Cuba’s beautiful endemic Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)
Celebrating the Diversity of the Caribbean
BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce its 21st International Meeting, to be held from 13-17 July 2017 at Topes de Collantes Nature Reserve Park, Cuba. Situated in the Escambray mountain range in south central Cuba, Topes de Collantes peak is the third highest mountain in the reserve rising to 800 meters, and gives its name to the surrounding park and its tourist center. The area offers breathtaking attractions such as caves, rivers, grottos, canyons, waterfalls, and natural pools. The nearest city is Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for being one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean.
The forest-dwelling Blue-headed Quail-dove, endemic to Cuba. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)
Cuba is an incredibly beautiful country with a rich diversity of birds, biodiversity, stunning landscapes, and cultural treasurers. It is home to 26 endemic bird species, many of which occur in the area, and many endemic mammals, herptiles, invertebrates, and plants. Wildlife enthusiasts will not want to miss this incredible opportunity to couple ecotourism with conservation learning and networking. The Local Organizing Committee will ensure we have a productive and enjoyable meeting as well as memorable tours and social events.
Cuba’s national bird, the Cuban Trogon. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)
As always, the meeting aims to bring together Caribbean and international wildlife professionals, ornithologists, educators, decision makers, tourism interests, community leaders, students and others to share information and learn about the latest avian research and initiatives to conserve Caribbean birds and their habitats and devise new approaches to conservation. The meeting will feature exciting keynote speakers, symposia and paper sessions as well as training workshops, round-table discussions, and working group meetings that promote applied conservation and collaboration to solve our shared environmental challenges.
The theme of the meeting is “Celebrating the Diversity of the Caribbean.” This theme relates not only to the wonderful diversity of avian species found in the region, but also to the diversity of passionate and dedicated scientists and conservationists that work tirelessly to study and protect them. From todies and trogons to parrots, peeps and petrels, there is ample reason why the Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot. As more and more people appreciate the importance of avifauna and work towards conserving critical habitats, this meeting is a fantastic opportunity to get together and share information and ideas and plan projects.
A relatively common species, the endemic Cuban Pigmy Owl. (photo by Aslam Ibrahim)
In addition to the 5 days of the main conference, there will be unforgettable pre- and post-conference workshops and field trips to the best birding sites in Cuba offering the opportunity to see more of Cuba’s endemic birds and experience rich culture and the warmth and generosity of the Cuban people. You will definitely want to spend time exploring this spectacular country and should plan some extra time for this. Plan a holiday with your family or friends before or after the meeting!
Mark your calendars for July 13-17 (plus time before and after) and plan to attend the BirdsCaribbean 21st International Meeting!
Bookmark the meeting website – more information will be added as it becomes available.
Vegas Grande Waterfall, one of manyl in Topes de Collante, Trinidad, Cuba. (Shutterstock)
Marina Fastigi of KIDO Foundation in the Grenadines shares how they were able to transform a small island community that had never had a bird and wildlife conservation culture by engaging its younger citizens in birding activities.
Dover school teacher Mr. Allen with some of his students spotting birds in the Petit Caranage Wetland. (photo by Marina Fastigi)
Based in Carriacou in the Grenadine Islands of Grenada, KIDO Foundation, a local NGO, has for years endeavored to establish a formally-recognized Bird Sanctuary in the outstanding mangrove wetland of Petite Carenage, part of High North National Park without much success. So when BirdCaribbean offered a Teacher Training Workshop, Engaging Youth in Science and Conservation, through its BirdSleuth Caribbean program – and supplied top-notch birding equipment and educational material – we took this wonderful opportunity and flew with it!
It all started in November, 2014, when Antonia Peters, our new Project Officer attended the 3-day training workshop in Nassau, Bahamas along with 23 other educators and conservationists from across the region. At the workshop, participants learned how to implement the innovative BirdSleuth curriculum, “Connecting Kids Through Birds” which was adapted for the Caribbean context by BirdsCaribbean from the BirdSleuth International curriculum developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The premise of the program is that birds are engaging and a fun way to get youth interested in nature, science, and inquiry-based learning. We hoped to involve our young people in the natural world and build their science skills, as well as increase their appreciation of nature and commitment to environmental stewardship. The curriculum is supported by a kit of materials for educators that contain resources and materials needed for carrying out the lessons, such as laminated bird silhouettes, identification cards, games, field guides, binoculars and spotting scopes, art and craft supplies, and much more.
One of the first activities at the workshop is creating a birding notebook with hand-drawn artwork. (photo by Marina Fastigi)
After Antonia attended the training workshop in Nassau, we were ready to deliver our own local workshops. Given many local residents’ hectic daily schedules, we sought out a number of potential stakeholders, from the Ministry of Education to small primary schools tucked away behind the mountain range. Our phone bill grew exponentially, however, we received positive commitments from 14 teachers of the Carriacou and Petit Martinique primary schools, the Ministry of Education, 4H Club, and NADMA (National Disaster Management Agency) personnel.
On November 19, 20 & 21, 2015, KIDO Foundation, in collaboration with the Grenada Fund for Conservation (GFC) and Education Conservation Outreach (ECO), held a three-day workshop for a group of Carriacou and Petit Martinique educators, in how to use the BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum. Antonia and her team were excited to pass on their knowledge to our interested and lively educators so that they would in turn teach their youths how to study, appreciate and conserve Caribbean birds.
Teachers practice bird identification outdoors at KIDO Foundation and record their observations in their birding notebooks. (photo by Marina Fastigi)
During the workshop, held at our green hilltop KIDO Environmental Learning Center, seven teachers participated in the first two days, and on the third they enjoyed a bird watching field trip to the new Bird Sanctuary, located in the Petit Carenage wetland area (some 100 forested acres, part of High North proposed National Park). They also visited Big Pond, another birding stopover, tucked among tall trees near the hamlet of Dover, close to Petit Carenage. The vice-principal of Dover Primary School also participated in the field trip, emphasizing his experience and passion for nature protection on his beloved island, in particular Petit Carenage Wetland and the adjacent turtle nesting beach and protected coastline.
Mount Pleasant child at the spotting scope with ever watchful KIDO co-founder Dario Sandrini. (photo by Marina Fastigi)
The participants enjoyed the hands-on learning activities, peppered with sharply humored interventions, both in the classroom and during field trip activities. By the end of the three-day session they also came up with two new projects, formalized in two groups (schools from the south and north of Carriacou), direct off-shoots of the BirdSleuth Caribbean training.
The northern group proposed to create several shelters and waterholes for birds in the Mt. Pleasant, Windward and Dover areas, to help them during the long and often dramatically waterless dry season. Also on the agenda was the prevention of topsoil erosion along the coast by planting red mangroves and large shade trees, as well as launching a clean-up campaign at the community level to remove plastic litter from the mangroves.
Teacher Mr. Matheson and a few of his keen birding team members from Mount Pleasant observe birds from our blind. (Photo by Marina Fastigi).
The southern group reinforced the idea of a bird haven by suggesting the construction of bird houses around all the schools of Carriacou, as well as planting native flower and fruit trees around school yards to attract more birds. They also proposed conducting an awareness campaign on bird conservation among kids and parents, 4H clubs, and in the wider community. Ms Lynette Kisha Isaac of M.O.E. asked for birdhouses and watering dishes to be placed around their church yard, and with regards to the BirdSleuth workshop commented, “It was very interactive and informative and learning involved many facets: speaking, viewing, doing.”
Hillsborough Government School show off their bird identification cards in the new Petite Carenage Turtle and Bird Sanctuary gazebo. (photo by Davon Baker)
We strongly believe that such conservation projects would not have been conceived and formulated had the BirdSleuth Training Torkshop not taken place in Nassau. Several teachers reportedly taught the BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum and practiced bird conservation with their students utilizing the materials provided despite their busy curriculum. With their students they joined KIDO staff, expertly assisted by two KIDO university volunteers from Chicago, on exciting birding trips along the new Bird Sanctuary trails of Petit Carenage, which had also recently been supported by street signage from the Ministry of Tourism, being an important asset for Carriacou.
Trained educators receive their certificate of achievement at KIDO. (photo by Marina Fastigi)
All in all, to date, 261 children, 25 teachers and nine community members participated in the BirdSleuth Caribbean program, which was enthusiastically received by children, and word spread that the bird-watching program was so much fun that the youths did not want to leave – even after several hours. The use of binoculars and the Vortex scope really helped awaken their interest in Carriacou’s resident and migratory birds. Vivid close-up observations of our island’s breathtaking birds generated awe and surprise that Carriacou is home to such hidden natural treasures.
Birding trainees from 4 primary schools enter the Bird Sanctuary of Petit Carnage. (photo by Marina Fastigi)
When youth are provided the opportunity to quietly observe and learn about birds in their natural habitat, they appreciate their precious role in the web of life. Only by understanding the interdependence of all species, including humans, can children genuinely care for them and help to conserve island biodiversity, engaging their teachers and families in the process. Form 3 student and keen birder Anthony Matheson said about BirdSleuth in Carriacou: “It was an invigorating experience that brought us closer to nature and closer to ourselves.”
KIDO will continue to provide assistance to the trainers and educators in order to continue the BirdSleuth Caribbean program with new students, as well as help teachers and students of Carriacou Primary Schools to build houses and water bowls for resident birds. Bird activity around schools and churches will be monitored, by counting and identifying resident and migratory birds in the mangrove Bird Sanctuary of Petit Carenage and Big Pond, and mangroves will be planted in critical areas in order to protect the bird sanctuary.
Stilt Sandpiper at the Petit Caranage Wetland in Carriacou, one of the many species that can be seen at the site. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
We wish to thank BirdsCaribbean, Optics of the Tropics, and the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) fund of the US Fish & Wildlife Service for the funds, equipment and materials provided to complete this exciting project and create a birding and nature conservation culture in our community. More photos of our BirdSleuth Caribbean program in Carriacou may be viewed at YWF-KIDO Foundation Facebook page.
Marina Fastigi, is the Director of KIDO Foundation, in Carriacou, Grenada.
Children learn about the challenges of migration and breeding successfully in the Bird Survivor game, part of the BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum. (photo by Marina Fastigi)Harvey Vale schoolchildren behind the Blind to spot birds feeding in the Petit Caranage wetland. (photo by Marina Fastigi)Education Officer Antonia Peters teaching how to identify by birds by their size and shape to the junior group at KIDO. (photo by Marina Fastigi)Children drawing their favorite bird on their notebook cover at KIDO. (photo by Marina Fastigi)Learning parts of a bird exercise at KIDO Foundation with secondary school students. (photo by Marina Fastigi)Mount Pleasant group, a brilliant lot instructed by teacher Mr. Matheson, spot birds in the Petit Caranage wetland. (photo by Marina Fastigi)
Gyorgy Szimuly is on a mission to raise global awareness about the astonishing lives of shorebirds. World Shorebirds Day celebrates their journeys but also brings attention to their plights.
American Oystercatcher grabbing a crab breakfast on the beach in Puerto Rico. (photo by Rafy Rodriguez)
We are fast approaching the date that many consider to be one of the best shorebird weekends of the year. The third annual World Shorebirds Day and the popular Global Shorebird Counting Program will be held from 2-6 September 2016. The count will be completed by hundreds of enthusiasts, including birdwatchers, educators, conservationists, researchers, politicians, and even hunters. When I first initiated 6 September as a special day to celebrate shorebirds and the hard-working people dedicated to saving them, I received a wonderful response from around the world. I have a life-long passion for shorebirds as well as their conservation, and the birth of World Shorebirds Day was one of the major milestones in my life.
Semipalmated Sandpiper (photo by Sipke Stapert)
With this special day I aim to encourage bird enthusiasts all over the world to go out anywhere and count shorebirds over the dedicated weekend. The reason for this is obvious: shorebirds are a wonderful group of birds inhabiting most parts of the world, adapted to incredible habitats but facing tremendous challenges through their annual lifecycle. Most of them are extraordinary migrants, which makes effective conservation difficult and requires cooperative, coordinated research and conservation projects. Shorebird numbers, in general, are plummeting and some populations have already reached critical levels where immediate action is required to reverse the negative trends. The link between these activities and the Global Shorebird Counting Program is to introduce structured citizen science programs to more and more people.
This year, the Global Shorebird Counting Program covers five days and ends with World Shorebirds Day on 6 September. Dozens of sites have already registered, and as we approach the weekend the numbers will soar. The enthusiasm and dedication towards World Shorebirds Day by BirdsCaribbean members has bee
Whimbrel in flight at a wetland in the Dominican Republic. (photo by Dax Roman)
n absolutely amazing. We are thrilled to see sites registered from tiny and exotic islands such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat, to name but a few. All we wish is that this dedication will be followed by other participants in every corner of the world as well. Every count is important and yields valuable information, as has been found on Bonaire recently. The counts should not be regarded as a competition but rather as a way to raise awareness about declining populations of shorebirds on a global scale. Counting and watching shorebirds is fun and being a part of something global is great.
I have been working on a wonderful new project for World Shorebirds Day which will be unveiled later this year and will hopefully impact those organisations working for the conservation of shorebirds and their habitats. Until then there is much work to do and we have a wonderful counting weekend ahead. I wish everyone a very exciting time in the field between 2–6 September 2016 and I look forward to seeing your shared data in eBird.
Semipalmated plover in Bonaire. (photo by Sipke Stapert).
Please visit the World Shorebirds Day website for more information and updates, including registration to participate in the count, maps, and other related information. Help us make the third Global Shorebird Counting a huge success by planning your count and inviting everyone in your local or national birding community to join the fun.
Gyorgy Szimuly was born in Hungary but currently lives in the United Kingdom. He works in the retail sector for a living but shorebirds are his main passion, including a major publishing project on the Shorebirds of the World.
Resources to help you with your shorebird counts:
eBird Caribbean – enter your counts for World Shorebirds Day here – eBird is collecting all the counts from around the world. Be sure to choose one of the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) counts on step 2 of data entry – that way your count will also be included in the CWC.
Seabirds are among the most endangered of all vertebrate groups. A new crowdfunding campaign is underway to support three critical scientific projects that will drive new discoveries and aid conservation of these most amazing birds. Please help us succeed!
Roseate Tern, a seabird of conservation concern that breeds in the Caribbean. (photo by Jenny Daltry)
Three projects that will advance conservation of Caribbean seabirds via a crowdfunding grant have just been launched by BirdsCaribbean biologists. Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. According to a study by Massolutions.com, the crowdfunding industry is on track to account for more funding in 2016 than traditional venture capital sources (wealthy investors or financial institutions)! The websites, Kickstarter or Indiegogo, are two of the most well-known crowdsourcing websites, but there are many other sites.
