortensen from the University of Arkansas has been studying the ecology of the White-breasted Thrasher since 2006 and co-wrote the Species Action Plan (produced in 2014). Jennifer describes with great satisfaction how it feels to see a conservation plan being put forward for this species:

“I remember the day. It was 2014. A beautiful February afternoon. This was my 8th trip to Saint Lucia, but the ﬁrst time visiting during the “winter.” Clear skies, slight breeze, low humidity, few mosquitos. Why had I always come during the “summer” rainy season? Well, for one, the mangoes. But more importantly, I suppose, the rainy season is the breeding season for the White-breasted Thrasher. And I love that bird. They are kings of the dry forest. They are spunky. Some say they have an understated elegance that is unrivalled across the Caribbean. And they are Endangered, which is why we met that afternoon in Dennery in February of 2014 to hash out the species’ ﬁrst conservation plan. This plan, called the Gòj Blan Plan after the thrasher’s local Kwéyòl name, leads directly to the work we are doing now, six years later. To see those discussions and all that planning turning into conservation action is really exciting.”

Jennifer Mortensen, from the University of Arkansas, retrieving camera trap data with a team of conservationists from the Saint Lucia Forestry Department, including Stephen Lesmond, Therence Eugene, Jeannette Victor, and Jonathan Cornibert (from right to left). (photo by Durrell Wildlife)

Jennifer recently returned to Saint Lucia to support implementation of our White-breasted Thrasher project. She was a little nervous to return to Saint Lucia after six years away. She recalled, “While I’d kept in touch with friends and colleagues, and often thought about thrashers (still analysing ﬁeld data), I didn’t know what to expect. However, seeing the Pitons as we approached the island, the colourful roofs of Vieux Fort, the faces of friends at airport arrivals, and then ﬁnally, being back in the bush with the thrashers—it felt, at once, like no time and all the time had passed. Birds we banded in 2012, now 8 years older, were still thrashing about in the leaf litter only 60m from where we last encountered them.”

Betty Petersen Grant Supports Predator Study

We are working with a wide range of collaborators, partners, and funders to save and protect this endangered bird. With the support of BirdsCaribbean’s Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, our current work is looking into nest predation and investigating the abundance and activities of invasive predators like the mongoose. Predation is considered the primary cause of White-breasted Thrasher nest failure. It is also suspected to be the most important cause of juvenile mortality. Data we collect on non-native predator abundance and locations via our camera trap network will serve as a baseline and will assist us in the design of a non-native predator control programme, which is the next step of the project.

Non-native mammal predators caught on our network of camera traps. Starting bottom left and moving clockwise: mongoose, opossum, rats, cat. (photo by Durrell Wildlife)

These activities are based on the Gòj Blan Species Action Plan and will help determine if directed non-native predator control is a viable management strategy to improve nesting success of the White-breasted Thrasher or whether efforts should be focused on other management strategies. We have a dedicated team comprised of wildlife oﬃcers, naturalists, and conservationists from the Saint Lucia Forestry Department, Saint Lucia National Trust, and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Together, and with BirdsCaribbean support, we are ready to promote the conservation of the White-breasted Thrasher in Saint Lucia. We look forward to reporting back after our next field season!

COVID-19 UPDATE

First case of Covid-19 in Saint Lucia was recorded in March 2020, followed by the government announcement of restricted rules to contain the spread of the virus: international flights were prohibited, a curfew was imposed, only essential shops remained opened, and schools were closed.

Our 2020 project goals of beginning the non-native predator control program and schools-based outreach activities could clearly not go on as planned. With schools closed, awareness activities will be postponed until the next academic year. Given the major disruption in international shipping, the equipment needed to implement the invasive species control program could not be delivered, causing us to shift this activity to next year as well. However, all was not put off… Ahead of us was the challenging task of completing another season of White-breasted Thrasher nest monitoring, initially proposed to start shortly after the predator control program in May 2020.

A Safe and Successful Nest Monitoring Season

Field activities were on-hold until July 2020, which is when the government granted permission to start reopening businesses and offices, following specific guidance and safety measures. Since outdoor activities such as fieldwork were considered safe, our team could proceed with nest monitoring. Bela Barata, Programme Officer for Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, said ‘of primary concern was the health and safety of our local staff, who are essential in delivering fieldwork and collecting all the data that underlie our efforts to save and protect the White-breasted Thrasher’.

In Saint Lucia, White-breasted Thrashers may breed between April and September, so we had to act quickly if we wanted to get a good sample of nests to monitor this year: ‘we had to adapt to the current scenario, make appropriate changes to deploy a reasonable survey effort and also ensure this could be done in the safest way possible’, said Bela. To safely deliver this activity, we reduced the field team to two people to ensure social distancing and used trail cameras to ‘watch’ nests. The cameras allowed us to reduce site visits to only once per week where we simply retrieved camera data, limiting contact between team members.

Camera traps were successfully installed in July 2020 and deployed for 1½ months. We recorded a total of 19 White-breasted Thrasher nests during this period, with nests occurring across each of our four field sites. Most importantly, by the end of the monitoring season, our team was well and healthy. We are now working to share the dataset, which contains thousands of photos. With this data our team will be able to calculate nest success, stages of nest failure, nest visitation by potential predators, and depredation events.

