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January 5, 2016

Mt. Hartman Reborn: A Showcase for One of the World’s Rarest Birds, the Grenada Dove

The Grenada Dove, one of the world's rarest birds. (Photo by Greg Homel) — The Grenada Dove, one of the world’s rarest birds. (Photo by Greg Homel)

Listening along the hillsides of the Mt. Hartman Estate, you can hear the mournful call of the Grenada Dove, one of the world’s most critically endangered birds. It is a shy and elusive bird, staying well within the forested hills and valleys of the estate, and very rarely seen outside of the forest canopy. The Mt. Hartman Estate, one of only two locations in the world where this bird lives, has been transformed over the last few years into one of the region’s premiere education and outreach centers, focused on the Grenada Dove.

The Grenada Dove is brown with a white belly, a light pinkish brown upper chest and neck, and a grayish forehead that extends up from the bill. Its legs, feet and bare skin around the eyes are a bright crimson red. The adults show a white belly, no markings on wings, outer tail feathers tipped with white, and a strip of white feathers that extends from its side up around the bend of the wing.

Though rarely seen, male Grenada Doves call for long periods during the breeding season with a single, descending note about a second in duration that is repeated every seven to eight seconds and can be heard up to 100 metres away. Because of the topography of the Grenada Dove’s habitat, calling males from the hillsides can be heard in valleys outside of dove habitat.

A viewing tower was erected in the park.

Habitat loss and predation by introduced invasive species such as mongoose, rats and cats are the primary threats facing the dove. Not having evolved with these introduced ground predators and sensitive to direct disturbance, a dove flushed from a perch will fly to the ground and attempt to run away, making them easy prey. Like most doves, the Grenada Dove spends most of its time scouring the ground for seeds. Although nests are located in trees, these are easily preyed on by rats. Nestlings shift to the ground at about 14 days old, making them as well as adults easy prey on the ground.

These habits continue to place the dove at risk. With funding from American Bird Conservancy and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Forestry and National Parks Department began to implement predator control programs at both the Mt. Hartman National Park and Perseverance Protected Area and Dove Sanctuary in 2013. Very high numbers of predators were caught at both sites—more mongoose at Mt. Hartman than Perseverance, but more rats at Perseverance—and it is well understood that continued predator control is urgently needed. Due to limited funding, control has been limited to key breeding areas. A predator-proof fence would provide the best protection, but financing for this endeavor has not yet been secured.

The visitor center is now a popular attraction for school groups.

Starting late in 2013, the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Forestry and National Parks Department have been working to make it easier to hear, see, learn about, and appreciate Grenada’s unique endemic National Bird and its habitat, the dry coastal forests of Grenada and the Mt. Hartman National Park. Through a generous grant from the Sandals Foundation, and with additional help from BirdsCaribbean, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, they have created new interpretative displays at the Mt. Hartman National Park and Visitor Center, developed outreach materials targeting the broader public, and carried out a school programme for elementary students in the Parish of St. George’s about Grenada’s unique species, the Mt. Hartman National park.

Billboards were placed at parish boundaries. (Billboard design by Madelaine Smith, photo by Greg Homel/Natural Encounters) — Billboards were placed at parish boundaries. (Billboard design by Madeleine Smith, photo by Greg Homel/Natural Encounters)

Initial activities in this project began with the pro-bono assistance of wildlife photographer, Greg Homel. He captured gorgeous photos of the dove that enabled us to include enlarged images on our outreach materials, including billboards at all parish boundaries island-wide. Though easily heard with a distinct call, the Grenada Dove is difficult to see in the forest. The idea was to bring the dove to Grenadians, residents and visitors alike on their daily commutes.

After Hurricane Ivan in 2004, funds allocated for interpretation at the Mt. Hartman Visitor Center from the GEF/World Bank funded Grenada Dry Forest Biodiversity Conservation Programme needed to be reallocated for the complete rebuilding of the Visitor Center at Mt. Hartman. The activities carried out by the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, with the Forestry and National Parks Department, enabled us to supplement existing interpretation at the site, including building a 20ft viewing tower surrounded by dry forests, at the edge of Grenada Dove habitat. Being still and with patience, one may see this elusive bird! The tower’s location enabled visitors to hear calling doves, and experience the dry forest and its wildlife, including anoles, birds and lizards. At the entrance to the short trail leading to the tower, an outdoor bird identification display featuring Grenada’s bird species has been erected that identifies endemic, resident and migratory birds. BirdsCaribbean provided the template.

Interpretive signage in the visitor center showcases the dove and its dry forest habitat.