Experiment.com is a crowdfunding site that focuses on promoting “science for the people, by the people.” It recently launched an initiative focused on seabirds, a group of wildlife urgently in need of science-based conservation. The call went out to BirdsCaribbean’s Seabird Working Group to consider projects. Three Caribbean seabird projects were submitted, accepted and are now ready to receive your backing!
Seabird colony in the northern Bahamas. (photo by Will Mackin).
This project will seek the causes behind the disappearance of thousands of breeding seabirds in the Northern Bahamas. The project leaders, Will Mackin, Ann Sutton, Margo Zdravkovic, Lisa Sorenson, and Scott Johnson, will use surveys and mark-recapture techniques to find out whether the missing seabirds moved, suffered nesting failure due to invasive predators, or changed their behavior due to disturbance…or some combination of the above. The project builds on work underway by Conservian, an NGO which began a new monitoring and habitat restoration program for coastal birds in the Bahamas in 2016.
The endangered Diablotin, or Black-Capped Petrel, is the focus of this project. Françoise Benjamin and Juan Carlos Martínez-Sánchez seek to reduce collisions of petrels at communication towers along their breeding colonies in Southern Haiti, a threat brought to light by the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. They will map and characterize communication towers located along known flying corridors and colonies of petrels, record bird collisions through personal observations and interviews, then take their findings to government and industry in order to recommend solutions to this concerning source of mortality.
Wayne Smart and Natalia Collier want to determine the causes of documented declines in southern Grenadine seabird populations. In specific, they will look at how human and rat predation affects trends in six different seabird populations located north of Grenada. The findings of this project will be summarized, and made available to the public, and government agencies, in order to recommend and stimulate conservation actions.
Each of these projects has a specific fundraising goal. With Experiment.com, as with most crowdfunding sites, funding is all-or-nothing (that is, pledges by backers are collected only if the fundraising goal is achieved). Experiment.com has designated this initiative as a funding “challenge,” in that it will award additional funds to the three projects (of 15 total seabird projects) that have received the greatest number of backers by 6 PM on August 9th.
So don’t delay – Please support one or all of these worthy projects! Small donations from many people are most welcome as this will help all of us to be in the top 3 of seabird supported projects and win extra funds.
We thank you in advance for your support!
Will Mackin, Ann Sutton, Margo Zdravkovic, Lisa Sorenson, Scott Johnson, Françoise Benjamin, Juan Carlos Martínez-Sánchez, Wayne Smart and Natalia Collier
Members of BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group
p.s. Please share this post with your networks, colleagues and friends!
A peek into the sometimes elusive world of the Caribbean’s Piping Plover and the challenges of finding them on their wintering grounds. Elise Elliott-Smith reports Caribbean results for the 2016 International Piping Plover Census, held every 5 years.
A flock of Piping Plovers and a Sanderling found in South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands. (photo by Craig Watson).
I’ll never forget the excitement, relief, and wonder I felt in seeing a group of ten Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) on Little Water Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. It was January 27, our first day of the 2016 International Piping Plover Census, and I had been more than a little anxious that we might not see any at all. I had made contact with Eric Salamanca of the Turks and Caicos Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) through BirdsCaribbean, and with the assistance of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) we successfully launched the first ever Piping Plover census in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Many people helped make this possible although it had been challenging getting the necessary funding, permits, and planning. Aerial images of the habitat looked good but there were only a handful of reports of only one or two Piping Plover in TCI, and more than one person had discouraged me from trying to survey there.
Elise Elliott-Smith, Craig Watson and Eric Salamanca count Piping Plovers on Fort George Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. (photo by Caleb Spiegel).
Nevertheless, against all odds our census confirmed that these little birds had successfully flown over one thousand miles from their North American breeding grounds to land here on Little Water Cay, an island inhabited only by the critically endangered Turks and Caicos Iguana and other native wildlife. As we excitedly set up our scopes, the Piping Plovers quietly foraged on a little sand-spit near a couple of American Oystercatchers and a small fishing boat.
Piping Plovers in the Joulter Cays, Bahamas. (photo by Walker Golder).
Piping Plover are a threatened/ endangered shorebird that breed in North America along the Atlantic Coast (Charadrius melodus melodus) and the interior’s Great Lakes and Great Plains regions (Charadrius melodus circumcinctus) of Canada and the United States. They are better studied on their breeding grounds, and their tendency to disperse across their winter grounds makes monitoring and conservation efforts quite a challenge. In order to understand their distribution and track changes in populations, the International Piping Plover Census has been conducted every five years since 1991 across the bird’s winter and breeding range. Counts are always lower during winter, and we suspected we were missing birds outside the U.S. However, we didn’t have an inkling of the importance of the Caribbean to this at-risk species until we found over 400 Piping Plover in the Bahamas in 2006 and around 1,000 in 2011.
Location and numbers of Piping Plovers seen in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Islands and Cuba during the 2016 International Piping Plover Winter Census. Over 1,500 birds were counted. Map courtesy of Audubon.
During the 2016 International Piping Plover Census we coordinated the biggest search to date for this species in the Bahamas and northern Caribbean, resulting in over 1,500 observations. Multi-national teams of biologists and volunteers from the Bahamas National Trust, National Audubon, US Geological Survey, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, BirdsCaribbean, and many others surveyed the Bahamas, Cuba, and Turks and Caicos Islands. The Piping Plover surveys were well-publicized with instructions and identification tips published on eBird Caribbean, helping to garner support and volunteers counters. Surveys on other Caribbean islands were conducted as part of the Caribbean Waterbird Census; incidental reports also helped increase our understanding of this species’ presence in the Caribbean.
A stunning Reddish Egret in the Bahamas. (photo by Walker Golder).
It is an exciting time for biologists wishing to learn more about the distribution of Piping Plover and threats it faces during the non-breeding season. We also learned about other shorebird species in the Caribbean, including Wilson’s Plover and Snowy Plover, which is crucial to understanding why many shorebird species are declining, as well as learning more about their winter distribution. Although their eggs and young are vulnerable, recovery of the Piping Plover and other species depends on protection across their life-cycle. For example, the 2011 Census led to the designation of a National Park and Important Bird Area in the Bahamas. The 2016 results will hopefully inform many other conservation initiatives. Below is a summary of the Census on different islands/ island groups and additional photos and maps showing locations of surveys and numbers of different species of plovers that were counted.
Cuba 2016
University of Havana’s Bird Ecology Lab (left to right) – volunteer: Ral Gomez, Bird Ecology Lab: Alieny Gonzalez, MartÌn Acosta, Lourdes Mugica, Ianela GarcÌa-Lau, Ariam Jiménez. (photo by Jen Rock).
For the fifth time (5 out of 6 census years) the Canadian Wildlife Service partnered with local Cuban biologists to survey sites on the Caribbean’s largest island. 2016 marked a new collaboration with the University of Havana’s Bird Ecology Group led by Dr. Ariam Jiménez. Surveys differed from previous years in that there was greater capacity and improved coverage, with the addition of new survey sites and more local engagement.
Francois Shaffer (Canadian Wildlife Service) and Ianela Garcia-Lau (University of Havana) surveying for Piping Plover at Cayo Coco, Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba. (photo by Jen Rock)
A total of 105 Piping Plover were detected, an increase from the previous count of 89 birds during the 2006 census. Without a doubt, one highlight was identifying five banded birds from various breeding grounds including: Atlantic US, U.S. Great Lakes, U.S. Great Plains and Eastern Canada. However, our greatest delight was spotting birds from home: one banded in New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula and the other on the island of Newfoundland – the latter where only 12 birds have previously been banded! Overall the trip was a great success and we are happy to have engaged the expertise of the University of Havana; all of which was made possible via partnerships with Birds Studies Canada and through connections made via BirdsCaribbean.
The team was excited to spot a Piping Plover banded by Environment Canada at Plover ground North, Acadian Peninsula New Brunswick (summer 2015)! The banded bird (left foreground) was seen at playa Covarubias, Camaguey Province, Cuba, January 2016. (photo by Jen Rock)Dr. Ariam Jiménez counting plovers at playa Santa Lucia, Camagüey Province, Cuba. (photo by Jen Rock)
The Bahamas 2016
Braving the elements to conduct the census in the Bahamas. (photo by Walker Golder).
Between January 18 and 25, teams of Bahamians, U.S. and Canadian scientists spread out across the Bahama Archipelago to participate in the 2016 International Plover Census. The census was coordinated by Bahamas National Trust, Audubon, USGS and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Funding from USFWS, Disney and Audubon, helped engage an impressive thirty Bahamian volunteers who joined international scientists and volunteers to participate, develop skills, and increase our collective knowledge of shorebirds across the Bahamas.
American Oystercatchers in the Bahamas (photo by Walker Golder).
Faced with many logistical challenges and some uncooperative weather, the teams still managed to survey Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Andros, New Providence, Inagua, the Berry Islands, the Joulter Cays, Water Cays, the Exumas and Ragged Island chain. Shorebird research and improved Bahamian capacity between the 2011 and 2016 censuses helped focus efforts, which resulted in a successful count and the final data points to create at least two new Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. The total number of Piping Plovers counted seen is still being finalized but is between 1,350 and 1,400, an increase from 2011 effort. Several banded birds were tracked back to their breeding grounds in the United States and Canada.
Turks and Caicos Islands 2016
Plover counters on North Caicos in the Turks and Caicos Islands (left to right): Elise Elliott-Smith, Caleb Spiegel, Brian Naqqi Manco of the DECR, and Craig Watson.
The 2016 Census was the first ever survey for Piping Plover on any of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), thanks to support from USFWS Migratory Birds, two USFWS and a USGS biologist worked with local biologists from the TCI Dept of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR). Additionally, a School for Field Studies professor accompanied us on one survey and we received support from local boat and fishing guides. Many of the larger Islands and smaller Cays were surveyed including Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South Caicos, Little Ambergris Cay, Dick Hill Cay, and others. Piping Plover were found throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands on 6 different islands/cays.
Wet work! Caleb Spiegel (USFWS) looks for plovers on Little Ambergris Cay, TCI. (photo by Craig Watson)
The preliminary total for surveys in the Turks and Caicos Islands was 96. Since little is known about shorebirds in Turks and Caicos and there is conservation concern for other species, efforts were made to record all shorebirds encountered, resulting in over 3,200 shorebirds from 17 species. We surveyed many of the most promising areas in the Turks and Caicos Islands, however there is additional habitat that we were unable to explore. The highlight of the trip was finding a flock of 42 Piping Plover on a small cay near South Caicos, including banded birds from New Brunswick (Canada), Massachusetts, and Rhode Island (U.S.).
Other Islands
One of two Piping Plovers spotted by Sipke Stapert in Bonaire, winter 2016. (photo by Sipke Stapert)
Although unable to organize surveys on other Caribbean islands as part of the 2016 International Census, we requested participants in the Caribbean Waterbird Census to make an effort to visit suitable habitat to look for Piping Plovers. Two surveys were conducted in Aruba but no Piping Plovers were seen. However, two were seen incidentally in Bonaire after the census in early March. Small numbers of Piping Plover have been reported in prior years on islands throughout the Caribbean including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Croix, Guadeloupe, and others. Generally these reports have been of only one or two birds, but there was one sighting of a group of 12 observed in the Dominican Republic in 2006. Since the Piping Plover is rare, cryptic, and widely dispersed in winter they could be more widespread in the Caribbean than we know at this time. Hence, we encourage biologists and birders on all islands to look for them on sand-spits, beaches, and other unvegetated or sparsely vegetated habitat on or adjacent to the shore.
Looking Forward to 2021 and Beyond
Wilson’s Plover, one of the few shorebirds that breeds in the Bahamas, photographed on Andros Island in the Bahamas. (photo by David Jones).
Participating in the 2016 International Census was an amazing experience and I long to return in order to explore further and access sites we couldn’t get to in 2016. Flying from South Caicos to Providenciales in a tiny Twin Otter, I had a view of all the Caicos and little cays and it was impossible not to be struck by the beauty of the crystal clear waters and wonderful habitat. One thing that surprised me was the breadth of undeveloped and lightly developed land in Turks and Caicos. I did not realize that such areas still existed in the Caribbean, and these areas are an excellent resource for locals, visitors and birds. Birding eco-tourism is being promoted by the Turks and Caicos National Museum and the Tourism Board. National Audubon has been doing great work training locals in the Bahamas. Bird and nature tourism is also being developed throughout the Caribbean through the Caribbean Birding Trail, which has trained guides in Grenada, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. There is huge potential for much more, as long as natural areas are protected. Learning more about Piping Plovers and other shorebird species in the Caribbean informs conservation efforts and leverages international support to protect the vital habitat on which they depend. So, open your field guides to the shorebird section and read up on your plovers, then go look for them next winter, participate in the 2021 International Piping Plover Census, take pictures, and report all your observations on eBird Caribbean (and any Piping Plover sightings to me as well please!). With luck and your help, we might ensure that this fascinating but vulnerable shorebird remains for future generations to enjoy. Elise Elliott-Smith is a Wildlife Biologist for US Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, Oregon. She works on a variety of research and monitoring projects related to shorebird species of conservation concern. Email: eelliott-smith@usgs.govMany thanks to Jen Rock (Canadian Wildlife Service) and Matt Jeffery (National Audubon Society) for summary information on the counts in Cuba and the Bahamas, respectively, and Karen Aguilar Mugica for the Cuba maps. P.S. Please continue to look for Piping Plovers whenever you are visiting coastal areas and/or doing a Caribbean Waterbird Census count. Plover identification tips and photographs are available here. Enter your checklists in eBird Caribbean and help advance our knowledge of all Caribbean waterbirds. Be on the lookout for banded birds and do your best to read the band colors and flags as described at this website and be sure to report any banded bands you see. Thanks! P.P.S. Guide booklets on bird-watching in the Turks and Caicos Islands are available at this website.
Location and numbers of Wilson’s Plovers seen in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Islands and Cuba during the 2016 International Piping Plover Winter Census. Map courtesy of Audubon.Location and numbers of Snowy Plovers seen in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Islands and Cuba during the 2016 International Piping Plover Winter Census. Map courtesy of Audubon.A closer look at Piping Plover survey sites in Cuba, 2016. Map courtesy of Karen Aguilar Mugica.A closer look at Piping Plover numbers at each of the survey sites in Cuba, 2016. Map courtesy of Karen Aguilar Mugica.Piping Plover in the Berry Islands. (photo by Walker Golder)
Dave Lee holding a White-tailed Tropicbird in the Bahamas. (photo by Mary Kay Clark)
David S. Lee was a pioneering naturalist and conservation biologist who helped get BirdsCaribbean started nearly 30 years ago, and inspired many naturalists with his work and his writing. He was a man of many interests, and with respect to the Caribbean, published numerous papers and articles in the popular press on seabirds, Bahamian fish, turtles, snakes, bats, and orchids.
