Susan, a certified bird guide from Bonaire, was out birding when she spotted a newly arrived Osprey perched on a post. Only when she looked back at her photos did she spot something different about this bird. Read on to find out more about this bird and its amazing migration from Susan.
Fall migration is an exciting time of year in the Caribbean! This is when those of us birding on Bonaire begin to see the arrival of many migratory species, and one of those is the majestic Osprey. Although we do observe Ospreys year-round, the population greatly increases during fall migration and over the winter months.
Many of the Ospreys that spend winter on Bonaire have a highly refined site fidelity. They actually return to the same tree limb, or other favorite perch, each and every winter. For other arriving Ospreys, Bonaire is quite likely to be the first land they encounter on their southern journey. They will rest and recover from a long flight across the Caribbean Sea, before continuing southward to overwintering grounds in South America.
Two bands are better than one…
The ‘mystery’ banded Osprey photographed on Bonaire. (Photo by Bonaire Bird Tours)
On September 12, 2022, I was birding down in the southern salt flats of Bonaire. Along the way to the southern point, I noticed that one Osprey had just arrived and was perched on its favorite hunting tree. As I continued birding, I spotted a second Osprey perched on a post. Here was a great photo opportunity, I thought, as I snapped off several images. However, it wasn’t until I looked at the images the following day, that I noticed this Osprey wore two bands.
One was a color band and was mostly readable. The number 54 was clearly discernible, but a toe partially obscured the initial letter on the band; it appeared to be an F. Unfortunately, the second band was not readable in my images. Finding a banded bird makes it an individual – it is no longer an anonymous bird among many other anonymous birds. I was curious about this special bird, and so I began my Internet search for registries of banded Osprey to try to find out more, with what little information I had.
But my efforts fell flat- I came away empty handed!
The BirdsCaribbean network: a fountain of knowledge
Every birder needs to be part of a bird network. Since there is just so much to learn about our feathered friends, it’s impossible to know everything. A birder needs a support network–somewhere he or she may go with questions, and, for me, there is no better bird network than BirdsCaribbean. It’s an incredible resource that delivers again and again!
When my initial Internet searches didn’t help, I turned instead to my trusty bird network. And, hey presto! Within just two hours, I learned that Dr. Scott Rush, Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Mississippi State University, was mentoring a Ph.D. research assistant, Natasha Murphy, who was banding Ospreys as part of her doctorate program. Now in touch with the person in the know, I learned the backstory of Osprey F54.
Osprey F54: a long-distance traveler who makes it look easy
F54 gets his band as a chick. (Photo by the Rush Lab)
Natasha was able to provide me with the who-what-where-when details I sought! Natasha and her technician, Sage Dale, with help from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and USDA personnel, banded Osprey F54 and his sister, F55, on June 20, 2022. Their nest was at Guntersville Lake (lat/long: 34.659337, – 85.944116) in Alabama, on a structure that acts as a navigational marker in Jones Bar, on Guntersville Reservoir. When banding took place blood was also drawn for research purposes, which also provided DNA-sexing: Osprey F54 was a male. On that same day, Natasha and Sage banded 30 Osprey chicks in the area!
Based upon measurements taken when banded, it was estimated that Osprey F54 was 36 days old at that time. Along with his color band, he was also outfitted with a U.S.G.S. band with the number 1218-10018.
Less than three months later, this Osprey was sighted here on Bonaire. This means that F54 had covered a distance of over 3,000 kilometers, or about 1,900 miles! It would take nearly seven hours in a plane to make that trip. We humans might consider it a long flight, yet this young Osprey made an equivalent trip and arrived in Bonaire looking healthy and fit after his long flight. Zero jet lag!
Only time will tell if Osprey F54 will join the ranks of the many human “snowbirds” who fly to Bonaire to spend the winter (I am talking about the tourists escaping the chilly weather up north, of course). Or, will Osprey F54 be a short-stay “stopover visitor” as tourism officials say, who visits for a week or two for some rest and relaxation, before moving onward? It’s his first migration, and perhaps he will decide he likes Bonaire. Like many other overwintering Ospreys, we are likely to see him back year after year. And he will find his favorite branch or perch, too.
Now all F54 needs is a name!
Bird banding tells a story
The group observes a bird banding demonstration at a BirdsCaribbean workshop.
With the information I received from Dr. Rush and Natasha Murphy, I was able to report banded Osprey F54 to the Bird Banding Laboratory at the U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center. Each reported sighting adds a data point to this individual’s history and will provide further insight as to his movements and migrations.
The world’s birds need us now more than ever. Recent studies have shown that an alarming number of birds have declining populations. Research projects, such as Natasha Murphy’s, provide insight and knowledge, allowing for better-managed conservation and preservation efforts.
Making the most of banded birds
How can we maximize the value of banded birds, and learn more from them?
A BirdsCaribbean group enjoying birds and photography in Viñales Valley, Cuba (photo by Lora Leschner).
Get photos if you possibly can. It really doesn’t matter if you are using a point-and-shoot camera, as I do, or if you have the fanciest camera that today’s technology can provide. The point is to document your observations with images. Sometimes we only get a brief glimpse of a bird, and we don’t have time to take in all the details, such as bands. Even if we identify the bands, we might not have the luxury of time with the bird to be able to read them. By taking images, you have a record and can review them for additional details you might not have discerned in the field.
I would also suggest that you become part of a birding network! Knowledge and information can only add to the enjoyment of your birding experiences. In the case of Osprey F54, I would never have been able to find out the bird’s history without my birding network. It added so much to the pleasure of seeing this splendid bird; it is now a unique individual to me. If you can find birders in your area with similar interests, you can discuss your observations. Learning from each other is so rewarding!
Susan has lived on Bonaire for 30 years, she is a graduate of the Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Course run by BirdsCaribbean. Susan is a bird guide and a wildlife photographer. You can read more of her Bird Blog posts on her webpages here and get some useful photography tips here.
If you spot a banded bird, do your best to record the band colors and any numbers or letters, paying special attention to the location of the band or bands on the bird’s legs. Binoculars or zoom photography may allow you to clearly see the band colors and the numbers engraved onto the band. Scientists use this information to track bird populations and migrations. Report your sightings of to the USGS Bird Banding Labwhich oversee all banding in the United States, and you can report sightings of color banded shorebirds to BandedBirds.org.
You can find out more about Ospreys as a migratory bird in the Caribbean on our ‘Migratory Bird of the Day’ page all about Osprey! This contains interesting facts, puzzles, videos and photos and more!
BirdsCaribbean is delighted to announce its very first endowed fund, the James A. Kushlan Research and Conservation Fund.
The Fund will provide support on an annual basis for biological, ecological and conservation research on waterbirds in the Caribbean region.
“This is a first for us, a tremendous donation for BirdsCaribbean, and a great opportunity to promote waterbird research in the region,” said Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean Lisa Sorenson, expressing her appreciation for the donation.
“We are very much looking forward to receiving proposals from the Caribbean and to awarding our first grant this fall. We will be announcing a call for proposals in the next couple of weeks.”
Through this generous donation by Dr. Kushlan, BirdsCaribbean will award a competitive grant every year to a deserving waterbird project, based on written proposals. Calls for proposals will advertise the size of the grant (~$4,000 to $4,500), which will provide funds up-front for a project and not require matching funds. Grants will be awarded to anyone (individuals or organizations) without restriction as to academic credentials or affiliation. Applicants from the Caribbean will be given consideration over other nationalities. Studies on rare, endemic, resident, and at risk species and studies leading to their conservation in the Caribbean will be prioritized.
Dr. James A. Kushlan is a distinguished ornithologist, writer, educator, and conservationist, with long ties to BirdsCaribbean and the region through his research on waterbirds and as a co-member of The Waterbird Council. Professionally, he has served as research associate at the Smithsonian Institution, director of Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, professor of biology at the University of Misssissippi and Texas A&M, and wildlife biologist with the U.S. National Park Service. He is the author of ten books and over 250 technical papers and articles.
Dr. Kushlan has served as president of the American Ornithologists’ Union (now American Ornithological Society) and Waterbird Society. He is the founder and past chair of Heron Conservation (the IUCN Heron Specialist Group), the North American Waterbird Conservation Initiative and Waterbird Conservation for the Americas, the Bahamas Environment Fund, and the Bird Conservation Alliance, and was a founding member of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative and Wetlands International. Visitors to the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Florida, may explore the Kushlan Bird Walk, supported by the James A. Kushlan .
Waterbirds like this Tricolored Heron, photographed in Cuba, will benefit from research funding through our new Kushlan Fund. (Photograph by Aslam Ibrahim)
“The focus of my studies and conservation work in the Caribbean has been on waterbirds, including wading birds such as herons, storks, and ibises,” said Dr. Kushlan. “Many waterbird species are under threat due to habitat loss, climate change, and other factors. I hope that these funds will encourage Caribbean conservationists to conduct some ground-breaking research into these fascinating birds, which deserve greater attention.”
Further details on when and how to apply will be supplied in an announcement in early October.
Laura Baboolal, the World Migratory Bird Day Caribbean Coordinator for Environment for the Americas (EFTA) encourages us to celebrate the amazing journeys of birds during World Migratory Bird Day 2022! Keep reading to find out how you can help migratory birds this year and where to find resources to help you celebrate.
It’s that time of year again—birds are on the move! Bird migration is a global phenomenon where individuals of many different species of birds will fly hundreds or thousands of kilometers south to spend the winter in warmer climates with abundant food. World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is officially celebrated on the second Saturday in October in the Caribbean. This year it’s on October 8th, but you can celebrate anytime in the fall that is convenient for you.
We encourage everyone to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2022, as you have celebrated the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with great success!
Light Pollution is Bad News for Birds
This year, the theme focuses on light pollution with the slogan, “DIM THE LIGHTS FOR BIRDS AT NIGHT!”
Light pollution is a growing threat to wildlife, especially migrating birds. It causes birds to become disorientated when they fly at night. Every year, light pollution contributes to the death of millions of birds. Artificial light can alter the migration patterns and foraging behaviours of birds. Attracted by artificial light at night migrating birds become confused and may end up circling in illuminated areas. This depletes their energy reserves and puts them at risk of exhaustion and predation. Lights at night also cause fatal collisions with buildings. With growing global human populations, artificial light is increasing by at least 2% annually. While in the Caribbean light pollution is not a significant issue compared to our continental neighbours we can still take action.
Take Action!
Every action you take counts and contributes to reducing the impact of light pollution on migratory birds. Take action at home, school, work, community or city! Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights at night or use a motion sensor light and shut curtains at night. Lobby for downward facing street lights in your community. Work with businesses and building owners to switch off unnecessary lights at night especially during migratory season. Consider advocating for no artificial lighting to be used close to important habitats for birds and at places that are on migratory pathways.
Raise awareness about the threat of light pollution to migratory birds and be an advocate for dark skies!
How to celebrate
World Migratory Bird Day can be celebrated any time of the year and there are many ways that you can do this. Why not visit an event? Hundreds of World Migratory Bird Day events and activities take place throughout the year. Check EFTA’s global event map to see what’s happening near you. Follow, like, and share! Follow EFTA’s pages for tips and facts about light pollution and migratory birds. Share these messages through social media and other outlets to increase awareness of this important issue. Use EFTA’s resources from coloring pages and stickers to posters and other educational materials and social media resources—to help you celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. You can download these here.
Information on migratory birds in the Caribbean, including coloring pages, activity sheets , photos, videos, and puzzles are available from BirdsCaribbean at this link. You, together with your local birding group, are also encouraged to go out and enjoy the birds. Most of all, have fun!
For now, you can enjoy and share this animation following a small migratory songbird as it is lured into the dangers of the city by intense lights. The threats it faces are common for migrating birds trying to navigate urban environments.
This 2-minute animation has been produced and made available by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It can be used in any promotional activities related to World Migratory Bird Day 2022. All language versions of the animation can be downloaded via this download folder: https://bit.ly/3w68a0g
Check out ETFAs Social Media Packet for lots of digital resources. Click here.
Learn more about the featured species for 2022, art created by Omar Custodio Azabache from Peru. Click here.
Last, but not least, don’t forget to share your WMBD events and experiences on social media with EFTA and BirdsCaribbean. You can find us on all major platforms. Thanks for helping to raise awareness about migratory birds and the threats they face, and we hope you get outside to see some migrants this fall!
BirdsCaribbean is delighted to announce the publication of a new graphic novel, just in time for World Shorebirds Day (September 6, 2022). “Sami the Snowy Plover: Stories of Survival” focuses on the vulnerability of these charming little shorebirds, which overwinter and nest on sandy beaches and salt flats on some islands throughout the Caribbean. You can leaf through this beautifully illustrated book here below or online in English or Spanish.
Josmar E. Márquez, the author and illustrator of the book, is passionate about these fragile shorebirds, whose IUCN status is Near Threatened. As he leads monitoring projects on Coche Island in his native Venezuela, his observations have made him come to love these round-bodied, pale brown plovers as they hurry across the sand. He also recognized the Snowy Plover’s susceptibility to human impacts and disturbances. He decided that he wanted to use his skills as an artist to tell stories that the reading public could empathize with, as he does. Hence little Sami’s story was born.
A naturalist and shorebird researcher and member of BirdsCaribbean and local NGO AveZona, Josmar is Coordinator of the Snowy Plover Monitoring Project in the offshore islands and cays of Venezuela. He explained that the idea of the novel grew in 2020 from a colouring book he created on the Snowy Plover. He worked with BirdsCaribbean’s Executive Director Lisa Sorenson and her team to make it a reality.
The Snowy Plover is a small, plump ground-nesting shorebird. In the Caribbean, they are primarily found in open, sandy areas near water like beaches, salt ponds, sand and mud flats, and barrier islands. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
“Getting people to understand the risks faced by many shorebirds, especially Snowy Plover, is a personal goal. I have seen how Snowy Plovers are affected by human activity in their habitat,” says Márquez. To him, the book is “beautiful, tragic and hopeful.”
One of the pages from the book, highlighting the disturbance posed by driving vehicles on the beach causing stress and harm to the Snowy Plover and other ground-nesting shorebirds.
Please take a read through the poignant stories of little Sami, which also have a message for all of us to take to heart. We would also welcome your feedback!
Josmar Esteban Marquez in the field.
You can read the graphic novel online in both English and Spanish on our Flipsnack account where it is also available for free download. Please share with your networks!
Thanks to Josmar for creating this heart-warming but impactful resource!
Josmar Marquez, from AveZona, has lead bird monitoring projects on Coche Island in Venezuela since 2018. In addition to data collection, his work involves mentoring young conservationists and promoting nature-friendly behavior changes in the local community of the island.
Naturalist, illustrator, and shorebird researcher Josmar Márquez, who has just produced an online graphic novel “Sami The Snowy Plover: Stories of Survival” shares some encouraging news from the offshore islands and cays of his native Venezuela. His research and field work on Coche Island and Margarita Island for AveZona was supported by BirdsCaribbean through the David S. Lee Fund for Conservation.
Snowy Plover chick on salt crystals at Saline San Pedro de Coche, Coche Island. (photo by Sabino Silva)
The Snowy Plover is a special bird, in so many ways. Known in Venezuela as Frailecito it runs across the sand, pauses, and quickly catches its food (flies are its favorite) from the surface. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, its population is decreasing. It needs our protection! Let’s take care and share the beach, which is home to these and other shorebirds. Many have migrated long distances, and others use the beach as a breeding area. The Snowy Plovers breed from January to March on these islands. They build their nests by making a small depression in the sand, where they lay three to four eggs. The pair take turns incubating the eggs.
AveZona’s work in monitoring the Snowy Plover population began on Coche Island in 2018. During this year and into 2019, we were able to establish a positive relationship with people in the community. This has helped us to continue periodic counts of this wonderful species in the Saltpans of San Pedro de Coche, despite the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic. All the results of these years of research will be published shortly in The Journal Caribbean Ornithology.
Sabino Rafael Silva, resident of Coche Island, has faithfully monitored the Snowy Plovers and other birds on the salt pans and salinas of Coche Island.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper locally called Playerito dorado (Calidris subruficollis). (Photo by Sabino Silva)
Working under tough conditions…
Coche Island resident, Sabino Rafael Silva, was a major supporter of this project. Due to the travel limitations during the pandemic, when others were not able to visit the island, he was the one who spent many hours walking under the burning sun and extreme conditions on the salt flats. He managed to observe and count the population of Snowy Plovers, and also observe other species of shorebirds in this study area. In other areas of the Isla de Coche, he also observed species not previously reported for the island and for this region of Venezuela.
Anahy and Sabino walking in the Restinga Lagoon National Park, Margarita Island. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Josmar, Sabino and other members of his team in the Restinga National Park, Margarita Island. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Additional important members of the team were Anahy Marcano, Guilberto Figueroa, Carlos Amundarain and Zenaida Martinez. They are “Margariteños” who were able to record the Snowy Plover on several occasions in the Marites Lagoon Natural Monument, a protected area on Margarita island, near Coche Island. These observations were made in conjunction with the Caribbean Flamingo Monitoring Project.
…and involving local residents through volunteerism
Just like Sabino, Anahy, Guilberto, Carlos and Zenaida are volunteers and friends of AveZona who have carried out valuable work on Coche and Margarita Islands. This is a growing group of community members who are now paying greater attention to their birds and the conservation of the islands’ biodiversity. This is an example of “participatory science,” engaging local communities in a conservation project.
Group of young birders in the Marites Lagoon National Monument, Margarita Island. (Photo by AveZona)
AveZona’s programs offer a great learning and bonding opportunity for children, youth and adults in the island region of Venezuela, establishing a sincere and respectful relationship with local communities. These groups will be able to observe, share information, and protect the birds and biodiversity of the islands of Venezuela.
The Snowy Plover, traveling between islands
One of these seven “Frailecito,” tagged with the black band, which can be read from a distance, is individual 6A, banded on Coche Island in February 2020 by Josmar Márquez and Antonio Ros.
6A has since been observed and photographed three times on Margarita island, flying 14 km one way and 14 km back, over the Caribbean Sea. This tagged Snowy Plover has shown us that the plovers that breed in the salt flats of Coche Island may travel between nearby islands and possibly to the coast of mainland Venezuela.
It is possible that all the populations on the Island of Coche are closely related to those observed in the Marites Lagoon Natural Monument and other areas of Margarita Island. We estimated there were 96 (95% CI: 46-201) and 116 (95% CI = 61-220) Snowy Plovers in the Coche Island salt flats in February and December, respectively.
As shown in the table, several of the individuals were seen frequently in the Coche Island salt pan, while others have not been seen since the day of banding. This raises several questions about the survival rates, migration, or dispersal of many of the individuals. As explained above, a population of 96-116 individuals is estimated in the Coche Island salt flats, thus, it may not be possible to observe all the banded individuals.
We hope to hear soon from some individual birds, such as the 4A, 5A, 6A, and 7A that have not been resighted often or at all. We wish 6A the best of luck in his travels to Margarita Island. Perhaps 6A may decide to settle on this Island. In the future, we hope to be able to use other monitoring methods such as Motus nanotags in this population and in the entire population of Snowy Plovers on different islands of Venezuela.
Snowy Plover banded with tag ‘6A’ on Coche Island in February 2020 seen again walking on the mud flat at Margarita Island on September 9, 2021. (photo by Josmar Marquez)
Another photo of ‘6A’ on September 9, 2021 at Las Marites Lagoon, Margarita Island. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Snowy Plover ‘3A’ tagged on Coche Island and photographed on July 17th, 2021. (Photo by Sabino Silva)
Exciting news! Two new protected areas on Coche Island may shelter shorebirds
A great victory for the shorebirds of the island of Coche is the recent creation of the first two areas protecting the biodiversity of this island. Under Official Decree No. 4,550, a Reserve of Wild Fauna was declared for Bahía El Saco, with an area of Four hundred and Eighty-Nine hectares (489 ha).
Map showing the new Bahía el Saco Wildlife Reserve (green polygon), 489 hectares, and in orange the towns. Map by the Ministry of Ecosocialism of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Under Official Decree No. 4,551, a Reserve of Wild Fauna in Punta El Palo was declared, with an area of Two thousand Nine Hundred Sixteen hectares (2,916 ha). These two areas are of utmost importance for the population of shorebirds and seabirds on the island of Coche.
The new Punta de Palo Wildlife Reserve, in green the polygon of the Protected Area (2,916 hectares, in orange the towns and in yellow the tourist hotels. Map by the Ministry of Ecosocialism of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
If you spot any of these Snowy Plovers or other shorebirds banded with black flags and white code, please report it to www.paave.net (website of the Bird Banding Program in Venezuela) or at https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/bblretrv/
Acknowledgments: I greatly appreciate support from IDEA WILD for providing equipment for the execution of this project, and to the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds for funding for the field work.
Josmar Esteban Marquez, from AveZona, has lead bird monitoring projects on Coche Island in Venezuela since 2018. In addition to data collection, his work involves mentoring young conservationists, creating artwork to educate about birds, and promoting nature-friendly behavior changes in the local community of the island.
Cover of the new Raptors of the Caribbean Education & Conservation Resource Guide.
Marta Curti of the Peregrine Fund shares her thoughts on (and love for) our magnificent Caribbean raptors, including several threatened endemic species and subspecies; and introduces a brand new Resource Guide, which will help conservationists, educators, and community members understand raptors better.
I am just going to say it. Raptors are cool! Their laser-like eyesight, powerful hunting skills, acrobatic and graceful flight, coupled with their penetrating stare, have been a source of fascination for humans probably since the first time someone locked eyes with one of these spectacular birds. But they are so much more than attractive and awe-inspiring birds.
More and more research has shown the important roles raptors play in the ecosystems in which they live. They act as top predators, bio-indicators, and umbrella species. They provide important ecosystem services for humans, and many are keystone species. In short, their role in an ecosystem is large in comparison to their numbers and their removal from that system would cause a cascade of negative effects on numerous other organisms – including humans.
Despite this, raptors are one of the most threatened bird groups in the world. And raptors in the Caribbean are no different. Populations across the region are in decline and there are even several endemic species and subspecies that need our help. These include the Ridgway’s Hawk, Cuban Kite, Grenada Hook-billed Kite, and Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk. With this in mind, you would imagine that the study of raptors and conservation programs to protect them would be widespread. But sadly, despite the critical roles they play in our ecosystems, and the many threats they face, there are few research and environmental education programs focused on raptors across the Caribbean.
We set out to change all of that.
Together with support from BirdsCaribbean, we at The Peregrine Fund have written a 200-page training manual entitled “Raptors of the Caribbean: Education and Conservation Resource Guide.” The guide is divided into four chapters:
What are Birds of Prey,
Identification of Birds of Prey of the Caribbean,
Why Raptors Matter, and
How One Can Help Conserve Raptors.
Each chapter is followed by two learning activities and one evaluation activity, as well as additional learning materials. Though written in English, we are now in the process of translating it into Spanish and Haitian Creole (Kreyòl), so it will have greater impact throughout the Caribbean.
But the creation of the guide is just the first step. The next stage is to train conservationists, community leaders, and educators in its use. During the AOS-BirdsCaribbean Conference in Puerto Rico in June 2022, we held a condensed workshop for 12 participants. After a short presentation on birds of prey, the action started. We began by breaking into teams and building life-sized raptors out of recyclable materials. Participants created a Stygian Owl, a Ridgway’s Hawk, and even a massive Secretarybird out of nothing but cardboard, plastic bottles, newspaper, and some tape to hold them all together. Creativity took flight!
Group shares their Stygian Owl masterpiece (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Group works together to construct their Stygian Owl. (photo by Gabriela Diaz)
One group is busy constructing a Secretarybird (photo by Gabriela Diaz)
Close-up view of Secretarybird constructed of recycleable materials. (photo by Gabriela Diaz)
One group plans the activity they will teach to the rest of the workshop participants. (Photo by Gabriela Diaz)
Team proudly shows off their completed life sized Secretarybird built out of recyclable materials plumes prey and all! (photo by Lisa-Sorenson)
For the next activity, groups reviewed the guide and chose an activity they were going to teach to the rest of us. We played games, wrote poems, and engaged in a “memory” challenge. One participant kept repeating “I am having so much fun!” A positive sign indeed!
We had carried out a pre- and post-evaluation and saw that in the four short hours of the mini-workshop, participants learned a lot about raptors that they hadn’t known before – such as what they eat, where they live, and the important functions they perform in their environment. It was an intense, hands-on learning experience.
Thanks to support from BirdsCaribbean and the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, the manual is now completed. Our dream is to carry out extended workshops of two or more days in countries around the Caribbean. Participants will gain experience – including conservation-based lessons that use raptors to teach math, language, art, and even physical education in their programs.
One team proudly shows of their Ridgway’s Hawk, made of recyclable materials. (photo by Tahira Carter)
In these longer workshops, we aim to offer participants training in environmental education techniques and methods. These would include developing a guided nature walk; giving an impactful presentation; how to speak about sensitive issues one-on-one with community members; and utilizing whatever materials are available on-hand to create fun and dynamic learning experiences for participants’ target audiences. They would also learn about raptors in their countries, food chains, threats to wildlife, and possible conservation solutions.
Several participants from each country would then be trained to lead these workshops, so we can form a chain of raptor-based environmental education workshops throughout the Caribbean and help to promote interest in raptor research and conservation. From our understanding, this is the only raptor-based conservation-themed workshop in the region. We are excited to embark on these workshops and look forward to sharing our results!
We are currently raising funds to make these education workshops a reality. Ongoing training is so vital to ensure the long-term survival of these magnificent birds. If you would like to support this work, please click here.
The “Raptors of the Caribbean” Training Manual and Guide is currently undergoing a final review, and will be available for FREE download in late September, 2022. Stay tuned!
Shorebirds to look out for in the Caribbean, from left to right: Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Willet, American Oystercatcher. Photos from Macaulay Library: Sanderling by Adam Jackson-ML374383651, Semipalmated Plover by Matthew Addicks-ML267273921, Willet by Brad Imhoff-ML172089971, American Oystercatcher by Isaias Morataya-ML187534121)
As September draws closer and migratory shorebirds are making their way south, we are getting ready to celebrate World Shorebirds Day 2022! This year, why not show up and take part in the Global Shorebird Count? From help with bird ID to counting tips, BirdsCaribbean has everything you need to make your survey a success.
Mark your calendars for Tuesday September 6, 2022 – World Shorebirds Day. A reminder, though, that Global Shorebird Count can take place anytime from September 1 to 7. You will be part of an army of recorders worldwide! Across the Caribbean, groups of birders will be out looking for and counting shorebirds and recording what they find on eBird Caribbean. Some birders will go out in ones and twos. Whoever you are with, or even if you are on your own – why not join the counters and make your contribution to citizen science?
Well, you may ask: why should I? Why is this important? The answer is that our migratory shorebirds are more vulnerable than ever, threatened by human activities such as destruction of their habitats, pollution, disturbance, and climate change. Recording how many birds are around during migration – as well as where you find them – can help us conserve where they live and where they stop over.
Sanderling are often spotted running along the shorelines of sandy beaches. (Photo by Gary McHale)
Counting shorebirds on Turks and Caicos. (Photo by Simon Busuttil)
Spotted Sandpiper in its winter plumage. (Photo by Darlene Friedman-Macaulay Library ML78856001)
Where to find shorebirds
Willets and Short-billed Dowitcher, using a mangrove in the Bahamas. (Photo by Walker Golder)
Where should you be searching for shorebirds? That’s a big question. The simple answer is: anywhere there is water. This means that, as their name suggests, you can find them at the beach and on other types of shorelines. However, some shorebirds will be further inland, including in salt ponds and salinas, freshwater pools, and at brackish marshes and ponds. Shorebirds will also gather on mud flats, in mangrove areas, and on tidal flats.
You may not be quite sure of the best places to look in your area. If so, why not take a look for ‘hotspots’ at your local wetlands on eBird. Just click on ‘Explore’ on the eBird Caribbean website, and find ‘Explore Hotspots.’ You can open hotspots in a map and then click on a hotspot to see what types of birds have been seen there recently.
