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Kirtland’s Warbler spotted on Cayo Guillermo Cay off the northern coast of Cuba. The bird (male) is identified by its yellow underparts with black streaks on flanks, white undertail coverts, blue-gray upperparts with black streaks, and conspicuous white eye-crescents that contrast with black lores and forehead. This appears to be a first winter male as the bird shows some brown on its upperparts and face. (photo by Anne Goulden)

Anne Goulden, from Sarnia, Ontario, spotted and photographed a Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) on a recent birding trip to Cuba, making this the first “official” sighting of the bird on Cuba.

Anne Goulden has been an avid birder for ten years. “Birding has been a hobby—make that an obsession—since 2007,” she says. Anne had just finished a 9-day birding tour in Cuba with Eagle Eye Tours and had arranged to stay on an extra three nights at their last stop, the Cayo Coco Cays located along the northern coast of Cuba. She wanted to bird at a leisurely pace on her own before returning home. The group was staying at the Iberostar Playa Pilar Hotel in Cayo Guillermo, one of the Cayo Coco Cays, known as a birding hot spot because of the Cuban and regional Caribbean endemics that live in the area.

On February 22^nd Anne’s tour group birded for about 1 km along the road between their hotel and the Playa Pilar Beach looking for a Bahama Mockingbird, a species found only in a few locales in Cuba, Jamaica, and in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. “We were out for about an hour and were lucky enough to find a few Bahama Mockingbirds in addition to warblers and a few local birds,” Ann commented. The bus returned to the hotel to send everyone off to the airport to return home.

This photo shows the yellow throat, breast and belly, white undertail coverts and black lores of the Kirtland's Warbler. The broken white eye ring is also clearly visible. Female Kirtland’s are similar to males but have no black on the face and their upperparts and face are more brown. (photo by Anne Goulden) — This photo shows the yellow throat, breast and belly, white undertail coverts and black lores of the Kirtland’s Warbler. The broken white eye ring is also clearly visible. Female Kirtland’s are similar to males but have no black on the face and their upperparts and face are more brown. (photo by Anne Goulden)

The next morning, February 23^rd, Ann set out at on her own at about 7am along the same road to see what else she could find. She spotted an unfamiliar bird in a tree with red berries about an hour into her walk. “I wish I could say I knew what it was, but I didn’t,” said Anne. “I knew it was a warbler, but that was about it. I managed to get a few poor photos before it flew off.”

After Anne returned home she looked through her pictures, but still couldn’t place the bird. Ann was disappointed that her photos were not in sharp focus, but she knew that they were clear enough for an ID. She sent the pictures to two local birders who both suggested Kirtland’s Warbler, but it wasn’t even in Anne’s book so she did not include it in her e-bird checklist until the bird was also positively identified as a Kirtland’s by her two tour leaders, Hector Gomez de Silva and Colin Jones (the ID was also confirmed by eBird Caribbean reviewers). The individual appears to be a juvenile male (first winter).

The road where the Kirtland’s Warbler was spotted on Cayo Guillermo, one of the Cayo Coco Cays on the northern coast of Cuba. The road leads to Playa Pilar beach and beyond that to a new hotel under construction. (photo by Anne Goulden)

“I was very excited to have this bird confirmed as a Kirtland’s Warbler,” exclaimed Anne. “I live in Ontario so know about the Kirtland’s and what a rare bird it is, but I never expected to see one in Cuba. I have only had a fleeting look at this bird once before, in Ontario in 2014.”

One of the rarest songbirds in North America, the Kirtland’s Warbler is listed as “Endangered” under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Its current status is Near Threatened on the IUCN “Red list of Threatened Species,” upgraded from Vulnerable in 2005, thanks to successful recovery efforts.

The Kirtland’s Warbler winters primarily in the Bahamas Archipelago, which includes The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits early successional broadleaf scrub or shrubby habitats, where it feeds on fruits, insects and spiders. Recent surveys indicate that the warblers most commonly winter in the central islands of The Bahamas including Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador, and Long Island.

The Kirtland’s Warbler was spotted feeding on berries of the Gumbo Limbo tree (Bursera simaruba), a very important food source for many birds, including migratory warblers fattening up in their Caribbean wintering grounds for their long journey north to their breeding grounds in spring. (photo by Anne Goulden)

Kirtland’s Warblers are known to overwinter outside of the archipelago, however, as documented by a photograph of an individual during a Christmas bird count on Bermuda in 2004, and a bird photographed in Key West, Florida this past winter. In addition, there have been sight records of wintering Kirtland’s Warblers from northern Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Unfortunately sight records alone are insufficient for “official” documentation, which requires either a good photo or a specimen of the bird. Thus, the fact that Ms. Goulden photographed a Kirtland’s Warbler (with typical field marks visible) verifies for the first time the “official” presence of the warbler in Cuba.

The habitat where the bird was found and the photo of the warbler feeding on the fruit of Gumbo Limbo or Gum Elemi (Bursera simaruba) are all typical of the habitat and behavior of the wintering Kirtland’s Warblers observed in The Bahamas. In addition, the first Cuban sight record of the warbler in 2006 was also from the Cayo Coco cays. The cays located off Cuba’s north coast have typical scrub vegetation including Black Torch (Erithalis fruticosa), Wild Sage (Lantana involucrata), and Snowberry (Chiococca spp.) which also produce the fruits favored by the warbler. The cays also host specialties such as the Bahama Mockingbird and Thick-billed Vireo, both of which are typical birds of the Bahamian bush.

A beautiful Western Spindalis spotted on Cayo Guillermo; this bird is endemic to Cuba, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. (photo by Anne Goulden)

In recent years, more and more observations of the Kirtland’s Warblers have been made during the winter months. Some of the increase in observations might be attributable to more birders in the field in the warbler’s habitat. The more likely explanation, however, is that increased wintering grounds observations are attributable to the increase in the size of the Kirtland’s Warbler population at least since the 1970s and 1980s. This increase in the population of the warblers is directly attributable to the success of the intensive recovery effort focused on the warbler’s breeding grounds in Michigan.

Kirtland’s Warbler breeds in early successional Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) habitat primarily in Michigan with recent breeding now established in similar habitat in southern Ontario and Wisconsin. Habitat loss and degradation coupled with nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds were the primary factors contributing to the species decline to record low populations of the 1970s and 80s. In that period, counts of approximately 200 singing males on the breeding grounds were typical, whereas today, thanks to habitat management and cowbird control, the recent breeding ground censuses of singing males is approximately 2,350 singing males. [The biologists are not being sexist, its just that females are difficult to detect and count in contrast to the males which are obvious as they sing on their territories in early spring; the sex ratio is assumed to be 50:50]. Thus the abundance of recent winter observations of the Kirtland’s Warbler is a testament of the success of the conservation program directed at the recovery of this endangered species.

Cuban Bullfinch on Cayo Guillermo, endemic to Cuba and the Cayman Islands. (photo by Anne Goulden)

A recently published article by Dr. Nathan Cooper and his colleagues from the Smithsonian Institution suggests the possibility of some Kirtland’s Warblers occurring in Cuba. The research, based on use of light-sensitive geolocators to track the warbler suggests the occurrence of Kirtland’s Warblers wintering in Cuba; the photo obtained by Ms. Goulden establishes the fact. Congratulations to Ms. Goulden!

“I don’t live far from Michigan and hope in the next year or two to make a trip to the Kirtland’s Warbler’s famed breeding grounds,” said Anne. “Seeing this rare bird on its wintering grounds is, however, probably the most exciting thing that is likely to ever happen to me as a birder! I’m thrilled I was in the right place at the right time and managed to get a photo of the bird. It’s certainly rewarding for ordinary citizens like myself to contribute to science through our birding activities and use of eBird Caribbean!”

By Lisa Sorenson and Joe Wunderle

Anne Goulden’s checklist from 23 February, 2017 with the Kirtland’s Warbler can be viewed at this link.

Andrew Dobson’s checklist from 19 December, 2004 with the Kirtlands Warbler can be viewed at this link.

Congratulations to Anne Goulden for her first official sighting of the Kirkland's Warbler in Cuba. "Seeing this rare bird on its wintering grounds is probably the most exciting thing that is likely to ever happen to me as a birder! " she exclaimed. — Congratulations to Anne Goulden for her first official sighting of the Kirkland’s Warbler in Cuba. “Seeing this rare bird on its wintering grounds is probably the most exciting thing that is likely to ever happen to me as a birder! ” she exclaimed.

Additional reading:

Isada et al. 2006. First Sight Record of a Kirtland’s Warbler in Cuba (North American Birds).

Cooper, N.W., M.T. Hall worth, and P.P. Marra. 2017. Light-level geolocation reveals wintering distribution, migration routes, and primary stopover locations of an endangered long-distance migratory songbird. Journal of Avian Biology 48: 209-219.

Heritage Plants: Native Trees and Plants for Birds and People in the Caribbean

Cape May Warbler, a common wintering warbler in Cuba and throughout the entire Caribbean region, was also seen in the Cayo Coco Cays. (photo by Anne Goulden)

March 10, 2017

Beautiful Bahama Birds: Common Birds of the Bahama Islands

Beautiful Bahama Birds by Carolyn Wardle, Lynn Gape and Predensa Moore focuses on the common birds of the Bahama Islands and is targeted toward young and beginner birdwatchers. — Beautiful Bahama Birds by Carolyn Wardle, Lynn Gape and Predensa Moore focuses on common birds and is targeted toward young and beginner birdwatchers, as well as tourists.

This attractive, informative little guide is the most recent contribution in a series of island-specific bird guides supported by BirdsCaribbean and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Targeting high school-aged students, beginning bird watchers, and tourists to the Bahama Islands, the guide highlights 60 common birds of the islands. With illustrations borrowed from Herb Raffaele et al.’s (1998) A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies reproduced in a very nice, large format, the book does a good job of synthesizing a general description and habitat for these species. I particularly like the book’s design, with the use of large, bold fonts, and employing colors without overdoing it to the extent that a page becomes a busy mess.

But this book is more than an identification guide too. Introductory chapters in Part I address why birds are interesting to us, and curious facts about birds. A chapter relates how to identify birds, but also covers how to find a bird in your binoculars, and how to become a better birder through learning songs and calls, choosing equipment, and respecting a code of ethics. And Part I includes advice on how to make your yard more bird friendly so as to keep birds safe and coming back for your enjoyment.

Finally, Beautiful Bahama Birds concludes with a well-thoughtout section on conserving birds. Appropriately, lands managed by the Bahamas National Trust and Important Bird Areas are highlighted not only as conservation success stories, but also as bird watching destinations. The many threats facing birds are briefly addressed, as are first steps which newly engaged bird watchers might take to help provide for birds. Finally, the book concludes with a selection of stories and poems that illustrate nicely how birds contribute to Bahamian culture.

The guide includes 60 common birds of the Bahama Islands described using large fonts and simple language- a perfect addition to any new birder's collection! — The guide includes 60 common birds of the Bahama Islands described using large fonts and simple language- a perfect addition to any new birder’s collection!

Overall, I found Beautiful Bahama Birds to be a well-written and pleasingly designed book which does extremely well in providing an introduction to Bahamian birds. I would recommend it without reservations to any young person or adult interested in exploring what bird watching is all about. I would also suggest to anyone else contemplating writing a similar guide to add to the growing stable of island-specific introductions to bird watching, that they would do well to mimic the many qualities of this fine contribution to Caribbean birdlife

Beautiful Bahama Birds: Common Birds of the Bahama Islands is written by Carolyn Wardle, Lynn Gape, and Predensa Moore and published by Bahamas National Trust and BirdsCaribbean. The guide can be purchased in the US through Amazon here.

This review was provided by Dr. Steven Latta, Director of Conservation and Field Research at the National Aviary. It is featured in the current issue of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and can be viewed here.

March 5, 2017

Working to Save and Protect what’s Ours— That’s our CAWS

Scott Johnson, Science Officer with the Bahamas National Trust, shares the work that he and his fellow conservationists are doing to help raise awareness about the issue of wildlife smuggling.

CAWS (Caribbean Against Wildlife Smuggling) logo created by Team Traffic to help raise the profile of the threats to our native wildlife from wildlife smuggling and what everyone can do to help.

As a Caribbean native, I can wholeheartedly understand people’s obsession with our region. The lush green vegetation, white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, delicious food, and warm tropical climate are all hallmarks of the Caribbean experience. Every year many people, aka “snowbirds” flock to this region by the millions for a welcome respite from the frozen north.

In addition to “sun, sea and sand,” visitors also enjoy the Caribbean’s abundant wildlife, including the chance to spot spectacular native birds like parrots, trogons and todies, swim with sharks and rays, snorkel on a tropical reef, interact with rock iguanas, and even watch sea turtles laying their eggs in a nest they dig right on the beach. Unfortunately, some people want to do more than just observe the wildlife—they want to take a souvenir home, purchasing wildlife products for fashion, pets, and novel foods. This is causing a serious threat to the long-term survival of many native species.

Hispaniolan Parrot in the Dominican Republic, a species targeted by smugglers. Parrots are captured in the wild as adults and chicks and illegally kept as pets or sold for the pet trade. Nesting trees are usually damaged by poachers so that they cannot be used by parrots in the future—a hole is slashed or the tree is chopped down, and the eggs or chicks are stolen. This is tragic because good nesting trees are in short supply. (Photo by Dax Roman)

The Caribbean is a virtual treasure trove of biological diversity. In fact, it is one of the most important biological hotspots in the world, home to thousands of endemic plants and animals. For example, 172 species of birds are Caribbean endemics, found no place else on earth. Many of these species are found on only one or two islands in the entire region. The novelty of these species unfortunately makes them key targets for smugglers.

Wildlife smuggling is one of the largest illegal activities in the world, a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. Every year, tens of thousands of animals and animal products are smuggled to places like Asia, the US and other countries to satisfy people’s insatiable appetites for the new and exotic. In Trinidad and Tobago, birds like the Chestnut-bellied Seed Finch and Blue-and-Yellow Macaw are key species targeted by smugglers. In 2011, 74 eggs from both Black-billed Parrots and Yellow-billed Parrots were smuggled out of Jamaica into Austria in rum cake boxes by tourists visiting Jamaica. On the island of Hispaniola, Hispaniolan Parrots have been captured and sold in the wildlife trade and are illegally kept as pets, while a single St. Vincent Parrot is said to be worth $100,000 on the black market.

St. Vincent Parrots, endemic to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in flight. (Photo courtesy of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority)

What’s being done to help curb this threat in the Caribbean?

Kareena Anderson and Laura Baboolal CLiC “Team Traffic” members giving a presentation to enforcement personnel of the Wildlife Section, Trinidad and Tobago. (Photo by Praimchand Anderson)

Law enforcement is an extremely important tool in the battle against wildlife smuggling. Sadly, protection of native wildlife from illegal capture and smuggling has not been a major priority for many Caribbean countries. In addition, many enforcers do not have a well-rounded knowledge about their native species. This is where wildlife sensitization comes in.

For the past two years, the Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean (CLiC) Program of the US Fish and Wildlife Service has been training emerging young conservation professionals from around the Caribbean to tackle wildlife conservation problems in the region. Several of the participants formed a group called Team Traffic, and took on the challenging issue of wildlife smuggling in their home countries, the Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago. Over the past year they have been assisting in the training of enforcers in each country, giving them the knowledge they need to properly identify animals in their country and put more emphasis on the protection of native wildlife.

Sharleen Khan holding a Blue-and-Yellow Macaw at the Emperor Valley Zoo in Trinidad. This macaw is the zoo’s Animal Ambassador and is part of the zoo’s education program where the macaw is used to raise awareness of wildlife conservation, specifically conservation of this species in the wild. (Photo courtesy of Emperor Valley Zoo)

Team Traffic has also created a Facebook page called CAWS-Caribbean Against Wildlife Smuggling, to help with outreach and education. International transportation companies such as JetBlue are helping to raise awareness through a public education campaign that advises travellers not to carry any wildlife products from countries visited.

In July 2016, The Bahamas hosted the Regional Wildlife Enforcement Workshop which brought together heads of enforcement agencies from across the Caribbean and International organizations such as CITES and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The successful meeting led to the recommendation of the establishment of a Caribbean Wildlife Enforcement Network aimed at improving wildlife enforcement cooperation in the region.

Scott Johnson, CLiC “Team Traffic” member and BNT Science Officer speaks to Bahamian and Turks and Caicos Islands enforcers on wildlife smuggling during a workshop. (Photo courtesy of Scott Johnson)

CLiC’s Team Traffic group will continue to work with partners both locally and internationally to educate enforcers on the threats of wildlife smuggling in the region. With all of us working together, we will be a strong force against the ever-present threat of smuggling. Please support our CAWS!

What you can do to help

Don’t purchase items such as coral, products made from turtle shells, feathers, or any exotic animal product, as you may be helping to fuel the illegal wildlife trade market.
Never buy wild-caught birds.
Report the capture and sale of wild birds to the authorities.
Plant native trees and shrubs in your yard and support forest reforestation efforts.
Enjoy the beauty of the animals in their natural habitat to ensure them for future generations. If everyone puts in a concerted effort to learn about wildlife and wildlife smuggling, our region will be one step closer towards eradicating this illegal activity once and for all.

Trafficked Species Identification Guide developed by Team Traffic in the CLiC program (Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean).

Many thanks to Scott Johnson, Kareena Anderson, Laura Baboolal and Sharleen Khan, participants in the Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean (CLiC) Program, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supported program. Please follow CAWS on their Facebook page! The issue of wildlife smuggling and how are laws and protected areas help conserve our birds was the theme of our 2016 celebrations of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) and International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD). Click here for more information.

March 1, 2017

Birding in Paradise: The Caribbean Emerald Isle of Montserrat

February 25, 2017

JCO Roundup: Volume 29 Covers Research Across the Caribbean and Highlights the Adelaide’s Warbler

The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) is a free, peer-reviewed journal produced by BirdsCaribbean.

With nine research articles, two book reviews, and an ornithological literature review, we are excited to announce the completion of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology’s Volume 29. Collectively the publications highlight valuable work spanning the entire arc of the Caribbean island chain, from Cuba to northern South America. The quality, quantity, and distribution of research represented in Volume 29 is testament to the JCO’s continued mission to build and grow a community of ornithologists around the advancement of scientific knowledge of all the unique avifauna of these island habitats.

These accomplishments would of course not be possible without the commendable teamwork that happens between researchers, reviewers, editors, and volunteers in all corners. Thank you so much for bringing your passion to the table and helping produce such a valuable resource to the field of ornithology.

Volume 29 wraps up with two complementary articles on the Adelaide’s Warblers:

Adelaide’s Warbler on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. (photo by Sean Rune)

1. “First observations of Adelaide’s Warblers (Setophaga adelaidae) outside of Puerto Rico, in the U.S.Virgin Islands” is an article by Sean M. Rune and LeAnn M. Conlon that documents the first sightings of this species of warbler outside its endemic range of Puerto Rico (and its island-munici palities of Vieques and Culebra). From one to four individuals were recorded during each of ten observation periods spanning from 24 March to 17 December 2012 on the island of St. Thomas. One observation of one individual on 6 January2013 occurred on the island of St. John. Seeing as Adelaide’s Warblers are known to breed during the late spring and early summer months, these observations may indicate the initiation of range expansion by the species from Puerto Rico to the U.S. Virgin Islands to the east.

Adelaide's Warbler with white lower eye crescent - a possible female - on St. John. (photo by E. Dluhos in Veit et al. 2016) — Adelaide’s Warbler with white lower eye crescent – a possible female – on St. John. (photo by E. Dluhos in Veit et al. 2016)

2. Further evidence of range expansion by Adelaide’s Warblers follows in the article “Vagrancy and colonization of St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, by Adelaide’s Warblers (Setophaga adelaidae)” by Richard R. Veit, Lucinda C. Zawadzki, Lisa L. Manne, Pearl Cales, Danielle Fibikar, Shannon Curley, Elizabeth Dluhos, and Robert L. Norton. The authors observed five Adelaide’s Warblers on St. John during January of 2015 and eight individuals in the same area one year later. Given that these vagrants arrived against prevailing easterly trade winds and were observed in the same area from 2012-2016, Veit et al. hypothesize that in current time we are witnessing the eastward colonization of new islands by Adelaide’s Warblers.

