Did you ever wish you had an interactive bird guide in your pocket wherever you go? For smartphone users in Puerto Rico and the northern Lesser Antilles, your dream has come true. “All Birds Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands & northern Lesser Antilles” birding app has recently been released!
The new ALL BIRDS app covers Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Saint-Martin, Saint Eustatius, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saba, Montserrat, Antigua-Barbuda, and Anguilla! This unique app encompasses not only common birds but also all migrants, vagrants, and established introduced species.
This bilingual (English & Spanish) app features all 415 bird species found from Puerto Rico east to Antigua and Montserrat. The mobile app expands the previous version called “Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Birds in Photos and Audio.” It is the perfect companion in the field.
This user-friendly app lets you identify birds by browsing alphabetically or taxonomically, or selecting on individual islands or on specific features or colors. Beginning birders looking to identify the species in their backyards can filter listings to display only common species. Users can also use the app to record their own bird sightings and even export this information.
Listings for each bird include detailed species accounts and 2,570 outstanding photos showing distinct plumages, including variations and subspecies. Advanced birders will love the audio that is included for each species: over 670 bird songs and calls are just a touch away. The resource section includes information about Caribbean birds and introductions to key topics like biogeography, conservation and migratory birds.
You can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The Apple version is compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac M1 chip. Once downloaded no internet connection is needed and all updates are free of charge.
BirdsCaribbean is excited to finally announce all of our Global Big Day 2021 photography winners and share some of the many awesome photos that were taken on Global Big Day! We already reported on the team and individual stats and awards – click here if you missed the results from our record-breaking day!
Thanks to everyone that participated, especially our team leaders and generous donors, Global Big Day 2021 was a huge success. We had a record number of teams participating (15). And thanks to a game-changing challenge grant from a member of the President’s Perch team, we were able to raised close to $20,000 for our new Caribean Motus Collaboration – so amazing! Congrats to all the winners – enjoy the photos and gallery below!!!
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
Best Bird Photo: Rafy Rodriguez – Puerto Rican Tody
Second Best Bird Photo: Roberto Jovel — Cuban Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cuba
Third Best Bird Photo: Jerome Foster — Little Blue Heron, immature (molting), St. Lucia
Best Shorebird: Julian Moore — Ruddy Turnstone, Barbados
Youngest GBDer: (1) Joanne Gaymes – Maeson Gaymes in St. Vincent; (2) Anneke Mace – Holly Mace birding in New Zealand
Best Smiles: Andrew Dobson and teammates Patricia Zurita and Katrina-Dobson – UK
Best Selfie: Maikel Cañizares – The Bee Hummers Cuban Dream team, Cuba
Most Beautiful Landscape: Rafy Rodriguez
Urban Birds: Jerome Foster – Gray Kingbird on nest, St. Lucia
Life in the Wild: (1) Jerome Foster – American Kestrels mating, St. Lucia; (2) John Kricher – Mute Swan parent banishing Canada Goose; (3) Joanne Gaymes – Black-faced Grassquit female collecting nesting material, St. Vincent
Sweetest Fluffiest Birds: (1) John Kricher – Mute Swan cygnets; (2) Rafy Rodriguez – Green Heron immature
Enjoy this gallery of bird, people and scenery photos taken on Global Big Day by various team members in the Caribbean, US, UK, Costa Rica, Panama, Netherlands, and more!
Laughing Gull, St. Simon Island, Georgia (Joe Wunderle)
Dickcissel, seen on Road from Hagerman (John Thomlinson)
Spring birding at hotspot, Mt. Auburn Cemetery, MA, (Lisa Sorenson)
Little Egret in Dominica (Niels Larsen)
Yellow Warbler (golden) in Barbados (Julian-Moore)
Yellow Warbler- in Antigua (Xavier-Roberts)
Orange-winged Parrot in Barbados (Julian Moore)
Wild Turkeys being wild turkeys (John Kricher)
Jamaican Woodpecker (Claude Fletcher)
Red-billed Streamertail – endemic in Jamaica. (Photo by Claude Fletcher)
Adrian Cobas birding in Cuba
Jamaican Becard with insect prey (Claude Fletcher)
Yellow-Crowed Night-Heron in flight (Jerome Foster)
Beny Wilson with GBD birding group, including Rick Morales and Ivan Skildsen (Minister of Tourism) in Panama (Beny Wilson)
Greater Antillean Grackle in Puerto Rico (Rafy-Rodriguez)
Semi-palmated Plovers in St. Vincent (Joanne Gaymes)
Jamaican Becard (Wendy Lee)
Painted Bunting, Darien, Georgia (Joe Wunderle)
Antillean Mango in Puerto Rico (Rafy-Rodriguez)
Glaucous-winged Gull (Mark Oberle)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron juvenile in Canash, St. Vincent (Joanne Gaymes)
Barbados Bullfinch, endemic to Barbados. (Photo by Julian Moore)
Zenaida Dove in St Lucia (Jerome Foster)
Mallard/Black Duck Hybrid (John Kricher)
Harlequin Ducks (Mark-Oberle)
Scaly-naped Pigeon in St. Lucia (Jerome Foster)
Purple Martin nest with chicks. (John Kricher)
Gray Kingbirds (Petcharies) – the 4 sentinels (Wendy Lee)
Long-billed Dowitcher in Barbados (Julian-Moore)
Scenic Tractor Landscape in Puerto Rico (Rafy Rodriguez)
Cattle Egret portrait, St. Lucia (Jerome-Foster)
Wadden Sea-Netherlands (Pedro Lourenco)
Lesser Yellowlegs in Puerto Rico (Rafy Rodriguez)
Chuck Wills Widow – migrant in Costa-Rica (Holly Garrod)
Kristy Shortte, a Program Officer at the NGO Sustainable Grenadines, Inc.