Donations from Dave’s wife, Mary Kay Clark and his mother, June Bash, allowed the establishment of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds that will award money to conservation projects in his honor. The money is being held in a trust and will be used to award an annual grant for innovative projects that protect Caribbean birds and their habitats.
This fund will be for the conservation of any bird in the Caribbean as a reflection of Dave’s diverse interests. He was an important part of many projects, ranging from those of the Black-capped Petrel and Seabird Working Groups to the scholarly debate leading to the elevation of the Bahama Yellow-throated Warbler to a full species.
At the moment the fund contains $12,000. Our initial goal is to raise $25,000 so that we can award $1,000 every year to a worthy student or early career ornithologist, conservationist or wildlife professional. Not only will this fund encourage creative field work for projects that make a difference, but it will also help build the knowledge and skills of young conservationists that are urgently needed to make sure that the Caribbean birds and habitats that Dave treasured are still around for future generations to enjoy.
The first call for proposals for proposals has been announced (deadline 15 December 2016) click here for information on how to apply) and the first award will be made in early 2017.
At the BirdsCaribbean meeting in Kingston, Jamaica in 2015, a round of beers was purchased in Dave’s honor, since he always seemed to have a cooler full when people wanted one (and even when they didn’t). Think of this fund like a cooler full of refreshing beverages that Dave would have around if he were here. We owe it to Dave to stock that cooler—to vitalize naturalists and empower them in their work to help wildlife.
Please give a tax deductible donation to the David S. Lee Fund. Give generously. The more we put into the fund, the more we can give out each year.
If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for the David S. Lee Fund. If you have questions or wish to make other arrangements for donating, please feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Financial Officer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org)
Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760-2076
A lovely Cuban Emerald hummingbird (female), one of the species spotted by Erika Gates and her team on Global Big Day, Crabbing Bay, East Grand Bahama. (Photo by Erika Gates)
More than one hundred Caribbean birders participated in this year’s Global Big Day, helping to set a new world record of 6,299 species, as well as set a new Global Big Day record for the Caribbean itself! In order to break the old record, birders all over the world spent the 24 hours of May 14 observing and counting as many species as possible—jointly recording over 60% of all living birds in only one day and passing the old record by 141 species! In the eBird Caribbean region*, the 428 species seen (278 in the West Indies) was 42 more than last year. By joining the Global Big Day, participants enjoyed an exciting day of birding, but also showed their support for bird conservation and citizen science in the Caribbean and around the world.
Below are some statistics and a few of the many highlights from Global Big Day in the Caribbean. You can further explore Global Big Day results and statistics for the Caribbean and the rest of the world at the Global Big Day Headquarters, while a global summary and highlights can be found here.
Highlights from the Caribbean
In the West Indies sub-region, the Big Day total of 278 species was 41% of the species on the eBird West Indies species list. A major accomplishment, considering that many wintering species had already left the Caribbean while others are rare species which are not present every year. Complete Global Big Day lists for specific countries can be found by typing the name of the country in the “Explore a Region” box on the Global Big Day page, while a West Indies-only regional list can be found at this link. If you saw a species on May 14 that is missing from the list, you can still enter sightings and have them count!Click here to enter your sightings in eBird Caribbean.
Of the 21 Caribbean countries that participated in the Global Big Day, Trinidad and Tobago again reported the most species (171). However, this was way more than the 112 species seen in Trinidad and Tobago last year, and good for 40th place worldwide! Puerto Rico was next with 129 species, then Bahamas (121), Cayman Islands (74), and Curaçao (71) for the rest of the top five. You can find the worldwide list of country rankings here.
Number of species seen in each country in the Caribbean during the 2016 Global Big Day. See how your country or island compares with the rest of the Caribbean.
This year 60% more checklists (586) were entered in eBird Caribbean from 133 eBirders, representing a large improvement in participation over last year. Puerto Rico (122 checklists) and the Bahamas (118) showed especially large increases in the number of checklists, with twice as many for Puerto Rico and four times as many for the Bahamas. This allowed these two countries to lead the Caribbean for numbers of checklists this year and also to rank in the global top 25! Other countries with strong participation included the Cayman Islands (62 checklists) and Curaçao (48).
Number of checklists from each country in the Caribbean during the 2016 Global Big Day. Puerto Rico submitted the most checklists: 122 in just one day!Caribbean eBirders were very successful in this year’s Global Big Day, finding more species, submitting more checklists, and getting more participants involved than last year.
The most species seen by one person was 122 by Julio Salgado, John Garrett, and Gerardo Toledo on Puerto Rico. John Garrett and Julio Salgado also tied the Curaçao Footprint Foundation in submitting the most complete checklists with 17. You can find out how your personal Global Big Day totals compared to other Caribbean birders here (West Indies only).
107 out of 172 possible West Indies endemics were found by Caribbean birders this year, making an important contribution to breaking the Global Big Day world record.
Birds were not only counted but also photographed: photographs of 129 species were added to Global Big Day checklists. We’ve linked to a very small sample of them here, including nicely illustrated checklists from Erika Gates in the Bahamas (here and here), Michael Good in the Dominican Republic (here), and Henriette de Vries on Curaçao (here), and a rare Striated Heron (Butorides striata) photographed by John Garrett on Puerto Rico.
Thank you to everyone who participated and made this Global Big Day successful. We hope you had a great time and will continue to participate in eBird Caribbean and future Global Big Days. Of course, eBird Caribbean doesn’t only exist on one day of the year. Global Big Day is just one of 365 opportunities/year to be a part of a global network of birdwatchers, researchers, and conservationists working together with a shared passion for birds. Any bird that you see, anywhere, at any time, can become a part of this global resource—helping your fellow birdwatchers as well as the birds that we all care about. So take a look at eBird Mobile, or how to find birds near you. Go out, explore, have fun, and let all of us know what you saw. Your sightings can help change the world. We’ll see you out there.
Team eBird and Doug Weidemann
*The countries comprising the eBird Caribbean portal consist of the West Indies plus Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Bermuda.
A rare Striated Heron seen by John Garrett and his team on Global Bird Day in Puerto Rico (Valle de Lajas, Lajas, PR). (Photo by John Garrett)Hispaniola Woodpecker, endemic to the Dominican Republic was photographed by Michael Good in Puerto Plata, DR on his Global Big Day count.Palmchat perched on a branch, another DR endemic spotted on Global Big Day. (photo by Michael Good)American Flamingo in Curacao, counted and photographed on Global Big Day, was part of Henriette de Vries count. (photo by Henriette de Vries)
A child releases a banded bird at Belmont Estates in Grenada. Adults and children learned about how birds are captured and banded for research, as well as how to use binoculars and identify birds in birding walks. (Photo by Dwain Thomas).
In Puerto Rico’s Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, members of the public went on a morning birding session, followed by a talk on endemic birds, in particular the “Reinita” – the Adelaide’s Warbler, known for its delightful song. On Grenada’s Belmont Estate, fifth-graders excitedly held bird bags, learned about mist netting and banding, and enjoyed releasing the birds. At the University of Havana’s School of Biology students organized knowledge piñatas, endemic bird bingo and other games and exhibits. And in Bermuda, besides the annual bluebird nestbox competition, members of the Bermuda Audubon Society sailed to Nonsuch Island in search of the National Bird, the endemic Bermuda Petrel, known locally as the “Cahow.”
What was all the fun and activity about? Well, one major clue in all of the above is the word “endemic.” The annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), coordinated by BirdsCaribbean and its energetic partners across the region, begins on Earth Day (April 22) and ends on International Biodiversity Day (May 22). The festival celebrates the
A child shares what he can do to help birds in an art activity in Puerto Rico (Photo courtesy of Centro Ambiental Santa Ana/ Sociedad de Historia Natural de Puerto Rico).
exceptionally high endemism in the region—173 species of birds call the Caribbean home, that is, they are found nowhere else in the world. Many of these species live only on a single island, and many are endangered or threatened. These birds are the most unique examples of the Caribbean’s natural heritage, and they often occupy specialized niches in the ecology of the islands where they live.
This year, dozens of events involved the active participation of thousands of islanders, young and old. The overall theme was “Spread Your Wings for Bird Conservation” which raised awareness about the different laws and programs that protect our unique birds and how everyone can participate in activities that help safeguard their long-term survival.
Grandparents (a group called “Renacer”) taking part in a bird knowledge game organized by students in the Biology Department at the University of Havana, Cuba. (Photo courtesy of the University of Havana).
For the organizers of CEBF celebrations across the region, it is important to reach out to different groups. Birds – and in particular the “special” endemics that are unique to each island – have widespread appeal, touching hearts and minds in different ways. Each year, CEBF partners such as
Grupo Acción Ecológica in the Dominican Republic, the Natural History Society of Puerto Rico and Jamaica’s Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM) offer new perspectives on endemic birds for visitors from overseas as well as students of all ages, educators, local families and youth groups such as Boy Scouts. Members of a group of grandparents (“Renacer”) were among those visiting the University of Havana exhibition. Many events were advertised via social media as well as traditional media.
Brahim Diop, Forestry Dept. Jamaica, hands out prizes to student winners of the Bird Art Competition organized by C-CAM (Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation) in partnership with NEPA (National Environment and Planning Agency), the Forestry Department, and the Institute of Jamaica.
In Jamaica, C-CAM’s new Portland Bight Discovery Centre, in the Salt River wetland area, was the setting for an exciting day of activities for local high school students and teachers. Prizes (including Ann Haynes Sutton’s “Birds of Jamaica” field guide) were awarded in four categories for a student art exhibition with some stunning entries. An exploration of the surrounding mangroves and bird hide, including binocular practice, was literally an “eye-opener” for the students. Earlier, the National Environment & Planning Agency (NEPA) partnered with a local non-profit organization in deep rural Trelawny for the Spring Garden Bird Festival, where the very young Team Hummingbird were champion birdwatchers.
Students from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School and the Stephanie Primary School having fun with binoculars during a bird-watching session on Union Island with Sustainable Grenadines, Inc. (Photo by Orisha Joseph)
Over in the eastern Caribbean, the trans-boundary non-governmental organization Sustainable Grenadines Inc (SusGren) took to the seas and led a series of bird-watching trips with its Junior Rangers and graduate BirdSleuth teachers. Their island excursions included an early morning trip at the invitation of the exclusive Palm Island Beach Resort (breakfast included); and extensive seabird and shorebird viewing and counting via boat trips and on foot, around Union Island and its surrounding islets and rocks.
The CEBF would be nothing without partnerships, and new ones are being forged every year on every island. Non-governmental organizations such as “SOPI” (Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña), in Puerto Rico; private sector sponsors such as the Bermuda Electricity Company; government agencies such as Jamaica’s Forestry Department; and academic institutions such as the Cuban Zoological Society and the Institute of Jamaica’s Natural History Museum – all bring extra value to the activities by lending additional local expertise, materials and funds.
On the trail looking for birds with home-made binoculars in Puerto Rico. (Photo courtesy of Centro Ambiental Santa Ana/ Sociedad de Historia Natural de Puerto Rico)
CEBF 2016 was, once again, an expression of joy and appreciation, as well as a learning experience for many. As the leader of a Boy Scouts group in Caguas, Puerto Rico put it: “What I was most pleased with were the activities for my students, teachers and the families. My boys thoroughly enjoyed it all.”
BirdsCaribbean thanks all of our partners for their leadership and hard work and the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environment for the Americas and Optics for the Tropics for materials and support.
Students from Port Royal Primary School studying the ID cards during a trip to Spittal Pond Nature Reserve in Bermuda. (photo by Andrew Dobson)
The Bermuda Audubon Society (BAS) is delighted to report that the new Bermuda bird identification cards produced with the assistance of BirdsCaribbean have proven to be a great success. Class sets of the cards have been distributed to every school on the island free of charge thanks to a grant from the Bank of Bermuda Foundation and they have been met with a very favourable response.
Budding birders learning to identify Bermuda’s birds. (photo by Andrew Dobson).
“There has been a demand for this sort of card for a long time,” commented Andrew Dobson, BAS President. “The cards are being used in both the classroom and on field trips and everyone loves them. They are a fantastic tool for helping people to learn more about Bermuda’s birds.”
One card features all of Bermuda’s breeding birds with migratory land birds on the reverse side. The second card features Bermuda’s seabirds with migratory wetland birds on the reverse. The cards are available for only $5 each to both residents and visitors from the Bermuda Audubon Society and local gift shops, book stores, and nurseries in Bermuda.
The Bermuda bird cards are the latest in a series produced by BirdsCaribbean for a number of Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Wetland Birds of the Caribbean and Seabirds of the Caribbean cards are also available in English, Spanish and French. The cards are laminated and perfect for birding field trips.
Bermuda youth enjoying a field trip with the new Birds of Bermuda identification cards. (photo by Andrew Dobson)
“We want to support the development of these beautiful cards in every Caribbean country,” said Lisa Sorenson, BirdsCaribbean Executive Director. “It’s a great joy for us to work with our partners to develop the cards and then see how effective they are at helping children and adults to discover and appreciate local birds, including resident and special endemic species as well as visiting migrants. One youth in our BirdSleuth Caribbean program in Jamaica was so excited about his first birding experience with us that he framed his bird list and card and hung it on his wall!”
BirdsCaribbean and the Bermuda Audubon Society are very grateful for permission to use illustrations from “A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies” by Herb Raffaele and co-authors (Princeton University Press) as well as additional illustrations from David Wingate, Andrew Dobson and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
If you would like to develop a bird ID card for your country, contact Lisa Sorenson (Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org). If you would like to support the development of this invaluable educational tool in a new Caribbean country, please click here to donate.
Breeding Birds of Bermuda – side 1Migratory Landlords of Bermuda side 2Seabirds of Bermuda-side 1Migratory Wetland Birds of Bermuda – side 2
BirdsCaribbean bird tour group at Viñales Valley, Cuba with our local bird guide Ernesto Reyes and Nils Navarro, author of “Field Guide to the Endemic Birds of Cuba.” From L to R: Lisa, Nils, Ernesto, Ann, David, Jeff, Vicki, Margaret, Joni, Jennifer and Susan.