A thorough overview of Adelaide’s Warblers highlighting these newly published articles has been written by Jason A. Crotty and can be found in a recent article of the magazine BirdWatching.

Map of the Caribbean; the two final publications in Volume 29 of the JCO focus on the hypothesized range expansion of Adelaide’s Warblers from Puerto Rico eastwards to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Archives Have Grown – We’re excited to announce that we’ve been able to put some serious time into uploading and making available older volumes of the journal. The JCO Archives are now completely catalogued back to the year 2005. Our goal is to continue working our way back in time, ultimately providing easy (and free!) online access to every article of every publication back to the journal’s beginning – Volume 1 in 1988. We encourage you to take some time looking around the archives to remember and discover all the great work that has been contributed over the years. We will continue to make announcements as more volumes are made available.

What’s Coming Up – The 21st International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean set to take place in Cuba this July promises to be an unforgettable event. Detailed information about the meeting can be found here, the meeting website will have a lot of updates in the coming weeks. Regular attendees of BirdsCaribbean conferences and seasoned Caribbean ornithologists should take advantage of this attractive venue to consider reaching out to young, burgeoning researchers across the islands that could greatly benefit from attending. BirdsCaribbean is making an active push to integrate new members into our community, and the best way to do so is by word of mouth from all of our members. Everyone planning on attending the conference should come ready to have an excellent time, and don’t forget to budget some extra time in Cuba if your schedule allows! Volume 30 of the JCO is already underway with a lot of great manuscripts in the pipeline. We’re also looking forward to the release of a Special Issue on Caribbean Forest Endemics that promises to be around a dozen articles in length. Rumor has it that we’ll be seeing some great articles on everything from Elfin-woods Warblers to Golden Swallows to Giant Kingbirds. Stay tuned!

By Justin Proctor, Caribbean Ornithologist; Freelance Writer; Loving Husband. Justin is part of our JCO Editorial and Production team and a frequent contributor to our blog.

February 23, 2017

BirdsCaribbean Awards David S. Lee Fund Grants to Six Worthy and Exciting Projects

David S. Lee Fund award recipient, Grenadian Wayne Smart, scans for seabirds in the Grenadine islands with his spotting scope.

BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce the first award recipients of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds. We are extremely pleased to support these dedicated young scholars as they pursue important research that will increase our knowledge of and inform conservation management decisions for Caribbean birds. The award recipients are: Wayne Smart, Maya Wilson, Spencer Schubert, Ramon Williams, Holly Garrod, and Paige Byerly.

The David S. Lee Fund was established in 2016 to recognize the scientific and conservation efforts of David S. Lee, a biologist and naturalist dedicated to Caribbean biodiversity. The award funds innovative avian conservation research in the Caribbean. All projects demonstrate a commitment to engaging with local scientists, government officials, organizations and communities, as appropriate, to involve them in the research, share results, and build interest in local birds and their conservation.

Thanks to support from the David S. Lee Fund and contributions from an anonymous donor, BirdsCaribbean is able to provide grants of $900 to $1,000 for six exceptional conservation research projects in 2017, the first year of funding for the award. Congratulations to all the dedicated and hard-working student recipients, who embody the vision that we all share of a bright future for the conservation of Caribbean birds. We look forward to hearing about their work in forthcoming articles and publications.

Seabird nesting performance, colony declines and invasive predators in the Southern Grenadines.

Wayne Smart holds a Laughing Gull chick during a previous field season. (photo by Wayne Smart)

Wayne Smart, Arkansas State University

Seabird colonies are declining globally for multiple reasons such as habitat loss, introduced predators, and poaching. The Grenadines support five Important Bird Areas and host a number of seabird colonies, though little is known about local seabird decline. Wayne Smart will conduct field work on five uninhabited islands off the north coast of Grenada this summer. By interviewing locals, monitoring nests, and deploying cameras and two types of traps, he anticipates gathering valuable baseline knowledge about the current size and reproductive success of seabird colonies in the Grenadines and how they are impacted by introduced rats. The data will inform seabird management decisions for a community-based conservation program.

The Bahama Swallow is an endangered endemic found on only three islands in the Bahamas. (photo by Melanie Rose Wells)

Population biology, life history and ecology of the Bahama Swallow (Tachycineta cyaneoviridis): informing conservation of an endangered species.

Maya Wilson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

The Bahama Swallow is an endangered species endemic to Grand Bahama Island, Great Abaco Island and Andros Island in the northern Bahamas. The swallow relies on pre-existing cavities in Caribbean Pine (Pinus caribaea), which are only found in large tracts on these island (they are also found on New Providence Island though the breeding Bahama Swallow likely was extirpated from here). Maya Wilson will undertake her third and final field season to investigate the population abundance, life history traits and nesting resource limitations of the Bahama Swallow. She is collaborating with the Bahama Oriole Project to develop survey techniques to estimate population and habitat data for both species. In addition, gene flow between islands will be analyzed from samples collected during mist netting efforts. Maya’s research will provide important information about two endangered Bahama endemics that will be used to inform conservation strategies for these species and their habitats.

Artificial perch installation as a method for enhancing avian seed dispersal and accelerating early-stage forest recovery in the central Dominican Republic.

Spencer Schubert, Old Dominion University

A group of seed-dispersing Palmchats using a natural perch. (photo by Spencer Schubert)

In Hispaniola, less than 15% of the original wet forest cover remains, primarily due to deforestation for cattle ranching. It is well known that frugivorous birds provide vital ecosystem services that aid in forest growth, such as pollination and seed dispersal. Spencer Schubert will travel to the Dominican Republic this summer to investigate the role of artificial perches as a strategy to increase natural seed dispersal and reforestation. From his previous work in the area, he has identified 24 species of frugivorous birds that aid in seed dispersal. Working with the local NGO Plan Yaque, he intends to install artificial perches in different spatial patterns and measure frugivore use and seed deposition. Results from this study will directly benefit Plan Yaque and their ongoing reforestation effort, local farmers, and the biodiversity and avian communities that rely on forests.

Distribution, diversity, and abundance of Grenadian birds, including endemic and restricted-range species.

The Lesser Antillean Tanager is one of the target species in the study of Grenada passerines proposed by Ramon Williams. (photo by Paulson Des Brisay)

Ramon Williams, University of Manitoba

Like many islands in the Caribbean, Grenada is undergoing rapid development leading to increased human disturbance and habitat loss. The conservation status of Grenadian passerines in response to development is poorly understood as there is little information regarding the distribution, diversity and abundance of species across the island. Thirty-five passerines are found on Grenada, including the critically endangered Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi), the endangered Grenada Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus mirus) and the endemic Grenada Flycatcher (Myiarchus nugatory). Ramon Williams will begin field work this summer to estimate passerine species diversity and abundance, in addition to quantifying vegetation structure, in representative habitat types across Grenada. This study will produce a comprehensive assessment of the status of passerines on the island, potentially identifying areas of conservation priority.

Nest response of Broad-billed Todies (Todus subulatus) to an invasive nest predator, the small Asian mongoose.

The Broad-billed Tody is one of two endemic tody species found on Hispaniola. (photo by Holly Garrod)

Holly Garrod, Villanova University

The Broad-billed Tody is endemic to the island of Hispaniola. Like all todies, this species nests on the ground by building burrows in embankments. This nesting strategy makes todies extremely vulnerable to introduced predators, such as the small Asian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus). This summer, Holly Garrod will return to the Cordillera Central region of the Dominican Republic – where she conducted pilot research in 2016 – to monitor nesting todies and nest predation. She is interested in the behavioral differences of todies in undisturbed and disturbed sites and how this might affect reactions to nest predators and reproductive success. Understanding how birds respond to predators under different environmental conditions has the potential to improve anti-predator management techniques for native bird conservation.

Conservation genetics of the Caribbean Roseate Tern

Paige Byerly, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Roseate Tern chicks in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. (photo by Paige Byerly)

The Caribbean Roseate Tern, a threatened metapopulation of Sterna dougallii dougallii, is thought to be declining across its range, though the trajectory of the population is not well understood. Paige Byerly will undertake a project to analyze the genetics of the Caribbean Roseate Tern in order to investigate gene flow patterns between this population and the similar Northeastern Atlantic population. It is thought there is no movement between the two groups; such genetic isolation has the potential to negatively impact population viability. In addition to gene flow, this analysis will yield information about genetic diversity and effective population size. Samples will be collected this summer from populations in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Massachusetts. Results from this study will provide researchers and conservation managers with valuable new information about connectivity, migratory ecology and population vulnerability.

To learn more about the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds, click here. If you would like to contribute to the fund and help support future projects, click here. You can choose to designate your gift to the David S. Lee Fund.

BirdsCaribbean thanks the scientists that provided thoughtful and constructive reviews of the proposals. We are very grateful to all that have donated to the David S. Lee Fund. We are pleased and proud to honor Dave’s legacy with the funding of these exciting projects that will advance the development of young Caribbean scientists and contribute to the conservation of Caribbean birds.

February 19, 2017

Birding in Barbuda

Magnificent Frigatebird in flight (photo by Ted Eubanks) — Female Magnificent Frigatebird in flight. Frigatebirds feed by skimming food off the surface of the water or stealing it from other birds—they cannot dive. (photo by Ted Eubanks).

Joseph Prosper shares with us his experiences birding in Barbuda and the choices this pristine little island faces. He discusses the importance of conservation and provides wonderful insights into the birds found here.

Barbuda is definitely torn between two lovers and probably feeling like a fool. This island holds two tomorrows in its hands. One is for it to remain a remote, low-key eco-tourism destination, with a small economy that preserves and features the island’s wealth of pristine natural resources and traditional culture. The other tomorrow is Barbuda becoming a tourist destination with mega resorts, modern lifestyles and greatly lessened natural beauty.

Climate change looms over both of these tomorrows, as the low relief is highly threatened by sea level rise. This is their moment to consider and decide. I know what I would choose.

I have been involved in bird watching for 14 years. I crudely define this activity as a form of wildlife observation in which the observation of birds is a recreational activity. Watching birds in Barbuda can be done with the naked eye, through binoculars or by listening for bird sounds. Surprisingly, in Barbuda, many bird species are more easily detected and identified by ear than by eye. Most birdwatchers, including myself, pursue this activity for recreational and social reasons. I have also engaged in the study of birds using formal scientific methods. Many birdwatchers maintain life lists, a list of all of the species they have seen in their life, usually with details about the sighting, such as date and location. The criteria for the recording of these lists are very personal. Some birdwatchers “count” species they have identified audibly, while others only record species that they have identified visually. Some maintain a country list, parish list, state list, county list, yard list, year list, or any combination of these.

West Indian Whistling-Duck (photo by Ted Eubanks)

My ‘birding’ life started in 2002 when I attended a “West Indian Whistling-Duck and Wetlands Education Training Workshop led by Dr. Lisa Sorenson of BirdsCaribbean (formerly the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds) and the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG).

This was my introduction to the West Indian Whistling-Duck which sparked and sealed a lasting interest in birds and birding. This tall, graceful, brown-spotted duck is found only in the West Indies. It was once abundant and widely distributed throughout the Caribbean, but is now scarce and limited in its distribution due to illegal hunting, introduced predators like the mongoose which eat eggs and ducklings, and loss of much of its wetland habitat from development. In my pursuit of the duck, I traversed little known parts of Antigua and Barbuda, spending many hours observing the duck and widening and deepening my knowledge and experience with birds. My fascination and surprise grew as I realised through my association with other local birders, notably Victor Joseph and Andrea Otto, that as small and as dry as Antigua and Barbuda is, the country hosts well over 182 species of birds including numerous migrants.

Unlike many birders, I do not have a life list, but strive to see as many birds as possible, and rarities and endemics are at the top of my list.

I was therefore thrilled to learn that, as tiny as my country was, Barbuda is home to the endemic Barbuda Warbler, recently elevated to species status after genetic research deemed it worthy of this designation.

One of my best birding moments was setting eyes on this warbler in 2005. My guide, Mr. Calvin Gore, took me to the spot for the Barbuda Warbler. This is quite easy to find: Going south on the main road, about 2 miles from the airport is a thick section of pipe on the left. There is an embankment about 100-200 feet to the left, which holds water occasionally, but was bone dry with no signs of having been a pond on my visit. There is a pond on the right as well, mostly dry. Just before reaching the embankment I heard a warbler sing, and shortly thereafter spotted the Barbuda Warbler, flitting about in the dry scrub. It is a beautiful little bird with gray upperparts, bright yellow underparts, a yellow line above the eye and a yellow or whitish crescent below it. I saw and heard many Barbuda Warblers during the 3 hours I spent here.

The Barbuda Warbler is a species of bird in the Parulidae family. It is endemic to the island of Barbuda and known locally as the Christmas Bird. Its habitat is dry scrubland near wetlands and mangroves. This small warbler has a distinctive bright yellow throat and breast and gray upper parts. (photo by Ted Eubanks).

I spooked a pair of Helmeted Guineafowl and got excellent looks at Lesser Antillean Flycatcher, Mangrove Cuckoo, and Caribbean Elaenia. I saw many migrant and resident shorebirds and waterbirds, including White-cheeked Pintails, Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed-Dowitchers, Black-necked Stilts, Wilson’s Plover, White-rumped Sandpipers, Common Snipe, and a pair of Pectoral Sandpipers. I walked around the town—there were Cliff Swallows with Barn Swallows at the airport, supposedly rare for Barbuda. There is a place in the lagoon where West Indian Whistling-Ducks come in the evening, uttering their beautiful haunting whistling call as they fly in. Visiting Barbuda to see the warbler and the many other special birds that one can see in Barbuda makes it a worthwhile trip for any birder or nature lover.

Magnificent Frigatebird colony (photo by Karron James) — Visiting the Magnificent Frigatebird colony in Codrington Lagoon, Barbuda. (photo by Karron James)

My love affair with birds and birding led to my membership in BirdsCaribbean, a non-profit regional organization dedicated to studying and conserving Caribbean birds and their habitats, and my travels all over the Caribbean including Trinidad, Tobago, Puerto Rico, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Guadeloupe and beyond to Canada, South America and Europe. Birding allowed me to feed my other great love which is education. I studied birds, focusing on the West Indian Whistling-Duck, and advocated for their conservation on Antigua and Barbuda. and delved into the ways of any bird I encountered. I happily shared my discoveries with many children, residents, and visitors wanting them to experience a similar amazement at the world of birds.

At the Codrington Lagoon in Barbuda where the Magnificent Frigatebird engaged my attention – oh what a sight for my eager eyes! I took a small boat from the harbour in Codrington to the Frigatebird Sanctuary in the northwest of the lagoon. I thoroughly enjoyed the crossing and at the sanctuary I was taken within 2 metres of thousands of birds nesting on top of clumps of short Red Mangrove bushes. They were totally unmoved by my presence. Surveys show there are over 5,000 frigatebirds using the site, making it the largest colony in the Caribbean. It is really something to see these birds and the way they live in the wild. By this time George Jeffrey, my tour guide, was moving me along with a pole, the boat was silent except for the sound of my camera shutter. I was there during mating season (February) and it was fascinating to see the males puffing out their brilliant red neck pouches to attract the females. I could hear the sound of the males drumming their pouches all around me.

Magnificent Frigatebirds adults and chicks (photo by Jenny Daltry) — Magnificent Frigatebirds adults and chicks in a nesting colony. Perched male Frigatebirds display by inflating their large red throat pouch (photo by Jenny Daltry).

Fascinated, I asked where the ‘downies’ go when there is a hurricane? “When there’s a storm the babies climb deep into the mangroves and wait it out, while the adults fly away,” George said. “Some people call them Weather Birds, because there will be hundreds of them going off in a cloud before the storm hits.” George then provided a demonstration of how important sticks are to the male frigatebirds for building their nests. He threw a stick up in the air and then gave a play-by-play commentary of the male frigates fighting over the stick and even pulling it away from another bird while in flight until they could find a way back to their nest. There were males displaying, chicks and females sitting on nests—an incredible sight. A definite must-see if one is in Barbuda.

My hope is that these birds and the pristine nature of Barbuda will still be here for generations.

Let’s choose a tomorrow that does not succumb to the bulldozer but instead preserves this natural wealth for all to experience and enjoy.

By Joseph (Junior) Prosper, schoolteacher in Antigua and dedicated local conservationist. Reprinted with permission from the tourism coffee table book: Simply Antigua Barbuda. The book is available to order online at this link. The online version of the book can be viewed here.

To learn more about birds and birding in the Caribbean, visit BirdsCaribbean and the Caribbean Birding Trail. We encourage you to support the conservation of the Caribbean’s unique birds and wildlife by joining a local environmental group such as the Environmental Awareness Group of Antigua & Barbuda.

Male White-cheeked Pintail (photo by Ted Eubanks). — Male White-cheeked Pintail in Antigua. These sedentary tropical ducks are most often found in brackish waters such as coastal lagoons and mangrove swamps. (photo by Ted Eubanks).

February 8, 2017

Simply Antigua Barbuda: A Coffee Table Book That Highlights Sustainable Tourism, Birds and Nature

A male White-cheeked Pintail preening. This beautiful sedentary tropical duck is common on a number of Caribbean islands, including Antigua and Barbuda. (photo by Binkie van Es)

Let’s face it: Coffee table books often lie on the table, mostly untouched unless you pick them up in a moment of boredom, flick through the pages, and put them down again. However, once you open Simply Antigua Barbuda, you will become immersed. It is far more varied than the average tourism publication, with a rich diversity of topics – from finely drawn sketches of the islands’ National Heroes to – yes, an article on Birding in Barbuda, and a strong focus on sustainable living and conservation for future generations. As its authors and publishers note, it is“designed to be dipped into” – not only to enjoy the gorgeous photographs but also to obtain detailed information on the history, culture and environment of the twin-island nation. And this 264-page, high-quality publication was all put together in six months!

Magnificent Frigatebird male inflates his bright red throat pouch to attract a mate at Barbuda's Frigatebird Colony, the largest in the Caribbean. (photo by Kate Lavasseur) — Magnificent Frigatebird male inflates his bright red throat pouch to attract a mate at Barbuda’s Frigatebird Colony, the largest in the Caribbean. (photo by Kate Lavasseur)

The exquisite photographs portray the islands’ natural beauty, from the calm, unsullied blue of Barbuda’s Codrington Lagoon to hidden hiking trails and Antigua’s 365 famous beaches (“one for every day of the year”). An article authored by Daryl George, board member of Antigua’s Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), includes stunning close up photographs of Hawksbill and Leatherback Turtle hatchlings. EAG and BirdsCaribbean member Natalya Lawrence reminds the reader that there is much more to Antigua & Barbuda than beaches, focusing on the offshore islands. She describes the success of the Offshore Islands Conservation Programme, which has resulted in the removal of alien and invasive species and a surge in numbers in bird populations and native species in the past 20 years. Natalya also highlights the Floating Classroom program, which has opened the eyes of young Antiguans to natural wonders on their doorstep.

The section on Barbuda – a low-key tourism destination that has encountered environmental challenges – emphasizes the welcome move towards low impact, sustainable tourism and programs such as the Blue Halo Initiative, a collaborative coastal zoning project that is helping to protect the island’s fragile coastline and marine ecosystems. Barbuda has the largest Frigatebird Sanctuary in the western hemisphere. This extraordinary bird is among those highlighted in an article by EAG and BirdsCaribbean member Joseph (Junior) Prosper, edited by BirdsCaribbean’s Lisa Sorenson. Striking photographs by other BirdsCaribbean members (Andrea Otto, Binkie van Es and Ted Eubanks) of the supremely elegant West Indian Whistling-Duck, the Barbuda Warbler and other species enhance the text.

Simply Antigua Barbuda Tourism Coffee Table Book

The book beautifully integrates tips on sustainable living with the many attractions Antigua has to offer – including cuisine. There are delicious recipes for the invasive Lionfish, and important information on the closed seasons for the Queen Conch, Parrotfish, Spiny Lobster and several other important marine species. Dr. Evelyn Weekes of the Agro-Ecology Society of Antigua describes several climate-smart projects that help to enhance the tourism product as well as the lives of Antiguans.