Everything you need to count shorebirds
We know that Shorebirds can be tricky to identify, and some are especially difficult to tell apart. BirdsCaribbean is here to help you with some useful tools! We have a Shorebird Poster and “Quick ID Guide” to get you started as well as handy Shorebird ID cards that you can download and print featuring common shorebirds of the Caribbean.
You can also brush up on your CWC survey skills, waterbird ID, and shorebird ID before you go out on your surveys by watching our fantastic CWC and Shorebird ID webinars on YouTube. Go to our shorebird resources page to find everything you need. Of course, don’t forget to take your favorite bird ID guide with you when you do your shorebird counts.
Now, sometimes there’s a trick to these things. We also have a list of some best practice tips to help make your count go as smoothly as possible. You can download and share this infographic with your fellow birders. When you go out on your survey, a spotting scope or a camera with a good zoom lens, as well as binoculars, will make for very helpful tools. They will help you get a closer look to pick out the identifying features of the birds, without disturbing them. Photos can be looked at and shared later if you have any birds that were difficult for you to identify in the field. Birding colleagues and experts can explain further if they have visual evidence of the bird! (Did we say some are quite tricky to tell apart?)
Make your Counts Count
A survey team looking for shorebirds in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino)
We encourage you to register to participate in the count and be sure to share your eBird Caribbean checklist(s) with worldshorebirdsday – the eBird username of World Shorebirds Day. You can find guidelines for sharing checklists here. eBird Caribbean is a critical tool for tracking and understanding bird migration and population changes – never more so than for our shorebirds. If you do not have an account, it is easy to register – here’s a quick guide to enter eBird data online. There is even a free eBird Essentials course to get you fully oriented. Download the free mobile app for recording your data in the field. Recording your findings on eBird is not only satisfying and enjoyable, but you are directly contributing to the global knowledge base of birds – what, when and wherever they are to be found. EBird is a good habit to get into!
Note that shorebirds are a type of waterbird. So, any counts you do at wetlands, mangroves, mud flats, coastal areas or beaches at any time of year count as Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) counts. When you do your counts please choose one of the CWC protocols in the eBird app or when you submit or edit your data online. When you are using the app make sure that you are using the eBird Caribbean Portal. To check or change the portal you are using, go into your settings on the app and look for “Portal”. To increase the value of your count to science, be sure to count ALL birds at your site, including seabirds, herons and egrets, land birds, etc.
Spotted a Banded Bird?
Banded Turnstone and Sanderling spotted in Jamaica in 2021.
Banded birds are special! If you spot a bird with a band on its leg, do your best to record the band colors and any numbers or letters. Binoculars or zoom photography may allow you to clearly see the band colors and the numbers engraved onto the band. Look out for bands especially on Piping Plovers, Red Knots, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings. Scientists use this information to track bird populations and migrations and have made some exciting findings from records of banded birds.
You can report your sightings and send any photos you have to BandedBirds.org and the USGS Bird Banding Lab, which oversee all banding in the United States.
Share your Shorebird Stories
The Wadadli Warblers birding group out on a waterbird survey in Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Why not take photos of the birds you see, your local wetland, or of you and your survey crew and share them on social media? Don’t forget to use the hashtags #worldshorebirdsday and #ShowUpForShorebirds
We’d love to hear all about your surveys and find out about some of the birds that you see, so remember to tag us @birdscaribbean when you post on social media! Thanks in advance for your participation in this important citizen science initiative to understand and conserve our beautiful shorebirds!
Get out there, Show up for Shorebirds, take part and have fun!
If you would like you use our graphic to promote World Shorebirds Day & the Global Shorebird Count, you can follow the links below to work with a template in Canva. You can add your own logos and extra information if needed. The templates include the graphic in English, Spanish and French for you to use. Please don’t forget to credit the photographers !
Shorebirds to look out for in the Caribbean, from left to right: Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, American Oystercatcher. Photos from Macaulay Library: Sanderling by Adam Jackson-ML374383651, Semipalmated Plover by Matthew Addicks-ML267273921, American Oystercatcher by Isaias Morataya-ML187534121)
Shorebirds to look our for in the Caribbean, from left to right: Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Willet, American Oystercatcher. Photos from Macaulay Library: Sanderling by Adam Jackson-ML374383651, Semipalmated Plover by Matthew Addicks-ML267273921, Willet by Brad Imhoff-ML172089971, Oystercatcher by Isaias Morataya-ML187534121)
Over 700 species of birds live in the Caribbean. This includes 176 species that can be found nowhere else in the world! There is no doubt that birds add music and a splash of color to our lives. Many people enjoy watching wild birds since it distracts them from the pressures of their daily lives. Additionally, birds provide invaluable ecosystem services—they control insect populations, pollinate flowers, disperse seeds, and clean the environment. They continue to be important indicators of ecosystem health and can tell us if we are succeeding as stewards of our planet. Unfortunately, these services are almost always overlooked.
Vervain Hummingbird, Jamaica. (Photo by Sadik Kassam)
Birds are still threatened by development, agriculture, pollution, natural disasters, and hunting for meat or pets. For geographically restricted Caribbean birds, both resident and migratory, the effects can be disastrous leading to severe population declines, extirpation, or even extinction.
It’s up to all of us to take care of our birds, and to make sure they are around for future generations to enjoy. You can help birds thrive by taking a few simple, everyday actions.
Here are 10 ideas to get you started:
1. Keep Birds Safe from Pets
Unleashed dogs and outdoor cats can disturb, chase, and kill birds. Around the world, billions of birds die each year when they are caught by birds. Cats are natural predators, even if well fed. Outdoor cats also live shorter, harsher lives—they may suffer from injury or die if attacked by a dog or poisoned, can contract diseases and cause unwanted litters of kittens, if unspayed or unneutered. Keeping your cat indoors (or on a leash outdoors) is good for your cat and birds. Check this website for helpful resources.
Keep pets on a leash when outdoors. Cats kill millions of birds every year. This cat in Montserrat has killed a migratory shorebird, a Western Sandpiper. (photo on right by Alistair Homer)
2. Avoid Using Chemicals on your Lawn
Birds may accidentally eat pesticide and herbicide pellets or prey (e.g., insects) that have been poisoned. This can kill a bird or have toxic effects on their health. You can reduce your use of harmful chemicals by weeding by hand, landscaping with native plants, grasses and flowers that attract birds and provide food for them, and using organic insecticides like neem, and/ or make your own (try a mixture of white vinegar, salt, and dish soap for ridding your garden of weeds.
Keep your lawn pesticide free.
3. Leave Fledglings Where You Find Them
Young birds may spend a few days on the ground before they are able to fly well. Typically parents are nearby continue to care for them and feed them. You can help by keeping people and pets away. If you think a bird is truly an orphan, call a local wildlife rehabilitator for instructions.
Students from the St. Martin Primary School plant a tree, Dominica.
5. Share What You See
Citizen scientists such as yourself help us monitor our bird populations and environment. The observations entered into eBird Caribbean, from interested people across the region, provide data at an amazing scale and level of sophistication. If you’re interested in birds and nature, chances are there’s a BirdsCaribbean citizen-science project that can benefit from your participation. Caribbean Waterbird Census, Global Big Day, Global Shorebird Count
Coral Aviles entering the birds she saw in her Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) count on eBird Caribbean, Blassina Canal Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
6. Prevent Window Collisions
During the day, windows reflect plants and trees or the sky, making them look like places to fly into. Sadly, the bird often dies, even when it is only temporarily stunned and can still fly away. Many times these birds die later from internal bleeding or bruising, especially on the brain.The good news is that you can greatly reduce the danger your home’s windows pose to birds. You can explore options like decals, netting, or mosquito screens to keep birds away from your windows during the day. Check out ideas and resources here.
Glass panes that reflect trees and greenery can be problematic for birds.
7. Drink Coffee that is Good for the Birds
You might be looking to satisfy a craving but did you know you can preserve critical habitat for birds, and other wildlife, and support farmers that are committed to sustainable farming, by brewing a cup of coffee? The Smithsonian Bird Friendly certification ensures farmers follow strict growing standards to prevent irreversible damage to bird habitats by protecting tree diversity and foliage cover. Find a store or coffee shop near you, or have it shipped right to your door.
Bird Friendly Coffee.
8. Don’t Buy Illegally Caged Birds
Although trade is illegal, many Caribbean parrots, parakeets and songbirds are still harvested for both the local and international trade. Report the capture and sale of wild birds to the authorities. Learn more here about the Cuban songbird trade.
Hispaniolan Parakeets, native to Hispaniola, are illegally captured and sold for pets or smuggled out of the country for the pet trade.
9. Create Communities
Share your passion for birds with family and friends. And expand your backyard bird oasis into a larger neighborhood oasis by working with neighbors and managers of nearby parks, schoolyards, golf courses, and farms. Together you will help restore habitat and provide safe spaces for birds to find food, hide from predators and raise their families. Restoring bird habitat can also provide cooler spaces for people, absorb stormwater runoff, and combat the spread of invasive plants.
Kids planting trees in Haiti. (Photo by Anderson Jean)
10. Support BirdsCaribbean
At BirdsCaribbean, we’re committed to conserving birds and their habitats. We have been successful in empowering local people to enjoy, study, and monitor local birds, as well as alleviate threats to their survival and their habitats. However, there is still much more to be done for Caribbean birds, people, economies, and ecosystems that are under constant threat of development, agricultural expansion, pollution, climate change, and more. We’re a member-supported nonprofit and we rely on donations for our annual funding. We are extremely grateful to our generous and dedicated members and donors, and we invite you to join us as we continue to build a future where birds and people thrive.
Building capacity to study, monitor and conserve Caribbean seabirds
BirdsCaribbean booth at NAOC, 2016.
Serving on the BirdsCaribbean Board of Directors is an enriching experience, where you can really make an impact.
Group photo with Orlando at his home in Havana. BirdsCaribbean Cuba Bird Tour, January 2019.
Learning all about bird banding on WMBD, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE).
Carefree Birding group enjoys the waterbirds in Sint Maarten with Binkie Van Es, BirdsCaribbean member and Caribbean Birding Trail trained guide. (photo by Carefree Birding)
Thanks to educators at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), youth in Jamaica were treated to a field trip that included birding and a nature scavenger hunt using BirdSleuth Caribbean materials published by BirdsCaribbean. (photo courtesy of NEPA)
When the world seemed to stop at the behest of the pandemic, forcing most of us to remain at home, our BirdsCaribbean community kept going — birding, monitoring, and sharing our stories from safe spaces in our neighborhoods, community parks, and backyards.
Nearly three years and countless virtual meetings later, the anticipation of an in-person reunion was palpable. In partnership with the American Ornithological Society (AOS), and with invaluable support from local partners Para La Naturaleza and Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc. (SOPI), we successfully hosted our biggest conference to date — AOS & BC 2022— welcoming over 800 wildlife professionals from 34 countries to the tropical shores of Puerto Rico from June 27-July 2, 2022.
The conference, held under the theme “On the Wings of Recovery: Resilience and Action”, was a true celebration of the perseverance of our community featuring 146 poster presentations, 143 oral presentations across 14 symposia, 280 contributed papers, 8 roundtable discussions, and 93 student presentations.
Keynote speakers Dr. Howard P. Nelson, professor and wildlife biologist from Trinidad and Tobago and professor of conservation leadership at Fauna & Flora International, and Dr. Herbert Raffaele, retired chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of International Conservation, spoke to the importance of resilience and action as the Caribbean region faces the conservation challenges of the future. Speaking to packed auditoriums at the Convention Center in San Juan, Dr. Nelson addressed “Island Futures: Pathways to Resilient Conservation of Caribbean Birds,” and Dr. Raffaele outlined “Saving Our World’s Birds: A Plan for the Future.”
Plenary speaker, Dr. Kristen Camille Ruegg gave a fascinating talk on: “The Bird Genoscape Project — Unlocking the Secrets of Bird Migration Using DNA in the Tip of a Feather.” And Dr. Purnima Devi Barman received a standing ovation for her inspiring presentation to save the Greater Adjutant Stork, locally known as the Hargila: “The Rewilding Revolution: Using the Magic of Community Action to Save the Hargila,.
“Our international conferences are always special because they give members of our diverse community a chance to meet, network, and learn about cutting-edge research and conservation solutions,” commented Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Sorenson. “This year was exceptional because the pandemic added a new layer of complexity to our work and our plans for the future. Partnering with the AOS allowed us a unique opportunity to widen our network of enthusiastic conservationists. The high level of participation and engagement over these five days of learning in Puerto Rico augurs well for the future of the Caribbean region and the safeguarding of its natural resources, particularly its birds and their habitats.”
BirdsCaribbean Highlights at the Conference
Workshops
BirdSleuth Caribbean: Connecting Youth to Nature and Science through Birds
Birds are an engaging and fun way to get youth interested in nature, science, and inquiry-based learning. The BirdSleuth Caribbean Workshop sought to inspire participants to consider ways they, and their organizations, might support teachers and youth through educational programs in school as well as in camps and afterschool programs.Facilitated by Jennifer Fee, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Dr. Lisa Sorenson, BirdsCaribbean, the full-day workshop reviewed the innovative BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum — a resource that engages kids in scientific study through fun activities, games, and real data collection through the eBird citizen-science project.
BirdSleuth Caribbean Workshop group photo.
Participants learn the basics of bird identification. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
BirdSleuth Workshop participants identify birds outdoors. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Ingrid shows off her drawing. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Participants sketch birds at the BirdSleuth workshop. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Raptors of the Caribbean: Education and Conservation Resources
This highly-anticipated workshop focused on teaching participants about raptors, one of the most threatened bird groups in the world. Globally, we recognize there to be a basic lack of knowledge about raptors, as well as a lot of misinformation about birds of prey in general. Although raptors in the Caribbean are suffering population declines, they often remain excluded from environmental education guides and outreach programs.
Through the use of a brand new, hot-off-the-press resource, Environmental Education Guide: Raptors of the Caribbean, workshop facilitators Marta Curti and Gabriela Diaz from The Peregrine Fund engaged participants in dynamic, hands-on activities, and group work to better understand the importance raptors play in the ecosystems where they live. These activities helped participants gain practice and increase their confidence in teaching others about birds of prey using/adapting the materials and activities presented in the education guide.
Participants in the Raptors of the Caribbean Workshop show off their bird of prey, made from recycled materials.
The Power of Film and Video to Drive Conservation Impact
In the age of social media, and faced with the phenomenon of rapidly declining attention spans, the importance of video as a tool for storytelling cannot be underestimated. New research shows that 83% of people prefer watching videos as a means to learn vs. reading text. In this workshop, Elijah Sands, Senior Communications Officer at the Bahamas National Trust, with support from Tahira Carter, Communications Manager at BirdsCaribbean, engaged participants on the use of the most dynamic form of digital communication — video — to inspire change and drive impact.
Inspirational message recorded especially for the group by Paul Nicklen, acclaimed Canadian photographer, film-maker, author and marine biologist. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Workshop Facilitator, Elijah Sands, from the Bahamas National Trust, uses videos from his portfolio to explain key concepts to the group. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop
This workshop was held as part of BirdsCaribbean’s Landbird Monitoring Project, which seeks to inspire and facilitate landbird monitoring and conservation efforts in the Caribbean — including raising public awareness, alleviating threats, and managing and restoring habitats. Through a blend of classroom and field-based activities, workshop facilitators Jeff Gerbracht (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), Maya Wilson (BirdsCaribbean), Ingrid Molina (Our Coffee Our Birds), Holly Garrod (BirdsCaribbean), Coral Aviles (San Juan Bay Estuary Program), and Alcides Morales and Omar Monzon (Para La Naturaleza) introduced participants to landbird identification, monitoring techniques, and eBird data entry. The group practiced bird ID and counting techniques at Hacienda La Esperanza Nature Reserve and Cambalache State Forest. Participants will join a regional network of people involved in standardized monitoring and conservation of landbirds in the Caribbean.
Participants in the Landbird Monitoring Workshop look for birds in the forest. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Puerto Rican Emerald. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Participants in the Landbird Monitoring Workshop engage in classroom sessions before going out into the field. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Puerto Rican Woodpecker. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Participants in the Landbird Monitoring Workshop engage in classroom sessions before going out into the field. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Symposia
Puerto Rico Day: Bird Diversity and Conservation in the “Island of Enchantment”
As traditionally done by BirdsCaribbean, the first day of the conference launched with presentations of local ornithological work. This symposium consisted of two sessions with 11 presentations that included research, conservation, and education conducted by biologists representing different agencies and organizations. In the opening talk, Adrianne Tossas summarized the status and distribution of the avifauna throughout the island, emphasizing threats and current advances in habitat and species protection. Team efforts by the PR Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PR DNER) and US Fish and Wildlife to save the charismatic and Endangered Puerto Rican Parrot were presented by Tanya Martínez and Thomas White, respectively. Also from PR DNER, Katsí Ramos spoke about the accomplishments of the Endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird Recovery Program, and Ingrid Flores focused on the agency’s numerous activities to increase local awareness on biodiversity conservation.
Joseph Wunderle from the USDA Forest Service, gave an overview of the increasing challenges bird populations face from climate change, as revealed from population responses to severe hurricanes across the region in recent years. University of Mississippi biologist, Francisco Vilella, summarized his contribution to the knowledge of the biology of the Puerto Rico Nightjar and raptor species. Marconi Campos, Rainforest Connection, shared recent collaborative work in bird conservation with technological advances that allow remote acoustic sampling of birds in over 600 sites in the island. Hana Weaver gave an update on The Peregrine Fund’s efforts to improve the reproductive rates of the Endangered Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk, while Laura Fidalgo talked about the contribution of members in bird monitoring programs of the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña. Finally, Omar Monzón, from Para La Naturaleza, emphasized on the organization’s role in the protection of private lands and the engagement of volunteers in citizen science.
Francisco Vilella
Hana Weaver
Ingrid Flores
Joseph Wunderle
Katsí Ramos
Laura Fidalgo
Marconi Campos
Thomas White
Tanya Martínez
Omar Monzón
Shorebirds of the Atlantic Flyway:How Recent Work to Conserve Wetlands is Contributing to Species and Habitat Resilience in the Caribbean and Beyond
With 15 fantastic talks across three sessions this symposium moved from highlighting the importance of Caribbean and Atlantic Fly wetlands for migrating shorebirds, to the threats shorebirds and wetlands face, and on to the exciting outreach and restoration work. Presenters from 13 different countries shared their recent work and experiences. During the symposium, participants heard how the Caribbean Waterbird Census can highlight where the important places for shorebirds are and the threats they face; data from 12 years of the CWC were presented. We also learned about development that is having devastating impacts on Caribbean wetlands and mangroves, and ongoing battles to halt the destruction. But there were also inspiring stories of hope and community engagement, showing how outreach and education can inspire people to love shorebirds and value their wetlands. Even when all seems lost we learned that wetlands can be restored and created to provide havens for shorebirds, other wildlife and people to enjoy. It was clear that shorebird and wetland conservation in the Caribbean and throughout the Atlantic Flyway is full of challenges. However, working together with local communities we can help protect these beautiful birds and their valuable habitats.
Some of the presenters and organizers of the Shorebirds Symposia, from left to right: Benoit Laliberte, Juliana Almeida, Maxon Fildor, Alex Sansom, Elio Dortilus, Lisa Sorenson, Debra Baker, Ajhermae White, Elijah Sands, Devon Carter (photo by Chris Johnson)
Planning for Resiliency of Caribbean Island Endemics – Strategies for Post-2020 recovery
This symposium included two sessions with fantastic talks from 11 speakers covering the conservation perspectives on island endemics from across the Caribbean islands from The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica in the north to Saint Lucia and Trinidad in the south. The symposium provided an opportunity for conservation practitioners to reflect on the status of the endemics on their islands, share insights on recovery patterns after disturbance, and reflect on the implications of the current post-2020 discussions at the Convention on Biological Diversity for the conservation of birds on their islands. Clear themes from these two sessions included the need for realistic targets, much greater financial and technical support for species management interventions, and sustained efforts on practices that are having an impact.
Seabirds in Peril: How Recent Knowledge is Contributing to Conservation Priorities and Species Resilience in the Face of Environmental Change
Organized by BirdsCaribbean’s Seabird Working Group, the seabird symposium included 14 presentations spread out throughout the whole day. Speakers presented exciting studies from North America to Antarctica, by way of the Caribbean. The day started with a heartfelt call for active restoration of imperiled seabirds globally. Following speakers shared tools to better assess the health of seabird populations, from survey methods using drones (in Puerto Rico) to cutting-edge artificial intelligence to analyze drone and airplane imagery, and from tracking studies of Caribbean seabirds to studies of links between oceanographic features, forage fish and seabirds in the western North Atlantic. participants closely listened when speakers shared about the importance of long-term studies on land (in Jamaica and Antarctica) and at sea (in Gulf Stream waters off the U.S. coast) to assess changes in seabird populations. Finally, conservationists shared inspiring conservation projects, from assessing the presence of predators in the Grenadines to addressing issues of plastic pollution in the Gulf of Maine, and about restoration success stories in Anguilla and Puerto Rico.
The Caribbean Seabird Working Group (with members representing Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Montserrat, the Grenadines, Bonaire, and Curaçao) was able to use gaps in the schedule to discuss its push for a region-wide Seabird Census in 2023.
Working Group Meetings
Endemics and Threatened Species Working Group (ETSWG)
The BirdsCaribbean ETSWG meeting was attended by 15 members. The meeting reviewed the outcomes of the needs assessment survey prepared by the 2 co-chairs (Ellie Devenish-Nelson & Howard Nelson). Members were also briefed on the status of the Alliance for Zero Extinction by the participants from the American Bird Conservancy (Amy Upgren, Dan Lebbin, Dave Ewert). The participants also discussed key issues for the group including broadening participation across the islands in the working group, data management, funding, and key projects that the various members were working on including monitoring efforts on endemic and threatened species in their countries. The group reviewed the chairmanship and there was unanimity that the current co-chairs would continue to chair the group until the next BirdsCaribbean conference. The Chairs also discussed the development of group activities in the intervening year, and agreed to improve its presence on the BC website and the frequency of members contribution to a working group blog.
Bird Education & Festivals Working Group and Educators’ Awards
Caribbean Bird Educators reconnected and discussed the themes and activities for this year’s World Migratory Bird Day and Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. WMBD Coordinators, Laura Baboolal and Miguel Matta, gave a brief overview and handed out Happy Kits to all educators—a wonderful set of materials to educate about this year’s theme—Dim the Lights for Birds at Night. Participants also received a fabulous set of nine different sticker sheets featuring the artwork of talented artist, Josmar Esteban Marquez. The stickers include a variety of Caribbean birds (endemics, residents, waterbirds, shorebirds, migrants, etc.) to use in the next Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and other bird education activities. Thanks to Daniel Serva for his incredible efforts to carry two heavy suitcases on a long journey from Venezuela to Puerto Rico – he shared the incredible tale of his journey that included a harrowing 6 hour interrogation by US Customs when he arrived in San Juan, who were convinced that Daniel was transporting drugs on the stickers!
Educators group photo at the Bird Education-Bird Festivals Working Group Meeting at the conference.
A highlight of the meeting were the awards given to ten different educators who did a fantastic job celebrating WMBD and/or CEBF in the last two years, consistently organizing creative and fun activities for youth and local communities, and also sending in their reports and photos. All recipients received binoculars and a certificate of recognition. Educators’ Awards went to Shanna Challenger (Environmental Awareness Group, Antigua and Barbuda), Maria Paulino (Grupo Acción Ecológica, Dominican Republic), Josmar Esteban Márquez (AveZona) Inés Lourdes Fernández (La Empresa Flora y Fauna Santiago, Cuba), Ingrid Flores (DRNA, Puerto Rico), Carla Montalvo (Roots and Shoots, Puerto Rico), Ajhermae White (Dept of Environment, Montserrat), Monika Gomez (DR), Natalya Lawrence (Antigua and Barbuda), Shirley Droz (post-humous award, Puerto Rico), and Marisa Awai (Bahamas). Congratulations to all the winners!
Laura Baboolal and Lisa Sorenson presenting an Educators’ Award to Carla Montalvo (Puerto Rico). (photo by Daniel Serva)
Laura Baboolal and Lisa Sorenson presenting an Educators’ Award to Maria Paulino (Dominican Republic). (photo by Daniel Serva)
Daniel Serva telling the harrowing story of his journey bringing the stickers to Puerto Rico (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Laura Baboolal and Lisa Sorenson presenting an Educators’ Award to Ajhermae White (Montserrat). (photo by Daniel Serva)
Laura Baboolal presenting a posthumous Educators’ Award to Carla for Shirley Droz(Puerto Rico). (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Laura Baboolal and Lisa Sorenson presenting an Educators’ Award to Ingrid Flores (Puerto Rico). (photo by Daniel Serva)
Laura Baboolal presenting an Educators’ Award to Giselle Dean for Marisa Awai (Bahamas). (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Laura Baboolal, Miguel Matta, Carla Montalvo, Sheylda Díaz-Méndez, and Lisa Sorenson. (photo by Daniel Serva)
Laura Baboolal presenting an Educators’ Award to Joshel Wilson for Natalya Lawrence (Antigua). (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Laura Baboolal and Lisa Sorenson presenting an Educators’ Award to Shanna Challenger (Antigua). (photo by Daniel Serva)
Laura Baboolal and Lisa Sorenson presenting an Educators’ Award to Daniel Serva for Josmar Esteban Marquez (Venezuela). (photo by Daniel Serva)
Roundtables
Action Learning for Building Resiliency in Island Endemic Species Recovery
The roundtable on species recovery used an action learning approach to deliver on a specific need identified by the Endemics and Threatened Species Working Group’s needs assessment survey – more training on species recovery. The session consisted of two segments, the first enabled the 20 participants to learn from three guest speakers from The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Antigua and Barbuda, who shared their experiences undertaking species recovery actions on their islands. The second part of the round-table permitted all participants to interact directly with the speakers and each other in small working groups, which enabled workshopping the challenges each participant was experiencing with species recovery on their respective islands. Feedback from the participants suggested that the workshop provided an excellent forum for learning from each other’s professional experiences as well as improving the informal networks between species recovery practitioners.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) at 34—an Open Discussion on How our Regional Journal can Best Meet your Needs
The JCO editorial team at the conference. From left: Editor-in-Chief Joe Wunderle, Lead Copy Editor Zoya Buckmire, Managing Editor Stefan Gleissberg, Development Editor Natasha Atkins, Review Editor Jen Mortensen, and BC Vice President Justin Proctor.
The JCO–BirdsCaribbean’s peer reviewed scientific journal–welcomed fellow editors, authors, and other conference participants for a brainstorming session about the role of our journal in the Caribbean research and conservation communities. Managing Editor Dr. Stefan Gleissberg opened up the discussion with an overview, and Editor-in-Chief Dr. Joe Wunderle was available throughout to answer questions. JCO occupies a rather unique niche serving a biodiverse region which at the same time is also culturally and politically diverse. To limit access barriers to critical information on Caribbean birds, JCO publishes in three languages, provides immediate open access, keeps a comprehensive online archive, and has only modest publication charges. A vital point of the journal’s work is to assist early-career and first-time authors, and those who’s research is not conducted with the support system of an academic institution, in order to achieve the highest-possible impact of their work. Roundtable participants contributed valuable ideas. Conversation points included ethical and permit compliance, and how these vary widely among islands and territories. Following a request by a participant, JCO now explores how abstracts from the conference can be published in the journal, increasing visibility.
The most prestigious award — The Lifetime Achievement Award — went to two conservation stalwarts (1) Dr. John Faaborg, Emeritus Professor, University of Missouri and (2) Mr. Eric Carey, Executive Director, Bahamas National Trust and Past President of BirdsCaribbean. This award honors individuals who have helped change the future of Caribbean birds and their habitats for the better through a lifetime of work and dedication.
Elijah Sands accepts the BirdsCaribbean Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Mr. Eric Carey, Bahamas National Trust.