Multiple 8-foot tall indoor wall displays in the Mt. Hartman Visitor Center tell the Grenada Dove story in a larger than life fashion. With numerous descriptive photos and information, both youth and adults are targeted. These displays cover the dry forests, the dove itself, its habitat and threats. At child height, the 8 sq. ft. tabletop 3D relief map shows visitors the hills and peninsula that make up the Mt. Hartman National Park.

Posters, stickers and a brochure full of pictures on the Mt. Hartman National Park and its wildlife were designed and printed, both for display island-wide in government buildings, schools and tourist establishments as well as for distribution to students in our school outreach programme. Having developed an elementary school presentation, Forestry and National Department staff visited over 20 schools, and are continually getting called to present to more grades and schools island-wide.

The Project’s goal is to bring more students and visitors to the Mt. Hartman National Park to experience Grenada’s forests and unique biodiversity first hand.

Vistitors can learn about many of the area's native birds. — Vistitors can learn about many of the area’s native birds.

The Grenada Dove, IUCN listed as Critically Endangered, is found only on the island of Grenada. With a total population of around 160 individuals*, it is one of the rarest birds in the world. Found only on 2 locations on Grenada, its population is declining primarily due to loss and degradation of its specialized habitat and predation by invasive predators such as mongoose and rats. The Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, in collaboration with the Forestry and National Parks and international collaborators for the last 20 years, is working to keep this unique species from extinction through habitat protection, research, species management, stakeholder participation, and education.

By Bonnie Rusk, Founding Director, Senior Biologist at Grenada Dove Conservation Programme

Visit this page to learn more about the Grenada Dove and download free educational resources:

From the Nest – Day 21

*Frank Rivera et al., 2015. Distance sampling survey and abundance estimation of the critically endangered Grenada Dove (Lepotila wellsi). The Condor: Ornithological Applications 117:87-93.

January 4, 2016

The Seabirds of the Cay Sal Bank, a wild and unconquered atoll in the Bahamas

The Cay Sal Bank remains remote and difficult to access. (Photo by Mike Sorenson) — The Cay Sal Bank remains remote and difficult to access. (Photo by Will Mackin)

From April 20 to July 15, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon tragedy spewed millions of barrels of oil and coated hundreds of thousands of square miles of the Gulf of Mexico with toxins. Naturalists and scientists who work in the Bahamas began preparing for the possibility that oil would round the tip of Florida and enter Bahamian waters. The Cay Sal Bank, one of the most remote and wild places in the Caribbean Region, was in harm’s way. This 5,000 square kilometer atoll is north of Cuba, Southeast of Florida, and Southwest of Andros, The Bahamas. It is a day-cruise from everywhere, lacks safe harbors, is exposed to rolling seas from all sides. We had very little data about the status of the birds, fisheries, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and small islands. It was known to hold thousands of breeding seabirds, but the most recent scientific visits were in 2000, and no one had ever actually surveyed the colonies. If the oil did coat the Bank, we would not even know what we had lost.

The team found thousands of nesting seabirds on the islands. (Photo by Mike Sorenson)

The Bahamas National Trust, The Nature Conservancy, The Royal Bahamian Defence Force, and numerous volunteers quickly organized three trips in May, June, and July of 2010 to document the wildlife on the bank and to determine whether oil was reaching the islands. As a volunteer on the first and third trips, I was astounded by the wilderness that we found. There were hundreds of uninhabited islands with little sign of humans except the occasional grave marker, ruined buildings from abandoned outposts, and plastic and aluminum flotsam from the Anthropocene. These islands are still dominated by birds, sea turtles, and anoles. A quick survey at Elbow Cay showed it was the largest Audubon’s Shearwater colony in the world, and a career’s worth of islands remained to explore and describe for posterity.

Thankfully, unusually strong easterly winds kept the oil in the Gulf of Mexico that year until the well was finally shut off. While tens of thousands of seabirds died from the effects of the spill, likely including individuals that commuted to the spill site from Cay Sal Bank, the oil never reached the Bank in amounts that we detected. We had dodged a bullet, but we don’t want to be caught without data again.