Cuba—definitely on the bucket list of most birders and indeed world travelers, but not the easiest country in the world to travel to for Americans. “I’ve waited 57 years to take this trip,” declared David Hill. “The door slammed shut on me in 1959, but now, finally, I have the chance to visit.” David, a retired airline captain and founder of RARE, was one of nine persons that traveled to Cuba for a birding expedition organized by BirdsCaribbean, January 22-30.
The Caribbean Birding Trail tour, which included time in Havana, the Zapata Peninsula and Viñales Valley, was designed to not only see as many endemic birds (27!) as possible but also to experience Cuba’s vibrant culture, beautiful landscapes, and warm and friendly people.
The co-leaders of the trip were Lisa Sorenson and Jennifer Wheeler from BirdsCaribbean and Joni Ellis from Optics for the Tropics. We were well taken care of by our guide, Ernesto Reyes, Cuban bird guide extraordinaire and long-time BirdsCaribbean friend and colleague. Our group consisted of nine Americans, most traveling to Cuba for the first time with the exception of Lisa and Joni. All brought great enthusiasm for experiencing Cuba’s birds and culture, as well as much personal experience in the field of wildlife conservation. Everyone had a lot of interesting information and stories to share that added to the enjoyment and learning of the trip. The excitement of introductions and anticipation for a fantastic week made waiting in multiple lines at Tampa International Airport for document review, baggage check, security and boarding go quickly!
¡Havana!
Capital and old cars in Havana. (Photo by Margaret Kinnaird)
Havana airport was surprisingly small, and will certainly need to grow as tourism booms on the island. A large crowd of eager family members awaited arriving loved ones, but our guide, Ernesto, was able to pick out the first few of our group that ventured out – it is true that birders have a certain look about them!
We met our driver, the “other Ernesto,” nicknamed Soby, boarded our mini-bus and headed into the bustle of La Havana Vieja (Old Havana). It was everything the guidebooks described and more. Antique cars, bicycle-taxis, and the occasional horse cart traversed on cobblestone streets beneath stately buildings of colonial-era Andalusian-inspired and Baroque architecture, interrupted by the occasional Soviet-style high-rise. We were all completely captivated by the sites and sounds of this colorful and chaotic city, full of such rich history and seemingly frozen in time.
We spent the first evening and all the following day enjoying Havana. We were distributed for lodging in casas particulares (private bed-and-breakfasts) in the heart of the old city, and gathered to explore the streets and squares together. We saw waves crashing on the famous Malecón (shorefront promenade); Ernesto and his daughter Mariana guided us by the most historic buildings and plazas; we drank Mojitos on the roof of the hotel Ambos Mundos (where Hemingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls); and dined and drank at charming restaurants and bars.
Of course, we took advantage of the myriad photo opportunities with antique Oldsmobiles, Fairlanes, and Chevrolets, which were everywhere, and several of us visited the fabulous Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes – Arte Cubano, which houses artwork purely by Cuban artists. A few in the group also enjoyed wonderful Cuban music late into the night by the talented Cuban group Hearts of Fire at the Paris Club. There are not many birds to see in Havana, though it was noted that several of the stunning artworks in the Museo Nacional Palacio del Bellas Artes featured bird imagery of some kind!
Emeritus ornithologist and living legend, Orlando Garrido, sharing stories from the field while showing us his endemic bird collection (Photo by Susan Jacobson)
At our Havana evening meals, we were joined by our Cuban colleagues and dear friends; biologist Lourdes Mugica (Universidad de la Habana) who dined with us at La California, and Maikel Canizares (Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática) at El Canoñazo. Both work in bird conservation and are long-time BirdsCaribbean members and partners on BirdsCaribbean programs such as the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, Caribbean Waterbird Census, BirdSleuth Caribbean, and White-crowned Pigeon research. They are also serving on the Local Organizing Committee for the next BirdsCaribbean International Conference in Cuba in July 2017.
Another special visit in Havana was with emeritus ornithologist, the tireless and charming Orlando H. Garrido. Many of our party had his landmark book, Birds of Cuba (co-authored with Arturo Kirkconnell, 2000). Orlando, a living legend, regaled us with stories of his involvement in forming the bird collection for Cuba’s Museo Nacional de Historia Natural decades ago, and in debating the finer points of taxonomic lineages in current literature. Also, he gave us a close-up look at his collection of mounted Cuban endemic birds.
The Zapata Peninsula
Early morning light on Bay of Pigs, Zapata Peninsula. (Photo by Margaret Kinnaird)
On Day 3, we were up early and off to the Península de Zapata on the southern side of the island, considered to be the most important region in Cuba for birding. A bus ride on wide, well-maintained, but largely empty highways took us to the Playa Larga area, found on the llanura (plain) of Zapata between the east and west ciénagas (swamps) of Zapata. Traversing wetland areas, we started seeing waterbirds right away, including Limpkin, egrets, herons, and ticking off endemics such as the Cuban Black Hawk and Red-shouldered Blackbird. Playa Larga is found directly on the northern reach of Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs). Obviously this is a site of historic significance and the area was marked by individual monuments to those 161 Cubans who lost their lives defending the island during the US-backed 1961 invasion.
Bee Hummingbird – the world’s smallest bird (photo by Aslam Ibrahim Castellan Maure)
We stayed in casas in the small village of Caleton, a pretty little town with a beach, mangroves and just two little roads (one paved, one not) but experiencing a building boom associated with tourism. One of our first destinations was a nearby village neighborhood where endemic Bee Hummingbirds, the world’s smallest bird species! — are known to hang out. Indeed we had a great view of a pair from a rustic backyard – a male demonstrating his courtship flight (flying way up in a straight line, then zipping out to the side) to a seemingly less-than-attentive female (probably distracted by the flowering trees, as were several Cuban Emerald hummingbirds and migrant warblers).
Cuban Pygmy Owl (Photo by David Hill)
During our time on the Zapata Peninsula (Days 3, 4, 5), we visited a variety of diverse habitats. The Bermejas Reserve (Refugio de Fauna Bermeja), a forested area with nice trails, yielded such highlights as the beautiful Cuban Trogon (Cuba’s national bird), Cuban Crow, Bare-legged Owl,Cuban Parakeet, Great Lizard Cuckoo, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Vireo, and the adorable Cuban Tody, a favorite of everyone. We had great looks at more Bee Hummingbirds and a variety of migrants warblers were also seen including Yellow-headed Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, and Black-throated Green Warbler, among others.
At Cueva de los Peces, we had fantastic views of 4 Blue-headed Quail Dove casually strutting around, including a male courting a female. La Cuchilla was the place to see Fernandina’s Flicker, busily working on excavating a nesting hole in a dead palm tree. A Crested Caracara and Cuban Pygmy Owl were spotted nearby.
Counting flamingos, herons, egrets and many other waterbirds at Las Salinas, Zapata Swamp. (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Las Salinas, an area of shallow tidal flats, wetlands, and mangrove-islets, showcased many hundreds of American Flamingos and a wide variety of herons, egrets, ibis, seabirds and shorebirds, including American White Pelicans, Brown Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Neotropic Cormorants, Wood Stork, White Ibis, Black Skimmer, Clapper Rail, Royal Tern, Caspian Tern, Black-bellied Plover, and Short-billed Dowitcher.
At Boca de Guamá a wooded tourist spot around a lake we had excellent looks at the Cuban Oriole and West-Indian Woodpecker. Our target birds at La Turba, a grassy vegetated track between tree-lined canals, were the Zapata Sparrow and Zapata Wren. With a little help from playback, we were rewarded with four active sparrows at very close range! Unfortunately, the Zapata Wren was not so cooperative in the windy weather. Finally, one evening, we walked around the small eco-village of Los Hondones, a quiet in-holding in the National Park. Ernesto is building a house there and envisions a tranquil oasis where guests would be surrounded by a woodland of native trees and active birds. Before dark we had a long look at an industrious Cuban Green Woodpecker, Cuban Pewee, Cuban Parrot, and La Sagra’s Flycatcher, and after dark, a Greater Antillean Nightjar (Cuban) attracted to the insects under a streetlamp.
The adorable Cuban Tody – a unique beauty and huge favorite of everyone. (Photo by David Hill)
Back in Caleton, we enjoyed festive group meals with such treats as fresh coconut water from just-hacked-open coconuts and fresh fish pulled from nearby waters. We ate dinners at the casas, and were treated both nights by a very talented group of musicians, Son X Siempre, who provided excellent, authentic Cuban music, great for dancing.
We were also hosted to rum-and-honey shots and a presentation by Rosendo Martinez, the founder of Cuba’s Protected Areas Program (Centro Nacional de Areas Protegidas) and an advisor in Sustainable Tourism and Interpretation. Rosendo conducts workshops for casa owners and tour agencies, and is a great contact for BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Birding Trail program. Later, after dark, we went to take a look at the town’s Stygian Owl, perched and hunting for bats to provide its evening meal.
Viñales Valley, with stops in Las Terrazas
The Viñales Valley. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
On Day 6, we made our way to the West, to the Pinar del Río province. On the way, we made several stops to look for birds, of course. At the Niña Bonita Reservoir just west of Havana, we dodged raindrops to conduct a Caribbean Waterbird Census count, and tallied hundreds of Lesser Scaup along with a scattering of Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Blue-winged Teal, Ruddy Ducks and Brown Pelicans. In the Sierra del Rosario hills, we stopped at the eco-resort of Las Terrazas for lunch and were treated to a demonstration of the local chanting campesino music, while fighting off very aggressive chickens and peacocks mooching our lunches.
The Cuban Solitaire has a hauntingly beautiful song. (Photo by David Hill)
In January, the New York Times listed Viñales as a top destination to visit this year. We could see why. It is lush and beautiful valley punctuated with huge, flat-topped, limestone mountains called mogotes (which means “haystacks”). In between the mogotes are found rich, red-soiled fields renowned for their crops of tobacco. The developed and undeveloped areas are protected as the Parque Nacional de Viñales, and are rich in birdlife. Our first birding effort, however took place on the delightful terrace above the home of Nils Navarro, artist, naturalist, and author of the new book, Field Guide to the Endemic Birds of Cuba. In between sips of Cuba Libres (rum and Coke, with lime juice), and sighs of admiration at the pink skies of approaching sunset, we enjoyed watching hunting Merlins through the scope.
Day 7 was rainy, but we headed out to Maravillas de Viñales, a public use zone of the national park, where
Tobacco drying, Viñales Valley. (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Ernesto and Nils sought to find the Cuban Solitaire for us. We heard it’s melodious song and soon spotted it near the observation platform. We also enjoyed many other birds in the area including the Western Spindalis, Cuban Bullfinch, Cuban Pewee, Red-legged Thrush, Cuban Crow, Yellow-headed Warbler, Cuban Tody, Cuban Trogon, Cuban Blackbird, and Red-legged Honeycreeper before rain drove us back to the village for lunch. That afternoon, we had a lesson in tobacco cultivation and harvest (all by hand, or with the help of oxen) and cigar rolling in a local tobacco drying barn, and had a chance to puff on a fine cigar constructed skillfully and rapidly before our eyes. We also enjoyed coffee at a little, local finca run by Nils’ in-laws, after touring their efforts at sustainable subsistence farming (raising vegetables, coffee, fruit, rabbits and other livestock).
Man with fowl at tobacco farm in Viñales. (Photo by Susan Jacobson)
This was meaningful as we later learned that Cuba imports the vast majority of its food supply, with typically 80% of household income going to the purchase of food. Much more on-island production of food is needed to correct this trade imbalance. A highlight of late afternoon birding along the road to the El Albino Reservoir was the Olive-capped Warbler, found only in Cuba and two islands in the Bahamas, as well as Antillean Palm Swift, numerous migrants and waterbirds.
Dinner was in our individual casas. Here is a good place to explain that the business of renting out rooms to tourists is one of the few individual businesses allowed by the Cuban government.
Nils sharing information with the group about the flora and fauna of Viñales. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Homeowners have embraced this opportunity, and casas particulares form the most successful micro-enterprise in the country. Currently about 4,000 rooms are rented out to tourists in private homes, more rooms than are managed by all but one of the government tour agencies, which own the rooms in hotels and resorts. Casa particulares are registered with the government, and taxation is extremely heavy, but the income far exceeds formal salaries. Casa owners also provide meals and beverages to supplement the income. We found almost all casas to be rented at a similar low price, though quality was extremely varied!
On Day 8, we did a bit more birding in the hills behind Viñales, then headed east towards Havana. We stopped at a small fruit and coffee farm in Las Terrazas to check off the Cuban Grassquit (we got lovely close-up views of a group in the grass while the farmer provided us with sweet bananas) and also stopped along the highway to see the Cuban Kite and Eastern Meadowlark (Cuban race).
Hasta La Vista, Cuba
Western Spindales (Photo by Susan Jacobson)
Day 8, we spent our final afternoon and evening enjoying Havana again. Several of us sought out souvenirs – rum, cigars, jewelry, chocolate, bongo drums, and art were favorite choices. We checked out shops along Calle Obispo and street vendors along the Prado, and after supporting the Cuban economy, received a presentation on the topic from José Atonio Moreno (aka Pepe), a retired economist and professor. He provided an explanation for much of what we had experienced during our trip – a country with an economy that has languished for decades but is now committed to economic and political reforms that have already seen significant results as they are embraced by the innovative and resilient Cuban people.
We enjoyed a final, celebratory meal at the charming Café de Artes, decorated with vintage instruments and portraits of famous Cuban musicians. One last mojito! Then on Day 9, we were thanking Ernesto and Soby with hugs all around, back in airport lines, declaring to customs, and making plans to stay
Lisa, Ernesto, Jennifer and Nils at the end of a wonderful day in Viñales Valley.
in touch and share our photos. Already there is an intense yearning to go back to see and experience much more of this amazing country before it changes too much, but the wonderful memories of this magical trip will linger for a long time. David, affectionately nicknamed “el Capitan” by Ernesto, commented, “It was the trip of a lifetime, well worth the wait!”
By Lisa Sorenson and Jennifer Wheeler
Stay tuned for the trip report from our March 6-16, 2016 Cuba bird tour. BirdsCaribbean will lead two bird tours to Cuba again in 2017 (January 23-30 and March 3-13) – click here for information. Email us: info@BirdsCaribbean.org.
Cuban Bullfinch, another one of Cuba’s 27 endemic birds. (Photo by David Hill)
The Caribbean Birding Trail is being developed to raise global awareness of the unique birds and biodiversity of the Caribbean and to create a sustainable economy around these rare species, in an effort to protect them. This new project is an initiative of BirdsCaribbean. We have partnered with and/or trained local tour companies and guides, have first-hand knowledge of the best birding and heritage sites to visit, and know the communities and NGOs that are working to conserve Caribbean birds and nature. Our tours are well-suited for birdwatchers, nature lovers, wildlife photographers, and anyone looking for authentic, unique, and revelatory experiences. Travel with us and know that your tourism dollars will bring benefits to the organizations, communities and people that will put them to the best use. Learn more at www.CaribbeanBirdingTrail.org.