Joseph Prosper observes in his article Birds of Barbuda: “Let’s choose a tomorrow that does not succumb to the bulldozer but instead preserves this natural wealth for all to experience and enjoy.” This gem of a book reminds us of the fragility of the region’s island ecosystems, and the need to preserve them – not only for tourists.

The book is available to order online at this link.

The online version of the book can be viewed here.

By Emma Lewis, frequent blogger for BirdsCaribbean and member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group. Find me at Petchary’s Blog!

January 18, 2017

Join the Conservian Live-Aboard Schooner Expedition 2017

Wilson's Plover chick. This is an excellent opportunity to gain multi-species shorebird ID and monitoring experience. — Wilson’s Plover chick. This is an excellent opportunity to gain multi-species shorebird ID and monitoring experience.

Your help is needed to protect beach-nesting birds, nests, and young. Conservian is planning for Year 2 of their shorebird and habitat conservation program in the Bahamas. Come join them for the adventure of a lifetime!

Conservian is seeking a weekly crew of 8 to 12 enthusiastic volunteers for our Bahamas shorebird habitat conservation project in May 2017 aboard the 75ft schooner “Dream Catcher”. This is an excellent opportunity to gain field experience and shorebird ID skills. Trip cost for one week is $1,250 and includes your bunk, onboard meals, water, and ground transportation associated with project. Participants will fly to the Bahamas to designated airports for shuttle transport to schooner. A valid passport is required. Airfare and insurance are not included.

Project Summary

In 2017, Conservian and partners will continue on-the-ground protective and restorative measures to limit human-caused disturbance, and control invasive Australian pine at key Piping Plover, shorebird, and seabird sites in the Bahamas. Field volunteers will participate in collecting new data on shorebirds and seabirds of the Bahamas. Selected sites include Globally Important and locally Important Bird Areas and national parks of the Bahamas, such as Lucaya National Park IBA, Peterson Cay National Park IBA, Joulter Cays National Park IBA, and the Berry Islands, as well as additional key shorebird sites on Grand Bahama Island and Great Abaco. Read about our exciting and successful field season in 2016 here.

Our days will be filled with much adventure. The focus of the work is surveying for beach-nesting bird breeding pairs, nests and young, and working with local volunteers to implement protective measures in the field. Focal species include Wilson’s Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns and other colonial nesting species. We will work in both populated and remote areas, sail blue Caribbean waters, visit white sandy beaches, boat to little islands, conduct ground surveys for beach-nesting birds, nests, and downy chicks, and meet new people. We will work with local volunteers to post and sign shorebird sites and control invasive Australian pine. Field crew will assistant with collecting data on breeding pairs, habitat assessment and human-created disturbance. Field crew will also assist with shipboard duties; sailing, cooking and cleaning. There will be time to fish, snorkel, and visit local island towns.

Our days will be filled with much adventure aboard the 75ft schooner “Dream Catcher”.

Project partners include: BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, International Conservation Fund of Canada, USFWS/NMBCA, LightHawk, Dow AgroSciences, Grand Bahama Nature Tours, Optics for the Tropics, Grand Bahama Port Authority, Bahamas Public Parks & Beaches Authority, Bahamas Environment, Science & Technology Commission, Rand Nature Center, Abaco Friends of the Environment, Treasure Cay Community Center, Royal Bahamas Police Force/Marine Support.

Project Activities:

Protect, post & sign shorebird & seabird sites
Collect new data on nesting shorebirds & habitat
Observe/assist with bird banding (conditions permitting)
Control invasive Australian pine on beach habitats
Work with local volunteers to accomplish the above goals

Qualifications: Applicants must be responsible, adventurous, in good physical condition, enjoy working in teams and be capable of walking several miles during warm weather in the Caribbean. Applicants must be comfortable living communally onboard a schooner and riding in small boats to access survey sites.

May expedition schedule and locations (final dates TBD)

Assist for one week or more:

Week 1: Grand Bahama Island- (Freeport GBI Int. Airport)

Week 2: Great Abaco, west- (Freeport/Marsh Harbour Airport)

Week 3: Great Abaco, east- (Marsh Harbour Airport)

Week 4: Berry Islands & Joulter Cays-(Marsh Harbour/Nassau Int.Airport)

If you would like to join our conservation crew for a week or more as part of our Volunteer Field Crew:

Please send 1) letter of interest 2) resume 3) names, email addresses and phone numbers of 2 references to Margo Zdravkovic. Please label all attachments with your name. The review of applicants is ongoing and will continue until positions are filled.

See the article on 2016 project from our supporters at LightHawk.

Read the story of our successful 2016 expedition.

Visit CoastalBird.org for more information about our 2017 expedition.

Visit Coastal Bird Conservation on Facebook for more information on Conservian’s coastal bird conservation work.

Download the Expedition Brochure.

January 17, 2017

2017 President’s Address

Dear Members and Friends of BirdsCaribbean,

What a start to the year! I am excited and honored to be serving you as President of BirdsCaribbean as 2017 gets under way. It is a wonderful opportunity to work with so many passionate and experienced conservationists in the region and beyond. I hope you will support our organization’s efforts to protect the Caribbean’s amazing birds and their habitats.

Let me tell you a little about myself, and my passion for the islands’ birds. My relationship with BirdsCaribbean began in 2002, when I attended the international meeting in Cuba. As my interest grew, I wrote a Birdwatching Guide to Bermuda in that same year. From 2005 – 2008, I served as President of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, which is now BirdsCaribbean. I have served on the executive of the Bermuda Audubon Society since 1990 – including many terms as President – and published the Society’s newsletter for a number of years. I have been a regional editor for the journal North American Birds since 1995. In Bermuda, where I live, I have enjoyed coordinating BirdsCaribbean’s outreach programs, such as the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and International Migratory Bird Day

My love of birds began as a small boy in England. My parents maintained nest boxes in the garden. We didn’t own a car, so weekends were spent on local family walks, which led to a growing appreciation for nature. When I landed my first job, I bought some binoculars; and when I went off to university I was fortunate to meet a birding mentor. Similarly, since I arrived in Bermuda, Dr. David Wingate has been a great inspiration. While I have had a lifetime career as a high school teacher, I have also immersed myself in the world of birds. I am continually fascinated by the variety of bird species in the Caribbean. I especially enjoy getting out in the field, running birdwatching courses and leading field trips – including an annual bird camp. And like many of you, bird photography is something I love to do.

The Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot, with an impressive 172 endemic species found in the region. It is home to more than 560 bird species. The region is also a vital seasonal home for over 180 migratory species that winter in the region or pass through on migration. However, there are so many threats to our birdlife, such as habitat loss, invasive species, hunting, the pet trade and the effects of climate change.

BirdsCaribbean is leading efforts to reduce these major challenges through a series of innovative programs and projects. Through our new BirdSleuth Caribbean program we are training teachers in the Caribbean to get young people involved in exploring the natural world and in building their science skills. The Caribbean Waterbird Census Program was set up to study, monitor and conserve these birds and the habitats they need to survive. The Caribbean Birding Trail is an exciting initiative that aims to promote birdwatching as a tool to facilitate the conservation of the birds and habitats endemic to the Caribbean, one of the most biodiverse regions of the planet. By promoting birding, showcasing the best birding sites, and training and equipping guides, the program creates jobs and other incentives to preserve habitats.

Andrew Dobson birding with his daughters in Bermuda.

We appreciate your support for our important programs in raising awareness of and halting threats to birds; and we need your continued help to build the capacity of local organizations to tackle these problems. These local organizations are BirdsCaribbean’s lifeblood: they advocate on behalf of birds, and boost Caribbean citizens’ avian knowledge as we seek to advance science and conservation. If we are going to look after our special Caribbean birds, we need to continue to foster an appreciation for the natural environment and the need to protect bird habitat. Above all, we need to get young people on board – not only interested, but also actively involved in the organization, to ensure a future generation of conservationists.

So how about a New Year’s resolution to take some young people birding? I was thrilled when both of my daughters asked for binoculars as birthday presents without my prompting. They now record their sightings in eBird Caribbean. When they were home from university at Christmas, they once again insisted on helping me with the annual Christmas Bird Count. We discovered the first record of a Common Eider in Bermuda – how cool was that! Special moments like that can inspire a lifetime interest in birds.

I look forward to working with you all to save our region’s magnificent birds and their habitats.

Sincerely,

Andrew Dobson
President, BirdsCaribbean

p.s. With your support, together we can build a future where the Caribbean’s unique natural heritage can flourish and form the basis for a future rooted in sustainable relationships between people and the environment. I encourage you to become a member or corporate sponsor of BirdsCaribbean today. If you are already a member, please consider donating your time, efforts and financial gifts to our cause, contact us about volunteer opportunities, come to one of our meetings or training sessions, go on one of our trips, participate in one of our programs, and encourage others to join in our efforts. I promise you will find it one of the most rewarding experiences in your life.

Female Common Eider, spotted 19 December 2016, first record for Bermuda. (photo by Andrew Dobson)

January 14, 2017

Free Ebook Shares Stories of Caribbean Waterbirds

January 10, 2017

Hurricanes and Birds Part 2: How Do Caribbean Birds Survive?

White-crowned Pigeon-feeding on the ground on fallen berries after Hurricane Matthew in Grand Bahama. (photo by Erika Gates)

Can Caribbean bird populations survive hurricanes? Or perhaps we should ask, how do they manage to live through the storms’ fierce onslaught as well as survive the aftermath when there is little food and shelter?

In Part 1 we looked at the terrible damage caused by Hurricane Matthew to the human life, infrastructure, wildlife and ecosystems on some of our islands. Matthew arrived just a couple of months ago. Some communities are only just picking up the pieces, and for many, life remains a struggle.

Just as with humans, some birds can “get back on their feet” faster than others. If forests are lost, as in Haiti during Hurricane Matthew, birds are essentially homeless, like a man whose house has blown down, and their chances of survival are not good. As humans are rebuilding their lives, birds have to struggle on with theirs, too, in an environment that has become bleak and hostile, almost overnight. It will take time to restore some kind of normality. Fortunately, like humans, birds are remarkably resilient and they can (and do) bounce back.

Shorebirds like Piping Plovers that spend the winter in the Caribbean are vulnerable to being killed by hurricanes as their habitat takes a direct hit from the storm and they have no place to hide. In addition, their sand dune roosting habitat can be damaged. (photo by Walker Golder)

Recent studies of hurricane effects on birds indicate that these storms have both direct and indirect effects on birds. Direct effects are most likely to cause mortality in those birds that have no place to hide, especially aquatic bird such as waterfowl, pelicans, gulls and terns, sandpipers, plovers, herons and egrets. In a severe storm, their habitats will likely be swamped by storm surges, and the strong winds (often most powerful along the coast) will destroy them. Heavy rains, resulting in floods and landslides, will swamp them. Many land birds can avoid the direct effects of hurricanes by hunkering down on the ground or sheltering in low vegetation, but land birds are also killed by hurricanes.

Hurricanes often destroy favorite feeding trees such as Sea Grape (shown here) and Pigeon Plum, beloved by fruit eating birds, leaving many birds hungry and wandering in search of alternative food sources after a hurricane. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Indirect effects, however, may not only cause mortality but have the longest lasting impact on bird populations. These include loss of food resources or foraging substrates, increased risk of predation, loss of nests and nest or roost sites, and microclimate changes.

In the short-term, birds respond to these indirect effects by changing their diet, habitat, and foraging locations. It should be no surprise that after hurricanes birds will quickly abandon heavily damaged and exposed sites and move into less damaged sites where there is a better food supply and cover from predators. Often birds will wander widely in search of food in the aftermath of storms and feed on foods that are not normally in their diet (as described in Part 1 of this article).

In the first breeding season after a hurricane, breeding is usually disrupted as some species may not be able to find good nesting places, or food may not be sufficient for females to build up the reserves needed to lay eggs and undergo incubation. There might also be shortages of food to feed young. And of course, a number of breeding birds may have fallen victim to the storm. These factors usually result in a decline in breeding success and consequently fewer baby birds post-hurricane for many species, which can shift population age structure.

White-cheeked Pintails are a tropical duck that may breed when conditions are good, which can happen after a hurricane when ponds become flooded and abundant aquatic macro invertebrates provide food for breeding females and their ducklings. (photo by Jackie Cestero) — White-cheeked Pintails are opportunistic breeders and sometimes nest in the fall following a hurricane when ponds become flooded and abundant aquatic macro invertebrates provide food for breeding females and their ducklings. (photo by Jackie Cestero)

In tropical climates where some birds breed opportunistically or all year-round, such as grassquits, they can begin to breed again as soon as conditions improve. As vegetation recovers, terrestrial birds may respond to outbreaks of herbivorous insects (e.g., caterpillars) as defoliated plants leaf out, and to increases in flowering and fruiting. These food resource blooms several months or years after a hurricane can eventually increase breeding success as pairs may produce multiple clutches in a season due to abundant food. Similarly, tropical waterbirds such as White-cheeked Pintails may nest opportunistically in the fall in the weeks following a hurricane when heavy rainfall floods wetlands leading to flushes of aquatic macro-invertebrates, the high protein food that females need to lay a clutch of eggs.

Which bird species are most at risk during and after a hurricane? These tend to be those with a diet of fruit, nectar or seeds (hummingbirds, bananaquits, pigeons, doves and parrots, among others). Birds that live or forage in large, old trees – such as woodpeckers, owls and more – may also suffer; sadly, these noble trees often bear the brunt of the storm. Birds that live in closed forest canopy, that depend on a particular “niche” ecosystem with its own peculiar mini-climate, and/or that live in habitats in which the vegetation recovers slowly are all vulnerable.

The Grenada Dove population suffered a substantial decline and is still recovering from Hurricane Ivan, a Category 5 which hit Grenada in 2004. (photo by Greg Home).

These vulnerability traits may increase the risk of severe population decline in those species with small populations isolated in small habitat fragments which includes many of the islands’ endangered endemics of course. For example, the Grenada Dove suffered a substantial decline in its already small population as a result of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 (estimated at 180 doves before Hurricane Ivan), although obtaining a precise population estimate was challenging as the doves moved out of their traditional sites and stopped calling. The most recent census (2013) suggests that the dove is still recovering from this loss many years later.

How can we humans help birds after the passage of a hurricane? One important way is by providing food. Hang up bird feeders – including hummingbird feeders, as nectar from flowering plants and trees is likely to be in short supply, and bird seed. This can help birds survive until their natural foods recover. We should not forget water either! There is usually either too much or too little water available after a hurricane. Birds need plenty of clean water to recondition their battered feathers and of course, to drink. Birds do get dehydrated quite quickly, especially in the hot weather. We should also try to replant as soon as possible – both slow- and fast-growing native trees and plants – to provide shelter, food, and nesting sites.

Painted Buntings returned to Grand Bahama in late December, proof that Hurricane Matthew could not keep this beloved winter visitor away, despite the devastated habitat! (photo by Erika Gates)

Hurricanes such as Matthew are tests of endurance, resilience and adaptability. With climate change life will likely not get any easier, and we can expect the unexpected. While people can prepare for more intense storms that may come our way in the future, our birds cannot plan for the future. Let us see what we can do to protect our birds – whose lives are literally turned upside down by such storms – and their habitats. And, if the worst happens, let us try to help them recover; it’s the least we can do.

By Emma Lewis, frequent blogger for BirdsCaribbean and member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group. Find me at Petchary’s Blog! Many thanks to Joe Wunderle and Lisa Sorenson for their contributions to this article.

For more information, check out these articles:

Wunderle, J. 2005. Hurricanes and the fate of Caribbean birds—What do we know, what do we need to know, who is vulnerable, how can we prepare, what can we do, and what are the management options. Journal of Caribbean Ornithology 18: 9496.

Rivera-Mila, F.F., P. Bertoul, F. Simal, and B.L. Rusk. 2015. Distance sampling survey and abundance estimation of the critically endangered Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi). Condor 117: 87-93.

December 13, 2016

Hurricanes and Birds Part 1: Mean Hurricane Matthew

An American Redstart that fell victim to Hurricane Matthew. (photo by Linda Barry Cooper)

Well, the Atlantic hurricane season is finally over, and island dwellers in the Caribbean can breathe a sigh of relief. The 2016 season that ended on November 30 was an “above normal” one, with 15 named storms, including 7 hurricanes – the deadliest season since 2005. It was unusual in many ways; a certain storm named Matthew certainly behaved strangely – and extremely badly. Matthew was a long-stay visitor to the Caribbean, moving very slowly, and far to the south; then turning north, as if he was doing a tour of the islands. At that point, Matthew decided to wreak havoc in Haiti, eastern Cuba and the Bahamas before descending on the southeastern seaboard of the United States. Matthew was a high-intensity storm, and he was mean.

A woman stands in a field of destroyed trees after the passing of Hurricane Matthew, in Sous Roche in Les Cayes, in Southwest Haiti, on October 6, 2016. AFP Photo / Hector Retamal

An estimated 1,700 people lost their lives as a result of Matthew and damage amounted to some US$10–12 billion. But what of the ecological harm, and in particular the damage to birds and their habitats? The Caribbean is still counting the cost. Matthew made landfall on Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula on October 4th as an intense Category Four storm – the strongest storm to directly impact Haiti since 1964. Haiti’s infrastructure is weak, and deforestation remains a major problem. Matthew brought very heavy rainfall along with him, and widespread flooding and landslides occurred, taking hundreds of lives. Worse still, the strong winds (well over 100 miles per hour) destroyed forest habitat as well as crops.

Erika Gates inspects damage at Sea Gate Lane.

The hurricane was a huge setback for reforestation efforts in Haiti, which had achieved 17 per cent tree cover – almost half of this forest in the Grand’ Anse Department (also the nation’s “breadbasket”). Sadly, this southern region was one of the worst affected by Matthew. As a result of the loss of trees there, bird populations suffered terribly. Dead birds (doves, woodpeckers etc) were found. It is feared that during Hurricane Matthew birds had no safe place to weather the storm, and large numbers perished. In the aftermath, the already degraded habitat was largely destroyed, offering little or no food or shelter for surviving birds.

A Black-throated Blue-Warbler male gorging on berries right after Hurricane Matthew passed through Grand Bahama. (photo by Erika Gates)

Reports from the Bahamas were also quite grim, post-Matthew. Grand Bahama took a direct hit from the storm’s eyewall and suffered extensive damage. In some areas, almost all homes were damaged or destroyed and there was widespread flooding. Fortunately, there were no casualties – on the human side. However, bird guide Erika Gates reported the loss of all native mature trees (Poisonwood, Gumbo Limbo, Mahogany, and more) at her Garden of the Gates bird sanctuary and in the Westend and Freeport areas. Nevertheless, many small bushes remained, providing food for the birds after the storm.

Greater Antillean Bullfinch at seed feeder. (photo by Erika Gates)

Pericles Maillis reported from New Providence that he had hundreds of starving White-crowned Pigeons on his farm after the hurricane. “Black clouds” of them fed ravenously on cracked corn he put out, a food source that they normally do not come to like other doves.

There is always hope. Many migrants were observed two days after the storm, Erika reported. She surmised they must have survived by staying low on the ground, or in limestone cavities. Despite sustained high winds for more than eight hours, many wading birds such as ibises, egrets and herons – with their long, fragile legs – seem to have survived. One wonders how and where they sheltered! Hummingbirds such as the Bahama Woodstars and Cuban Emeralds were scarce for a while, however, due to the lack of nectar, and some birds appeared to have changed their feeding habits, at least temporarily; for example, the Greater Antillean Bullfinch was observed feeding on seed, instead of fruit. Other birds such as the Black-Throated Blue Warbler fed voraciously after the storm, almost ignoring the presence of humans close by. Some warblers were even seen feeding from trash cans!

Roaring winds, endless heavy rains and tempestuous seas – all those who have lived through hurricanes have vivid memories of this frightening and unnerving experience. The aftermath is often depressing and harrowing. How our fragile birds survive the storm and adapt to stressful conditions afterwards is nothing short of a miracle. In some ways, perhaps, they are more resilient than we humans!