A local community that understands the value of natural habitats and the wildlife that lives there is key to successful long-term conservation. Find out how this happens from Kristy Shortte, a Program Officer at the NGO ‘Sustainable Grenadines,’ on Union Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. From building observation platforms at vital wetlands, to garbage clean-ups and installing information signs, to training locals to identify and help monitor birds, Kristy describes the amazing and inspiring range of work carried out by her organization, local partners – and of course, the local community!
At the trans-boundary NGO Sustainable Grenadines Inc (SusGren) we know that conserving the places where birds live is key to their survival. But how do we achieve this? So many of our habitats are under threat—from pollution and degradation by human activities, to outright destruction for development. When there are competing demands on the use of our natural resources, we need to make wise decisions. Sometimes we need to educate our local citizens about the immense value of these areas to people and wildlife, and to get them actively involved in their conservation. It’s a hands-on approach with community partners. Showing people the benefits of managing and protecting habitats is the best way to ensure the long-term health of bird populations and the habitats on which they depend.
Finding the best ways to protect birds and their habitats
Residents of Union island, harvesting salt at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Radio Grenadines).
Here at SusGren, we have taken the initiative to support birds and protect the places they live through two projects – both completed during the pandemic of 2020! SusGren believes that some areas are so special that they need to be protected – no ifs, ands, or buts!!!!
After many years of hard work to restore Ashton Lagoon and develop it as a bird and nature sanctuary for enjoyment by all, we turned our attention to Belmont Salt Pond. This is the second largest ecosystem on the island of Union and one of the last two remaining salt ponds in the entire St. Vincent and the Grenadines (he other salt pond is on Mayreau). Salt picking is still practiced at Belmont, providing economic benefits to locals.
So…what’s so special about Belmont Salt Pond?
The Belmont Salt Pond area is significant, in that it provides habitat to many species of resident and migratory birds. Here you can see Whimbrels, Willets, Blue-winged Teal, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Mangrove Cuckoo, and even the American Flamingo on occasion. Migratory birds use Belmont as a place to rest and feed. This can be for a few days or weeks, before they continue with their migration, while others stay from fall to spring. For other birds, the Salt Pond is ‘home’ all year round.
Blue-winged Teal female spotted at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
American Flamingo Spotted at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
With this rich history and biodiversity and the salt pond threatened by human activities, SusGren decided to enhance the area for enjoyment by locals and visitors alike. This would help ensure the protection of the area’s biodiversity and would increase ecotourism opportunities in Union Island, following our successful restoration of nearby Ashton Lagoon 2 years ago. The platform would also help us to continue the long-term bird monitoring of our wetlands through participation in the Caribbean Waterbird Census.
Taking a community-based approach
The ‘’Clean up Squad’’ at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Zoe Jennett)
Due to a lack of community knowledge of the importance of the area, it was being used for the burning of charcoal and dumping garbage. We knew that over time these activities would damage Belmont Salt Pond and biodiversity would be negatively impacted. So at Susgren we decided to carry out a project in partnership with members of the community, to ensure that such behavior is reduced and eventually eliminated.
As part of this approach, SusGren contributed towards a cleanup organized by a local group of 10 people called “Union Island Cleanup Squad.” They held massive cleaning up sessions at the Belmont Salt Pond on May 7th and May 13th, 2020. A total of 30 bags of trash was collected during the first session, and 40 additional bags of trash were picked up at the second cleanup around the edges of the pond. It was great to see local community groups actively taking up the stewardship mantle of their island!
Follow the signs!
Interpretive sign at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Our project also involved the construction of viewing platforms at Belmont Salt Pond, designed to provide people with a fantastic overview of the wetland and the birds living there. At each of the Belmont Salt Pond platforms – and at the Ashton Lagoon Eco Trail – we installed interpretive signs displaying resident and migratory birds. We worked with BirdsCaribbean to design signs that included land birds, wetland birds, and shorebirds likely to be seen at each of the sites. At Ashton Lagoon, one sign also provides visitors with knowledge about the marine and terrestrial species of animals found in the area.
Our interpretive signs include features on bird identification. Thus, someone using the platforms at Belmont Salt Pond or our bird towers at Ashton Lagoon can receive a “self-crash-course” in basic bird identification. Moreover, there are now three 4 x 6 billboard signs installed at Belmont Salt Pond that explain the history of the area and its cultural and environmental importance. Two ‘rules’ signs also notify visitors about appropriate behavior in the area.
Keeping the trash at bay
“Bird branded” garbage bins and signs at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
To reduce the problem of litter, we installed attractive garbage receptacles at both Belmont Salt Pond and Ashton Lagoon. The bright green receptacles are adorned with images of the various birds one can see in the area. Our hope is that this will help build local pride and community ownership and encourage people to dispose of their garbage in a responsible way.
Since the installation of 4 bins at each location, we are gratified to see that people are using them. The local solid waste management company ‘’Uni Clean’ assists with the weekly disposal of trash from these areas.
Reaching out in different ways
We found different ways of reaching out to our stakeholders and the general public. Normally, we would have been hosting lots of in-person outreach and birding activities and events with the community and schools during the last year. But due to the pandemic and schools closing, we used radio and social media platforms to engage the community and key stakeholders. We made phone calls and delivered letters with updates on our projects. We also sent out a media blast with the local telecommunications company on the island, so that recipients could obtain a poster of the activities being undertaken at Belmont Salt Pond on their phones.