Semipalmated Sandpipers in flight. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
The sandpiper flocks fly up in waves, blurred wings beating and gliding as one, they circle around after being flushed and land again in unison on the dike road ahead of us while another flock lands just behind us. “Ok, start counting!” I say to my colleague, Fernando Simal. Easier said than done! The little brown birds dart about constantly on land and at the water’s edge, deftly snapping brine flies off the ground. We do our best to count the number of birds of each species using tally counters and record the numbers on our data sheet. This particular flock was composed mostly of Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Sandpipers with a few Sanderlings thrown in.
Least Sandpiper and Western Sandpiper foraging among the salt crystals at Cargill Salt Ponds. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Fernando and I are at our one of our “high density” points (counting stations) on the Cargill Salt Production Facility in southern Bonaire. We are driving the dike roads stopping every 400m to carry out a 6-minute count, recording all the birds in a 200m radius around our point. A second team, Jeff Gerbracht (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and Binkie van Es (St. Maarten Nature Foundation) are covering another part of the facility. The conditions can only be described as harsh—non-stop winds of 25-30 knots, blazing sun and salt foam blowing at us constantly. But the shorebirds love it, and so do we—there are not very many places where you can see such large concentrations and diversity of shorebirds so close.
We have so far encountered over 20 species of shorebirds and waterbirds using the Cargill ponds, including American Flamingo, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Black-bellied Plover, Snowy Plover, Greater yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Stilt Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red Knot and more. Depending on where the point is in the Cargill Facility, we might encounter zero birds in areas of deeper water, or mixed flocks numbering in the hundreds or even thousands in areas with shallow water or exposed flats.
Fernando Simal braves harsh conditions at the Cargill salt ponds in Bonaire. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
The prime attraction to this habitat is food—some of the ponds team with brine shrimp or brine fly larvae and the dike roads separating crystallizer ponds are often covered with hordes of brine flies. These small organisms, adapted to thrive in extremely salty conditions, serve as an essential food resource for these wintering and migratory shorebirds.
This is the second year of intensive surveys conducted at Cargill in an effort to learn more about the species and numbers of birds using this site. Shorebirds have received much attention in recent years due to evidence of alarming hemispheric-wide declines in numbers. Loss of wetland habitats is one of the main threats, but other factors also play a role, such as hunting, human disturbance, impacts from climate change such as sea level rise, and predation from invasive species.
In the case of the Red Knot, a threatened shorebird, numbers plunged from 90,000 to 15,000 from overharvesting of Horseshoe Crabs in the Delaware Bay in the early 2000s. The Bay is a critical migration staging area in spring where as much as 90% of the Red Knot population congregates to feast on horseshoe crab eggs. These birds rely on the eggs as a vital food source at their final stopover to build up enough fat and energy to make it back to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. They arrive in Delaware Bay in mid-May weighing about 120 grams, and depart 2 weeks later weighing 180 grams or more, with one particularly large individual weighing in at 244 grams at departure!
Stunningly beautiful American Flamingos dot the stark landscape like pink flowers. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
How and why did these surveys get started? Two years ago, I had the chance to visit and tour the Cargill Salt Production Facility for the first time, thanks to Daniel Deanda (Production Manager), who attended our Wetlands Education Training Workshop in May 2014, hosted by STINAPA Bonaire. I was amazed at the number of migratory shorebirds and waterbirds on the property, including the stunningly beautiful American Flamingos which dot the stark landscape like pink flowers. I recognized that this small island and even smaller site was probably hugely important to migrant and wintering shorebirds, perhaps even qualifying as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) site, a program set up by Manomet 30 years ago to protect the most important breeding, stopover, and wintering habitats for shorebirds throughout the Americas.
Thanks to funding support from Environment Canada, the blessing of Cargill managers, and partnerships with local organizations STINAPA Bonaire, WILDCONSCIENCE, and the Dutch Conservation Nature Alliance, our surveys are providing estimates of population numbers of target species at the site. Although we are still refining our population estimates, there is no doubt that this site provides a winter home for thousands of shorebirds, enough to nominate it for a WHSRN site. It could also be a critical stopover area during spring and fall migration for shorebirds that are spending the winter further south. Additional counts planned for spring and fall of 2016 will help answer that question.
The Red Knot breeds in the Tundra of the central Canadian Arctic from northern Hudson Bay to the southern Queen Elizabeth Islands. It winters as far south as Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America, undergoing a migration of 9,300 miles each fall and spring, making it one of the world’s longest-distance migrants. (Photo by Fernando Simal)
One of the most exciting finds from our 2016 February surveys were fairly large flocks of Red Knots. We noticed a leg band (green flag) on one of the birds and were able to read the flag—CTK. After entering the banding data into BandedBirds.org and corresponding further with the ornithologist that had banded the bird, Dr. Larry Niles, I learned that this bird was first captured and banded in 2004, making it a very old bird, at least 12 years of age. It was recaptured again in 2008 and May of 2015 in Delaware Bay. Larry commented: “On May 30 which is the end of this stopover period, the bird weighed only 154 g which is 26 grams short of the 180 g threshold necessary for a successful flight to the Arctic. Nevertheless this bird survived and still breeds.”
We think it is really cool that the salt ponds of Bonaire are providing a home for this Red Knot for the winter of 2015-2016, and perhaps other years as well! WHSRN site designation will help to raise awareness about the importance of “this little island” and the Cargill Salt Facility as a haven for migratory shorebirds.
by Lisa Sorenson, Ph.D. Executive Director, BirdsCaribbean
“Do you see the Pelican?” Damian Whyte, environmental officer of the Urban Development Corporation, Jamaica, seems to be asking students of Swallowfield Primary School as he demonstrates how to use the telescope as a part of the Caribbean Waterbird Census 2016 in Palisadoes Port Royal Protected Area. The equipment was donated to NEPA and Jamaica Environment Trust by BirdsCaribbean (photo courtesy of Ava Tomlinson).
The first internationally coordinated waterbird count was organized in January 1967 by Wetlands International. Now entering its 50th year, the International Waterbird Census has become a vital source of information for the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds around the world. Seven years ago, the Caribbean Islands, under the auspices of BirdsCaribbean, formally began to contribute to the International Waterbird Census; and thus the Caribbean Waterbird Census, or CWC, was born. Every year since 2010, wetlands across the region have been visited by enthusiastic, adventure-seeking volunteers eager to observe and count waterbird populations. The CWC takes place over three weeks in January and February, and 2016 was another fantastic year.
The Caribbean is home to over 500 species of birds, 170 of which are endemic, and the region provides an important site for Neotropical migrants. Wetlands are critical for numerous waterbird species, providing a variety of habitats from swamps and lagoons to mudflats and lakes. Waterbirds depend on wetlands as a source of food or as nesting habitat. For example, one of the biggest wetlands in the Caribbean, Trinidad’s Nariva Swamp provides a vital nesting site for the magnificent Scarlet Ibis. Many species depend on wetlands for refueling and resting, especially during their long winter/summer migrations.
Braving the elements to count wetland birds in the Dominican Republic (photo by Maria Paulino).
For some, going out into the blistering heat, getting your shoes covered in mud, and being bitten by sandflies and mosquitoes does not sound like the most appealing activity. Yet for hundreds of birders across the region, the Caribbean Waterbird Census is the perfect excuse to take out their spotting scope, camera and binoculars, grab a pen and paper, and visit their nearest wetland in search of waterbirds.
We are pleased to announce that 13 countries across the Caribbean participated in this year’s CWC, and in the cases of Anguilla, Bonaire and Jamaica more than one count was conducted by different organizations and citizen scientists. A total of 321 checklists were submitted, and despite the ongoing drought across the region, a total of 191 species and 30,406 birds were observed in 152 locations! The US Virgin Islands submitted a record 78 checklists.
The most numerous species observed were the American Flamingo (6,265), Glossy Ibis (1,372), Short-billed Dowitcher (1,320), Cattle Egret (1,121), and the Blue-winger Teal (1,107). The most frequently reported species (i.e. on the most surveys) were the Yellow Warbler (142), Bananaquit (104), Gray Kingbird (98), Great Egret (85), Lesser Yellowlegs (83), and the Spotted Sandpiper (72).
Cuba used the CWC as an opportunity to conduct a workshop on wetland biodiversity for a local community in Los Palacios, Pinar del Río (photo courtesy of Alieny Gonzalez).
The CWC is critical in understanding the distribution, status and abundance of waterbirds on a local, regional and global level, thus helping BirdsCaribbean and local governments make informed decisions on their conservation and management. The CWC also helps determine which sites are important for supporting huge populations of waterbirds, as well as the key wintering and migration stopover sites for threatened and declining species such as the Red Knot, Whimbrel, Reddish Egret, American Oystercatcher, and Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Over 240 sites are currently monitored by volunteer counters in BirdsCaribbean’s network. However, with over 7,000 islands and islets in the Caribbean, many important sites have not yet been included. The CWC and other censuses are a great way to involve local communities in citizen science and get young people more connected with the region’s unique and often threatened birds.
Banded Red Knot “CTK” spotted at Cargill Salt Ponds, Bonaire (photo by Fernando Simal). This bird was first captured and banded in 2004, making it at least 12 years of age. The salt ponds of Bonaire are providing a home for this and other migratory birds during the winter of 2015-2016. Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site designation will help raise awareness about the importance of Bonaire and the Cargill Salt Facility as a haven for migratory shorebirds.
The special logo for the 50th Anniversary of the IWC. Everyone is invited to use the logo for any purpose, such as articles, websites, newsletters and t-shirts. Everyone participating in the count is encouraged to share photos and stories on social media using the hashtags #IWC50 and #WaterbirdsCount
In 1967, while the Vietnam War was being fought, Gilbraltar was deciding if it should remain a British Territory or change over to Spanish ownership, and the first edition of Rolling Stone magazine was published in the U.S. Another history-making event also took place that year—the first International Waterbird Census (IWC). The first count took place in the UK in January of 1967 and included just waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans). Since then the count has grown to include 143 countries across the globe with counters recording numbers of all waterbirds at thousands of sites. This year we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the IWC, with the theme, “Let’s Make it Count!”
Wetlands International, the coordinator of the IWC has launched a year-long campaign in partnership with governments, non-profit organizations and citizen scientist volunteers to celebrate the 50th Anniversary. They aim to make 2016 the biggest count ever, increasing the number of important wetlands sites covered by the count, to ensure the latest and most up-to-date information about waterbirds is available to support conservation action for waterbirds and wetlands worldwide.
International Waterbird Census – Its Far-reaching Effects
Because of the work of the IWC, over 5 million km2 of critical areas for waterbirds were identified, including Ramsar Sites, World Heritage Sites and network sites in all flyways, and Important Bird Areas. Countries have also come to understand the importance of wetlands, their resources and wildlife. Take for example the case of the Senegal Delta. The wetlands found there are an important home for waterbirds and provide a “rest-stop” for migrants. These wetlands were significantly altered from the construction of dams and the expansion of the agricultural sector. Because of local monitoring of waterbirds, however, more attention was placed on proper management of the wetlands, including re-wetting drained ones, to benefit both wildlife and humans.
In addition to conserving sites and raising awareness, other noble strides and contributions from the IWC include enhanced understanding of relations between wild birds and avian viruses, providing updated information to assist with periodic updates of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species around the world, and promote informed management of wetlands and waterbirds.
Rt to Left: Orisha Joseph (Sustainable Grenadines Inc staff) and her team, including local businessman Martin Jennett, local bird expert Katrina Collins, and SusGren intern Sonia Jind count waterbirds at Belmont Salt Pond in Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
A Closer Look at Home – The Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC)
Seven years ago, the Caribbean islands, under the auspices of BirdsCaribbean, formally began to contribute to the IWC; and the Caribbean Waterbird Census, or CWC, was born. Every year since 2010, wetlands across the Caribbean region have been visited by enthusiastic, adventure-seeking volunteers eager to observe and count waterbird populations, despite the drawbacks of muddy shoes and encounters with hungry sandflies and mosquitoes. The regional CWC is a three-week count that begins on 14th January and ends on 3rd February. Partners are encouraged to carry out counts at all times of the year, however, especially during the spring and fall migration periods.
For the past two years, the Caribbean has suffered from a cataclysmic drought, which has obviously affected many of our wetlands. Notwithstanding, for this seventh consecutive year, the teams across the region have gone out and done their counts. On Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Orisha Joseph and her team of 10 have made sure that populations of waterbirds at Ashton Lagoon and Belmont Salt Pond have been accounted for. In Antigua, top counting spots, though surveyed, yielded little results as in the case of Potworks Dam and Bethesda Dam, which have been bone dry for months. However, Andrea Otto and her team have gotten promising numbers having covered Christian Cove, Pelican Island Pond, Valley Church Pond, Jabberwock Swamp and McKinnon’s Pond.
This year, the International Piping Plover Census, conducted every 5 years, was done simultaneously with the CWC. The Caribbean provides important wintering grounds for these daring flyers among other shorebirds including Ruddy Turnstones, Black-necked Stilts, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and Willets. Thanks to the CWC, we are able to understand if their populations are in decline, stable or are increasing.
Stilt Sandpiper and Short-billed Dowitcher are 2 migratory shorebirds that depend on Caribbean wetlands to feed and rest during migration and winter. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
If you are in the Caribbean and interested in participating in the CWC, learn how to do so here. Also, don’t forget to upload your sightings to eBirdCaribbean. Keep counting, keep recording, and keep taking photos! The CWC helps us understand the distribution, status and abundance of waterbirds on a local, regional and global level, thus helping us, like the IWC, to make informed decisions on their conservation and management. From the CWC, we are learning which sites are important for supporting huge populations of waterbirds, as well as the key wintering and migration stopover sites for threatened and declining species such as the Red Knot, Whimbrel, Reddish Egret, American Oystercatcher, and Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Over 240 sites are currently monitored by volunteer counters in our network. However, with over 7,000 islands and islets in the Caribbean, many important sites have not yet been included. We invite you to be a part of the biggest count ever. Remember, we have 11 more months to plan and execute a great count for the CWC and IWC!
Lyndon John, Vice President of BirdsCaribbean.In sharing the stories of the people behind BirdsCaribbean, we could find no better place to start than with Lyndon John, Vice President. We interviewed him via email.
What is your job (currently and in the recent past if different from you current position)?