Eight individuals, representing three organizations – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program, Terrestrial Ecology Division,Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources; and Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc. (SOPI)– were hand selected by our President Dr Adrianne Tossas for the President’s Award. In choosing recipients several things are considered, particularly their ability to adapt in challenging times and master their skills ultimately raising the bar of service in conservation. This year’s Founders’ Award recipient was Julissa Irizarry from Puerto Rico, for her outstanding paper entitled Evaluating avian biodiversity in Puerto Rico’s urban neighborhoods: A test of the “luxury effect”. And finally Russell Campbell received the Video Workshop Award for showing the most initiative in the field following the training session at the conference. Read all the details and award citations here.
Recipients of the BirdsCaribbean President’s Award: Ricardo López-Ortiz, Katsí R. Ramos-Álvarez, and Roseanne Medina from the Terrestrial Ecology Division of Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.
Elijah Sands accepts Lifetime Achievement Award from Executive Director Dr Lisa Sorenson on behalf of Emma Lewis.
Ex-President of the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc. (SOPI), Gabriel Lugo, receives the BirdsCaribbean President’s Award on behalf of SOPI President, Laura Fidalgo, and Executive Director Emilio Font.
BirdsCaribbean President Dr Adrianne Tossas and Executive Director Dr Lisa Sorenson with BirdsCaribbean President’s Award recipient Tanya Martinez of the Terrestrial Ecology Division in Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.
Recipients of the BirdsCaribbean President’s Award, 2022, for their work in the conservation of the Puerto Rican Parrot and the Yellow-shouldered Blackbird.
Silent Auction
The Silent Auction is an important fundraising activity and always a fun event at BirdsCaribbean conferences. Among the many items donated by our members for auction this year was the once-in-a-lifetime experience to zipline with BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Dr Lisa Sorenson! It is worth mentioning that Lisa wasn’t even aware this item was up for bid until too late, but seized the moment and fulfilled her ziplining duties in great form for the birds!A huge thank you to our members who donated a record-breaking 600 items for auction this year, helping us to raise US$6,000! All proceeds from the auction support our ongoing conservation efforts and provide much-needed travel scholarships to help Caribbean wildlife students and professionals attend our meetings.
Dr Howard Nelson and Ellie Nelson consider which books they’d like to bid on. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Bidding at the Silent Auction. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Silent Auction organizer, Jennifer Wheeler, announces the start of the event with the traditional blowing of the conch shell. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
The excitement builds as the bidding comes to a close. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Lisa finds out that she is the feature of a surprise auction item – a zipline experience! (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Tody Trot
This year’s 5k Fun Run, the Tody Trot, was named in honor of one of Puerto Rico’s most fascinating endemic bird species, the Puerto Rican Tody. 5k organizers, Maggie MacPherson and Justin Proctor, were excited to welcome 75 runners and walkers to the starting line. The course took participants along sandy beaches, beautiful ocean views, and even a castle, finishing in style on a rocky peninsula with waves crashing all around.
Tody Trot participants socialize after the race.
Tody Trot participants on the course.
Merchandise
This year, we partnered with award-winning biological illustrator, Arnaldo Toledo, and past president of Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña Inc. and Tour Operator for Wildside Nature Tours, Gabriel Lugo, to create a series of eye-catching designs! Arnaldo and Gabriel combined art, birds, and fashion to bring attention to Puerto Rico’s iconic bird species and the threats they face. The AOS-BC Conference collection included t-shirts, hats, buffs, stickers, and a poster that all featured the gorgeous illustrations of talented Cuban artist Arnaldo Toledo. These items and many others, such as local bird-friendly coffee and field guides from Puerto Rico and the West Indies, make great souvenirs from the conference and unique gifts for family and friends! Limited merchandise items from the conference are still available for purchase in Puerto Rico, please contact the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña Inc. for more information (Gabriel Lugo and Emilio Font)
Endemic Birds of Puerto Rico T-shirt, AOS-BC Conference Merchandise.
Endemic Birds of Puerto Rico Hats, AOS-BC Conference Merchandise.
Tody Buff, AOS-BC Conference Merchandise.
Endemic Birds of Puerto Rico Poster, AOS-BC Conference Merchandise
Field Guides & Books on Puerto Rico and the West Indies by Dr Herbert Raffaele and Mark Oberle.
Endemic Birds of Puerto Rico Stickers, AOS-BC Conference Merchandise
Raffle
Fernando stylishly sells raffle tickets at the conference. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Thanks to our generous partners, we are hosting another amazing Raffle to support our ongoing conservation efforts. All proceeds directly impact scientific research and support programs and activities that build the capacity of Caribbean wildlife professionals — like our regional training workshops and conferences.The items offered this year are so good that we have two grand prizes — an original watercolor “Puerto Rican Tody” by award-winning Cuban Wildlife Artist and Illustrator, Arnaldo Toledo; and the Vortex Razor HD 8×42 Binocular, valued at US$1,279.99!
Other fabulous prizes include more stunning bird art — limited edition, high-quality giclee prints of Cuban endemic birds, signed and numbered by acclaimed Cuban artist and author, Nils Navarro.The grand prize drawing will take place on Saturday, 27 August 2022 so enter now for a chance to win! bit.ly/Raffle-2022 With each ticket purchase, you can help Caribbean nationals create better tomorrows for the birds and the communities that live alongside them.
Exploring Puerto Rico: Excursions and Endemics
We could not come to Puerto Rico, home to some of the region’s most stunning endemic birds, and not explore the beauty of our host island. Local hosts, Para La Naturaleza and SOPI ensured that conference attendees had the opportunity to discover as much of Puerto Rico’s rich flora and fauna as possible. Tours included visits to El Yunque National Forest in Río Grande, Medio Mundo y Daguao in Ceiba, the Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve in Fajardo, the Antiguo Acueducto del Río Piedras and the Parque Central de San Juan.
Acknowledgements
A huge thank you to everyone that helped make this conference a tremendous success! It was a pleasure to work with our co-host, the American Ornithological Society, and our local partners, Para la Naturaleza and Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña to organize the conference. We are very grateful to all the conference sponsors and donors, including the National Science Foundation, Dept of Natural Resources and Environment, Puerto Rico, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Windmar Home, Audubon, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Para la Naturaleza, Richard King Mellon Foundation, US Geological Survey, American Bird Conservancy, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, and the US Forest Service – we could not have held this conference without you! We are especially grateful to all those that provided funding and donated to help us provide travel scholarships to 40 Caribbean wildlife professionals and students, including those that participated and donated to our 2022 Global Big Day teams fundraising event in May. As you can see in the photos and videos, the conference provided an incredible opportunity for learning and networking. It also helped us to reconnect, recharge, and become newly inspired to continue our vital conservation work, after a long period of covid isolation. Thank you to all of you from the bottom of our hearts!!!
Gallery
Hover over each photo in the gallery to see the caption or click on a photo to view as a slide show.
Lisa takes a photo with students after the closing ceremony. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Safety first! Justin gets suited up for the zipline experience. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Jordan, Tyrone, Zoya, and Lisa. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Various items for sale at the BirdsCaribbean merchandise table. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Lisa introduces keynote speaker Dr Herbert Raffaele. (Photo by Christine Schmidt)
Jose Colon assists with sales at the BIrdsCaribbean merchandise table.
Keynote Speaker Dr Howard P. Nelson addresses a packed ballroom at the AOS-BC Conference opening ceremony. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Lisa and Justin spot a Puerto Rican Parrot on the way up. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Ingrid Flores Vallejo manages the DRNA & NOAA table. (Photo by Christine Schmidt)
Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Lisa and Jennifer send love to our Cuban colleagues (note the bracelet!). (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Carlos, Luis and JC take a selfie. (Photo by Juan Carlos Fernandez)
Alex Sansom presenting author of a talk by Jessica Cañizares on the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) – what we have learned from the last 12 years. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Delores, Josh, Justin, Adrianne and Lisa pause for a photo during conference prep. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Photo frame fun: Adrianne, Shanna, and Lisa.
Browsing books at the Silent Auction. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Lisa and Justin are ready to zip! (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Caribbean women group photo.
Tahira and Jennifer manage sales at the merchandise table. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Handmade wooden and crochet birds, from Cuba and Venezuela respectively, are displayed at the merch table. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Lisa, Emilio, Omar and JC take a selfie at the Para La Naturaleza welcome ceremony. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Recently constructed Motus Station. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Dr Herbert Raffaele delivers Keynote Address. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Adrianne and Adolfo pose for a photo. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Bird-friendly Coffee and a Puerto Rican Tody Mug – the perfect gift package! (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Photo frame fun: Christine Schmidt and Lauren Gates.
Justin and Giselle show off the Puerto Rican Tody Buff. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Lisa finds out about the surprise ziplining experience at the Silent Auction. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Natasha helps a customer at the BirdsCaribbean merch table. (Photo by Christine Schmidt)
Shoppers browse items at the Para La Naturaleza table.
Elijah Sands, from the Bahamas National Trust, reviews technical elements of video production at The Power of Video Workshop. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Lisa Sorenson, Maya Wilson, Lisa Kiziuk, and Holly Garrod.
Participant gets ready to head into the field, with a new friend. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Dr Howard Nelson delivers Keynote Address. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Zoya Buckmire at her poster. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Justin zooms by on the zipline. (Photo by Edward Hernández-Lara)
Dr Herbert Raffaele delivers Keynote Address. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Silent Auction offer to zipline with Lisa Sorenson. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Lisa and Justin smile for a photo after their zipline experience. (Photo by Daniel Serva)
Participants in the Landbird Monitoring Workshop pause to discuss what they’ve observed. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Participant group photo. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Lisa and Dr Birdy at the airport. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Holly helps customers at the merchandise table. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Lisa Ziplining across the Convention Center courtyard. (Photo by Edward Hernández-Lara)
Field Guides on display at the BirdsCaribbean merchandise table. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Lisa Sorenson, Herbert Raffaele, Ann Sutton, and Justin Proctor sending love to our Cuban colleagues.
Laura Baboolal participates in the Tody Trot.
JC and Joshel help Chris select an endemic birds of Puerto Rico hat. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Jose Colon stands next to his Silent Auction donation – a vintage Society of Caribbean Ornithology T-shirt. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Lisa Sorenson and team present their Ridgeway’s Hawk, “Enriquillo”. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Environment of the Americas table. (Photo by Christine Schmidt)
Dr Herbert Raffaele delivers Keynote Address. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Yvan, Lisa and Christopher at the Closing ceremony after party.
Lisa Sorenson, Mike Webster, Bruce Lyon, and Andre Dondt.
Ellie Devenish-Nelson and Howie Nelson chat with Chris Mulvaney at the Merch table.
Shoppers make their final bids at the Silent Auction jewelry table. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Tyrone, Jordan, Zoya at their posters. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Group photo of Caribbean delegates at AOS-BC Conference 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Participants in the Landbird Monitoring Workshop engage in classroom sessions before going out into the field. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Dr Adrianne Tossas delivers remarks at the AOS-BC Conference opening ceremony. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Adrianne and colleagues. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Howie, Yvan, Lisa, Christopher and Ellie at the Closing ceremony after party.
Dr Howard Nelson delivers Keynote Address. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Branded BirdsCaribbean shirts on sale. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Caribbean colleagues from our Endemic and Threatened Species Working Group discussion at AOS-BC 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Photo frame fun: Adrianne, Ingrid, and Lisa.
Volunteers pause for a photo at the BirdsCaribbean merchandise table. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Group photo with the AOS-BC Photo Frame. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc. (SOPI) table. (Photo by Christine Schmidt)
Caribbean group jumping for joy! (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Lisa Ziplining across the Convention Center courtyard. (Photo by Edward Hernández-Lara)
Participants in the Landbird Monitoring Workshop, Puerto Rico, look for birds in the forest. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Adrianna, Purnima and Lisa.
JC manages sales at the BirdsCaribbean Merchandise Table. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Keynote Speaker Dr Herbert Raffaele delivers address at AOS-BC Conference in Puerto Rico. (Photo by Christine Schmidt)
View of the Convention Center that shows the zipline. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Meeting up with colleagues at the Opening Reception on the Terrace – Maya Wilson, Junel Blaise, Dodly Prosper, Howard Nelson (photo by Tahira Carter)
Photo frame fun with Lisa, Adrianne, Delores, Tahira and Ann.
All eyes on that vintage Society of Caribbean Ornithology T-shirt. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Lisa is suited up and ready for her first-ever zipline experience! (Photo by Justin Proctor)
Adrianne and colleagues take a group photo. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Tyrone, Ellie, Howie, Jordan, Lisa and Zoya. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson(
The Silent Auction jewelry table is busy with bidders! (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Ajhermae White poses for a photo in the conference photo frame. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Justin Ziplining across the Convention Center courtyard. (Photo by Edward Hernández-Lara)
Josh Pergola and Justin Proctor show off their new endemic birds of Puerto Rico t-shirt. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Group Photo of the Caribbean and US Delegation.
Caribbean men group photo.
Dr Howard P. Nelson delivers Keynote Address. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Puerto Rican Woodpecker. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Justin helps out with sales at the merchandise table. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Adrianne, Ingrid and colleagues take a photo frame pic. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Dr Herbert Raffaele delivers Keynote Address. (Photo by Christine Schmidt)
Participants in the Raptors of the Caribbean Workshop show off their bird of prey, a Secretary Bird, made from recycled materials. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Reunion of Caribbean colleagues at the Opening Reception of our AOS-BC Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico (27 June-1 July 2022).
Adrianne and Lisa take a group photo with students.
Lisa, Ivelisse, Farah, Shanna, and Ingrid at the Closing ceremony after party. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Ingrid, Ivelisse and JC pose for the camera in our fun AOS-BC photo frame. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Puerto Rican Emerald sits on a branch. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
We’re doing it again! Our generous partners have made it possible for us to host another amazing Raffle to support our ongoing conservation efforts. All proceeds will directly impact scientific research and support programs and activities that build the capacity of Caribbean wildlife professionals – like our regional training workshops and conferences.
With each ticket purchase, you can help Caribbean nationals create better tomorrows for the birds and the communities that live alongside them.
Now, you may be distracted by all the good you’re doing and forget about the stunning prizes you stand to win – but they are worth mentioning!
The Grand Prize is “Puerto Rican Tody”
“Puerto Rican Tody” painting by acclaimed Cuban Artist Arnaldo Toledo.
On the heels of our recently held international conference in Puerto Rico, our Grand Prize of the highly-desired “Puerto Rican Tody” painting is fitting. The Puerto Rican Tody is one of Puerto Rico’s beloved endemics. This flycatching insectivore is widespread and found in coastal lowlands well into the mountains. Male and female Puerto Rican Todies look similar with vibrant green above, a neat red chin and throat patch, a white malar streak, yellow breast sides, and yellowish flanks. Its local names include ‘San Pedrito’, ‘Medio peso’, and ‘Papagayo’.
“Puerto Rican Tody” is an original watercolor by Cuban Wildlife Artist and Illustrator, Arnaldo Toledo Sotolongo. It is part of a collection of original paintings by this artist that illustrates all 17 Puerto Rican endemic birds for the American Ornithology Society & BirdsCaribbean joint conference. This high quality scientific illustration is 27x 22.5 cm, done in watercolors on Stonehenge Aqua paper.
In a recent interview Arnaldo shared his process for creating this collection with us. “I carefully researched each species and made an extensive study of reference material. This was essential in order for me to render each individual in a way that shows the beauty and life of the bird, as well as precisely draw and paint its field marks and diagnostic details. The pose and attitude of each bird is drawn to set the flow and balance of the composition, while at the same time showing all the splendor of these Puerto Rico endemics.”
Our Second Grand Prize is the Vortex Razor HD 8X42 Binocular
Shhh, this year’s raffle is so good that we have two grand prizes! The Vortex Razor HD 8×42 Binocular, valued at US$1,279.99, is a premium-quality, award winning binocular packed with everything you need for field observation. It is rugged, waterproof, compact and lightweight (one of the lightest full-size binoculars on the market)! In addition, the binocular comes with Vortex’s incredible unlimited, unconditional life-time VIP Warranty!
Vortex Razor HD 8X42 Binocular front view.
Vortex Razor HD 8X42 Binocular side view.
Other Prizes
Lucky winners will also have the opportunity to take home giclee prints by acclaimed Cuban Wildlife Artist & Author, Nils Navarro. Celebrate the endemic birds of Cuba with prints of the famed Bee Hummingbird (the world’s smallest bird), the Cuban Trogon (national bird of Cuba), Cuban Parrot, and more. Winners have their choice of Cuban endemic bird prints on this page. These giclee prints are high-quality, limited edition – only 50 of each will be printed – and do justice to the gorgeous original artwork. Each piece is signed and numbered, measuring ~8.5″ by 11″. The artwork is from Nils’ incredible book, Endemic Birds of Cuba Field Guide.
Bee Hummingbird Giclée Print by Nils Navarro.
Cuban Parrot Giclée Print by Nils Navarro.
Cuban Trogon Giclée Print by Nils Navarro.
The drawing for the Raffle is on Saturday, August 27th, 2022. Proceeds from the raffle support our conservation programs and provide travel support for BirdsCaribbean delegates to attend our workshops and conferences. Purchase your tickets today!
or send a check made out to “BirdsCaribbean,” put “Raffle” in memo, and mail to: BirdsCaribbean 841 Worcester St. #130 Natick MA 01760
If you have any questions, contact Lisa Sorenson at Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org. Remember to get your tickets by Friday, August 26th LATEST, and good luck!
Acknowledgements: Sincere thanks to our generous donors for providing awesome prizes for the Raffle: Arnaldo Toledo, Vortex Optics, and Nils Navarro.
The core committee of the BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group (SWG) continues its series of webinars to help conservation practitioners across the Caribbean prepare for engagement in a 2023 regional seabird census.
The second webinar in the series, Basic Concepts in Seabird Monitoring and Census Design, will be held on Thursday, June 7 from 4–5PM EDT. Seabird biologists and conservationists Ann Sutton and Hannah Madden will review the key issues and considerations when heading to the field to survey seabirds.
The SWG webinars are designed to be interactive, with question and answer sessions at the end of each event. Participants have the opportunity to meet renowned seabird specialists and learn from their knowledge and experience.
Topics for the webinars include design, preparation, logistics, and protocols of seabird surveys; data management; and other needed skills for monitoring seabirds.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic we should cover? Let us know your ideas, the SWG welcomes your input! Contact: Juliana Coffey (juliana@grenadinesbirds.com) and Hannah Madden (hannah.madden@cnsi.nl).
As islands across the Caribbean began to ease restrictions on gatherings due to COVID-19, we were finally able to take a break from our screens and meet, in-person, with our friends and colleagues! At events across the region, we saw people of all ages coming together to celebrate birds – in cities, botanical gardens, and nature reserves. The events were part of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), organized by BirdsCaribbean. The festival highlights endemic birds—the ones found only in the region—and how to protect them.
This year’s festival theme was “Loving Birds is Human Nature.” Our Media Working Group wanted the theme to express our understanding that a close relationship with our environment is natural, and that the best version of ourselves appreciates and sustainably uses what nature provides for our survival. Birds in particular, with their beautiful colors and songs, bring us much joy and they provide us with so many ecosystem services and other benefits. Coordinators embraced the theme with many activities featuring birdwatching trips, tree planting, cleanups, and learning to know and love birds while also taking care of our environment. This year’s theme also inspired our first Short Story & Poetry Competition highlighting human experiences with birds from across the region.
Activities Across the Region (by island)
Antigua and Barbuda
In Antigua, the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), hosted multiple events, including a bird-masquerade at the Salvation Army PreSchool, field trips; to McKinnon’s Salt Pond with Gospel Light Academy Elementary and Great Bird Island (an offshore island) with the Antigua State College, and a backyard bird identification training session. They ended the CEBF with much flare by hosting a members exclusive ‘Birding in the Barracks’ in collaboration with the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park – a World Heritage Site. You can check out their Instagram reels and relive the festivities. Members of the CEBF coordinating committee at the EAG also made appearances on local media outlets.
We must commend the EAG for making their festivities inclusive to all. They provided a step-by-step presentation on the methods to identify birds at the Antigua and Barbuda Association for Persons with Disabilities (ABAPD) garden. After this presentation, local birding expert Joseph Prosper took the group outside to identify the different types of birds that reside in the Belmont, St. John area.
Student of Gospel Light Academy checking out the Endemic Birds colouring book, Antigua. (Photo by the Environmental Awareness Group)
Identifying birds at-McKinnon’s Salt Pond, Antigua. (Photo by the Environmental Awareness Group)
Students of Gospel Light Academy with their copies of the Endemic Birds colouring book, Antigua. (Photo by the Environmental Awareness Group)
Cuba
In Cuba, Flora and Fauna Company Santiago de Cuba attracted over 70 participants, comprising adults, teenagers, and children to birdwatching trips, workshops, games, poetry, and art contests. Beyond the school outreach, the NGO reached a wider audience by appearing on several Cuban radio stations to speak about the CEBF and the illegal bird trafficking problem. The coordinators helped participants to examine their personal relationship with birds through group discussions. They were asked about the role of birds in local Cuban culture, what they thought about birds, their most recent experience with birds, a popular saying that has to do with birds, and to recall a movie or cartoon that involved a bird. This was done to help them to appreciate the close relationship between humans and birds, the environmental services birds provide, and, most importantly, to understand why birds should not be caged, hunted, or killed. Learn more about the escalating illegal bird trafficking problem in Cuba here.
Colleagues from the University of Havana and Cuban Zoological Society hosted a public outreach event in Havana providing; games, information about Cuban birds and opportunities to learn how to identify the birds around them.
Student builds a bird puzzle as part of the CEBF activities in Cuba. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Children learning about birds as part of the CEBF activities in Cuba. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Clean-up activity held as part of the CEBF festivities, Cuba.
Students learn about bird identification as part of outdoor CEBF activities in Cuba.
Students take a group photo holding their bird drawings during the CEBF festivities, Cuba.
A student shows off bird illustrations during the CEBF festivities, Cuba.
Haiti
Similar to Cuba, CEBF coordinators in Haiti visited both schools and churches to speak about the important roles birds have in maintaining a healthy environment and the uniqueness of the birds that can only be found in Haiti. The coordinators also reported that the people at the church listened attentively, asked questions, and requested for more information to be shared with them. While at the schools, the students who typically kill birds with traps pledged to not trap or kill birds.
Dominican Republic
In the nearby Dominican Republic, Simón Guerrero, took a more scientific approach. With the support of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, the Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Defense, he was able to install nests for Hispaniolan Woodpeckers and Hispaniolan Parakeets. The Hispaniolan Parakeet is one of two endemic but threatened parrot species on the island and has a breeding population on the university campus, but not enough cavities. Across at the Ministry of Defense’s compound, firebush or hummingbird bush (Hamelia patens) – a plant whose flowers and fruits are very attractive to native, endemic, and some migratory birds – were planted.
We are also proud to share that Simón and his colleagues worked alongside the National Board for the Blind to give a talk about the endemic birds of Hispaniola to blind and sight impaired people, using recordings of birdsongs. This was followed by a walk in the National Botanical Garden, where playback was used to get the wild birds that live in the Garden to sing. This allowed participants to learn to identify the birds through song. Following this the participants created a WhatsApp group named “Cuidemos las Aves (Let’s take care of birds), and already have a birdwatching trip planned for the city of Santiago. Simón has also proposed to include birding among the activities of school curriculum for the blind (Patronato Nacional de Ciegos).
At the same botanical garden another NGO- Grupo Acción Ecológica organized a birdwatching tour of the grounds as well as a bird art exhibition using artwork created by high school students.
Students engage in a birdwatching activity in the Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Grupo Acción Ecológica)
Group photo at the Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Grupo Acción Ecológica)
Tree planting in the Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Grupo Acción Ecológica)
Cayman Islands
Cayman Birding – a local bird conservation group on the Cayman Islands, hosted a local kids art contest to highlight their endemic birds. The primary goal was to challenge the talented young artists to research and draw a bird that is only found on the Cayman Islands. They received 27 stunning entries in two age categories and the artwork was so amazing that two winners were chosen from each category instead of one. The judges shared that “Not only was the artwork beautiful but many of the pieces were very well thought out and we could see the research of each species executed perfectly into a work of art. We saw entries that depicted a range of habitats, threats to our endemic species, diet, facts and more!” You can view the winning entries in the photo gallery below.
Winning submission by Vera Rodriguez for the Kids Art Contest (8-12 years) titled “Living in the trunk of the tree.” (Image courtesy Cayman Birding)
Winning submission by Scarlett Evans for the Kids Art Contest (8-12 years) titled “Yellow Belly.” (Image courtesy Cayman Birding)
Special Mention Submission by Ethan Soto for the Kids Art Contest (8-12 years) titled “By the House.” (Image courtesy Cayman Birding)
Winning submission by Shristie Singh for the Kids Art Contest (under 7years) titled “Bananaquit at Carib Sands.” (Image courtesy Cayman Birding)
Winning submission by Aria Irons for the Kids Art Contest (under 7years) titled “Birds are Like Gems.” (Image courtesy Cayman Birding)
Jamaica
In Jamaica, the Caribbean Coastal Area Management (CCAM) Foundation took a hybrid approach providing both online and in-person presentations. They hosted five days of activities with participants from communities and schools within the Portland Bight Protected Area, as well as the youth group Positive Pathways. Students and teachers from Mitchell Town Primary and Infant, Watsonton Primary School, Alley Infant, Banks Basic School and Kemps Hill High School received an introductory presentation followed by birdwatching. Additionally the primary schools created different bird related arts and crafts whilst the high school participated in a bird jeopardy.
Social media accounts, particularly Instagram, were also buzzing. Numerous photographers on the different islands took the opportunity to showcase their incredible skills and the beauty of their one-of-a-kind birds. Use the hashtags #CEBF #endemicbirds #FromTheNest #LovingBirdsIsHumanNature to find these jaw-dropping photos.
Infants and primary school students create bird crafts as part of the 2022 CEBF activities, Jamaica. (Photo by Caribbean Coastal Area Management)
Students and teachers birdwatching from a bird hide in Jamaica. (Photo by Caribbean Coastal Area Management)
Presentation being given by Caribbean Coastal Area Management (CCAM) staff to secondary school students in Jamaica. (Photo by Caribbean Coastal Area Management)
Endemic Birds of the West Indies Coloring Book – Spanish Version
Our Spanish-speaking partners and supporters in the Caribbean, and worldwide, can now relax their minds and increase focus all while coloring and learning about the Caribbean’s fabulous endemic birds. The Spanish version of our Endemic Birds of the West Indies coloring book is now available for free download from our Resources page!
A Google order form will be available soon for NGOs and government agencies who wish to distribute hard copies, during bird and nature events, on their respective islands.
We are extremely grateful to Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez (Fundación Científica ARA MACAO) and Maydiel Cañizares for translating the original English text by Mark Yokoyama (Les Fruits de Mer). Bird illustrations are by the talented naturalist, scientific illustrator and long-time partner of BirdsCaribbean – Christine Elder. You can catch Christine’s past CEBF ‘Learn to Sketch’ webinars on our YouTube channel.
We need your help to ship this book to the islands. If you would like to help,please click here. No donation is too small!!
Back and Front Covers of the Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book in Spanish.
Endemic Bird of the Day
Each day we featured an endemic bird on our website and across BirdsCaribbean’s socials. The list of endemic birds was carefully curated to include species that are masters of disguise, like the Puerto Rican Nightjar; species which keep birders’ ID skills in check, like the St Lucia Warbler; those that feature, prominently, in local folklore, like the Jamaican Owl; and some of the forest’s greatest singers, like the Cuban Bullfinch. You can find the complete list of birds here.
