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Black Birders Week is a social media campaign which seeks to highlight the important presence of people of color in the birding and conservation communities. It is a week-long celebration, organized by the Black AF in STEM Collective, of Black outdoor enthusiasts, naturalists, and conservationists, focusing on their cultural perspectives of the world in which we live. This year’s theme, “Soaring to Greater Heights”, emphasizes birding as a lifelong learning journey that is enjoyed by Black cultures across the diaspora.

We are extremely grateful to be working in the Caribbean where any person, regardless of race, can enjoy birds and nature. At BirdsCaribbean we truly believe that nature is for everyone and are continuously working to create opportunities for Caribbean nationals to advance their conservation and leadership skills through workshops, mentorship programs and by providing funding for critical research.

However, we know that, beyond the region, Black people are still underrepresented in the natural sciences and academia. Therefore for Black Birders Week 2022, we are shining the spotlight on the following Caribbean leaders:

Ajhermae White- #InTheNest

Environment Officer
Department of Environment
Montserrat
Instagram: @sajhkp

How did you first get interested in birds?

The Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and Their Habitats International Training Workshop in 2019, hosted by BirdsCaribbean in Puerto Rico, was my first in-depth introduction to birds. Upon returning home, from the workshop, a male Lesser Antillean Bullfinch was nesting at my house, which further ignited my interest in birds. I remember using a field guide I received from BirdsCaribbean to identify it. I was so happy that I found its name. After that, my knowledge of birds skyrocketed. Now in 2022, I can identify just about all resident birds and their calls on Montserrat and many migrants and vagrants. Working in the Department of Environment in Montserrat gives me the opportunity to learn about birds and work with them.

Did you have anyone take you under their wing?

James ‘Scriber’ Daley took me under his wing at the start of my birding journey. He is the best on the island and his knowledge of birds is exceptional. I am grateful that I have been able to learn so much from him.

If you’ve been at it for a while, have you become a mentor to someone else?

Now that I have become so passionate about birds I have gained the courage to go on public platforms to share my knowledge with the community. With the help of BirdsCaribbean and Environment of the Americas, I have been able to organize many educational events on resident and migratory birds. I’m so happy that I have been able to share my knowledge with children and adults on Montserrat.

Johnella Bradshaw- #LearningToTakeFlight

Redonda Ecosystem Reserve Coordinator
Environmental Awareness Group (EAG)
Antigua and Barbuda
Instagram: @jcstarss

What were your first steps into birding on your own?

My introduction into birding began roughly one year ago, when I started working at the EAG. I remember receiving my “Birding Bubble Bundle” that the group had curated, to celebrate the annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival in collaboration with BirdsCaribbean. Little did I know, I was about to embark on a journey, as I would be #LearningToTakeFlight in the vast world of birding.

Immediately after skimming through the contents of my bundle I began birding in my backyard. I recorded 4 species and counted 10 birds around my home. I was beyond excited to see my backyard “magically” turn into an ecological haven before my eyes. After identifying birds such as the Antillean Crested Hummingbird, adorned with its vibrant hues of greens and blues and its distinctive mohawk crest, I found a deeper appreciation for the environment around me, and I knew I wanted to learn more.

I wanted to learn more about the different birds in my country and there was no better opportunity than during the EAG’s Bird and Lizard Surveys on our offshore islands. I quickly had to learn about land birds, seabirds, and shorebirds. Who would have thought that there are so many different types of birds? NOT ME!

I love that birding is an activity for any and everyone!

When did you feel comfortable enough to call yourself a birder?

Birding not only connects people to nature but it also connects people to people. Although I consider myself to be a “baby birder,” I am happy to be learning from the birding enthusiasts, and experts in the field that I work with on a daily basis. I have been exposed to so many new opportunities and skills, ranging from bird photography to bird banding, that this journey has, so far, been nothing short of amazing.

So, what are you waiting on? It is time to take flight!

Shanna Challenger- #LearningToTakeFlight

Offshore Islands Conservation Programme Coordinator
Environmental Awareness Group (EAG)
Antigua and Barbuda
Instagram: @specieswithshanna

What were your first steps into birding on your own?

My very first step of course was obtaining a pair of binoculars – you got to be able to see the birds! Second was strengthening my ID skills – I found as many bird ID guides and resources as possible and focused on the unique identifiers of a few familiar birds. I would use these “core birds” as my measuring stick for how others differed from them e.g. is it larger than a bullfinch but smaller than a grackle?

Lastly was getting out there and going birding – starting off in my backyard, around my workplace, and then expanding to birding hotspots across the island. As a scientist, data collection is crucial and once confident in my species IDs, I used eBird to record my sightings.

When did you feel comfortable enough calling yourself a birder?

“One does not simply choose to become a birder, the birding life chooses you.” I would say I finally became comfortable when I slowly realized birding had become second nature to me. Everywhere I went and encountered a bird, the species name and behavior would automatically pop into my head. And of course, the true confirmation of birder status came with the fact that I started to convert all my friends, coworkers and family members into birders too, one step at a time.

Zoya Buckmire- #DayOfRoost

Graduate Student
University of Manitoba
Canada

Why is it important for us to know when to ‘roost’?

Mankind has long gleaned lessons from our avian neighbors, from the mechanics of flight to indications of habitat quality. But what about more subtle lessons, like when and where to roost? Choosing a conducive environment (a safe sheltered tree or your happy place), settling in on the evenings after a long day of foraging (or completing projects), and surrounding yourself with birds of a feather (pun intended) are all important for ensuring you get the best roost (and rest!) possible. Birds also take extra time to recharge and fuel up before strenuous activities like migration, and so should we before embarking on new projects in order to protect our mental health. This is especially important for those of us at the intersection of several minorities as we face up against imposter syndrome, oppressive systems, and our own goals and limitations. Taking time off is the best way to avoid burnout and provide balance in our increasingly hectic lives. Only with proper rest and recovery can we then soar to greater heights.

Scott Johnson- #FlyingTheCoop

Environmental Officer
BRON Ltd.
The Bahamas
Facebook: Scott Johnson (The Bahamian Naturalist)

What motivated you to take the leap to go after your passion?

When I was a child, I got a hold of a dinosaur book called “Dinosaurs” by the National Geographic Society and was fascinated by them. This later became a childhood obsession and my interest in dinosaurs evolved into an interest in birds and other animals. I continued to geek out on animals and wanted to become a biologist. However, upon going to the then College of The Bahamas at the time, it seemed as though there was no place in The Bahamas where I could become a field biologist. I did not want to become a vet or a medical doctor, but it looked as if those avenues were the only options for me. So, for a few years I was trying to convince myself to pursue one of those disciplines. Eventually, I became frustrated and turned to GOD and basically said to Him that I do not know how I was going to become a biologist or where I was going to work, but I am going to pursue this field no matter what. Soon after, one of my schoolmates told me about the Kirtland’s Research and Training Project that trains Bahamians in field biology and helps conservationists to learn more about the (then endangered) Kirtland’s Warbler. I applied and was accepted, and the rest in history.

What’s something you’ve always wanted to try or challenge yourself with?

As I continue to teach Bahamians, I realize that there are major gaps in Bahamian terrestrial research, and a lack of young people desiring to become terrestrial field scientists—like myself. As environmental work continues to grow in my country, the need for skilled field biologists is a necessity. I hope I can be one of those persons (wildlife trainers) who will lead this charge in a bigger capacity. So going for a Ph. D is in my future.

When is it time to pivot and “Fly The Coop”?

During certain times of the year, something inside birds triggers them to prepare for migration and reproduction. This trigger is not properly understood but we scientists know that it happens. When the season is right, I believe that that trigger will be squeezed. Until then, I am still training and gaining skills.

#AsTheCrowFlies- Leo Douglas

Past President of BirdsCaribbean
Assistant Clinical Professor
NYU, Liberal Studies
Twitter: @leo_r_douglas

What is birding like in Jamaica?

Birding in Jamaica is a particular privilege; the island is home to many island and regional Caribbean endemic species. It is also a key stopover site for many Neotropical migrants. Additionally, there are multiple ecological biomes from dry forest to cloud forest. Thus, the birding is always rich, varied, and geographically accessible.

Reflect on where you have gone birding and how it’s helped you pave relationships with people of different cultures.

I started birding in high school through a youth program organized by college-aged youth. Thus, from the get-go my journey with birds was inspired by youth and my passion has always been to work with youth in the outdoors, exploring the natural world.

How has your own culture shaped your relationship with birds and your birding journey?

Being from a small island has always given me a sense of the urgency around valuing and protecting birds and forests. Jamaican forest and species are highly restricted in range and our cultural associations with them are similarly unique and threatened. I came to the understanding, very early on, that bird and nature conservation on my island was ultimately up to Jamaicans. Culture and identity has ultimately driven the ways I see and value birds.

#LifelongJourney- Inés Lourdes Fernández

Wildlife Specialist
Empresa Flora y Fauna Santiago de Cuba
Cuba
Instagram: @lu861211

Comencé a dar mis primeros pasos en el fascinante mundo de las aves, hace unos años ya durante mi etapa universitaria con el grupo de ornitología del Centro Oriental de Ecosistema y Biodiversidad, (BIOECO) en Santiago de Cuba. Ahí supe que las aves iban a ser mi boleto de ida para conocer los secretos de la naturaleza y adentrarme más en la observación de ellas. Mis primeras aves observadas y estudiadas en esta etapa, fueron las rapaces migratorias, Águila pescadora, Halcón peregrino, así conocí de todo el proceso de migración.

Mi primer binocular lo obtuve gracias a Optics for the Tropics, durante el Festival de Aves Endémicas del Caribe en el 2018 y de inmediato agarré mi guía y me dirigí al área protegida más cercana a observar aves en compañía de mis colegas de trabajo. Al principio éramos dos y poco a poco hemos sumados más interesados. Hoy, no solo realizamos observaciones de aves sino también enseñamos a las comunidades, mediante la Educación Ambiental y la vinculación a actividades de investigación, el maravilloso mundo de las aves, así ayudan a su protección.

Hoy me considero una amante de las aves. Observarlas me ha permitido relacionarme y conectarme con otras personas que comparten esta pasión, intercambiar datos y opiniones, desarrollar habilidades y acceder a nuevas oportunidades como la fotografía.

Todavía me falta un mundo por aprender, pero poco a poco voy conociendo y sumando más amigos y colegas a la observación.

English translation

I took my first steps into the fascinating world of birds a few years ago, while at university with the ornithology group of El Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (BIOECO) in Santiago de Cuba. From that point, I knew that birds were going to be my one-way ticket to learning the secrets of nature and diving deeper into observing them. The first birds I observed were migratory raptors: Osprey and Peregrine Falcon, and this is how I learned about the whole migration process.

My first binoculars were sponsored by Optics for the Tropics, during the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival in 2018. I immediately grabbed my guide and went to the nearest Protected Area to observe birds in the company of my colleagues. At first there were two of us and little by little, more people interested in learning about birds and nature joined us. Today we not only make bird observations but also teach communities, through Environmental Education and linking to research activities, the wonderful world of birds, thus helping their protection.

I consider myself a lover of birds. Observing them has allowed me to relate and connect with other people who share this passion, exchange data and opinions, develop skills, and access new opportunities, such as photography.

I still have a world to learn, but little by little I am getting to know more about birds and adding more friends and colleagues to my community.

It is our hope that by recognizing Black Birders Week we increase the visibility of Black Caribbean birders and naturalists and their contributions to conservation. We also hope that this will encourage other agencies and institutions to support their employees and members who are Black and to actively seek ways to make the workplace and outdoors more inclusive and welcoming.

To learn more about Black Birders Week and how you can join the celebration please visit: https://www.blackafinstem.com/bbw2022schedule

May 26, 2022

BirdsCaribbean urges French authorities to protect Brown Pelicans on Guadeloupe

Sustained harassment of nesting Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) in Le Gosier, Guadeloupe, in recent years, has resulted in the abandonment of the largest colony of this species in the French Caribbean islands. BirdsCaribbean is greatly concerned by this unfortunate development and urges French authorities to take action to stop any harassment and ensure the birds return to breed in this important colony. (en français ci-dessous)

Brown Pelicans in the Caribbean rarely nest in urban settings, and yet this colony is just a few steps away from both a library and primary school. BirdsCaribbean regrets that the pelican colony in Le Gosier did not receive adequate consideration and protection from the local authorities of the town that proudly takes its name from the Brown Pelican. This indeed is a missed opportunity for education where, with the right will and incentives, the name-sake of the town can turn a human-wildlife ‘neighborhood dispute’ into a source of pride for the small town of Le Gosier.

A pair of Brown Pelicans cares for its three young chicks in the Le Gosier colony, during the 2013-2014 nesting period (Photo by Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès).

History of Brown Pelicans on Guadeloupe

Part of the pelican Le Gosier colony during the 2013-2014 breeding period (Photo: Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès). Note numerous chicks (white plumage with brown wings) on nests – a sign of a healthy and fully functional colony.

Brown Pelicans were extirpated from Guadeloupe in the 19th century following hunting and persecution. Low numbers nested in the archipelago in 1984 and 1996 but the species only resumed breeding permanently in 2007. This is the same year that a few nests with chicks were rediscovered at the Le Gosier colony. From a handful of nests in 2010-2011, this colony increased in size to reach a maximum of 117 nests in 2016-2017, covering a large area on the spectacular sea cliffs of Boulevard Amédée Clara. This made it one of the largest nesting colonies of Brown Pelicans in the Lesser Antilles. It hosted as many breeding pairs as the other three colonies known to have re-established in Guadeloupe combined, and represented the largest colony of this species in the French Caribbean islands. In fact, the town of Le Gosier takes its name from “gwan gosyé”, the traditional Créole name for the Brown Pelican. This majestic bird is also the town’s emblem and, as such, appears on numerous buildings and monuments.

For the first time since 2007, Brown Pelicans did not nest at the Le Gosier colony in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. This fact was brought to the attention of BirdsCaribbean in November, 2020 by the Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles (ASFA). Visits by rangers of Parc National de la Guadeloupe in December 2020, and by Association AMAZONA in January 2021, confirmed the abandonment of this breeding site. Visits by ASFA in early 2022 confirmed that Brown Pelicans did not renest in 2021-2022.