I am the Caribbean Invasive Alien Species Project Coordinator with Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) responsible for management of the EC funded BEST project entitled “Conserving Species and Sites of International Importance by the Eradication of Invasive Alien Species in the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories.”
I have enjoyed a career spanning some 30 years much of it as a conservation biologist and a forester with the Saint Lucia Department of Forestry. I started off as a tour guide with subsequent appointments as a research officer, wildlife officer and eventually to Assistant Chief with acting appointments as Deputy Chief Forest Officer and Chief Forest Officer.
How did you get interested in birds?
While I am a native of Saint Lucia, much of my early childhood was in urban Jamaica where I did not get to see much more than commonly seen garden birds or sometimes waders along the canals of the Portmore area. However, natural history television programmes (e.g. Jacques Cousteau) and reading (e.g. Gerald Durrell) sparked my early curiosity for the subject of wildlife in general. Upon my return to Saint Lucia as a teenager in high school, I became a member of the then St. Lucia Naturalists Society and participated in field trips covering various aspects of St. Lucia’s fauna and flora during which I gained a greater appreciation for native and migrant birds.
Lyndon John’s passion for birds and other wildlife began at an early age.How did you get involved with BC?
In 1986, I was recruited as a tour guide with the Saint Lucia Department of Forestry. Due to my enthusiasm specifically for the wildlife component of the Department’s programme, I was invited to attend the 1990 meeting of the then Society of Caribbean Ornithology (SCO) in Jamaica by Mr. Paul Butler and then Chief Forest Officer Gabriel Charles. I accompanied both gentlemen to the meeting which was held at the UWI, Mona Campus. This was my first international wildlife meeting of what has since been a lifetime of professional related travel.
How has the organization influenced you?
I thoroughly enjoyed the international meetings of then SCO, (currently BC) because although I was a novice in the field , I met fellow members from all over the region who were also just getting started in their careers. Some would eventually serve at the highest levels of the organization and also in offices from their respective countries. It served as an excellent basis for networking and fostering our keen interest as budding conservation scientists. It also introduced me to mentors such as Dr. James Wiley, who would become my professor during my undergraduate studies in Biology (Wildlife) at Grambling State University, Louisiana, USA. Herb Raffaelle, Joe Wunderle, Ernesto Garcia are among the many who encouraged and influenced my career.
Additionally, I became the first Forest Officer in my Department to be awarded a grant directly. The cash grant of US$1500.00 US in 1992 enabled me to conduct research on the White breasted Thrasher, a critically endangered St. Lucian species. The project entitled “Conservation of the White breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus sanctae luciae). also enabled me to purchase field gear for the wildlife unit of the Department. The grant was provided by BirdLife International and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through SCO (BirdsCaribbean).
What does being a member of the board mean for you?
Being a board member of BC allows me to give something back to an organization that influenced my youth and career as a conservation biologist.
Involvement in BirdsCaribbean has been an opportunity to give back to an organization that influenced him.What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Caribbean bird conservation?
The Caribbean consists mainly of a youthful population, with struggling vulnerable economies and a political emphasis on traditional outmoded model of development based largely on conversion of natural landscapes. The biggest challenge to Conservation is that it needs to answer the demands of the region’s societies for sustainable development, while making every effort to showcase the immense, irreplaceable social and biological value of our birds and their habitats as part of the solution in our drive for development.
If you could encourage people to do one thing for birds, what would it be?
Value them and their habitats! To value them, one must come learn about them. You cannot value what you are not aware of, nor do not understand. In so doing, I hope this would reveal the tremendous value, actual and potential contribution of birds to the Caribbean.
What was your most rewarding education/conservation/research success?
During my 1992 research on the project entitled “Conservation of the White breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus sanctae luciae). I discovered that the chicks were precocial in behavior and that they left the nest before they could fly. I got video footage of this behavior which had never been described for the species before this study. Additionally, I’d say getting Saint Lucia to ratify the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 2001 and adding the Mankote Mangrove and Savannes Bay Mangrove to the list of Internationally protected wetlands, thereby protecting valuable habitat for native and migratory birds.
A juvenile Red Knot in Barbados (by John Webster). This species has one of the longest migrations of any bird, traveling more than 9,000 mi (14,000 km) from the Arctic to the southern tip of South America each year. Some individuals use Caribbean wetlands as stopover sites on migration.
One bird, two bird, three bird, four! Since 2010, hundreds of dedicated volunteers have been spreading out across the Caribbean’s vast wetlands, large and small, and counting birds for the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC). The goal is to learn more about the status of migratory and resident waterbirds and strengthen their conservation.
Waterbirds in the Caribbean, and the wetlands they depend on, are challenging to monitor. The Caribbean region is spread across 7,000 islands, islets, and cays and many wetlands are difficult to access. But our intrepid counters have braved gooey mud, marauding mosquitos, and sweltering heat to help us gather data of great importance to conservation.
Waterbirds are species that depend on aquatic habitats, like mangroves, salt ponds, tidal flats, lagoons, beaches, and freshwater marshes, to complete portions of their life cycle. Unfortunately, many species are in severe decline, particularly shorebirds. Semipalmated Sandpiper that once numbered over two million on Caribbean and South American wintering grounds have dropped by 80%. Another long-distance migrant shorebird, the Red Knot, is now listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act, having declined by 80% as well. The Zapata Rail, endemic to sawgrass habitat in the Zapata Swamp in southern Cuba, has not been seen with certainty in nearly 20 years.
Wetlands are important for birds and for our well being too. Not only do they provide a home for wildlife, they also provide people with clean water, protection from floods and erosion, and opportunities for recreation and wildlife viewing.
Reddish Egret (dark morph) in Cuba by Antonio Rodriguez. This medium sized heron has 2 color morphs, light and dark. It inhabits coastal wetlands in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles islands. It is known for its energetic feeding behavior, running, jumping, flying and open wing dancing in pursuit of small fish in shallow water.
For years wetlands have been destroyed for development, damaged by pollution, or threatened by tourism, agriculture, cattle, industry, or sea level rise. Because wetlands are vital to birds and people, it’s important to know where they are, what birds are living in them, and what times of year they are being used.
BirdsCaribbean is answering these questions through the CWC, a program that aims to increase support for waterbird and wetland conservation by training a cadre of people to observe and record birds in wetlands across the Caribbean. Natural resource agency staff and citizen scientist volunteers help answer important questions while gaining an understanding and appreciation of migratory birds and the wetlands that they live in.
Since the beginning of the program in 2010, over 200 people from 21 countries have surveyed more than 700 areas! Each year, more and more people take part in the CWC. We have learned a lot of cool stuff over the last six years!
For example, several places stand out for their high numbers of birds. Sur de Los Palacios, Cuba is important to Wilson’s Plover throughout the fall, winter, and spring. This medium-sized bird is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watchlist, which lists species most in danger of extinction without significant conservation action. Knowing where they spend much of their time can lead to increased conservation for these sites in Cuba. Monte Cristi in northwestern Dominican Republic has been discovered as an incredibly important site for many shorebird species throughout the migration and winter season. Counts in the fall are especially high for Greater Yellowlegs (870 individuals), Lesser Yellowlegs (3,250 individuals) and Semipalmated Sandpiper (3,150 individuals), all being the highest overall counts for the species throughout the Caribbean!
White-cheeked Pintails in flight by Ernesto Reyes. Wetlands in the Caribbean are very important to migratory ducks like Blue-winged Teal and Lesser Scaup, and resident ducks, such as the White-cheeked Pintails, shown here.
Shorebirds like these only weigh a couple ounces; the Semipalmated Sandpiper weighs in at just a smidge more than a quarter, and flies thousands of miles from it’s breeding grounds in the Arctic to it’s wintering grounds in South America. Knowing where this bird stops along the way is important so conservationists can protect the places it needs to rest and feed for their long journey.
Another indicator of importance is the diversity—or how many different kinds of birds—are observed. Two locations in Guadeloupe (Pointe des Chateaux and Petite-Terre) and one in Cuba (Sur de Los Palacios) had over ten different shorebirds counted and seven other sites, located in Guadeloupe, Grenada, DR, Bahamas, Cuba, and Grenada recorded 9, 8 or 7 shorebird species. Some sites in the Caribbean like Sur de Los Palacios in Cuba and Monte Cristi in the Dominican Republic stand out for high numbers of all waterbirds, not just shorebirds. Of the 241 sites monitored in 2014 a total of 293 species were recorded!
What do all these numbers really mean? Knowing which birds are using what areas helps conservationists identify the most important sites to protect. Raising awareness, and showing the value of wetlands to local communities can lead to better care and protection of the wildlife using them. They become places to promote environmental education and bird and nature tourism. Enhancing key sites by installing boardwalks, viewing towers, and signs makes them attractive to visitors, which in turn increases their value for local people, livelihoods, and the economy.
During winter, some birds migrate, but many travel only short distances. Wilson’s Plover (female) at Mt Hartman wetland in Grenada by Greg Homel. This handsome shorebird is found in coastal areas, including sandy beaches, mudflats and mangroves. It is resident and breeds on many Caribbean islands. During winter, some birds migrate, but many travel only short distances.
While participation in the CWC has increased every year and we have already learned a great deal from the counts, there is still much work to be done! With over 7,000 islands and islets in the Caribbean, many important sites have not yet been surveyed. In addition, it’s important to continue surveying the same sites over the long term in order to document changes in waterbird numbers in relation to changing environmental conditions, for example, under climate change. Finally, we must continue to raise awareness about the importance and value of these sites to birds and people and promote protection and good management. Doing so will ensure that these critical wetlands are not lost forever; and birds and people will have a place to thrive.
To find out how to participate in the CWC, click here.
Welcome to the BirdsCaribbean website, where you will learn about our work on Caribbean birds, and will be inspired to join our diverse community of people working for a sustainable future for the region through preservation of birds and their habitats.
Since 1988, BirdsCaribbean has been supporting the conservation of some of the most endangered species not only of the region, but of the entire Western Hemisphere. We support innovative conservation programs for island endemics (such as globally-threatened parrots and petrels and the Grenada Dove) and for over-wintering migratory species such as Piping Plovers. Additionally, we expose stakeholders in the Caribbean and the rest of the world to science and to the beauty and value of our birds like never before – and we use all the available new media.
We have made great strides to make training about birds and their conservation accessible to local NGOs and community groups that could otherwise not afford to access formal conservation education from our region’s institutions of higher learning. Because of BirdsCaribbean, thousands more people have greater awareness about birds and their conservation and have learned about the cultural and economic benefits of resident and migratory species. Indeed, we provide more training in wildlife conservation than any other Caribbean NGO. The enthusiastic support of our board, funders, volunteers, and supporters makes these initiatives possible. Without all of you what we do would be impossible!
Yet, much more needs to be done to secure the future of native birds and their habitats. In the next 50 years climate change will become the most important threat to birds in the region, compounding existing threats from increasing human populations, inappropriate development, over-exploitation and invasive species. Important year-round, over-wintering and stop-over habitats for birds will be lost. This will affect Caribbean endemics as well as migratory birds such as American Redstarts and wetland-restricted regionally endemic West Indian Whistling-Ducks.
Faced with these threats we cannot afford to be complacent in the least. Together, we must continue to implement programs, effectively advocate for conservation locally, nationally and regionally, and build the region’s capacity to use sound science, in support of politically and culturally persuasive approaches to promote effective conservation.
As a membership organization that has devoted itself for nearly 30 years to protecting the Caribbean’s wild birds and places, we are proud to represent you and have your support. Whoever you are—whether a student, scientist, member of an environmental, religious or community group or a concerned citizen—birds and nature conservation needs your support and participation. Everyone has something to contribute.
With your input, our work to build a future where the Caribbean’s unique natural heritage can flourish and form the basis for a future rooted in sustainable relationships between people and the environment. I encourage you to become a member of BirdsCaribbean today. If you are already a member, please consider donating your time, efforts and support to our cause, contact us about volunteer opportunities, come to one of our meetings or training sessions, go on one of our trips, participate in one of our programmes, and encourage others to join in our efforts. I promise you will find it one of the most rewarding experiences in your life.
The Grenada Dove, one of the world’s rarest birds. (Photo by Greg Homel)
Listening along the hillsides of the Mt. Hartman Estate, you can hear the mournful call of the Grenada Dove, one of the world’s most critically endangered birds. It is a shy and elusive bird, staying well within the forested hills and valleys of the estate, and very rarely seen outside of the forest canopy. The Mt. Hartman Estate, one of only two locations in the world where this bird lives, has been transformed over the last few years into one of the region’s premiere education and outreach centers, focused on the Grenada Dove.
The Grenada Dove is brown with a white belly, a light pinkish brown upper chest and neck, and a grayish forehead that extends up from the bill. Its legs, feet and bare skin around the eyes are a bright crimson red. The adults show a white belly, no markings on wings, outer tail feathers tipped with white, and a strip of white feathers that extends from its side up around the bend of the wing.
Though rarely seen, male Grenada Doves call for long periods during the breeding season with a single, descending note about a second in duration that is repeated every seven to eight seconds and can be heard up to 100 metres away. Because of the topography of the Grenada Dove’s habitat, calling males from the hillsides can be heard in valleys outside of dove habitat.
A viewing tower was erected in the park.
Habitat loss and predation by introduced invasive species such as mongoose, rats and cats are the primary threats facing the dove. Not having evolved with these introduced ground predators and sensitive to direct disturbance, a dove flushed from a perch will fly to the ground and attempt to run away, making them easy prey. Like most doves, the Grenada Dove spends most of its time scouring the ground for seeds. Although nests are located in trees, these are easily preyed on by rats. Nestlings shift to the ground at about 14 days old, making them as well as adults easy prey on the ground.
These habits continue to place the dove at risk. With funding from American Bird Conservancy and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Forestry and National Parks Department began to implement predator control programs at both the Mt. Hartman National Park and Perseverance Protected Area and Dove Sanctuary in 2013. Very high numbers of predators were caught at both sites—more mongoose at Mt. Hartman than Perseverance, but more rats at Perseverance—and it is well understood that continued predator control is urgently needed. Due to limited funding, control has been limited to key breeding areas. A predator-proof fence would provide the best protection, but financing for this endeavor has not yet been secured.
The visitor center is now a popular attraction for school groups.
Starting late in 2013, the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Forestry and National Parks Department have been working to make it easier to hear, see, learn about, and appreciate Grenada’s unique endemic National Bird and its habitat, the dry coastal forests of Grenada and the Mt. Hartman National Park. Through a generous grant from the Sandals Foundation, and with additional help from BirdsCaribbean, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, they have created new interpretative displays at the Mt. Hartman National Park and Visitor Center, developed outreach materials targeting the broader public, and carried out a school programme for elementary students in the Parish of St. George’s about Grenada’s unique species, the Mt. Hartman National park.