The success of this season survey under a global pandemic scenario was only made possible due to a well-coordinated response and the support of multiple partners. Saint Lucia National Trust and Durrell Project Officer, Saphira Hunt, was able to put together all equipment needed for field work in a noticeably short time. Saint Lucia Forestry Department staff was on stand-by, ready to install the cameras at any moment. Our White-Breasted Thrasher expert, Jennifer Mortensen from the University of Arkansas, worked quickly to provide a revised and updated monitoring protocol, setting a step-by-step guide that supported our field team without in-person supervision. From all lessons learnt, the delivery of the nest monitoring this year proved that we have a terrific in-country capacity, which is the bedrock of a relationship of trust and crucial for the long-term sustainability of this project. Together, we are working to achieve one shared goal: saving the White-breasted Thrasher from extinction.

By Bela Barata. Bela is Project Officer with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. She coordinates this project, providing logistic support to the team in the field to deliver project activities, and she provides regular updates on the activity plan.

Close-up of the White-breasted Thrasher (Photo by Hank Tseng and Adams Toussaint)

April 11, 2020

It Takes a Village: The Importance of Community Engagement in Conservation

Soaring above the tree tops of Los Haitises National Park is the mighty Ridgway’s Hawk. Conflicts with humans and changes in its forest habitat have made it hard for this species to survive. Marta Curti gives us an update on the exciting work of The Peregrine Fund to save this Critically Endangered raptor.

Since 2000, when we began our project to conserve the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic (DR), we began to hire and train local crew members to help carry out the field work. In 2011, we increased our recruitment and training efforts greatly. One of our main goals is to make the project sustainable in the long-term, which means giving locals the opportunity and the means to support their families while working directly for conservation.

We currently have over 20 Dominicans employed on our project. Most were born and raised in the very communities where we work, right in the heart of Ridgway’s Hawk territory. These residents range in age from late teens to over 60. They are trained in nest searching, monitoring, data collection, data entry, tree climbing, banding, treating nests to prevent nest fly infestations, and environmental education techniques. They spend long hours in the field, hiking over rough terrain, sometimes in oppressive heat and humidity or torrential downpours, to monitor and protect the hawks. While we are always so grateful for the work they do, this year, more than ever, their commitment to this project has proved invaluable.

Members of the community of Los Brazos create a home-made sign that reads "Welcome to Los Brazos. This community protects the Ridgway's Hawk" to show their support of the conservation project — Members of the community of Los Brazos create a home-made sign that reads “Welcome to Los Brazos. This community protects the Ridgway’s Hawk” to show their support of the conservation project

Communities Take Up the Reins During COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Thomas Hayes (Ridgway’s Hawk Project Director) and Marta Curti (Ridgway’s Hawk Project Environmental Education Specialist), will not be able to travel to the DR for the next several months, if not longer. If this were a “normal” year, we would both be planning a trip now, as the next few months are critical to our project’s success. Ridgway’s Hawk breeding season is in full swing and it is important to continue monitoring, banding, and treating nests. Thanks to our local crew, this work is being accomplished without a hitch!

At our first reintroduction site, the Punta Cana Resort and Club, our team is monitoring 17 pairs. Six of these pairs have hatched 13 young so far this year, while 9 have eggs waiting to hatch! This is an incredible achievement, considering that Ridgway’s Hawks hadn’t been documented in this area since the 1970s and breeding pairs didn’t start to form there until 2013! Though our environmental education efforts have been postponed in order to maintain social distancing, we were still able to reach 1,594 individuals at the beginning of the year. Our crew in Los Limones had a beautiful mural painted at the entrance to the town.

Our field crew in Los Limones organized the painting of a beautiful mural at the entrance to the community to highlight the importance of conserving Ridgway’s Hawk in the area (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)

Los Brazos: An Eco-Friendly Release Site for Ridgway’s Hawks

While our seasoned crews are doing an amazing job in Punta Cana and Los Haitises National Park, we are particularly grateful for the newest additions to our team – our crew from the town of Los Brazos, located within the Aniana Vargas National Park in Dominican Republic. The small town of approximately 100 people relies heavily on the production of shade-grown certified organic cacao. Young and old, men and women, work daily to harvest, dry, process, and sell the crop.

The town itself consists of one dirt road with houses scattered on either side. In and around the town are cacao plantations interspersed with tall trees, wildflowers and wildlife. To maintain the organic certification, they must heed certain rules: no use of pesticides, no killing of wildlife, no cutting of forests. This, and the fact that this area was designated as Aniana Vargas National Park in 2009, was the main reason we chose this area as the newest site for Ridgway’s Hawk releases. Though every area has its unique challenges when it comes to releasing birds of prey, we knew we would be ahead by leaps and bounds releasing birds here. Thanks to support from the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, we were able to release 25 young hawks in this area in 2019.

Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Sete Gañan, leads a jewelry-making workshop in the community of Los Brazos, the site of our newest release site for Ridgeway’s Hawk (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)

Exciting News to Report

Though we had planned to release another group of hawks this coming field season, we have decided to postpone this year’s releases due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, thanks to our local crew, we have some amazing news to report. Our team has documented a pair of hawks building a nest in the area. This is the first pair formed from the previous year’s cohort of released birds, and a huge step in developing an additional hawk population in this region.