Finally, we had a hugely successful radio interview and webinar with the show, “Conversation Tree” on Radio Grenadines. SusGren’s Program Director, Orisha Joseph and I gave a presentation and discussed our activities with the radio host. This was seen by over 2,000 people and was very well-received.
World Shorebirds Day
Kristy Shortte pointing out and identifying birds on a guided birding walk. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc).
To further community involvement in our work and help people develop a love for the environment and birds, we collaborated with Katrina Collins-Coy, Union Island Environmental Attackers, and celebrated World Shorebirds Day in September, 2020. Eleven students and two teachers from the Stephanie Browne Primary School participated.
The celebration involved a birding walk with Bird Bingo and a Bird Identification tour along the Ashton Lagoon Trail. The children also enjoyed activities in the classroom, such as learning about the Parts of a Bird, bird games, and bird arts and crafts. We were elated to see the enthusiastic students and teachers come out as early as 5:30 am to be a part of the session!
Birds of Belmont Salt Pond – A New Resource!
Through this project (with matched funding from the SVG Conservation Fund) we also developed a booklet entitled “Birds of Belmont Salt Pond.” The booklet includes notes from SusGren’s directors, information on the project’s team, a brief history of the Belmont Salt Pond, photographs of resident and migratory birds found there, and a full checklist and space for taking notes while bird watching and monitoring. Thirty copies were printed and distributed to key stakeholders in the community and other organizations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We hope this will be a great resource for visitors.
Belmont Salt Point. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Bird Identification Training Workshop—“Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and their Habitats”
Participants taking part in a Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) Basic Bird ID Training Workshop. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
We weren’t finished yet! We also held a five-day bird identification training workshop as part of the project, during October 2020. The workshop was facilitated by Lystra Culzac, who is the Founder and Manager of Science Initiative for Environmental Conservation and Education (SCIENCE) and graduate of our Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and their Habitats Training Workshop in 2019 (as is Kristy!). Those taking part represented a wide range of professions, from Park Rangers, Tourism Division, Environmental Groups, and regular community members. As part of the training, a bird monitoring trip took place at the newly installed platforms, making good use of our new booklet “Birds of Belmont Salt Pond.”
We included training in seabird monitoring as part of the workshop and participants took a trip to Catholic Island and Tobago Cays Marine Park. Here they got the opportunity to learn firsthand how to identify a wider variety of the seabird species in their natural habitats. Following the bird watching trip in the Tobago Cays, SusGren, in partnership with SCIENCE, collaborated on a clean-up effort at Petit Bateau, one of the cays in the Marine Park and a known seabird habitat. A total of 6 bags of trash was collected.
Continued CWC Monitoring
At both Ashton Lagoon and Belmont Salt Pond we have been carrying out Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) surveys for many years. These surveys help us to keep track of which birds are using these sites, while keeping an eye out for any changes or threats to the habitats. During the project we carried out 9 CWC surveys across Ashton Lagoon and Belmont Salt Pond, making visits twice a month. Now that the project is over we plan to continue to monitor the birds at both sites using CWC surveys. With all our newly trained birders on Union island, equipped with binoculars and copies of the ‘Birds of Belmont Salt Point,’ we should have plenty of support to do this!
How did the community respond to our work?
During an Attitude and Perception survey interview done with residents on the island, persons expressed excitement and satisfaction with the new development. One noted interviewee was Benjamin Wilson, a Tobago Cays Park Ranger. Wilson said, “Before the enhancement, I would have passed the salt pond straight – but now I have to gaze at the work that was done.’’ SusGren believes that this project was the first step towards having a local community that value ‘their’ wetland. The wildlife viewing platform is now being regularly used by locals and tourists alike!
Mission accomplished? Yes, for that phase, which is a first step in the right direction towards bird and habitat conservation.
This project was made possible with funding and support from BirdsCaribbean via the US Fish and Wildlife Service NMBCA program and BirdsCaribbean members and donors, with matching funds from the SVG Conservation Fund.
Kristy Shortte has worked with Sustainable Grenadines Inc since 2013, starting out as an Administrative and Research Assistant. Since 2017 she has served as a Program Officer. Kristy has qualifications in Business Studies, and since working at Sustainable Grenadines, she has been dedicated to using her business knowledge and environmental training and experience to empower her community in the Grenadines to protect and develop their resources sustainably. She has grown to love and be inspired by nature and birds since working for SusGren. She comments, “A lot of times I would look at birds and observe how they are so fearless and free in the sky and by looking at these creatures you learn from them about how to create a beautiful life.”
Salt being produced at Belmont. (Photo by Radio Grenadines)
One of the new signs showing the bird of Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
The new platform at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Lesser Yellowlegs at Belmont Salt Pond. (photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Kids with BirdSleuth Caribbean Bird Bingo-cards. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Kids learning about birds with BirdSleuth Caribbean and World Migratory Bird Day materials. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Viewing Platform at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
Viewing Platform at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
American Flamingo Spotted at Belmont Salt Pond. (Photo by Sustainable Grenadines Inc)
It’s that time of year again—spring migration! And that means birders from around the globe will be gathering for Global Big Day, happening on May 8th, 2021. This year, BirdsCaribbean is excited to be hosting another fundraiser that harnesses the energy, excitement, and comradery of Global Big Day (GBD), and uses the money to further conservation work in the Caribbean!
Last year’s GBD, at the peak of our pandemic lockdown, was a welcome respite from isolation as we connected with each other through birding. We want to do it again this year and make it even bigger and better! Read on for more details!