Billboards were placed at parish boundaries. (Billboard design by Madeleine Smith, photo by Greg Homel/Natural Encounters)
Initial activities in this project began with the pro-bono assistance of wildlife photographer, Greg Homel. He captured gorgeous photos of the dove that enabled us to include enlarged images on our outreach materials, including billboards at all parish boundaries island-wide. Though easily heard with a distinct call, the Grenada Dove is difficult to see in the forest. The idea was to bring the dove to Grenadians, residents and visitors alike on their daily commutes.
After Hurricane Ivan in 2004, funds allocated for interpretation at the Mt. Hartman Visitor Center from the GEF/World Bank funded Grenada Dry Forest Biodiversity Conservation Programme needed to be reallocated for the complete rebuilding of the Visitor Center at Mt. Hartman. The activities carried out by the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, with the Forestry and National Parks Department, enabled us to supplement existing interpretation at the site, including building a 20ft viewing tower surrounded by dry forests, at the edge of Grenada Dove habitat. Being still and with patience, one may see this elusive bird! The tower’s location enabled visitors to hear calling doves, and experience the dry forest and its wildlife, including anoles, birds and lizards. At the entrance to the short trail leading to the tower, an outdoor bird identification display featuring Grenada’s bird species has been erected that identifies endemic, resident and migratory birds. BirdsCaribbean provided the template.
Interpretive signage in the visitor center showcases the dove and its dry forest habitat.
Multiple 8-foot tall indoor wall displays in the Mt. Hartman Visitor Center tell the Grenada Dove story in a larger than life fashion. With numerous descriptive photos and information, both youth and adults are targeted. These displays cover the dry forests, the dove itself, its habitat and threats. At child height, the 8 sq. ft. tabletop 3D relief map shows visitors the hills and peninsula that make up the Mt. Hartman National Park.
Posters, stickers and a brochure full of pictures on the Mt. Hartman National Park and its wildlife were designed and printed, both for display island-wide in government buildings, schools and tourist establishments as well as for distribution to students in our school outreach programme. Having developed an elementary school presentation, Forestry and National Department staff visited over 20 schools, and are continually getting called to present to more grades and schools island-wide.
The Project’s goal is to bring more students and visitors to the Mt. Hartman National Park to experience Grenada’s forests and unique biodiversity first hand.
Vistitors can learn about many of the area’s native birds.
The Grenada Dove, IUCN listed as Critically Endangered, is found only on the island of Grenada. With a total population of around 160 individuals*, it is one of the rarest birds in the world. Found only on 2 locations on Grenada, its population is declining primarily due to loss and degradation of its specialized habitat and predation by invasive predators such as mongoose and rats. The Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, in collaboration with the Forestry and National Parks and international collaborators for the last 20 years, is working to keep this unique species from extinction through habitat protection, research, species management, stakeholder participation, and education.
By Bonnie Rusk, Founding Director, Senior Biologist at Grenada Dove Conservation Programme
Visit this page to learn more about the Grenada Dove and download free educational resources:
The Red-billed Streamertail, endemic to Jamaica. (Photo by Steven Shunk)
The mission of BirdsCaribbean—the region’s largest conservation organization—is to advance the conservation of over 560 species of birds and their habitats in the Caribbean. It’s a huge responsibility for the organization’s 300+ members and partners, and includes a wide variety of activities, from groundbreaking research to engaging education. At the heart of all of these efforts is the fundamental task of connecting communities and conservation.
The two flagship bird festivals coordinated by BirdsCaribbean each year are one of the organization’s most powerful tools to connect communities and conservation. The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and International Migratory Bird Day activities reach over 100,000 people each year at events across the Caribbean. To showcase this year’s theme, Restore Habitat, Restore Birds, BirdsCaribbean developed a free ebook, Heritage Plants, that showcased native, bird-friendly plants that beautify backyards and neighborhoods while creating habitat and food for birds.
Jamaican schoolchildren getting an up-close look at a Caribbean Dove. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Youth are often the best gateway to reach a community. For a twelve-year-old child, there is nothing like holding a wild bird gently in your hand, then releasing it into the wild. This year, BirdsCaribbean President Dr. Leo Douglas moved his research project in thirteen rural high schools in his native Jamaica forward, into Year Two. Funded and supported by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, the University of the West Indies and BirdsCaribbean, the project is the first long-term study in the Western Hemisphere of the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of youth towards bird conservation and how that that can be changed through bird education. After only a year the students rejected the idea of the capture, killing and trade in native birds, considering birds to be “very important” for Jamaica and Jamaicans. Many of them indeed experienced an “awakening” to birds and nature, check out what the students had to say in this video.
BirdSleuth Caribbean summer camp for kids in Jamaica. (Photo by Emma Lewis)
Young people were again the focus at BirdsCaribbean’s first-ever Bird Camp for children at Kingston’s Hope Zoo in July, using the BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum and with local support from the Sandals Foundation. Thirty youngsters – many from disadvantaged urban communities – were at first shy and lacking in confidence, but transformed within a day or two into eager, enthusiastic kids on a fast learning curve. Their first excursions with a pair of binoculars in their hands, their participation in art workshops, quizzes and even bird yoga, were all “eye-openers” for the children. They were reluctant to leave the lush, green environment, but eager to share what they had learned with friends and neighbors. It is hoped that, funding permitting, this could be a regular summer event and replicated elsewhere in the region.
BirdsCaribbean’s 20th International Meeting, held in Kingston in July, carried the theme Birds – Connecting Communities and Conservation. The meeting was abuzz and bursting at the seams with over 220 participants, themselves a community connected by both birds and BirdsCaribbean. The meeting showcased the latest in Caribbean bird research, education and conservation. Artist and naturalist Nils Navarro launched his groundbreaking Endemic Birds of Cuba field guide. It was announced that, on the island of Dominica, a breeding population of Black-capped Petrels was confirmed for the first time in over 150 years. Members of the public were invited to a special “Jamaica Day” program that featured exciting guest speakers, an introduction to Jamaica’s 29 endemic birds and a history of Jamaican ornithology.
International Migratory Bird Day activities in Puerto Rico. (Photo by Leslie Ann Pizarro Muriel)
The Caribbean Birding Trail, a program promoting birding tourism in the Caribbean made great strides in 2016. Guide training sessions were held in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. By promoting birding, showcasing the best birding sites and training guides, the program aims to integrate birds and birding into the Caribbean tourism portfolio, creating jobs and an incentive to preserve habitats. What a great way to connect communities, local culture and conservation!
How we connect communities and conservation in the Caribbean is more important than ever. These islands, like the birds that live on them, are beautiful and unique, but also vulnerable. Birds and their habitat are the heritage of the Caribbean people, and a resource that has the potential to bring sustainable growth and prosperity. Although threats are abundant, by sharing the wonder of Caribbean birds and teaching their value, BirdsCaribbean is creating and nurturing the connection to conservation, one community at a time.
“Awakening With Birds” Video from Dr. Leo Douglas’ study on the impact of a Bird-Science Experience on Jamaican Youth
A group of high school students at Black River who participated in the 2-day bird-science education program, with Drs. Leo Douglas and Lisa Sorenson. (Photo by Chris Colyard)
Last week 430 high school students from the parishes of Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland participated in the second year of the first ever long-term study of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards birds, and indeed the natural environment in the Western Hemisphere on the island of Jamaica.
A majority of these students had spent two days with four of the leading Ph.Ds. specializing in Caribbean bird and environmental conservation one year before, including Leo Douglas, Herlitz Davis, Luke Powell and Lisa Sorenson. These 2014 activities included both workshops and field-based programs using BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum. Field activities focused on the Font Hill Nature Reserve (St. Elizabeth) an area threatened because of natural gas/peat fuel development and exploitation. On the field day students experienced first-hand scientists catching and studying migratory and native wild Jamaican birds with specially manufactured “mist-nets.” Students also witnessed forest destruction and marine turtle nests ravaged by invasive mongoose, and discussed the visible evidence of the rapid coastal-beach erosion within the context of climate change in the Caribbean.
Students from Natalia and Bishop Gibson High School. (Photo by Chris Colyard)
This BirdsCaribbean project is funded and supported by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, University of the West Indies and the Government of Jamaica to work in 13 randomly selected rural high schools. The multi-year program has been collecting data on the mechanisms through which Caribbean youth learn about the natural world, their beliefs about the positives or negatives of wildlife conservation, and how such beliefs might be improved through culturally-sensitive engaging programs and first-hand nature experiences.
The lead organization, BirdsCaribbean, is the largest single organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean now in its 27th year of operation to promote Caribbean nature conservation. The Caribbean is ranked among the top five areas on the planet for biodiversity conservation – primarily because of the region’s unique native plants and birds and the many threats they face. Thirty-one birds are found on the island of Jamaica and nowhere else on the planet – a significant number more than any other of the region’s islands. A central part of the intervention will document knowledge and attitudes towards native Jamaican wild birds.
Dr. Leo Douglas, President of BirdsCaribbean and researcher in the Department of Geography/Geology at the University of the West Indies, Mona, describes the initiative as ground-breaking in its purpose and findings. Douglas said that while students were relatively well informed about the threat of rodent diseases, such as Leptospirosis, they were almost entirely unaware of the uniqueness or value of native plants and animals. “Almost all students entering the program had no idea that there were birds found only on Jamaica, or that birds were able to fly across the sea to get to Jamaica to spend the winter.” Douglas noted that he was pleased to learn that after one year many participating students had taken the initiative to bird-watch, conduct projects, or speak with family and friends about birds and their conservation, all on their own initiative.
DeCarteret College Students release a bird. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Participating students described the program’s experiences as nothing but life altering in what they now knew and understood about the uniqueness, threats to, and values of plants and animals that were around them, especially birds.
One student from DeCarterate College described her experience this way:
“Hearing about what was happening to the birds and their habitats made me upset. Things like illegal trafficking – it reminded me of slavery; deforestation – imagine how beautiful it used to look; pollution – terrible! I hate it! In general I never knew much about birds. I can’t help thinking of all I have learnt and will learn.”
Post intervention in-depth interviews revealed that students generally bemoaned the lack of awareness about wildlife and nature conservation within the broader society and lauded the fact that they had been privileged to learn through the BirdsCaribbean bird-science experience program.
Douglas will follow the students for another two years to determine whether the observed changes in knowledge and attitudes are longer-term and what effects they may have on their personal and school-education choices, if any.
DeCarteret College Students learn about birds. (Photo by Leo Douglas)
The study builds on the observance of a month-long region-wide festival focussed on endemic birds called the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), celebrated for one month in spring by volunteer coordinators throughout the Caribbean. The theme for 2014 was “Why Birds Matter.” The purpose of the month-long festival is to increase public awareness of the region’s exceptionally rich and threatened bird life. After humble beginnings, the festival has grown consistently over the last 13 years and now attracts almost 100,000 Caribbean participants annually from 20+ island-nations. The CEBF has been described as an unprecedented initiative of regional unification about biodiversity, bird conservation and awareness by leading international conservation organizations, such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is a free, peer-reviewed journal produced by BirdsCaribbean.2015 has been a busy year for BirdsCaribbean’s peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. The team put out the gorgeous special issue Birds of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, and are busy creating a complete digital archive of the journal which will be available for free on the journal’s web site. Even with all that, the JCO still found time to publish two additional research notes and a research article in 2015.
Three new species for Aruba, with notes on other significant sightings by Steven Mlodinow was the first research note, and includes the first documented sightings of the Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), Swainson’s Flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni), and Veery (Catharus fuscescens), as well as sightings of seven other birds with fewer than five records for Aruba. This type of research underscores the value of observing and documenting bird life in the Caribbean, where our knowledge is increasing every year.
Reproductive biology of Polioptila lembeyei (Aves: Polioptilidae) in the Siboney-Juticí Ecological Reserve, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba is a research article about the Cuban Gnatcatcher, a species endemic to the island of Cuba. The team studied nests for two years to record data like the incubation and nestling periods, the number of eggs in each nest and the success rate. Although data like this has been known for many years for common species in North America and Europe, basic life history information for Caribbean endemics is often still unknown. The text of the article is in Spanish, but an abstract is available in English.
History of the Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maculatus) in Jamaica with first photographic documentation of breeding is another research note, this one following the history of a single species. After a sighting in the 19th century, the trail ran cold until the late 1970s, when a run of intermittent sightings began in a single area. Photographic documentation of breeding was finally obtained last year, while the size of the population and its relationship to other mainland and island populations of this species are still unknown.
All of these articles, and back issues to 2011 are currently available for free download at the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, with more archives on their way in the coming months.
Just in time for the holidays, BirdsCaribbean has the perfect gift for bird-loving friends or family: giclee prints of seven gorgeous bird illustrations by Nils Navarro. These watercolors were painted by Navarro as illustrations for his recently-released book, Endemic Birds of Cuba – A Comprehensive Field Guide. These signed and numbered prints are a specially-produced limited edition—only 50 of each will be printed. In reviewing Navarro’s new book, author Herbert Raffaele remarked that “for those who do not have the opportunity to see Cuba’s remarkable avifauna in real life, Nils’ work is a remarkable substitute.” The quality of these illustrations is even more apparent in these large, 9”x12” prints. Use the form below to order one or more of these unique prints from BirdsCaribbean. Proceeds will help support our bird conservation and education programs in the region. Member price is $58.50, non-member $65.00.
Cuban Parrot by Nils Navarro
The Cuban Kite, formerly considered a subspecies of the Hook-billed Kite, is now a full species. (painting by Nils Navarro from Endemic Birds of Cuba Field Guide
Participants practicing how to use spotting scopes to identify distant birds. (Photo by Beny Wilson)
Say “Dominican Republic” and almost instantly the image that appears in one’s head is that of a long, straight and blinding white-sand beach on which an infinite stream of foamy crests come to end their journey across the blue-green Caribbean canvas. This mental picture has been implanted in our brains by thousands of magazine articles and television ads, and though beautiful, there is nothing particularly unique about it.