“When, in 2007, we announced that we had discovered a Brown Pelican colony in Le Gosier, we thought it would stimulate decision-makers to make the return of the Brown Pelican in Guadeloupe a success. The loss of this colony is a resounding defeat for the recovery of this species.” — Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles

Threats to the Caribbean Brown Pelican

Despite its familiar presence on our shores, the Caribbean Brown Pelican population is still considered at risk in the region. It is also listed as a strictly protected species under the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol, of which France is a signatory. In Guadeloupe, nesting Brown Pelicans are listed as Vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Species in France (IUCN France 2021) and protected under the Arrêté du 17 février 1989. Under this arrêté, any form of destruction, removal, capture or use of this seabird or its nest is forbidden.

As early as 2014, ASFA alerted relevant French authorities of the potential human-wildlife conflicts that could arise from the growth of the colony, but no action was taken by the administration. Indeed, intentional disturbances directed at the nesting Brown Pelicans accelerated. ASFA shared with BirdsCaribbean that, over the years, people were observed deliberately and regularly throwing rocks at nests from both the top and bottom of the cliffs; demolition works directly above the colony repeatedly disturbed pelicans during nest initiation; and vegetation that supported nests was cut or degraded before or during the breeding season. Although the Arrêté du 17 février 1989 makes it unlawful to hurt or kill pelicans and their chicks or eggs, it does not protect them against disturbance (whether accidental or intentional), nor does it protect their breeding and resting sites from intentional destruction.

Estimated sizes of the Brown Pelican population in Guadeloupe between 2011 and 2021. Counts of fledgelings, and resulting estimates of productivity, were only carried out until 2018. (Data from Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles.)

The failure of France to curb these threats to a protected species partly results from the long-overdue revision of this arrêté, stuck in negotiations. BirdsCaribbean urges the French government to hasten the acceptance of the revision of Arrêté du 17 février 1989 to actually provide full protection to the Guadeloupean birds it seeks to protect. Furthermore, the Brown Pelican colony of Le Gosier did not receive the protection it needed from French authorities as pledged under the SPAW protocol, despite France being a signatory and ratifying country, and Guadeloupe hosting the offices of the Regional Activity Centre that oversees its implementation.

“The case of the Brown Pelican is a good example: France should make a priority of revising our weak national regulations. It could also easily compensate for the loss of breeding habitat for the Brown Pelican by protecting îlet Rousseau, a public land with strong potential not only for pelicans, but also for Magnificent Frigatebirds.” — Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles

Brown Pelicans breeding at the Le Gosier colony during the 2013-2014 nesting period. In the upper left corner, note the three big chicks sharing a nest – a sign of a healthy and fully functional colony. (Photo by Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès).

Next Steps

The Brown Pelican colony at Le Gosier was a jewel of Caribbean wildlife, one that was enjoyed by local people and visitors alike, but no longer – it only took only a few misplaced acts to destroy it.

BirdsCaribbean calls on the government and local administration to:

1) investigate and document what happened to the colony in 2020-2021;

2) put into place an action plan to avert a similar tragedy happening in 2022-2023 and the future;

3) monitor the areas where Brown Pelicans return and nest again, ensuring that they are not disturbed;

4) educate the local community to instill pride in the town’s name-sake, showing that it deserves our protection;

5) complete the revision of the Arrêté du 17 février 1989, and ensure that adequate legislation is in place to protect wildlife from disturbance and destruction.

En Francais

BirdsCaribbean est extrêmement préoccupée par l’abandon en 2020, 2021 et 2022 de la colonie de nidification de pélicans bruns du Gosier, en Guadeloupe, suite à des dérangements prolongés.

BirdsCaribbean est extrêmement préoccupée par les dérangements répétés de pélicans bruns (Pelecanus occidentalis) nicheurs ayant eu lieu au Gosier, en Guadeloupe, ces dernières années. Ces dérangements ont provoqué l’abandon de cette importante colonie de reproduction durant les saisons de reproduction 2020-2021 et 2021-2022. Les autorités responsables doivent agir pour arrêter et prévenir tout dérangement, et assurer le retour en nidification lors de la saison 2022-2023. Ceci aura des bénéfices économiques et pédagogiques pour la commune du Gosier. Dans les Caraïbes, les pélicans bruns nichent rarement dans des zones urbaines : malgré tout, la colonie ayant subi les dérangements n’est qu’à quelques pas de deux écoles et d’une médiathèque, dans une ville qui prend son nom de ces mêmes pélicans !

Photographie 1: Un couple de pélicans bruns s’occupe de ses trois jeunes poussins à la colonie du Gosier, pendant la saison de reproduction 2013-2014. (Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès).

Histoire des pélicans bruns en Guadeloupe

Pour la première fois depuis 2007, les pélicans bruns n’ont pas niché à la colonie du Gosier en 2020-2021 et 2021-2022, une information que l’Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles (ASFA) a partagé avec BirdsCaribbean dès novembre 2020. Des visites effectuées par des gardes du Parc National de la Guadeloupe en décembre 2020, et par l’Association AMAZONA en janvier 2021 ont confirmé l’abandon de ce site de nidification. Des visites de l’ASFA début 2022 ont montré que les pélicans n’avaient pas re-niché en 2021-2022.

Photographie 2: Une partie de la colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier, pendant la saison de reproduction 2013-2014. (Photo: Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles - Régis Gomès). Noter les nombreux poussins (plumage blanc et ailes brunes) sur les nids, signe en bonne santé écologique. — Photographie 2: Une partie de la colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier, pendant la saison de reproduction 2013-2014. (Photo: Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès). Noter les nombreux poussins (plumage blanc et ailes brunes) sur les nids, signe en bonne santé écologique.

Le pélican brun a été éradiqué de Guadeloupe au cours du XIXième siècle par la chasse et la persécution. Des effectifs limités ont niché sur l’archipel en 1984 et 1996 mais l’espèce n’a recommencé à nicher de façon permanente qu’en 2007. Cette même année, des nids avec des poussins étaient découverts à la colonie du Gosier. De quelques nids en 2010-2011, cette colonie a ensuite gagné en taille pour atteindre, à son maximum, 117 nids en 2016-2017, utilisant alors une grande partie des falaises spectaculaires du Boulevard Amédée Clara. Ceci en faisait l’une des colonies de nidification les plus grandes des Petites Antilles. Elle abritait autant de couples nicheurs que les trois autres colonies recensées en Guadeloupe combinées, et était alors la plus grande colonie de cette espèce dans les Antilles françaises. La ville du Gosier prend justement son nom du “gwan gosyé”, le nom créole du pélican brun. Cet oiseau majestueux est aussi l’emblème de la ville et, en conséquent, il apparaît sur de nombreux bâtiments et monuments.

“En annonçant, en 2007, que nous avions découvert une colonie de pélicans bruns, qui plus est, dans la ville du Gosier, nous pensions susciter une mobilisation des décideurs pour que ce retour de l’espèce en tant que nicheuse sur l’Archipel guadeloupéen soit un succès. L’abandon de la colonie sonne le glas d’une pleine reconquête de l’espèce.” —Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles

Menaces sur le pélican brun des Caraïbes

Malgré sa présence familière sur nos côtes, la population caribéenne du pélican brun est toujours considérée comme à risque dans la région. Elle est aussi listée comme strictement protégée au titre du protocole SPAW, protocole dont la France est signataire. En Guadeloupe, les pélicans bruns nicheurs sont listés comme Vulnérables sur la Liste Rouge des Espèces Menacées de France et sont protégés par l’Arrêté du 17 février 1989. En vertu de cet arrêté, toute forme de destruction, capture ou enlèvement de cet oiseau marin, de ses œufs ou de son nid est interdite.

Dès 2014, l’ASFA a alerté les autorités françaises compétentes des potentiels conflits qui pourraient découler de l’expansion de la colonie de nidification du Gosier, mais l’administration n’a pris aucune mesure. Au contraire, les dérangements intentionnels envers les pélicans bruns nicheurs se sont accélérés. L’ASFA a d’ailleurs informé BirdsCaribbean que, au fil des ans, des personnes ont été observées en train de jeter des pierres sur les nids, depuis le haut et le bas des falaises, de manière délibérée et régulière ; des travaux de démolition juste au-dessus de la colonie avaient dérangé les pélicans à plusieurs reprises au commencement de la nidification ; et la végétation sur laquelle les nids étaient construits avait été coupée ou dégradée avant ou pendant la saison de reproduction. L’Arrêté du 17 février 1989 rend illégal la destruction et la mutilation des pélicans, de leurs poussins et de leurs oeufs, mais il ne les protège pas des dérangements (accidentels ou intentionnels), et ne protège pas non plus leurs sites de reproduction et de repos de destructions intentionnelles.

Figure 1. Effectifs de population du pélican brun en Guadeloupe entre 2011 et 2021. Les comptages de jeunes à l’envol, et les estimations de productivité en découlant, n’ont pas pu être effectués après 2018. Données : Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles.

L’incapacité de la France à limiter ces menaces à l’encontre d’une espèce protégée est en partie le résultat de son incapacité à réviser l’Arrêté du 17 février 1989. BirdsCaribbean exhorte donc les autorités françaises à finaliser la révision de l’Arrêté du 17 février 1989 afin de véritablement offrir l’entière protection de la loi aux oiseaux de la Guadeloupe que cet arrêté prétend protéger. Par ailleurs, la colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier n’a pas reçu la protection des autorités françaises, en directe opposition avec le protocole SPAW qu’elles ont pourtant signé et ratifié, et malgré le fait que les bureaux du Centre Régional d’Activité qui supervise la mise en application dudit protocole se trouvent en Guadeloupe .

“Cet échec est un bon exemple : la révision de la réglementation nationale devrait être la priorité de la France. Il serait aussi facilement réalisable de compenser les pertes survenues sur la colonie du Gosier en protégeant l’îlet Rousseau, un terrain public à fort potentiel non seulement pour les pélicans mais aussi pour les Frégates.” — Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles

Photographie 3: Des pélicans bruns en nidification à la colonie du Gosier, pendant la saison de reproduction 2013-2014. (Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles - Régis Gomès). Dans le coin en haut à gauche, noter les trois grands poussins dans un même nid, un signe d’une colonie en bonne santé écologique. — Photographie 3: Des pélicans bruns en nidification à la colonie du Gosier, pendant la saison de reproduction 2013-2014. (Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès). Dans le coin en haut à gauche, noter les trois grands poussins dans un même nid, un signe d’une colonie en bonne santé écologique.

BirdsCaribbean regrette que la colonie du Gosier, qui est située face à la médiathèque et aux écoles du Boulevard Amédée Clara, n’ait pas reçu une considération appropriée de la part des autorités locales d’une ville qui emprunte fièrement son nom au pélican brun. Nous regrettons, par ailleurs, que cette opportunité pédagogique et économique ait étée négligée : avec des bonnes intentions et des soutiens adaptés, l’espèce qui prête son nom à la ville aurait pu transformer un “conflit de voisinage” entre humains et faune sauvage en une source de fierté pour la petite ville du Gosier.

Prochaines étapes

La colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier était un joyau de la faune des Caraïbes, autant appréciée par les locaux que par les visiteurs, mais elle n’existe plus : il n’a fallu que quelques actes déplacés pour la détruire. Par conséquent, BirdsCaribbean demande au gouvernement français et aux administrations locales de

1) enquêter et documenter ce qui est arrivé à la colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier en 2020-2021 ;

2) de mettre en place un plan d’action pour éviter qu’une tragédie similaire ait lieu en 2022-2023 et dans le futur ; 3) de suivre les zones où les pélicans bruns pourraient revenir et nicher, afin d’assurer leur protection ;

4) de développer des programmes pédagogiques à destination des communautés locales, afin d’inspirer de la fierté pour l’espèce qui prête son nom à la ville et de montrer qu’elle mérite notre protection ; et

5) de finaliser la révision de l’Arrêté du 17 février 1989 et de s’assurer qu’une législation appropriée soit en place pour protéger la faune sauvage des dérangements et des destructions.

En attendant de recevoir de vos nouvelles rapidement, je vous remercie pour votre assistance.

May 23, 2022

Global Big Day 2022: BirdsCaribbean Continues Record-breaking Streak!

May 18, 2022

Dive into the World of Seabirds with BirdCaribbean’s New Webinar Series

May 12, 2022

Printing now! The Spanish Version of our Endemic Birds Coloring Book

It’s coming soon! And we are excited, as the printing presses are whirring.

BirdsCaribbean partners and citizens of all ages from across the Spanish-speaking islands can look forward to enjoying the Spanish language version of our popular Endemic Birds of the West Indies Coloring Book, which will soon be ready for ordering. Translations of the English text by Mark Yokoyama are by Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez and Maydiel Cañizares, with the appealing illustrations by Christine Elder waiting to be colored.

Back and Front Covers of the Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book in Spanish.

“The book is at the press now,” confirmed Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, Lisa Sorensen. “We are very grateful to all those who have contributed and supported this publication, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, the Cape Cod Bird Club, and of course our members and generous donors.”

The coloring book is now available for free download. To receive hard copies, email info@BirdsCaribbean.org

The book contains all the same artistic and educational material as the English language one, with an additional section explaining the birds’ scientific names. It also gives reasons for and provides details of how and why different local names are often given to the same bird in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. For example, in Cuba the West Indian Whistling Duck is called the Yaguasa. In Puerto Rico it is known as the Chiriría, and in the Dominican Republic people call it the Yaguaza. This can be confusing! In the book, the scientific name is written in italics after the common name of each bird.

“We will be shipping hard copies to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic (and sending copies via courier to Cuba) as soon as the book is printed, hot off the press,” said Lisa Sorensen. “We are happy that this lovely book will be reaching a much wider audience, and we look forward to the feedback from our Spanish-speaking friends.”

Note: The French version of the coloring books will also be available soon!

How to obtain copies of Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book in Spanish

You can download the colouring book for free on our Resources page.

If you are an educator working for an NGO or government in the Caribbean and would like to receive one or more boxes of the coloring book, please contact info@birdscaribbean.org. To save on shipping costs, we are aiming to limit the number of shipments per country. We ask for help with distribution by a local institution to NGOs and governmental ministries for use at bird and nature education events.

Help us get these books to children across the islands!

We need your help to ship this book to the islands, as well as funding support to print the French version. If you would like to help, please click here. No donation is too small!!