Brown Noddy, one of the seabird species nesting in high densities on the Cay Sal Bank. (Photo by Mike Sorenson)

In 2012, we mounted an expedition just to study the birds of Cay Sal Bank. With support and funding from Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), Defenders of Wildlife, the South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, BirdsCaribbean, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, we explored the bank again from May 25-31, 2012. Bruce Purdy, expert birder and owner of Blackbeard’s Cruises, captained Sea Explorer, a 65’ sailboat. We recruited an all-star team of nineteen naturalists and seabird experts to spend a full week studying seabirds. Six ecotourists helped fund the trip by purchasing berths on the ship. Our team included well-known Caribbean Ornithologists Ann Haynes-Sutton, Lisa Sorenson, David Wingate, Sonny Bass, and David Lee. In addition, we had the developer of eBird software and knowledgeable birder, Jeff Gerbracht, Boston University Professor and Ornithologist Mike Sorenson and the fantastic mammologist Mary Kay Clark. Deb McKew, a marketing specialist from BRI helped promote and document the trip. Bahamian naturalists Predensa Moore and David Clare of the Bahamas National Trust rounded out our team of volunteer scientists. The ecotourists included Samantha Plencer, Caitlin Howard, Helge Wingate, Kathy Carpenter, David Pais, and Kathryn Sieving, a professor and fantastic ornithologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville who heard about the trip from our advertisement, called up, and signed up on the spot. Lisa Ferguson and myself, Will Mackin, organized the trip and lead the analysis of the data.

What we found was astounding. Every sandy beach on the bank was covered with crawls from nesting sea turtles. Tens of thousands of seabirds nested on Elbow Cay but thousands of others use the small cays we have yet to land on. The four biggest islands on the Bank have introduced rats and fewer seabirds, but we documented about 80 nesting pairs of Roseate Terns at Cotton Cay on the Southeast Corner of the Bank. And the waters of the bank team with life. Perhaps the most spectacular sight was a feeding frenzy including several thousand Brown Noddies and hundreds of Roseate Terns that stretched from the South End of the Elbow Cay to the eastern horizon. They were feeding on larval fish in shallow water with multiple species of jacks pushing bait to the surface.

The whole team on board the Sea Explorer. (Photo by Mike Sorenson) — The whole team on board the Sea Explorer. (Photo by Deb McKew)

On the second night of the trip, Lisa Ferguson, David Clare, Samantha Plencer, and I encountered a snake on the surface of Anguilla Cay, an 8-km long, thin island that hosts hundreds of Audubon’s Shearwaters and Bridled Terns. I had never seen a similar snake, so we brought it back to the boat. It turned out to be a Cuban Racer (Cubophis cantherigerus cantherigerus), the first specimen ever caught outside of Cuba. You can read the scientific highlights of the trip in our paper, including a full survey of the birds at Elbow Cay and explorations of wildlife at the other 4 large islands. A paper describing the results of these trips has just been published in the December issue of Waterbirds, the academic journal of the Waterbirds Society. Some people have argued that there is no such thing as wilderness anymore. Those people have never been to the Cay Sal Bank. It is true that no place on earth is untouched by man, but truly wild places do exist where humans are only visitors and wildlife runs the show. When we find one, something inside compels us to work to make sure it stays that way.

By Will Mackin, Conservation Biologist,Seabird Working Group Co-chair, BirdsCaribbean

BirdsCaribbean dedicates this post to our dear friend and colleague, seabird biologist, David Lee, who passed away in 2014.

December 31, 2015

Connecting Communities and Conservation with BirdsCaribbean

The Red-billed Streamertail. (Photo by Steven Shunk) — The Red-billed Streamertail, endemic to Jamaica. (Photo by Steven Shunk)

The mission of BirdsCaribbean—the region’s largest conservation organization—is to advance the conservation of over 560 species of birds and their habitats in the Caribbean. It’s a huge responsibility for the organization’s 300+ members and partners, and includes a wide variety of activities, from groundbreaking research to engaging education. At the heart of all of these efforts is the fundamental task of connecting communities and conservation.

The two flagship bird festivals coordinated by BirdsCaribbean each year are one of the organization’s most powerful tools to connect communities and conservation. The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and International Migratory Bird Day activities reach over 100,000 people each year at events across the Caribbean. To showcase this year’s theme, Restore Habitat, Restore Birds, BirdsCaribbean developed a free ebook, Heritage Plants, that showcased native, bird-friendly plants that beautify backyards and neighborhoods while creating habitat and food for birds.

Jamaican schoolchildren getting an up-close look at a Caribbean Dove by Lisa Sorenson — Jamaican schoolchildren getting an up-close look at a Caribbean Dove. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Youth are often the best gateway to reach a community. For a twelve-year-old child, there is nothing like holding a wild bird gently in your hand, then releasing it into the wild. This year, BirdsCaribbean President Dr. Leo Douglas moved his research project in thirteen rural high schools in his native Jamaica forward, into Year Two. Funded and supported by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, the University of the West Indies and BirdsCaribbean, the project is the first long-term study in the Western Hemisphere of the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of youth towards bird conservation and how that that can be changed through bird education. After only a year the students rejected the idea of the capture, killing and trade in native birds, considering birds to be “very important” for Jamaica and Jamaicans. Many of them indeed experienced an “awakening” to birds and nature, check out what the students had to say in this video.