What is Global Big Day (GBD)?
Twice a year, during peak migration times (once in spring and once in fall) birders gather (often in teams) and travel around an area trying to observe as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr period of time.
BirdsCaribbean virtual teams will bird “together” and engage in friendly competition to (1) raise the most funds, and (2) collectively see the most species of birds on Global Big Day.
This year we’re excited to announce all the money raised from participating BirdsCaribbean GBD teams will benefit BirdsCaribbean’s exciting new Caribbean Motus Collaboration! And new this year, all funds raised by Caribbean island teams will go directly to fund Motus stations in their countries.
Because of continued safety concerns with COVID-19, many of us will be birding again individually, and from a safe place*.
If you choose to create a team, personalize it with a fun name, photos and your own lingo. NOTE: if you are outside the US or Canada, we will need to assist you with the first step of creating your own team; after this you will be able to manage the team (email Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org and she will get you set up pronto!)
All team leaders and members should then invite family, friends, colleagues, and members of your birding community to join your team and/or donate to your team. It helps to set your own personal fundraising goal to help your team reach it’s overall goal!
By inviting people to your team, you are (1) raising awareness for BirdsCaribbean and the Caribbean Motus Collaboration, (2) helping to raise funds for Caribbean Motus, and (3) promoting Global Big Day, citizen science, and the importance of conserving birds and their habitats.
and/or . . .
Simply making a donation to one of the birding and fundraising teams.
By doing so, you will have (1) helped advance knowledge and conservation through supporting Caribbean Motus Collaboration, and (2) encouraged that team to bird as hard as they can on Global Big Day.
and/or . . .
Committing to spending some time (or the entire day!) birding on Global Big Day (May 8), being sure to keep track of what you see and then entering that information into eBird. We hope everyone will do this, whether or not they join a team or fundraise.
This will be a fun event to fundraise for and get excited about birds! Be ready to visit birding hotspots or set yourself up in a safe place* and bird for as much of the day as possible, knowing that all of your teammates, friends, and BirdsCaribbean community members are doing the same!
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 essential habitat for over 100 migratory birds. Many stay 6 months or longer while others rely on the islands as stopover sites to rest and refuel during their long journeys.
As vital as the region is for birds, we still lack basic information on many species. In addition, Caribbean birds face a whole range of threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change.
We plan to address these issues by identifying the most critical sites and habitats for our birds. We will use an exciting new monitoring tool: the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. Motus, Latin for movement, is a powerful collaborative research network that uses automated radio telemetry to monitor the movements of small animals. The system consists of hundreds of receiver stations and tens of thousands of deployed bird tags.
Motus is also a great tool for engaging the public and youth in science and conservation – we plan to involve local communities and schools in our efforts!
Data from the Motus network has already expanded our understanding of bird migration. The Motus network is widely established in Canada and the US, and beginning to spread throughout Central and South America. Currently, however, there are no active receiver stations in the Caribbean, and many species of conservation concern have not yet been tagged. We want to fill this critical geographical gap!
Our plan is to raise funds for Motus stations and work with our partners to install them in priority areas throughout the islands. We need your help to do this!
We need to raise funds to install and maintain Motus receiver stations in strategic locations throughout the islands. The components of stations cost approximately ~$4,800, and the total cost of a station (including shipping, installation, maintenance, etc.) is ~$10K.
Keep in mind that each station is able to detect thousands of tagged birds flying by, every second of the year, and that the more stations we install, the more detailed information we learn about critically important migration flyways and stopover sites throughout the Caribbean.
We also need to deploy nanotags on priority bird species in the islands to track their movements. Each tag costs ~$225.
Any amount that we can raise is helpful! This is a highly tangible way to get involved in the conservation of Caribbean species.
As with everything in the Caribbean we will be successful when our whole community pitches in, so let’s do this together. We know we can count on you to help!
About Global Big Day
Global Big Day is organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Last year, more than 50,000 people across 175 countries collectively reported an astounding 120,000 eBird checklists. Learn more here about this citizen scientist initiative.
Prizes will be Awarded to
(1) the team that raises the most funds
(2) the team with the most creative name and stylish fundraising page
(3) the team that sees the most bird species on Global Big Day
(4) 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!)
(5) the team with the best “find” of the day (unusual, rare, plumage aberration, etc.)
(6) the team with the best bird photo of the day (must be posted on eBird along with your list)
And others, TBD! Remember that all funds raised by island/country teams will go to support Motus in that country!
*Safety
While COVID is decreasing in some 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!
Thanks in advance for participating and supporting our fundraiser, however you can! We hope to see lots of teams forming throughout the Caribbean, US, Canada ,and beyond! We will keep you updated with more news and details about our Global Big Day, such as how to keep a count of your birds and enter your data on line – stay tuned!
BirdsCaribbean is very excited to announce that we are launching a new bird monitoring initiative — the Caribbean Motus Collaboration. And we need your help and involvement! Read on to learn more about this program and how you can help.
What is Motus?
Kirtland’s Warbler fitted with a lightweight nano-tag. These tiny transmitters, which weigh as little as 0.2 g, allow researchers to track the movements of small animals with precision across thousands of miles. (photo by Scott Weidensaul)
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a powerful collaborative research network developed by Birds Canada. Named after the Latin word for movement, Motus uses automated radio telemetry arrays to study the movements and behavior of flying animals (birds, bats, and insects) that are nano-tagged and tracked by Motus receivers.