Each endemic bird profile was accompanied by a beautifully drawn image by Josmar Marquez of AveZona, stunning high quality photos and videos, online puzzles tailored for different levels (between six and 1,024 pieces), and bird calls. Fun, free and engaging activities were also provided for both kids and adults, including downloadable coloring pages; trivia quizzes (How Well Do You Know Caribbean Birds Pt. 1 and Pt. 2); outdoor games for the entire family, Bug Hunt and Hide and Squeak; and crafts (Upcycled Hummingbird Feeder and Tomato Cage Bird Bath).
https://youtu.be/lJDVtWxaBf8
Poetry and Short Story Contest
This year, we held a Poetry and Short Story Contest as a way to highlight the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival theme “Loving Bird is Human Nature” and to document the powerfully innate connection we have with birds. We received fantastic submissions from Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. All poems and short stories, including winning entries, are now stored in this e-book “Loving Birds Is Human Nature: An Anthology of Short Stories and Poems in English and Spanish”. We invite you to read the wonderfully expressive poems and short stories we received. We would love to see this anthology grow! Please contactinfo@birdscaribbean.org and Aliya.Hosein@birdscaribbean.org if you would like to contribute a poem or story, or both!
Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) 2023
Theme
This year’s CEBF is over – but don’t worry, we still have plenty of bird content for you to enjoy! Make sure you are following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and havejoined the BirdsCaribbean mailing list, to ensure you are kept up to date with our latest news via our monthly newsletter.
The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival will return next April 2023 – but we need help coming up with a theme. We would love to hear your ideas for next year’s theme, which should allow us to highlight a critical problem that affects birds throughout the region. Please email your theme and a brief explanation (1-3 sentences) on why it should be the 2023 CEBF theme to CEBF@birdscaribbean.org, info@birdscaribbean.org and Aliya.Hosein@birdscaribbean.org
French version of Endemic Birds of the West Indies Coloring Book
Both the English and Spanish versions of our popular Endemic Birds of the West Indies Coloring Book are already available for free download from our Resources page. In 2023, we intend to share this valuable educational resource in French, but this can only be made possible with your help!
Your support ensures that our resources, which help both adults and children learn about and how to protect birds, remain free and accessible.
If you would like to contribute, please click here.
Volunteer couriers for materials
We need help distributing educational materials to our partners in the Caribbean for next year’s CEBF.
In addition to high shipping costs, it can be difficult to get the materials to individual islands on-time and in good condition. If you, or a close friend or relative, will be traveling between the US and the Caribbean during the months of December, January and February and have extra room in your suitcase, please get in touch with us; CEBF@birdscaribbean.org, info@birdscaribbean.org and Aliya.Hosein@birdscaribbean.org. Your support will help ensure that bird education remains accessible to all in the Caribbean.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to all of our partners and friends across the region for participating so enthusiastically and making this another memorable CEBF.
Gallery
Enjoy more photos from the CEBF 2022 below. Click the images to enlarge and see their captions.
Children play bird games as part of the CEBF activities in Cuba. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Students take a group photo holding their bird drawings during the CEBF festivities, Cuba.
Student bird poster on display at the Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Grupo Acción Ecológica)
Students play bird-themed games as part of outdoor CEBF activities in Cuba.
Students participate in CEBF festivities in Cuba. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Children learning about birds as part of the CEBF activities in Cuba.
Black-necked Stilts, Cuba.
Children learning about birds as part of the CEBF activities in Cuba.
Student drawing of a Cuban Parrot.
A student shows off bird illustrations during the CEBF festivities, Cuba.
Student drawing of birds in nature as part of the CEBF activities in Cuba.
Group photo of students during the CEBF festivities, Cuba.
Students look for birds at a beach during the CEBF festivities, Cuba.
Clean-up activity held as part of the CEBF festivities, Cuba.
Kids Art Contest Flyer, Cayman Islands. (Image courtesy Cayman Birding)
Puerto Rican Spindalis Sketch shared on Instagram. (Photo by Sarita Emmanuel)
CEBF bird count at Lagos de Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Carla Montalvo)
Pearly-eyed Thrasher spotted by Natalya and Jordan, Antigua. (Photo by Natalya Lawrence)
Lago de Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Carla Montalvo)
Holly Garrod, one of the BirdsCaribbean’s trainers at this year’s bird banding workshop in The Bahamas, describes some highlights of the event. Wildlife professionals and students from 7 Caribbean countries had the opportunity to get together in person for hands-on learning in the science and skill of banding birds.
Our first Caribbean Bird Banding Training Workshop took place in The Retreat Garden in Nassau, The Bahamas, from March 8-12, 2022. The workshop was part of our newly launched Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Project and was organized in collaboration with The Bahamas National Trust. Wildlife professionals from all skill levels arrived from across the region for non-stop learning on the many ways bird banding serves as a valuable tool for monitoring birds. Some participants came to the workshop having already banded thousands of birds, while others had never even held a wild bird before. Our skilled facilitators ensured, however, that everyone left learning something new about birds in the hand. In the perfect green oasis of The Retreat Garden, participants went directly from the field to the classroom to learn all about what it takes to band birds.
The group observes a bird banding demonstration. Workshop Facilitator, Claire Stuyck, bands a Cape May Warbler.
Bird banding is a complex field technique that involves catching birds passively (no lures or bait to attract them) by using thin nets set up throughout vegetation. Bird banders check the nets every half hour (much like fishing), untangle any birds and place them in small bird bags to help them keep calm. The bird bags are then carried to the banding table.
At the banding table, birds are given unique, numbered bands that identify each individual for the rest of their life. Banders then proceed to take a variety of measurements; they look at bird fat scores and reproductive characteristics, they measure different bird body parts like bill and wing length, and they open up the wing to look at molt patterns, which is used to help determine age. These differences between young and old feathers are called molt limits, and there’s still a lot we’re learning about molt patterns in Caribbean birds! After this short inconvenience, birds are safely released to go about their business. But how can catching and banding these birds help us to understand bird populations?
Examining the molt on a Caribbean Dove. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Measuring the bill length on a Caribbean Dove. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Weighing a Caribbean Dove. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Bird banding gives us the opportunity to learn first-hand how birds are doing. We can use molt patterns and plumage characteristics to age birds, allowing us to better understand demographic patterns. Older birds and younger birds may take different migratory routes or have access to different resources. Banding also gives us insights into the lives of birds.
Recoveries of bands have allowed us to understand just how long some of these birds live – some migratory warblers can live 10-11 years! Most importantly, birds are indicator species—their presence, absence, or abundance reflects environmental conditions. Using bird banding data, we can look at the health of birds using metrics like fat scores and weight, allowing us to better assess habitat quality, especially for breeding residents and migratory birds.
Red-legged Thrush is examined. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Bird banding data sheet. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Within the Caribbean, there are very few active banding operations. Through the Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network, we are aiming to expand and unite banding programs in the region. Workshops like this one provide the opportunity to learn about this valuable monitoring tool and can contribute toward gaining the necessary experience to safely band birds.
A truly international collaboration
Workshop Facilitator, Juan Carlos Fernández Ordóñez, explains bird banding basics.
Our first CBB Training Workshop was truly an international affair! Participants came from 7 different countries/islands — Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, and Venezuela. Trainers came from highly reputable organizations in the U.S. with stellar training programs, including Klamath Bird Observatory and the Institute for Bird Populations.
Following this workshop, we are very proud to announce that the CBB Network has our very own North American Banding Council (NABC) certified banding trainer, Juan Carlos Fernández Ordóñez! The NABC certification has three levels: assistant (qualified to assist a banding operation), bander (qualified to band independently), and trainer (qualified to train people how to band birds). This certification is a rigorous process where banders are tested on a full suite of bird banding knowledge. The NABC certification helps ensure that everyone banding birds upholds the highest quality bird banding technique—prioritizing people safety, bird safety, and ethical data collection. As part of our goals for the CBB Network, we hope to certify more Caribbean residents so that we can continue to build capacity in the Caribbean! Congratulations JC!
What are the next steps?
Workshop participant from Antigua and Barbuda, Shanna Challenger, checks the fat on a Bananaquit. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Everyone came away learning something from this workshop, whether it was a new molt pattern of a Caribbean resident bird or banding their very first bird. These workshops provide a great jump-start into the world of banding, but they always leave participants wanting more.
To quench their thirst for molt limits, we are facilitating bird banding internships to select participants that are able to migrate northwards for a bit. Participants will be spending time at long-standing, internationally renowned programs to continue honing their banding skills. They will need to pack their sweaters, as these programs include Long Point Bird Observatory and Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory in Canada, Klamath Bird Observatory in Oregon, Audubon Rockies in Wyoming, and the Willistown Conservation Trust in Pennsylvania. And once the winter really starts to hit, they’ll migrate back south to work with NABC certified trainers and practice banding birds on their home islands.
Then, get ready because we have another upcoming Bird Banding Workshop! We’ll be returning to the beautiful ecolodge of Rancho Baiguate in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic (the same place we held our Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop, if it sounds familiar) in early 2023.
We’re also getting ready to share our brand new bird banding database and Caribbean bird bands. Stay tuned!
Acknowledgments: Special thanks to our Workshop Facilitators John Alexander, Claire Stuyck, Holly Garrod, and Steve Albert. Huge thanks also to The Bahamas National Trust for their support in making this workshop a success.
Testimonials
Participants shared their thoughts on the workshop and how the practical knowledge shared will augment their conservation efforts.
Carlos Peña, Center of Investigation and Environmental Services, Holguín, Cuba
This workshop exceeded my expectations and allowed me to incorporate knowledge related to the techniques of the whole process of bird banding: set up of mist nets, safe extraction of birds from the nets, and biometric measurements.
One of the most valuable experiences was related to the learning of molt cycles and plumage sequences, this experience has encouraged me to get involved in their knowledge, to use it as another tool for the study of bird communities and particular species. The workshop has given me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge, it has encouraged me to improve it and to participate and contribute to bird banding.
Daniela Ventura del Puerto, Student at Havana University, Cuba
Muchas gracias a BirdsCaribbean and The BahamasNational Trust for organizing and hosting this fantastic workshop! I’m so happy and honored to be part of the Caribbean Banding Network with so many enthusiastic and well-prepared people! Looking forward to more enjoyable days in the field at the beautiful Retreat Garden in Nassau, more molt talks and fabulous discussions among participants. Can’t wait to see how this effort will translate into more knowledge and conservation actions of our Caribbean birds.
Scott Johnson, Environmental Officer at BRON Ltd, The Bahamas
Spent the week with BirdsCaribbean, The Bahamas National Trust, and an amazing group of people from across the Caribbean, learning about bird molts and proper bird banding etiquette. BirdsCaribbean continues to shape Caribbean bird conservation through stellar workshops, conferences, and materials to foster a greater appreciation for our bird fauna. Thanks to the BNT for hosting such an amazing event. Now to put what I learned to good use.
Shanna Challenger, Offshore Islands Conservation Program Coordinator, Environmental Awareness Group, Antigua and Barbuda
Just came back from BirdsCaribbean’s regional capacity-building workshop on bird banding and was able to use my new skills to rescue this sweet little Lesser Antillean Bullfinch who got stuck in our museum! I couldn’t resist checking his plumage for molt limits (my new obsession thanks to Workshop Facilitator Holly Garrod).
Gallery
Enjoy more photos from the Bird banding Workshop below. Click the images to enlarge and see their captions.
Participant Josmar Marquez in the process of examining and banding a bird. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Participant selfie at Bird Banding Workshop. (Photo by Scott Johnson)
Group photo after certificate ceremony.
Workshop facilitators. From left to right: Claire Stuyck, John Alexander, Holly Garrod, and Steve Albert.
Red-legged Thrush is examined before being banded. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Red-legged Thrush is examined before being banded. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Classroom session. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
A juvenile Bananaquit is observed before banding. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Tools used to band birds. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Mist net set-up activity with the group. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Looking for molt limits on a Caribbean Dove. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Workshop participant from Grenada, Zoya Buckmire, checks the fat on a Red-legged Thrush. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Thick-billed Vireo is observed in the hand. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Workshop participants Josmar Marquez, Adrianne Tossas, and JC-Fernandez Ordonez.
Black Birders Week is a social media campaign which seeks to highlight the important presence of people of color in the birding and conservation communities. It is a week-long celebration, organized by the Black AF in STEM Collective, of Black outdoor enthusiasts, naturalists, and conservationists, focusing on their cultural perspectives of the world in which we live. This year’s theme, “Soaring to Greater Heights”, emphasizes birding as a lifelong learning journey that is enjoyed by Black cultures across the diaspora.
We are extremely grateful to be working in the Caribbean where any person, regardless of race, can enjoy birds and nature. At BirdsCaribbean we truly believe that nature is for everyone and are continuously working to create opportunities for Caribbean nationals to advance their conservation and leadership skills through workshops, mentorship programs and by providing funding for critical research.
However, we know that, beyond the region, Black people are still underrepresented in the natural sciences and academia. Therefore for Black Birders Week 2022, we are shining the spotlight on the following Caribbean leaders:
Ajhermae White- #InTheNest
Environment Officer Department of Environment Montserrat Instagram: @sajhkp
How did you first get interested in birds?
The Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and Their Habitats International Training Workshop in 2019, hosted by BirdsCaribbean in Puerto Rico, was my first in-depth introduction to birds. Upon returning home, from the workshop, a male Lesser Antillean Bullfinch was nesting at my house, which further ignited my interest in birds. I remember using a field guide I received from BirdsCaribbean to identify it. I was so happy that I found its name. After that, my knowledge of birds skyrocketed. Now in 2022, I can identify just about all resident birds and their calls on Montserrat and many migrants and vagrants. Working in the Department of Environment in Montserrat gives me the opportunity to learn about birds and work with them.
Did you have anyone take you under their wing?
James ‘Scriber’ Daley took me under his wing at the start of my birding journey. He is the best on the island and his knowledge of birds is exceptional. I am grateful that I have been able to learn so much from him.
If you’ve been at it for a while, have you become a mentor to someone else?
Now that I have become so passionate about birds I have gained the courage to go on public platforms to share my knowledge with the community. With the help of BirdsCaribbean and Environment of the Americas, I have been able to organize many educational events on resident and migratory birds. I’m so happy that I have been able to share my knowledge with children and adults on Montserrat.
Johnella Bradshaw- #LearningToTakeFlight
Redonda Ecosystem Reserve Coordinator Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) Antigua and Barbuda Instagram: @jcstarss
What were your first steps into birding on your own?
My introduction into birding began roughly one year ago, when I started working at the EAG. I remember receiving my “Birding Bubble Bundle” that the group had curated, to celebrate the annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival in collaboration with BirdsCaribbean. Little did I know, I was about to embark on a journey, as I would be #LearningToTakeFlight in the vast world of birding.
Immediately after skimming through the contents of my bundle I began birding in my backyard. I recorded 4 species and counted 10 birds around my home. I was beyond excited to see my backyard “magically” turn into an ecological haven before my eyes. After identifying birds such as the Antillean Crested Hummingbird, adorned with its vibrant hues of greens and blues and its distinctive mohawk crest, I found a deeper appreciation for the environment around me, and I knew I wanted to learn more.
I wanted to learn more about the different birds in my country and there was no better opportunity than during the EAG’s Bird and Lizard Surveys on our offshore islands. I quickly had to learn about land birds, seabirds, and shorebirds. Who would have thought that there are so many different types of birds? NOT ME!
I love that birding is an activity for any and everyone!
When did you feel comfortable enough to call yourself a birder?
Birding not only connects people to nature but it also connects people to people. Although I consider myself to be a “baby birder,” I am happy to be learning from the birding enthusiasts, and experts in the field that I work with on a daily basis. I have been exposed to so many new opportunities and skills, ranging from bird photography to bird banding, that this journey has, so far, been nothing short of amazing.
So, what are you waiting on? It is time to take flight!
Shanna Challenger- #LearningToTakeFlight
Offshore Islands Conservation Programme Coordinator Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) Antigua and Barbuda Instagram: @specieswithshanna
What were your first steps into birding on your own?
My very first step of course was obtaining a pair of binoculars – you got to be able to see the birds! Second was strengthening my ID skills – I found as many bird ID guides and resources as possible and focused on the unique identifiers of a few familiar birds. I would use these “core birds” as my measuring stick for how others differed from them e.g. is it larger than a bullfinch but smaller than a grackle?
Lastly was getting out there and going birding – starting off in my backyard, around my workplace, and then expanding to birding hotspots across the island. As a scientist, data collection is crucial and once confident in my species IDs, I used eBird to record my sightings.
When did you feel comfortable enough calling yourself a birder?
“One does not simply choose to become a birder, the birding life chooses you.” I would say I finally became comfortable when I slowly realized birding had become second nature to me. Everywhere I went and encountered a bird, the species name and behavior would automatically pop into my head. And of course, the true confirmation of birder status came with the fact that I started to convert all my friends, coworkers and family members into birders too, one step at a time.
Zoya Buckmire- #DayOfRoost
Graduate Student University of Manitoba Canada
Why is it important for us to know when to ‘roost’?
Mankind has long gleaned lessons from our avian neighbors, from the mechanics of flight to indications of habitat quality. But what about more subtle lessons, like when and where to roost? Choosing a conducive environment (a safe sheltered tree or your happy place), settling in on the evenings after a long day of foraging (or completing projects), and surrounding yourself with birds of a feather (pun intended) are all important for ensuring you get the best roost (and rest!) possible. Birds also take extra time to recharge and fuel up before strenuous activities like migration, and so should we before embarking on new projects in order to protect our mental health. This is especially important for those of us at the intersection of several minorities as we face up against imposter syndrome, oppressive systems, and our own goals and limitations. Taking time off is the best way to avoid burnout and provide balance in our increasingly hectic lives. Only with proper rest and recovery can we then soar to greater heights.
What motivated you to take the leap to go after your passion?
When I was a child, I got a hold of a dinosaur book called “Dinosaurs” by the National Geographic Society and was fascinated by them. This later became a childhood obsession and my interest in dinosaurs evolved into an interest in birds and other animals. I continued to geek out on animals and wanted to become a biologist. However, upon going to the then College of The Bahamas at the time, it seemed as though there was no place in The Bahamas where I could become a field biologist. I did not want to become a vet or a medical doctor, but it looked as if those avenues were the only options for me. So, for a few years I was trying to convince myself to pursue one of those disciplines. Eventually, I became frustrated and turned to GOD and basically said to Him that I do not know how I was going to become a biologist or where I was going to work, but I am going to pursue this field no matter what. Soon after, one of my schoolmates told me about the Kirtland’s Research and Training Project that trains Bahamians in field biology and helps conservationists to learn more about the (then endangered) Kirtland’s Warbler. I applied and was accepted, and the rest in history.
What’s something you’ve always wanted to try or challenge yourself with?
As I continue to teach Bahamians, I realize that there are major gaps in Bahamian terrestrial research, and a lack of young people desiring to become terrestrial field scientists—like myself. As environmental work continues to grow in my country, the need for skilled field biologists is a necessity. I hope I can be one of those persons (wildlife trainers) who will lead this charge in a bigger capacity. So going for a Ph. D is in my future.
When is it time to pivot and “Fly The Coop”?
During certain times of the year, something inside birds triggers them to prepare for migration and reproduction. This trigger is not properly understood but we scientists know that it happens. When the season is right, I believe that that trigger will be squeezed. Until then, I am still training and gaining skills.
#AsTheCrowFlies- Leo Douglas
Past President of BirdsCaribbean Assistant Clinical Professor NYU, Liberal Studies Twitter: @leo_r_douglas
What is birding like in Jamaica?
Birding in Jamaica is a particular privilege; the island is home to many island and regional Caribbean endemic species. It is also a key stopover site for many Neotropical migrants. Additionally, there are multiple ecological biomes from dry forest to cloud forest. Thus, the birding is always rich, varied, and geographically accessible.
Reflect on where you have gone birding and how it’s helped you pave relationships with people of different cultures.
I started birding in high school through a youth program organized by college-aged youth. Thus, from the get-go my journey with birds was inspired by youth and my passion has always been to work with youth in the outdoors, exploring the natural world.
How has your own culture shaped your relationship with birds and your birding journey?
Being from a small island has always given me a sense of the urgency around valuing and protecting birds and forests. Jamaican forest and species are highly restricted in range and our cultural associations with them are similarly unique and threatened. I came to the understanding, very early on, that bird and nature conservation on my island was ultimately up to Jamaicans. Culture and identity has ultimately driven the ways I see and value birds.
#LifelongJourney- Inés Lourdes Fernández
Wildlife Specialist Empresa Flora y Fauna Santiago de Cuba Cuba Instagram: @lu861211
Comencé a dar mis primeros pasos en el fascinante mundo de las aves, hace unos años ya durante mi etapa universitaria con el grupo de ornitología del Centro Oriental de Ecosistema y Biodiversidad, (BIOECO) en Santiago de Cuba. Ahí supe que las aves iban a ser mi boleto de ida para conocer los secretos de la naturaleza y adentrarme más en la observación de ellas. Mis primeras aves observadas y estudiadas en esta etapa, fueron las rapaces migratorias, Águila pescadora, Halcón peregrino, así conocí de todo el proceso de migración.
Mi primer binocular lo obtuve gracias a Optics for the Tropics, durante el Festival de Aves Endémicas del Caribe en el 2018 y de inmediato agarré mi guía y me dirigí al área protegida más cercana a observar aves en compañía de mis colegas de trabajo. Al principio éramos dos y poco a poco hemos sumados más interesados. Hoy, no solo realizamos observaciones de aves sino también enseñamos a las comunidades, mediante la Educación Ambiental y la vinculación a actividades de investigación, el maravilloso mundo de las aves, así ayudan a su protección.
Hoy me considero una amante de las aves. Observarlas me ha permitido relacionarme y conectarme con otras personas que comparten esta pasión, intercambiar datos y opiniones, desarrollar habilidades y acceder a nuevas oportunidades como la fotografía.
Todavía me falta un mundo por aprender, pero poco a poco voy conociendo y sumando más amigos y colegas a la observación.
English translation
I took my first steps into the fascinating world of birds a few years ago, while at university with the ornithology group of El Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (BIOECO) in Santiago de Cuba. From that point, I knew that birds were going to be my one-way ticket to learning the secrets of nature and diving deeper into observing them. The first birds I observed were migratory raptors: Osprey and Peregrine Falcon, and this is how I learned about the whole migration process.
My first binoculars were sponsored by Optics for the Tropics, during the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival in 2018. I immediately grabbed my guide and went to the nearest Protected Area to observe birds in the company of my colleagues. At first there were two of us and little by little, more people interested in learning about birds and nature joined us. Today we not only make bird observations but also teach communities, through Environmental Education and linking to research activities, the wonderful world of birds, thus helping their protection.
I consider myself a lover of birds. Observing them has allowed me to relate and connect with other people who share this passion, exchange data and opinions, develop skills, and access new opportunities, such as photography.
I still have a world to learn, but little by little I am getting to know more about birds and adding more friends and colleagues to my community.
It is our hope that by recognizing Black Birders Week we increase the visibility of Black Caribbean birders and naturalists and their contributions to conservation. We also hope that this will encourage other agencies and institutions to support their employees and members who are Black and to actively seek ways to make the workplace and outdoors more inclusive and welcoming.
Sustained harassment of nesting Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) in Le Gosier, Guadeloupe, in recent years, has resulted in the abandonment of the largest colony of this species in the French Caribbean islands. BirdsCaribbean is greatly concerned by this unfortunate development and urges French authorities to take action to stop any harassment and ensure the birds return to breed in this important colony. (en français ci-dessous)
Brown Pelicans in the Caribbean rarely nest in urban settings, and yet this colony is just a few steps away from both a library and primary school. BirdsCaribbean regrets that the pelican colony in Le Gosier did not receive adequate consideration and protection from the local authorities of the town that proudly takes its name from the Brown Pelican. This indeed is a missed opportunity for education where, with the right will and incentives, the name-sake of the town can turn a human-wildlife ‘neighborhood dispute’ into a source of pride for the small town of Le Gosier.
A pair of Brown Pelicans cares for its three young chicks in the Le Gosier colony, during the 2013-2014 nesting period (Photo by Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès).
History of Brown Pelicans on Guadeloupe
Part of the pelican Le Gosier colony during the 2013-2014 breeding period (Photo: Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès). Note numerous chicks (white plumage with brown wings) on nests – a sign of a healthy and fully functional colony.
Brown Pelicans were extirpated from Guadeloupe in the 19th century following hunting and persecution. Low numbers nested in the archipelago in 1984 and 1996 but the species only resumed breeding permanently in 2007. This is the same year that a few nests with chicks were rediscovered at the Le Gosier colony. From a handful of nests in 2010-2011, this colony increased in size to reach a maximum of 117 nests in 2016-2017, covering a large area on the spectacular sea cliffs of Boulevard Amédée Clara. This made it one of the largest nesting colonies of Brown Pelicans in the Lesser Antilles. It hosted as many breeding pairs as the other three colonies known to have re-established in Guadeloupe combined, and represented the largest colony of this species in the French Caribbean islands. In fact, the town of Le Gosier takes its name from “gwan gosyé”, the traditional Créole name for the Brown Pelican. This majestic bird is also the town’s emblem and, as such, appears on numerous buildings and monuments.
For the first time since 2007, Brown Pelicans did not nest at the Le Gosier colony in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. This fact was brought to the attention of BirdsCaribbean in November, 2020 by the Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles (ASFA). Visits by rangers of Parc National de la Guadeloupe in December 2020, and by Association AMAZONA in January 2021, confirmed the abandonment of this breeding site. Visits by ASFA in early 2022 confirmed that Brown Pelicans did not renest in 2021-2022.
“When, in 2007, we announced that we had discovered a Brown Pelican colony in Le Gosier, we thought it would stimulate decision-makers to make the return of the Brown Pelican in Guadeloupe a success. The loss of this colony is a resounding defeat for the recovery of this species.” — Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles
As early as 2014, ASFA alerted relevant French authorities of the potential human-wildlife conflicts that could arise from the growth of the colony, but no action was taken by the administration. Indeed, intentional disturbances directed at the nesting Brown Pelicans accelerated. ASFA shared with BirdsCaribbean that, over the years, people were observed deliberately and regularly throwing rocks at nests from both the top and bottom of the cliffs; demolition works directly above the colony repeatedly disturbed pelicans during nest initiation; and vegetation that supported nests was cut or degraded before or during the breeding season. Although the Arrêté du 17 février 1989 makes it unlawful to hurt or kill pelicans and their chicks or eggs, it does not protect them against disturbance (whether accidental or intentional), nor does it protect their breeding and resting sites from intentional destruction.
Estimated sizes of the Brown Pelican population in Guadeloupe between 2011 and 2021. Counts of fledgelings, and resulting estimates of productivity, were only carried out until 2018. (Data from Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles.)
The failure of France to curb these threats to a protected species partly results from the long-overdue revision of this arrêté, stuck in negotiations. BirdsCaribbean urges the French government to hasten the acceptance of the revision of Arrêté du 17 février 1989 to actually provide full protection to the Guadeloupean birds it seeks to protect. Furthermore, the Brown Pelican colony of Le Gosier did not receive the protection it needed from French authorities as pledged under the SPAW protocol, despite France being a signatory and ratifying country, and Guadeloupe hosting the offices of the Regional Activity Centre that oversees its implementation.
“The case of the Brown Pelican is a good example: France should make a priority of revising our weak national regulations. It could also easily compensate for the loss of breeding habitat for the Brown Pelican by protecting îlet Rousseau, a public land with strong potential not only for pelicans, but also for Magnificent Frigatebirds.” — Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles
Brown Pelicans breeding at the Le Gosier colony during the 2013-2014 nesting period. In the upper left corner, note the three big chicks sharing a nest – a sign of a healthy and fully functional colony. (Photo by Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès).
Next Steps
The Brown Pelican colony at Le Gosier was a jewel of Caribbean wildlife, one that was enjoyed by local people and visitors alike, but no longer – it only took only a few misplaced acts to destroy it.
BirdsCaribbean calls on the government and local administration to:
1) investigate and document what happened to the colony in 2020-2021;
2) put into place an action plan to avert a similar tragedy happening in 2022-2023 and the future;
3) monitor the areas where Brown Pelicans return and nest again, ensuring that they are not disturbed;
4) educate the local community to instill pride in the town’s name-sake, showing that it deserves our protection;
5) complete the revision of the Arrêté du 17 février 1989, and ensure that adequate legislation is in place to protect wildlife from disturbance and destruction.