Stay tuned for “Hurricanes and Birds Part 2: How Do Caribbean Birds Survive?”

Aerial photos before and after Hurricane Matthew that show the impact of the hurricane on structures and tree cover.

Check out this link with side-by-side UAV (drone) photos that show the impact of Matthew on structures and tree cover. You can pan around in the photos and see that in the area covered there are no trees at all left standing. It is possible that the impact on birds and vegetative cover here may be longer term than other places with larger forest reserves – and lower daily demand for wood as fuel.

By Emma Lewis, frequent blogger for BirdsCaribbean and member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group. Find me at Petchary’s Blog! Many thanks to Jim Goetz, Anthony Levesque, Erika Gates, and Lisa Sorenson for their contributions to this article.

December 12, 2016

Opportunity to Study One of the Rarest Birds in the Caribbean – The Bahama Oriole Project

Bahama Oriole adult on Andros. It could be a male or a female, as both sexes have this striking black and yellow coloration. (photo Daniel Stonko, UMBC)

The Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi) is the most endangered bird in the Bahamas. It is now restricted just to the Andros Island complex. There may be as few as several hundred individuals left, making it also one of the most endangered endemic birds in the entire Caribbean. Of greatest concern is that the oriole was driven from the Abaco Islands in the 1990s for unknown reasons. It is one thing to have a known killer lurking, but in the case of the oriole, what caused it to go extinct on Abaco is unknown. We hope to help preserve this charismatic and colorful species on Andros, which surprisingly is not that difficult to observe on certain parts of the island. Like many tropical birds, both the females and the males have elaborate coloration – both sexes are jet black with bright yellow patches over much of the body.

We began the Bahama Oriole Project last year with the overall goal of preventing the extinction of this beautiful oriole. The project is a collaboration between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and the Bahamas National Trust (BNT). We have conducted several field trips to begin to determine how many orioles are left, and to learn what the major threats are to this species. We also need to learn much more about where the oriole spends its time throughout the year, including what it eats, how widely it ranges, and what its preferred habitats are for feeding and nesting. The last published estimates suggest as few as 300 individuals may remain. However, in May 2016 our field team, including students from the Bahamas and from UMBC, discovered previously unknown breeding populations deep in Andros’ vast pine forests. For several reasons, we are guardedly optimistic that good science and dedicated conservation measures can save this species from extinction.

eBird Caribbean sightings of the Bahama Oriole. The oriole is now confined to the Andros island complex, roughly 150 miles SE of Miami. Much of Andros is undisturbed wilderness, just a 15 minute flight from the huge resorts in Nassau. The oriole is now completely absent from the Abaco complex north of New Providence. (Recent sightings are shown in red, sightings older than 30 days shown in blue.)

Our first need is to recruit a PhD student to lead this research effort for the next five years. The student would be advised by Kevin Omland in the Biology Department at UMBC, in collaboration with researchers in the Geography Department at UMBC (Collin Studds and Matt Fagan) and researchers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (Scott Sillett). The student could choose to focus on any one or two aspects of the project including: 1) population size estimation and habitat usage, 2) breeding ecology including cowbird parasitism and predation by introduced predators, 3) remote sensing and details of habitat usage in breeding and non-breeding season (in relation to fire and climate change), and 4) conservation genetics of populations on three different parts of Andros. Please contact Kevin Omland (omland@umbc.edu) and send a CV and short paragraph on research interests. The application target date for full consideration by the UMBC Biology Department is Jan 1, 2017.

We are grateful for the support and advice given to the project by BirdsCaribbean, and we plan to give updates on the project through blog posts and newsletter items. Meanwhile, we invite you to come to Andros to see all the great migratory and endemic birds there! Be sure to add to our knowledge by posting all sightings of Bahama Orioles to eBird Caribbean and to the “Bahama Oriole Project” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BahamaOrioleProject/

Finally, the project needs ongoing assistance with everything from housing to transportation on Andros, so please consider either monetary or in-kind donations to the project through BirdsCaribbean. Thank you!

By Kevin Omland, Ph.D., Professor, Biology Dept., University of Maryland, Baltimore County

December 7, 2016

JCO Round-up December 2016

As the holiday season gets underway, we’d like to bring your attention to the most recent batch of articles published in the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. All three studies stem from islands within the Greater Antilles, and all are valuable contributions to our growing knowledge of Caribbean birds. As all of the JCO’s publications are free and open-access, please don’t hesitate to pass them around, discuss them with colleagues, and reach out to the authors themselves if you are interested in learning more about their research.

Hispaniolan Woodpeckers (Melanerpes striatus) hanging around a nesting cavity excavated in a living Royal Palm (Roystonea borinquena). Hernandez found them to be very common in his Dominican agricultural field site, along with the country's national bird, the Palm Chat (Dulus dominicus). (photo by J. P. Hernandez) — Hispaniolan Woodpeckers (Melanerpes striatus) hanging around a nesting cavity excavated in a living Royal Palm (Roystonea borinquena). Hernandez found them to be very common in his Dominican agricultural field site, along with the country’s national bird, the Palm Chat (Dulus dominicus). (photo by J. P. Hernandez)

1. We start off in the Espaillat Province of the Dominican Republic with an article entitled, Avian biodiversity in a pasture-dominated ecosystem, by Jason P. Hernandez. The work focused on gaining a better understanding of bird diversity in altered ecosystems; in this case, agricultural lands. Additionally, Jason collected data on the presence/absence of the Royal Palm (a tree species known to serve as important nesting habitat for several bird species in Hispaniola) as well as seedling recruitment success in pastureland that is heavily trafficked by cattle.

Thirty-three species – 32 of which are residents – were observed at the study site. Fourteen colonies of the endemic Hispaniolan Woodpecker were observed, all utilizing either dead or living Royal Palms, and 76% of the recorded bird species were thought to be tree dependent in some way. Royal Palm seedlings were considerably more abundant in riparian corridors compared to adjacent open pasture land, though both areas contained similar percentages of cattle paths. Though Royal Palms are known to regularly re-establish themselves in disturbed habitats, Jason hypothesizes that the hotter, drier conditions experienced in open pastures compared to cooler, more shaded riparian areas may explain the differences in recruitment. Jason suggests that beyond the good practice of leaving already-established trees throughout agricultural land, seedling recruitment must be considered to ensure future habitat. The replacement of conventional open pastures with sylvopastoral systems may become essential to supporting avian diversity in the presence of continued grazing practices.

Endemic to its namesake, the Puerto Rican Oriole (Icterus portoricensis) is a tropical songbird now shown for the first time to exhibit both male and female song. (photo by Jose A. Colon Lopez)

2. Moving eastward from the island of Hispaniola, we find ourselves in Puerto Rico’s Maricao State Forest. Documentation of female song in a newly recognized species, the Puerto Rican Oriole (Icterus portoricensis) is written by authors Susanna K. Campbell, Alcides L. Morales-Perez, John F. Malloy, Oliver C. Muellerklein, Jin A. Kim, Karan J. Odom, and Kevin E. Omland. Campbell et al. set out to determine if female Puerto Rican Orioles sing, how that compares to their male counterparts, and finally how that information fits into the role of female song across the Caribbean oriole clade. The authors point out that female song is especially common in the tropics, whereas the majority of research on bird vocalizations has emanated from temperate regions, a geographic bias that only recently has gained more attention.

Results from the study were positive in confirming the first documented case – and in general – female song in the Puerto Rican Oriole, that males and females sing similar songs, and that when this is incorporated into the phylogenetic reconstruction of the Caribbean oriole clade, there is evidence that this clade likely had a common ancestor that had female song. Furthermore, the Puerto Rican Oriole is a tropic endemic displaying female song, providing further support that female song is correlated with tropical residence. Interestingly, female song was lost in one of the outgroup species of the clade, the Orchard Oriole, when the species moved to temperate residence and breeding. Campbell et al. theorize that female song may be more prevalent in the tropics because longer breeding seasons result in year-round territory holding, increasing the likelihood of female-female competition and the need for joint territory defense.

The beautiful, migratory Black-throated Blue Warblers (Setophaga caerulescens) were among the most commonly mist-netted birds in Jamaican coffee farms during the winter months of Spidal and Johnson's study. (photo by M. D. Johnson) — The beautiful, migratory Black-throated Blue Warblers (Setophaga caerulescens) were among the most commonly mist-netted birds in Jamaican coffee farms during the winter months of Spidal and Johnson’s study. (photo by M. D. Johnson)

3. For the third article, we leap-frog back over Hispaniola to the island of Jamaica, where Aaron B. Spidal and Matthew D. Johnson bring us their work on Sexual habitat segregation in migrant warblers along a shade gradient of Jamaican coffee farms. Spidal and Johnson point out that in the face of ongoing declines in many species of Neotropical migratory birds, attention towards habitat modifications in tropical agricultural landscapes is important. In particular, the authors focus on coffee farms and the degree to which eight different farms across Jamaica vary in percent shade cover over their respective stands of coffee bushes.

Birds and canopy cover were sampled at each site during the winter months of 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. 298 mist-net captures produced 14 species of migratory warblers, the most common being Black-throated Blue Warbler, American Redstart, and Prairie Warbler. Canopy cover ranged from 0 to 89% with a mean of 56.7%. Spidal and Johnson found that across all species, there was a significant correlation between proportion male and percent canopy cover, with positive correlations occurring in each of the three common warbler species. This suggests that segregation between sexes may be occurring within a single habitat along a gradient of habitat quality, which may be explained by superior food availability available to insectivorous warblers existing higher in the canopy compared with that found in the coffee bushes below. The authors intend this work to set the stage for additional studies testing for whether the degree of sex class segregation of migrant warblers can be indicative of habitat quality on coffee farms.

Map depicting locations of the three most recent studies published by the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in the latter half of 2016.

We want to conclude by taking the opportunity to thank the greater Caribbean ornithological community for giving the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology another great year of contributions. To all of the researchers, reviewers, and other contributors – thank you for all of the hard work you do. Your time, energy, input, and feedback are what collectively build the JCO into a stronger peer-reviewed publication.

By Justin Proctor; member of the JCO Editorial and Production team and regular contributor to the BirdsCaribbean blog.

December 2, 2016

Migratory Birds, and the Treaties that Protect Them, Celebrated on 20 Caribbean Islands

Students from the Jose Horacio Cora School, Arroyo, Puerto Rico, were delighted to learn how to use binoculars to spot Magnificent Frigatebirds, Royal Terns, and Osprey feeding in the waters at the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. (Photo by Ernesto Olivares)

As migratory birds arrived to settle in the Caribbean for the winter, a series of festivals celebrating these birds swept through the region’s islands as well. In Cuba, a group of local and international students learned about how birds are captured and banded for research, as well as identified a plethora of migrant warblers in a birding walk. Students in the Dominican Republic visited the National Botanical Garden to spot migratory birds and participate in a bird art competition organized by Grupo Acción Ecológica.

Members of the public in St. Martin were treated to a variety of presentations and activities in a day-long event, including learning about aquatic insects that sustain migratory birds in a Portable Pond Discovery Station, and how two women laid the groundwork for major conservation treaties in efforts to save egrets from exploitation by the fashion industry. Over in Puerto Rico, a group of students were delighted to learn how to use binoculars to spot Magnificent Frigatebirds, Royal Terns, and Osprey feeding in the waters of the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Local and international students learn about how migratory birds are captured and banded for research in the Boca de Canasí Ecological Reserve in Cuba. (Photo by Juan Luis Leal)

What was all the fun about? It was the annual fall celebration of International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD), a hemispheric festival highlighting the fascinating story of bird migration. The festival is coordinated in the Caribbean by BirdsCaribbean, a regional non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about and conserving the region’s birds and habitats. Energetic partners at refuges, parks, museums, schools, botanical gardens and protected areas throughout the region hosted dozens of events, including birding walks and talks, art activities, games, tree plantings, clean-ups and more.

This year the IMBD theme was Spread Your Wings for Bird Conservation, in recognition of the Centennial of the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty, which made it unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell migratory birds. Local organizations and coordinators in each island highlighted how laws, treaties and protected areas help conserve our migratory birds, and what the average citizen can do to help, such as never buying wild-caught birds, reporting the capture and sale of wild birds to the authorities, planting native trees for birds, and supporting local environmental groups that work to conserve nature.

Thanks to educators at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), students from Port Royal Primary in Jamaica were treated to a field trip that included birding and a nature scavenger hunt using BirdSleuth Caribbean materials published by BirdsCaribbean. (photo courtesy of NEPA)

At IMBD events throughout the region, many participants were surprised to learn that the Caribbean islands provide a winter home for dozens of different migratory bird species. However, from ducks to shorebirds, warblers to hawks, many of these species have unfortunately been experiencing declines in recent years due to destruction of native habitats, pollution, hunting, poaching and other threats. “The annual festival provides a unique opportunity to involve people in learning about these birds, and how important our coastlines, wetlands, forests, protected areas and gardens are in sustaining these birds, as well as people,” commented Regional Coordinator, Ingrid Flores.

Abelardo Díaz Alfaro Elementary School of San Juan, Puerto Rico celebrated a week-long Migratory Bird Festival, including the creation of a beautiful collage, a mural and presentations by students about how they can help conserve birds. Meanwhile, others visited protected areas like the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico, which held a week-long open house with presentations and videos about migratory birds and the value of the refuge and bird art activities for kids. Youth in Jamaica were treated to a field trip that included birding and a nature scavenger hunt, thanks to the National Environment and Planning Agency.

Fifth grade students from Abelardo Díaz Alfaro Elementary School in San Juan, Puerto Rico gave talks to their classmates about birds and their conservation as part of the school IMBD Festival Week. (photo by Joanna Oquendo)

After a hugely successful 2016 festival, planning is already underway for IMBD celebrations in 2017, which will focus on the importance of “stopover sites”—places for migratory birds to rest and “refuel” during their long migrations. The Caribbean islands host a wealth of such sites, providing another opportunity to get people outside enjoying nature and our colorful and endlessly fascinating winter visitors.

Students from the Herrera Catholic School of Dominican Republic visited the Santo Domingo National Botanical Garden and participated of a drawing competition. (Photo by María Paulino)

By Ingrid Flores, Regional Coordinator, International Migratory Bird Day and Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, BirdsCaribbean

Port Royal Primary School students in Jamaica learned how to use binoculars for a field trip to view seabirds. (Photo by Ava Tomlinson, NEPA - Jamaica) — Port Royal Primary School students in Jamaica learned how to use binoculars for a field trip to view seabirds. (Photo by Ava Tomlinson, NEPA – Jamaica)

Second grade students from Abelardo Díaz Alfaro Elementary School in San Juan, PR made a banner with as part of the school IMBD Festival Week. ( Photo by Zuleima Sanchez)

Migratory birds and the importance of protected areas were the subject of Vieques National Wildlife Refuge celebration of Refuge Week. (Photo by Erick Bermúdez)

Students from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade of the Luciano Rios Elementary School visited the Pterocarpus Forest in Palmas del Mar of Humacao, PR to learn about nature, migratory birds and to raise awareness of the importance of habitat conservation. (Photo by Janisse Rivera)

Students from the Luciano Rios Elementary School were being motivated to take action to protect birds with the Chart Your Bird Conservation Growth — PLEDGE TO CONSERVE BIRDS as part of IMBD 2016 in the Pterocarpus Forest in Palmas del Mar of Humacao, Puerto Rico, coordinated by Ingrid Flores. (Photo by Janisse Rivera)

Students from the Luciano Rios Elementary School connecting with nature and looking for migratory birds in the boardwalk of the Pterocarpus Forest in Palmas del Mar of Humacao, PR as part of IMBD 2016 coordinated by Ingrid Flores. (Photo by Janisse Rivera)

November 26, 2016

Wet Work in Jamaica’s Wondrous Wetlands

Workshop participants collect aquatic invertebrates from the indoor classroom pond. (photo by Jessica Rozek) — Workshop participants collect aquatic invertebrates from the indoor classroom pond. (Activity 2-C, Pour-a-Pond, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers’ Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek)

Protecting Jamaica’s wetlands through a combination of artistic expression, role playing scenarios and traditional science.

“Tell it your school,

Tell it to your church,

Tell it to your community:

We and the wetlands must live in unity!”

These are the words written and creatively performed by Phillip, an employee of the Government of Jamaica, on the first day of the Wetlands Education Training Workshop in Salt River, Jamaica. The participatory song described the wonders of Jamaican mangroves from their biodiversity to the ecosystem services they provide and also highlighted their current threats such as clearing and pollution.

Demonstration of a simple experiment testing the absorption capacity of different natural substrates. (Activity 3-C, Water Soakers, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers' Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek) — Demonstration of a simple experiment testing the absorption capacity of different natural substrates. (Activity 3-C, Water Soakers, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers’ Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek)

Artistic expression, such as Phillip’s song, is just one of the many approaches to wetland education that workshop attendees learned about and participated in during the two-day training event. The goal of this ongoing regional workshop effort is to train enthusiastic community leaders about birds and wetlands and provide them with the skills and materials to teach others in their community. The 29 attendees were varied in their backgrounds, hailing from primary and secondary schools, the Urban Development Corporation, the Forestry Department, NGOs and the local Salt River community. The workshop was held over November 8th and 9th, the best time of year to see and learn about resident and migratory bird species.

A handsome Green Heron, one of many wetland birds spotted in the Portland Bight Protected Area (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Each participant received a copy of Wondrous West Indian Wetlands: Teachers’ Resource Book, a teacher’s guide packed with foundational information and creative activities to engage students of all levels in wetland conservation and ecology. The book provided the backbone of the first day, which focused on content and classroom activities. The program was led by Lisa Sorenson (Executive Director, BirdsCaribbean) and Michele Kading (Wetlands Educator, BirdsCaribbean) and tailored to mirror the book chapters, with many break-out sessions of small group activities. In addition to Phillip’s song, workshop participants created games for learning wetland functions, conducted simple experiments about water storage and fresh-salt water interactions, and participated in stakeholder role-playing scenarios. One of the most exciting activities was the creation of an indoor classroom pond, complete with aquatic invertebrates and all the tools necessary for identification.

Group photo of workshop participants at the site of C-CAM’s Discovery Center.

The training was hosted by the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM). Established in 1997, C-CAM’s mission is to promote coastal conservation in Jamaica. The organization is situated within the beautiful and diverse Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA), a large region located southeast of Kingston comprised of mixed land use, dry limestone forests and wetlands. The PBPA, an Important Bird Area, is home to the largest mangrove forest in Jamaica, and includes Goat Island, a recent conservation triumph.

C-CAM is anxiously awaiting the debut of their next success story: The Discovery Center, a modern wetland interpretation facility that will cater to the public, tourists and school groups. The main building is surrounded by tidal mud flats and mangroves with winding walking paths, boardwalks and an observation blind.

Participants creating an acoustic map of the different sounds they hear while in the mangrove forest. (Activity 6-J, Sounds Wild, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers' Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek)photo by Jessica Rozek) — Participants creating an acoustic map of the different sounds they hear while in the mangrove forest. (Activity 6-J, Sounds Wild, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers’ Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek)photo by Jessica Rozek)

Of course, The Discovery Center was the perfect place to start the second day of the workshop: field trips to local wetlands! During the morning visit, the mangrove area was bustling with nesting Cattle Egrets, and noisy Northern Waterthrushes and Green Herons. In drier habitat on the property, everyone had the delightful opportunity to view a pair of Green-rumped Parrotlets feeding on cacti through the spotting scope.

Participants used their new Caribbean Mangrove identification guides, illustrated Caribbean wetland, sea and land bird identification cards, and The Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica (generously donated by Ann Haynes- Sutton) to navigate and experience their familiar surroundings in a new way.