Motus’ main objective is to enable conservation and ecological research by tracking the movement of animals. The system consists of hundreds of receiver stations and thousands of deployed nanotags on 236+ species, mostly birds. Data from this network have already expanded our understanding of bird movements, including pinpointing migration routes and key stopover sites, as well as movements, habitat use, and behavior during breeding and non-breeding seasons. We are only just beginning to tap into the enormous potential of this new technology and growing network of partnerships and data sharing for conservation.
Motus technology is also a valuable educational tool that can advance conservation education both in and out of the classroom. Birds Canada and the Northeast Motus Collaboration have developed a curriculum that combines interactive classroom activities with Motus tracking tools that can be used to teach local children about birds, migration, and conservation.
Expanding the Motus Network in the Caribbean
Motus is widely established in Canada and the US, and beginning to spread throughout Central and South America; however, there are currently no active receiver stations in the Caribbean. The more Motus stations we can put up, the more we can increase our understanding of where tagged birds are moving. In addition, many species of conservation concern that live in or migrate through/ to the region have not yet been tagged. We want to fill this critical geographical gap.
Yellow dots represent the active Motus receiver stations. The white box outlines the insular Caribbean. A few Motus stations that were put up in several islands have been damaged by storms and hurricanes, and need repair.
The Caribbean Motus Collaboration (CMC) is developing a multi-pronged strategy to expand the Motus network by installing and maintaining receiver stations in strategic locations throughout the islands, deploying nanotags on priority bird species, and implementing a specially adapted Caribbean educational curriculum.
Why is this Important?
Our birds are declining at alarming rates.
The Painted Bunting is a declining songbird that winters in FL, Cuba, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Central America. (photo by Ray Robles)
The insular Caribbean is a global biodiversity conservation “hotspot” that is home to over 700 species of birds. Roughly half of these bird species are residents in the Caribbean, including 171 that are endemic – meaning they are found nowhere else in the world! The other half are migratory, splitting their time between temperate and tropical habitats in the Americas, and shared among multiple countries along the way.
For some migratory birds, the Caribbean islands are the perfect winter retreat — they arrive in early fall and stay until spring. Others use one or more islands as stopover sites to rest and refuel as they fly between their breeding and wintering grounds further south. Whether they stay or move on, they are much-loved visitors, reflecting the seasons and inspiring our cultural expressions.
Unfortunately, bird populations are declining. Fifty-nine Caribbean species are at risk of extinction, listed as Vulnerable (30), Endangered (24), or Critically Endangered (5) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A recent study found that nearly 30% of the bird populations in North America since 1970 have been lost, and Caribbean species are among the many that are in trouble.
Birds in the Caribbean face an entire suite of threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, and invasive species. In addition, climate change has become a constant danger to the region, not only to people, but also to wildlife. The Caribbean is experiencing increasingly intense hurricanes, long droughts, and dramatic changes to the marine environment. The threats are growing for our vulnerable birds, and we can’t afford to lose any more.
Needed now: An effective bird monitoring system in the Caribbean
Research on our birds has progressed considerably in recent decades, but we still lack basic information on many species. We need to understand them better if we are to save them.
We need to identify the most critical sites and habitats for our migratory, resident, and endemic birds, and we need to assess the threats they face. Importantly, we need to raise awareness about why all of this matters.
At BirdsCaribbean we partner with international, regional, and local partners to develop long-term monitoring programs, e.g. our Caribbean Waterbird Census program. We are using several strategic tools for doing so, and we are confident that the Motus Wildlife Tracking System will become an invaluable resource for strengthening our efforts.
Motus receiving stations function similar to automated toll booths on a highway – every time a bird passes over the station it’s recorded, just as automated toll booths record license plates. The stations have a range of about 9 miles or 15 km. (Ruddy Turnstone photo by Maikel Cañizares)
The Caribbean Motus Collaboration (CMC) can inform and promote bird conservation
Colleagues from the Northeast Motus Collaboration stand by a newly installed Motus station in Pennsylvania. (photo credit: Northeast Motus Collaboration)
Our partners are eager to build the Motus network in the Caribbean. The initiative is gaining momentum quickly and the time to act is now! As a regional organization, BirdsCaribbean is keen to facilitate this effort and assist our partners.
Our collaboration will enhance the efforts of those working to grow the network in other regions of the Americas. And it will shed light on the movements and habitat use of bird species of conservation concern. This knowledge is essential to safeguarding birds throughout their full life cycles and reversing population declines.
Caribbean natural resource managers, including many of our partner organizations throughout the region, will be able to use information from the Motus network to identify the most important sites and habitats for our resident and migratory birds. Once identified, those in the Caribbean network and beyond will be able to focus our work on these most critical areas, alleviating threats and protecting these sites. By building the capacity to use this powerful tool, we will also be contributing to the development of local research and environmental education programs. The knowledge, skills, and appreciation for birds will multiply. It’s a “win-win” for the birds, and for those who work to conserve them in the region.
We Need Your Help!
To grow the CMC, we are seeking funding from granting agencies and private donors, and looking to establish partnerships with international and regional organizations, landowners, and businesses in the Caribbean.
Can you suggest a good site for a Motus receiver station? Stations should be located in secure areas that are optimal for detecting movements of birds (e.g., migration flyways, prime habitat for resident and migratory birds). Receivers can be installed as independent structures that are powered by solar panels. However, installing a station on existing structures (e.g., building roofs, fire towers, abandoned telephone towers, radio towers, etc.), especially those with access to electricity, can significantly reduce costs.