En Francais
BirdsCaribbean est extrêmement préoccupée par l’abandon en 2020, 2021 et 2022 de la colonie de nidification de pélicans bruns du Gosier, en Guadeloupe, suite à des dérangements prolongés.
BirdsCaribbean est extrêmement préoccupée par les dérangements répétés de pélicans bruns (Pelecanus occidentalis) nicheurs ayant eu lieu au Gosier, en Guadeloupe, ces dernières années. Ces dérangements ont provoqué l’abandon de cette importante colonie de reproduction durant les saisons de reproduction 2020-2021 et 2021-2022. Les autorités responsables doivent agir pour arrêter et prévenir tout dérangement, et assurer le retour en nidification lors de la saison 2022-2023. Ceci aura des bénéfices économiques et pédagogiques pour la commune du Gosier. Dans les Caraïbes, les pélicans bruns nichent rarement dans des zones urbaines : malgré tout, la colonie ayant subi les dérangements n’est qu’à quelques pas de deux écoles et d’une médiathèque, dans une ville qui prend son nom de ces mêmes pélicans !
Photographie 1: Un couple de pélicans bruns s’occupe de ses trois jeunes poussins à la colonie du Gosier, pendant la saison de reproduction 2013-2014. (Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès).
Histoire des pélicans bruns en Guadeloupe
Pour la première fois depuis 2007, les pélicans bruns n’ont pas niché à la colonie du Gosier en 2020-2021 et 2021-2022, une information que l’Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles (ASFA) a partagé avec BirdsCaribbean dès novembre 2020. Des visites effectuées par des gardes du Parc National de la Guadeloupe en décembre 2020, et par l’Association AMAZONA en janvier 2021 ont confirmé l’abandon de ce site de nidification. Des visites de l’ASFA début 2022 ont montré que les pélicans n’avaient pas re-niché en 2021-2022.
Photographie 2: Une partie de la colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier, pendant la saison de reproduction 2013-2014. (Photo: Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès). Noter les nombreux poussins (plumage blanc et ailes brunes) sur les nids, signe en bonne santé écologique.
Le pélican brun a été éradiqué de Guadeloupe au cours du XIXième siècle par la chasse et la persécution. Des effectifs limités ont niché sur l’archipel en 1984 et 1996 mais l’espèce n’a recommencé à nicher de façon permanente qu’en 2007. Cette même année, des nids avec des poussins étaient découverts à la colonie du Gosier. De quelques nids en 2010-2011, cette colonie a ensuite gagné en taille pour atteindre, à son maximum, 117 nids en 2016-2017, utilisant alors une grande partie des falaises spectaculaires du Boulevard Amédée Clara. Ceci en faisait l’une des colonies de nidification les plus grandes des Petites Antilles. Elle abritait autant de couples nicheurs que les trois autres colonies recensées en Guadeloupe combinées, et était alors la plus grande colonie de cette espèce dans les Antilles françaises. La ville du Gosier prend justement son nom du “gwan gosyé”, le nom créole du pélican brun. Cet oiseau majestueux est aussi l’emblème de la ville et, en conséquent, il apparaît sur de nombreux bâtiments et monuments.
“En annonçant, en 2007, que nous avions découvert une colonie de pélicans bruns, qui plus est, dans la ville du Gosier, nous pensions susciter une mobilisation des décideurs pour que ce retour de l’espèce en tant que nicheuse sur l’Archipel guadeloupéen soit un succès. L’abandon de la colonie sonne le glas d’une pleine reconquête de l’espèce.” —Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles
Menaces sur le pélican brun des Caraïbes
Malgré sa présence familière sur nos côtes, la population caribéenne du pélican brun est toujours considérée comme à risque dans la région. Elle est aussi listée comme strictement protégée au titre du protocole SPAW, protocole dont la France est signataire. En Guadeloupe, les pélicans bruns nicheurs sont listés comme Vulnérables sur la Liste Rouge des Espèces Menacées de France et sont protégés par l’Arrêté du 17 février 1989. En vertu de cet arrêté, toute forme de destruction, capture ou enlèvement de cet oiseau marin, de ses œufs ou de son nid est interdite.
Dès 2014, l’ASFA a alerté les autorités françaises compétentes des potentiels conflits qui pourraient découler de l’expansion de la colonie de nidification du Gosier, mais l’administration n’a pris aucune mesure. Au contraire, les dérangements intentionnels envers les pélicans bruns nicheurs se sont accélérés. L’ASFA a d’ailleurs informé BirdsCaribbean que, au fil des ans, des personnes ont été observées en train de jeter des pierres sur les nids, depuis le haut et le bas des falaises, de manière délibérée et régulière ; des travaux de démolition juste au-dessus de la colonie avaient dérangé les pélicans à plusieurs reprises au commencement de la nidification ; et la végétation sur laquelle les nids étaient construits avait été coupée ou dégradée avant ou pendant la saison de reproduction. L’Arrêté du 17 février 1989 rend illégal la destruction et la mutilation des pélicans, de leurs poussins et de leurs oeufs, mais il ne les protège pas des dérangements (accidentels ou intentionnels), et ne protège pas non plus leurs sites de reproduction et de repos de destructions intentionnelles.
Figure 1. Effectifs de population du pélican brun en Guadeloupe entre 2011 et 2021. Les comptages de jeunes à l’envol, et les estimations de productivité en découlant, n’ont pas pu être effectués après 2018. Données : Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles.
L’incapacité de la France à limiter ces menaces à l’encontre d’une espèce protégée est en partie le résultat de son incapacité à réviser l’Arrêté du 17 février 1989. BirdsCaribbean exhorte donc les autorités françaises à finaliser la révision de l’Arrêté du 17 février 1989 afin de véritablement offrir l’entière protection de la loi aux oiseaux de la Guadeloupe que cet arrêté prétend protéger. Par ailleurs, la colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier n’a pas reçu la protection des autorités françaises, en directe opposition avec le protocole SPAW qu’elles ont pourtant signé et ratifié, et malgré le fait que les bureaux du Centre Régional d’Activité qui supervise la mise en application dudit protocole se trouvent en Guadeloupe.
“Cet échec est un bon exemple : la révision de la réglementation nationale devrait être la priorité de la France. Il serait aussi facilement réalisable de compenser les pertes survenues sur la colonie du Gosier en protégeant l’îlet Rousseau, un terrain public à fort potentiel non seulement pour les pélicans mais aussi pour les Frégates.” — Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles
Photographie 3: Des pélicans bruns en nidification à la colonie du Gosier, pendant la saison de reproduction 2013-2014. (Association pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune des Antilles – Régis Gomès). Dans le coin en haut à gauche, noter les trois grands poussins dans un même nid, un signe d’une colonie en bonne santé écologique.
BirdsCaribbean regrette que la colonie du Gosier, qui est située face à la médiathèque et aux écoles du Boulevard Amédée Clara, n’ait pas reçu une considération appropriée de la part des autorités locales d’une ville qui emprunte fièrement son nom au pélican brun. Nous regrettons, par ailleurs, que cette opportunité pédagogique et économique ait étée négligée : avec des bonnes intentions et des soutiens adaptés, l’espèce qui prête son nom à la ville aurait pu transformer un “conflit de voisinage” entre humains et faune sauvage en une source de fierté pour la petite ville du Gosier.
Prochaines étapes
La colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier était un joyau de la faune des Caraïbes, autant appréciée par les locaux que par les visiteurs, mais elle n’existe plus : il n’a fallu que quelques actes déplacés pour la détruire. Par conséquent, BirdsCaribbean demande au gouvernement français et aux administrations locales de
1) enquêter et documenter ce qui est arrivé à la colonie de pélicans bruns du Gosier en 2020-2021 ;
2) de mettre en place un plan d’action pour éviter qu’une tragédie similaire ait lieu en 2022-2023et dans le futur ; 3) de suivre les zones où les pélicans bruns pourraient revenir et nicher, afin d’assurer leur protection ;
4) de développer des programmes pédagogiques à destination des communautés locales, afin d’inspirer de la fierté pour l’espèce qui prête son nom à la ville et de montrer qu’elle mérite notre protection ; et
5) de finaliser la révision de l’Arrêté du 17 février 1989 et de s’assurer qu’une législation appropriée soit en place pour protéger la faune sauvage des dérangements et des destructions.
En attendant de recevoir de vos nouvelles rapidement, je vous remercie pour votre assistance.
Once again, on Saturday 14th May 2022 the Caribbean birding community showed up and showed out for Global Big Day! Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you. Birders and bird lovers across the globe spend the day observing and recording essential data about the birds they see. Some also take this opportunity to visit new birding spots, reconnect with colleagues, and tick lifers off their lists.
This year, globally, 7,724 species were recorded from 201 countries by 52,761 people!
Observers found 473 species in the West Indies—beating last year’s recordby a whopping 109 species! (see Figure 1). This was made possible by 461 eBird observers in the West Indies— increased by 96 persons from 2021. The total number of checklists submitted was an impressive 1,870— increased by 200! (see Figure 1). Way to go!!!
Figure 1: Global Big Day 2020, 2021, and 2022 comparisons showing that the total number of eBird Observers in the West Indies, total species seen, and total number of eBird checklists submitted all increased from 2020 to 2021 to 2022.
Including data from all eBirders, Cuba clinched the lead for most species seen—166 – congratulations! This was followed by The Bahamas at an impressive 141 species, Puerto Rico and Trinidad close behind with 135 and 134 species, respectively, Caribbean Netherlands swinging in at a nice 86, and Jamaica finishing sixth with a solid tally of 93 species. Read on for all the exciting details and final team stats…
Fundraising to help build capacity for Caribbean bird conservation
Once again many teams helped raise funds for bird conservation in the Caribbean. This year, those funds will help deserving Caribbean wildlife professionals and students to attend the AOS & BC Conference in Puerto Rico in June. Our Global Big Day was hugely successful on all fronts, with 15 teams participating, including 11 national teams! (up from 10 teams in 2021). Together, so far, we raised over $13, 900 US—nearly 3/4 to our goal of $20,000 – congrats and thank you to everyone for your participation and support!
We have been busy awarding travel scholarships to meet the needs of over 40 Caribbean nationals who applied for funding to attend the conference. We still need to reach our goal of $20K! If you have not had a chance to donate yet and would like to help, please visit: https://givebutter.com/BCGBD2022
BirdsCaribbean President Adrianne Tossas birding with her family on GBD – she finished in the mountains with 44 species!
BirdsCaribbean Global Big Day (BCGBD) Teams
How did all the BirdsCaribbean teams perform overall? The multinational Flying Pintails, led by Executive Director Lisa Sorenson, claimed the title for the most species observed: 496 (see Figure 3). The Bee Hummers Dream Team, the Cuban national team led by BC board member Maikel Cañizares, and President’s Perch, led by our past president Andrew Dobson came in second and third with 474 and 472 species seen, respectively. The Bee Hummers, named after the smallest bird in the world, made a big splash in two other categories with the most eBird observers (66), and most West Indies endemics (49). The Peeping Cuckoos, the Puerto Rican team led by our president Adrianne Tossas, claimed victory for most eBird checklists submitted (283).
Figure 2: Global Big Day results for our 15 BirdsCaribbean Teams, which included 11 national teams. The numbers in red show which team had the highest number for each category. A total of 1,078 species and 121 endemics were observed by all 15 teams combined.
Tracking the Endemics on our GBD Teams
It would not be a ‘big’ day of birding if none of our fabulous Caribbean endemics were recorded. We would expect Jamaica, Cuba or the Dominican Republic to win this category year after year since they have the highest number of endemics. In order to level the playing field, however, we calculate this as the highest proportion of the island’s endemic birds seen on Global Big Day. There were two winners of this title: Grenada Hook-billed Kites and Bajan Birders & Friends, recording the single-island endemic Grenada Dove and Barbados Bullfinch for their islands, respectively. The Peeping Cuckoos (Puerto Rico), Bee Hummers (Cuba), and One Love Jamaica (Jamaica) teams saw over 80% of their island endemics. (See Figure 4).
Figure 4: Percent of endemics seen (by proportion) on Global Big Day, 2022.
Hard-working team members – small was beautiful!
Once again smaller and/or more local teams also had their advantages. When the total number of species seen was divided by the number of people on the team, President’s Perch came in first, with an average of 26 species observed per person (see Figure 4). Bajan Birders & Friends were a close second with 22 species per person, followed by the the Far Flung Flock of Friends (18), Man-O-War Primary Eco-Club (17), Flying Pintails (16), Bahama Snipers (15), and TCI Royal Terns (15).
Figure 3: The average number of species seen observed per person for each of the 15 Global Big Day teams. Presidents Perch was the winner in this category with an average of 26 species/person. Bajan Birders & Friends came in second with 22, followed by the Far Flung Flock of Friends (18), Man-O-War EcoClub (17), Flying Pintails (16), Bahama Snipers (15), and the TCI Royal Terns (15).
MVB – Most Valuable Birders
2021 reigning champions for most birds seen – Holly Garrod and Josh Covill (on team Flying Pintails) returned to demolish the competition again. Birding together in icy-cold Montana weather for 16 hours, they recorded an incredible 155 species!
Holly Garrod and Josh Covill once again won the competition for most species seen—braving icy cold Montana weather and recording 155 species for the day – congrats!
We must salute the die-hard birders in the Caribbean as well. Special commendations go out to the following birders who had 20 or more West Indies Endemics on their GBD checklist on May 14th:
The Baracoa chapter of the Bee Hummers Team of Cuba. (Photo by Roberto Jovel.)
Adrian Cobas (Cuba)- 21
Rodolfo Castro Alvarez (Cuba)- 26
Ann Sutton (Jamaica)- 28
Veda Tate (Jamaica)- 28
Maikel Cañizares Morera (Cuba)- 21
Xochitl Ayón Güemes (Cuba)- 21
Thank You for a fantastic #GlobalBigDay and fundraiser
A huge thank you to our team leaders and everyone that participated in this year’s GBD! Thanks also to everyone that helped us raise funds and donated!!! Our hardworking teams got the word out to family, friends, and colleagues and thanks to you all, we have so far raised nearly US$14,000 for Caribbean bird conservation! Funds are being used used to cover travel and attendance costs for Caribbean wildlife students and professionals at the upcoming AOS & BC Conference, June 27-July 2, 2022, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Unfortunately our Cuban colleagues will be unable to attend the conference this June because it’s in the U.S., therefore all money raised by the Cuban team will go towards installing Motus stations in Cuba!
Most of us know how beneficial scientific conferences and meetings are in making professional connections, developing new collaborations, and learning about cutting-edge research and conservation initiatives. It is here, surrounded by like-minded individuals, where each of us is newly inspired and armed with new knowledge and tools to protect birds and their habitats.
To date, thanks to you, we have awarded 35 travel scholarships, but more funds are needed to assist remaining applications!
Help us to reach our fundraising goal and continue to develop the next generation of Caribbean conservationists by donating today! Visit givebutter.com/BCGBD2022 to make a contribution.
St Vincent crew at the end of Global Big Day, tired but happy! Mike and Lisa Sorenson, Joanne, Maeson, and Glenroy Gaymes and Jeff Gerbracht.
2022 BirdsCaribbean Global Big Day Teams
You can visit each birding team’s page profile on eBird to see maps of the team’s countries/ islands where birds were sighted and their checklists. You can also visit each team’s GiveButter page and donate to specific teams to help them reach their fundraising goal, or donate to the general campaign.
Cuban Vireo seen on Global Big Day, Cuba. (Photo by Roberto Jovel)
Enjoy the below photos captured by members of BirdsCaribbean’s various Global Big Day teams on May 14, 2022. Click on images to enlarge.
Cuban Green Woodpecker captured on Global Big Day in Cuba. (Photo by Roberto Jovel)
Long-billed Dowitcher, Georgia, USA. (Photo by Yve Morrell)
Saffron Finch Flock, Jamaica. (Photo by Wendy Lee)
Cave Swallows, Cuba. (Photo by Roberto Jovel)
Bahama Swallow, The Bahamas. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Glenroy and Joanne Gaymes hiking up to Jennings Valley overlook at 6 AM (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Turkey Vulture sits on a palm branch. (Photo by Roberto Jovel)
Saffron Finch, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Coral Avilés Santiago)
Blue-winged Teal, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Killdeer, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
The Bahama Swallow feeds mainly on flies and beetles. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Long-billed Dowitcher, Montana, USA. (Photo by Joshua Covill)
Puerto Rican Spindalis, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eric Torres Rivera)
Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided), Montana, USA. (Photo by Joshua Covill)
Mark Hulme birding in Trinidad.
Black-necked Stilts, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
White-winged Dove, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves-Rodriguez)
Red-winged Blackbird, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Bahama Woodstar, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Scaly-naped Pigeon, Grenada. (Photo by Zoya Buckmire)
Killdeer, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Coral Avilés Santiago)
Lesser Yellowlegs, Georgia, USA. (Photo by Yve Morrell)
Cuban Parrot, The Bahamas. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Forest Kingfisher, Australia. (Photo by James Lambert)
Killdeer, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Black-necked Stilt, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Cuban Emerald, The Bahamas. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Glenroy Gaymes points the way to the Montreal Trail, St Vincent.
Cattle Egret, Cuba. (Photo by Roberto Jovel)
Black-whiskered Vireo, Cuba. (Photo by Roberto Jovel)
Scaly-breasted Munia, California, USA. (Photo by George Cummins)
Wilson’s Plover chick, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Smooth-billed Ani. (Photo by Roberto Jovel)
Wilson’s Plover, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Bahama Mockingbird, The Bahamas. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Australasian Darter, Australia. (Photo by James Lambert)
Bananaquit, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Amarilys Lebron)
Red-necked Phalarope, California, USA. (Photo by George Cummins)
Scaly-breasted Munia, California, USA. (Photo by George Cummins)
Cuban Parrots sit in a tree, The Bahamas. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Pied-billed Grebes, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Coral Avilés Santiago)
Eurasian Collared-Dove, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Cuban Parrot, The Bahamas. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Puerto Rican Spindalis, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves-Rodriguez)
Executive Director Lisa Sorenson was in St Vincent for this year’s GBD along with her husband Mike and Jeff Gerbracht. They had a fabulous day of birding with Forestry Officer Glenroy Gaymes, his wife Joanne, and son Maeson.
Maeson Gaymes in St Vincent, one of the youngest birders, getting ready to bird and hike the La Soufrierre Trail, St Vincent
Green Heron, Grenada. (Photo by Zoya Buckmire)
Antillean Nighthawk, Grand Bahama. (Photo by Steven Oxley)
Sunrise at Jennings Valley, St Vincent – first stop of the day to see the St Vincent Parrot (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Pigeon Guillemot, Washington, USA. (Photo by Mark Oberle)
Bahama Swallow, The Bahamas. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Red-legged Thrush, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves-Rodriguez)
Stilt Sandpiper, Georgia, USA. (Photo by Yve Morrell)
American Wigeon, Texas, USA. (Photo by John Thomlinson)
This May, the core committee of the BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group (SWG) will begin a series of webinars to help conservation practitioners across the Caribbean prepare for engagement in a 2023 regional seabird census.
To accommodate varying levels of expertise, the series begins with the basics and will build in complexity as the weeks progress. The first webinar in the series is Caribbean Seabird Identification, scheduled to be held on May 31, from 4–5PM EDT. Noted seabird biologist and conservationist J. Christopher Haney will share stunning photos to help participants identify the 22 species of seabirds that nest on the Caribbean’s beaches, cliffs and mangroves.
“Even if you are a seasoned pro, we think you will find the webinar enjoyable,” shared Jennifer Wheeler, core member of the SWG. “Chris has many years of experience training seabird observers and presents in casual, conversational style. He will provide tips and tricks on ID, and there will also be time for Q&A segment at the end.”
Join us! Take advantage of this fun opportunity to gain, sharpen or test your identification skills and prepare for the upcoming Caribbean seabird census. Register here bit.ly/CaribSeabirdID
Caribbean Seabird Identification Webinar
The SWG webinars are designed to be interactive – with quizzes to test your new-found knowledge, and question and answer sessions at the end of each event. Participants will be able to meet renowned seabird specialists and learn from their knowledge and experience.
Topics for the webinars include design, preparation, logistics, and protocols of seabird surveys; data management; and other needed skills for monitoring seabirds. The SWG welcomes input on the topics you would like to be covered, let us know your ideas! Contact: Juliana Coffey (juliana@grenadinesbirds.com) and Hannah Madden (hannah.madden@cnsi.nl).
BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group Newsletter – click on the image to view and download a PDF, OR read on your device as a full-screen flipbook (click below). For Spanish and French versions, click on the images below.
The annual BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group (SWG) newsletter is now available! Catch up on the latest research, conservation, restoration, and education projects happening across the Caribbean Basin – in English, Spanish, and French!
This issue outlines the outcomes of the 2021 Seabird Fest and presents plans for a 2023 regional seabird census – which includes an informative seabird webinar series, focused on the techniques required to survey seabirds in the Caribbean.
Review updates on recent and ongoing regional projects and publications, covering Least Terns, Red-billed Tropicbirds, and Brown Pelicans, among others. The newsletter also features a “seabirder spotlight” on Patricia Bradley, conservationist stalwart in the Cayman islands and the wider Caribbean region.
Learn about the Seabird Working Group’s co-chairs, who are working hard behind the scenes to ramp up activities and communications, and find out the many ways that you can connect with the Seabird WG and its members, including our Facebook group!
Interested in getting involved? Please take advantage of the many avenues for communication described in the newsletter and if you have seabird news to share, let us know! We would love to feature your work in the next issue!
P.P.S. We are keen to hear from you if you enjoyed our newsletter! Please let us know if you have any recommendations on how to improve future editions.
BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group Newsletter in Spanish – click on the image to view and download the PDF.BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group Newsletter in French – click on the image to view and download the PDF.
Patricia Bradley arrived on Grand Cayman in 1982 and began to put together comparative monthly records of bird sightings on all three islands. In the four decades since, she has authored several field guides and natural history books, and a British Ornithologists’ Union checklist. She is a founding and Life member of the Cayman Islands National Trust, chairing and serving on its Environmental Advisory Committee, and she has served many years on the Cayman Government’s National Conservation Council. She was instrumental in establishing the Cayman Islands’ Important Bird Areas, and developing the nature tourism project in the Sister Islands, including design of interpretative signage at lookouts on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Patricia’s contributions to conservation extend well beyond the Caymans. She has long been a member and supporter of BirdsCaribbean, including as a past co-chair of the Seabird Working Group (SWG), and co-edited the book ‘An Inventory of the Breeding Seabirds of the Caribbean’ in 2009.
Jennifer Wheeler: Hello Patricia! I understand this is your fortieth year in the Caribbean. When you arrived in the early 1980s, did you imagine you would become one of the most respected names in Caribbean ornithology?
Patricia Bradley: Well, I’m not sure I believe THAT. But, I do feel that I have had the opportunity to contribute and add to the efforts of bird conservation and habitats, when bird data was sparse in the 1980s. But so much remains to be done in the region to stem the loss of species, especially seabirds, whose breeding and foraging areas continue to decline. Cayman is now doing a great job.
JW: What brought you to the Caribbean? And did you come with a love of nature?
PB: I was born and lived in Ireland up until the age of 24. My parents brought me up outdoors and my mother was a very keen birder. At University, I studied Biology. After graduation, I stayed on to teach and participate in field projects. I began a PhD, but my husband was offered a job in Africa, so off we went to begin our international life together, and we never went back to Ireland.
JW: Where did you go?
PB: Our first station was in Malawi, where I worked on game counts and spent a year with the Locust Research Council tracking swarm development in the wetlands; then Botswana and more birds. In 1972, my husband went to work with the UN. First to Antigua, then the British Virgin Islands, and then the Turks and Caicos Islands where I set up the National Trust, and helped establish the large Ramsar Site that encompasses the Caicos wetlands. In each location, I gathered and submitted birding records to the British Ornithological Union as there was a dearth of information. People in Europe didn’t understand what a birding hotspot the Caribbean was!
Patricia talks to ecotourists at Booby Pond, Little Cayman. (Photo courtesy naturecayman.com)
In 1982, we reached the Cayman islands, and I began to compile a checklist of birds of the 3 islands. Cayman birds were little known both here and overseas. Over a 20 year period, aiming to put a monetary value on Cayman’s undervalued and underrated natural areas, I wrote field guides, set up forest and wetland signed trails on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac (linked to maps and a website – a first for the region), and invited bird tour leaders to put us on their route. Also raising awareness locally through the National Trust we had set up.
JW: So birding records led to field guides that led to a career in developing bird conservation projects in Cayman Islands and elsewhere in the Caribbean! In 2003, you and Robert Norton commenced An Inventory of the Breeding Seabirds of the Caribbean (Bradley and Norton 2009). Do you have a special interest in seabirds?
PB: Yes, seabirds are very important in my life. I find them especially beautiful, with their combination of freedom in the air and vulnerability on the ground. Rob and I were focused on sea level rise and the effects of tropical storms, which combined with habitat loss are major threats to seabirds. Also, my mentor, John Croxall (a foremost expert in seabird conservation globally), was working in the Antarctic on fisheries and albatross and he shared with me what the international community was doing for seabird protection.
Thinking about the plight of seabirds, especially given regional climate change threats, we realized that assessing seabird numbers across the Caribbean was essential. We needed a comprehensive snapshot of the state of things – recent population numbers, threats, and declines – so we could begin to understand the changes that were occurring. The Inventory of Breeding Caribbean Seabirds was finally finished in 2009, building on the works of both van Halewyn and Norton 1984; and Schreiber and Lee 2000.
JW: Talking about the 2009 book must be bittersweet due to the recent passing of Rob Norton.
PB: Absolutely. I lament the loss of this wonderful, dedicated, and courageous man. We go back to the early 1980s when I began sending him birding records from the Cayman Islands. Our friendship cemented when we met in Jamaica in 1985 and on Turks and Caicos in 1987, and continued until his death.
Bird field guide author Patricia Bradley was awarded the title of “Conservationist of the Year” in the 2016 Governor’s Conservation Awards. (Photo courtesy the Cayman Compass)
JW: Finding and persuading seabird specialists from each island to contribute must have been a challenge.
Patricia Bradley and Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet at the Birds of Cayman Islands Launch, 2013.
PB: The editing process was a huge challenge, with an embryonic internet! But it was also great fun as we worked with English, Dutch, French, and Spanish ornithologists, and got to know many of the corners where seabirds hang out! Thank goodness for Rob’s exhaustive understanding of the regions’ birds, and GIS data and maps brilliantly provided by William Mackin. The meetings of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (now BirdsCaribbean) provided an essential structure and backbone for the work.
JW: Chapter 30 of the Inventory presents Conservation Issues and Proposals. Some of these have progressed nicely, some not at all. How are you feeling about the state of things?
PB: Yes, well, conservation activities often wax and wane, depending on opportunities, funding, and crises like hurricanes, social unrest, and of course, COVID-19. Unfortunately, the effects of climate change – rising seas, changes in ocean chemistry, and prey base – are an increasing threat to Caribbean seabirds. Reports estimate that many populations have decreased in the last 20 years. In the Cayman Islands, we have lost 50% of what was one of largest colonies of Red-footed Boobies in the region. Preliminary results indicate that food shortages contributed to decreased breeding success, plus cat predation.
That’s why the Seabird Working Group’s promotion of a region-wide census is so critical. Previously lack of continuity has been a major issue, with data collection dependent on one individual who either moved country or lost funding. I hope the 2023 census will change that, to go beyond the census to establish a regional monitoring database updated regularly, to allow a rapid response to threats to be addressed.
Booby Pond, Little Cayman. (Photo by Rhiannon Austin)
JW: Any signs of hope for seabirds?
PB: Of course! There is always hope. And there are waves of progress… More people got started in seabird conservation following the BirdsCaribbean seabird project from 2011 to 2013. I’m thinking about people like Hannah Madden and Juan-Carlos Fernandez-Ordonez. And Dr. Patrick Jodice’s engagement, which led to more seabird tracking research on frigatebirds, boobies, and petrels. The Bermuda Petrel story is extremely heartening. And support by the Darwin Initiative has helped several of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), including the Cayman Islands, to advance its seabird monitoring.