The beginning of the field trip day started with exploring the mangroves in Salt River at C-CAM's new Discovery Centre. (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — The beginning of the field trip day started with exploring the mangroves in Salt River at C-CAM’s new Discovery Centre. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

In the tidal flats of Portland Cottage, the group was able to observe and identify Black-necked Stilts, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, and Greater Yellowlegs. The most challenging bird of the day- a juvenile white morph Reddish Egret- was also the most fun to identify by slowing working through the steps of large wader identification (plumage, bill color, leg color, feet color). In addition to bird watching, the field sites also provided other learning opportunities such as plant identification through transects and plots, evaluation of ecosystem services, and understanding threats to wetlands.

The new Wetland Discovery Center viewed from dried mudflats. (photo by Jessica Rozek)

Each of the activities demonstrated during the classroom and field trip portions of the workshop are described in the Teachers’ Resource Book and the materials for each activity are available in a complete workshop kit donated to C-CAM. When the Discovery Center is open for business, leaders of school and other youth groups will be able to access the materials to facilitate their field trip lessons. Whether it is through bird watching, games, science experiments or artistic expression, the varied educational approaches shared through this workshop will help students and adults better understand, appreciate and advocate for their local natural wetland ecosystems.

Ann Haynes-Sutton teaches participants about line transects through coastal ecosystems. (Activity 6-L, From the Land to the Sea, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers' Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek) — Ann Haynes-Sutton teaches participants about line transects through coastal ecosystems. (Activity 6-L, From the Land to the Sea, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers’ Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek)

We find birds, we find crabs,

We find lizards and frogs.

Oh mangrove, oh mangrove,

You’re under pressure.

You’re a Jamaican treasure.

They are beautiful and marvelous.

They are a part of us.

We thank the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre, Vortex Optics, and C-CAM for funding and support for this Wetlands Education Training Workshop, an activity of the West Indian Whistling-Duck and Wetlands Conservation Project.

By Jessica Rozek, graduate student, Tufts University. Jessica is researching Caribbean wetland conservation issues for her Ph.D. We were grateful to have her assistance with this workshop!

Plant identification in a 1-meter plot. (Activity 6-L, From the Land to the Sea, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers' Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek) — Plant identification in a 1-meter plot. (Activity 6-L, From the Land to the Sea, in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands—Teachers’ Resource Book, photo by Jessica Rozek)

November 18, 2016

Las’ Lap or the Party Now Start? Eye-opening New Report on the Status of the Caribbean’s Forest Endemic Birds

Urban Barbados bullfinch (Loxigalla barbadensis) are better problem-solvers and bolder than the rural counterparts. They show highly localised innovative behaviours, such as opening sugar packets. It is classified as ‘Least Concern’. (photo by Arlene Ripley) — Urban Barbados Bullfinch (Loxigalla barbadensis) are better problem-solvers and bolder than the rural counterparts. They show highly localised innovative behaviours, such as opening sugar packets. It is classified as ‘Least Concern’. (photo by Arlene Ripley)

Ellie Devenish-Nelson and Howard Nelson share a recent assessment of how our forest endemic birds are doing. The results are sobering, but you can help us turn the situation around – read on!

We are lucky in the Caribbean to have an incredible diversity of forest-dependent endemic birds. Did you know that the Cuban Bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world, the Jamaican Streamertail hummingbird has the longest tail of any hummingbird, the Barbados Bullfinch are renowned for their problem-solving behaviour, and the Pearly-eyed Thrasher is famous as an ‘intrepid poacher’ and ‘supertramp’?!

But, the majority of these Caribbean forest birds are also declining and many are threatened. Semper’s warbler hasn’t been seen in St Lucia since 1961 and the Jamaican Pauraque has not been recorded since 1860. Hurricane Ivan wiped out about a third of the Grenada Doves in 2004, only about 120 pairs of Ridgway’s Hawk remain in one Hispaniolan national park, and the Bahama Oriole is now only found on one Bahamian island complex.

Howard presenting at the BirdsCaribbean/NAOC meeting. (photo by Ellie Devenish-Nelson).

Several years ago, Howard Nelson thought it would be useful to bring together folks working on forest-dependent endemic birds in the Caribbean, to share their findings. These birds are often hard to study, partly because of the terrain of their forest habitats, yet exciting research and management is happening that is important to share. So, at the BirdsCaribbean 2015 Jamaica meeting, Howard chaired a session on the status of Caribbean forest endemics.

Following on from the success of this 2015 session, BirdsCaribbean hosted a well-received symposium on Caribbean forest endemics at the 2016 North American Ornithological Congress, where Howard presented on the ‘Red List Status of Caribbean Forest Endemic Birds.’ It was an incredible opportunity to raise the profile of the Caribbean’s special birds, at such a huge gathering of ornithologists. Here, we summarise some of our current work on the status of Caribbean forest endemics.

There may be less than 200 Critically Endangered Grenada dove (Leptotila wellsi) left in the world. These birds are restricted to just a few areas of dry forest on Grenada and are sensitive to habitat disturbance and natural disasters. (photo by Howard Nelson) — There may be less than 200 critically endangered Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi) left in the world. These birds are restricted to just a few areas of dry forest on Grenada and are sensitive to habitat disturbance and natural disasters. (photo by Howard Nelson)

So, how did we go about this research? To understand extinction risk in this group, we first needed to look at how much we actually know. We asked: are species that should be getting attention, getting attention? Are data that we need to manage species available and being published? What is the quality of data, if it exists at all?

To answer these questions we conducted an extensive review of the published scientific literature for each endemic species. We also examined information from the IUCN Red List and the BirdLife Data Zone estimates of the quality of data used for these Red List assessments.

What did we find? Of the 167 IUCN assessed forest-dependent endemic species (there are an additional two recently split species that are not yet assessed by IUCN), 26% are threatened. An overwhelming 53% are in decline, including 79% of all threatened species. Only 4% of all species may be increasing (the rest are 32% stable and 11% unknown). This means that even though the majority of endemics are not considered threatened, most species are not doing well. Only 7% of all species are under active species management, as reported by the IUCN Red List. All these managed species are threatened, but that still constitutes less than a third of all the species that are threatened.

When we looked at the quality of this data, we found that for a staggering 95% of these species, the trend estimates available are either of poor or of unknown quality. Without good quality data it’s hard for us to know how these species might respond to changes in their environment and, whether we need to start managing them.

What about research effort? One way to measure research effort is to count the number of published studies for a given species. We collated over 1,500 records of published research since 1989 for all the Caribbean forest endemics. On average, for the 96% of this group that had some research effort, there were about 9 published studies per species; but the variation around this average was high, meaning there were lots of species at either extreme.

The Vulnerable St Vincent parrot (Amazona guildingii) is one of 9 extant parrot species endemic to the Caribbean. Major threats to these birds include hunting and habitat loss. (Photo Howard Nelson) – or another sp. e.g. Endangered Imperial parrot (Amazona imperialis) the largest species of the genus Amazona (parrots native to Central, South America and the Caribbean). (photo by ??) — The vulnerable St Vincent Parrot (Amazona guildingii) is one of nine extant parrot species endemic to the Caribbean. Major threats to these birds include hunting and habitat loss. (photo by Howard Nelson)

Which species are studied most? We compared the research effort with what we might expect if research was equivalent across bird families. Some families had much more research, such as the parrots, with an impressive four times more effort than any other family. Other families had a lot less than you would expect, with the cuckoos having a disturbing six times less research than expected.

What does this mean? This definitely does not mean we should stop researching parrots. Quite the contrary. Even though parrots have comparatively more research effort and better quality data than other families, there is still so much we don’t know about them (e.g. survival rates are unknown for most Caribbean parrot species). We think these results point out just how much research we need for all forest endemics, to allow us to begin to understand these birds.

The bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), endemic to Cuba, is the world’s smallest bird weighing less than 2g, and is not much bigger than a bee. It is classified as ‘Near Threatened’. (photo by Ernesto Reyes) — The Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), endemic to Cuba, is the world’s smallest bird weighing less than 2g, and is not much bigger than a bee. It is classified as ‘Near Threatened’. (photo by Ernesto Reyes)

What about the data that we need to manage? We probably don’t need to know everything about a bird to be able to manage it, but we do need to know some basics, such as population size for instance. Sadly, we found that 90% of species did not even have a published population size estimate. This doesn’t mean that these estimates don’t exist somewhere, as we only searched the published literature. What it does suggest is a general lack of research and, good quality, accessible data.

An underlying assumption by conservation biologists, is that we use our research to prioritise which species deserve attention and need help first. Thus, a key question we had was whether threat status affects how much research effort a species received. Our preliminary analysis suggests that research is not higher in threatened than non-threatened forest endemics. So, contrary to what we might expect, a higher extinction risk does not appear to direct our research efforts.

The Critically Endangered Bahama oriole (Icterus northropi) is now only found in the Andros island complex in the Bahamas. It is threatened by habitat loss, shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitism and disease killing off its preferred nesting palm. (photo by D. Belasco) — The Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi) is now only found in the Andros island complex in the Bahamas. It is threatened by habitat loss, Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitism and disease killing off its preferred nesting palm. (photo by D. Belasco)

Is research effort increasing? Worryingly, we found that total research output on Caribbean forest endemic birds has not significantly increased since the late 1980s. This concerns us greatly, given the continued, and often increasing threats to the habitats of these species.

What are the conservation implications of existing data gaps? Our findings highlight how worried we should be about families with much less than expected research, given how many species are declining. We’re increasingly seeing throughout the world that common species are undergoing population crashes. The alarming lack of data for many Caribbean forest endemics suggests there’s a real risk that species could move into threatened categories before we even realise they’re in trouble. One positive finding was that for species with active management (e.g. parrots) we can have confidence in the data that exist. So, it’s not yet the Las’ Lap for our Caribbean forest endemics.

The regional endemic pearly-eyed thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) is a very successful nest predator and has a superior ability to colonize and adapt to new habitats. It is classified as ‘Least Concern’. (photo by Hannah Madden, St. Eustatius) — The regional endemic Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) is a very successful nest predator and has a superior ability to colonize and adapt to new habitats. It is classified as ‘Least Concern’. (photo by Hannah Madden, St. Eustatius)

Another uplifting finding of our study was the value of BirdsCaribbean’s Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) for disseminating research by regional and international researchers and managers on Caribbean forest endemic birds.

How you can help

BirdsCaribbean offers a way for everyone interested in Caribbean endemic birds to get involved in the conservation of the region’s iconic birds. Each year the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is celebrated across the region. The Caribbean Birding Trail tour guides can help you spot these unique endemics, and the working groups are a hub for researchers and practitioners. In 2017, JCO will publish a Special Issue on the Caribbean’s forest-dependent endemic species. This issue will highlight some of the fantastic research our members are doing on this group. You can read more about our research in the JCO’s Special Issue.

Finally, a really exciting outcome of Howard’s NAOC presentation was our team being invited to take part in the Ornithology Challenge hosted by the Experiment crowdfunding platform. Find out here how you can help us increase our knowledge of Caribbean endemics.

By Ellie Devenish-Nelson (Research Associate, University of Chester) and Howard Nelson (Past President, BirdsCaribbean, Lecturer, University of Chester), with thanks to Doug Weidemann for comments.

November 15, 2016

New Photo Book Celebrates the 2016 Caribbean Waterbird Census

The striking White Ibis uses its long down-curved bill to probe for prey in shallow water. It is locally common on some wetlands in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles, including Cuba, Turks and Caicos, Islands, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands and Jamaica. (photo by David Raynor) — The striking White Ibis uses its long down-curved bill to probe for prey in shallow water. It is locally common on some wetlands in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles, including Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands and Jamaica. (photo by David Raynor)

Earlier this year we asked our dedicated partners in the Caribbean who participate in the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) to share their experiences and some photos with us. We are grateful to those that took the time to do so. Some of these photos were shared on our BirdsCaribbean Instagram and published on Wetlands International’s website in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the International Waterbird Census (of which the CWC is a part), under the theme, The Biggest Count Ever. We’ve taken the stories and photos and turned them into a beautiful Shutterfly book that you can purchase or view online!

From stilts to sandpipers, ducks to dowitchers, a great diversity of waterbirds were observed and counted by over 260 participants in our 7th annual CWC, including large concentrations of waterbirds in previously unknown sites and many sightings of threatened birds, such as the Piping Plover and Red Knot. We want to thank everyone for making the 2016 regional CWC count another great success (although 2016 is not over and we hope folks are still out there doing their fall migration counts!).

Engaging the local community is key in achieving long-term success for waterbird conservation in the Dominican Republic.

This book was created in honor of the fine work that our partners are doing, such as Maria Paulino from the Dominican Republic, who understands the value of the CWC in engaging communities as well as contributing to science and conservation.

Maria commented, “During the time we’ve been doing this count we have come to realize that our country has a wealth that man can put no economic value on; it is a gift from nature that is still hidden for many. We have discovered the wonders of our wetlands thanks to these counts, and realized that bird species we once considered rare are actually quite common, that these species are there and are part of our fauna. These counts have also served to involve communities so that they can learn about, appreciate and care for these wetlands. We as a group have managed to integrate new people in the counts and they have learned to regard wetlands differently, because they see a great number of beautiful birds. We have also discovered new places in our country with a variety of wonderful birds. It is a pleasure to be a part of the CWC – we are committed to continuing monitoring and protecting wetland habitats, and we look forward to expanding our counts elsewhere in the future.”

The CWC is also an excellent tool for engaging young people to learn about birds, as demonstrated by the National Environment Planning Agency in Jamaica.

Andrea Otto and her team, members of the Environmental Awareness Group in Antigua, as well as many others noted the impact the drought has been having on the region’s wetlands and waterbirds and the vital importance of conservation. “Many areas were devoid of water, highlighting the importance of more permanent wetlands, like McKinnon’s Pond, where the team sighted many species of ducks, shorebirds, herons, egrets and seabirds,” declared Andrea. “The presence of all these birds and many more at McKinnon’s Pond in spite of the severe drought, has cemented its absolute importance as a wetland which should be preserved with herculean effort.”

Below we share with you a small selection of photos from the 2016 CWC, but you can see many more and read stories about the birds that were seen via the link to the Shutterfly book. We will be giving away two copies of this photo book to persons that participated in the 2016 CWC (random drawing). To learn how to participate in the CWC, visit this link – all are welcome!

One of the CWC surveyors at Ashton Lagoon, Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. (photo by Kristy Shortte)

CWC surveyors at Wheeland Pond, Turks and Caicos Islands. (photo by Eric Salamanca)

A group of Lesser Yellowlegs rests in the shallow water in a Curacao wetland. (photo by Robyn Fidanque)

Fernando Simal braving the elements during Bonaire's CWC. (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — Fernando Simal braving the elements during Bonaire’s CWC. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

CWC surveyors in The Bahamas. (photo by David Jones)

A flock of Sanderlings feeds along the beach at Cayo Jutia, Cuba. (photo by Alieny Gonzalez)

November 12, 2016

Where Small is Significant—Saving the BVI’s Seabirds One Cay at a Time

View of East Seal Dog Island taken from West Seal Dog Islands. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

Like jewels in the sea, the tiny cays of the British Virgin Islands are scattered around the coast. These dramatically beautiful islets are not just postcard pretty – they provide habitat for some of the most important seabird colonies in the region. Seabirds are one of the most threatened groups of birds in the Caribbean and the world. They are also among the least well known, especially in the eastern Caribbean. Thus in 2015, the Jost Van Dykes (BVI) Preservation Society (JVDPS) and partners, seeking to understand and conserve our breeding seabirds, launched the BVI Seabird Recovery Planning Programme (2015-2017).

With funding from the Darwin Plus Initiative, we are surveying seabird colonies on 43 islands, assessing threats at breeding sites, exploring the use of artificial nest boxes, and writing operational plans to control invasive species such as rats that are destroying some colonies. The information we gather will be used to develop a prioritization plan for BVI-wide seabird recovery.

Roseate Tern in Flight (photo by Jenny Daltry)

One of the BVI’s most important breeding species is the Roseate Tern, which is listed as “Threatened” by the US Department of the Interior. In the Virgin Islands, Roseate Terns nest on small, sparsely vegetated rocky cays. The tiny terns shift breeding sites annually but tend to favor a few spots. Their top choice has usually been 14-acre Green Cay, where until the late 1990s, they habitually nested in considerable numbers. In 1997, 1,755 of the approximately 2,000 total V.I. population’s nesting pairs chose the site. Sadly, as development crept its way across the BVI, rats also found Green Cay. As rats feasted on tern eggs, nest numbers dwindled. By 2015, there was no longer active nesting on the island.

Fortunately, a few small BVI colonies survive, including 2.5 acre East Seal Dog and 6.5 acre West Seal Dog Islands (which supported a few hundred breeding pairs of Roseate terns in 2014 and 2015). Although we also recorded rat predation of tern eggs on the West Seal Dog, these smaller cays provide an important refuge for Roseate Terns from which other sites might in the future be recolonized. Through this project we were able to begin collecting baseline data and working on feasibility and operational plans to rid the Seal Dog Islands of rats. In March 2016, the project carried us to the islands for winter surveys, and we recorded nesting Red-billed Tropicbird and Audubon Shearwater, further demonstrating the importance of these sites for the BVI’s breeding seabirds.

Dr. Louise Soanes, University of Roehampton, working on Seal Dog Islands. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

Thanks to the Darwin Plus Initiative, we were able to look at sites across the entire network of islands and cays in the BVI including many small sites that had been overlooked because of a previous focus on avian ‘hotspots’ such as the BVI’s three Important Bird Areas (IBAs): Great Tobago, Anegada and Green Cay. If our work had focused on single sites or just the IBAs, the Seal Dog Islands might have easily been overlooked. The BVI Seabird Recovery Planning Programme helped to elevate the profile of these other smaller, but also important sites.

I am happy to report that our work has resulted in new funding to control rat populations at both Seal Dog Islands and Green Cay. While Green Cay is recognized as a globally important site, rat control at the site will prove to be challenging, since it is so close to other inhabited islands that rats can swim over to and recolonize. Rat control is being carried out first at Seal Dog Islands, which will form a critical step in building our local BVI capacity to carry out small island restorations. Through lessons learnt on those cays, we will become better equipped to restore Green Cay and to identify other potential sites for similar conservation actions throughout the Territory.

The BVI Seabird Recovery Programme is led by Roehampton University and organized locally in the BVI by the Jost Van Dykes (BVI) Preservation Society. Other partners include the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands and the BVI Conservation & Fisheries Department. We are also grateful to BirdsCaribbean for the many ways in which their seabird capacity-building and training workshops (funded in part through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) and the Seabird Working Group network have helped to provide us with access to technical experts, opportunities for skills-building and materials (such as the nestboxes for tropicbirds) to directly benefit this project.

By Susan Zaluski, Director, Jost Van Dykes (BVI) Preservation Society.

Youth field assistant conducting rat bait trials on East Seal Dog Island. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

BVI Conservation Department's Atoya George in the field at Fallen Jerusalem. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society) — BVI Conservation Department’s Atoya George in the field at Fallen Jerusalem. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

Endeavor II, JVDPS's locally-built island sloop at Seal Dogs, used for project transport. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society) — Endeavor II, JVDPS’s locally-built island sloop at Seal Dogs, used for project transport. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

October 28, 2016

Wanted!! Shorebird Enthusiasts

White-rumped Sandpiper during spring migration. (photo by Sipke Stapert) — White-rumped Sandpiper during spring migration in Bonaire. (photo by Sipke Stapert)

Are you a shorebird fan and want to support their conservation? Do you already carry out counts for the Caribbean Waterbird Census? Then join the International Shorebird Survey (ISS). Lisa Sorenson explains how to participate.

It’s that time of year when our islands are inundated with avian visitors —a great variety of delightful birds that have winged their way south to escape the soon-to-be-frozen north and take refuge in our sunny isles. They brighten our backyards, parks and ponds, and make birding ventures much more fun and interesting – what new migrant might surprise us today? I have had the good fortune to spend a little time in both Cuba and Bonaire the last few weeks and carry out surveys at various wetlands and coastal sites on each island – the large number of shorebirds at some sites, hungrily probing for invertebrates in the mud or snapping up brine flies out of the air was amazing.