A nestling Ridgway’s Hawk is in good hands with our local biologists (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)

While there is so much uncertainty in the world at this time, it is an opportunity to focus on the things we are grateful for. I, for one, deeply appreciate the work of our amazing team and their unending dedication to protect this hawk. And I am grateful to the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund and BirdsCaribbean for continuing to support our work.

By Marta Curti, The Peregrine Fund. Marta began working as a field biologist with The Peregrine Fund (TPF) in 2000 when she worked as a hack site attendant on the Aplomado Falcon project in southern Texas. She has since worked as a biologist and environmental educator on several TPF projects from California Condors in Arizona to Harpy Eagles and Orange-breasted Falcons in Belize and Panama. She has been working with the Ridgway’s Hawk Project since 2011. This project is funded in part by BirdsCaribbean’s Betty Petersen Conservation Fund. Please donate to help this save the Ridgeway’s Hawk!

Our local field crew tracking reintroduced hawks using radio telemetry. Each young hawk was fitted with a transmitter – paid through support from the Betty Petersen Fund – so we could monitor them after release. This is a key part of the program as it helps us keep track of the young birds during the first critical weeks after release (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)

A Ridgway’s Hawk nest with young (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)

A local team member climbs a Ridgway’s Hawk nest tree in order to band nestlings before they fledge. Banding young is an important part of our project as it helps us monitor dispersion patterns and survivability of young hawks through band re-sightings (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)

Our local field crews participate in First Aid training to help keep them safe in the field. This is just one of several training programs we provide (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)

Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Julio Gañan, trains one of our local volunteers, Fredelina Espino Campo, in tree climbing techniques (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)

Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Sete Gañan, observes released Ridgway’s Hawks along with a young community member from Los Brazos. Everyone in the community showed a great interest in the project, and we had visitors both young and old almost every day during the releases (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)

February 24, 2020

Missteps and Miracles while Pursuing the Petrel

Join Jennifer Wheeler as she shares real-life stories from the field about the challenges of saving the endangered Black-capped Petrel, aka Diablotin, from extinction. You might laugh, you might cry, you might want to join the project. Hopefully you’ll feel as inspired as we are about the future of this species, thanks to the hard work of many organizations and people.

Only a very small number of people on the planet can say they have had close contact with a Black-capped Petrel. This mid-sized seabird comes to land only to breed, only at night under cover of darkness, and often heads quickly out of sight into underground burrows. This covert behavior as well as the species’ eerie, wailing vocalizations in the night sky, earned it the name Diablotin (“little devil”) from early European and African arrivals to the Caribbean. It was the birds that should have been afraid: human settlement of the Caribbean, accompanied by the introduction of invasive mammals, reduced the Diablotin from abundant on many Caribbean islands to widely considered extinct by the early 1900s.

LaVisite Escarpment — The Black-capped Petrel nests in burrows or crevices located at typically hard-to-reach, high-elevation spots in both the Haitian and Dominican Republic portions of Hispaniola. Petrel burrows have yet to be found on any other island (Photo by Jim Goetz)

I’ve been cheerleading and coordinating conservation of the Diablotin for a decade, working with numerous partners in the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. The species turns out not to be extinct but very rare. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the total world population is estimated at no more than 1,000 breeding pairs. Only about a hundred Diablotin burrows have been located to date, all on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). It’s actually much easier to see a Diablotin out at sea than find one inland.

My first encounter with the species was in 2009. I saw them zipping by at a distance over the open ocean from the Stormy Petrel, a seabirding tour boat operating out of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Though the Diablotin’s breeding range is limited to the Caribbean, it turns out that they concentrate in a foraging area off the southeast U.S. To observe them at sea, one needs to be out over deep marine waters near or in the Florida Current and Gulf Stream, and that is most easily done where the Outer Banks protrude into the Atlantic. In the subsequent years, I got no closer, and I certainly wasn’t one of the group of people that could say they had touched a Diablotin, seen one up close, or even smelled their fishy body odor. Last year, I decided it was time to change that.

At Sea 2009 — The small number of people who have seen a Black-capped Petrel have usually seen them at a distance from a boat well out at sea in deep marine waters (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)

Hoping for Haiti

In April 2019 I planned on experiencing the Diablotin first-hand on a trip to Haiti. This is the country where most of those one hundred burrows are known to occur. In fact, it was in Haiti that they were re-discovered on a mountain ridge in 1961, after being lost to science for decades. This is miraculous considering that Haiti is one of the most deforested nations in the world, with some estimates that Haiti has retained less than 1% of its primary forest. Almost all of Haiti has been converted to agriculture or grazing, and secondary forest is degraded by wood-cutting and forest product collection. Petrels don’t need trees for nesting but trees and shrubs provide cover and root structure needed for burrow construction. Additionally, socioeconomic conditions in Haiti are so dire that people encountering these species are quite likely to consume them, which of course, is what introduced rats, cats and mongoose would like to do.

The Black-capped Petrel’s exact nesting locations in Haiti have not been easy to find. Even with the knowledge that they persisted on Haiti, it took until 2002 to locate an active burrow and until 2011 to see a living chick. Finding that little fluffball took an incredible number of hours crawling along cliffs and the forest floor, aided by information collected by radar and automated sound recording devices.