Would you or your organization be willing to maintain Motus receiver stations on your island? Motus stations should require minimal maintenance. However, depending on the station setup, data might need to be downloaded a few times each year. It is also important to regularly check that the stations are in working order, particularly following a storm or other disturbance.
Are you interested in sponsoring a Motus receiver station or nanotags, or know of an individual, organization, or business who would be? The components of receiver stations cost approximately ~$4,800, and the total cost of a station (including installation, maintenance, personnel, etc.) is ~$10k. Nanotags, which will be deployed on priority species to track their movements, cost ~$225 each. But any amount is helpful! This is a highly tangible way to get involved in the conservation of Caribbean species.
*NOTE: This year, our fundraiser for Global Big Day (May 8th, 2021) will raise funds for the Caribbean Motus Collaboration. We hope that you will participate – stay tuned!
If you are interested in contributing to the CMC in any capacity, we want to hear from you! Please fill out this short survey so that we can gather information and follow up with you.
Special thanks to the Northeast Motus Collaboration for their generous help, advice, and encouragement in developing this project!
Steven Latta assessing the condition of a banded Louisiana Waterthrush. Photo by Bob Mulvihill.
The Louisiana Waterthrush is a neotropical migratory warbler that links North America, where it breeds, to the Caribbean, where is spends the winter. Steven Latta PhD has worked on this species for more than a decade. Here he shares some fascinating insights into how water quality impacts the health and survival of this small bird, and what this means for people as well as birds.
Clean water is something that is essential to each and every one of us. There is, however, a rising tide of water quality threats facing Neotropical migratory birds – both in their North American breeding grounds and their Caribbean wintering spots. Water pollution and water diversions can wreak havoc on the quality of the water that supports plant, animal and aquatic life. This also negatively impacts the health and welfare of humans who also depend on that water resource.
I have used a migratory songbird, the Louisiana Waterthrush, for more than a decade to monitor changes in water quality, and to understand the impacts of water quality on birds and other life that depend on riparian ecosystems – that is, rivers, streams and wetlands.
Although somewhat reminiscent of a thrush, the Louisiana Waterthrush is actually a large, mostly terrestrial warbler. It is uniformly dark olive-brown above and white below, with dark brown streaks on its breast and sides, and flanks washed buffy. Distinctive field marks include a white supercilium (eyebrow stripe) which flares and broadens behind the eye, and an unspotted white throat. In both its breeding and wintering grounds, the waterthrush inhabits freshwater streams and associated riparian vegetation in forested hills and mountains. The Louisiana Waterthrush is considered a Species of Conservation Concern in several Bird Conservation Regions. Its dependence on a specialized habitat, now threatened by a number of environmental stressors, makes the species more vulnerable.
The Louisiana Waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla, a bioindicator of water quality and ecosystem integrity in forested headwater streams. Photo by Mike Doughtery.
Waterthrush Warnings
Long-term studies in Pennsylvania and the Dominican Republic have sought to understand the role of water quality and other factors in determining the population size of the Louisiana Waterthrush
In the Caribbean, Louisiana Waterthrush are solitary and territorial. They forage mostly on the ground by walking in a deliberate manner along the water’s edge, jumping over obstacles, characteristically bobbing and teetering, as they capture aquatic insects and similar prey.
I have worked closely with my colleagues, Danilo Mejía and Maria Paulino, from the Dominican environmental organization, Grupo Acción Ecológica, in a long-term study of this charismatic species. Every year, our work has taken us from studies in wintering areas in the Cordillera Septentrional of the Dominican Republic, to research in the breeding grounds in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania.
At both ends of the annual cycle, we have shown how the waterthrush can serve as a warning sign, pointing to the deteriorating condition of waterways, and the presence of toxins and harmful chemicals. In areas where the bird breeds such as Pennsylvania, water quality is affected by acid precipitation, acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines and agricultural run-off. Most recently. metals associated with hydraulic fracturing for natural gas deposits have impacted the condition of the fresh water. On the wintering grounds, the sites we visit suffer adverse effects from sedimentation and run-off from agriculture and human settlements.
Water Quality: A Critical But Deteriorating Factor
By tracking nesting, breeding success, and survival of individual birds, we have been able to quantify the impacts of reduced water quality. Contamination may directly impact the Louisiana Waterthrush. For example, we have shown that because of its position at the top of the food chain along rivers and streams, the waterthrush will accumulate within its body the metals associated with hydraulic fracturing of deep shale layers for natural gas. Studies with our collaborator, Mack Frantz, have further suggested that this shale gas development may even result in epigenetic effects on gene expression in waterthrush. This means there may be changes in the genetic structure itself that may affect long‐term population survival and fitness.
Dominican field crew sets out to survey and capture Louisiana Waterthrush returning to overwinter territories in the Cordillera Septentrional. Photo by Steve Latta.
But reduced water quality can also have more subtle effects on birds. For example, Louisiana Waterthrush that nest on acidified streams are fewer in number and hold larger territories, presumably because they need more space to find enough food. Notably, the birds in contaminated areas delay nesting, producing fewer, smaller chicks, and fewer of these nesting adults return to the same stream the following year. These results suggest that waterthrush suffer pronounced declines in populations as the result of poor water quality.
A similar situation exists on the Caribbean wintering grounds. Louisiana Waterthrush on lower quality streams require longer territories, and pass the winter in poorer body condition. Fewer birds from low quality territories return the following year as compared to high quality territories. This suggests that reduced water quality in wintering grounds also reduces the birds’ survival rates.
How Does Poor Water Quality Affect the Birds?