About the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival – CEBF

The annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), held from April 22 (Earth Day) to May 22 (International Biodiversity Day), seeks to increase awareness and appreciation of the region’s unique bird life. Every year, thousands of people across over twenty-five Caribbean islands participate in a range of activities organized by local non-governmental and environmental organizations. The theme of the 2022 festival is “Loving Birds is Human Nature.” BirdsCaribbean is hosting activities to celebrate at home, such as webinars, a short story and poetry competition, games, coloring sheets, and more. Virtual CEBF activities called From the Nest, including Endemic Bird of the Day, coloring pages, puzzles, videos, bird songs, and much more can be accessed at this link.

Seabirds, Research, and Advocacy: Check out the latest BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group Newsletter!

May 4, 2022

Conservationist Spotlight: An Interview with Patricia Bradley

Patricia Bradley arrived on Grand Cayman in 1982 and began to put together comparative monthly records of bird sightings on all three islands. In the four decades since, she has authored several field guides and natural history books, and a British Ornithologists’ Union checklist. She is a founding and Life member of the Cayman Islands National Trust, chairing and serving on its Environmental Advisory Committee, and she has served many years on the Cayman Government’s National Conservation Council. She was instrumental in establishing the Cayman Islands’ Important Bird Areas, and developing the nature tourism project in the Sister Islands, including design of interpretative signage at lookouts on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Patricia’s contributions to conservation extend well beyond the Caymans. She has long been a member and supporter of BirdsCaribbean, including as a past co-chair of the Seabird Working Group (SWG), and co-edited the book ‘An Inventory of the Breeding Seabirds of the Caribbean’ in 2009.

Jennifer Wheeler: Hello Patricia! I understand this is your fortieth year in the Caribbean. When you arrived in the early 1980s, did you imagine you would become one of the most respected names in Caribbean ornithology?

Patricia Bradley: Well, I’m not sure I believe THAT. But, I do feel that I have had the opportunity to contribute and add to the efforts of bird conservation and habitats, when bird data was sparse in the 1980s. But so much remains to be done in the region to stem the loss of species, especially seabirds, whose breeding and foraging areas continue to decline. Cayman is now doing a great job.

JW: What brought you to the Caribbean? And did you come with a love of nature?

PB: I was born and lived in Ireland up until the age of 24. My parents brought me up outdoors and my mother was a very keen birder. At University, I studied Biology. After graduation, I stayed on to teach and participate in field projects. I began a PhD, but my husband was offered a job in Africa, so off we went to begin our international life together, and we never went back to Ireland.

JW: Where did you go?

PB: Our first station was in Malawi, where I worked on game counts and spent a year with the Locust Research Council tracking swarm development in the wetlands; then Botswana and more birds. In 1972, my husband went to work with the UN. First to Antigua, then the British Virgin Islands, and then the Turks and Caicos Islands where I set up the National Trust, and helped establish the large Ramsar Site that encompasses the Caicos wetlands. In each location, I gathered and submitted birding records to the British Ornithological Union as there was a dearth of information. People in Europe didn’t understand what a birding hotspot the Caribbean was!

Patricia talks to ecotourists at Booby Pond, Cayman Islands — Patricia talks to ecotourists at Booby Pond, Little Cayman. (Photo courtesy naturecayman.com)

In 1982, we reached the Cayman islands, and I began to compile a checklist of birds of the 3 islands. Cayman birds were little known both here and overseas. Over a 20 year period, aiming to put a monetary value on Cayman’s undervalued and underrated natural areas, I wrote field guides, set up forest and wetland signed trails on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac (linked to maps and a website – a first for the region), and invited bird tour leaders to put us on their route. Also raising awareness locally through the National Trust we had set up.

JW: So birding records led to field guides that led to a career in developing bird conservation projects in Cayman Islands and elsewhere in the Caribbean! In 2003, you and Robert Norton commenced An Inventory of the Breeding Seabirds of the Caribbean (Bradley and Norton 2009). Do you have a special interest in seabirds?

PB: Yes, seabirds are very important in my life. I find them especially beautiful, with their combination of freedom in the air and vulnerability on the ground. Rob and I were focused on sea level rise and the effects of tropical storms, which combined with habitat loss are major threats to seabirds. Also, my mentor, John Croxall (a foremost expert in seabird conservation globally), was working in the Antarctic on fisheries and albatross and he shared with me what the international community was doing for seabird protection.

Thinking about the plight of seabirds, especially given regional climate change threats, we realized that assessing seabird numbers across the Caribbean was essential. We needed a comprehensive snapshot of the state of things – recent population numbers, threats, and declines – so we could begin to understand the changes that were occurring. The Inventory of Breeding Caribbean Seabirds was finally finished in 2009, building on the works of both van Halewyn and Norton 1984; and Schreiber and Lee 2000.

JW: Talking about the 2009 book must be bittersweet due to the recent passing of Rob Norton.

PB: Absolutely. I lament the loss of this wonderful, dedicated, and courageous man. We go back to the early 1980s when I began sending him birding records from the Cayman Islands. Our friendship cemented when we met in Jamaica in 1985 and on Turks and Caicos in 1987, and continued until his death.

Bird field guide author Patricia Bradley was awarded the title of “Conservationist of the Year” in the 2016 Governor’s Conservation Awards. (Photo courtesy the Cayman Compass)

JW: Finding and persuading seabird specialists from each island to contribute must have been a challenge.

Patricia Bradley and Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet at the Birds of Cayman Islands Launch, 2013.

PB: The editing process was a huge challenge, with an embryonic internet! But it was also great fun as we worked with English, Dutch, French, and Spanish ornithologists, and got to know many of the corners where seabirds hang out! Thank goodness for Rob’s exhaustive understanding of the regions’ birds, and GIS data and maps brilliantly provided by William Mackin. The meetings of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (now BirdsCaribbean) provided an essential structure and backbone for the work.

JW: Chapter 30 of the Inventory presents Conservation Issues and Proposals. Some of these have progressed nicely, some not at all. How are you feeling about the state of things?

PB: Yes, well, conservation activities often wax and wane, depending on opportunities, funding, and crises like hurricanes, social unrest, and of course, COVID-19. Unfortunately, the effects of climate change – rising seas, changes in ocean chemistry, and prey base – are an increasing threat to Caribbean seabirds. Reports estimate that many populations have decreased in the last 20 years. In the Cayman Islands, we have lost 50% of what was one of largest colonies of Red-footed Boobies in the region. Preliminary results indicate that food shortages contributed to decreased breeding success, plus cat predation.

That’s why the Seabird Working Group’s promotion of a region-wide census is so critical. Previously lack of continuity has been a major issue, with data collection dependent on one individual who either moved country or lost funding. I hope the 2023 census will change that, to go beyond the census to establish a regional monitoring database updated regularly, to allow a rapid response to threats to be addressed.

Booby Pond, Little Cayman. (Photo by Rhiannon Austin)

JW: Any signs of hope for seabirds?

PB: Of course! There is always hope. And there are waves of progress… More people got started in seabird conservation following the BirdsCaribbean seabird project from 2011 to 2013. I’m thinking about people like Hannah Madden and Juan-Carlos Fernandez-Ordonez. And Dr. Patrick Jodice’s engagement, which led to more seabird tracking research on frigatebirds, boobies, and petrels. The Bermuda Petrel story is extremely heartening. And support by the Darwin Initiative has helped several of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), including the Cayman Islands, to advance its seabird monitoring.

One exciting thing happening now is the use of National Capital Accountancy by the Cayman Islands Government, and 2 other OTs, to produce an economic valuation of ecological services provided by the national resources. We recommended this approach in the Inventory – calculating the concrete values of interconnected resources: marine, wetlands, forests, relating the ecological value of seabirds to fishing, coral reef health, nature tourism, etc. The Government intends to adopt this approach, presently in its infancy with only the mangrove asset value determined. It will have profound influence in recognizing and conserving natural resources as part of the financial balance sheet of the country, and incorporation into the legislation in Cayman, as well as providing a model for the region.

JW: What’s your advice for the BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group for the regional Caribbean Seabird Census push?

PB: Keep pushing! It’s not easy coordinating the efforts across a region as diverse as the Caribbean. I know this and it often takes lots of persuasion! Take advantage of the people that have become trained and confident in seabird monitoring to encourage and coach others to assist in surveys. This should help to forge a new generation who will continue the work. And figure out a way to fill some of the gaping holes – it’s shocking how little attention the seabirds on the offshore cays in Cuba and The Bahamas are receiving. We know costs are prohibitive with thousands of cays to census, but somehow we have to get creative to fund people to get out there! Additionally, the crisis that Caribbean seabirds are facing must be elevated at National levels so that monitoring becomes a Government responsibility, as has occurred in Cayman since 2016, and in the US islands for generations. However, where Government support and funds are not forthcoming, international NGOs and BirdsCaribbean will need to continue their search for funding to ensure that this brilliant initiative does not stall. It is the only way management plans for each species and site can go forward.

Jennifer Wheeler and Patricia Bradley at the 2007 International Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)

JW: Thank you so much for your time, it’s great to catch up. I can’t remember when you and I first met, but I definitely remember hanging out at the 2007 BirdsCaribbean conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Will I see you this summer at the upcoming conference in the same location?

PB: Alas, no, making that trip isn’t possible. But I will engage virtually! Keep me in the loop for remote attendance, especially the Seabird Working Group symposium and discussion!

Books by Patricia Bradley:

Birds of the Cayman Islands. 1995. By Patricia Bradley and Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet. World Publications.
The birds of the Cayman Islands. 2000. By Patricia Bradley. British Ornithologists’ Union.
An Inventory of Breeding Seabirds of the Caribbean. 2009. Edited By: Patricia E. Bradley and Robert L. Norton. Florida University Press.
A Photographic Guide to the Birds of the Cayman Islands. 2013. By Patricia E. Bradley and Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Birds of Cuba: A Photographic Guide. 2020. By Arturo Kirkconnell, Patricia E. Bradley, and Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet. Cornell University Press.

April 30, 2022

Help Inform Planning, Support, and Conservation Action for Caribbean Endemic Birds!

April 23, 2022

Calling all Caribbean Nationals—We are Hosting a Story & Poetry Competition!

A brand new Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) competition is here! Sharpen your pencil, polish your pen, hit the keyboard—we are hosting a Story and Poetry Competition! Storytelling is one of the great Caribbean traditions. Only a few would call themselves storytellers but we know everyone has a story to tell. We are calling on the Caribbean community to write about a unique, but factual, experience that you have had with a bird or birds that reflects our theme, Loving Birds is Human Nature. Lee las guías de la competencia en Español aquí.

It could have happened in your backyard, nearby park, garden, wetland, forest or anywhere! It could be about the first time you really noticed a bird and got hooked on birding, or about how birds have changed your life in some way, or an unusual or special encounter that you had with a bird. We’re looking for uplifting stories that express our connection to birds and nature and what your experience revealed to you personally. Featured stories and poems will be published in an electronic booklet, shared on our blog and social media and there will be prizes!

Vervain Hummingbird feeding its chick. (Photo by Tony Pe)

Prizes:

All winning poems and short stories will be published on the BirdsCaribbean website and awarded Amazon eGift cards. The top three poems and short stories will each receive gift cards in the amounts listed below (for a total of 6 prizes):

1st prize- $75
2nd prize- $50
3rd prize- $25

Need some help getting started?

Nature is often a source of inspiration for writers. If you can get outside to write a poem or true short story, by all means do! But even if you’re stuck indoors, tap into your memory to head back to a place and time where you had a memorable experience with birds in your backyard, neighborhood park, forests or wetlands.

Share this experience with us, through poetry or a true short story. It does not have to be profound but should allow readers an insight into your thoughts, feelings and surroundings. We hope to collect a variety of poems and stories about different birds throughout the region.

Judges will be looking for originality, voice, and a poem or story that holds the attention of the reader by making use of imagery.

Carib Grackle singing in a tree, Saint Lucia.

Important Dates:

Submission deadline for both poems and true short stories: Wednesday 25th May, 2022 at 11:59PM EST

Rules (General):

The competition is open to any Caribbean national, aged 16 or over at the time of entering.

*We welcome submissions to the contest from all the insular West Indies including: The Bahamas, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Islands, the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands), the Lesser Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

Children and adults from other countries are most welcome to write and share their poems and short stories with us, to be included in the e-book, but only nationals from the countries/ islands listed above are eligible to be part of the contest.

2. Participants may enter ONE poem OR ONE true short story.

3. Works of fiction involving mythical creatures, alternate reality, superhuman powers etc., will be disqualified.

4. Submissions should be typed (Font: Arial, Font size: 12), single- spaced, titled and saved as a Word file.

5. Email submissions to info@birdscaribbean.org and copy Aliya.Hosein@birdscaribbean.org. Include your full name, age, country. Email subject: CEBF Poetry and True Story Competition.

6. Under no circumstances can poems and short stories be edited once submitted.

7. Submissions must not be published, self-published or published on a website or social media before Sunday, April 24, 2022.

8. The copyright of each submission remains with the author. However, by entering the competition, authors grant BirdsCaribbean permission to publish and/or broadcast their poems and true stories on the BirdsCaribbean website and social media and in an electronic booklet, produced by BirdsCaribbean.

Pair of Cuban Parakeet sit in a tree. — Pair of Cuban Parakeets. (Photo by Sergey Uryadnikov)

Creative writing in a notepad with a pencil. — Put pencil to paper and get creative!

Rules (Poems):

Poems may be in English, Spanish or French.
Poems can be written in any poetic style.
All poems must have a title.
Poems must be at least 10 lines and not exceed 30 lines in length (excluding title). Lines should not exceed 40 characters (including spaces between words).
Poems must be entrants’ original work. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in immediate disqualification.

Rules (True Short Stories):

Short stories may be in English, Spanish or French.
All stories must have a title.
Stories must be at least 450 words (1 page) and not exceed 1,000 words. Please check your word count. Submissions above the word limit will be disqualified.
Short stories must be entrants’ original work. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in immediate disqualification.

We will accept photos and artwork of birds, natural areas, and communities featured in both poems and short stories. They may be original work or participants must obtain permission to use the photos and/or artwork. However this is completely optional and will not be used during judging. Therefore they must be emailed as separate attachments.

Participants are also encouraged to share with us an audio recording of their poems and stories. The recordings are completely optional and will not be used during judging. All that is needed is a smartphone or laptop capable of recording audio.