There is a small but significant nesting population of Diablotin in southwest Haiti, in a small patch of primary forest near the village of Boukan Chat. Since the discovery of the Diablotin in this area, local and international conservationists have been building relationships with the citizens of the village. Beginning with humanitarian projects, conservationists now pursue a strategy of improving farming practices and empowering local farmers to convert to more sustainable crops. More productivity on existing farmland reduces the likelihood of encroachment into the forest. Winning the hearts and minds of the local people also involves outreach, education and celebration. Foremost among these is the now annual Festival Diablotin Boukan Chat, which I had hoped to personally experience.

Boukan Chat Planting — The conservation of the Diablotin relies on the actions and support of the local people. In the Haitian village of Boukan Chat, farmers are encouraged to switch to sustainable tree crops in buffer areas around the remaining patch of forest harboring petrels (Photo by Ernst Rupp)

Unfortunately, 2019 was not a good year for Haiti and its people. Anti-government protests turned violent last February, with accompanying increases in crime. The U.S. State Department and other authorities advised against travel to Haiti. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) is the organization spearheading much of the education and outreach in Boukan Chat. Adam Brown, project leader, made the disappointing but prudent decision to cancel attendance by international festival team members, including myself.

And yet, civil unrest did not deter the local members from carrying on with the festival! Boukan Chat held a Black-capped Petrel parade with musicians, pupils, farmers, and community members from the village to the soccer pitch. The celebrations ended with a soccer match between two soccer teams, including the appropriately logo’ed Boukan Chat team, ‘The Diablotins.’ There was a nighttime screening of the short film, Haiti, My Love, My Home which tells how the villagers, conservationists and humanitarians, have come together to protect the Diablotin. EPIC just released another amazing film The Diablotin Festival, which portrays the festival and just about makes me cry every time I watch it. I sincerely hope I can attend the Diablotin Festival in-person in the future, and more importantly, that peace returns to Haiti.

2018 Festival Diablotin — A young man in a Black-capped Petrel costume leads the parade during the Festival Diablotin held in Boukan Chat, Haiti. The festival also includes a soccer game and film screening, and is designed to instill interest and pride in the rare bird nesting in nearby forest (Photo by Anderson Jean)

Lost (it) At Sea

May 2019 brought a new opportunity to encounter petrels. This involved another trip on the Stormy Petrel in North Carolina, but with a twist. A team would be attempting to capture petrels at sea in order to fit them with tracking devices. The goal was to learn more about Diablotin movements, and if the transmitters lasted until breeding season the following winter, track them to possibly new and unknown nesting locations. The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) invited Chris Gaskin from New Zealand and his super nifty, specially designed hand-held net launcher for the job.

2019 Prepping the Net Gun — New Zealander Chris Gaskin prepares the air compressor used to launch a spreading net into the air. The net was specially designed to capture flying Black-capped Petrels at sea, in order to fit the birds with tracking devices (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)

Even with this, I confess, I was a doubter. There was no way this was going to work. Petrels are fast flyers and don’t come all that near to boats. What I didn’t realize was that Chris would be shooting from a small, inflatable Zodiac, which apparently doesn’t spook petrels, especially those fixated on the smelly fish oil put out to attract them. On May 8, as I prepared to drive down to North Carolina from Virginia to join in the expedition, I received a text with an image of a flying net enfolding a Black-capped Petrel!

Turns out that the team was fantastic at catching petrels. Brian Patteson, captain of the Stormy Petrel knew where to find the birds. Brad Keitt with ABC and Pat Jodice with the U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Coop unit at Clemson University took turns piloting the Zodiac and Chris into position. Chris never missed after his first shot. Yvan Satgé, also with Clemson, deftly fit each bird with a small solar-powered tracking device and took measurements and photos. Arriving in North Carolina, I helped celebrate the first six Diablotin ever captured at sea and I couldn’t wait to observe and assist.

The weather did not cooperate. The first day after I arrived the seas were too rough to be safe. The next day the seas were too calm; open ocean seabirds like wind. The third day was too rough again. I was out of time and actually began driving home. What was I thinking!?! An hour out I came to my senses and turned back to Hatteras to wait for good seas. Finally, on May 14, conditions looked very promising. And they were! It was so exciting to see a bird netted by Chris and watch the Zodiac speeding back to the boat to hand it over to me. And then, the dream came true: I held a living Diablotin in my hands!

Black-capped being released after fitting with satellite tag. — One of the first Black-capped Petrels ever to be caught at sea and fit with a satellite tracking device awaits release. In total, 10 birds were tagged in May of 2019, tracking petrel movements to as late as January 2020 (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)

Not for long. I rushed to disentangle the net, then thrust the bird into someone else’s hands so I could rush to the side of the boat and throw up my breakfast. My big chance to handle a live Diablotin and I nearly foul its feathers with vomitus. Sigh. I was seasick for the rest of the day, providing only comic relief while the rest of the team successfully captured and fitted four more birds with satellite transmitters. Over the months to come, the birds’ movements were followed via satellite. Amazingly, the bird I almost upchucked upon was still transmitting 8 months later, longer than any other. Maybe it felt the love.