Collaborating with two graduate students, we have been able to show why water quality affects Louisiana Waterthrush so dramatically. Brian Trevelline and Brandon Hoenig have combined traditional habitat sampling with advanced molecular techniques such as DNA metabarcoding of feces to analyze diets. They have demonstrated that when water quality declines with increased acidity or other contamination, the availability of preferred aquatic insect prey, such as mayflies, declines. The waterthrush compensate for this by altering their typical aquatic foraging behavior and diet. They venture further away from the stream to consume more terrestrial prey such as crickets, moths and spiders.
While these findings suggest that migrants may be able to adapt to environmental degradation, such behavioral changes may carry additional costs. Alternative food sources may have less nutritive value, resulting in physiological impacts on nestlings or adults. The breeding season is one of the most energetically demanding periods for birds; flying further away from the nest in search of alternative food in unfamiliar places could incur physiological costs. Moreover, it makes the predation of eggs, nestlings, or even adult birds more likely.
Aquatic stream insects are collected in the Cordillera Septentrional of the Dominican Republic to assess availability of food resources. Photo by Steven Latta.
“You Are What You Eat:” The Waterthrush’s Evolving Diet
On the Dominican wintering grounds we also found shifts in diet among the streams that form the birds’ habitat. The diet of Louisiana Waterthrush in the Caribbean consists of fewer aquatic prey species and more terrestrial beetles, flies, and caterpillars. While the wintering waterthrush appears to feed on a wider range of species, these data suggest that on the wintering grounds, it is more of a dietary generalist. This highlights the importance of studying birds across their entire annual cycle to better understand their ecology and conservation needs.
These changes in the birds’ diet, which depend on the quality of habitat and the seasons, have vitally important consequences. On the breeding grounds, we have shown that nestlings from high quality streams that feed largely on mayflies grow faster and larger, and this has survival consequences. On the wintering grounds, variation in diet is also thought to impact survival. We showed that birds occupying higher quality territories with better food resources achieve a better body condition (i.e., they gain more muscle and fat) during the overwinter period. Body condition, in turn, was important in determining whether birds return the following winter, with the healthier birds returning at higher rates.
Brian Trevelline from Duquesne University collects Waterthrush fecal samples to analyze diet. Photo by Danilo Mejía
Good Quality Fresh Water: Important for the Birds, and Humans Too
This body of work links water quality to availability of preferred food resources. Our findings provide linkages among events during the breeding season and the overwintering period that affect the birds’ physiological condition, reproductive success, and annual survival. These studies show that changes in water quality from human activities, impacting the aquatic creatures that form the birds’ diet, can carry over across seasons. These changes accumulate over more than one life-history period, before manifesting themselves in a pattern of reduced survival.
The community of La Joya comes together to clean up trash from streams near their homes. Photo by Danilo Mejía.
Taken together, these studies emphasize the critical importance of water quality as it affects aquatic insect prey and as a result, impacts Louisiana Waterthrush at both ends of its annual migratory cycle. However, water quality also affects human communities. This is a message we have communicated through annual summer fairs and other activities in rural communities near our Dominican stream sites. Clean water is something that is essential to each and every one of us; we are pleased to be using birds as a tool, helping to protect watersheds and water quality across the range of the Louisiana Waterthrush.
Dr. Steven C. Latta is the Director of Conservation and Field Research at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. He obtained his Ph.D. in Avian Ecology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has worked in the Caribbean islands and Latin America for more than 25 years where his research has focused on the winter ecology of migratory birds, and understanding how migrant and resident species respond to natural and anthropogenic changes to their habitat. Dr. Latta has authored several books on the birds of Hispaniola, has published over 125 articles and book chapters, and is dedicated to training young biologists in developing countries in field research and monitoring techniques, and to educating the general public on the importance of conservation.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS from Steven Latta:
Almonte-Espinosa, H. and S. C. Latta. 2011. Aspectos del comportamiento de forrajeo de la cigüita del río Parkesia motacilla (Aves: Passeriformes: Parulidae) en época no reproductiva. Novitates Caribaea 4:100-108.
Frantz, M. W., P. B. Wood, S. C. Latta, and A. Welsh. 2020. Epigenetic response of Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) related to shale gas development. Ibis 162(4):1211-1224. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12833
Latta, S. C. and R. S. Mulvihill. 2010. The Louisiana Waterthrush as an indicator of headwater stream quality in Pennsylvania. Pp. 246-258 in S. K. Majumdar, T. L. Master, M. C. Brittingham, R. M. Ross, R. S. Mulvihill, and J. E. Huffman (eds.), inAvian ecology and conservation: A Pennsylvania focus with national implications. The Pennsylvania Academy of Science, Easton, PA.
Latta, S. C., L. C. Marshall, M. W. Frantz, and J. D. Toms. 2015. Evidence from two shale regions that a riparian songbird accumulates metals associated with hydraulic fracturing. Ecosphere 6 (9):1-10. http://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/ES14-00406.1
Latta, S. C., S. Cabezas, D. A. Mejia, M. M. Paulino, H. Almonte, C. Miller-Butterworth, and G. R. Bortolotti. 2016. Carry-over effects provide linkages across the annual cycle of a Neotropical migratory bird, the Louisiana Waterthrush. Ibis 158:395-406
Mattsson, B. J., S. C. Latta, R. J. Cooper, and R. J. Mulvihill. 2011. Latitudinal variation in reproductive strategies by the migratory Louisiana Waterthrush. Condor 113:412-418
Mulvihill, R. S., S. C. Latta, and F. L. Newell. 2009. Temporal constraints on the incidence of double brooding in the Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla). The Condor 111:341-348
Mulvihill, R. S., F. L. Newell, and S. C. Latta. 2008. Effects of acidification on the breeding ecology of a stream-dependent songbird, the Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla). Freshwater Biology 53: 2158-2169.