All suitable submissions will be shared after the CEBF 2022 on the BirdsCaribbean website and social media accounts, in addition to an electronic booklet.

Creative writing on a laptop. — Use your laptop to help those creative juices flow.

Guidelines and Tips for Creating a Recording of Your Story or Poem (optional)

Instructions for content:

Have fun! Remember this is not a school project or work assignment.
Speak in your native language; if possible, please send us the English script (if English is not your first language).
First, introduce yourself: your name and where you’re from.
Then, let us know how birds inspire you.
Finally, recite your poem or short story.

Instructions for your audio recording:

You can use a smartphone or tablet to record your audio.
Record your audio in a quiet room
Please try to keep your recording under 10 minutes.
Use headphones to listen to your audio recording. This will help you to hear any other noises the device picked up during the recording like mic pops, room noise or echo.
Audio recordings must be sent in one of the following formats: MP3, M4A or AAC

Recordings must NOT contain:

Copyrighted material (such as music tracks) without the necessary authorizations.
Material that is inappropriate, indecent, obscene or hateful.

Instructions for sending us your recording:

Email audio file, consent form (if needed), and English script (if needed) to Aliya.Hosein@birdscaribbean.org.
For adults, by submitting a recording you give BirdsCaribbean consent to use the file for purposes specified above.
For those under the adult age in your country, the minor’s audio recording must be accompanied with a consent form signed by a parent or guardian – download the form here.

Saved by a Frigatebird: The Story of Jari and “Sweet Bird”

The following short story is an excerpt from “A Collection of Cultural Myths, Tales and Beliefs About Caribbean Birds” – a fascinating electronic compilation of stories, poems, and art that highlight the roles birds play in shaping our understanding of the natural world, social norms, and even beliefs about the afterlife. The ebook will be launched as part of our 2022 Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) celebrations, held from April 22–May 22.

Enjoy this short story by José Raúl (Jari) Montalvo Torres, titled Sweet Bird, which perfectly embodies the 2022 CEBF theme: “Loving Birds is Human Nature”.

Most of my life has been spent near or on the sea. I have always been amazed at the relationship between fish, man and bird. Ernest Hemingway used to fly a kite that looked like a bird when he was fishing to fool and catch marlin. I have never been as close to this than the time I will now tell you about.

It was a warm summer night in 1996 when we departed La Parguera harbor in southwest Puerto Rico, straight towards Mayagüez Bay. We sailed south through the buoys until we reached a distance of three miles from the coast. We started to head west, this would lead us two miles south of Margarita Reef, which is a safe distance to be in the nighttime. We continued this course, 270 degrees, parallel to the south coast until eventually we changed course north towards Mayagüez Bay.

A map shows Mayagüez, on the western coast of Puerto Rico. — Mayagüez can be seen in red, on the western coast of Puerto Rico.

I was a mechanic on this trip, aboard a research vessel belonging to the University of Puerto Rico. We were transporting a group of students from the Marine Science department that would be attending a class in Marine Ecology early next morning in the Mayagüez Bay.

After about one hour at sea, the electric generator started having problems. It eventually shut off completely and everything went dark. I moved to the upper deck to try to restart the generator. We needed to keep the freezers going to keep our perishables cold.

While I was trying to restart the generator, the swells were coming from the stern. The ship just surfed the waves creating a sensation of speed and movement. A nice feeling in the dark, in the quiet sea. The ship remained quiet and stable. After passing the Cabo Rojo lighthouse, the ship turned north on course towards its destination of Mayagüez Bay. Now, the swells were no longer coming from the stern. They came from the starboard side causing the ship to roll wildly. A not so pleasant feeling this time.

The rolling was getting stronger and the boat was becoming more inclined and my position more dangerous. I was unsuccessful starting the generator, so I decided to come down to the lower deck where I would be more secure. The ship had a crane on the top deck, and it was the crane’s strut that I used as a ladder to climb up or down from this deck. I put my hands on the “ladder” to hold as I went down. Just then, the crane swung to the side due to the angle of the ship. I was able to hang on to the crane for a short time but I had to let go.

I fell into the water and immediately pushed myself away from the hull to stay away from the propeller suction. I could feel the turbulence created by the propeller. It must have been luck that helped me stay safe. I was not injured in the fall. I was complete, still in one piece. I briefly contemplated how much worse this could have been.

Nobody saw my fall. I cried out and yelled people’s names, but nobody heard me. I could see how the ship was leaving me behind, a little bit further every second. I watched the stern light until it disappeared in the horizon, moving steadily north, still on route to Mayagüez.

At a distance I could see lights near Combate beach. Behind me, I could see the light from the lighthouse so clearly that I felt I could swim until I reached it. Yet, the feeling of loneliness and helplessness took over me. I swam every way I could to keep myself moving and calm. I swam front stroke, I swam sidestroke, I swam backstroke. I could see some lights on land and was able to align lights and use them as reference points. I noticed that the current was strong and against me, moving me away from where I wanted, and knew I should go. I wanted to swim. I felt lonely and scared.

Reassuring glow from a distant lighthouse.

I was never afraid of being unable to swim to shore, but I was afraid of darkness, afraid of the place I was floating. I was afraid that any moment I could be pulled down into the deep and be dismembered. I wanted to cry, scream, or walk over the water. Every minute pictures of my entire life kept running through my mind, until they kept being interrupted by fear.

I perceived sounds and smells. I could hear voices around me. Every minute seemed to be so long. Sometimes, I could see the stars reflected in the water. It felt like I was swimming in the universe. I felt part of it. I could hear the sound that the air makes coming out of a dolphin’s blowhole. Listening to this sound and trying to figure out where it was coming from, kept me busy for a while. I felt consoled when I thought that I was being escorted by wandering mammals, who could sense my fear. At different times I could feel a sweet voice, that without words kept telling me, reassuring me, that I would be safe, a promise of sorts, that “they” were going to help me.

With every minute the dawn was beginning to light up the sky. My fear was disappearing with the coming of day, and my faith and confidence that it would all be alright were growing. I kept searching for the feeling of peace that the sound of the dolphins gave me, but my escorts seemed to have disappeared.

I could see a bit of sky. I could see the last stars of the night leaving and telling me that there was a new day coming. Then, there was a silhouette above me. It was a bird, flying very high over my head…going around and around and around. It made me feel happy. Now I could look up instead of down. Daylight continued increasing and I could make out that my new friend was a male Frigatebird. I wanted to touch it, to reach it with my hands.

Magnificent Frigatebird flying overhead. — Magnificent Frigatebird (male) flying overhead. (Photo by Melissa McMasters)

That sweet voice, without words, was now more real to me with every passing minute. I did not feel fear anymore because, now, I was not alone. With every flight above my head, I could hear, feel that voice, hear that sweet voice going around and around with the Frigatebird. The voice without words stayed with me constantly, talking to me, reassuring me, telling me that it was going to help me.

Sunrise was close. I looked to the east where there was more light, where I could already see the shapes of mountains and coast. Far, very far away, I could hear the sound of a motorboat that had most likely left Combate harbor. I did not know their destination but, according to their course, they were going to pass far from me…maybe a mile away. It was almost impossible that on this course they would find me.

Magnificent Frigatebird soaring overhead. — Magnificent Frigatebird (female) soaring overhead. (Photo by Tobias Verfuss)

This is when I noticed something strange. My Frigatebird friend decided to put on a show. The bird flew higher and higher, showing off in the air. Its movements were very defined and almost flirtatious. It went up so high over my head that I could hardly see it, but I could still feel the promise of hope it gave me, that it would not abandon me, that it had never abandoned me.

The sun lit up the mountains on the coast and I heard the sound again…a far away motorboat. The only boat. It seemed to have changed course. I could see two men putting something into the water that looked like bait…and they were coming towards me. The Frigatebird kept showing off movements over my head and I could see it trying to touch me with its beak every time it circled me. The boat was not approaching because of me, it was approaching because it thought the bird signaled fish. The fishermen wanted to troll the bait under the bird with the hope of catching something good. I could see the boat getting closer and closer.

Even at a distance I elevated my arms with the hope of being seen. I could hear their voices asking how could it be possible that a coconut has arms? And being answered “don’t get too close, it could be an undocumented immigrant”. I started screaming: “I am Jari Montalvo from Boquerón! A friend of Tano! A friend of Tali and Annie! I work in La Parguera! I fell in the water last night! Come close, come close!”

It was a local fishing boat called Petrel (another seabird). The two fishermen who picked me up took me to Combate beach. They kept saying that they found me because the strange movements of the Frigatebird tempted them to change course. It was the bird that brought them to me.

The “sweet voice without words” that I heard that night, with the dolphins and the bird, kept me safe, kept me calm, and kept me hopeful. I felt this voice once more since then, when I was diagnosed with and successfully treated for cancer. The feeling of faith and hope stays alive in me forever.

José Raúl (Jari) Montalvo Torres

21 March, 2020

Mark Your Calendars and Join Us for Global Big Day on May 14!

It’s that time of year again! We’ll be hosting our annual celebration of Global Big Day—the biggest birding day of the year—on Saturday, May 14, 2022. This time, we are raising funds for travel scholarships to help Caribbean students and wildlife professionals attend the AOS-BC Conference in Puerto Rico this June*.

We are bringing back our popular teams competition from 2021, and celebrating together the energy, excitement, and camaraderie that’s associated with Global Big Day.

Last year was a resounding success, with people from 192 countries reporting 7,234 species in a single day—the biggest Global Big Day turnout ever! For BirdsCaribbean, our numbers were also impressive—15 teams with members from 36 countries reported a total of 1,348 species and raised over $20,000, and we had so much fun doing this. Let’s make this year even better!

What is Global Big Day (GBD)?

Twice a year, during peak migration times (once in spring and once in fall) birders around the world go out (often in small groups) and travel around an area trying to observe as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr period of time. The checklists that the global community collects and submit to eBird are hugely valuable for science and conservation!

BirdsCaribbean virtual teams will bird “together” and engage in friendly competition to see which team can: 1) collectively see the most species of birds on GBD, and 2) raise the most funds. You can join/re-join one of the 15 teams from last year or create a new team!

This annual event raises the profile of birds and conservation issues, and gathers a snapshot of bird distribution around the globe—and we need your help to do it!

Get Involved by:

Creating or joining a birding and fundraising team by clicking the JOIN A TEAM button on this page.

The “Join a Team” button can be found just below the header graphic.

Joining a team is easy! Sign up with your email or Facebook account, scroll through the list in the dropdown menu and select the team you’d like to join. If you’d like to create a new team, you can do so by clicking the words “create a new team” to the right of the blue button.

Once on a team, invite family, friends, colleagues, or members of your birding community to join your team and/or donate to your team. Learn more in this “how to” guide.

and/or . . .

Simply making a donation to one of the birding and fundraising teams.

and/or . . .

Committing to spending some time (or the entire day!) birding on Global Big Day (May 14), being sure to keep track of what you see and then entering that information into eBird.

You can bird from your backyard for as little as 10 minutes, or visit sites throughout the day to see as many birds as you can. By being on a team, your observations will contribute to that team’s total list for the day. Who will win top prizes this year for most species seen and most checklists submitted and most endemics seen?! Someone needs to contest the Bee Hummers Dream Team, who cleaned up last year!

This will be a fun event to fundraise for and get excited about! Be ready to go birdwatching for as much of the day as possible, knowing that all of your teammates, friends, and BirdsCaribbean community members are doing the same!

Everyone should plan to submit their observations to eBird (or eBird Caribbean if you’re in the islands). Then we’ll tally them up and see how we all did! We will send out more information about this as the event draws closer.

https://youtu.be/ErkKZZ1aKEw

Why this is Important

The insular Caribbean is a critical region for birds. There are 171 species that occur here and nowhere else in the world! In addition, the islands provide a winter home for numerous migrants—many stay 6 months or longer while others rely on the islands as stopover sites to rest and refuel during their long journeys north and south.

The development of a strong regional conservation community, through capacity-building training and career development opportunities at the island level for local people, is critical to ensure the sustainable preservation of island birds and their habitats.

How your Gift Will be Used

This Global Big Day fundraiser will fund travel scholarships for Caribbean wildlife students and professionals to attend our upcoming AOS & BC Conference, June 27-July 2, 2022, in San Juan, Puerto Rico*. These are dedicated persons who are on the ground, doing the everyday work to secure a future for birds and their habitats. Attending the conference is an invaluable opportunity for them to 1) build upon or gain new skills to address threats to bird conservation on their respective islands, and 2) network with the wider conservation community, share their work, and learn from others. For Caribbean students, this experience will help to kickstart their introduction into the ornithological and conservation community and they will benefit from mentorship opportunities.

Our plan is to raise funds to help cover travel costs that will allow deserving participants to attend, including covering registration, airfare and/or hotel costs as necessary.

As with everything in the Caribbean, we will be successful when our whole community pitches in, so let’s do this together! We need your help to do this!

Prizes will be awarded to

the team that raises the most funds
the team with the most creative name and stylish fundraising page
the team that sees the most bird species on Global Big Day
the “country/island team” that sees the highest proportion of their birds on Global Big Day (to control for differences in the number of species on each island!)
the team with the best “find” of the day (unusual, rare, plumage aberration, etc.)
the team with the best bird photo of the day (must be posted on eBird along with your list)
And others, TBD!

Safety

While COVID is decreasing in many islands and more and more people are getting vaccinated, it’s still important to be cautious. Be sure to choose birding locations that (1) comply with your municipality’s COVID-19 safety guidelines (i.e. social distancing, wearing a mask, and travel guidelines), and (2) comply with your personal safety preferences. And so whether you will be birding at local parks, reserves, wetlands, beaches, neighborhood or backyard, we will all be enjoying the opportunity to distract ourselves with some safe, fun birdwatching. Additionally, we will all be birdwatching “together” for a great cause that unites us!

*Note: Since our Cuban colleagues, very sadly, are unable to attend the conference this June because it’s in the U.S., any money the Cuban team raises will go towards installing Motus stations in Cuba – plans are in the works for this!

Scaly-naped Pigeon in St. Lucia (Jerome Foster)

Part of a group of Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers resting on Trinidad’s west coast during spring migration. (Photo by Jerome Foster)

Youth spotting birds for Global Big Day, Puerto Rico.