Determined in Dominica

As noted, one of the hopes of the satellite tracking was to see if any of the birds traveled to new nesting locations. Diablotin burrows have been found only on Hispaniola, but hope and evidence exists that they also persist on other islands: notably Dominica, where evidence is very strong. In 2015, radar surveys performed by EPIC picked up 900+ petrel-like targets heading in and out of the mountains of that island. Additionally, individual birds were observed through night-vision scopes during those surveys. And over many years, a handful of grounded birds have been found well inland. Following the radar surveys, technical exchanges were arranged to train and assist in ground searching. In April 2016, a team from the Dominican Republic visited Dominica; another exchange in the opposite direction took place in April 2017. Unfortunately, bad weather limited search time and no burrows were located on Dominica. Then, petrel work and just about everything else on that island was derailed when Hurricane Maria blasted Dominica in September 2017, the strongest storm in that island’s recorded history.

Jennifer Wheeler takes a break on a newly opened trail in Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica, during a January 2020 expedition to look for evidence of Black-capped Petrels on that island. (photo by Stephan Brown)

Last month, I invited myself to assist EPIC’s trip to Dominica to repeat radar surveys after five years and to help resume ground searches. Overcoming the challenges of arriving in Dominica late and alone, needing to navigate across the island’s high mountains in the dark, and driving on the “wrong” side of the road, I began to feel quite confident and helpful. I met with staff from the Division of Forestry; attended to the logistics of rental car, rental house, and groceries and obtained the heavy marine batteries needed to power the radar. My greatest success was finding a supply of small desiccant packs (those little bags of silica used to absorb moisture). I visited a dozen shops dealing with computers, appliances, and clothing, affirming that yes, I did mean those little packets that say Do Not Eat, and finally, met success at a shoe store! I was so proud. But pride goeth before the fall.

Did I mention that Dominica has really narrow roads? And it was hard to see my front left side while driving with a right side steering wheel? Fortunately, the burly body-builder was very nice about the big dent I put in his car. Repairing the suspension from shoving his car into a culvert was going to be costly though. The good news was that the damage to the rental truck was minor! You can be sure that I was relieved to turn over the driving to Adam Brown when he arrived on the ferry from Guadeloupe after two weeks of radar surveys there. And I must report that Adam often turned over the driving the really winding roads to local team members Machel Sulton and Stephen Durand. Things went smoothly after that.

We assembled the marine radar equipment and headed into the hills. Sure, setting up takes some work, but this field activity was really pleasant. We positioned ourselves on a hilltop and watched the sun set, enjoyed the cool breezes, and looked and listened for night flying creatures. Petrels appear as a distinctive pattern of blips on the radar screen. Adam would note them coming and call out for us to attempt a sighting with the night vision or thermal image scope. As was the case in 2015, the surveys detected a number of petrels at a number of locations, flying rapidly in and out of the mountains. The peak of activity commenced about 45 minutes after sunset and tapered off at about three hours. At 9 p.m. we were packing up and headed to dinner, excited about our findings but a little concerned about the drop in petrel target numbers since 2015.

2020 Radar Set Up — Adam Brown, Stephan Durand and Machel Sulton set up for an evening of radar surveillance in Dominica in January 2020. Five years earlier, the first radar surveys conducted on the island revealed hundreds of petrel-like targets flying in or away from several of Dominica’s mountains (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)

Daytime work to place soundmeters required more exertion. Radar surveys only point the way to the peaks where petrels might be nesting. Placing automated recording devices in these areas to collect any vocalizations helps narrow down the sites and seasons to search. As noted, work on Dominica to find petrels discontinued in late 2017, and the trails to the peaks selected for soundmeter placement had yet to be cleared of trees felled by hurricane and two years of new growth. Division of Forestry foresters are really very good breaking trail with machetes; regardless, it was a slow, hot hike up to the first of the selected peaks. It was certainly not unpleasant, given the varied foliage, numerous orchids and occasional songbird; but I wish we had packed more food! Once we reached higher elevations, there was the chance of finding petrel burrows so off trail into the thick, prickly underbrush we went. Crawling through the dirt, peering under roots and sniffing at holes, I fantasized about finding a burrow entrance. I’m a finder by nature—I’m happy to spend hours looking for beach glass, fossils, antiques—and I just KNEW at any moment, I would see a hole with a tell-tale plop of guano or catch a fishy whiff of petrel. What a find it would be! Alas…I did not nor did anyone else. There is still no documented nesting in Dominica since 1862.

Persistence

Now it’s February, and petrel conservationists are gearing up for field work and community-based conservation on Hispaniola. I’ve heard that the biologists in Cuba are planning an expedition into the Sierra Maestra. There will be detailed reports coming out on the surveys in Guadeloupe and Dominica, with the findings from monitoring and recommendations for continued searches. Soundmeters are placed and listening. The members of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group are strategizing for the long term and seeking funds. With the Diablotin, we must be persistent. Finding the petrel is difficult; contemplating the magnitude of its threats—human population growth, habitats invaded by introduced mammals, and climate change foremost among them—can be overwhelming. But as long as there are Diablotins, there is hope.

Here’s one more story to serve as a symbol of surviving against the odds. After placing a new soundmeter in Morne Trois Pitons National Park in Dominica, we went in search of one deployed in 2017 and actually found it. It was bleached, scratched, and breached by rainwater. The tree to which it was strapped was broken and battered by the 160 mph winds of a Category 5 hurricane. It was difficult to open the unit. Yet the SD card inside survived, containing readable data. Miracles do happen.

Jennifer Wheeler is an avid adventurer and loves volunteering her time to help conservation causes. She was the coordinator of the Waterbird Council for 10 years and Board member and Treasurer of BirdsCaribbean for 8 years. She is currently co-chair of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group and Financial Officer for BirdsCaribbean.