BirdSleuth Caribbean summer camp for kids in Jamaica. (Photo by Emma Lewis)

Young people were again the focus at BirdsCaribbean’s first-ever Bird Camp for children at Kingston’s Hope Zoo in July, using the BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum and with local support from the Sandals Foundation. Thirty youngsters – many from disadvantaged urban communities – were at first shy and lacking in confidence, but transformed within a day or two into eager, enthusiastic kids on a fast learning curve. Their first excursions with a pair of binoculars in their hands, their participation in art workshops, quizzes and even bird yoga, were all “eye-openers” for the children. They were reluctant to leave the lush, green environment, but eager to share what they had learned with friends and neighbors. It is hoped that, funding permitting, this could be a regular summer event and replicated elsewhere in the region.

BirdsCaribbean’s 20th International Meeting, held in Kingston in July, carried the theme Birds – Connecting Communities and Conservation. The meeting was abuzz and bursting at the seams with over 220 participants, themselves a community connected by both birds and BirdsCaribbean. The meeting showcased the latest in Caribbean bird research, education and conservation. Artist and naturalist Nils Navarro launched his groundbreaking Endemic Birds of Cuba field guide. It was announced that, on the island of Dominica, a breeding population of Black-capped Petrels was confirmed for the first time in over 150 years. Members of the public were invited to a special “Jamaica Day” program that featured exciting guest speakers, an introduction to Jamaica’s 29 endemic birds and a history of Jamaican ornithology.

International Migratory Bird Day activities in Puerto Rico. (Photo by Leslie Ann Pizarro Muriel)

The Caribbean Birding Trail, a program promoting birding tourism in the Caribbean made great strides in 2016. Guide training sessions were held in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. By promoting birding, showcasing the best birding sites and training guides, the program aims to integrate birds and birding into the Caribbean tourism portfolio, creating jobs and an incentive to preserve habitats. What a great way to connect communities, local culture and conservation!

How we connect communities and conservation in the Caribbean is more important than ever. These islands, like the birds that live on them, are beautiful and unique, but also vulnerable. Birds and their habitat are the heritage of the Caribbean people, and a resource that has the potential to bring sustainable growth and prosperity. Although threats are abundant, by sharing the wonder of Caribbean birds and teaching their value, BirdsCaribbean is creating and nurturing the connection to conservation, one community at a time.

“Awakening With Birds” Video from Dr. Leo Douglas’ study on the impact of a Bird-Science Experience on Jamaican Youth

December 9, 2015

First study of Jamaican wildlife knowledge, attitudes and behaviors launched

A group of high school students at Black River who participated in the 2-day bird-science education program, with Drs. Leo Douglas and Lisa Sorenson. (Photo by Chris Colyard)

Last week 430 high school students from the parishes of Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland participated in the second year of the first ever long-term study of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards birds, and indeed the natural environment in the Western Hemisphere on the island of Jamaica.

A majority of these students had spent two days with four of the leading Ph.Ds. specializing in Caribbean bird and environmental conservation one year before, including Leo Douglas, Herlitz Davis, Luke Powell and Lisa Sorenson. These 2014 activities included both workshops and field-based programs using BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum. Field activities focused on the Font Hill Nature Reserve (St. Elizabeth) an area threatened because of natural gas/peat fuel development and exploitation. On the field day students experienced first-hand scientists catching and studying migratory and native wild Jamaican birds with specially manufactured “mist-nets.” Students also witnessed forest destruction and marine turtle nests ravaged by invasive mongoose, and discussed the visible evidence of the rapid coastal-beach erosion within the context of climate change in the Caribbean.

Students from Natalia and Bishop Gibson High School. (Photo by Chris Colyard)

This BirdsCaribbean project is funded and supported by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, University of the West Indies and the Government of Jamaica to work in 13 randomly selected rural high schools. The multi-year program has been collecting data on the mechanisms through which Caribbean youth learn about the natural world, their beliefs about the positives or negatives of wildlife conservation, and how such beliefs might be improved through culturally-sensitive engaging programs and first-hand nature experiences.

The lead organization, BirdsCaribbean, is the largest single organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean now in its 27th year of operation to promote Caribbean nature conservation. The Caribbean is ranked among the top five areas on the planet for biodiversity conservation – primarily because of the region’s unique native plants and birds and the many threats they face. Thirty-one birds are found on the island of Jamaica and nowhere else on the planet – a significant number more than any other of the region’s islands. A central part of the intervention will document knowledge and attitudes towards native Jamaican wild birds.