Greater Yellowlegs (Niels Larsen)

Red-billed Streamertail (Claude Fletcher)

Red-billed Streamertail – endemic in Jamaica. (Photo by Claude Fletcher)

Maria Paulino (gray shirt) leading a group of urban birders in Santo Domino, Dominican Republic on Global Big Day, 2021.

A yellow warbler on a small island in the Portland Bight Protected Area, Jamaica. (Photo: Robin Moore)

Birding Tours of Cuba in 2023 with BirdsCaribbean

April 13, 2022

Reflections on Death, Growth and Renewal after Dorian: Remembering Erika Gates, Birding on Grand Bahama

April 11, 2022

Counting Birds: An Unassuming Job that Requires Training, Skill, and a Great Deal of Field Knowledge

April 10, 2022

Resilience and Hope: One Year After the La Soufrière Volcanic Eruptions on St. Vincent

April 6, 2022

JCO launches its 35th volume with new weblink feature

April 4, 2022

From the Classroom to the Forest: Non-stop Learning at BirdsCaribbean’s 2022 Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop in the Dominican Republic

March 31, 2022

Art, Science, and Conservation Come Together for AOS-BC Conference T-shirt

Adelaide's Warbler Illustration by Arnaldo Toledo. — Adelaide’s Warbler Illustration by Arnaldo Toledo.

We’re thrilled to announce that the T-shirt designs for our upcoming AOS & BC Conference are complete – and they are gorgeous! The endemic birds of Puerto Rico, the location for this year’s conference, are the stars of the design, elegantly presented on the front and back of the garment.

The idea to create this T-shirt was conceptualized by Gabriel Lugo, past president of the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc. (SOPI) and Tour Guide for Wildside Nature Tours. In partnership with renowned Cuban artist and friend of BirdsCaribbean, Arnaldo Toledo, the pair created this timeless piece that will undoubtedly be a source of pride for all Puerto Ricans and friends of Puerto Rico.

BirdsCaribbean Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Sorenson, highlighted the excellence of the artistic piece and expressed gratitude and excitement that these designs will be launched at the AOS-BC Conference in Puerto Rico.

“We are extremely honored to be debuting this wearable piece of art as our official conference T-shirt. The love that was poured into this project by Arnaldo and Gabriel is apparent. Arnaldo really captured the essence of Puerto Rico’s endemic birds with intricate details and special care taken to display each bird in a life-like, vibrant manner. We are certain these T-shirts will be a success at the conference, and beyond, to raise awareness about Puerto Rico’s 17 endemic birds and the importance of conserving these unique island treasures.”

Sorenson added, “We are very grateful also to Kevin Loughlin of Wildside Nature Tours for supporting this T-shirt. Wildside Nature Tours is a sponsoring partner of our Caribbean Birding Trail Project. When Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated multiple Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico, in 2017, Kevin jumped into action and raised funds to support our Hurricane Recovery Project, and included a generous match from his company.”

Endemic birds of Puerto Rico design for 2022 AOS-BC Conference T-shirt. The bird art on the back is a draft, still in progress; Arnaldo is working hard to complete it!

Behind the Design

We sat down with Gabriel Lugo to learn more about his passion for birds, conservation, and art – and how he used all three to honor his homeland.

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you become interested in birds?

Birds have always interested me. I’ve liked being in nature since I was a little kid, but it was when I worked with SOPI that I really got involved in birding and bird conservation. I visited one of the properties that the company managed to do some scouting for a Christmas bird count and that experience really piqued my interest. A short time after this I began birding – trying to identify my backyard birds – and the rest is history.

What inspired you to embark on this project?

When I was a kid, I enjoyed painting and drawing. Not necessarily birds, and not necessarily anything about nature, but I liked art. It’s something that always attracted me. I admire the artists that paint these beautiful birds and I try to support them and their work.

I also studied graphic arts and did screen printing because art is something that is in me. I knew that, at some point, I wanted to do a project that combined the things that I liked: birds and art.

Looking for a way to help SOPI, which I am still involved with – having worked with the organization for 12 years – we noticed that T-shirts are an item that sells well, so I decided to go for it! With the economic support of Wildside Nature Tours, I got in contact with Arnaldo and jumped into the project.

Sketch of the Puerto Rican Tody by Arnaldo Toledo. — Phase 1: Sketches of the Puerto Rican Tody begin the design by Arnaldo Toledo.

Arnaldo works on the painting of the Puerto Rican Tody from his initial sketches. — Phase 2: Painting begins with inspiration from the initial sketches.

Arnaldo Toledo paints the finishing touches on the Puerto Rican Tody. — Phase 3: Finishing touches are added to the bird and its surroundings.

How did you collaborate with Arnaldo to bring the vision to reality?

The process with Arnaldo was easy. When you are working on a project that you love, altogether, it seems easy. I got in contact with Arnaldo and I explained to him the basics of what I wanted – something that he probably did many times with clients and with other T-shirt projects.

I shared my ideas for the design. I wanted to use his scientific illustrations of birds in the most realistic way possible without it seeming like photos. I wanted the artistic representations to combine art, song, and creativity on the T-shirt. Once I shared my vision with him, Arnaldo made the sketch and that was the only one we needed. Right away, he got my idea and we started working from there.

Did you encounter any challenges?

At the beginning, we were creating this T-shirt design for SOPI, to feature our endemic birds, so there was no hurry.

We were then asked by BirdsCaribbean if we could use the artwork for the NAOC (North American Ornithological Conference) scheduled for August 2020 in Puerto Rico. Once we learned of plans for the conference, we began to work towards completion with a set date in mind. We did encounter some difficulties, however. The in-person NAOC was canceled, due to the pandemic, and then Arnaldo suffered an unfortunate accident. We put a pause on the project to give him time to properly heal and he recovered well, which was the most important thing.

The organization of this year’s AOS-BC Conference, and a new working deadline, got us back on our path towards completion. I spoke with Arnaldo and he agreed that it was time to put the paint on the paper and start drawing.

I began working with friends to source photos of birds that we can use as references for the artwork, because there are some features on the birds that we needed specific poses – like the beak, the wings, and some feathers. That’s probably the hardest part from my side, to get the specifics that Arnaldo would need to complete the painting.

What do you hope to achieve with these wearable pieces of art?

Everything that I do relating to birds, aside from my guiding tours, is for educational purposes. I’ve been taking photos of birds for about 10 years now and I don’t use my photography as a way to earn money, it is for education.

The idea is to create something that would last for many years. I saw the potential of the T-shirt because I’ve designed simple T-shirts in the past and people loved them.

This vision of the “Endemic Birds of Puerto Rico T-shirt” has come to life now and I know it’s going to be a big success – not just at the conference, but in the years to come. In addition to local support, I already have clients, participants in my past tours, that have requested four or five orders and I had to let them know that the T-shirts are not yet available. People love it and this is what I was hoping to achieve.

I just want to share our birds – in my business, with participants, but also locally to teach about the birds. The T-shirt is a piece of art, a talking point. This is already happening, so hopefully when people begin wearing it this will happen even more. What you see on the website and in the photos is the near-complete version. We are going to have different colors that will showcase the designs, it is going to be beautiful.

Puerto Rican Parrot Illustration in progress.

Adding details on an illustration of the Puerto Rican Parrot. — Adding details, Puerto Rican Parrot.

Tell us about your partnership with BirdsCaribbean to raise awareness on bird conservation through Wildside Nature Tours.

This project was made possible because of Wildside Nature Tours owner, Kevin Loughlin. Kevin is often recognized as one of the most generous persons in bird conservation and, in my opinion, he really is. Whatever I need, especially if there is a hurricane, he is always ready to help and provide economic support for conservation and education.

I help with bird conservation in the best way that I know how – by birding and showing others. I don’t consider myself to be the best communicator or the best speaker but this is my way to help SOPI and BirdsCaribbean, through my tours, to raise awareness about bird conservation and habitat preservation.

What are your plans for the future?

A pretty obvious next step, as we have all the illustrations, is to make individual species shirts – especially with the most popular birds, like the Puerto Rican Woodpecker, the Puerto Rican Tody, and the Puerto Rican Parrot.

I plan to work on another T-shirt and a poster as well. It is going to be a really good one, so I don’t want to give away too much information just yet, but everyone will love it.

How can interested persons contact you?

For now, the T-shirts will be made available for the AOS-BC Conference, and can be purchased through BirdsCaribbean’s website (link coming soon) or in person at the conference in Puerto Rico.

Outside of the Conference, the T-shirts will be available on the SOPI website: sopipr.org. As I mentioned before, the whole idea behind the project is to help SOPI with their conservation efforts. Interested persons can also reach me on the SOPI website or through the Wildside Nature Tours website: wildsidenaturetours.com.

Artist’s Statement

Arnaldo Toledo also shared with us his vision and process for creating this artwork:

“The artwork features the endemic birds of Puerto Rico in an artistic design for a T-shirt. It was conceived to be part of two compositions, one that includes eight of these birds on the front and another including nine birds on the back, creating in this way a more dynamic and attractive art design. The birds are the main subjects and protagonists of this artwork. Each bird is made as an individual high-quality watercolor illustration.

First, I carefully researched each species and made an extensive study of reference material. This was essential in order for me to render each individual in a way that shows the beauty and life of the bird, as well as precisely draw and paint its field marks and diagnostic details. The pose and attitude of each bird is drawn to set the flow and balance of the composition, while at the same time showing all the splendor of these Puerto Rico endemics.”

Arnaldo is a Cuban Scientific Illustrator, Wildlife Artist, and Photographer. He is renowned for his artwork on both plants and animals. In 2019, he created the magnificent art for the World Migratory Bird Day poster with theme: Protect Birds—Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution. The poster is available for sale at Environment for the Americas’ website. Arnaldo was also the grand prize winner of our first-ever Zine Competition for our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival in 2021 for his amazing zine on the Fernandina’s Flicker – see his winning zine here.

Pre Orders

All of the proceeds from T-shirt sales for the AOS-BC Conference will go towards funding travel scholarships for Caribbean nationals to attend the conference. If you would like to pre-order T-shirts before the conference, stay tuned, we will be sharing a link to do so soon!

Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Gabriel Lugo for conceiving this T-shirt design and sharing the artwork with us for our upcoming AOS & BC Conference, and to Arnaldo Toledo for once again allowing us to be the beneficiaries of his wonderful artistic talent and hard work. We also thank Kevin Loughlin, owner of Wildside Nature Tours, for his support of this project and BirdsCaribbean through his company’s partnership with us. If you are interested in a birding tour in the Caribbean or beyond, we encourage you to visit Wildside’s website – they offer outstanding tours to many different countries. If you are coming to the AOS-BC Conference in Puerto Rico, we strongly recommend you to sign up for Gabriel’s pre- or post-conference tours of Puerto Rican endemics! Information will be soon be available on the AOS-BC Conference website.

March 28, 2022

Into the Wild with the EAG: A Virtual Field Trip Experience

We’re delighted to share an exciting new education project, “Into the Wild with the EAG.” This program, which includes engaging short videos and an activity booklet for students, was developed by our partner, the Environmental Awareness Group in Antigua and Barbuda. Learn all about it from Program Coordinator Shanna Challenger and find out how you can access and enjoy these creative learning materials.

After 20 years of successfully delivering a ‘Floating Classroom’ educational experience to students in Antigua – encouraging offshore classroom excursions – the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) was forced to adapt to the ‘new normal’ brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic and expand its environmental conservation programme to the virtual space.

In partnership with the Sandals Foundation, the organization launched “Into the Wild with the EAG“: a virtual field-trip journey into Antigua and Barbuda’s exceptional ecosystems. The exciting three-part video series seeks to teach children about the value of their environment, with specific focus on the ecosystems within the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA).

Grade 4 students at Pares Primary School, Antigua, take a photo with their new Into The Wild Booklets. (Photo by Johnella Bradshaw)

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ‘Floating Classroom’ initiative took thousands of primary school students and teachers on field trips to the offshore islands and mangrove wetlands. These trips provided first-hand experiences to young impressionable minds about the importance of local ecosystems, the wildlife that live there, and the threats that endanger them. However, since 2020, restrictions on gatherings halted activities and caused the EAG to re-imagine what these field trips would look like in a pandemic world. The team opted to give Antiguan and Barbudan children year-round access to the wonders of their local environment through a carefully curated sequence of environmental videos shot and edited by CHASO Media.

“Working with wildlife was vastly different from what I’m used to, as pre-pandemic we focused on fetes and other Carnival events. Nature doesn’t strike a pose and wait on you. My team learned that you have to be prepared at any moment to snap a photo or press record. I definitely have a greater appreciation for the work the EAG does to prevent the extinction of the Antiguan Racer,” said videographer Chas Clarke when asked about his journey into environmental filmmaking.

The series, now available on the Environmental Awareness Group Antigua’s YouTube channel, features three episodes:

Each episode takes place in a unique ecosystem and introduces the audience to the importance of the wildlife and habitats found there, existing threats, and how individuals can make a difference.

Accompanying the videos are a Student Activity Booklet and Teacher’s Resource Guide developed by EAG staff and reviewed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Creative Industries.

“The [Into the Wild] books and supporting videos are based very closely on our national curriculum and provide a close-up look at aspects of our environment that might be difficult to find elsewhere. They help to contextualize science by personalizing the content, and the intangible benefits of this approach should not be understated,” said W. Anthony Spencer, Science Coordinator, Ministry of Education, Science and Creative Industries.

When asked how the Ministry foresees the series assisting teachers in preparing students for the world, Spencer added:

“One of the first things we hope to accomplish is a realization that each person can make a difference. It is hoped that students will be motivated to translate their knowledge into actions and lifelong commitments to learn more about the environment and contribute to its care.”

The Into the Wild booklets were designed by local graphic artist Patrick “Stooge” Joseph of Stooge Co., who captured the feel of the videos through his art and was able to bring our cheery cartoon guide through the series, Acer the Antiguan Racer, to life.

“I especially enjoyed capturing the emotions of the snake through his movements; it was definitely a learning experience that required me to really pay close attention to details and stay true to its harmless nature,” said Joseph.

Cover page of the Into the Wild Student Activity Booklet.

The Antiguan Racer, protagonist of the Into The Wild booklet.

Having locally relevant visuals, wildlife features, and educational messaging wasn’t the only priority for the EAG, as the team made sure videos were catchy and keeping true to Antigua’s cultural roots musically. As such, the ‘Into the Wild’ jingle gives the videos an unmistakably local sound that is accredited to local calypsonian Ge’Eve Philip and renowned deejay, Blashford “DJ Quest” Wilkins, with support from musical legend, Toriano “Onyan” Edwards.