One exciting thing happening now is the use of National Capital Accountancy by the Cayman Islands Government, and 2 other OTs, to produce an economic valuation of ecological services provided by the national resources. We recommended this approach in the Inventory – calculating the concrete values of interconnected resources: marine, wetlands, forests, relating the ecological value of seabirds to fishing, coral reef health, nature tourism, etc. The Government intends to adopt this approach, presently in its infancy with only the mangrove asset value determined. It will have profound influence in recognizing and conserving natural resources as part of the financial balance sheet of the country, and incorporation into the legislation in Cayman, as well as providing a model for the region.
JW: What’s your advice for the BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group for the regional Caribbean Seabird Census push?
PB: Keep pushing! It’s not easy coordinating the efforts across a region as diverse as the Caribbean. I know this and it often takes lots of persuasion! Take advantage of the people that have become trained and confident in seabird monitoring to encourage and coach others to assist in surveys. This should help to forge a new generation who will continue the work. And figure out a way to fill some of the gaping holes – it’s shocking how little attention the seabirds on the offshore cays in Cuba and The Bahamas are receiving. We know costs are prohibitive with thousands of cays to census, but somehow we have to get creative to fund people to get out there! Additionally, the crisis that Caribbean seabirds are facing must be elevated at National levels so that monitoring becomes a Government responsibility, as has occurred in Cayman since 2016, and in the US islands for generations. However, where Government support and funds are not forthcoming, international NGOs and BirdsCaribbean will need to continue their search for funding to ensure that this brilliant initiative does not stall. It is the only way management plans for each species and site can go forward.
Jennifer Wheeler and Patricia Bradley at the 2007 International Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
JW: Thank you so much for your time, it’s great to catch up. I can’t remember when you and I first met, but I definitely remember hanging out at the 2007 BirdsCaribbean conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Will I see you this summer at the upcoming conference in the same location?
PB: Alas, no, making that trip isn’t possible. But I will engage virtually! Keep me in the loop for remote attendance, especially the Seabird Working Group symposium and discussion!
The Endemic and Threatened Species Working Group (ETSWG) is conducting a survey of conservation action on Caribbean endemics to better plan, support, and understand current conservation efforts to protect Caribbean endemic birds.
You don’t need to be a member of the ETSWG to take the survey! Anyone working on Caribbean endemics, in any capacity, is invited to complete the survey. Your valuable feedback will help the ETSWG better support conservation work on these amazing species!
The ETSWG includes academics, funders, practitioners, independent researchers, government agency and NGO staff, and amateur ornithologists, who all have an interest in conserving the Caribbean’s endemic and threatened bird species. The ETSWG meets online quarterly for members to update each other on their recent conservation and research activities, share information about opportunities such as funding, and support one another to address conservation challenges such as development activity. The Group also holds in-person meetings at the biannual BirdsCaribbean conferences – the last one was held in Guadeloupe in 2019 – and plans are underway to host another in-person meeting at the AOS-BC Conference in Puerto Rico this June!
ETSWG in-person meeting in Guadeloupe, 2019.
Why a survey?
We already know that human and resource capacity is a challenge for conservation across the region. We also know that while some Caribbean endemic species are getting excellent conservation and research focus, many others need more. To try to address these issues, the ETSWG is keen to develop activities that facilitate information sharing and support collaborations between researchers and practitioners. To help the Working Group develop future activities, the wider BirdsCaribbean community is asked to share what could be done to best address needs in Caribbean endemic bird conservation.
A local team member in the DR climbs a Ridgway’s Hawk nest tree in order to band nestlings before they fledge. (Photo by Nicholas Lormand)
Holly Garrod bands a Broad-billed Tody in the Dominican Republic for her M.Sc. thesis research.
The survey seeks to first get a sense of current conservation capacity within the region. Questions such as, “where are you located?” and “how much do you collaborate within the region?” aim to collect this information. The survey also asks about the threats to species, as this helps the group to understand the kinds of conservation needs across the region (e.g., training on policy engagement, invasive species management, etc.), as well as provides a horizon scan of emerging threats and which species may not be getting the conservation effort they need. In addition, the survey asks what activities you want to see the ETSWG provide to help your conservation efforts.
Share your ideas in the survey! Let us know what would help build your capacity – whether it’s training on species recovery planning or monitoring, hosting a database, mentoring, or more – and we’ll work on developing future activities to fit these needs.
BVI Conservation Department’s Atoya George in the field at Fallen Jerusalem. (Photo by Jost van Dyke Preservation Society)
Want to get involved?
Visit the ETSWG’s webpage to learn more about member activities and read summaries from previous meetings to get an idea of the issues monitored. The ETSWG listserv, a sub-group within the BirdsCaribbean listserv, shares announcements of meetings, funding opportunities, ideas and news about Caribbean endemics – sign up on the ETSWG webpage! The group also uses WhatsApp as an informal means to share information. Let us know if you’d like to be added to the group! Anyone on the BirdsCaribbean listserv with an interest in endemic and threatened bird species can request to join and new members are encouraged!
Red-billed Streamertail – endemic in Jamaica. (Photo by Claude Fletcher)
The Purple-throated Carib is endemic to a handful of islands in the Lesser Antilles. (Photo by Barbara and Frank Lilievre)
Blue-headed Hummingbird, endemic to Dominica and Martinique. (Photo by Paul Reillo)
Cuban Black Hawk, endemic to Cuba. (Photo by Garry Donaldson)
Hispaniola Woodpecker, endemic to the Dominican Republic was photographed by Michael Good in Puerto Plata, DR on his Global Big Day count.
Cuban Bullfinch, another one of Cuba’s 27 endemic birds. (Photo by David Hill)
The Barbuda Warbler is endemic to the island of Barbuda, which was heavily damaged by the recent storms. (Photo by Ted Eubanks)
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, an endemic bird to the Lesser Antilles. (Photo by Ted Eubanks).
Cuban Emerald, hummingbird endemic to The Bahamas and Cuba. (Photo by Garry Donaldson)
West Indian Whistling Ducks are a threatened regional endemic, resident in the Portland Bight Protected Area in Jamaica. They have been declining in Jamaica due to loss of wetland habitat. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Black-crowned Palm Tanager, endemic to Hispaniola. (Photo by Dax Román E.)
The beautiful Scaly-breasted Thrasher is endemic to the Lesser Antilles. (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
The Guadeloupe Woodpecker is endemic to Guadeloupe. (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
The endemic Bahama Warbler. (Photo by Martha Cartwright)
It’s that time of year again! We’ll be hosting our annual celebration of Global Big Day—the biggest birding day of the year—on Saturday, May 14, 2022. This time, we are raising funds for travel scholarships to help Caribbean students and wildlife professionals attend the AOS-BC Conference in Puerto Rico this June*.
We are bringing back our popular teams competition from 2021, and celebrating together the energy, excitement, and camaraderie that’s associated with Global Big Day.
Last year was a resounding success, with people from 192 countries reporting 7,234 species in a single day—the biggest Global Big Day turnout ever! For BirdsCaribbean, our numbers were also impressive—15 teams with members from 36 countries reported a total of 1,348 species and raised over $20,000, and we had so much fun doing this. Let’s make this year even better!
What is Global Big Day (GBD)?
Twice a year, during peak migration times (once in spring and once in fall) birders around the world go out (often in small groups) and travel around an area trying to observe as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr period of time. The checklists that the global community collects and submit to eBird are hugely valuable for science and conservation!
This annual event raises the profile of birds and conservation issues, and gathers a snapshot of bird distribution around the globe—and we need your help to do it!
The “Join a Team” button can be found just below the header graphic.
Joining a team is easy! Sign up with your email or Facebook account, scroll through the list in the dropdown menu and select the team you’d like to join. If you’d like to create a new team, you can do so by clicking the words “create a new team” to the right of the blue button.
Once on a team, invite family, friends, colleagues, or members of your birding community to join your team and/or donate to your team. Learn more in this “how to” guide.
and/or . . .
Simply making a donation to one of the birding and fundraising teams.
and/or . . .
Committing to spending some time (or the entire day!) birding on Global Big Day (May 14), being sure to keep track of what you see and then entering that information into eBird.
You can bird from your backyard for as little as 10 minutes, or visit sites throughout the day to see as many birds as you can. By being on a team, your observations will contribute to that team’s total list for the day. Who will win top prizes this year for most species seen and most checklists submitted and most endemics seen?! Someone needs to contest the Bee Hummers Dream Team, who cleaned up last year!
This will be a fun event to fundraise for and get excited about! Be ready to go birdwatching for as much of the day as possible, knowing that all of your teammates, friends, and BirdsCaribbean community members are doing the same!
Everyone should plan to submit their observations to eBird (or eBird Caribbean if you’re in the islands). Then we’ll tally them up and see how we all did! We will send out more information about this as the event draws closer.
https://youtu.be/ErkKZZ1aKEw
Why this is Important
The insular Caribbean is a critical region for birds. There are 171 species that occur here and nowhere else in the world! In addition, the islands provide a winter home for numerous migrants—many stay 6 months or longer while others rely on the islands as stopover sites to rest and refuel during their long journeys north and south.
The development of a strong regional conservation community, through capacity-building training and career development opportunities at the island level for local people, is critical to ensure the sustainable preservation of island birds and their habitats.
How your Gift Will be Used
This Global Big Day fundraiser will fund travel scholarships for Caribbean wildlife students and professionals to attend our upcoming AOS & BC Conference, June 27-July 2, 2022, in San Juan, Puerto Rico*. These are dedicated persons who are on the ground, doing the everyday work to secure a future for birds and their habitats. Attending the conference is an invaluable opportunity for them to 1) build upon or gain new skills to address threats to bird conservation on their respective islands, and 2) network with the wider conservation community, share their work, and learn from others. For Caribbean students, this experience will help to kickstart their introduction into the ornithological and conservation community and they will benefit from mentorship opportunities.
Our plan is to raise funds to help cover travel costs that will allow deserving participants to attend, including covering registration, airfare and/or hotel costs as necessary.
As with everything in the Caribbean, we will be successful when our whole community pitches in, so let’s do this together! We need your help to do this!
Prizes will be awarded to
the team that raises the most funds
the team with the most creative name and stylish fundraising page
the team that sees the most bird species on Global Big Day
the “country/island team” that sees the highest proportion of their birds on Global Big Day (to control for differences in the number of species on each island!)
the team with the best “find” of the day (unusual, rare, plumage aberration, etc.)
the team with the best bird photo of the day (must be posted on eBird along with your list)
And others, TBD!
Safety
While COVID is decreasing in many islands and more and more people are getting vaccinated, it’s still important to be cautious. Be sure to choose birding locations that (1) comply with your municipality’s COVID-19 safety guidelines (i.e. social distancing, wearing a mask, and travel guidelines), and (2) comply with your personal safety preferences. And so whether you will be birding at local parks, reserves, wetlands, beaches, neighborhood or backyard, we will all be enjoying the opportunity to distract ourselves with some safe, fun birdwatching. Additionally, we will all be birdwatching “together” for a great cause that unites us!
*Note: Since our Cuban colleagues, very sadly, are unable to attend the conference this June because it’s in the U.S., any money the Cuban team raises will go towards installing Motus stations in Cuba – plans are in the works for this!
Scaly-naped Pigeon in St. Lucia (Jerome Foster)
Part of a group of Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers resting on Trinidad’s west coast during spring migration. (Photo by Jerome Foster)
Youth spotting birds for Global Big Day, Puerto Rico.
Greater Yellowlegs (Niels Larsen)
Red-billed Streamertail – endemic in Jamaica. (Photo by Claude Fletcher)
Maria Paulino (gray shirt) leading a group of urban birders in Santo Domino, Dominican Republic on Global Big Day, 2021.
A yellow warbler on a small island in the Portland Bight Protected Area, Jamaica. (Photo: Robin Moore)
Daniela Ventura, a Cuban student and dedicated ornithologist, describes her impressions and experiences at BirdsCaribbean’s first Landbird Monitoring Workshop in the Dominican Republic this past February.
Daniela in the field in the DR. This was her first trip abroad from her native Cuba.(Photo by Daniela Ventura).
“What do you do for a living?” is among the top-ten questions you will be asked throughout your life, whether it comes from a stranger—like the immigration officer at the airport—or from close friends and even family. “I am an ornithologist,” is a tricky answer because, for most people, counting birds may not sound like a real job. In these situations, where you’re often met with a blank stare or a judging look, it’s best to respond with your sweetest smile – knowing that few people understand the complexity of the skills needed for proper bird identification in the wild. In the case of close friends and family, you can invite them on a field trip to become an “ornithologist” for one day. Then, you’ll only need to sit back and enjoy watching their eyes, as they are mesmerized trying to figure out and make some sense of so many shapes, colors, sounds, and behaviors.
Counting birds is not easy. And even less so if you’re trying to do it scientifically and methodically, to make a real impact on our understanding of bird population dynamics and aid in conservation. This was the purpose of my trip to the Dominican Republic from February 16th-20th, 2022 – to attend the first Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop. Bird lovers and conservationists from across the Caribbean gathered at the beautiful town of Jarabacoa to learn from experts how to count and monitor birds more efficiently and meaningfully. I consider myself lucky to have participated in this life-changing experience. In this blog, I will try to do this incredible training justice and translate into words the whirlwind of emotions, feelings, and events that come to my mind, when I recall those memorable and intense days. This is the account of “La Cubanita,” as the charming and welcoming Dominicans called me.
Adventure Awaits
Dominican Republic first impressions. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
My first memory of the Dominican Republic is dream-like. A foamy sea of golden clouds, tinged with orange and pink reflections, dotted at intervals by green-crowned mountains and river beds. Just as the sun was setting and the early stars appeared in the sky, I beheld the first lights of Santo Domingo. My heart was pumping fast. I couldn’t be happier. As a Cuban, I carry with me the Caribbean pride in my blood and soul. This, my first trip abroad, was taking me into the home of a sister island. I was ready to dive in and immerse myself with all my senses. I knew this would be a defining professional and personal experience.
What quirky turn of the road brought me here? I must say, I’ve found that the best things in life are the result of a perfect balance between perseverance and mere chance. Instead of worrying too much and asking oneself unhelpful questions like, “do I deserve this?” it’s better to be thankful, make the most of every opportunity, and be ready to do the same for others.
Santo Domingo lights to misty Jarabacoa mountains
A giant mural greets visitors upon arrival at the International Airport: “Las noches de Santo Domingo” (The nights of Santo Domingo). The welcome couldn’t have been more precise. My first contact with the city happened at dusk. I barely had time to make sense of the blurry city lights before the taxi hired to take me to the central mountains of the Dominican Republic whisked me away towards my destination. Three hours later, I arrived in Jarabacoa, “the land of waters,” named by the original inhabitants of the island. This name was also just right, as I was greeted by a cold drizzle and the humid air coming through my lungs. When I disembarked the taxi at Rancho Baiguate, almost everyone had already gone to bed. All but Maya Wilson, the tireless workshop organizer, who kindly welcomed me with a belated dinner, and my first taste of Dominican cuisine. For my hungry tummy, it felt like a kiss from home.
Maria Paulino and Ivan Mota, the local trainers, were also up late making the last arrangements for their early morning presentations. Maria’s big and warm smile swept away all the cold of the Jarabacoa night. This was the first time I experienced the world-famous hospitality and friendliness of the Dominican people. Over the next few days, I would have the huge privilege of enjoying such generosity on countless occasions.
The nights of Santo Domingo. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
The sound of the forest
I woke up very early the next morning. There was no use wasting time in bed, while there were so many things to see and learn. I dressed quickly, grabbed my binoculars, and stepped out of my room to greet the cloudy forest. It was cold outside, the leaves were heavy with dew. I took a few steps, and then it dawned on me – the forest looked familiar but SOUNDED so different. I was not able to recognize even one bird song. Even the common and widespread Red-legged Thrushes were speaking a totally distinct language. It felt so bizarre. Cuba and the Dominican Republic, both so close, and yet our shared birds were almost acting like different species. I had so much to see, and so much to learn. Still dazed by the discovery, I headed towards the conference facilities with my mind filled with expectations.
Rancho Baiguate in the morning, Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Sunrise in the forest. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Caribbean waves
The workshop had one major goal: to train participants in the use of the PROALAS protocol – a standardized set of survey methods for monitoring birds, specially designed for tropical habitats. Identifying birds in a Caribbean or Latin American rainforest can prove a hard pill to swallow for even the most experienced birder. But, before diving into the more difficult topics of the workshop, we had a lovely welcome session. The fantastic organizers, Maya Wilson, Holly Garrod, and Jeff Gerbracht did their best to make us feel at ease from the beginning.
Their jobs were made easier by two important elements. First, we were situated in the incredibly beautiful setting at Rancho Baiguate. We had the conference sessions at an outdoor facility next to the Rancho’s pool, and a few steps away from the Baiguate river and the cloud forest. It was easy to get distracted by the noisy Bananaquits and the purple shine of the Antillean Mangos.
During the first break, I skipped coffee and ran to the nearby trees to try my luck on lifers. I was extremely fortunate that the first bird I glimpsed was the stunning Black-crowned Palm Tanager, a Hispaniolan endemic! The bird kindly allowed me to enjoy its beautiful green-olive feathers and the black crown spotted with white that makes it look as if it has four eyes (“cuatrojos” in Spanish). I could have spent all day contemplating this fascinating bird, but a call from the conference room brought me back to reality. We had some PROALAS to learn.
PROALAS practice exercise (Pictured: Miguel Landestoy, Demonica Brown, David Walters, Holly Garrod, Ivan Mota, Laura Baboolal, Shanna Challenger, and Jilly Sarpong). (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
The second thing that made us feel at home from the start was the people. No matter where they were from in the Caribbean: the Dutch islands, the British, or the Spanish-speaking countries, it seemed as if the fact that all of us are bathed by the same warm and bright-blue Caribbean sea, magically turns us into a one-big family. After the initial presentations, we were all long-time friends. The shared passion for our birds and our unique ecosystems brings us together despite barriers of language or political systems.
The conference sessions started with an introduction given by Maya Wilson, the Landbird Monitoring Program Manager for BirdsCaribbean. I barely managed to keep seated quietly, because the excitement of being part of such a fascinating project was too much to handle for a ‘hatchling’ like me. While Maya was detailing the goals and scope of the program, my mind was racing, already picturing how much could be done across our islands with such a powerful tool, like PROALAS, to widen our knowledge of our resident and endemic birds. I was not alone in this. The discussions began just as soon as Maya finished her presentation. It was my first glimpse into the amazing community of conservationists gathered in the room.
I learned from the challenges that face birds and their habitats in small and tourism-driven islands like Aruba, Bonaire, or Trinidad and Tobago. I learned first-hand about the hard and successful work done in Antigua to get rid of some invasive species. I marveled at the community-based initiatives that organizations like Para La Naturaleza in Puerto Rico, and Grupo Jaragua and Grupo Acción Ecológica in the Dominican Republic are doing to increase awareness and engage local actors in conservation efforts. And that was just the beginning. Everyone had something to share and while sessions went by, the newly acquired tools made the debates richer and more stimulating for all.
But soon the talks delved into more detailed aspects of landbird monitoring. Entire sessions on the theory behind point counts and transects, survey design and bias minimization, distance estimation, and eBird as a tool for gathering scientific data, comprised most of the morning and afternoon classroom sessions. And of course, how could I forget the introductions into everyone’s favorite subject: statistics. Hopefully, you’ll notice my sarcasm in the last sentence. But I have to give credit to our outstanding teachers: Holly Garrod, Jeff Gerbracht, and especially to Ingrid Molina. Ingrid reminded us all that Costa Rica also shares some Caribbean waves and her special charm and her ease at teaching made it a lot easier for all of us, as we tried to grasp the essentials of occupancy models.
Class on Statistics. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Field activity at Ebano Verde. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Broad-billed Tody in a tree. (Photo by Zara Palmer).
Field Training or Boot Camp?
PROALAS is not a thing you can master just from a classroom. You will need field sessions and some hands-on practice to have a more complete understanding of how it works and how it can be effectively employed for addressing basic research or management objectives. Jarabacoa was the perfect setting for the workshop practice activities. It is home to incredible birds like the endemic Todies (two species!) and the Palmchat, with a variety of habitat encompassing recovered cattle pastures as well as well-preserved evergreen forests.
The morning and afternoon field trips were the most cherished moments of the day for me. They offered the chance to get to know my colleagues more closely and the opportunity to immerse myself in the stunning biodiversity of the Dominican Republic. To meet the first objective, I joined a different field group every time I could. I first hung out with the so-called ‘Latin team’ during the first bird ID training sessions. It was really chaotic for me trying to make sense of the different names we Cubans, Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans have for the same birds. Bijirita, Ciguita, Reinita – all of them just for warblers. Sometimes we have the same names, but use them for different species, like the name ‘Ruiseñor’, which is the Dominican name for the Northern Mockingbird, while for Cubans it refers to our endemic Cuban Solitaire.
This cultural chaos was just superficial, however. The Latin team felt like home. The large group from the DR consistently exhibited the well-deserved fame of incredibly gracious hosts. I won’t single anyone out because they all, students and trainers alike, left such a profound impact on me that I don’t want to miss out any names. I learned from them all, and their sympathy and good humor made my days in the Dominican Republic one of the most precious memories of my short life. And what to say about the Puerto Ricans! Just that the motto that states that Cuba and Puerto Rico are the two wings of the same bird couldn’t be more accurate and meaningful in this particular setting.
Team Latino (L-R: Daniela Ventura, Omar Monzón, Alcides Morales-Pérez, Coral Avilés, and Pablo Feliz). (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Practice at Rancho Baiguate (L-R: Daniela Ventura, Tadzio Bervoets, Lauren Dombowsky, Kai Wulf, and Giancarlo Nunes). (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
The Latin team was surprised to see that I decided to spend some time with the Dutch Caribbean participants during the next morning’s field trip. I really enjoyed learning how culturally different we are despite being so geographically close. I also, at the cost of some personal embarrassment, realized there were islands which I had never heard of before, like Saba. Even though I felt bad about it, it was an invaluable lesson and represented personal growth. As a result, I updated my 2022 New Year’s resolutions: getting to know more of our Caribbean shared history, nature, and culture.
After a very productive training session establishing PROALAS point counts and transects, and my first time watching the Narrow-billed Tody, we were all back to Rancho Baiguate for more talks. The Latin team was waiting for me to rub my nose in the unique experience that I missed during their trip. They had an amazing opportunity to watch the Antillean Euphonia from a photographer’s perspective. I almost cried.
Before I move on, I must share two more highlights from our field trip experiences, both closely intertwined. First —and the other workshop participants won’t let me lie— never take Holly’s word regarding the trip’s difficulty level as a good standard measure. If Holly assures you that the field paths are going to be child’s play, be sure they WON’T and that you will enjoy, but also suffer every minute of it. And if Holly tells you that it will be a hard and strenuous trail to walk – run for your life, and NEVER, EVER go that way!
The Barbed Wire Deluxe Team can attest to this. Holly is made from another brew not yet understood by us, common folks, and her resistance and fieldwork aptitudes are simply admirable. We deduced that the many years working in the Jarabacoa mountains have made her immune to fatigue. Shanna Challenger, and her other team members, learned that lesson all too well, when, while trying to set some PROALAS point counts they had to jump, climb, and roll (sometimes all at once) to pass a barbed wire fence. Shanna’s witty mind, and contagious sense of humor, came up with the hilarious name of Barbed Wire Deluxe to baptize their team. She made all of us laugh at the joke; it made the event an unforgettable anecdote of the DR workshop.
The inspiration for Team Barbed Wire. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Participants engage in point counts. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Ébano Verde and bitter-sweet goodbyes
The days go fast when you’re having fun. During the daily hustle and bustle of setting PROALAS point counts, practicing distance estimation, enjoying the incredible bird diversity of Jarabacoa, and the constant discussions and idea-sharing moments, it was easy to forget what day of the week it was. But Sunday was swiftly approaching and with it, the last day of the workshop. When we thought all the surprises were exhausted, it turned out the organizers were just leaving the best for the end.
The trip to the Scientific Reserve of Ébano Verde, a rainforest paradise rising 800 feet above sea level, was the perfect choice for spending the last moments with our new friends. The stunning diversity of the mountains of the Dominican Republic left us all blown away. There, trees and ferns have a different shade of green. Birds seemed to be aware of that, and their songs were like an ode in celebration of beauty.
Hispaniolan Trogon. (Photo by Jose M. Pantaleon)
Now, I have a confession to make. In Ébano Verde, I felt my national pride quiver. I was lucky to admire the elegant and majestic Hispaniolan Trogon. This vision brought doubts in my mind as to which one was the prettiest: the Cuban Trogon or the Hispaniolan Trogon? This thought haunted me during the entire walk. I almost forgot my internal questioning when I had the chance to watch the other Tody, the Broad-billed, or admire the shiny blend of sky-blue and orange of the Antillean Euphonia, or marveled at the melodious song of the Rufous-Throated Solitaire.
I became easily distracted by birds, and for a moment I was separated from the group. Then, at a twist of the road, my eyes encountered a magical scene. There they were, the Dominicans, triggering with their constant jokes the boisterous laughter from the guys of the Dutch Caribbean. Somewhere close, the Puerto Ricans were showing some birds (and plants) to the girls from Grenada and The Bahamas. A little ahead in the same path were Holly, Ingrid, and Jeff doing some PROALAS point counts with the students from Antigua, Jamaica, and Cayman Islands. And then, the answer came as a realization. It didn’t matter which Trogon was the prettiest. This was not about a contest. All birds are equally important and deserve our utmost commitment to their conservation. That’s why we were there: to learn new skills that will empower us to make more accurate assessments of the health of their populations. To create a strong community of partners across our islands that can work together and spread knowledge and success stories in conservation.
The main lesson I learned during the workshop, I must admit, was not PROALAS-related. The main lesson was that, since birds don’t know or care about borders, countries, or nationalities, we, the “Humans of BirdsCaribbean,” must try to overcome these differences, in order to achieve our supreme goal: jointly working for the conservation of birds and their habitats.
Daniela Ventura is a Cuban ornithologist working in the Bird Ecology Group at the University of Havana. She became interested in birds during her first year in college, where she conducted undergraduate research on the Reddish Egret´s trophic behavior. She is currently a master’s student working on the movement ecology of resident Turkey Vultures. Daniela considers herself a molt nerd, so her future careergoal encompasses creating a permanent banding station at the National Botanical Garden in Havana to study molt patterns of Cuba’s resident birds.
Gallery
PROALAS point counts. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Rancho Baiguate, Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Peering through the trees, birdwatching. (Photo by Zara Palmer).
Up close views. (Photo by Zara Palmer).
Waterfall at Ebano Verde. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Out in the field. (Photo by Zara Palmer).
Rancho Baiguate, Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Waterfall at Ebano Verde. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Group Photo at Certificate Ceremony.
Winning team at Ebano Verde. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Counting birds. (Photo by Zara Palmer).
Dominican Republic Landscapes.
Baiguate River, Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic.
In the field with colleagues. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Ebano Verde. (Photo by Daniela Ventura).
Mobile photography in the field. (Photo by Zara Palmer).
Looking for Todies
Acknowledgments: BirdsCaribbean is grateful to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for funding to develop our new Landbird Monitoring Program and hold this training workshop. We are also grateful to the US Forest Service International Programs, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Dutch Conservation Nature Alliance for additional funding support. Thanks also to Optics for the Tropics and Vortex Optics for providing binoculars for all participants, and to the friendly and helpful staff at Rancho Baiguate for hosting us. A special thank you to interpreter, Efrén Esquivel-Obregón, for his excellent and patient work with the group all week. Finally, we thank BirdsCaribbean members, partners, and donors for your support, which made this work possible.
It was one year ago that volcanic ash began billowing out of the La Soufrière volcano on the main island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines—the first time in 42 years. Vincentians were alerted to increased activity within the volcano and knew the eruption was imminent, but there was little that could prepare the community for the first massive eruption on April 9th and weeks of continued eruptions and ash fall that would ensue.