Trevelline, B., T. Nuttle, B. A. Porter, N. L. Brouwer, B. D. Hoenig, Z. D. Steffensmeier, and S. C. Latta. 2018a. Stream acidification and reduced aquatic prey availability are associated with dietary shifts in an obligate riparian Neotropical migratory songbird. PeerJ 6:e5141; DOI 10.7717/peerj.5141
Trevelline, B. K., T. Nuttle, B. D. Hoenig, N. L. Brouwer, B. A. Porter, and S. C. Latta. 2018b. DNA metabarcoding of nestling feces reveals provisioning of aquatic prey and resource partitioning among Neotropical migratory songbirds in a riparian habitat. Oecologia 187:85-98
Trevelline, B. K., S. C. Latta, L. C. Marshall, T. J. Nuttle, and B. A. Porter. 2016. Molecular analysis of nestling diet in a long-distance Neotropical migrant, the Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla). Auk 133:415-428.
Machi being fitted with satellite transmitter in August, 2009. (Photo by Bart Paxton)
When “Machi”, a Whimbrel carrying a satellite transmitter, was shot and killed in Guadeloupe in September 2011, the international bird conservation community had a rude wake-up call about what was happening to migrating shorebirds in the French West Indies.
The fact was that tens of thousands of shorebirds representing several species were being shot by hunters each fall. Swift action by BirdsCaribbean (then the Society for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds – SCSCB) and its members and partners, including AMAZONA (the local bird conservation organization), has resulted in significant progress on the issue of shorebird hunting.
Whimbrels are amazing long distance migrants. Machi had been tracked for over 27,000 miles (44,000 km) back and forth between the breeding grounds in the Hudson Bay Lowlands of Canada to wintering grounds on the coast of Brazil. In 2011, we had learned from the satellite tracking study being conducted by the Center for Conservation Biology that Machi, after hunkering down in Montserrat during Tropical Storm Maria, flew to Guadeloupe where she met her end. Ongoing tracking studies have shown that Whimbrels like Machi and other shorebirds utilize the Caribbean islands to rest and refuel, take refuge from dangerous storms, or spend the winter. However, the journey ends for many that attempt to stop in Guadeloupe, Martinique, or Barbados, where sport hunting of shorebirds remains a popular tradition.
At the time when Machi and a second satellite-tagged Whimbrel named Goshen were killed, there were no daily bag limits in the French West Indies, and no protection for species of conservation concern, such as the Red Knot. Thankfully, due to proactive advocacy, there have been some positive changes in hunting regulations since Machi’s death.
Following the shooting of the two shorebirds and in light of the fact that populations of many shorebird species are declining in the Americas, BirdsCaribbean organized a letter writing campaign targeting decision makers in environmental departments of the French government as well as other key authorities and international organizations. Many BirdsCaribbean members and partners sent letters to these officials, urging them to take actions in support of a more sustainable and responsible harvest. They also wrote about the issue in their local newspapers, websites, and blogs.
Map showing the long-distance migration of Machi from 2009 to 2011, before being shot in Guadeloupe. Machi was tagged with a satellite transmitter. (map courtesy of Fletcher Smith)
As a result of this international campaign and months of dedicated work by the National Hunting and Wildlife Agency (ONCFS) in Guadeloupe, together with other departments and local hunters, there has been a change in policy which benefits migratory shorebirds that rely on these islands’ mangroves and wetlands as wintering and critical stopover sites during their long migrations.
The Ministère de l’Environnement and the Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs de la Guadeloupe and Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs de la Martinique have acted to place some restrictions on shorebird harvest: First, the Red Knot (beginning in 2012) and Solitary Sandpiper (2013) were closed to hunting on Guadeloupe and the Red Knot was closed to hunting on Martinique in 2013. The Ministère de l’Environnement in Paris is also considering long-term removal of the Red Knot from the list of hunted species. Second, a bag limit of 20 birds per day per hunter was instituted in Guadeloupe in 2013. This action of setting bag limits, initiated by an Overseas Department, is a rare action for the French hunting community and regulatory agency. Finally, a three-year moratorium on the shooting of Whimbrels and Hudsonian Godwits was put in place in Martinique in 2013.
The BirdsCaribbean community is encouraged by these outcomes. Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean commented, “Machi’s death drew attention to the fate that awaits hundreds of thousands of other shorebirds that pass through the Caribbean in the future, and provided an opportunity to encourage these governments to adopt more sustainable hunting regulations.There is still much work to be done, but we consider the change in hunting laws to be a very important and significant conservation outcome. Machi did not die in vain.”
Machi on a Caribbean mudflat. (photo by Barry Truitt)
Said Howard Nelson, President of BirdsCaribbean, “We applaud the French government’s and the Fédérations des Chasseurs of Guadeloupe and Martinique actions on this issue, and we want to thank our members and partners for their help in bringing about this positive change.” He added, “We all need to remain vigilant about issues like this throughout the region as we continue to work to conserve resident and migratory birds for future generations to enjoy.” Nelson remarked that BirdsCaribbean supports broader social and ecological values of shorebirds and that in the longer term, he was hopeful that this would support meaningful behavior change on the islands.
Sincere thanks to all of our members, partners, and donors who wrote letters and supported this campaign – we could not have done it without your help.
Links to Articles on the Shooting of Machi and Goshen