When asked about the unique sound of the jingle as producer, Quest mentioned his inclusion of percussion and drums, that are unique to this part of the world, to give it its West Indian flair:

“Although this is an EAG project, I wanted to maintain that unique Caribbean feel since these videos have the potential to be seen not just in Antigua but throughout the Caribbean, and even the world.”

This virtual spin on the EAG’s Floating Classroom was made possible through funding provided by the Sandals Foundation, who have supported the EAG for years.

“The Sandals Foundation has been a key partner in environmental education, empowering children to be active stewards for its protection and conservation. By providing funding towards the development of the virtual Floating Classroom experience, educational resources, and videos, we are helping the EAG use the tools at their fingertips to meet children where they are, bringing the wonders of the wild into the consciousness of our young ones. Together, we will help the next generation develop an appreciation for the interconnectivity of their actions and the preservation of the precious natural resources that make Antigua and Barbuda so unique,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director, Sandals Foundation.

A student at St Michael's School, Antigua, learns about mangroves in the Into The Wild Student Activity Booklet. — A student at St Michael’s School, Antigua, learns about mangroves. (Photo by Johnella Bradshaw)

Into the Wild with the EAG promotes the Offshore Islands Conservation Programme (OICP)’s vision which anticipates: Adaptively managed, flourishing offshore island ecosystems where wildlife thrives, people are meaningfully engaged, and sustainable use is valued and practiced for the benefit of all.

“We believe that environmental consciousness is a quality that can never be sacrificed, and these videos have not only given us a way to pay homage to that belief, but to ensure that local talents are displayed plainly and loudly for the world to see in our efforts,” said EAG’s OICP Coordinator, Shanna Challenger.

She continued: “Seeing the joy on students’ faces when we delivered the booklets and how grateful teachers were to have materials that highlighted wildlife found right here in Antigua and Barbuda has been truly invaluable.”

To date, the EAG has been able to share this timely educational package with over 1200 students and 78 teachers from across Antigua and Barbuda.

Students at the New Winthorpes Primary School show off their new Into The Wild Booklets. — Students at the New Winthorpes Primary School, Antigua, show off their Into The Wild Booklets. (Photo by Johnella Bradshaw)

The EAG hopes that all members of the public, students, teachers, and parents alike, are able to learn something new about Antigua and Barbuda’s outstanding local ecosystems through the Into The Wild videos and looks forward to developing more videos and supporting resources for other critical ecosystems.

Into the Wild with the EAG would not be possible without the support of: the Sandals Foundation, the Global Environment Facility, BirdsCaribbean, Disney Conservation Fund, and Antigua Nature Tours.

If you would like become a member of the EAG or support their work with a donation, please click here.

March 15, 2022

Join us for the 2022 Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival!

March 2, 2022

10 Tips Every New Birder Should Know

Want to go birding? Here are 10 tips to get you started!

Junior Prosper and son out birding, Antigua and Barbuda. (Photo by Shanna Challenger)

Stop, Look and Listen. Birds are everywhere – you don’t need to know anything about birds to get enjoyment from watching them – in your garden, at the beach, on your way to work – providing attraction and pleasure for us all. Your eyes and ears are all you need to start watching birds. Start looking at bird shapes, sizes, colors, posture, and where they live (habitat). Are they small like a bananaquit or large like a hawk? Is the tail long and pointed or short and forked? Are they all one color or multi-color? Are they feeding on the ground or high in trees? Do they hang in groups or solo? Take a cup of coffee out to your porch in the morning and listen to their calls and songs – you’ll soon start to notice differences between species. Do they sing with a pleasant song or with a constant trill? You’ll start to find patterns and learn to recognize your local neighborhood birds!

Zoom In. If you decide to get more serious about birding, find a pair of binoculars to take a closer look – any old binoculars will do to start. If you’re looking to buy binoculars, we recommend 7 x 35 or 8 x 42. Vortex, Nikon, Bushnell, and Celestron all have some great options for beginner birders. No binoculars? Try a camera to take photos – even a phone camera can take a good bird photo. Use your binoculars or camera to really look at the detail of the bird. Is the bill small and fine like a warbler’s or short and stout like a seed-cracking grassquit? Does the bird have distinctive patches or patterns of color that stand out, called field marks, or is it more plain? Are the legs black, yellow, green or pink? Does it fly with regular wingbeats, hover, or soar?

Youth birding with Damion White and Ricardo Miller, Botanical Gardens, Jamaica.

Read Up. Try and get hold of a bird field guide for your region or island – Birds of the West Indies is an excellent one for the Caribbean. Spend some time getting familiar with the layout of the book. Many books will have checklists and distribution maps of birds you might expect to find in your area. Look at the pictures, and read the species description as it’ll tell you what distinguishing features to look for. You’ll also find it useful to read the habitat description to compare with where you saw the bird. Check out the vocalization descriptions too – you can also find many audio recordings of bird calls online. If you want a mobile version, download the Merlin app and the bird pack for your region. Merlin comes equipped with range maps, photos, description, and audio calls all in the convenience of your phone!

Find your Flock! If you’re getting hooked, it’s now time to find a local birding group. Meeting more experienced birders will help you learn to identify species that might be difficult to distinguish. All bird species are different from each other in some way, but some are so similar they can take years to become expert at identifying. You might even sign up for the “rare bird alerts” on eBird so you can know when unusual species have been found in your area!

Group photo of birders — Wadadli Warblers Bird Club in Antigua out on a Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) survey. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)

Make your Yard Bird-friendly. Provide some bushes and trees for cover and plant native plants that have flowers, fruit, and/or seeds that birds can eat. A free ebook, Heritage Plants, features 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, features Caribbean bird, plant and habitat restoration experts.

Bring the Birds to You! It’s easy to make your yard a bird haven. Purchase an inexpensive bird feeder, or better yet make one from materials you have laying around your house! Here’s a helpful video to get you started. Nectar feeders are also a great way to attract hummingbirds, Bananaquits, and even warblers. Providing water can be as simple as putting out a clay pot dish or plastic roller paint pan. Fill it with fresh water every day and you will soon have avian visitors coming for a drink or a bath.

Prairie Warbler stands on the edge of a paint roller pan filled with water. “Looks a little bit too deep at this end”. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)

Talk the Talk. Learn the lingo of experienced birders, like Lifer (a bird species that you’ve seen for the first time); Twitcher (a birder obsessed with keeping a life list and going to great efforts to add to it), Dipping (missing out on the bird you specifically went looking for); Pishing (making a sound, pishhhh pishhhh, with your lips to get songbirds to come out or come closer); Peeps (a term used to refer to small, almost identical-looking sandpipers); LBJs (little brown jobs – a blanket term for drab songbirds that are difficult to distinguish); Patch (a local area frequented by birders); Spark Bird (the species of bird that sparked a life-long passion for birding); Vagrant (a bird straying well outside of its usual range); or Skulker (a cryptic, notoriously difficult bird to see).

Take Notes. Get a small notebook to record your observations. Taking notes on date, location, weather conditions, and detailed information on the birds seen will improve your powers of observation and memory and help you remember each birding session or trip accurately. You should describe in detail the field marks of any unidentified birds and later look through your field guides. With good notes, there is a strong chance you will be able to identify the bird later. Keep track of what you are seeing, i.e., your checklists, and at the same time contribute to science with a powerful app called eBird. (If you’re in the Caribbean, use eBird Caribbean). eBird is an invaluable tool for birders, storing all your sightings, so you know when a bird is a new lifer. You can also explore species range maps and learn about the best birding spots, called hotspots, near you. That’s it! You’re on your way to becoming a birder and a citizen scientist!

Making a bird list during CWC — Coral Aviles listing the birds in the CWC list on eBird, Blassina Canal Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)

Respect. Birding should be a fun experience for everyone. Make sure that you’re respecting the space of the birds. While it can be tempting to get that NatGeo shot, make sure you’re not upsetting a nesting bird that is already expending a lot of energy breeding and maintaining a territory. And respect extends out to your fellow birders. Your neighbor might have the perfect vagrant patch, but make sure you always ask permission before birding someone’s property. This extends to National Parks too, those visitor fees help keep the park a safe space for birds and birders alike! Don’t skimp out on park fees and make sure you take all your trash back out with you.

Practice, Practice, Practice . . . and Have Fun! Like anything else in life, to become a really good birder takes practice, in other words, lots of time in the field observing, listening, and studying your field guide. Before you know it, you’ll be identifying those LBJs and Peeps! Whatever level you’re at, the most important thing is to get out there and enjoy seeing some birds!

Birding fun in Cayo Coco, Cuba (Photo by Garry Donaldson)

Resources

Some of BirdsCaribbean’s flagship programs can help you or your kids to get involved in bird watching. Check out our BirdSleuth and Caribbean Waterbird Census programs to find out more. Wondering where to go? Check out the Caribbean Birding Trail.

Bird Silhouettes Poster, BirdSleuth Caribbean

Bird Body Part Diagram, Black-throated Green Warbler.

Support Bird Conservation

If you’d like to get more involved in the protection and preservation of Caribbean birds, consider joining the BirdsCaribbean community! You can support our work in a number of ways: volunteering, bird monitoring, and becoming a member. Membership has many benefits, including discounts on annual conferences and events; and a free annual subscription to Birds of the World, the most comprehensive database of ALL the world’s bird species (a $49 value).

Sign up for our monthly newsletter, to stay informed on BirdsCaribbean news and activities near you, and follow us on social media @BirdsCaribbean!

Grandmom and grandson enjoy birding in Puerto Rico. — Grandmom enjoys birding with grandson in Puerto Rico.

Useful Links

Check out these Bird ID webinars and short videos on BirdsCaribbean’s YouTube channel:

Additional links to help you get better at birding:

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February 26, 2022

Championing Caribbean Birds: The Life and Legacy of Robert L. Norton

Photo of Dr. Robert L. Norton outdoors in nature. — Happy times with Rob, out in nature.

The BirdsCaribbean community mourns the loss of a friend, colleague and mentor – Dr. Robert Leslie Norton, affectionately known as ‘Rob’. A true champion for Caribbean birds, Rob was at the forefront of several regional initiatives to study, monitor and advocate for the preservation of birds and their habitats – including the creation of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, now BirdsCaribbean.

We extend deepest condolences to his wife, Sheryl, his family, and his many colleagues, friends and students across the globe.

Rob’s career, spanning five decades and several countries, always centered on a common goal – environmental research and education, specifically the conservation of birds – his true north.

Rob was born in Australia, during wartime, in June of 1945, to Shirley J. Nicholls Norton and Army 1st Lt. Robert L. Norton. The family arrived in the United States in 1946, and from 1948 to 1951 called Officer’s Quarters #57 at Ft. Williams in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, home. Here, Rob lived with his mom and dad; brothers, Philip and Scott; and little sister, Tery.

As a child, growing up in Cape Elizabeth, Rob would often explore the countryside near Sunset Park and in Scarborough. He developed a fascination with nature and birdwatching, which would lead to the creation of his first “Science and Nature Club” – with a handful of neighborhood boys as members.

After graduating in 1964, he successfully pursued a degree in geography at the Central Connecticut State College (CCSC) and, while there, enlisted into the Air Force. Rob’s affinity for physical science saw him undertake weather observations with the Air force for the next five years in Massachusetts. It was here that his passion for birdwatching grew to new heights.

Robert Norton and team at the Christmas Bird Count in Grand Bahama, 2011. — Rob and team at the Christmas Bird Count in Grand Bahama, 2011.

Rob worked part time at the University of Connecticut, with the Connecticut State Climate Center, researching past weather events. He enrolled in biology classes while working there and ornithology was a part of his studies. His interests eventually led him to an internship at Manomet Bird Observatory, near Cape Cod. These experiences laid the groundwork for Rob’s destined path towards environmental research and impact studies.

An invitation from a University of Connecticut friend to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) would prove to be life changing for Rob. Enthralled by the rich flora and fauna of the tropical island, Rob would make it his home for the better part of the next decade. Here, he worked as a seabird researcher for the USVI government for seven years; met the love of his life and wife-to-be, Sheryl; and adopted his beautiful and talented daughter, Whitney. During his time in St. John, USVI, Rob was also part owner of a small newspaper, “Tradewinds”; and he was hired as the second director of the British Virgin Island’s National Parks Trust (a non-profit, protecting natural and cultural heritage). His time in the USVI, and his visits to the surrounding islands, cemented an everlasting connection to the people and the culture in this remarkable part of the world.

Rob would return to the U.S. in 1990 to be closer to his mother Shirley. Always learning, he enrolled at Goddard College and earned an MA in biogeography, then to Columbia Pacific University for his PhD in environmental science.

In April of 1991, Rob and Sheryl married, settled in Gainesville and added “his handsome boy”, Alex, to the family. In 1992, Rob spent the year with the Smithsonian’s Natural History and Ornithology Department in Washington, D.C. Next he moved to Gainesville, Florida, where he taught science courses at Santa Fe College and worked with Alachua County government as an environmental specialist and planner until his retirement in 2008.

When most people would be taking things a little easier in retirement, Rob decided to train and compete in the World Senior Track and Field Games in Australia – a nod to his track and field and Key Club days at South Portland High School, which he enjoyed tremendously. Shortly after this, Rob overcame another challenge – wrestling and beating cancer. He persevered and continued his birding adventures with his family and friends, even renewing his and Sheryl’s wedding vows with a pelagic birding cruise on The Wanderbird out of Belfast, Maine.

Rest in peace, dear Rob. Your kind-hearted spirit, dedication and contributions to the shared knowledge of Caribbean birds will forever remain in our hearts and fuel our efforts to continue protecting birds and their habitats.

Erika Gates, Robert Norton, Shamie Rolle, Bruce Hallett, Bruce Purdy and Woody Bracey at the Christmas Bird Count in Grand Bahama, 2011. — Rob Norton, Shamie Rolle, Erika Gates, Bruce Hallett, Bruce Purdy and Woody Bracey at the Christmas Bird Count, 2011.

Biography

Dr. Robert L. Norton (Rob) was a prominent ornithologist and natural history guide throughout the Caribbean. He had vast knowledge of the region’s birds and the threats they face and was a generous mentor to many young people.