The activities noted in this article were largely supported by Seabirding/Stormy Petrel, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Plant with Purpose, Jeune En Action Pour La Sauvegarde De l’Ecologie En Haiti, Soulcraft All-stars, Grupo Jaragua, BirdsCaribbean (and the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund of BirdsCaribbean), American Bird Conservancy, U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Coop unit at Clemson University, Dominica Division of Forestry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Disney Conservation Fund.

Please Donate!

To help save the Black-capped Petrel from extinction while also working with the people of Haiti to farm more sustainably, please donate here or here.

To view larger images in the gallery, click on each photo; they may also be viewed as a slide show.

School presentation about Drablotin in Boukan Chat, Haiti

Conservation actions in Boukan Chat, Haiti include educational programs for both adults and children. The long-term goal of these programs is to provide local people with knowledge and appreciation for sustainable agriculture and other livelihoods that increase standard of living and protect natural resources into the future. (photo by Anderson Jean)

Adam Brown takes a GPS measurement on a ridge overlooking a valley where radar detected petrel movements in and out of the nearby peaks (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)

Stephen Durand takes in the view overlooking a Dominica valley where radar detected petrel movements in and out of the nearby peaks. (photo by Jennifer Wheeler)

A soundmeter placed in early 2017 in Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park was recovered in 2020. Though the data are yet to be analyzed, the unit’s sound card was intact inside the unit, despite the devastation wrought by Category 5 Hurricane Maria (Photo by Stephen Durand)

Members of the team aboard the Stormy Petrel are all smiles after a successful expedition to catch Black-capped Petrels at sea. Can you tell who was seasick most of the trip? Back row, left to right: Yvan Satge, Chris Gaskin. Front row: Captain Brian Patteson, Jennifer Wheeler, Kate Sutherland, Brad Keith.

Releasing a Black-capped Petrel fitted with a satellite tag.

Jennifer releases a Black-capped Petrel fitted with a satellite tag.

December 15, 2019

2019 in Review: Celebrating Community, Conservation and Collaboration

Looking back on 2019, the year provided us with a range of experiences. There was excitement, success, tragedy, and hope. When we reflect on all that we have accomplished this year, in both the good times and the bad, there was one common theme: collaboration. Sometimes it took the form of official partnerships and other times grassroots community efforts. Even fundraising, which was critical for efforts like hurricane relief, is a collaborative process. Here, we review some of the most important moments of the past year and acknowledge and thank all those who collaborated with us to further our mission. We are also grateful to our many members, volunteers, and donors who generously support our work. We have an awesome community!

Celebrating Success & Partnerships

The Cuban contingent! A record 20 Cubans attended, thanks to our generous sponsors! (photo by Fred Sapotille)

Keeping Birds Aloft! This was the inspirational theme of our 22^nd BirdsCaribbean International Conference held in July. Over 250 delegates from 34 countries grabbed French phrasebooks and headed to the Karibea Beach Hotel in Le Gosier, Guadeloupe. The lively, productive and thought-provoking meeting was organized with our major partners, the Parc National de la Guadeloupe. Keynote speakers, workshops and brainstorming sessions helped participants plan how to engage their communities, combat wildlife trafficking, and address the varied environmental threats facing the Caribbean and its birds. A mentorship program for younger members was launched. (Check out what a few of our sponsored delegates had to say about how they benefited from attending the conference). Despite the profound topics being discussed, participants were upbeat and as would be expected of any Caribbean event, there was dancing on the final night!

At the conference, we were humbled and proud to receive the 2018 Partners in Flight Award. Our Board President Andrew Dobson accepted the award, presented by the U.S. Forest Service, in recognition of BirdsCaribbean relief and recovery work in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.

Ceremony celebrating the the opening of the restored Ashton Lagoon.

BirdsCaribbean was thrilled to celebrate the official reopening of the restored Ashton Lagoon, which took place on May 31, 2019. After 13 years of truly challenging work, our partners in the island archipelago between St. Vincent and Grenada – called the Transboundary Grenadines – proudly welcomed supporters and generous donors to Union Island. After a misguided tourism project at the site lay in ruins for 25 years, the neglected wetlands finally have a chance to reawaken. Orisha Joseph and her team at Sustainable Grenadines, Inc. (SusGren) were the stars of the show. Next step: to have the Lagoon and its surroundings designated as a Marine Protected Area.

During the restoration work, BirdsCaribbean organized a highly successful Interpretive Bird Guide Training Workshop on Union Island, empowering citizens from the Grenadines and beyond. In August, the Caribbean Birding Trail’s spectacular new website – https://www.caribbeanbirdingtrail.org – covering more than 150 birding sites in 24 countries, was launched. If you have not already done so, we invite you to explore – both virtually and in person, with our enthusiastic trained guides!

Devastation from Hurricane Dorian

Grand Bahama Island Birders Group-Post Hurricane Dorian Bird Survey trip — 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, Gena Granger, Bridget David (recorder) and Erika Gates. (photo by Martha Cartwright)

Just a few weeks after our conference, we watched with heavy hearts as tragedy of incredible proportions struck the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. The Category Five Hurricane Dorian, which lingered from September 1 to 3 over these islands, brought death and destruction to many communities, and devastated the landscape.