Dr. Leo Douglas, President of BirdsCaribbean and researcher in the Department of Geography/Geology at the University of the West Indies, Mona, describes the initiative as ground-breaking in its purpose and findings. Douglas said that while students were relatively well informed about the threat of rodent diseases, such as Leptospirosis, they were almost entirely unaware of the uniqueness or value of native plants and animals. “Almost all students entering the program had no idea that there were birds found only on Jamaica, or that birds were able to fly across the sea to get to Jamaica to spend the winter.” Douglas noted that he was pleased to learn that after one year many participating students had taken the initiative to bird-watch, conduct projects, or speak with family and friends about birds and their conservation, all on their own initiative.

DeCarteret College Students release a bird. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Participating students described the program’s experiences as nothing but life altering in what they now knew and understood about the uniqueness, threats to, and values of plants and animals that were around them, especially birds.

One student from DeCarterate College described her experience this way:
“Hearing about what was happening to the birds and their habitats made me upset. Things like illegal trafficking – it reminded me of slavery; deforestation – imagine how beautiful it used to look; pollution – terrible! I hate it! In general I never knew much about birds. I can’t help thinking of all I have learnt and will learn.”

Post intervention in-depth interviews revealed that students generally bemoaned the lack of awareness about wildlife and nature conservation within the broader society and lauded the fact that they had been privileged to learn through the BirdsCaribbean bird-science experience program.

Douglas will follow the students for another two years to determine whether the observed changes in knowledge and attitudes are longer-term and what effects they may have on their personal and school-education choices, if any.

Decarteret College Students learn about birds. (Photo by Leo Douglas) — DeCarteret College Students learn about birds. (Photo by Leo Douglas)

The study builds on the observance of a month-long region-wide festival focussed on endemic birds called the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), celebrated for one month in spring by volunteer coordinators throughout the Caribbean. The theme for 2014 was “Why Birds Matter.” The purpose of the month-long festival is to increase public awareness of the region’s exceptionally rich and threatened bird life. After humble beginnings, the festival has grown consistently over the last 13 years and now attracts almost 100,000 Caribbean participants annually from 20+ island-nations. The CEBF has been described as an unprecedented initiative of regional unification about biodiversity, bird conservation and awareness by leading international conservation organizations, such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

November 30, 2015

JCO Roundup: New Research from Aruba, Cuba and Jamaica

November 27, 2015

Give Cuban Endemic Bird Artwork for the Holidays!

November 20, 2015

On the Caribbean Birding Trail in the Dominican Republic

November 18, 2015

See the Birds of Jamaica with Paradise Birding and Save $500

November 12, 2015

2016 International Piping Plover Census—We Need Your Help!

We are just beginning to understand how important the Caribbean is to the Piping Plover. (Photo by Matt Jeffery)

Every five years, hundreds of volunteers fan out over miles of coastal habitat to survey one of the most endangered shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere, the Piping Plover. We need your help to look for them and count them in the Caribbean!

The first International Census was conducted in 1991 but in the early years the winter census was focused in the southern U.S. and we were missing a lot of birds. It was a mystery whether birds were just harder to count in the winter, or migrating to sites not being surveyed. However, during the 2011 Census we discovered over 1,000 birds wintering in the Bahamas which likely represents about one-third of the Atlantic Coast breeding population.

We are just beginning to understand how important the Caribbean is to the Piping Plover and we hope to learn a lot more during the 2016 census. Fortuitously, the Piping Plover census coincides with the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) region-wide count period in winter (January 14th to February 3rd). By surveying coastal habitats that are favored by this species—including beaches, tidal flats, mangroves and mud flats—you can contribute to our understanding of the distribution and abundance of this species in the Caribbean.

Time to brush up on your plover identification skills! (Photo by Walker Golder)

The official Piping Plover Census dates are January 18th to February 1st but we welcome surveys a week before or after the official window. In some cases a boat may be required to access habitat but surveys generally involve a simple walking transect, like the basic area search method for the Caribbean Waterbird Census. In addition to Piping Plovers we are also very interested in counting Snowy and Wilson’s Plovers. Piping Plovers are not typically found in vegetated wetlands and are not common in Salinas. Rather, they seem to prefer sand flats and are often found in association with bonefishing habitat. Hence, for some sites there may be tidal considerations in optimally timing your survey.

Please mark your calendars, think about potential habitat in your area, and brush up on your plover identification skills.