Thanks to the great work you all are doing in gathering data through the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) and International Piping Plover Census, the importance of this region for waterbirds and shorebirds is becoming better understood at a rapid rate. Your counts are revealing that many shorebirds use the region as a winter home or as a place to rest and refuel during their long migrations. Your counts are also showing that a number of sites are of critical importance to migratory shorebirds, a group that has been showing serious population declines for the last 15 years. In order to further document numbers and long-term trends and gather additional information to help conserve these sites, there is a need for more regular monitoring data, especially during migration.

Knowing that many of you already go out to count waterbirds for the CWC, we would like to invite you to schedule some extra counts during the migration season in the Caribbean and with that, become a volunteer for the International Shorebird Survey (ISS).

ISS is an initiative organized by Manomet since 1974 and is a volunteer-based monitoring program specifically focusing on counting shorebirds during the southbound and northbound migration. These surveys are implemented throughout the Western Hemisphere and the data that has been gathered by volunteers has proven key to shorebird conservation planning.

How to participate? Easy!

A Short-billed Dowitcher probing for critters at one of Bonaire’s incredibly important salinas for migratory shorebirds. (photo by Sipke Stapert)

Just go to a/your nearby shorebird site two or three times a month during the migration season (August-October and March-May) and count all shorebirds. As the ISS protocol is basically the same as your CWC protocol—you can do both counts at the same time. Simply do a CWC count, making sure to count all birds, and enter your data as usual choosing choosing one of the CWC Count Protocols (Point Count, Traveling Count or Area Search) on Step 2 of “Submit observations” in eBird Caribbean (make sure you use our Caribbean eBird portal to be able to choose the CWC protocol).

More information on the ISS is in these flyers (English, Spanish), which you are welcome to distribute to other potential volunteers. You can also learn more on this website.

If you are interested but have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Arne Lesterhuis (Alesterhuis@manomet.org) or Lisa Sorenson (Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org).

Many thanks in advance for helping us to document the importance of our islands to shorebirds (see for example, Bonaire). We hope to see folks participating in the ISS soon!

By Lisa Sorenson, Shorebird Enthusiast and Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean

p.s. Here is a link to some helpful resources for counting shorebirds, a very challenging group to identify. It takes years of experience to become really good at shorebird ID, but learning is great fun. Here are some quick tips:

Go out and practice as often as possible. Spend as many hours as you can watching shorebirds, noting their overall size and body shape, feeding method, color and shape of bill, color and length of legs, call and behavior. Based on body and bill size and shape, learn to recognize groups, such as plovers vs. sandpipers. You will need to be a detective and work out the identification based on multiple subtle clues.
Try to learn a few common species really well that will serve as a reference (‘marker bird”) for size comparisons with species that you know less well.
If you are not sure about the ID, don’t guess! It’s much better to enter the data as “plover sp” or “peep sp” or “large shorebird” – various options like this are provided on eBird Caribbean – then enter inaccurate information.
Take photos of any species you are not sure of and send them to us for help with ID. This will help ensure that data quality remains high and help you to become proficient at identifying shorebirds.
Arm yourself with really great field guides, study them and make notes on the pages. In addition to Birds of the West Indies, by Raffaele et al, we recommend Stokes Beginners Guide to Shorebirds by Don and Lillian Stokes (excellent small book with KEY ID tips and great photos!). The Shorebird Guide by O’Brien, Crossley and Karlson is also great.

Download the Site Form.

International Shorebird Survey (ISS) Flyer for the Caribbean.

October 25, 2016

Searching for the Golden Swallow in Jamaica’s Ram Goat Cave

Do not attempt, unless you are a ram goat (or a swallow), advises Justin Proctor.

Ram Goat Cave; photo taken from Barbecue Bottom with a fixed Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. (Photo by Justin Proctor)

From January 15^th to February 12^th and March 24^th to 27^th 2015, I surveyed the greater Cockpit Country region of Jamaica in search of the critically endangered Jamaican Golden Swallow (Tachycineta euchrysea euchrysea), accompanied by two other Cornell alumni: Seth Inman (La Paz Group) and John Zeiger (currently with the Aldo Leopold Foundation). One of the goals of the expedition was to spend considerable time censusing where the species had last been unequivocally observed in 1982, the Ram Goat Cave area of Barbecue Bottom.

However, in our efforts to research – and then ultimately find – Ram Goat Cave, we came across considerably more fiction than fact. The internet, multiple maps, a guide book or two, and many good-intentioned locals did a very noteworthy job of filling us up with misleading information and sending us down some dark and abrasive dead ends. For the record, we’re not complaining; the road less traveled in Jamaica always seemed to produce one of those classic “let’s not bring this up for a few years, but the grandkids will love it” stories. Yet in the end we did find Ram Goat Cave, and so here we aim to bring a little more clarification to a topic that few available resources seem to agree upon. We also begin to highlight the ornithological significance that the cave once may have had and where that finds us now.

To orient you, Cockpit Country is a roughly 1,160 km² designation of land, known by its undulating karst limestone topography, situated in west-central Jamaica. On the east-central side of Cockpit Country, running roughly north to south between the towns of Kinloss and Albert Town, is a relatively flat valley floor known as Barbecue Bottom. The geological fault that created this aberration also left some stretches of the valley’s western flank lined with exposed cliff sides. It is about two-thirds of the way up one those vertical rock faces that the notorious Ram Goat Cave continues to endure. It is important to point out that an old dirt and gravel road (named Burnt Hill Road if approaching from the south and Barbecue Bottom Road if approaching from the north, sometimes referred to in older texts as the “carriage trail”), runs parallel to Barbecue Bottom. For the most part, the road has been etched into – and snakes along – the upper hillsides, offering the wayward traveler some incredible views along the way. There is a point along this road that positions an observer directly above Ram Goat Cave, although without prior knowledge of this it would be impossible to discern, as no view of the cave is afforded from any point along the road. Meanwhile, down within Barbecue Bottom, a now mostly overgrown “bridle trail” can be found meandering along the valley floor. It is from this trail that views of Ram Goat Cave are possible.

Satellite imagery of Jamaica, West Indies with the Cockpit Country region enlarged. The red line denotes the most current boundary of the Cockpit Country (source: Windsor Research Centre), and the yellow rectangle indicates Barbecue Bottom.

Much like us, the Jamaican Caves Organization (JCO) had quite the adventure tracking down this cave. But eventually, they did find it, and they do reveal its approximate location. However, even with the information from their account, one would still struggle to “find” Ram Goat Cave, because due to the location and orientation of the cave, as well as the density of the wet limestone forest that blankets the landscape below, it can only be viewed from certain vantage points, all of which are located down within Barbecue Bottom. Adding to that, Barbecue Bottom, despite once being populated and cleared for drying considerable quantities of coffee and pimento, is now, as the locals would say, “bush up.” Nature in the form of thick, almost impenetrable vegetation is reclaiming the land. However, this reforestation should be embraced during what are otherwise considered strained times for the Cockpit Country as it faces a plethora of threats, one of the most daunting being the growing interest in extracting bauxite from within the region.

John Zeiger (left) and Justin Proctor (right) stand firm against the rain and mosquitos during an evening observation session of Ram Goat Cave (black spot in center of photo). (Photo by Seth Inman)

To our knowledge, Ram Goat Cave has never been entered or explored, undoubtedly because the cave cannot be reached without considerable rappelling equipment and expertise. The JCO decided not to do so (in the Spring of 1998) after concluding the following about the cave’s morphology:

“Ramgoat Cave is situated roughly 50 m up a vertical cliff, and about the same below the road, and is a cave in name only. From what we could see, it appears to be a small shelter cave with an opening of about 5 m, that looks like it will extend no more than 10 m into the cliff. We did not, of course, attempt to enter it because there is no point. By looking at it from below, and by looking at the morphology of where it is found, it is obvious that it goes nowhere. It is a shelter cave that became famous many years ago because of its absolute inaccessibility. One would have to be a ‘ramgoat’ to reach it.”

Old bridle trail (left) built from stacked karst rock (right) running along the valley floor of Barbecue Bottom. It is from this path that several vantage points allow an observer to view Ram Goat Cave on the cliff wall to the west. (Photos by Seth Inman and John Zeiger)

Although the unassuming Ram Goat Cave may not offer much to a spelunker, it has long been a point of interest and reference for avid birders in Jamaica. The Broadsheets – a biannual journal (published by the Gosse Bird Club, which was renamed BirdLife Jamaica in 1998) that has been dedicated to compiling and disseminating ornithological observations in Jamaica since August of 1963 – is sprinkled with entries of bird observations occurring near the cave (all seeming to have been taken from the road above). Much to our interest, throughout the years entries into the Broadsheets note that some species of aerial insectivores, in particular Cave Swallows (Petrochelidon fulva), Golden Swallows, and Antillean Palm-swifts (Tachornis phoenicobia), were reliably seen flying, foraging and interacting in close proximity to the opening of Ram Goat Cave, which in turn raises the question of whether or not they may have been using the cave for the purpose of nesting and/or roosting. Take for example this excerpt from an entry by Audrey Downer and Robert Sutton from 1972 (Broadsheet 1972:12):

“On July 3^rd 1972 we visited . . . a place called Ram Goat Cave on the Barbecue Bottom road where Golden Swallows have frequently been seen. Masses of Cave Swallow milled around, and with them several Golden Swallows. It had rained and puddles of water were on the road, which attracted the swallows. As the Golden Swallows swooped down to the puddles and then rose over our heads we could clearly see the white underparts. They then flew in the valley just below where we were standing and not more than 20 to 30 ft. away. In the overcast light the backs looked a bluish green and no yellow could be seen, but at that time of the year they could not be Tree or Bahama swallows.”

In fact, only ten years later, the last unequivocal sighting of the Jamaican Golden Swallow was seen in the greater vicinity of Ram Goat Cave, as is reported here by Audrey Downer (Broadsheet 1982:32):

Female Hispaniolan Golden Swallow (Tachycineta euchrysea sclateri) investigating an artificial nest-box in Parque Valle Nuevo, Dominican Republic. (photo by Justin Proctor)

“Is The Golden Swallow Declining?: In 1858 Osburn wrote to Gosse . . . describing Golden Swallows as appearing “in great numbers” over the canefields of Trelawny. Several years ago when Robert Sutton and I saw them at Ram Goat Cave there were only 5 or 6 seen at a time. No report has recently been recorded in the Broadsheet, but some visitors to the island in August this year [1982] reported seeing them on the Barbecue Bottom Road. In order to verify this report, a group of us headed by Robert Sutton went along this same road in the Cockpit Country on Sept. 11th, 1982. After stopping at Ram Goat Cave and Barbeque Bottom where we heard swallows but saw only Cave [Swallows] and [Antillean] Palm Swifts we stopped between the 15th and 14th mile-post at a spot overlooking the ruins of Stonehenge. Immediately below us was a grassy area with canefields in the distance. This looked like the spot described by the visitors, and sure enough Robert soon spotted a Golden Swallow circling with Cave Swallows … The visitors reported seeing 7 Golden Swallows, and we saw between 6 and 9 at a time. This is a far cry from the numbers reported by Osburn. Are they declining or are they more numerous after a rainy spell?”

There are other entries in the Broadsheets that also highlight the presence of multiple species of swifts and swallows foraging in the vicinity of Ram Goat Cave. Seth, John, and I have been diving into the implications of this in a manuscript that we are currently working on entitled, “Exploring the Plight of the Jamaican Golden Swallow,” which we hope to submit for review in the near future.

We opportunistically spent two evenings in mid-March of 2015 directly observing the cave from a distant vantage point down in Barbecue Bottom. This was a set of pilot observations in order to assess how more thorough documentation of avian activity in and around the cave could be implemented in the future. Our time observing the cave did not produce any positive sightings of aerial insectivores – or any other birds for that matter – making use of the cave. We do believe, however, that a regimented routine series of observations across a longer duration of the known breeding seasons for Jamaica’s aerial insectivores is warranted.

Beyond Ram Goat, Jamaica is incredibly abundant in caves. To our knowledge, the extent to which different bird species use – and potentially depend upon – these caves has yet to be studied. With so little known about the life histories of cliff/cave nesting species such as the White-collared Swift and Black Swift in Jamaica, it would seem fitting for ornithologists to combine forces with the Jamaican Caves Organization to better study and document these unique birds.

Satellite imagery with diagram depicting (i) our entry point from Burnt Hill / Barbecue Bottom Road (green arrow; 18.336450, -77.558283) down into Barbecue Bottom, (ii) our observation viewpoint from along the old bridle trail (black and white box; 18.337583, -77.555500), and (iii) Ram Goat Cave (thick white line; 18.337038, -77.557038).

In the meantime, we encourage birders to responsibly visit the Burnt Hill / Barbecue Bottom Road region of Jamaica’s Cockpit Country (Cockpit Country Adventure Tours offers outstanding birding and caving tours in this area). We’ve found this to be one of the most serene wild areas left in Jamaica’s interior, and in hopes of keeping it that way, we suggest you walk the road by foot [a landslide has been effectively blocking the road in recent years anyhow, so you will be unable to make a through-trip by car]. As you go along, be sure to spend some time in the Ram Goat Cave area, exercise caution if you decide to descend down into Barbecue Bottom proper, and be sure to see how many of Jamaica’s endemic bird species you can check off along the way (28 out of 29 endemics have been found in the Cockpit Country!).

By Justin Proctor; Caribbean ornithologist, member of the JCO Editorial and Production team, and frequent contributor to our blog. Check out his article on the Golden Swallow in the Dominican Republic here.

Thank you to Ann Sutton, the Windsor Research Centre, and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust for contributing information to this article.

October 24, 2016

Funding Opportunity—The David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds

2016 Awards Now Open!

Size of Award: $3,000 is budgeted for several grants up to $1,000 each from the David S. Lee Fund. (thanks to a new anonymous donor, the size of the award is increased this year from $1,000 to $3,000)

Application Deadline: December 15th, 2016 at 5 p.m. EST.

Address Questions and Send Application to: Will Mackin, Co-Chair Seabird Working Group, BirdsCaribbean, mackinwa@guilford.edu; copy to info@birdscaribbean.org

Announcement of Awards: February 1, 2017

Donations to the Fund: Tax-deductible (U.S.) at www.BirdsCaribbean.org.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dave Lee holding a White-tailed Tropicbird in the Bahamas. (photo by Mary Kay Clark)

David S. Lee was a pioneering naturalist and conservation biologist who helped get BirdsCaribbean started nearly 30 years ago, and inspired many naturalists with his work and his writing. He was a man of many interests, and with respect to the Caribbean, published numerous papers and articles in the popular press on seabirds, Bahamian fish, turtles, snakes, bats, and orchids.

Donations from Dave’s wife, Mary Kay Clark and his mother, June Bash, allowed the establishment of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds that will award money to conservation projects in his honor. The money is being held in a trust and will be used to award an annual grant for innovative projects that protect Caribbean birds and their habitats.

Goal of the Fund: The David S. Lee Fund for Conservation seeks to continue David’s passion for protecting wildlife. The fund will support direct, innovative conservation work in the Caribbean Region for birds and their habitats. The fund will be managed by BirdsCaribbean and used for annual small grants.

A striking male Magnolia Warbler perches momentarily on a branch while foraging for food during its spring migration. (photo by Gerald A. DeBoer, Shutterstock)

Eligibility: Scientists/naturalists working in the Caribbean, in conservation organizations or academic programs, may apply. Applicants should be students or early career ornithologists, conservationists, or wildlife professionals (i.e., not established faculty or senior staff of a conservation organization, less than 7 years post-graduation). A student must be enrolled in accredited Masters or PhD program in ecology, biology, conservation, or related field to be eligible. Applicants must be paid or sponsored members of BirdsCaribbean at the time of application.

Use of Funds: The funds can cover travel to field sites, living expenses in the field, or costs for equipment and supplies to conduct conservation projects. Examples of equipment and supplies include traps, cameras, automated recording units, nest boxes, etc. Ineligible costs include salary or other wages, overhead fees, etc. Projects that foster collaboration between scientists/naturalists in different island groups of the Caribbean, such as joint projects to test conservation techniques for similar species, will be favored.

Application Guidelines:

Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. All should have an English version of the abstract
Applications should be emailed as a Microsoft Word document.
The application should include a cover page, proposal (see guidelines below), and a curriculum vitae for the applicant.
Separately, by email, three individuals who can attest to your effectiveness in previous work should submit letters of recommendation. For students, this would include your academic advisor.

Evaluation:

A committee appointed by BirdsCaribbean will review the proposals and award the grants.
The awardee will be required to submit a report one year from the day of the award explaining how the award money was spent and the results of the project to that point.
Awardees are encouraged to present the results of their work at the biennial International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean and publish in The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology.

Eligible applicants can download the application form here.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

But wait! What if you are not eligible to apply for funds, you ask? You can still support this worthy cause by being a sponsor!

Reddish Egrets (dark morph). (photo by Tania Thomson, Shutterstock)

This fund will be for the conservation of any bird in the Caribbean as a reflection of Dave’s diverse interests. He was an important part of many projects, ranging from those of the Black-capped Petrel and Seabird Working Groups to the scholarly debate leading to the elevation of the Bahama Yellow-throated Warbler to a full species.

At the moment the fund contains $12,000. Our initial goal is to raise $25,000 so that we can award $1,000 every year to a worthy student or early career ornithologist, conservationist or wildlife professional. Not only will this fund encourage creative field work for projects that make a difference, but it will also help build the knowledge and skills of young conservationists that are urgently needed to make sure that the Caribbean birds and habitats that Dave treasured are still around for future generations to enjoy.

Cuban Parrot surveying his domain. (photo by Elliotte Rusty-Harold, Shutterstock)

At the 2015 BirdsCaribbean meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, a round of beers was purchased in Dave’s honor, since he always seemed to have a cooler full when people wanted one (and even when they didn’t). Think of this fund like a cooler full of refreshing beverages that Dave would have around if he were here. We owe it to Dave to stock that cooler—to vitalize naturalists and empower them in their work to help wildlife.

Please give a tax deductible donation to the David S. Lee Fund. Give generously. The more we put into the fund, the more we can give out each year. Thanks to all those that have contributed to the fund!

Click here to make an online contribution.

If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for the David S. Lee Fund. If you have questions or to make other arrangements for donating, please feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Treasurer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org)

Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 4201 Wilson Blvd. Suite 110-174, Arlington VA 22203-1589

Thank you for your participation and support!

October 20, 2016

Loving the Lora and Chasing the Chuchubi at Bonaire’s Caribbean Birding Trail Guide Training Workshop

The Yellow-shouldered Parrot (Amazona barbadensis), or Lora, as it is locally known in Papiamento, is one of Bonaire's most charismatic birds. It lives in Bonaire's dry forests. Only about 900 remain in Bonaire where it is classified as threatened. (photo by Sam Williams) — The Yellow-shouldered Parrot (Amazona barbadensis), or Lora, as it is locally known in Papiamentu, is one of Bonaire’s most charismatic birds. It lives in Bonaire’s dry forests. Only about 900 remain in Bonaire where it is classified as threatened. (photo by Sam Williams)

Many of Bonaire’s visitors already have a keen interest in nature—as evidenced by the tens of thousands of divers and snorkelers that arrive to the island each and every year, with fish ID lists in hand. What many visitors don’t realize is that the island boasts a topside fauna that is just as diverse and fascinating as the underwater life.

From the lovable Lora to the charming Chuchubi, Bonaire offers a plethora of beautiful birds for birders and nature enthusiasts to enjoy. Yet few people partake in this wonderful activity, much less travel to Bonaire specifically to bird. The hope is that this will now change, thanks to a recent training of Bonaire’s tourism sector in how to be an interpretive bird guide and show visitors the beautiful bird life of the island.

Globally, the tourism market for wildlife watching and wildlife photography is growing, and bird tourism is a significant part of this. Another growing segment is that of the independent traveler; individuals that prefer to go “off the beaten path” and seek out authentic experiences. The Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) is an initiative that seeks to attract these markets to Bonaire and the Caribbean as a whole and connect these visitors with the cultural and natural resources of their island. Integral to this is having well-trained local naturalist guides who can identify and interpret the birds and their habitats for local and foreign visitors.