Rob was the originator and co-editor of the West Indies regional report in American Birds, Field Notes, and North American Birds (American Birding Association) since 1980. He contributed to many publications and will be particularly remembered for An Inventory of Breeding Seabirds of the Caribbean (2009) which he co-edited with Patricia Bradley. He initiated multiple Christmas Bird Counts in western Cuba and thoroughly enjoyed his time with Holbrook Travel as a Road Scholar’s guide.

Rob was among the founding members of BirdsCaribbean (then called the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds) and delighted in attending the organization’s conferences and assisting with various conservation projects, especially those encouraging capacity building for bird research, monitoring and education of youth and local communities.

Dr. Lisa Sorenson, BirdsCaribbean Executive Director, reflected on Rob’s impact on the organization over the years through his passion and genuine desire to share, educate and mentor.

“Rob cared passionately about the region’s birds and was concerned about threats to their long-term survival. He worked hard and volunteered his time to educate the public and mentor our members – helping to build the capacity of the region’s biologists,” Lisa shared. “I will always remember Rob as a kind, generous, and gentle soul, always engaged and willing to lend a hand to whomever needed help. I just wish we had more time with Rob, but we will treasure the memories that we have, and always be inspired by his commitment and hard work to understand and protect the Caribbean’s invaluable birds.”

If you would like to make a donation in Rob’s memory, Rob’s wife Sheryl has asked that donations be made to BirdsCaribbean at this link: http://bit.ly/GiftForCaribbeanBirds

Sheryl asks that you designate this donation for, “Reducing bird trapping and killing,” to help us in our work to safeguard birds from illegal trafficking – a cause that was dear to Rob’s heart.

Learn more about this issue here.

Donations by check can be sent to: BirdsCaribbean
Check memo: In Rob Norton’s memory.
Address: BirdsCaribbean
841 Worcester St. #130
Natick, MA 01760

Tributes

Rob was well respected by a large network of friends and colleagues, many of whom wished to provide their own memories. These recollections paint a picture of an individual who cared deeply about the environment and its bird life and his encouragement for others in their endeavours.

Andrew Dobson:

Rob had been single-handedly producing seasonal bird reports for the West Indies in North American Birds for over 20 years when the late Tony White and I were invited to become co-editors. This was 2002 and we expanded the coverage to include Bermuda. What a privilege it was to be part of the team with Rob as such a knowledgeable captain. I look back on the hundreds of emails we exchanged and the professionalism he demonstrated. He was responsible for making sure regional bird records over the past 40 years were documented. What a great legacy. I will miss his sage advice but above all, his friendship.

Natasha Atkins:

Back in 1975, when I was an intern at the then Manomet Bird Observatory, I took a canoe trip with Rob and another Manomet friend of his out to Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, off Chatham on Cape Cod. It was a pretty long trip, 3 or 4 miles, and the guys did all the paddling. We spent the day watching shorebirds/waders, and as we headed back to the canoe for the return trip, a gull dropped a hot dog right in front of us, which was hilarious. By the time we got back in the boat, the wind had picked up pretty strongly, and we were already riding about 4 inches above the surface with two big guys and me in the canoe. It was a bit of a hair-raising trip back, but Frank’s and Rob’s good humor kept me from getting too panicky. It’s the only time I spent with Rob, but 45 years later it’s still a wonderful memory.

Patricia E. Bradley:

I send my condolences to Sheryl and Rob’s family and join his many friends lamenting the loss of this wonderful, dedicated and courageous man. We go back to the early 1980s when I began sending records from the Cayman Islands and we began a friendship, extended at our first meeting in Jamaica in 1985, that continued. Our last meeting was when Rob and Sheryl visited Grand Cayman and I took him to see our Vitelline Warbler. The Inventory of Caribbean Seabirds published in 2009 was our response to the increasing threats and population declines throughout the region and it leant on the work of Schreiber and Lee 2000 and van Halewyn and Norton 1984. It was a challenge to find and persuade seabird specialists to produce a chapter on their Caribbean island and share their inventory. It was also great fun as we worked with English, Dutch, French and Spanish authors for what seemed like years, and using Rob’s exhaustive understanding of the regions’ birds. The GIS analysis and maps by William Mackin were an essential part of the publication. It was also a time when Rob was dealing with cancer surgery and my husband was in the final stage of cancer and so the project kept us focused.

Jaime Collazo:

I met Rob when he worked at the Division of Fish & Wildlife, USVI. He provided much needed support for my research at that time, and during the mid-80s, we advocated for conservation of avifauna in the US Caribbean in various forums. I always appreciated Rob’s “never give up” attitude. He will be missed! My condolences to his family.

Natalia Collier:

Robert was a mentor to Adam and me as we began working in the Caribbean, providing helpful advice and perspective. He was always ready to answer questions thoughtfully and kindly. His 2009 inventory is dog-eared and worn after countless references as we worked on the Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles and other seabird-related manuscripts. I’m sure there are many others who were also influenced by his research and generous nature and his legacy will carry on in his work and those he helped along their paths. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Daphne Gemmill:

I only met Rob once or twice many years ago. However, we corresponded frequently regarding Vieques and Puerto Rican birds. His input was invaluable. He was on my unofficial Vieques rare birds committee. He will be missed.

Scott Johnson:

My fondest memory of Robert Norton was in 2017, when I was working at the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and participated in the “Expedition Parks242” field trip on Andros. I was taking some of the participants birding, in North/central Andros. Robert, an avid birder and researcher, was interested in seeing a Bahama Oriole, one of our endemic birds and a critically endangered species. We visited a few locations with no luck. I honestly thought my skills as a birder and guide were going to be dashed in the Andros pinelands as we visited more locations and still did not find the bird. Finally, I took him and Vivian Moultrie, an Inagua Bird guide and one of the persons responsible for creating the motto on our Coat of Arms, to a place called “The Atala Forest”. This site was filled with Atala Hairstreaks, in the hundreds. As we walked through the forest, low and behold, a Bahama Oriole made an appearance, a lifer bird for Robert. Rest in Peace Robert. I wish I had spent more time talking with you and always appreciated your witty comments on my fb posts. You will be missed my friend.

Anthony Levesque:

I met Rob for the first time in 2011 in the Bahamas during a BirdsCaribbean meeting. He was with Andrew Dobson and Eddie Massiah and two years later I replaced Eddie to be part of the West Indies and Bermuda Team for North American Birds magazine with the encouragement and benevolence of Rob. For years and years, Rob was the number one birder in the Caribbean (with nearly 450 species) and when I passed him, he immediately sent me a message of congratulations. A great loss to the Caribbean birding community.

Fred Schaffner:

I have known Rob for over 37 years and was deeply saddened by his passing. We first shared some great adventures on a number of trips in a small motorboat travelling between Culebra, Red Hook, and Little Tobago in the early 1980’s to make observations of seabirds with my doctoral mentor Colin Pennycuick (deceased) and John Taylor (also deceased), resulting in a number of reports and a small publication on the expansion of Cayenne Terns on the Puerto Rico Bank. Rob was a wonderful, cheerful person, a great friend, fully dedicated to bird conservation, and a founding member of what now is Birds Caribbean. I will be forever grateful for having had his friendship and I mourn his loss.

Ann Sutton:

Please share my condolences for this sad loss to Caribbean ornithology. Rob was an inspiration to me; especially because of his contributions to our knowledge of Caribbean seabirds.

Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr:

I was saddened to hear of Rob’s passing, as he has made major contributions to our understanding of avian distribution and natural history in the Caribbean. Although his numerous contributions will live on, he will be missed by many. Pass on my sincerest sympathies and condolences to his family.

NOTE: If you have stories, memories, a tribute, and/or photos of Rob you would like to include in this tribute article, please send them to: Tahira Carter, BirdsCaribbean Communications Manager Tahira.Carter@BirdsCaribbean.org

February 25, 2022

Around the Islands – Your Highlights From the Caribbean Waterbird Census 2022

February 23, 2022

‘Build Your Own’: Birding Tours Redefined by Birding the Islands

January 29, 2022

Conservationists Pen Action Plan to Protect Extremely Elusive and Endangered Seabird

“Conserving the Diablotin” informed by a decade of exploration and research

The Endangered “Diablotin” or Black-capped Petrel in flight. (Photo by Kate Sutherland)

The Endangered Black-capped Petrel is a seabird so secretive that ten years ago, only one active nest had ever been located and monitored.

Despite this tremendous gap in knowledge, the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group created an action plan in 2012 to guide the conservation of this rare seabird. Now, after a decade of searches, studies, and management actions, producing tremendous advancements in our understanding of this species, partners have released a new guide to empower petrel conservationists. The recently released “Conserving the Diablotin: Black-capped Petrel Conservation Update and Action Plan” lays out nine strategies to enable conservation and address threats to the species and its habitat.

The Black-capped Petrel is the rarest nesting seabird in the Caribbean, with only an estimated 2,000 breeding pairs remaining worldwide. Conservationists have now located more than 100 nests on the island of Hispaniola, and found evidence of smaller populations possibly breeding on Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Cuba. Once common in the Caribbean, the species’ population was decimated over the past two centuries by overhunting, the introduction of mammalian predators, and the destruction of its forested nesting habitat. Predation and habitat loss continue to threaten the species; just this past season, a number of petrels were killed and nests lost due to predators and habitat destruction.

In the new Conservation Update and Action Plan, the authors identified the strategies and actions most likely to combat the threats of predation and habitat loss. Community engagement, already begun at some petrel sites, is key to habitat preservation. Other strategies, including continued searches for the petrel, capacity building of local conservation organizations, restoration approaches, and advocacy for the species when at sea, are in place or in planning. Preventing petrel extinction requires that all of these strategies be complementary and employed together.

“This new road map to the recovery of the Black-capped Petrel calls for a multi-organizational approach to implementation. Fortunately, efforts on behalf of the species thus far have been notable for a high level of cooperation and communication. It’s been very gratifying,” stated Jennifer Wheeler, lead author of the document.

The core team that authored “Conserving the Diablotin” come from a varied group of organizations, including BirdsCaribbean, Clemson University, Cornell University, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Grupo Jaragua, and American Bird Conservancy. The authors drew on the expertise of a long list of collaborators from around the world and applied lessons learned from a number of successful projects with related species facing similar conservation problems.

The release of “Conserving the Diablotin” is a milestone for the group of individuals and organizations working to protect and study the Black-capped Petrel for so many years. This work was made possible by the financial support of many donors, chief among them the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For more information on the Black-capped Petrel, please visit the below links:

Graphic showing the main organizations supporting the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group.

Contacts:

Jennifer Wheeler

BirdsCaribbean

jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org

1-703-424-5086

Our mission is to raise awareness, promote sound science, and empower local partners to build a region where people appreciate, conserve and benefit from thriving bird populations and ecosystems.

Adam Brown

Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC)

abrown@epicislands.org

1-707-845-1171

Protecting the Caribbean environment through research and community-based action.

Brad Keitt

American Bird Conservancy (ABC)

bkeitt@abcbirds.org

1-831-420-7115

Dedicated to achieving conservation results for birds of the Americas.

Ernst Rupp

Grupo Jaragua

ernst.rupp@grupojaragua.org.do

1-829-776-6510

Contribuir a la conservación de la biodiversidad de la isla La Española y los servicios ambientales que se deriven de ella, con la participación de las comunidades locales y apoyándose en la ciencia.

January 20, 2022

Making the Most of Covid-19 Isolation: Backyard Birding in Jamaica with Tips for Attracting and Photographing Birds

January 19, 2022

Join the Conservian Bahamas May 2022 Live-Aboard Schooner Expedition

Conservian is setting sail again this May for important shorebird and seabird conservation and research – join us! The mission is a continuation of on-the-ground protection and restoration measures at key shorebird and seabird sites in The Bahamas with support from Conservian, BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, and partners.

Volunteers Needed for Shorebird Habitat Conservation & Restoration!

We need your help to protect beach-nesting birds, nests and young. Conservian is seeking a weekly crew of 10 enthusiastic volunteers for our Bahamas Shorebird Habitat Conservation Program in May 2022 aboard our 75ft research schooner. Crews fly to The Bahamas each week to designated airports for shuttle transport to the schooner. All trips include bunk, onboard meals, drinks, and ground transportation associated with the project. A valid passport is required. Airfare and health travel insurance are not included. Trip cost is $1875 per person/week. Please go to Coastalbird.org for more info!

Greater Antillean Grackles enjoyingfountains Hope Gardens Jamaica

This is a wonderful opportunity to gain field experience and shorebird ID skills or simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience! In 2018, BirdsCaribbean’s own Jennifer Wheeler joined the trip. Read all about her amazing adventures here. And check out an article by Margo about one of the past expeditions.

Conservian, BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, and partners continue on-the-ground protective measures to limit human-caused disturbance and restore coastal habitats at key shorebird/seabird sites.

May 2022 Expedition Dates & Locations:

Choose one week or more! Each week includes 7 nights aboard the schooner.

Week 1: May 1-8 – Joulter Cays & S. Andros (Nassau Int Apt)

Week 2: May 8-15 – Exumas & Great Exuma (Nassau Int Apt/Exuma Int. Apt)

Week 3: May 15-22 – Cat Island & Eleuthera (Exuma Int. Apt/Nassau Int. Apt)

Long Island flats. (Photo by Margo Zdravkovic)

To join our conservation pirate crew please contact Margo Zdravkovic at MargoZ@Coastalbird.org Watch the short video below, and visit Coastalbird.org for more information on our 2022 expedition itinerary and Conservian’s coastal bird conservation work.

Expedition flyer (Click to open as a pdf).

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

January 18, 2022

JCO Roundup: Volume 34 Features New Research from Seven Islands

Volume 34 of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) presents a wide spread of original contributions, from methodical surveys of seabirds and landbirds, to the documentation of rarely seen behaviors, that all add to the knowledge of the Caribbean avifauna. Despite ongoing challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, our team of editors, reviewers, other JCO staff, and valued authors worked together to provide all these publications to the scientific and conservation communities around the Caribbean. Thank you all! Behind the scenes, Dr. Stefan Gleissberg has taken over the reins as JCO Managing Editor, learning the ropes from Justin Proctor, who continues to work on behalf of JCO as BirdsCaribbean’s Vice President. See below short summaries of the 12 regular articles reporting from 7 island territories. Free access to the journal’s entire content also includes 4 book reviews and the annual review of ornithological literature from the Caribbean by Dr. Steven Latta. Please take some time to enjoy all of Volume 34. If you enjoyed reading an article, please send the authors or the Managing Editor a quick email letting them know. — Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., JCO Editor-in-Chief | jmwunderle@gmail.com — Stefan Gleissberg, JCO Managing Editor | stefan.gleissberg@birdscaribbean.org

Map depicting research locations of the studies published in Volume 34.