Immediately, BirdsCaribbean formed a response team to raise funds and deliver supplies. The first tentative forays by our Bahamian partners were subdued and sad, with moments of joy and relief when bird species such as the Bahama Parrot, thought to be badly impacted from the island by the storm, were discovered to be doing okay. As always, severe storms bring strong emotions in their wake – and for conservationists, deep anxiety over whether habitats and birds will eventually recover.

Our Hurricane Dorian Recovery Fund has raised US$29,000 to date, with less than one month to go. Thanks to our generous supporters, we shipped thousands of pounds of bird seed and hundreds of feeders. We also used funds to help replace equipment the Bahamas National Trust lost during the storm in addition to funding field surveys. Now the questions loom: Did the Bahama Nuthatch population survive? How quickly will the parrots recover? Will the waterbirds return? While there are encouraging signs, the future is still uncertain. There is much work to be done.

Supporting Conservation & Community

Participants of the shorebird conservation workshop on a field trip within Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)

This year we also focused on our most vulnerable migratory species, shorebirds. We know these birds are in trouble; this is a global phenomenon. In February, we hosted the International Training Workshop Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and Their Habitats in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico with 33 enthusiastic participants on “Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and their Habitats.” Our partners were Manomet and local NGO Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (SOPI).

Our Betty Petersen Conservation Fund provided support to finance direct conservation actions for three endangered Caribbean species: The Black-capped Petrel in Haiti, the Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic, and the White-breasted Thrasher in St. Lucia. In all these projects, community involvement (especially youth) has been a key factor. In Haiti, entire farming communities that cultivate lands adjacent to the Petrel’s nesting colonies are pledging to protect these critical breeding areas while in the Dominican Republic, teenagers are volunteering to guard the hawks’ nests. This work would not be possible without the many generous donations to the Betty Fund.

Children in the Dominican Republic learn to celebrate their endemic raptor with the new Ridgeway’s Hawk brochure. (photo by Marta Curti)

Meanwhile, our dedicated citizen scientists have been hard at work again. Global Big Day was – well, really big. 846 checklists were posted on May 4 – over twenty percent more than in 2018. The Bahamas ran away with the top number of species this time – 138. Runners up were Puerto Rico and third-place Cuba were not far behind. In all, eighty percent of the Caribbean’s endemics were spotted in just one day. BirdsCaribbean is proud of its partnership with eBird through our portal eBird Caribbean. Have you downloaded the free mobile app? Every bird counts!

In 2019 we all learned how to protect birds by becoming the solution to plastic pollution. This was a hugely popular theme for the Caribbean region, which witnesses daily the scourge of plastic pollution and its harmful impacts on birds. Dozens of coordinators organized many events related to this theme for our annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival in spring and World Migratory Bird Day celebrations in fall, including beach and wetland clean-ups, raising awareness about the issue and how plastic pollution harms us and wildlife, and how to personally reduce your use of plastic. Many Caribbean countries are leading the way with this global problem by banning plastic bags, plastic straws, and styrofoam. And, we continue to train and empower local educators so that they can develop the next generation of bird conservationists and environmental stewards – watch this inspiring short story from one of our star educators, Natalya Lawrence.

Bird feeders made out of recycled materials — Creative use of plastic waste to make bird feeders! St. Croix Environmental Association WMBD event. (photo by Jen Valiulis)

Finally, there were lessons learned (or re-learned) in 2019. In the face of climate change, Caribbean islands must build greater resilience, especially along their vulnerable coastlines. The restoration of wildlife habitat is critical. So is the sustained and determined protection of our most endangered bird species, including migratory birds, in the face of encroaching human development. But we cannot do it alone. We need the support and the active participation of the communities where birds live – and we need you!

Then, and only then, will Caribbean residents – humans, birds, and wildlife in general – truly thrive, and continue to thrive in the future.

Our sincere gratitude to all of our donors and funding agencies for your generous support in 2019, which allowed us to carry out the work highlighted above, and much more! And a big thanks to all of our awesome partners, members, and volunteers for your dedication and hard work. You all inspire us every day!!!

Bananaquit by Aslam I. Castellan Maure. This unique shot of our logo bird won an Honorable Mention in our 2019 Photography Contest.

May 23, 2019

Coming Together for Conservation: How the Support of a Community is Helping Protect the Ridgway’s Hawk from Extinction

Category: Betty Petersen Conservation Fund

Cuba’s Avifauna Conservation Movement Soars to New Heights!

2023 was a Fulfilling Year of Progress, Building, and Empowerment

Recent Articles in the JCO on an Endangered Caribbean Hawk

New Educational Guide on Caribbean Raptors Gets Off to a Flying Start in the Dominican Republic

Una Nueva e Interesante Guía de Campo para Ayudar a los Cubanos a Conocer y Disfrutar de sus Aves Locales: Entrevista con los Autores

An Exciting New Field Guide to Help Cubans Know and Enjoy their Local Birds: An Interview with the Authors

BirdsCaribbean Awards Grants for Ten Projects to Study and Conserve Birds

Call for 2023 Proposals Now Open: BirdsCaribbean’s Grants for Research and Conservation

BirdsCaribbean Congratulates Haitian Conservationist Anderson Jean, Recipient of Stanford’s 2022 Bright Award

Black-capped Petrel Conservation Through Poverty Alleviation in a Haitian Community

Community Resilience Boosts Conservation of the Ridgway’s Hawk in the Age of COVID-19

First Encounters with the Elusive White-breasted Thrasher in Saint Lucia

It Takes a Village: The Importance of Community Engagement in Conservation

Missteps and Miracles while Pursuing the Petrel

2019 in Review: Celebrating Community, Conservation and Collaboration

Coming Together for Conservation: How the Support of a Community is Helping Protect the Ridgway’s Hawk from Extinction

Empowering local leaders and building birding communities

Exchanging trapping cages for binoculars—igniting passions for conservation

Saving the best for last—ending the year with a grand finale!