Instructions for submitting data online will be provided closer to the survey dates. However, if you would like to participate in the International Piping Plover Census or have any questions about the census please contact Elise Elliott-Smith (eelliott-smith@usgs.gov).

November 11, 2015

Birding Tours of Cuba in 2016 from BirdsCaribbean

November 9, 2015

Free Webinar: Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Caribbean Dry Forests

November 2, 2015

Habitat Restoration Activities Boost Caribbean Migratory Bird Events

Ingrid Flores, Regional Coordinator of IMBD Caribbean, takes students birding in a recently restored wetland habitat at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar.

Tree plantings, seedling giveaways, and a free ebook about native Caribbean plants—none of these things sound like ways to celebrate migratory birds. But this year they are. Across the Caribbean and throughout the Western Hemisphere, International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) events have added habitat restoration activities to their programs, attracting new participants and taking action on this year’s theme: Restore Habitat, Restore Birds.

BirdsCaribbean, the regional coordinator of International Migratory Bird Day activities for the Caribbean, kicked of the season by providing habitat restoration resources. A free ebook, Heritage Plants, featured dozens of native Caribbean plants that are of particular value to local birds as well as techniques for creating a great backyard bird habitat. A free webinar, Native Plants for a Bird-Friendly Backyard, featured Caribbean bird, plant and habitat restoration experts.

Tree-planting was part of the program for Grupo Acción Ecológica in the Dominican Republic.

At dozens of Caribbean events throughout the region the habitat restoration theme was explored in a variety of ways. In the Dominican Republic, Grupo Acción Ecológica collaborated with a botanical garden to host an event that combined a bird walk with bird-friendly tree plantings. On St. Martin, non-profit association Les Fruits de Mer distributed dozens of seedlings of an endangered, native tree called Lignum Vitae or Gaïac. The Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club created an interactive bird display at a local green market that featured materials from the BirdsCaribbean webinar. In Jamaica, students were taken on a birding excursion and then given a presentation about how to protect and restore habitat.

In Puerto Rico, students had the chance to see the results of habitat restoration firsthand at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar, a rare example of freshwater swamp forest. Abandoned and overgrown with invasive plants, this 50-acre habitat has been rehabilitated over the last four years into a nature preserve with a three-quarter mile elevated boardwalk and 40 foot bird observation platform. Ingrid Flores, Regional Coordinator of IMBD Caribbean explained that “the students learned how habitat restoration helps migratory birds, and how it creates valuable public space for recreation and education.”

What kind of bird is that? Students of Denham Town Primary with a little help from resident bird expert at National Environment & Planning Agency, Ricardo Miller (second left) were able to identify 5 species of birds at the Old Coal Wharf in the Palisadoes Port Royal Protected Area as part of a bird count held recently in celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, October 9.

“BirdsCaribbean has always used birds as a way to connect people to nature, and this year we’ve found that native plants and trees can also play the same role,” explained BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Lisa Sorenson. “By incorporating habitat restoration into our activities this year we’ve reached a whole new group of people who connect to nature primarily through plants. We’ve shared a lot about birds and learned a lot about plants in the process.”

BirdsCaribbean has been the regional coordinator for International Migratory Bird Day activities for eight years. Centered around the month of October—peak season for migratory birds in the Caribbean—approximately 40,000 people participate in these events each year. Learn more, download the Heritage Plants ebook and watch the native plants webinar, right here at birdscaribbean.org. IMBD activities across the Western Hemisphere are coordinated by Environment for the Americas (EFTA).

November 1, 2015

Restoration Begins at Ashton Lagoon in the Grenadines

Ashton Lagoon will be the site of a massive restoration project. (Photo by Gregg Moore)

A long-awaited moment of renewed hope came for the people of Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines last month with the launch of the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project. The largest bay in the Grenadines, Ashton Lagoon included the largest mangrove habitat on the island and had long been a popular fishing and recreational area for local families. Seriously damaged by a failed marina development 20 years ago, on-the-ground work has now begun to restore the lagoon.

The launch event, organized by the Sustainable Grenadines Inc. (SusGren), a local non-profit conservation organization, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries and Industry saw more than 100 people in attendance representing various sectors of the island community and government departments and ministries.

The launch ceremony featured brief remarks from supporting agencies and a large billboard showing the vision for the restored Ashton area. The road to this new beginning was rocky and challenging, but amidst the many obstacles encountered along the way SusGren remained optimistic. They have been the driving force behind this initiative with support from BirdsCaribbean, championing the cause for restoration efforts for over 10 years.