From 26 to 30 September, 27 representatives from Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten and St. Eustatius attended BirdsCaribbean’s Interpretive Guide Training Workshop in Bonaire. Participants consisted of mostly of tour guides, but park staff, nature educators, biologists, and even Bonaire’s famous salt industry also attended the training. Their combined linguistic abilities alone were astounding: Papiamentu, English, Dutch, Spanish, German and Portuguese, which led to much amusement (and some confusion) about the common names of certain birds.

Learning to identify birds in the field. The diversity of participants matched the diversity of birds. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

The intensive five-day workshop offered skills in identifying birds, how to use binoculars and spotting scopes, avian ecology, and guiding and interpretation techniques. The training also included daily field visits to some of Bonaire’s best birding sites, such as Lac Bai, Gotomeer, Dos Pos, Salina de Vlijt and the LVV/water water treatment ponds. Interactive presentations and demonstrations were given by staff of BirdsCaribbean, STINAPA, and Echo. Certified interpretive trainers from the National Association of Interpretation (NAI), Venicio (Beny) Wilson and Rick Morales, who work as guides in Panama, wowed the participants with in-depth sessions on the birding market, communication skills, and the principles of environmental interpretation.

Despite the impending threat of Hurricane Matthew, the workshop participants’ enthusiasm could not be dampened and they showed up, rain or shine. For some it was their first time seeing Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, White-cheeked Pintails, Semipalmated Plovers, Black-necked Stilts, Willets, Spotted Sandpipers, Fork-tailed Flycatchers, and Caribbean Elaenias, and even the trainers were excited about seeing Bonaire’s national bird, the American Flamingo. Trainer Beny Wilson commented, “Throughout the week, I was constantly amazed at how “tame” Bonaire’s birds are. By that I mean they are generally unconcerned about close proximity to humans and simply go about their daily routines. It was fabulous to be so close to the action and especially to see flamingos just 30 feet away!”

Facilitator Beny Wilson explains the birding market—the different types of birders and what they need. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

For those students that had never before seen a bird through a pair of binoculars or telescope, this workshop was an enlightening experience. The art of ‘digiscoping’ was popular among many, especially those who don’t have a fancy camera but still want to take and share great bird photos. Using this technique, visitors can easily take fantastic bird images using their own smart phone and their guide’s scope.

Others were keen to sign up to eBird Caribbean, an online checklist program, and start entering their sightings. This can be a useful tool for any visitors who wish to add birding to their Bonaire vacation itineraries, as the web site shows which birds can be seen on the island and their general locations. It’s a fabulous way to find out if a “life bird” you wish to see occurs on Bonaire.

Short-billed Dowitchers, and assorted sandpipers and plovers rest and feed at Salina de Vlijt, a seasonal wetland located in an urban area and unfortunately slated for development. Bonaire is a shorebirders' paradise - the island's salinas and salt ponds provide critical stopover and wintering habitat to thousands of migratory and resident shorebirds. (photo by Sipke Stapert) — Short-billed Dowitchers, and assorted sandpipers and plovers rest and feed at Salina de Vlijt, a seasonal wetland located in an urban area and unfortunately slated for development. Bonaire is a shorebirders’ paradise – the island’s salinas and salt ponds provide critical stopover and wintering habitat to thousands of migratory and resident shorebirds. (photo by Sipke Stapert)

For everyone, learning the skills to engage visitors about Bonaire’s birds and their environment was invaluable. “I learned how our great bird diversity can be harnessed to be an adjunct to our visitors’ love of nature,” commented one participant from Bonaire. Binkie van Es, a guide from St. Maarten stated, “This was a very inspirational workshop for me that showed me how to develop an interpretive tour. This involves giving meaning to what we show our clients during a trip and not just mere facts, injecting a purpose and a part of yourself to leave the visitor with an everlasting impression of their day.” A connection to conservation was emphasized throughout the workshop and this was reflected in another guide’s comment: “I am interested now to continue to expand my knowledge as well as get involved in conservation of our island’s natural areas.”

Newly-trained guides from the Mangrove Information Center pose with facilitators and their Certificates of Completion for the CBT Guide Training. L to R: Janet Koek, Lisa Sorenson, Elly Albers, Beny Wilson, Holly Robertson, Mick Arts, Rick Morales.

Sam Willams, board member of Echo, the non-profit foundation that led the workshop organization stated, “Developing bird-related tourism on Bonaire has been a dream I’ve shared with others for many years. I am really proud and honored that Echo was able to play a part in bringing the Caribbean Birding Trail to the island. Thanks so much to Lauren Schmaltz for her efforts in making it a reality, as well as the great facilitators, and for the partnerships with Lisa Sorenson from BirdsCaribbean, Kalli De Meyer from the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance, and STINAPA Bonaire. And of course all the enthusiastic guides!”

It is now up to the tour operators to promote birding opportunities on their respective islands and practice the skills learned in the workshop in order to become professional CBT guides. It seems that the participants were indeed inspired to continue to hone their skills. Guide Cyrill Kooistra from Curacao, commented, “These birding trainers were amazing! There I was wondering ‘how do they do that?’ In class you learn about these birds, but after two days the trainers really lit a spark in me; the kind of spark that made me afraid to become like them. They glow when they spot something, and yes, I even started to become like these enthusiastic birdspotters. Amazingly, at the end of the week, I got 7 of 11 correct in the birding quiz, compared with just 2 on the first day.”

Workshop participants and trainers at Lac Bay.

As well as the knowledge and skills gained, all participants also received a pair of Vortex binoculars, a BirdsCaribbean buff and hat, NAI Workbook, copies of field guides “Birds of the West Indies” and “Birds of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao”, mangrove identification guides, and bird ID cards for Bonaire and Curacao.

We look forward to continuing to nurture the guides as they develop their bird guiding skills. Soon, we fully expect many Bonaire visitors to arrive with their fish wish list in one hand and their bird wish list in the other!

The CBT Interpretive Guide Training was made possible through the generous support of our sponsors and local partners. These include: Echo, Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance, Vogelbescherming Nederland, U.S. Forest Service International Programs, STINAPA Bonaire, Cargill, Kooyman, Wild Conscience, Vortex Optics, BONHATA (Bonaire Hotels & Tourism Association), Rento Fun Tours, Bonaire Rent-a-car, and Boutique Hotel Sunrisa. Thanks to Lisa Sorenson, Hannah Madden and Susan Davis for contributing to this article about the Bonaire CBT Guide Training!

Our 8th CBT Guide Training took place in Barbados in October 2025!

The American Flamingo, national bird of Bonaire, can be viewed at close range on many of Bonaire's salinas. (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — The American Flamingo, national bird of Bonaire, can be viewed at close range on many of Bonaire’s salinas. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

The Tropical Mockingbird, called the Chuchubi in Papiamentu, is one of the most conspicuous and well-known birds of Bonaire, known for its loud jubilant song. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Despite the impending threat of Hurricane Matthew, the workshop participants’ enthusiasm could not be dampened and they showed up, rain or shine. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Gotomeer Salina is a great place to view flamingos and a variety of waterbirds and shorebirds. It is also an important site for nesting Least Terns. (photo by Hannah Madden)

Early morning birding practice at LVV Wetland/ Wastewater Treatment Plant, a fantastic place to see shorebirds, ducks, flamingos, and other waterbirds. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Holly Robertson, Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) Project Manager, shares the mission and goals of the CBT. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BIrdsCaribbean, talks about the many migratory and resident birds that can be found on Bonaire. (photo by Holly Robertson)

Trainer Rick Morales explains how to guide a group on a trail before the morning birding walk at Dos Pos. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

The spectacular Yellow Oriole is a breeding resident on Bonaire. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

September 30, 2016

Spreading Our Wings for International Migratory Bird Day 2016

Shorebirds like the Short-billed Dowitcher and Stilt Sandpiper are long distance migrants that spend part of their year in the Caribbean. (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)

There’s a rustling in the hedgerow, and a fluttering in the branches. In the Caribbean islands, we are starting to hear different voices and our gardens and landscapes are filled with bright new colors. Our “winter visitors” are arriving, and we welcome them every year.

Many may be surprised to learn that the Caribbean is a winter home for dozens of different migratory bird species. Now in its 26th year, International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) highlights the amazing story of these birds and the importance of protecting them. While IMBD events happen across the Western Hemisphere throughout the year, most Caribbean events happen in the October, a particularly busy month for migratory birds in the West Indies.

Environment for the Americas (EFTA) coordinates IMBD across the Western Hemisphere. BirdsCaribbean is the regional organizer, coordinating all kinds of activities throughout the islands. Refuges, parks, museums, schools, botanical gardens and protected areas host events that reach about 100,000 people each year just in the Caribbean.

The annual IMBD art is a key component of the program and highlights the annual conservation theme. Each of the 11 bird species featured on the 2016 poster represents the importance of protections for birds. The Carolina Parakeet, now extinct, is a reminder that the unregulated hunting of birds or use of their feathers for ornamentation, for example, can result in the complete loss of a species. The remaining 10 species are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and other international agreements.

The 2016 theme is Spread Your Wings for Bird Conservation, in recognition of the Centennial of the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty, which makes it unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell migratory birds. The treaty does not discriminate between live or dead birds, and also grants full protection to any bird parts including feathers, eggs and nests. Over 800 species are currently on the list of protected birds.

This year IMBD partners seek to highlight how laws, treaties and protected areas help conserve our migratory birds, and what the average citizen can do to help. The beautiful 2016 IMBD poster shows eleven migratory bird species in flight, ten of which have benefited from conservation laws. One of these species is the Whimbrel, one of the widest-ranging shorebirds in the world that can fly for 4,000 kilometers non-stop. The poster was designed by Canada-based artist Lionel Worrell, who spent his early years in the Caribbean.

These delightful birds, that travel so far every year, represent a significant part of the biodiversity of the Americas. They are cause for celebration! BirdsCaribbean invites its friends and partners across the region to engage in activities that will not only help these birds continue to spread their wings across the ocean, for example by preserving their habitats. The IMBD events also aim to educate and inform Caribbean residents (young and not so young) on their remarkable lives.

How many migratory birds can you find on your island this winter? Let’s spread our wings and celebrate our remarkable feathered friends!

September 29, 2016

#GoatIslandsSaved! Conservationists Warmly Welcome Jamaican Government Decision Against Transshipment Port in Protected Area

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness in the bird-watching hide at the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation's (C-CAM) Wetland Information Centre in the Portland Bight Protected Area. The hide is dedicated to the late Jamaican ornithologist Robert Sutton. (Photo: C-CAM) — Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness in the bird-watching hide at the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation’s (C-CAM) Wetland Information Centre in the Portland Bight Protected Area. The hide is dedicated to the late Jamaican ornithologist Robert Sutton. (Photo: C-CAM)

It’s not often that Caribbean environmentalists like Diana McCaulay, CEO of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), have serious cause for celebration. However, McCaulay and her team of “Jetters” are thrilled with the news that the Jamaican Government has decided not to proceed with a transshipment port at Goat Islands, an ecologically sensitive area in the Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA), the largest nature reserve on the island – and an Important Bird Area.

The port, to be constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company as part of a major logistics hub project, would have destroyed Great and Little Goat Islands, its fish sanctuaries, and mangrove forest—the largest in Jamaica and home to many endemic and resident birds such as the globally-threatened West Indian Whistling-Duck, the near-threatened Plain Pigeon, Jamaican Lizard Cuckoo, Jamaican Oriole, Jamaican Owl, Jamaican Tody, Sad Flycatcher, Jamaican Spindalis, and Jamaican Mango, all among the 17 endemics that occur in the area. The Bahama Mockingbird is only found in the PBPA in Jamaica; while Magnificent Frigatebird and Brown Noddy nest on the Portland Bight cays. The area also provides critical habitat for the White-crowned Pigeon and countless migratory warblers and waterbirds. It would also have negatively impacted the breeding grounds for the critically endangered Jamaican Iguana, in the dry limestone forest habitat of the nearby Hellshire Hills.

The Bahama Mockingbird is restricted to coastal dry limestone forest in the Portland Bight Protected Area, which is the largest designated Important Bird Area in Jamaica. (Photo: Emma Lewis)

An almost audible sigh of relief and delight echoed in cyberspace after Jamaica’s social media savvy Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted to JET’s CEO on September 22:

“Someone asked about Goat Island at the #TownHall. Please see response.” The attachment noted: “#TownHall Re: Question about Goat Islands. ANS: We have already taken a decision that there are other locations that would do less environmental damage. We are going ahead with a logistics port but not at Goat Island…”

The Prime Minister was in Queens, New York that evening, conducting a Town Hall Meeting with Jamaicans from the diaspora. Diana McCaulay responded: “Lost for words. Wow. Am so glad. Will RT.” Finance Minister Audley Shaw subsequently tweeted a photograph of protesters with a “Save Goat Islands” placard, with the message: “Saved! The Government has listened and carefully made a decision in the best interest of Jamaica. #Governance”

The decision came after over three years of hard campaigning by JET, supported by hundreds of conservation organizations and concerned individuals both at home and abroad. Diana McCaulay comments: “I was overjoyed to get the news that the Government of Jamaica is proceeding with the logistics hub, but NOT at Goat Islands. Although the campaign to Save Goat Islands has not been as high profile as it was initially, JET has continued to work behind the scenes to convince the new Jamaica Labour Party administration to relocate the planned hub due to the environmental damage it would cause. “

The Jamaican Iguana (Cyclura collei) was declared extinct in 1948. After it was rediscovered by a man and his dog, hunting wild pigs in 1990,this still critically endangered species became the subject of a successful breeding program involving a number of scientists at home and overseas. (Photo: Robin Moore)

In a joint press release on September 28, the International Iguana Foundation (IIF) and Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) congratulated Diana McCaulay, JET and the Jamaican Government for this happy conclusion. They noted the remarkable 25-year collaboration among several conservation organizations to recover and re-establish the Jamaican Iguana – which was deemed extinct until a hunter stumbled across one in the Hellshire Hills in 1990. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called the ongoing breeding program “one of the greatest success stories in conservation science.” Now the possibility exists for Goat Islands to become a sanctuary for the critically endangered lizard – and a place for Jamaicans to relax and enjoy the stunning landscape and marine environment.

As celebrations quieten down a little, Diana McCaulay observes, with a note of caution: “We hope the Prime Minister will make a formal statement in Parliament, as well as hold a press conference on this and other pending environmental decisions, such as mining in Cockpit Country. We do want to know where the site of the logistics hub will be…”

So champagne corks have popped, or perhaps a few rum punches have been downed. Meanwhile, McCaulay is grateful to all those who championed the #SaveGoatIslands campaign, adding: “JET thanks BirdsCaribbean for its support for the Save Goat Islands campaign.”

Magnificent Frigatebirds, Portland Bight Protected Area. (Photo: Lisa Sorenson)

BirdsCaribbean Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Sorenson commented, “We are elated with the news that the Goat Islands and Portland Bight Protected Area has been spared. We thank our members and partners for supporting this campaign through writing letters to the Jamaican government, signing the petition, and donating time and resources to fight the development. This is a rare conservation victory that we can all be proud of. We commend the Jamaican government for taking this sound decision that will preserve the unique and extraordinary beauty of this area for present and future generations to enjoy, as well as provide sustainable livelihoods.”

So, now the “Save Goat Islands” T shirts that environmental campaigners wore at last year’s BirdsCaribbean International Meeting in Kingston can be packed away and preserved as historical items.

And the hashtag has changed to #GoatIslandsSaved.

By Emma Lewis, Blogger, Writer and Online Activist, based in Kingston, Jamaica. Follow Emma at Petchary’s Blog—Cries from Jamaica.

September 23, 2016

Caribbean Birders Take Note: Changes are Upon Us!

How the most recent supplement to the AOU Checklist of North American Birds impacts the way we see and define Coots and Bullfinches in the Caribbean.

Every year, new ornithological research digs deeper into furthering our understanding of the complex behaviors, distributions, morphologies, and relationships among bird species across the world. As new information rolls in, proposals are made to modify our current classifications of all these species. The North American Classification Committee (NACC) is an official committee within the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) that bears the responsibility of weighing and subsequently incorporating these proposals into the current ornithological taxonomy and nomenclature.

Beginning in 1886, the NACC has published the AOU Checklist of North American Birds that comprehensively catalogues bird species known to North and Middle America. Most recently, their 57^th Supplement to this checklist was released in June via the AOU’s peer-reviewed scientific journal, The Auk: Ornithological Advances. Within that supplement, two species well-known to Caribbean birders have undergone important changes, and are discussed below.

American Coot (white shield). (photo by Mario Espinosa) — The Caribbean Coot, with its white shield extending up on to the top of the head, is no longer regarded as a separate species, but rather a sub-species of the American Coot. Enter your sightings in eBird Caribbean as “American Coot (White-shielded).” (photo by Mario Espinosa)

CARIBBEAN COOT – NOT A UNIQUE SPECIES

The Caribbean Coot (formerly Fulica caribaea) was – until recently – considered to be its own species of coot endemic to the Caribbean Basin (residing in Venezuela as well as the West Indies). It is a regular member of wetland communities where it can be seen swimming on ponds and lakes as well as walking about on the shore.

It was historically thought that Caribbean Coots and their very similar appearing congener, the American Coot, were separate species. As of this year, however, the AOU has decided that Caribbean Coots actually belong to the American Coot species.¹ The best evidence for this comes from research on their breeding biology by Douglas McNair and Carol Cramer-Burke.² It seems that St. Croix Caribbean and American Coots choose mates randomly with no regard for species, implying that there is no reproductive isolation on St. Croix. While occasional hybridization is ok, if the two were actually unique species, birds would have at least some preference (a strong preference, in fact) for breeding with fellow birds from their own species.

American Coot (white shield). (photo by Shannon O'Shea) — American Coot (Red-shielded). (photo by Shannon O’Shea)

Adding to that, the birding community originally thought Caribbean and American Coots could be distinguished by the morphology (size, length) and color of the shields and calluses located on their foreheads. However, that has become….messy. Furthermore, there are no discerning characteristics between their vocalizations.

All this implies that the Caribbean Coot has not actually differentiated from the American Coot enough to be its own unique species.³

Should I Identify and Report “Caribbean” Coots on eBird Caribbean Checklists?

Yes, but no longer as “Caribbean” Coots. eBird Caribbean now has three options when reporting coots belonging to the Caribbean/American Coot complex: “American Coot,” “American Coot (Red-shielded),” and “American Coot (White-shielded).”

(Note: options may be considered “rare” in certain areas and will be hidden from the default list when you enter sightings.) All previous eBird Caribbean records of Caribbean Coot have now been listed under American Coot (White-shielded). Please use this option whenever you successfully identify a Caribbean-type coot and use the American Coot (Red-shielded) option for American-type coots. For more information click here.

American Coot (White-shielded). (photo by Mario Espinosa) — American Coot (White- shielded) with downy chick. (photo by Mario Espinosa)

Sometimes, however, you may not be able to identify the coot as either a Caribbean or American-type (for example, when the bird is facing away and the shield is not visible, or the bird’s appearance is in between). When this happens, enter the bird as just an American Coot. Do not use the more specific options, even if your location makes one or the other extremely unlikely (this goes for other subspecies that can be reported in eBird Caribbean too!). Similarly, when conducting Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) counts, you should continue to count birds with white and red shields separately because the CWC will continue to monitor the Caribbean Coot’s status in the Caribbean.

CUBAN BULLFINCH – MULTIPLE SPECIES?

Cuban Bullfinch on Grand Cayman. (photo by Ray Robles)

The Cuban Bullfinch (Melopyrrha nigra) is a black and white songbird known to scrub and forest habitats on the islands of Cuba and Grand Cayman. Populations from each island have differentiated enough from one another that they can be identified as distinct subspecies. Specifically, the Cuban subspecies differs from the Grand Cayman subspecies by exhibiting a deeper shade of black and smaller body size, but the more noticeable difference can be found in their songs and calls.^3,4

Cuban Bullfinch in Cuba. (photo by Allan Hopkins)

Unfortunately, the isolation of these populations makes it difficult to tell if the bullfinches are species or subspecies, because unlike the Caribbean and American Coots, biologists are unable to study their mating preferences easily. However, after re-assessing the populations’ traits, the AOU has decided that they are still subspecies, at least for now.¹

Regardless of how many Cuban Bullfinch species there are, the two populations are clearly unique and of great conservation value. It is very possible that additional research will convince the AOU to change its decision. In the meantime, eBird Caribbean is including both populations separately as “subspecies groups” so keep entering your sightings of Cuban Bullfinches from both the Cayman Islands and Cuba.