RESEARCH ARTICLES AND NOTES

Status of seabirds, habitat, and invasive species in the Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve, Puerto Rico

Luis A. Ramos-Vázquez, Nahíra Arocho-Hernández, Cielo Figuerola-Hernández, José L. Herrera-Giraldo, and Jan P. Zegarra-Vila The Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve, an island chain just off the northeast coast of Puerto Rico, provides critical breeding habitat for seabirds in the Caribbean; however, little is known about the seabird populations, and the threats they face, on these islands. To address this, Ramos-Vásquez et al. conducted seabird surveys and an invasive animal detection assessment across the nature reserve, providing updated information that highlights the importance of the reserve for seabird colonies and the need for effective, well-planned invasive species management.

Broad-billed Tody (Todus subulatus) response to playback of vocalizations and non-vocal sounds

Vivan M. Lee, Alejandra Pérez, Olive Onyekwelu, Jordan M. Chan, Dominic E. Cannady-Lindner, Alexander A. Levitskiy, María Teresa Reinoso-Pérez, and André A. Dhondt Are Broad-billed Todies territorial during the non-breeding season? To answer this, Lee et al. conducted playback experiments in native scrub forest in the Dominican Republic to assess responses to three distinct Broad-billed Tody vocalizations. Todies responded more rapidly and intensely to song playbacks compared to other sounds, suggesting that they aggressively defend their habitats even during the non-breeding season.

Características de la migración otoñal de Seiurus aurocapilla (Aves: Parulidae) en el cabo de San Antonio, Cuba

Karina Velazco Pérez, Felix Noel Estrada Piñero, Hiram González Alonso, and Alina Pérez Hernández The Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is a common winter resident and one of the most abundant migratory species in the Cuban Archipelago; however, little is known about the species’ migration dynamics. In this study, Velazco Pérez et al. conducted mist-net surveys on the Guanahacabibes peninsula to establish a baseline for both the physiological and ecological characteristics of the Ovenbird’s autumnal arrival in Cuba.

Northern Parulas (Setophaga americana) mobbing a Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) depredating an adult Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)

Ted Gilliland It’s a bird-eat-bird world! Pearly-eyed Thrashers (Margarops fuscatus), known for their aggressive interspecific interactions, are suspected predators of other resident birds, including Bananaquits (Coereba flaveola). Northern Parulas (Setophaga americana) are neotropical migrants that regularly mob predators in defense and to gain information. In this research note, Gilliland documents a chance observation in Puerto Rico of Northern Parulas mobbing a Pearly-eyed Thrasher, a behavior with implications for social learning and future predator avoidance.

Habitat selection by the Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata stictipennis) on Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe: possible negative association with chlordecone pollution

Pascal Villard, Alain Ferchal, Philippe Feldmann, Claudie Pavis, and Christophe Bonenfant Organochlorine insecticides can have lasting and devastating effects on bird populations, by altering bird behaviour and reproductive success. Almost three decades after the cessation of its use in Guadeloupe, the organochlorine “chlordecone” persists in the soils and waterways of the island. The Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata) is one of the species likely affected by this persistent pollutant, and in this paper, Villard et al. explore the possible links between remnant chlordecone pollution and habitat selection by Ringed Kingfishers.

Morphological traits of four land bird species in Grenada

Alexandra Heathcote, Paulson Des Brisay, Christopher De Ruyck, Paula Grieef, and Nicola Koper How are birds on small, species-poor islands like Grenada different from their neighboring conspecifics? Lower species diversity on islands can lead to more generalist behaviour in birds, where these island populations live in more varied habitats and eat a more varied diet than elsewhere. This phenomenon is called “ecological release”. In this paper, Heathcote et al. explore the morphological effects of ecological release on four common Grenada bird species, comparing them to their neighbors throughout the Caribbean Basin and providing evidence that these Grenadian birds are perhaps even more different than we thought.

New host species records of a parasitic fly (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) in montane forests of Hispaniola

Pedro M. Alarcón-Elbal, Holly M. Garrod, Spencer C. Schubert, and Alonso Santos Murgas Louse flies (Hippoboscidae) are obligate parasites that often live on birds. The louse fly Ornithoctona erythrocephala has been documented with avian hosts of all sizes throughout the Caribbean, though it is previously unreported on tanagers (Thraupidae). In this research note, Alarcón-Elbal et al. describe the first record of this fly parasitizing the Black-faced Grassquit (Melanospiza bicolor) and Green Heron (Butorides virescens) in the Dominican Republic, an observation with implications for avian health and the direction of ornithological and entomological research in the region.

Introduced mammals threaten the Grenadines transboundary tropical seabird hotspot

Juliana Coffey and Natalia Collier The Grenadine islands are one of the remaining hotspots for breeding seabird populations in the Caribbean. There, as elsewhere, introduced mammals threaten the survival of seabirds through predation and habitat degradation. In this paper, Coffey and Collier present the most thorough inventory ever compiled of invasive mammals throughout the Grenadines, a critical first step to conservation planning for mammal eradication and habitat restoration.

Observation of intraspecific nest usurpation of the Yellow-shouldered Blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus) in southwestern Puerto Rico

Jean P. González-Crespo and Alberto R. Puente-Rolón Blackbirds (Icteridae) have been known to engage in some cutthroat nesting behaviours, such as brood parasitism (e.g., the infamous Shiny Cowbird [Molothrus bonariensis]) and nest piracy or usurpation. Nest usurpation involves stealing another individual’s nest for breeding, and the usurper will forcefully remove all obstacles in its way, including any unfledged nestlings. In this research note, González-Crespo and Puente-Rolón present the first record of nest usurpation by the Yellow-shouldered Blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus) in Puerto Rico, with implications for the reproductive success of this endemic and Endangered species.

Persistence of the Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri) and the Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus) in cave breeding refugia on Mona Island, Puerto Rico

Cielo E. Figuerola-Hernández, Rickard S. Toomey III, Patricia Kambesis, José L. Herrera-Giraldo, and Nick D. Holmes Invasive mammals pose a threat to seabird populations throughout the Caribbean, and Mona Island—off the coast of Puerto Rico—is no exception. The Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri) and the Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus) are two cave-breeding seabirds whose habitat is limited by the presence of rats, cats, and other invasive mammals. In this research note, Figuerola-Hernández et al. present evidence of breeding of these two species in caves on Mona Island, the first documented nests in over eight decades.

Abundance and density estimates of landbirds on Grenada

Eleanor S. Devenish-Nelson and Howard P. Nelson Resident landbirds are an ubiquitous yet unique part of the avifauna in the Caribbean, but they are relatively understudied. Several of these species are also endemic to the region, making the documentation and monitoring of their populations all the more important. On Grenada, there are approximately 36 resident landbird species, of which at least 25% are regionally endemic. In this paper, Devenish-Nelson and Nelson present abundance and density estimates for these species, from one of the first island-wide surveys since the 1980s.

First report of a Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) on Bermuda

Andrew le F. Dobson, Andrea Webb, Ingela Perrson, Richard Brewer, Luke Foster, and Miguel A. Mejías In this research note from Bermuda, Dobson et al. document a vagrant Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides), a western North American species discovered by local birders among Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis). The observation represents the first record of the species outside the continent.

BOOK REVIEWS

Birds of Cuba: A Photographic Guide

Book author: Arturo Kirkconnell, Patricia E. Bradley, and Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet Book review by: Steven C. Latta

The Birds of Cuba: An Annotated Checklist

Book author: Arturo Kirkconnell, Guy M. Kirwan, Orlando H. Garrido, Andy D. Mitchell, and James W. Wiley Book review by: Steven C. Latta

Looking for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in eastern Cuba

Book author: Alberto R. Estrada Book review by: Mark Michaels

The root of the Antilles: a history of the Todidae family

Book authors: José González Díaz and Felisa Collazo Torres Book review by: Thomas W. Sherry

RECENT ORNITHOLOGICAL LITERATURE (ROL) FROM THE CARIBBEAN

Recent ornithological literature from the Caribbean – 2021

Steven Latta The annual compilation of the most important articles that appeared elsewhere, annotated by Steve Latta. Article by: (1) Zoya Buckmire – Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology; (2) Joe Wunderle – Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (3) Justin Proctor – Vice President of BirdsCaribbean (4) Stefan Gleissberg – Managing and Production Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology relies on donations to keep all of our publications free and open-access. Support our non-profit mission and give a voice to Caribbean ornithologists and their work by becoming a supporter of JCO.

January 10, 2022

Remembering Erika Gates: A Birding Powerhouse in Grand Bahama and an Inspirational Friend of BirdsCaribbean

Category: In the News

BirdSleuth Goes Back to School: Training in St Croix Informs and Inspires

Inclusivity in Science: BirdsCaribbean Celebrates Black Birders Week 2022

BirdsCaribbean urges French authorities to protect Brown Pelicans on Guadeloupe

Global Big Day 2022: BirdsCaribbean Continues Record-breaking Streak!

Dive into the World of Seabirds with BirdCaribbean’s New Webinar Series

Printing now! The Spanish Version of our Endemic Birds Coloring Book

Seabirds, Research, and Advocacy: Check out the latest BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group Newsletter!

Conservationist Spotlight: An Interview with Patricia Bradley

Help Inform Planning, Support, and Conservation Action for Caribbean Endemic Birds!

Calling all Caribbean Nationals—We are Hosting a Story & Poetry Competition!

Saved by a Frigatebird: The Story of Jari and “Sweet Bird”

Mark Your Calendars and Join Us for Global Big Day on May 14!

Birding Tours of Cuba in 2023 with BirdsCaribbean

Reflections on Death, Growth and Renewal after Dorian: Remembering Erika Gates, Birding on Grand Bahama

Counting Birds: An Unassuming Job that Requires Training, Skill, and a Great Deal of Field Knowledge

Resilience and Hope: One Year After the La Soufrière Volcanic Eruptions on St. Vincent

JCO launches its 35th volume with new weblink feature

From the Classroom to the Forest: Non-stop Learning at BirdsCaribbean’s 2022 Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop in the Dominican Republic

Art, Science, and Conservation Come Together for AOS-BC Conference T-shirt

Into the Wild with the EAG: A Virtual Field Trip Experience

Join us for the 2022 Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival!

10 Tips Every New Birder Should Know

Championing Caribbean Birds: The Life and Legacy of Robert L. Norton

Around the Islands – Your Highlights From the Caribbean Waterbird Census 2022

‘Build Your Own’: Birding Tours Redefined by Birding the Islands

Conservationists Pen Action Plan to Protect Extremely Elusive and Endangered Seabird

Making the Most of Covid-19 Isolation: Backyard Birding in Jamaica with Tips for Attracting and Photographing Birds

Join the Conservian Bahamas May 2022 Live-Aboard Schooner Expedition

JCO Roundup: Volume 34 Features New Research from Seven Islands

Remembering Erika Gates: A Birding Powerhouse in Grand Bahama and an Inspirational Friend of BirdsCaribbean

Day One: Back to School!

Day Two: BirdSleuth Trainees At Large

Bonus Day! Caribbean Waterbird Census Training

BirdSleuth Springs Into Action!

Testimonials

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Related Reading:

Ajhermae White- #InTheNest

Johnella Bradshaw- #LearningToTakeFlight

Shanna Challenger- #LearningToTakeFlight

Zoya Buckmire- #DayOfRoost

Scott Johnson- #FlyingTheCoop

#AsTheCrowFlies- Leo Douglas

#LifelongJourney- Inés Lourdes Fernández

History of Brown Pelicans on Guadeloupe

Threats to the Caribbean Brown Pelican

Next Steps

En Francais

Histoire des pélicans bruns en Guadeloupe

Menaces sur le pélican brun des Caraïbes

Prochaines étapes

Fundraising to help build capacity for Caribbean bird conservation

BirdsCaribbean Global Big Day (BCGBD) Teams

Tracking the Endemics on our GBD Teams

Hard-working team members – small was beautiful!

MVB – Most Valuable Birders

Thank You for a fantastic #GlobalBigDay and fundraiser

Help us to reach our fundraising goal and continue to develop the next generation of Caribbean conservationists by donating today! Visit givebutter.com/BCGBD2022 to make a contribution.

2022 BirdsCaribbean Global Big Day Teams

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RELATED READING:

It’s coming soon! And we are excited, as the printing presses are whirring.

How to obtain copies of Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book in Spanish

Help us get these books to children across the islands!

About the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival – CEBF

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RELATED READING:

About the ETSWG

Why a survey?

Want to get involved?

Related Reading:

Prizes:

Need some help getting started?

Important Dates:

Rules (General):

Rules (Poems):

Rules (True Short Stories):

Guidelines and Tips for Creating a Recording of Your Story or Poem (optional)

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related reading:

What is Global Big Day (GBD)?

Get Involved by:

Why this is Important

How your Gift Will be Used

Prizes will be awarded to

Safety

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BirdsCaribbean is offering two tours in 2023: a 9-day trip in January and a 12-day trip in March.

Beyond Loss: Towards Growth and Renewal

Adventure Awaits

Santo Domingo lights to misty Jarabacoa mountains

The sound of the forest

Caribbean waves

Field Training or Boot Camp?

Ébano Verde and bitter-sweet goodbyes

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Related Reading:

Take us back to the first few days of the eruptions. What was that like?

How did you cope with the situation? What were some of the short to medium-term solutions that were implemented by the Forestry Department and partners?

Tell me about the Parrot Surveys conducted in September, 2021. Did you see many birds? Did you get a sense that they are faring well?

How quickly has the forest been recovering and trees flowering and fruiting again for the birds?

What do you think can be done currently to help the situation on the ground? What are some of the things that the Forestry Department needs right now, as far as support?

Are you optimistic that the on-island bird population will return to pre-eruption numbers in the near future?

Continued Work to Conserve St Vincent’s Forest Birds

Welcome to Jarabacoa

Landbird Monitoring: The Basics

It’s always better to be birding!

What’s the next step?

What did PROALAS do for you?