An aerial view of Ashton Lagoon in 2004 shows how the failed marina disrupted the natural water flow. (Photo by Michele Kading)

“The process, which involved lobbying with government for permission to proceed and holding talks with various government agencies and donors, was long but we never gave up, and we are happy to have received permission from Cabinet earlier this year,” said Mr. Martin Barriteau, Special Advisor to SusGren.

The Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project was initiated as a result of the negative environmental impacts caused by a failed marina development in 1994. The Marina Project proposed to join Frigate Rock to Union Island, construct a 300-berth marina, a golf course in the mangrove area, and large condominiums, but was abandoned in 1995. Not all local people were in favor of the project, which destroyed pristine marine habitats, vital to the livelihoods of local fishers and enjoyed by tourists and locals alike.

Ashton Lagoon, located on the south coast of Union Island in the Grenadines, is the largest bay in the Grenadines and was unique in that it contained all the primary components of a mangrove/seagrass/coral reef ecosystem, including a long stretch of outer reefs, a shallow protected inner lagoon, abundant seagrass beds within the lagoon, tidal mud flats, salt ponds, and the largest continuous mangrove habitat in the region. Because of its rich biological diversity and ecological importance for the entire coast of Union Island, the lagoon was designated a Marine Conservation Area and protected under The Fisheries Act of 1986. The area was also designated an Important Birding Area (IBA), supporting a large variety of resident and migratory herons, egrets, shorebirds, seabirds and landbirds.

Mr. Martin Baritteau addresses the crowd at the launch ceremony in Union Island.

Despite its protected status, a foreign developer was given permission to proceed with the project. An environmental assessment pointed out that the development would cut off water circulation to the bay, causing catastrophic damage to reefs, seagrasses and fisheries. Nevertheless the project proceeded, with exactly the predicted results. After dredging the lagoon and building the causeways and marina berths, the developer went bankrupt and disappeared, leaving behind the damaged bay.

Impacts from the failed development included stagnant polluted water in the lagoon and marked declines in marine life and the health of the mangrove. It was not just the news of a failed marina that troubled the islanders but the glaring sight of, “the worst environmental disaster in all of St.Vincent and the Grenadines” said Director of Grenadines Affairs, Mr. Edwin Snagg.

The once fishing haven was no more, the family fun areas for picnicking and swimming were gone also, the passage way to ease fishers journey to their fishing grounds was cut off, and the calm turquoise waters of the lagoon where coconut and gum boats once sailed were now murky and stagnant.

October 30, 2015

Groundbreaking Endemic Birds of Cuba Field Guide Available Now

October 23, 2015

Fundraising Webinar November 5: Free for BC Members

October 22, 2015

Bird Gardening Webinar Available Online

October 10, 2015

The Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in Your Pocket

September 30, 2015

International Migratory Bird Festival Focuses on Caribbean Habitat Restoration

September 15, 2015

International Migratory Bird Day 2015

September 13, 2015

Birds of Vieques Island Puerto Rico

August 6, 2015

Science, Conservation and Irie Vibes at 20th International Meeting in Kingston

BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Dr. Lisa Sorenson, Roshaun "Bay-C" Clarke, and Dr. Ann Sutton. (Photo by Leno Davis) — BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Dr. Lisa Sorenson, Roshaun “Bay-C” Clarke, and Dr. Ann Sutton. (Photo by Leno Davis)

Every two years, bird educators, scientists and conservationists from throughout the Caribbean and beyond gather for BirdsCaribbean’s International Meeting. At this year’s meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, over 220 international and local delegates gathered to share the latest in Caribbean bird science, conservation and education. Birds—Connecting Communities and Conservation was the theme for the meeting, the largest conservation conference held in the entire Caribbean in recent years.

The conference opened with “Jamaica Day — A Celebration of Jamaica’s Unique and Wonderful Birds” which included a dozen presentations about Jamaica’s birds, from the latest research in tracking Jamaican seabird populations to the role of birds in pest control on Blue Mountain coffee farms. The extended look at Jamaica’s birds also included reports on the arrival of the Caribbean Birding Trail program to Jamaica and Jamaica’s historical contribution to ornithology.

The meeting continued with a series of outstanding presentations from famous conservationists, who spoke on a wide range of topics including the importance of involving the community in bird conservation, why it is important to conserve birds, how photography can be used to influence hearts and minds and the importance of habitat restoration for birds and people. Workshop topics focused on capacity building and included fundraising, advocacy and the use of social media.

Other highlights of the meeting included the announcement of the rediscovery of the Black-capped Petrel on the island of Dominica and the launch of a new book: The Endemic Birds of Cuba by Nils Navarro. The week before the conference, 30 children enjoyed a summer camp all about birds at the Hope Zoo, and two dozen Jamaicans were trained as birding guides during the Caribbean Birding Trail’s Jamaica launch.