¹Chesser, R.T., et al., 2016. Fifty-seventh Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 133:544-560.

²McNair, D.B., and C. Cramer-Burke. 2006. Breeding ecology of American and Caribbean Coots at Southgate Pond, St. Croix: use of woody vegetation. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 118:208–217.

³AOU Classification Committee – North and Middle America Proposal Set 2016-A.

⁴Garrido, O.H., et al., 2014. Revision of the endemic West Indian genus Melopyrrha from Cuba and the Cayman Islands. Bull. B.O.C. 134:134-144.

By Doug Weidemann, production editor for JCO and Justin Proctor, Caribbean Ornithologist; Freelance Writer; Loving Husband. Justin is part of our JCO Editorial and Production team and a frequent contributor to our blog.

August 30, 2016

BirdsCaribbean at the NAOC VI—Largest Gathering of Bird Brains Ever

The 6^th North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) – 16-20 August 2016, Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington DC—BRINGING SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION TOGETHER #NAOC2016

BirdsCaribbean co-hosts an Outstandingly Successful Conference

Our Caribbean flock gathers at our BirdsCaribbean booth, a popular spot in the Exhibition Hall - Kate Wallace, Erika Gates, Lisa Gates, Lisa Sorenson, Wayne Smart, Jennifer Wheeler, Howard Nelson and Ellie Devenish. — Our Caribbean flock gathers at our BirdsCaribbean booth, a popular spot in the Exhibition Hall – Kate Wallace, Erika Gates, Lisa Sorenson, Wayne Smart, Jennifer Wheeler, Howard Nelson and Ellie Devenish.

Between 16-20 August BirdsCaribbean joined with the Smithsonian Institution/Migratory Bird Center, American Ornithologists Union, Association of Field Ornithologists, CIPAMEX, Cooper Ornithological Society, Wilson Ornithological Society, Society of Canadian Ornithologists and Sociedad de Ornitologia Neotropical to co-host the sixth North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) – the largest meeting of American ornithologists ever held. More than 2,000 scientists, students, and conservationists met in Washington DC to share their work on the theme “Bringing Science and Conservation Together.”

As co-host to the meeting, BirdsCaribbean helped with the preparations, planning and program development—not an easy task given the hundreds of symposia, sessions, lightening talks, and posters that were presented, not to mention the myriad social events, field trips and other opportunities for networking. Fourteen concurrent sessions kept everyone constantly on the move but it all worked beautifully, thanks to the brilliant leadership of the meeting Chair, Dr. Pete Marra, of the Smithsonian Institution, and many hard-working committees as well as the stellar work of the conference organizers Crabtree and Company.

For BirdsCaribbean, the conference was a fantastic opportunity to share information about the work being done in the Caribbean and the many urgent threats faced by Caribbean birds. We also learned new approaches and techniques, made new contacts, welcomed new members, and discussed fresh ways we can work together to address urgent Caribbean conservation issues. It would be impossible to list all the insights we gained from the meeting and the many outstanding talks, but we have mentioned a few below.

The Plight of Caribbean Forest Birds

Howard Nelson presenting (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — Howard Nelson presenting about the status of Caribbean forest birds. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

According to Howard Nelson (previous President of BirdsCaribbean and a current board member), of the 171 forest endemic bird species, an astonishing 86% do not have estimates of population size in the literature and 69% have no published research on conservation efforts. Research effort remains consistently low across both common and rare endemic species. Only the most charismatic groups, such has the parrots are relatively well known.

Dr. Nelson’s talk was the kick-off presentation of our symposia on August 18^th highlighting recent research and conservation efforts on Caribbean forest endemic birds. Illuminating talks in our session included (PDFs are available below): Jen Mortensen, who presented strong genetic evidence for separate species of the White-breasted Thrasher on St. Lucia and Martinique. Frank Rivera updated us on numbers of the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove and Hook-billed Kite (less than 200 individuals of each species remain). Chris Rimmer pointed out that of the 31 endemics on Hispaniola, more than half are threatened and we know very little about any of these species. Jane Haakonsson showed data on how Cuban Parrot populations in the Cayman Islands were able to recover from hurricanes, but that these populations are now badly threatened by development. James Goetz summarized a decade of research and conservation progress on the endangered Black-capped Petrel – his concluding message was that the fate of the petrel, i.e., how the story ends, is in our hands.

Enthusiasm and a Bicycle

Dr. Lourdes Mugica inspiring plenary talk. (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — Dr. Lourdes Mugica inspiring plenary talk included highlights from her many years of research on Cuban waterbirds and wetlands, interwoven with many humorous stories from the field. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

One surprising exception to the low level of scientific information to support conservation is Cuba. Dr. Lourdes Mugica of the University of Havana – a previous board member of BC – gave a fascinating plenary in which she talked about Cuban ornithology and her own research on wetland birds in the rice fields of Cuba. She reminded us that Cuban scientists continued to do first rate science when the only resources they had (because of the embargo) were enthusiasm and a bicycle. Later, as part of “Cuba Day,” Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology hosted an excellent symposium on Cuban Birds, with six Cuban ornithologists presenting. We live-streamed Lourdes’ plenary talk from our Facebook page – the video can be viewed at this link. More fun photos from the conference are posted here.

The Relative Importance of Conservation of Wintering Habitats for Migratory Birds

But it is not just Caribbean birds that are suffering declines. Mike Parr of the American Bird Conservancy emphasized the declines that many migrants are suffering and showed through scientific models that conservation on the wintering grounds is more likely to address these declines than anything that can be done on the breeding grounds.

The Never-Ending Importance of Education and Awareness

Science can identify the problems and solutions but only through education and awareness can we engage people to implement conservation measures. This was the theme of an excellent “lightening” session hosted by Environment for the Americas, at which both Lisa Sorenson and Leo Douglas presented papers on Caribbean outreach through the media, and an innovative study on impacts of environmental education on Jamaican youth.

BirdsCaribbean Reaching Out

Robin Bath-Rosenfeld and Darshan Narangat their poster (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld and Darshan Narang present their poster on Magnificent Frigatebirds on Tobago. (photo by Erika Gates)

BirdsCaribbean was well represented in the sessions, workshops and symposia by a wide range of members and board members, young and old. We also took the opportunity to bring people together at a “Get-to-know BirdsCaribbean” social, at which more than 50 old and new friends came to meet, discuss on-going work and new directions, and drink rum to the sounds of Caribbean music. Our colorful booth in the exhibition hall was a hub for those interested in Caribbean birds, and was thronged by people who wanted to learn more about us and our work and buy T-shirts, field shirts, mugs, hats, artwork, crafts, and field guides to Caribbean islands. Many thanks are due to all our members and friends who volunteered to work at the booth and supported the booth by purchasing items throughout the meeting.

The future is Caribbean

Group gathered for Happy Hour at our booth: Leno Davis, Richard Johnston Gonzalez, Ann Sutton, Jennifer Wheeler, Lisa Sorenson, Chris Rimmer, and Pam Hunt.

There was much interest in two upcoming meetings in the Caribbean. BC shared the announcement of its next International Meeting in Cuba 13-17 July 2017. The NAOC announced that its next meeting will take place in Puerto Rico in August 2020. Both these meetings will help BC to raise interest in ornithology and conservation in the region.

For more information about the NAOC please visit their website, where you can download the program and abstracts.

The following is a list of papers presented at NAOC that mentioned the Caribbean. PDFs of some presentations are available for review (files are continuing to be uploaded).

Conservation of Caribbean Forest Endemic Birds Symposium (organized by BirdsCaribbean):

Red List Status of Forest Endemic Birds in the Caribbean. Nelson, Howard – University of Chester; Eleanor Devenish-Nelson – University of Chester; Doug Weidemann – BirdsCaribbean Journal of Caribbean Ornithology; Jason Townsend – BirdsCaribbean Journal of Caribbean Ornithology

Clear differentiation between island races of the White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus), an endangered Antillean passerine. Mortensen, Jennifer, Tufts University.

Population Assessment of the Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi) and Hook-Billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus mirus) using Distance Sampling and Repeated Count Methods. Rivera-Milán, Frank – US Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Branch of Population and Habitat Assessments

Hispaniolan Forest Endemics — Rare, Vulnerable and Understudied. Rimmer, Chris, Vermont Center for Ecostudies.

Conservation Status of the Cuban Parrot on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Haakonsson, Jane, Dept of Environment, Cayman Islands.

A Decade of Advances in Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) Research and Conservation. Goetz, James – Dept. Nat. Resources, Cornell University; Adam Brown – Environmental Protection in the Caribbean; Ernst Rupp – Grupo Jaragua; Anderson Jean – Société Audubon Haiti; Matthew McKown – Conservation Metrics; Patrick Jodice – USGS South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University; George Wallace – American Bird Conservancy; Jennifer Wheeler – BirdsCaribbean

Other talks that were about or mentioned Caribbean birds:

Unifying the Voice for Migratory Bird Conservation Across the Western Hemisphere through Festivals. Bonfield, S. Environment for the Americas.

Advancing Caribbean Bird Conservation through the Media. Sorenson, Lisa – BirdsCaribbean; Leo Douglas – BirdsCaribbean; Scott Johnson – Bahamas National Trust/ BirdsCaribbean

How does a two-day bird education event affect the long-term knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of high school students? Evidence from 13 Jamaican high schools. Douglas, Leo – BirdsCaribbean; Luke Powell – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Lisa Sorenson – BirdsCaribbean; Loraine Cook – Dept of Education, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica; Susan Bonfield – Environment for the Americas; Peter Marra – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

Seabird Colony Decline, Nesting Performance, Human Harvest, and Invasive Predators in the Southern Grenadine Islands. Smart, Wayne – Arkansas State University; Natalia Collier – Environmental Protection in the Caribbean; Virginie Rolland – Arkansas State University

Interspecific competition between resident and wintering warblers: Evidence from a 3D removal experiment. Powell, Luke – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Elizabeth Ames – The Ohio State University; James Wright – The Ohio State University; Nathan Cooper – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Peter Marra – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

A snapshot of the movements of White-crowned Pigeons satellite-tracked in Florida and the Caribbean. Kent, Gina – Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI); Ken Meyer – Avian Research and Conservation Institute; Ricardo Miller – Jamaica National Environment and Planning Agency; Alexis Martinez – Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources; Predensa Moore – Bahamas National Trust; Paul Watler – National Trust for the Cayman Islands

Estimating population density of a Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) colony in St. Giles Islands, Tobago using photographic surveys. Bath-Rosenfeld, Robyn – University of the West Indies/UC Riverside; Darshan Narang – University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago

Conservation Biology of the Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole: Estimating Current Population Size and Evaluating Threats. Omland, Kevin – University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Shelley Cant – Bahamas National Trust; Scott Johnson – Bahamas National Trust/ BirdsCaribbean; Matthew Jeffery – Audubon; John Tschirky – American Bird Conservancy; Holly Robertson – American Bird Conservancy; Melissa Price – University of Hawaii at Mānoa; Scott Sillett – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Advances in the Study and Conservation of Waterbirds and Shorebirds in Cuba. Jiménez, Ariam, University of Havana, Cuba.

Population biology, life history, ecology, and conservation of the endangered Bahama Swallow (Tachycineta cyaneoviridis). Wilson, Maya – Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Jeffrey Walters – Virginia Tech

Pelicanus occidentalis’ nesting disturbance on a small island in the Guadeloupe archipelago. Priam, Judith – Servicios Cientificos y Tecnicos

Conservation Action Plan for Bicknell’s Thrush: outcomes and next actions in both breeding and wintering grounds. Lloyd, John – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Eduardo Inigo-Elias – Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Kent McFarland – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Christopher Rimmer – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Juan Carlos Martinez-Sanchez – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Yves Aubry – Environment and Climate change Canada

Narrowing the Search for Overwintering Bicknell’s Thrush in the Caribbean. Rimmer, Christopher – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; John Lloyd – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Jose Salguero – Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources

Sustainability Assessment of Plain Pigeons (Patagioenas inornata wetmorei) Illegally Hunted in Puerto Rico. Rivera-Milán, Frank – United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Branch of Population and Habitat Assessments

Management and conservation of cavity nesting birds in Monte Cabaniguan Wildlife Refuge, Las Tunas, Cuba. Rodríguez, Aryamne Serrano

Cuban Bird diversity and habitat conservation through the Cuban National System of Protected Areas (SNAP). Mugica, Susana

Genetic characterization of Cuban colonies of American flamingos: impacts on its management and conservation. Quevedo, Alexander Llanes – University of Havana, Cuba; Roberto Frías Soler – University of Heidelberg, Germany; Georgina Espinosa López – University of Havana, Cuba

Bird migration across western Cuba. Hernández, Alina Perez

What a permanent banding monitoring scheme tell us about migration, territoriality and effects of hurricanes on birds of tropical dry forests of southeastern Cuba. Segovia Vega, Yasit

The current and future effects of climatic variation and change on tropical Frugivores. Boyle, Alice – Kansas State University

Seasonal changes in habitat utilization of Swainson’s Warblers in response to moisture and prey abundance. Brunner, Alicia – The Ohio State University; Christopher Tonra – The Ohio State University

Where and for how long do migrating landbirds stopover along the northern Gulf of Mexico? A radar perspective. Buler, Jeffrey – University of Delaware; Matthew Boone – University of Delaware; Jill LaFleur – University of Southern Mississippi; Frank Moore – University of Southern Mississippi; Timothy Schreckengost – University of Delaware; Jaclyn Smolinsky – University of Delaware

Assessing Plasticity in the Migratory Behavior of a Songbird Wintering in the Caribbean Using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. Dossman, Bryant – Cornell University; Colin Studds – University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Peter Marra – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Amanda Rodewald – Cornell University

Recovery of Birds Under the Endangered Species Act. Greenwald, Noah – Center for Biological Diversity; Kieran Suckling – Center for Biological Diversity; Ryan Beam – Center for Biological Diversity; Loyal Mehrhoff – Center for Biological Diversity; Brett Hartl – Center for Biological Diversity

Constructing a range-wide migratory network in an aerial insectivore to assess which seasons drive long-term changes in abundance. Knight, Samantha – University of Guelph; David Bradley – Bird Studies Canada; Robert Clark – Environment and Climate Change Canada; Marc Bélisle – Université de Sherbrooke; Lisha Berzins – University of Northern British Columbia; Tricia Blake – Alaska Songbird Institute; Eli Bridge – Oklahoma Biological Survey; Russell D. Dawson – University of Northern British Columbia; Peter Dunn – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Dany Garant – Université de Sherbrooke; Geoff Holroyd – Beaverhill Bird Observatory; Andrew Horn – Dalhousie University; David Hussell – Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; Olga Lansdorp – Simon Fraser University; Andrew Laughlin – University of North Carolina Asheville; Marty Leonard – Dalhousie University; Fanie Pelletier – Université de Sherbrooke; Dave Shutler – Acadia University; Lynn Siefferman – Appalachian State University; Caz Taylor – Tulane University; Helen Trefry – Beaverhill Bird Observatory; Carol Vleck – Iowa State University; David Vleck – Iowa State University; Linda Whittingham – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; David Winkler – Cornell University; D. Ryan Norris – University of Guelph

Tri-trophic ecology of native nest flies (Philornis trinitensis) in grassquits and mockingbirds of Tobago. Knutie, Sarah – University of South Florida; Jordan Herman – University of Utah; Jeb Owen – Washington State University; Dale Clayton – University of Utah

Prioritizing and implementing projects for the rarest bird species in the Americas. Lebbin, Daniel – American Bird Conservancy

Autumn migration ecology and biogeography of Red Knots at the Altamaha River Delta, Georgia, USA. Lyons, James – USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; Tim Keyes – Georgia DNR; Bradford Winn – Manomet; Kevin Kalasz – Delaware DFW

A Place to Land: Stopover Ecology and Conservation of Migratory Songbirds. Moore, Frank – University of Southern Mississippi; Emily Cohen – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Jeffrey Buler – University of Delaware

Phylogenomic analysis using ultraconserved elements reveals cryptic diversity in the complex Neotropical genus Pachyramphus. Musher, Lukas – American Museum of Natural History; Joel Cracraft – Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History

Abundance and body condition of a Neotropical migratory bird overwintering in mangrove forests in Colombia. Reese, Jessie – Virginia Commonwealth University; Lesley Bulluck – Virginia Commonwealth University

Examining dietary overlap in resident and wintering migratory warblers using next generation metabarcoding of feces. Welch, Andreanna – Durham University; Luke Powell – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Peter Marra – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Robert Fleischer – Smithsonian Institution

The Population Genetic Structure of the Red-Billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) in the Gulf of California, México. Piña-Ortiz, Alberto – Centro de Investigaciónen Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Unidad Mazatlán; Luis Enriquez-Paredes – Facultad de Ciencias Marinas – Universidad Autónoma de Baja California; José Castillo- Guerrero – Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara.; Albert van der Heiden – Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Unidad Mazatlán

August 29, 2016

Save the Date! BirdsCaribbean 21st International Meeting to be held in Cuba, July 13-17, 2017

Cuba's beautiful endemic Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim) — Cuba’s beautiful endemic Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)

Celebrating the Diversity of the Caribbean

BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce its 21^st International Meeting, to be held from 13-17 July 2017 at Topes de Collantes Nature Reserve Park, Cuba. Situated in the Escambray mountain range in south central Cuba, Topes de Collantes peak is the third highest mountain in the reserve rising to 800 meters, and gives its name to the surrounding park and its tourist center. The area offers breathtaking attractions such as caves, rivers, grottos, canyons, waterfalls, and natural pools. The nearest city is Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for being one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean.

The forest-dwelling Blue-headed Quail-dove, endemic to Cuba. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)

Cuba is an incredibly beautiful country with a rich diversity of birds, biodiversity, stunning landscapes, and cultural treasurers. It is home to 26 endemic bird species, many of which occur in the area, and many endemic mammals, herptiles, invertebrates, and plants. Wildlife enthusiasts will not want to miss this incredible opportunity to couple ecotourism with conservation learning and networking. The Local Organizing Committee will ensure we have a productive and enjoyable meeting as well as memorable tours and social events.

Cuba's national bird, the Cuban Trogon. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim) — Cuba’s national bird, the Cuban Trogon. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)

As always, the meeting aims to bring together Caribbean and international wildlife professionals, ornithologists, educators, decision makers, tourism interests, community leaders, students and others to share information and learn about the latest avian research and initiatives to conserve Caribbean birds and their habitats and devise new approaches to conservation. The meeting will feature exciting keynote speakers, symposia and paper sessions as well as training workshops, round-table discussions, and working group meetings that promote applied conservation and collaboration to solve our shared environmental challenges.

The theme of the meeting is “Celebrating the Diversity of the Caribbean.” This theme relates not only to the wonderful diversity of avian species found in the region, but also to the diversity of passionate and dedicated scientists and conservationists that work tirelessly to study and protect them. From todies and trogons to parrots, peeps and petrels, there is ample reason why the Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot. As more and more people appreciate the importance of avifauna and work towards conserving critical habitats, this meeting is a fantastic opportunity to get together and share information and ideas and plan projects.

A relatively common species, the Cuban pigmy owl. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim) — A relatively common species, the endemic Cuban Pigmy Owl. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)

In addition to the 5 days of the main conference, there will be unforgettable pre- and post-conference workshops and field trips to the best birding sites in Cuba offering the opportunity to see more of Cuba’s endemic birds and experience rich culture and the warmth and generosity of the Cuban people. You will definitely want to spend time exploring this spectacular country and should plan some extra time for this. Plan a holiday with your family or friends before or after the meeting!

Mark your calendars for July 13-17 (plus time before and after) and plan to attend the BirdsCaribbean 21^st International Meeting!

Bookmark the meeting website – more information will be added as it becomes available.