Communities in the north were forced to evacuate, moving south towards safety and away from the intense ash fall. The wildlife in the area attempted a similar trajectory. Unable to forage in the wild as normal, however, and disoriented by the ash fall, many wildlife species – including the vulnerable St. Vincent Parrot, the National bird – were in danger.
BirdsCaribbean jumped into action, joining concerned wildlife conservation organizations to create an emergency group* that quickly raised funds and provided much-needed assistance to the Forestry Department working on-the-ground in St. Vincent. Key partner, the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (RSCF), provided critical help in getting all the supplies purchased by BirdsCaribbean, their organization, and our group to St. Vincent. Items included boots for all Forestry staff, binoculars, cutlasses, knives, backpacks, two-way radios, GPS units, Go Pro and Canon cameras, respirators, camping gear, ponchos, veterinary supplies, parrot food, chain saws, aviary wire, and many other tools and hardware to repair and enhance the parrot aviary.
To mark one year since the devastating eruptions, we caught up with Bradford Latham, Program Officer for Wildlife and Law Compliance and Enforcement in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Forestry Department, to learn how the island, its people, and the wildlife are recovering.
Post-eruption clean-up exercise in Hermitage, St. Vincent, on April 2, 2021. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
Post-eruption assessment in Richmond, St. Vincent, on May 4, 2021. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
Post-eruption assessment in Richmond, St. Vincent, on May 2, 2021. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
Take us back to the first few days of the eruptions. What was that like?
“The 9th of April was a Friday and I was busy making preparations. I am in charge of the Nicholls Wildlife Complex at the St Vincent Botanical Gardens, where we do captive breeding, so I was installing water tanks at the aviaries, trying to ensure that I had extra water storage in place for the care of the birds in case of an eruption – which we were expecting. I had just completed that task when I learned that La Soufrière had erupted.”
Bradford recalls that people in the community were nervous but admits that the severity of the event was not fully grasped because the effects could not yet be seen. It wasn’t until the following morning, however, that the gravity of the situation began to unfold.
“On Saturday morning everything was gray. Everything was gloomy, and there was ash everywhere. Then, the water authority had to turn off their systems to prevent clogging – so that essential service was affected.”
“Thankfully, I had already gotten some assistance from the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary in Barbados to prepare and secure the captive birds at the Nicholls Wildlife Complex. We needed plastic sheeting to try to secure the birds and we also needed dried foods, because getting fresh fruit would have been a challenge – and it was indeed. So, the dried nuts and fruit, and other food that we quickly received from our international partners was really useful.”
St. Vincent Parrot at Nicholls Wildlife Complex, Botanical Gardens, St. Vincent. (Photo by Aliya Hosein).
Measuring the thickness of the ash fall in St. Vincent. (Photo by UWI Seismic Research Centre).
How did you cope with the situation? What were some of the short to medium-term solutions that were implemented by the Forestry Department and partners?
Volcanic Hazard Map sectioned into zones. (Image by NEMO St. Vincent and the Grenadines).
“The plight of the birds in the forest was of major concern, given the heavy ash fall that would have affected food availability for these species. An emergency group was formed, which comprised BirdsCaribbean, Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, Flora and Fauna International (FFI), UNDP Reef to Ridge Project, Houston Zoo, IWECo Project St. Vincent and the Grenadines, SCIENCE, and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Environmental Fund (SVGEF). This group provided invaluable support to on-the-ground efforts and helped to plan what would be done if food was unable to be collected from the countryside – which was really destroyed.
We considered ideas to be able to help wildlife species, especially the St. Vincent Parrots, and we came up with a plan of creating feeding stations. We made platforms and sourced daily fresh fruits for the stations. We cleaned the fruits, cut them up, and went out on mornings and evenings to replenish the platforms in some of the major parrot habitats—especially near La Soufrière, such as Cumberland, Congo Valley, and Jennings.
We prioritized the areas that were most impacted. We concentrated our efforts within the orange and yellow zones, just off the red zone area, to provide some assistance of water and food to these wildlife species.
We started in April, in the weeks following the first eruptions, and continued through the month of April, May and up to June. Once the rains began to fall in June and certain trees began fruiting, like the mango and the plum rose, we curtailed the feeding assistance because we knew that there were now available food sources for the parrots and other wildlife species.”
Tell me about the Parrot Surveys conducted in September, 2021. Did you see many birds? Did you get a sense that they are faring well?
Sadly, this rescued St. Vincent Parrot did not survive its injuries from the volcanic eruption, including eyes crusted over with ash and respiratory problems. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
“After the volcanic eruptions, we decided to do a rapid assessment to get a better understanding of what was happening to the parrots because we hadn’t had a census or a check for parrots since 2010—there was a long lapse. I recall one time that the team was out clearing rivers and they came across a bird that was suffering and later died, as a result of ash inhalation. So we were preparing ourselves for the worst impact on wildlife.
We completed the assessment in one week, for the first time. All five major sectors of 20 watch points were done in one week, from Tuesday 17th September to Friday 22nd September, 2021. The team of over 60 participants monitored the different sectors and also areas what we call gap watches, where we know a smaller numbers of birds exist. A very rough estimate suggests that parrot numbers are in the high hundreds, indicating the birds are resilient and many managed to survive the volcano and its aftermath. However, we note that updated methodology and analyses are needed to better assess parrot numbers.
We also noticed that many of the birds that were near the Red Zones, the La Soufrière areas, successfully moved to safer areas. That’s what we picked up. Prior to the eruption, we used to have a lot of cases of parrot predation on crops in the northern part of the island. This is something that we are still going to be looking out for as the parrots seem to be moving back into those areas. Crop predation is a concern. So, we will be looking at the food sources that are available in the forest to try to understand why the parrots are moving towards farmland areas.”
St. Vincent Parrots in flight. (Photo by the Ministry of Agriculture, St. Vincent and the Grenadines).
Group photo of Forestry staff. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
St. Vincent Parrot Watch Points for the 2021 survey.
Forestry staff using a radio to report a parrot sighting. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
Forestry Department training on how to count parrots. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
Forestry staff using a radio to communicate with other census teams. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
Bradford Latham speaks to staff during the parrot-census training, August, 2021. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
Forestry staff, Terrance Roberts, on the look out for St. Vincent Parrots. (Photo by the St. Vincent Forestry Department).
How quickly has the forest been recovering and trees flowering and fruiting again for the birds?
“The recovery is really excellent in the areas within the yellow and green zones and even the orange zones. The greatest impact on habitat is the northern section, on the slopes of La Soufrière. The foliage was really heavily damaged but now we can see that it’s coming back, there’s a lot of greenery. So, it’s recovering well. We have been getting a lot of rain, and there’s still some danger of lahars (mud slides) and flash flooding. We conducted some coastal assessments, going out on the boat and taking some photos. One of the follow-up things that we would really like to do is go back again to see how things have changed, in terms of the recovery and vegetative growth in those areas.”
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Forestry Director, Fitzgerald Providence, recently visited an area impacted from the volcanic eruptions. He shared photos of some of the vegetation now growing in the shade of the La Soufriere volcano and commented, “The process of regeneration is evident along the eastern slope of La Soufriere. What was described as destruction by some, shows evidence of how our island became a land so beautiful.” He noted, however, that the western slope was hardest hit with pyroclastic flows and that he planned to visit there soon.
Decimated landscape near La Soufrière in the aftermath of the volcanic eruptions. (Photo by Bradford Latham).
Begonia flowers blooming and other plants growing back on the bare volcanic soil on the eastern slope of La Soufrière. (Photo by Fitzgerald Providence).
New growth and plants recovering on the eastern slope of La Soufrière. (Photo by Fitzgerald Providence).
What do you think can be done currently to help the situation on the ground? What are some of the things that the Forestry Department needs right now, as far as support?
“One area that we need support in is research methodology. We’ve had some general training but it would be good to be able to develop something that is specific to a particular species. To know when might be the best time to go looking and where to be looking for this species, knowing the nest type, and the behavior. For example, there’s not much known about the Whistling Warbler, an Endangered songbird endemic to St. Vincent; it will be good for us to look at doing more research on this species. Also, we have other endemic species such as the endemic tree frog and the whistling frog that may have been impacted by the eruption. The uniqueness of endemic species is important to the country, so it would be good to know how well they are doing and learn about their populations. These are the areas that we would really like assistance in, training and capacity building, to better monitor and manage these endemic species that we have. We would also like assistance for our environmental education program – learning how to prepare a blog, for example, and taking better photos in the field.”
Are you optimistic that the on-island bird population will return to pre-eruption numbers in the near future?
“The parrots are resilient. We have seen areas where numbers were few – especially areas that we recorded as gap watches – and we have recorded higher numbers in those gaps. I believe that eventually the numbers will really recover.
The methodology that we’re using to monitor the parrots needs to improve, however. It is scientific, but there are gaps that we really need to improve in order to get a better estimate of the parrot’s population size and monitor this over time.
These are areas that we are hoping to build upon in the near future, so that we may not be reporting a higher number than what it actually is on the ground. Or vice versa, that we may be reporting numbers that are lower than what is actually represented in the wild. We have a young staff and the training and capacity building is something that is really needed.”
Youth learning how to count St. Vincent Parrots. (Photo by the Forestry Department).
Speaking at an outdoor field exercise in August 2021, organized by the Forestry Department to raise awareness about and provide training in parrot census activities, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labor of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Hon. Saboto Caesar, acknowledged and thanked Forestry workers and international conservation partners for their continued dedication to protecting the island’s national bird, especially in the wake of varied natural disasters in recent years that have adversely affected the birds and their habitat.
“The Amazona guildingii, the national bird of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is very dear to us. Recently, we had 32 eruptions of La Soufriere and we are all aware of the negative impact this has had on the habitat of the national bird. We also had Hurricane Tomas on October 30, 2010, that destroyed a significant percentage of the habitat of the national bird. I want to thank all the international agencies and to thank the hard working staff of the Forestry Department for the excellent work that they continue to do. I also want to encourage all the farmers and all forest users to respect the laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Continued Work to Conserve St Vincent’s Forest Birds
BirdsCaribbean Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Sorenson, RSCF, and other partners, continue to monitor updates and maintain contact with key members of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Forestry Department with a view to providing continued assistance, where needed. Dr. Sorenson welcomed the reports of resilience outlined in the most recent parrot survey and will continue work with the team at the Forestry Department to ensure the St. Vincent Parrot, and other vulnerable endemics, such as the Whistling Warbler and Forest Thrush are able to be adequately monitored and supported in the wild.
Starting in May 2022, ornithologists from Florida International University will be working with the Forestry Department to establish improved standard methods of censusing St. Vincent Parrots and train the staff in these methods to enable long-term monitoring of the species. This will allow better assessment of the short and long-term impacts of natural events like volcanic eruptions and hurricanes on parrot population size and density, as well as monitor human-caused population changes from deforestation, poaching, and other threats to the parrot.
Also in May 2022, pending funding, a team of ornithologists from BirdsCaribbean and Antioch University will work with the Forestry Dept on a pilot study to establish population monitoring for the endangeredWhistling Warbler, using ARUs (Autonomous Recording Units) with the goal of creating a Conservation Action Plan. The project will also provide training in monitoring land birds to Forestry staff using methodology from our new Landbird Monitoring Program, as well as build capacity for outreach and education and community engagement in bird conservation in St Vincent.
Acknowledgements: Once again, we thank the many generous members of our community who donated to help with the recovery effort for birds in St Vincent impacted by the April 2021 explosive eruptions of La Soufrière Volcano. If you would like to donate to help with our continued work with the Forestry Department and local communities, please click here and designate “St Vincent Volcano Recovery” as the specific purpose for your donation. Thank you!
*The “emergency group” that came together to assist with funding support and recovery of the St Vincent Parrot and other wildlife consisted of the following organizations: BirdsCaribbean, Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, Fauna and Flora International, Caribaea Initiative, Houston Zoo, Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, UNDP Reef to Ridge Project, Houston Zoo, IWECo Project St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Vortex Optics, and the Farallon Islands Foundation. We thank our amazing local partners SCIENCE Initiative, the St. Vincent & the Grenadines Environment Fund, and the Forestry Department for your support and hard work.
Holly Garrod, one of the BirdsCaribbean’s trainers at the recent workshop in the hills of central Dominican Republic, describes some highlights of the event. Wildlife professionals from 16 countries had the opportunity to get together in person and learn to address the challenges of identifying, counting, and tracking our fascinating landbirds – in a variety of beautiful habitats.
Rio Baiguate in the Jarabacoa Valley offers restored riparian tropical forest and edge habitat – great for a diversity of endemic and migratory birds. (photo by Dax Roman E.)
Our first Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop (February 16–20, 2022) took place in the beautiful Jarabacoa Valley of the Dominican Republic. Wildlife professionals from across the region gathered for five days of non-stop learning, sharing, and growing. From the classroom to the forest, the workshop provided participants with the knowledge and confidence to train a monitoring team and institute a sustainable, local landbird monitoring program in their home countries using the Programa de América Latina para las Aves Silvestres (PROALAS) Manual bird survey protocols.
The workshop, led by BirdsCaribbean staff and local ornithologists, seeks to lay the foundation for a regional network of people dedicated to standardizing monitoring and conservation of landbirds. The Dominican Republic was selected as the workshop location for its undeniably rich variety of birds, including endemics, residents and many migrants. The workshop is just one part of a much bigger picture: BirdsCaribbean’s ambitious goal of developing regional networks to support our wonderfully diverse landbird species. This brand new project aims to build regional capacity to study, monitor, and conserve our Caribbean landbirds through the use of standardized surveys, bird banding, and the Motus Wildlife Tracking System.
Welcome to Jarabacoa
Fieldwork in the beautiful countryside of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic.
It was a quiet morning in the hills of Jarabacoa. Participants gripped their seats as the bus stumbled up the rocky road and entered into the cattle ranch of Jose Brache, blasting a steady stream of Dominican Bachata music with colored interior lights to match. The property, locally known as “Los Cerros” or “The Hills,” is a conglomeration of many smaller plots of land, filled with rolling hillsides and riparian corridors along river margins and banks. While the property is still an active cattle ranch, the owner has maintained some of the historic tropical broadleaf forest, and the resulting bird activity is evidence that these efforts have paid off. Some participants may have been doubtful at first about the idea of going to an active cattle ranch to survey birds, but their doubts were quieted upon exiting the bus. The sun began to rise above the undulating hills, hitting the mist and illuminating the surrounding slopes as bird song echoed through the treetops. The hills of Jarabacoa had come alive.
Landbird Monitoring: The Basics
As any experienced birder can attest, landbirds are the next level of birding. These birds are constantly on the move. They require birders to remember not just key identification features but also different vocalizations, habitat types, and behavior of various species to better narrow down who that little brown bird really is. Landbirds are one of our canaries in the coal mine; they help us better understand our changing world. And the first step to protecting our beloved birds is to teach people how to start monitoring them.
The Broad-billed Tody (locally known as the Barrancoli for its habit of nesting in burrows) earned its name by having the broadest bill of all 5 tody species. (Photo by Dax Roman E.)
BirdsCaribbean brought 34 wildlife professionals from all across the Caribbean to the stunning mountain valley of Jarabacoa. Settled near center of the Dominican Republic, we chose Jarabacoa for our landbird monitoring training as it is well known for its variety of montane habitats, picturesque landscapes, and of course, because it is home to many of Hispaniola’s notable endemic species, as well as many migrants. Our host for the workshop was the beautiful ecolodge, Rancho Baiguate, a calm oasis situated just outside the bustling mountain town of Jarabacoa.
In an outdoor classroom, we held sessions where participants learned about multiple aspects of landbird monitoring, including how to select sites, what the PROALAS protocols entail, tips for identifying and teaching people to identify landbirds, plus some key tools of the trade from estimating distances to entering data in eBird Caribbean. Our excellent trainers also put some sweet prizes on the line to incentivize trainees on how to practice wildlife counts, accurately estimate distances, and of course identify landbirds!
Participants in the classroom.
It’s always better to be birding!
After a steady stream of knowledge we were all ready to put our new landbird monitoring skills to the test and head out to the field. Participants started at the locally known cattle ranch of José Brache’s Los Cerros property. Here, participants learned how to survey in more open habitats, an important reminder that even fragmented landscapes can be important birding hotspots. Then, we climbed a little higher to the property of La Serena, sitting in the buffer zone of the Scientific Reserve, Ebano Verde. Here, participants learned the challenges of steeper survey points and practiced narrow transects with little visibility in a restored high elevation cloud forest. We then climbed a bit higher, ending the week with a hike through Ébano Verde, where participants learned about surveying in protected areas and everyone got epic views of the Hispaniolan Trogon.
Overall we had 26 participants and 8 workshop leaders representing 16 countries! We saw a total of 63 species (and counting!) spread over an elevational range of 550 m to 1,200 m above sea level. Check out our trip list for the workshop here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/43434
Workshop participants – don’t forget to submit those eBird checklists!
Workshop participants learn about surveys in an outdoor setting.
What was one of the favorite parts of the Landbird Monitoring Training? Finally getting to connect in person again with the BirdsCaribbean community! It was so refreshing to see familiar faces and finally go birding with people we’ve spent many hours chatting with on Zoom calls. Not only did we all come away with a newfound appreciation for many of Hispaniola’s gems (including of course the Hispaniolan Emerald), but we all had the opportunity to learn how landbirds vary by island and just how different landbird monitoring might look across the Caribbean.
What’s the next step?
After a non-stop week of birding and learning, participants returned to their home countries to start the next phase. We’re getting ready to launch our Small Grants program, so people across the Caribbean can take the knowledge they gained and begin implementing their own landbird monitoring programs, including training local communities to learn about their local landbirds. We hope to see many more PROALAS workshops sprouting up in future months.
If the FOMO (or Fear of Missing Out, as the kids say) is getting to you down, don’t worry! This is far from our last Landbird Monitoring Workshop! To start, we’ll be holding another short (one-day) workshop to introduce the PROALAS protocols at our upcoming joint conference with AOS this summer.
Birdwatching in Ebano Verde. (Photo by Zara Palmer)
La Selle Thrush. (Photo by Paul Noakes).
Holly Garrod presenting at Landbird Monitoring Workshop. (Photo by Maya Wilson)
What did PROALAS do for you?
Participants shared their thoughts on the workshop and how the practical knowledge shared can be implemented in their respective countries.
Angela Ramsey, Wildlife Biologist at Tobago House of Assembly
“I am very happy to participate in this first Landbird Training in the Dominican Republic, using the PROALAS Protocol and eBird – which was a first for me. I’m hoping to go back to Tobago and be able to implement right away in the communities. We lack data, so we want to be able to incorporate community participation, in terms of trying to acquire the necessary data on landbirds, so that we can build our database and be able to improve our tourism sector. It was really good being here and participating with everyone, meeting a lot of people from the wider Caribbean region, and being able to just enjoy the time learning and sharing.”
Tadzio Bervoets, Director of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance
“We are very proud to be able to partner with BirdsCaribbean and to have representatives from the protected areas of Arbua, Bonaire, Sint Maarten and Saba attend the workshop to learn about the PROALAS method for landbird monitoring. We are looking forward to rolling out the methodology on all 6 islands of the Dutch Caribbean to help with the Protected Area Management in all those islands – specifically on the islands and then regionally, to answer questions related to climate change and interactions of different eco systems. We’re very grateful that we’ve been able to attend and we’re looking forward to closer collaboration with BirdsCaribbean in the future.”
Daniela Ventura, Student at Havana University, Cuba
“This is the first BirdsCaribbean workshop that I’m participating in and it has truly been an incredible experience to be here in the Dominican Republic – a beautiful country with friendly people. It has also been interesting to meet people from the entire Caribbean and learn from the dilemmas that they are facing in bird conservation. This introduction, and all that we’ve covered on the PROALAS Protocol and they ways to monitor birds in our home countries, has been excellent. I leave here with many new friendships and with many new ideas to be able to use this protocol in my country and to understand a bit more about basic ecology and the Cuban species that we don’t have much information on. I hope to be able to use my knowledge to contribute to the conservation of Caribbean birds.”
Giselle Dean, Science Officer at the Bahamas National Trust
“This is my first BirdsCaribbean event after working at the Bahamas National Trust for the last 6 and a half years. I am pleased to say that it was an incredible experience where I got to meet so many different people working with birds across the Caribbean. I got to learn about the PROALAS Protocol, which we plan on using in the future to monitor bird populations within The Bahamas National Trust park system, including endangered species – such as the Bahama Oriole and Bahama Swallow. It was a great experience. I really loved being able to participate – finally! I’m excited for what the future.”
Other comments shared by workshop participants:
“Extremely grateful to BirdsCaribbean and Para La Naturaleza for the opportunity to be part of the first Landbird Monitoring Training using the PROALAS protocol on the eBird platform. This will allow us to more effectively monitor our endemic, native and neotropical migratory populations.”
“The Landbird Monitoring Workshop strengthened my knowledge, with which I am multiplying the lessons learned, giving workshops to park rangers and tour guides from different regions of the country.”
“I feel confident in my abilities to set up and train people in PROALAS method for monitoring.”
“I learned a lot and reached many of my goals.”
“[The Landbird Monitoring Workshop] was a good introduction for me and I feel equipped to facilitate further training activities within my organization and develop our monitoring program.”
“Comprehensive instructions, well delivered!”
“I feel that I walked away with a great deal more knowledge than I began with.”
The entire group at Rancho Baiguate. (Photo by Zara Palmer)
Acknowledgments: BirdsCaribbean is grateful to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for funding to develop our new Landbird Monitoring Program and hold this training workshop. We are also grateful to the US Forest Service International Programs, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Dutch Conservation Nature Alliance for additional funding support. Thanks also to Optics for the Tropics and Vortex Optics for providing binoculars for all participants, and to the friendly and helpful staff at Rancho Baiguate for hosting us. A special thank you to interpreter, Efrén Esquivel-Obregón, for his excellent and patient work with the group all week. Finally, we thank BirdsCaribbean members, partners, and donors for your support, which made this work possible.
Gallery
Enjoy more photos from the Landbird Monitoring Workshop below. Click the images to enlarge and see their captions.
Miguel Landestoy calls in a bird for ID. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Participants explore Ebano Verde. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Group photo on the bus.
Workshop facilitator, Ingrid Molina, delivers a presentation on PROALAS protocols.
Hispaniolan Trogon. (Photo by Jose M. Pantaleon).
Palmchat. (Photo by Dax Roman)
Group photo at Baiguate Waterfall, Dominican Republic.
Greater Antillean Mango on Hispaniola. (Photo by Pavel Parkhaev)
Participants attend a classroom session on PROALAS protocols.
Putting knowledge into practice, participants take to the outdoors.
Ingrid Molina explains PROALAS. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Workshop Facilitator, Holly Garrod, prepares the group for Ebano Verde. (Photo by Zara Palmer)
The always enchanting Ovenbird responded to our scold tape.
Ivan Mota teaches in the field. (Photo by Adrianne-Tossas).
Jeff Gerbracht presents at Landbird Monitoring Workshop in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas).
Adelaide’s Warbler Illustration by Arnaldo Toledo.
We’re thrilled to announce that the T-shirt designs for our upcoming AOS & BC Conference are complete – and they are gorgeous! The endemic birds of Puerto Rico, the location for this year’s conference, are the stars of the design, elegantly presented on the front and back of the garment.
The idea to create this T-shirt was conceptualized by Gabriel Lugo, past president of the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc. (SOPI) and Tour Guide for Wildside Nature Tours. In partnership with renowned Cuban artist and friend of BirdsCaribbean, Arnaldo Toledo, the pair created this timeless piece that will undoubtedly be a source of pride for all Puerto Ricans and friends of Puerto Rico.
BirdsCaribbean Executive Director, Dr. Lisa Sorenson, highlighted the excellence of the artistic piece and expressed gratitude and excitement that these designs will be launched at the AOS-BC Conference in Puerto Rico.
“We are extremely honored to be debuting this wearable piece of art as our official conference T-shirt. The love that was poured into this project by Arnaldo and Gabriel is apparent. Arnaldo really captured the essence of Puerto Rico’s endemic birds with intricate details and special care taken to display each bird in a life-like, vibrant manner. We are certain these T-shirts will be a success at the conference, and beyond, to raise awareness about Puerto Rico’s 17 endemic birds and the importance of conserving these unique island treasures.”
Endemic birds of Puerto Rico design for 2022 AOS-BC Conference T-shirt. The bird art on the back is a draft, still in progress; Arnaldo is working hard to complete it!
Behind the Design
We sat down with Gabriel Lugo to learn more about his passion for birds, conservation, and art – and how he used all three to honor his homeland.
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you become interested in birds?
Birds have always interested me. I’ve liked being in nature since I was a little kid, but it was when I worked with SOPI that I really got involved in birding and bird conservation. I visited one of the properties that the company managed to do some scouting for a Christmas bird count and that experience really piqued my interest. A short time after this I began birding – trying to identify my backyard birds – and the rest is history.
What inspired you to embark on this project?
When I was a kid, I enjoyed painting and drawing. Not necessarily birds, and not necessarily anything about nature, but I liked art. It’s something that always attracted me. I admire the artists that paint these beautiful birds and I try to support them and their work.
I also studied graphic arts and did screen printing because art is something that is in me. I knew that, at some point, I wanted to do a project that combined the things that I liked: birds and art.
Looking for a way to help SOPI, which I am still involved with – having worked with the organization for 12 years – we noticed that T-shirts are an item that sells well, so I decided to go for it! With the economic support of Wildside Nature Tours, I got in contact with Arnaldo and jumped into the project.
Phase 1: Sketches of the Puerto Rican Tody begin the design by Arnaldo Toledo.
Phase 2: Painting begins with inspiration from the initial sketches.
Phase 3: Finishing touches are added to the bird and its surroundings.
How did you collaborate with Arnaldo to bring the vision to reality?
The process with Arnaldo was easy. When you are working on a project that you love, altogether, it seems easy. I got in contact with Arnaldo and I explained to him the basics of what I wanted – something that he probably did many times with clients and with other T-shirt projects.
I shared my ideas for the design. I wanted to use his scientific illustrations of birds in the most realistic way possible without it seeming like photos. I wanted the artistic representations to combine art, song, and creativity on the T-shirt. Once I shared my vision with him, Arnaldo made the sketch and that was the only one we needed. Right away, he got my idea and we started working from there.
Did you encounter any challenges?
At the beginning, we were creating this T-shirt design for SOPI, to feature our endemic birds, so there was no hurry.
We were then asked by BirdsCaribbean if we could use the artwork for the NAOC (North American Ornithological Conference) scheduled for August 2020 in Puerto Rico. Once we learned of plans for the conference, we began to work towards completion with a set date in mind. We did encounter some difficulties, however. The in-person NAOC was canceled, due to the pandemic, and then Arnaldo suffered an unfortunate accident. We put a pause on the project to give him time to properly heal and he recovered well, which was the most important thing.
The organization of this year’s AOS-BC Conference, and a new working deadline, got us back on our path towards completion. I spoke with Arnaldo and he agreed that it was time to put the paint on the paper and start drawing.
I began working with friends to source photos of birds that we can use as references for the artwork, because there are some features on the birds that we needed specific poses – like the beak, the wings, and some feathers. That’s probably the hardest part from my side, to get the specifics that Arnaldo would need to complete the painting.
What do you hope to achieve with these wearable pieces of art?
Everything that I do relating to birds, aside from my guiding tours, is for educational purposes. I’ve been taking photos of birds for about 10 years now and I don’t use my photography as a way to earn money, it is for education.
The idea is to create something that would last for many years. I saw the potential of the T-shirt because I’ve designed simple T-shirts in the past and people loved them.
This vision of the “Endemic Birds of Puerto Rico T-shirt” has come to life now and I know it’s going to be a big success – not just at the conference, but in the years to come. In addition to local support, I already have clients, participants in my past tours, that have requested four or five orders and I had to let them know that the T-shirts are not yet available. People love it and this is what I was hoping to achieve.