The setting of the most recent Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Training in the Dominican Republic was the virtual opposite of this cookie cutter image of a sandy beach. This time the training was high up in the mountains—a scene like no other on the planet—in a valley surrounded by high ridges everywhere, and all around a tapestry of produce fields that extend as far as the eye can see. Rows of carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and strawberries carefully divide the land into small and big parcels. The air is chilled by the mountain breeze, enough to make us don our jackets and blow warm air into our cold hands. This, too, is the Dominican Republic, or La Española as the first Spaniards named it the last days of the 15th Century when they first arrived in these realms:
The land there is elevated, with many mountains and peaks incomparably higher than in the center isle. They are most beautiful, of a thousand varied forms, accessible, and full of trees of endless varieties, so high that they seem to touch the sky, and I have been told that they never lose their foliage. I saw them as green and lovely as trees are in Spain in the month of May. Some of them were covered with blossoms, some with fruit, and some in other conditions, according to their kind. The nightingale and other small birds of a thousand kinds were singing in the month of November when I was there.
After reading this paragraph from a letter sent by Christopher Columbus to Luis De Santangel in which he announced the discovery of new land, we are convinced that Columbus did in fact visit the area of Constanza and Valle Nuevo, or at least he visited a very similar mountain area not far from here, because this is exactly the feeling we had when we arrived for the third Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Training program.
Endemics, like the Jamaican Oriole, abound in the Blue Mountains. (Photo by Steve Shunk)
Anyone who attended BirdsCaribbean’s 20th International Meeting in Jamaica will surely recognize Steven Shunk, one of the keynote speakers at the event and owner of Paradise Birding. We have partnered together to offer a special discount of $500 off on the upcoming Paradise Birding tour of Jamaica for any BirdsCaribbean members. Plus, Paradise Birding will also support our conservation work by making a $100 donation to BirdsCaribbean for each member who signs up.
What’s in it for you? The best possible birding tour of Jamaica, highlighting the 29 endemic bird species that are found only on Jamaica. The tour is February 8-15, 2016 and you can get all the info on the Paradise Birding website: Caribbean Endemics of Jamaica Birding Tour. The lead guide will be Steve Shunk, fresh from his visit this summer, and the full itinerary includes the Blue Mountains, Port Antonio, Ecclesdown Road and more. Former President of BirdLife Jamaica, and perhaps the best birding guide on the island, Ricardo Miller of Arrowhead Birding, will be our local guide in Jamaica.
The iconic Red-billed Streamertail is one of Jamaica’s most famous endemics. (Photo by Steve Shunk)Birding tourism has the potential to transform bird conservation in the Caribbean, by creating a market for birds and their habitats. BirdsCaribbean is working with our partners to tap into this potential through our Caribbean Birding Trail project and by working with birding tour operators in the region and beyond to showcase our unique bird diversity and create unforgettable experiences like the Paradise Birding Jamaica tour.
The Bee Hummingbird, one of Cuba’s most adorable endemics. (Photo by Ernesto Reyes)
Join BirdsCaribbean, the Caribbean Birding Trail and acclaimed Cuban bird guide, Ernesto Reyes Mouriño, on the adventure of a lifetime in January or March of 2016.
Cuba is well-known for its amazing landscapes, vibrant culture and unique biodiversity. According to the new Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Field Guide, 371 birds have been recorded in Cuba, including 26 which are endemic to the island and 30 which are considered globally threatened. Due to its large land area and geographical position within the Caribbean, Cuba is also extraordinarily important for Neotropical migratory birds—more than 180 species pass through during migration or spend the winter on the island.
Our itinerary takes you to several of the best and most beautiful birding locations in Cuba, providing opportunities to see many of Cuba’s endemic species and subspecies as well as many migrants. Along the way, we will meet people in local communities, stay mainly in Bed & Breakfast establishments (casas particulares) and eat in private restaurants (paladars), allowing you to experience Cuba’s rich culture, delicious food, friendly people, and generous hospitality. We will also have the opportunity to meet and have discussions with local ornithologists and conservationists that have been working with BirdsCaribbean for many years.
BirdsCaribbean is offering two tours in 2016: a 7-day trip in January and a 10-day trip in March. Find detailed itineraries for both trips below. Traveling with us helps Caribbean birds as a portion of the proceeds from the trip supports our bird conservation programs in Cuba and the Caribbean. With new relations opening up, this is the perfect time to take your birding trip to Cuba, don’t delay!
These trips are completed! See a report of our January trip here.
Ingrid Flores, Regional Coordinator of IMBD Caribbean, takes students birding in a recently restored wetland habitat at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar.Tree plantings, seedling giveaways, and a free ebook about native Caribbean plants—none of these things sound like ways to celebrate migratory birds. But this year they are. Across the Caribbean and throughout the Western Hemisphere, International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) events have added habitat restoration activities to their programs, attracting new participants and taking action on this year’s theme: Restore Habitat, Restore Birds.
BirdsCaribbean, the regional coordinator of International Migratory Bird Day activities for the Caribbean, kicked of the season by providing habitat restoration resources. A free ebook, Heritage Plants, featured dozens of native Caribbean plants that are of particular value to local birds as well as techniques for creating a great backyard bird habitat. A free webinar, Native Plants for a Bird-Friendly Backyard, featured Caribbean bird, plant and habitat restoration experts.
Tree-planting was part of the program for Grupo Acción Ecológica in the Dominican Republic.At dozens of Caribbean events throughout the region the habitat restoration theme was explored in a variety of ways. In the Dominican Republic, Grupo Acción Ecológica collaborated with a botanical garden to host an event that combined a bird walk with bird-friendly tree plantings. On St. Martin, non-profit association Les Fruits de Mer distributed dozens of seedlings of an endangered, native tree called Lignum Vitae or Gaïac. The Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club created an interactive bird display at a local green market that featured materials from the BirdsCaribbean webinar. In Jamaica, students were taken on a birding excursion and then given a presentation about how to protect and restore habitat.
In Puerto Rico, students had the chance to see the results of habitat restoration firsthand at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar, a rare example of freshwater swamp forest. Abandoned and overgrown with invasive plants, this 50-acre habitat has been rehabilitated over the last four years into a nature preserve with a three-quarter mile elevated boardwalk and 40 foot bird observation platform. Ingrid Flores, Regional Coordinator of IMBD Caribbean explained that “the students learned how habitat restoration helps migratory birds, and how it creates valuable public space for recreation and education.”
What kind of bird is that? Students of Denham Town Primary with a little help from resident bird expert at National Environment & Planning Agency, Ricardo Miller (second left) were able to identify 5 species of birds at the Old Coal Wharf in the Palisadoes Port Royal Protected Area as part of a bird count held recently in celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, October 9.“BirdsCaribbean has always used birds as a way to connect people to nature, and this year we’ve found that native plants and trees can also play the same role,” explained BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Lisa Sorenson. “By incorporating habitat restoration into our activities this year we’ve reached a whole new group of people who connect to nature primarily through plants. We’ve shared a lot about birds and learned a lot about plants in the process.”
BirdsCaribbean has been the regional coordinator for International Migratory Bird Day activities for eight years. Centered around the month of October—peak season for migratory birds in the Caribbean—approximately 40,000 people participate in these events each year. Learn more, download the Heritage Plants ebook and watch the native plants webinar, right here at birdscaribbean.org. IMBD activities across the Western Hemisphere are coordinated by Environment for the Americas (EFTA).
Ashton Lagoon will be the site of a massive restoration project. (Photo by Gregg Moore)
A long-awaited moment of renewed hope came for the people of Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines last month with the launch of the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project. The largest bay in the Grenadines, Ashton Lagoon included the largest mangrove habitat on the island and had long been a popular fishing and recreational area for local families. Seriously damaged by a failed marina development 20 years ago, on-the-ground work has now begun to restore the lagoon.
The launch event, organized by the Sustainable Grenadines Inc. (SusGren), a local non-profit conservation organization, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries and Industry saw more than 100 people in attendance representing various sectors of the island community and government departments and ministries.
The launch ceremony featured brief remarks from supporting agencies and a large billboard showing the vision for the restored Ashton area. The road to this new beginning was rocky and challenging, but amidst the many obstacles encountered along the way SusGren remained optimistic. They have been the driving force behind this initiative with support from BirdsCaribbean, championing the cause for restoration efforts for over 10 years.
An aerial view of Ashton Lagoon in 2004 shows how the failed marina disrupted the natural water flow. (Photo by Michele Kading)
“The process, which involved lobbying with government for permission to proceed and holding talks with various government agencies and donors, was long but we never gave up, and we are happy to have received permission from Cabinet earlier this year,” said Mr. Martin Barriteau, Special Advisor to SusGren.
The Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project was initiated as a result of the negative environmental impacts caused by a failed marina development in 1994. The Marina Project proposed to join Frigate Rock to Union Island, construct a 300-berth marina, a golf course in the mangrove area, and large condominiums, but was abandoned in 1995. Not all local people were in favor of the project, which destroyed pristine marine habitats, vital to the livelihoods of local fishers and enjoyed by tourists and locals alike.
Ashton Lagoon, located on the south coast of Union Island in the Grenadines, is the largest bay in the Grenadines and was unique in that it contained all the primary components of a mangrove/seagrass/coral reef ecosystem, including a long stretch of outer reefs, a shallow protected inner lagoon, abundant seagrass beds within the lagoon, tidal mud flats, salt ponds, and the largest continuous mangrove habitat in the region. Because of its rich biological diversity and ecological importance for the entire coast of Union Island, the lagoon was designated a Marine Conservation Area and protected under The Fisheries Act of 1986. The area was also designated an Important Birding Area (IBA), supporting a large variety of resident and migratory herons, egrets, shorebirds, seabirds and landbirds.
Mr. Martin Baritteau addresses the crowd at the launch ceremony in Union Island.
Despite its protected status, a foreign developer was given permission to proceed with the project. An environmental assessment pointed out that the development would cut off water circulation to the bay, causing catastrophic damage to reefs, seagrasses and fisheries. Nevertheless the project proceeded, with exactly the predicted results. After dredging the lagoon and building the causeways and marina berths, the developer went bankrupt and disappeared, leaving behind the damaged bay.
Impacts from the failed development included stagnant polluted water in the lagoon and marked declines in marine life and the health of the mangrove. It was not just the news of a failed marina that troubled the islanders but the glaring sight of, “the worst environmental disaster in all of St.Vincent and the Grenadines” said Director of Grenadines Affairs, Mr. Edwin Snagg.
The once fishing haven was no more, the family fun areas for picnicking and swimming were gone also, the passage way to ease fishers journey to their fishing grounds was cut off, and the calm turquoise waters of the lagoon where coconut and gum boats once sailed were now murky and stagnant.
Fun with Hummingbirds at Rocklands by Wendy Lee.BirdsCaribbean’s first ever photography competition, “hatched” at our 20th International Meeting in Jamaica, has proven to be a great success. The three judges had considerable enjoyment looking through 126 photos submitted on BirdsCaribbean’s Flickr group (look for tag “BCPhotoContest2015”) by many fine photographers.
This year’s contest featured three distinct categories as well as an overall Grand Prize Winner. The Endemics category showcased the bird species found only on Jamaica. Fun with Birds and People highlighted both human-bird interaction and the International Meeting itself. Birds and Nature explored birds as well as their habitats and the other animals and plants that make up island ecosystems.
There was much to consider in the birds photographed including composition, focus, colour and overall interest. The judges were unanimous in their decisions for the following prize winners.
Grand Prize Winner Red-billed Streamertail by Rafy Rodriguez.
Thanks also to our three wonderful judges, Andrew Dobson, Claude Fletcher and Stokely Saddler, for their time, expertise, and careful consideration of all the photos.
Finally, thanks to all the photographers who participated in the contest! Many excellent shots were submitted, making the decision on the winning photos a real challenge for the judges. To see the entries in each category, follow these links: Endemics, Fun with Birds and People, and Birds and Nature.
Patrimonio Vegetal is part of BirdsCaribbean’s effort to provide resources in multiple languages.The BirdsCaribbean-produced guide to bird-friendly gardening with native plants has been translated into Spanish and is available now on the Resources page of the BirdsCaribbean website. The book—called Heritage Plants in its English edition—was produced collaboratively by members of BirdsCaribbean and translated into Spanish by Juan Carlos Fernández Ordóñez. It was produced to accompany the 2015 International Migratory Bird Day theme: Restore Habitats, Restore Birds.
The book emphasizes the importance of native plants to Caribbean birds and other animals. While many islands are heavily developed, bird-friendly gardening and native tree plantings in neighborhoods can help people and wildlife co-exist. The trees and plants featured in the book were selected specifically for their value to birds. The book also includes general advice about creating bird-friendly backyards and habitat renewal as well as links to resources with additional information.
Mazarine Treyz conducting a fundraising workshop at the BirdsCaribbean International Meeting in Jamaica. (Photo by Emma Lewis)After facilitating an incredibly useful and well-received workshop at BirdsCaribbean’s International Meeting this summer, fundraising guru Mazarine Treyz has partnered with BirdsCaribbean to offer free webinars to our members. The series will start with her Crucial Year End Giving Strategies Webinar, just in time to help you craft the perfect year-end appeal for your organization.
According to Blackbaud, most money is raised in the last quarter of the year. Around the holidays, people tend to give more, both online and offline. This means that your year-end appeal letter is a critical element of your fundraising success. How can you take advantage of this most wonderful time of the year? Even if you’ve written an appeal letter or two before, why not get some new tactics to raise even more this December?
In this event, you’ll learn:
What are the different kinds of stories, and how can you tell them for your cause?
What are appropriate fundraising pictures for your letter?
How can you make your mission URGENT for your donors?
What formatting mistakes do people often make with their appeals? How can you avoid them?
How to talk about your nonprofit’s accomplishments in a donor-centered way.
Whether you’re creating your first year-end appeal or you simply want to improve your results you got last year, this presentation will help you!
If you are a BirdsCaribbean member, you can register for this free webinar now. If you’re not a BirdsCaribbean member or need to renew your membership you can do that quickly and easily online. The normal cost of this webinar is $97/person and individual membership to BirdsCaribbean is only $25. Learn more about Mazarine on her website.
The 2015 raffle prizes include beautiful works of original art.The drawing for BirdsCaribbean’s 2015 raffle is coming up October 24th, but you still have time to purchase tickets. The proceeds from the raffle support our conservation programs and to provide travel support for BirdsCaribbean delegates to attend workshops and conferences.
The prizes this year are fantastic if you are a bird lover, an art lover or need a new pair of binoculars: an original painting of Bananaquits on Banana Flower by acclaimed Grenadian wildlife artist Freddy Paul, generously donated by the artist, a pair of Vortex Viper HD 8×24 roof prism binoculars, and a framed, ceramic relief artwork by outstanding Jamaican artist, Everard Powell, also donated by the artist.
Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Contact us to let you know how many tickets you would like. You can pay for the tickets online, or request other payment options when you contact us. Remember to get your tickets before October 24th, and good luck!