BirdsCaribbean President Leo Douglas welcomes international delegates from 33 nations. (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)

“This year was the perfect time to bring the BirdsCaribbean meeting back to Jamaica,” noted BirdsCaribbean President Leo Douglas. “The Blue and John Crow mountains were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site just weeks before the meeting, while the Goat Islands and Portland Bight Protected Area are currently facing the threat of development. At this moment Jamaica is in the spotlight, representing both the irreplaceable value of Caribbean natural heritage and its vulnerability.”

In addition to over 120 presentations, workshops and panel discussions, the delegates enjoyed a variety of field trips to explore Jamaica’s natural areas first-hand. Conference trips visited Hope Gardens, Goat Islands, Cockpit Country, western Portland Bight, Portland, and the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, amongst other destinations. Many meeting participants were particularly eager to catch a glimpse of some of the 29 bird species endemic to Jamaica that can be seen nowhere else in the world and all expressed their amazement at the richness of Jamaica’s biodiversity and landscape and the warm welcome they received.

Local support was crucial to the success of the meeting, with sponsorships and media support coming from the National Environment and Planning Agency, Knutsford Court Hotel, Sandals Foundation, Carib Cement, Island Car Rental, Jamaica National Building Society, Hope Gardens, Hope Zoo, Jamaica Conservation Development Trust, The Gleaner, BirdLife Jamaica, AV Concepts and LIME. International sponsors included the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service International Programs, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Dutch Conservation Nature Alliance, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Anguilla Nature Explorers/Birds in Paradise Tour. The meeting concluded with a banquet and awards ceremony featuring renowned dancehall artist and environmentalist Roshaun “Bay-C” Clarke of the band T.O.K., ending the conference on a musical high note.

July 12, 2015

Caribbean Birding Trail Conducts First Guide Training Program for 24 Participants in Jamaica

July 9, 2015

BirdsCaribbean Meeting to Showcase Jamaica and its Birds

Jamaica itself will play a starring role in the upcoming BirdsCaribbean meeting. Pictured here are the Blue Mountains, recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Photo by Ted Eubanks) — Jamaica itself will play a starring role in the upcoming BirdsCaribbean meeting. Pictured here are the Blue Mountains, recently named a UNESCO world heritage site. (Photo by Ted Eubanks)

An enthusiastic group of some 200 scientists, ornithologists, conservationists, students and educators from across the Caribbean and beyond will flock to the vibrant city of Kingston, Jamaica next month. They will attend the 20th International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean at the Knutsford Court Hotel from July 25 – 29, 2015. The theme of the meeting is “Birds—Connecting Communities and Conservation.” Members of the Local Organizing Committee include the Forestry Department, Hope Gardens, Jamaica Conservation Development Trust, Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, BirdLife Jamaica, Windsor Research Centre and others. For registration and other details, go to 2015Meeting.BirdsCaribbean.org

The conference has plenty to offer in an unusually urban setting. By contrast, participants will also venture out on exciting field trips to the Blue Mountains and Cockpit Country among other locations, and bird-watching sessions around Kingston – an opportunity to see some of Jamaica’s 29 remarkable endemic birds, or perhaps all of them!

BirdsCaribbean invites interested members of the public to a special “Jamaica Day” at the Knutsford Court Hotel on Saturday, July 25; and to a fund-raising workshop conducted by Mazarine Treyz (Wild Woman Fundraising) on Tuesday, July 28. Seminars, training workshops and roundtable discussions will enable conference delegates to network and share their research and latest conservation efforts in Jamaica and across the region. Activities will include a pre-conference taxidermy workshop with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology; a symposium on Invasive Alien Species and sessions on Event Photography, Seabird Conservation, Forest Endemics, the Ecological Value of Migrants in the Caribbean, and much more. There is a brilliant lineup of keynote speakers and experts from the Caribbean, the U.S., Canada and Europe. A summer camp at Hope Zoo for children from selected schools is also on the calendar.

Do you love taking photographs? A highlight of the meeting will be a Photography Competition, open to all participants eighteen years and over, reflecting the theme of the conference. Full details can be found on the meeting website.

BirdsCaribbean (formerly the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds) is a non-profit organization committed to the conservation of wild birds and their habitats in the insular Caribbean. More than 80,000 local people participate in its programs each year, making it the most broad-based conservation organization in the region. Find “Birds Caribbean” on Facebook and on Twitter @BirdsCaribbean.