Focus on one adorable but elusive waterbird…

Looking for landbirds…

We were out and about again! Celebrating our beautiful endemics

On the Caribbean Birding Trail in Turks and Caicos

Bonding over Bird Banding! Workshop #2 in the Dominican Republic

Caribbean bird banders have gone abroad!

Seabirds under pressure

More direct funding for research and conservation work!

Have we forgotten something? Oh, yes…

Networking is key…

MORE FEATURED ARTICLES FROM “JUST PUBLISHED IN THE JCO”

¿Qué los inspiró a crear una guía de campo para las aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional?

¿En qué se diferencia esta guía de guías de aves cubanas?

Háblanos de los autores- ¿Como contribuyó cada uno?

¿Cuánta investigación ustedes necesitaron hacer para escribir esta guía de campo?

¿Que parte de la creación de la guía de campo – escribir, fotografiar, diseñar o editar- fue más difícil de lograr y un mayor reto para completer el libro?

¿Que los ayudó a mantenerse enfocados en un Proyecto tan largo?

¿Qué fue lo que más les sorprendió aprender durante la elaboración de esta guía de campo?

¿Tienen alguna historia simpática que les haya ocurrido durante la elaboración del libro que puedan compartir ?

¿Cuánto tiempo les tomó completar la guía de campo?

¿Cómo celebró la finalización de la guía de campo?

¿Cuántas aves endémicas viven en el jardín?

¿Cuales son los mejores recuerdos que ustedes tienen observando las aves del jardín?

¿Donde se puede comprar esta guía en Cuba?

¿Como se puede obtener una copia fuera de Cuba?

¿Ustedes tienen en plan elaborar una versión de la guía en idioma Inglés?

¿Qué le diría a un observador de aves que esté pensando en publicar su propia guía de campo?

What inspired you to create a field guide to Birds of the National Botanical Garden of Cuba?

How is this field guide different from other Cuban bird guides?

Tell us about your team of authors—how did each contribute?

How much research did you need to do for this field guide?

What part of creating this field guide—writing, photographing, designing and editing—did you have the hardest time with or find most challenging?

What helped you to stay focused on such a large project?

What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating this field guide?

Any fun stories to share during the process of writing, photographing, design, and editing?

How long did it take to complete the field guide?

How did you celebrate when the field guide was completed?

How many endemic birds live in the garden?

What is one of your fondest memories of birding in the Botanical Garden?

Where in Cuba can someone purchase this field guide?

How can someone outside of Cuba get their own copy?

Do you plan on providing an English translated version of this field guide?

What would you say to a birder who is thinking of publishing his own field guide?

Ridgway’s Hawk Conservation and Education Project in Haiti

Birdwatching movement in Cuba as a way to improve the knowledge of Cuban avifauna and promote conservation efforts based on citizen science

Promoting conservation of birds and nature on St Maarten through education, birding, and bird guide training

Facilitating community involvement in Pawi (Trinidad Piping-Guan) research and conservation

Bird Conservation in the Botanical Garden: Publication of a new field guide

Does Los Roques Archipelago continue to be a safe place for breeding colonies of seabirds of Brown Booby, Red-footed Booby, and Audubon’s Shearwater in the Caribbean?

Establishing a long-term bird banding station in the National Botanical Garden in Havana, Cuba

Investigating male and female vocalizations of an understudied endemic Caribbean songbird

First Field Inventory of the Avifauna in Los Colorados ́s Archipelago, northwestern Cuba

Learn more about the eligibility criteria of each program by visiting their respective websites.

Seeking Donors

BirdsCaribbean warmly congratulates Haitian environmental hero Anderson Jean on receiving Stanford University’s top environmental prize, the 2022 Bright Award, on its tenth anniversary!

Life in the Village of Boukan Chat

The Search for the Black-capped Petrel Begins

The Forests and the Farmers

Sustainable Agriculture in Action in Boukan Chat

The Black-capped Petrel: A Village Icon

find out more about this project and the Black-capped petrel working group here & Here and in the wonderful Videos and articles below!

The Most Successful Breeding Year

Some Hitches and Delays

Adapting to the Pandemic with Online Education

An Exciting New Education Guide Goes Bilingual

The COVID Experience Has Taught Resilience

Find out more about the work of The Peregrine Fund to save this critically endangered raptor and read past updates from the project here:

And find out more about Ridgway’s Hawk here:

Saphira Prepares to Meet the Thrasher

The Sound of Silence (and the Thrasher’s Call)

An Action Plan Took Shape in 2014

Betty Petersen Grant Supports Predator Study

COVID-19 UPDATE

A Safe and Successful Nest Monitoring Season

Communities Take Up the Reins During COVID-19

Los Brazos: An Eco-Friendly Release Site for Ridgway’s Hawks

Exciting News to Report