I just want to share our birds – in my business, with participants, but also locally to teach about the birds. The T-shirt is a piece of art, a talking point. This is already happening, so hopefully when people begin wearing it this will happen even more. What you see on the website and in the photos is the near-complete version. We are going to have different colors that will showcase the designs, it is going to be beautiful.
Puerto Rican Parrot Illustration in progress.
Adding details, Puerto Rican Parrot.
Tell us about your partnership with BirdsCaribbean to raise awareness on bird conservation through Wildside Nature Tours.
This project was made possible because of Wildside Nature Tours owner, Kevin Loughlin. Kevin is often recognized as one of the most generous persons in bird conservation and, in my opinion, he really is. Whatever I need, especially if there is a hurricane, he is always ready to help and provide economic support for conservation and education.
I help with bird conservation in the best way that I know how – by birding and showing others. I don’t consider myself to be the best communicator or the best speaker but this is my way to help SOPI and BirdsCaribbean, through my tours, to raise awareness about bird conservation and habitat preservation.
What are your plans for the future?
A pretty obvious next step, as we have all the illustrations, is to make individual species shirts – especially with the most popular birds, like the Puerto Rican Woodpecker, the Puerto Rican Tody, and the Puerto Rican Parrot.
I plan to work on another T-shirt and a poster as well. It is going to be a really good one, so I don’t want to give away too much information just yet, but everyone will love it.
How can interested persons contact you?
For now, the T-shirts will be made available for the AOS-BC Conference, and can be purchased through BirdsCaribbean’s website (link coming soon) or in person at the conference in Puerto Rico.
Outside of the Conference, the T-shirts will be available on the SOPI website: sopipr.org. As I mentioned before, the whole idea behind the project is to help SOPI with their conservation efforts. Interested persons can also reach me on the SOPI website or through the Wildside Nature Tours website: wildsidenaturetours.com.
Artist’s Statement
Arnaldo Toledo also shared with us his vision and process for creating this artwork:
Artist, Arnaldo Toledo, at work.
“The artwork features the endemic birds of Puerto Rico in an artistic design for a T-shirt. It was conceived to be part of two compositions, one that includes eight of these birds on the front and another including nine birds on the back, creating in this way a more dynamic and attractive art design. The birds are the main subjects and protagonists of this artwork. Each bird is made as an individual high-quality watercolor illustration.
First, I carefully researched each species and made an extensive study of reference material. This was essential in order for me to render each individual in a way that shows the beauty and life of the bird, as well as precisely draw and paint its field marks and diagnostic details. The pose and attitude of each bird is drawn to set the flow and balance of the composition, while at the same time showing all the splendor of these Puerto Rico endemics.”
Arnaldo is a Cuban Scientific Illustrator, Wildlife Artist, and Photographer. He is renowned for his artwork on both plants and animals. In 2019, he created the magnificent art for theWorld Migratory Bird Day poster with theme: Protect Birds—Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution. The poster is available for sale at Environment for the Americas’website. Arnaldo was also the grand prize winner of our first-ever Zine Competition for our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival in 2021 for his amazing zine on the Fernandina’s Flicker –see his winning zine here.
Pre Orders
All of the proceeds from T-shirt sales for the AOS-BC Conference will go towards funding travel scholarships for Caribbean nationals to attend the conference. If you would like to pre-order T-shirts before the conference, stay tuned, we will be sharing a link to do so soon!
Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Gabriel Lugo for conceiving this T-shirt design and sharing the artwork with us for our upcoming AOS & BC Conference, and to Arnaldo Toledo for once again allowing us to be the beneficiaries of his wonderful artistic talent and hard work. We also thank Kevin Loughlin, owner of Wildside Nature Tours, for his support of this project and BirdsCaribbean through his company’s partnership with us. If you are interested in a birding tour in the Caribbean or beyond, we encourage you to visit Wildside’s website – they offer outstanding tours to many different countries. If you are coming to the AOS-BC Conference in Puerto Rico, we strongly recommend you to sign up for Gabriel’s pre- or post-conference tours of Puerto Rican endemics! Information will be soon be available on the AOS-BC Conference website.
We’re delighted to share an exciting new education project, “Into the Wild with the EAG.” This program, which includes engaging short videos and an activity booklet for students, was developed by our partner, the Environmental Awareness Group in Antigua and Barbuda. Learn all about it from Program Coordinator Shanna Challenger and find out how you can access and enjoy these creative learning materials.
After 20 years of successfully delivering a ‘Floating Classroom’ educational experience to students in Antigua – encouraging offshore classroom excursions – theEnvironmental Awareness Group (EAG) was forced to adapt to the ‘new normal’ brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic and expand its environmental conservation programme to the virtual space.
In partnership with the Sandals Foundation, the organization launched “Into the Wild with the EAG“: a virtual field-trip journey into Antigua and Barbuda’s exceptional ecosystems. The exciting three-part video series seeks to teach children about the value of their environment, with specific focus on the ecosystems within the North East Marine Management Area (NEMMA).
Grade 4 students at Pares Primary School, Antigua, take a photo with their new Into The Wild Booklets. (Photo by Johnella Bradshaw)
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ‘Floating Classroom’ initiative took thousands of primary school students and teachers on field trips to the offshore islands and mangrove wetlands. These trips provided first-hand experiences to young impressionable minds about the importance of local ecosystems, the wildlife that live there, and the threats that endanger them. However, since 2020, restrictions on gatherings halted activities and caused the EAG to re-imagine what these field trips would look like in a pandemic world. The team opted to give Antiguan and Barbudan children year-round access to the wonders of their local environment through a carefully curated sequence of environmental videos shot and edited by CHASO Media.
“Working with wildlife was vastly different from what I’m used to, as pre-pandemic we focused on fetes and other Carnival events. Nature doesn’t strike a pose and wait on you. My team learned that you have to be prepared at any moment to snap a photo or press record. I definitely have a greater appreciation for the work the EAG does to prevent the extinction of the Antiguan Racer,” said videographer Chas Clarke when asked about his journey into environmental filmmaking.
The series, now available on the Environmental Awareness Group Antigua’s YouTube channel, features three episodes:
Each episode takes place in a unique ecosystem and introduces the audience to the importance of the wildlife and habitats found there, existing threats, and how individuals can make a difference.
Accompanying the videos are a Student Activity Booklet and Teacher’s Resource Guide developed by EAG staff and reviewed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Creative Industries.
“The [Into the Wild] books and supporting videos are based very closely on our national curriculum and provide a close-up look at aspects of our environment that might be difficult to find elsewhere. They help to contextualize science by personalizing the content, and the intangible benefits of this approach should not be understated,” said W. Anthony Spencer, Science Coordinator, Ministry of Education, Science and Creative Industries.
When asked how the Ministry foresees the series assisting teachers in preparing students for the world, Spencer added:
“One of the first things we hope to accomplish is a realization that each person can make a difference. It is hoped that students will be motivated to translate their knowledge into actions and lifelong commitments to learn more about the environment and contribute to its care.”
The Into the Wild booklets were designed by local graphic artist Patrick “Stooge” Joseph of Stooge Co., who captured the feel of the videos through his art and was able to bring our cheery cartoon guide through the series, Acer the Antiguan Racer, to life.
“I especially enjoyed capturing the emotions of the snake through his movements; it was definitely a learning experience that required me to really pay close attention to details and stay true to its harmless nature,” said Joseph.
Cover page of the Into the Wild Student Activity Booklet.
The Antiguan Racer, protagonist of the Into The Wild booklet.
Having locally relevant visuals, wildlife features, and educational messaging wasn’t the only priority for the EAG, as the team made sure videos were catchy and keeping true to Antigua’s cultural roots musically. As such, the ‘Into the Wild’ jingle gives the videos an unmistakably local sound that is accredited to local calypsonian Ge’Eve Philip and renowned deejay, Blashford “DJ Quest” Wilkins, with support from musical legend, Toriano “Onyan” Edwards.
When asked about the unique sound of the jingle as producer, Quest mentioned his inclusion of percussion and drums, that are unique to this part of the world, to give it its West Indian flair:
“Although this is an EAG project, I wanted to maintain that unique Caribbean feel since these videos have the potential to be seen not just in Antigua but throughout the Caribbean, and even the world.”
This virtual spin on the EAG’s Floating Classroom was made possible through funding provided by the Sandals Foundation, who have supported the EAG for years.
“The Sandals Foundation has been a key partner in environmental education, empowering children to be active stewards for its protection and conservation. By providing funding towards the development of the virtual Floating Classroom experience, educational resources, and videos, we are helping the EAG use the tools at their fingertips to meet children where they are, bringing the wonders of the wild into the consciousness of our young ones. Together, we will help the next generation develop an appreciation for the interconnectivity of their actions and the preservation of the precious natural resources that make Antigua and Barbuda so unique,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director, Sandals Foundation.
A student at St Michael’s School, Antigua, learns about mangroves. (Photo by Johnella Bradshaw)
Into the Wild with the EAG promotes the Offshore Islands Conservation Programme (OICP)’s vision which anticipates: Adaptively managed, flourishing offshore island ecosystems where wildlife thrives, people are meaningfully engaged, and sustainable use is valued and practiced for the benefit of all.
“We believe that environmental consciousness is a quality that can never be sacrificed, and these videos have not only given us a way to pay homage to that belief, but to ensure that local talents are displayed plainly and loudly for the world to see in our efforts,” said EAG’s OICP Coordinator, Shanna Challenger.
She continued: “Seeing the joy on students’ faces when we delivered the booklets and how grateful teachers were to have materials that highlighted wildlife found right here in Antigua and Barbuda has been truly invaluable.”
To date, the EAG has been able to share this timely educational package with over 1200 students and 78 teachers from across Antigua and Barbuda.
Students at the New Winthorpes Primary School, Antigua, show off their Into The Wild Booklets. (Photo by Johnella Bradshaw)
The EAG hopes that all members of the public, students, teachers, and parents alike, are able to learn something new about Antigua and Barbuda’s outstanding local ecosystems through the Into The Wild videos and looks forward to developing more videos and supporting resources for other critical ecosystems.
Into the Wild with the EAG would not be possible without the support of: the Sandals Foundation, the Global Environment Facility, BirdsCaribbean, Disney Conservation Fund, and Antigua Nature Tours.
If you would like become a member of the EAG or support their work with a donation, please click here.
The BirdsCaribbean community mourns the loss of a friend, colleague and mentor – Dr. Robert Leslie Norton, affectionately known as ‘Rob’. A true champion for Caribbean birds, Rob was at the forefront of several regional initiatives to study, monitor and advocate for the preservation of birds and their habitats – including the creation of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, now BirdsCaribbean.
We extend deepest condolences to his wife, Sheryl, his family, and his many colleagues, friends and students across the globe.
Rob’s career, spanning five decades and several countries, always centered on a common goal – environmental research and education, specifically the conservation of birds – his true north.
Rob was born in Australia, during wartime, in June of 1945, to Shirley J. Nicholls Norton and Army 1st Lt. Robert L. Norton. The family arrived in the United States in 1946, and from 1948 to 1951 called Officer’s Quarters #57 at Ft. Williams in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, home. Here, Rob lived with his mom and dad; brothers, Philip and Scott; and little sister, Tery.
As a child, growing up in Cape Elizabeth, Rob would often explore the countryside near Sunset Park and in Scarborough. He developed a fascination with nature and birdwatching, which would lead to the creation of his first “Science and Nature Club” – with a handful of neighborhood boys as members.
After graduating in 1964, he successfully pursued a degree in geography at the Central Connecticut State College (CCSC) and, while there, enlisted into the Air Force. Rob’s affinity for physical science saw him undertake weather observations with the Air force for the next five years in Massachusetts. It was here that his passion for birdwatching grew to new heights.
Rob and team at the Christmas Bird Count in Grand Bahama, 2011.
Rob worked part time at the University of Connecticut, with the Connecticut State Climate Center, researching past weather events. He enrolled in biology classes while working there and ornithology was a part of his studies. His interests eventually led him to an internship at Manomet Bird Observatory, near Cape Cod. These experiences laid the groundwork for Rob’s destined path towards environmental research and impact studies.
Rob doing what he loved best – birding.
An invitation from a University of Connecticut friend to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) would prove to be life changing for Rob. Enthralled by the rich flora and fauna of the tropical island, Rob would make it his home for the better part of the next decade. Here, he worked as a seabird researcher for the USVI government for seven years; met the love of his life and wife-to-be, Sheryl; and adopted his beautiful and talented daughter, Whitney. During his time in St. John, USVI, Rob was also part owner of a small newspaper, “Tradewinds”; and he was hired as the second director of the British Virgin Island’s National Parks Trust (a non-profit, protecting natural and cultural heritage). His time in the USVI, and his visits to the surrounding islands, cemented an everlasting connection to the people and the culture in this remarkable part of the world.
Rob would return to the U.S. in 1990 to be closer to his mother Shirley. Always learning, he enrolled at Goddard College and earned an MA in biogeography, then to Columbia Pacific University for his PhD in environmental science.
In April of 1991, Rob and Sheryl married, settled in Gainesville and added “his handsome boy”, Alex, to the family. In 1992, Rob spent the year with the Smithsonian’s Natural History and Ornithology Department in Washington, D.C. Next he moved to Gainesville, Florida, where he taught science courses at Santa Fe College and worked with Alachua County government as an environmental specialist and planner until his retirement in 2008.
When most people would be taking things a little easier in retirement, Rob decided to train and compete in the World Senior Track and Field Games in Australia – a nod to his track and field and Key Club days at South Portland High School, which he enjoyed tremendously. Shortly after this, Rob overcame another challenge – wrestling and beating cancer. He persevered and continued his birding adventures with his family and friends, even renewing his and Sheryl’s wedding vows with a pelagic birding cruise on The Wanderbird out of Belfast, Maine.
Rest in peace, dear Rob. Your kind-hearted spirit, dedication and contributions to the shared knowledge of Caribbean birds will forever remain in our hearts and fuel our efforts to continue protecting birds and their habitats.
Rob Norton, Shamie Rolle, Erika Gates, Bruce Hallett, Bruce Purdy and Woody Bracey at the Christmas Bird Count, 2011.
Biography
Photo slide of fond memories.
Dr. Robert L. Norton (Rob) was a prominent ornithologist and natural history guide throughout the Caribbean. He had vast knowledge of the region’s birds and the threats they face and was a generous mentor to many young people.
Rob was the originator and co-editor of the West Indies regional report in American Birds, Field Notes, and North American Birds (American Birding Association) since 1980. He contributed to many publications and will be particularly remembered for An Inventory of Breeding Seabirds of the Caribbean (2009) which he co-edited with Patricia Bradley. He initiated multiple Christmas Bird Counts in western Cuba and thoroughly enjoyed his time with Holbrook Travel as a Road Scholar’s guide.
Rob was among the founding members of BirdsCaribbean (then called the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds) and delighted in attending the organization’s conferences and assisting with various conservation projects, especially those encouraging capacity building for bird research, monitoring and education of youth and local communities.
Dr. Lisa Sorenson, BirdsCaribbean Executive Director, reflected on Rob’s impact on the organization over the years through his passion and genuine desire to share, educate and mentor.
“Rob cared passionately about the region’s birds and was concerned about threats to their long-term survival. He worked hard and volunteered his time to educate the public and mentor our members – helping to build the capacity of the region’s biologists,” Lisa shared. “I will always remember Rob as a kind, generous, and gentle soul, always engaged and willing to lend a hand to whomever needed help. I just wish we had more time with Rob, but we will treasure the memories that we have, and always be inspired by his commitment and hard work to understand and protect the Caribbean’s invaluable birds.”
If you would like to make a donation in Rob’s memory, Rob’s wife Sheryl has asked that donations be made to BirdsCaribbean at this link: http://bit.ly/GiftForCaribbeanBirds
Sheryl asks that you designate this donation for, “Reducing bird trapping and killing,” to help us in our work to safeguard birds from illegal trafficking – a cause that was dear to Rob’s heart.
Donations by check can be sent to: BirdsCaribbean Check memo: In Rob Norton’s memory. Address: BirdsCaribbean 841 Worcester St. #130 Natick, MA 01760
Tributes
Rob was well respected by a large network of friends and colleagues, many of whom wished to provide their own memories. These recollections paint a picture of an individual who cared deeply about the environment and its bird life and his encouragement for others in their endeavours.
Andrew Dobson:
Rob had been single-handedly producing seasonal bird reports for the West Indies in North American Birds for over 20 years when the late Tony White and I were invited to become co-editors. This was 2002 and we expanded the coverage to include Bermuda. What a privilege it was to be part of the team with Rob as such a knowledgeable captain. I look back on the hundreds of emails we exchanged and the professionalism he demonstrated. He was responsible for making sure regional bird records over the past 40 years were documented. What a great legacy. I will miss his sage advice but above all, his friendship.
Natasha Atkins:
Back in 1975, when I was an intern at the then Manomet Bird Observatory, I took a canoe trip with Rob and another Manomet friend of his out to Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, off Chatham on Cape Cod. It was a pretty long trip, 3 or 4 miles, and the guys did all the paddling. We spent the day watching shorebirds/waders, and as we headed back to the canoe for the return trip, a gull dropped a hot dog right in front of us, which was hilarious. By the time we got back in the boat, the wind had picked up pretty strongly, and we were already riding about 4 inches above the surface with two big guys and me in the canoe. It was a bit of a hair-raising trip back, but Frank’s and Rob’s good humor kept me from getting too panicky. It’s the only time I spent with Rob, but 45 years later it’s still a wonderful memory.
Patricia E. Bradley:
I send my condolences to Sheryl and Rob’s family and join his many friends lamenting the loss of this wonderful, dedicated and courageous man. We go back to the early 1980s when I began sending records from the Cayman Islands and we began a friendship, extended at our first meeting in Jamaica in 1985, that continued. Our last meeting was when Rob and Sheryl visited Grand Cayman and I took him to see our Vitelline Warbler. The Inventory of Caribbean Seabirds published in 2009 was our response to the increasing threats and population declines throughout the region and it leant on the work of Schreiber and Lee 2000 and van Halewyn and Norton 1984. It was a challenge to find and persuade seabird specialists to produce a chapter on their Caribbean island and share their inventory. It was also great fun as we worked with English, Dutch, French and Spanish authors for what seemed like years, and using Rob’s exhaustive understanding of the regions’ birds. The GIS analysis and maps by William Mackin were an essential part of the publication. It was also a time when Rob was dealing with cancer surgery and my husband was in the final stage of cancer and so the project kept us focused.
Jaime Collazo:
I met Rob when he worked at the Division of Fish & Wildlife, USVI. He provided much needed support for my research at that time, and during the mid-80s, we advocated for conservation of avifauna in the US Caribbean in various forums. I always appreciated Rob’s “never give up” attitude. He will be missed! My condolences to his family.
Natalia Collier:
Robert was a mentor to Adam and me as we began working in the Caribbean, providing helpful advice and perspective. He was always ready to answer questions thoughtfully and kindly. His 2009 inventory is dog-eared and worn after countless references as we worked on the Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles and other seabird-related manuscripts. I’m sure there are many others who were also influenced by his research and generous nature and his legacy will carry on in his work and those he helped along their paths. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Daphne Gemmill:
I only met Rob once or twice many years ago. However, we corresponded frequently regarding Vieques and Puerto Rican birds. His input was invaluable. He was on my unofficial Vieques rare birds committee. He will be missed.
Scott Johnson:
My fondest memory of Robert Norton was in 2017, when I was working at the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and participated in the “Expedition Parks242” field trip on Andros. I was taking some of the participants birding, in North/central Andros. Robert, an avid birder and researcher, was interested in seeing a Bahama Oriole, one of our endemic birds and a critically endangered species. We visited a few locations with no luck. I honestly thought my skills as a birder and guide were going to be dashed in the Andros pinelands as we visited more locations and still did not find the bird. Finally, I took him and Vivian Moultrie, an Inagua Bird guide and one of the persons responsible for creating the motto on our Coat of Arms, to a place called “The Atala Forest”. This site was filled with Atala Hairstreaks, in the hundreds. As we walked through the forest, low and behold, a Bahama Oriole made an appearance, a lifer bird for Robert. Rest in Peace Robert. I wish I had spent more time talking with you and always appreciated your witty comments on my fb posts. You will be missed my friend.
Anthony Levesque:
I met Rob for the first time in 2011 in the Bahamas during a BirdsCaribbean meeting. He was with Andrew Dobson and Eddie Massiah and two years later I replaced Eddie to be part of the West Indies and Bermuda Team for North American Birds magazine with the encouragement and benevolence of Rob. For years and years, Rob was the number one birder in the Caribbean (with nearly 450 species) and when I passed him, he immediately sent me a message of congratulations. A great loss to the Caribbean birding community.
Fred Schaffner:
I have known Rob for over 37 years and was deeply saddened by his passing. We first shared some great adventures on a number of trips in a small motorboat travelling between Culebra, Red Hook, and Little Tobago in the early 1980’s to make observations of seabirds with my doctoral mentor Colin Pennycuick (deceased) and John Taylor (also deceased), resulting in a number of reports and a small publication on the expansion of Cayenne Terns on the Puerto Rico Bank. Rob was a wonderful, cheerful person, a great friend, fully dedicated to bird conservation, and a founding member of what now is Birds Caribbean. I will be forever grateful for having had his friendship and I mourn his loss.
Ann Sutton:
Please share my condolences for this sad loss to Caribbean ornithology. Rob was an inspiration to me; especially because of his contributions to our knowledge of Caribbean seabirds.
Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr:
I was saddened to hear of Rob’s passing, as he has made major contributions to our understanding of avian distribution and natural history in the Caribbean. Although his numerous contributions will live on, he will be missed by many. Pass on my sincerest sympathies and condolences to his family.
NOTE: If you have stories, memories, a tribute, and/or photos of Rob you would like to include in this tribute article, please send them to: Tahira Carter, BirdsCaribbean Communications Manager Tahira.Carter@BirdsCaribbean.org
The Wadadli Warblers birding group out on a CWC survey in Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Once again, it was that time of year when we ask you to head out to your wetlands and take stock of our amazing waterbirds! For the 13th year in a row many of you did just that, so a huge thank you goes out to everyone who contributed to the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) in 2022.
As always, we had people participating from all across the region, exploring many of our beaches, mangroves, salt ponds, and other fantastic wetlands – both large and small. Here are just some of the highlights from our partners taking part in this year’s CWC. Be sure to click on the photos in each section below to see them larger and view them as a slide show – ENJOY!
On St. Eustatius, Hannah Madden and Oliver Jones did their CWC survey on Zeelandia Beach, counting over 20 Red-billed Tropicbirds as they glided gracefully through the air, their long tail feathers streaming behind. Hannah tells us that it’s not unusual to see tropicbirds during the CWC as St. Eustatius supports a globally significant breeding population of an estimated 300-500 pairs! During their survey, they also spotted Brown Pelicans, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, and a Spotted Sandpiper.
Ducks a plenty – but not for everyone!
Brown Pelicans and herons also featured in the surveys carried out on Antigua. 2022 was the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) Wadadli Warblers Bird Club’s second year of participating in the CWC. This year they covered eight wetland sites across Antigua! At McKinnon’s Salt Pond, the group were equally thrilled and dumbfounded by the number of ducks that were present. With their trusty bird guides to help with ID they were undaunted by the challenge! The Wadadli Warblers say that they can’t wait for CWC 2023!
A beautiful male Northern Pintail, spotted during a CWC survey on Antigua, along with White-cheeked Pintails. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
“Can’t Talk I’m Birding with the EAG” . (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Brown Pelican (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Another duck-filled day was had by Daniela Ventura on Cuba. She told us the CWC this year involved traveling 30 km by bike to La Coronela Dam in Artemisa. Here, they saw more than 300 Lesser Scaups (which was a lifer for Daniela!). This was then surpassed by the 1,000 Lesser Scaups in the Niña Bonita Dam on the way back! Daniela says it was, “A really enjoyable birding and biking day.” At Playa Las Cañas in the South of Pinar del Río, Cuba, there was a report of some banded Black Skimmers (see photo). These were reported and photographed by Zaimiuri Hernández Gonzalez.
These Black Skimmers, that had been banded, were spotted in Cuba during CWC surveys. (Photo by Zaimiuri Hernández Gonzalez)
Birding by bike in Cuba. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Anthony Levesque, on Guadeloupe, had less luck with ducks during his CWC surveys this year. He tells us that the number of Blue-winged Teals was very low – 56 in 2022 vs. 498 in 2021. Did others find Blue-winged Teal numbers were lower than expected? Or were these ducks somewhere else this year?
Shorebird highlights
Over on Turks and Caicos Islands, shorebirds were the stars of the show. With funding from Environment Canada, a team of four birders carried out waterbird monitoring at several sites. Highlights included counting over 1% of the flyway population for Short-billed Dowitchers on the Caicos Middle Banks (2,200 individuals were counted!). In the same area, 100 Red Knots were counted and at Sand Bore Cay, near South Caicos, 77 Piping Plovers were seen!
Counting shorebirds on Turks and Caicos during CWC surveys. (Photo by Simon Busuttil)
Shorebirds take flight during a CWC survey on Turks and Caicos. (Photo by Simon Busuttil)
Counting shorebirds on Turks and Caicos during CWC surveys. (Photo by Simon Busuttil)
As the CWC 2022 rolled around, BirdLife Jamaica members were galvanized into action. The group set out in search of waterbirds at a particularly odorous place, the Soapberry Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Catherine – where there was, as expected, additional wildlife to be found in the form of American Crocodiles! Everyone was checking off new finds. Blue-winged Teal, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Glossy Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, and more! One fantastic ‘new’ bird for everyone was a Pacific Golden Plover. This shorebird sighting is a first record for Jamaica! This bird must have seriously veered off its usual, more westerly route along the Pacific Flyway.
Out birding in Jamaica during CWC2022. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Not just birds- this Croc was spotted during the CWC survey in Jamaica this year. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Mr and Mrs Blue-winged Teal take a rest during a CWC survey in Jamaica. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
A Pacific Golden Plover, spotted during CWC, this is the 1st record of this species on Jamaica! (Photo by Ricardo Miller)
CWC in Puerto Rico – Remembering Shirley Droz & ongoing efforts
Several groups headed out to wetlands in Puerto Rico in search of waterbirds as part of ongoing surveys using the CWC protocol. The San Juan Bay Estuary Program carried out a CWC survey at Blassina Canal in Carolina. This is part of a program that plans to conduct quarterly waterbird censuses during 2022. Eliezer Nieves from the program says, “We are ready to carry on counting water birds at the CWC for the well-being of our estuarine ecosystems.” This is a fantastic initiative, and we wish them well in the rest of their CWC surveys this year!
Coral Aviles listing the birds in the CWC list on eBird, Blassina Canal Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Lots of Great and Snowy Egrets along Blassina Canal, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Great Blue Heron, Blassina Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Roots and Shoots, Puerto Rico, did their CWC to celebrate the life of their late friend, partner and mentor Shirley Droz. They chose to do their survey at the Natural Reserve Punta Cucharas in Ponce. Shirley Droz was a bird lover and science teacher who inspired others about conserving wildlife, including birds, reptiles, butterflies, and how to be strong and fight for what you love. Carla Montalvo Martinez says, “She inspired us every day and that’s why we wanted to remember her in her favorite place with her family, students, and friends. It was a lovely experience and we enjoyed every moment we spent together remembering all the good times we had with her and learning more about the different species we can find in that place.” The group plans to go back to conduct monthly surveys in an effort to continue Shirley’s work. They have also named their Christmas Bird Census after her, as a tribute.
Remembering Shirley Droz, during CWC2022. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Little Blue Heron spotted by Roots & Shoots during their CWC survey. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Members of Roots & Shoots counting birds during their CWC survey. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Wilson’s and Semipalmated Plovers, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Heading South
Down in Trinidad and Tobago, CWC surveys were carried out at a wide variety of different wetlands, including Caroni Swamp, Caroni Rice Fields, two sites along Trinidad’s west coast mudflats, Bon Accord Sewage Treatment Ponds, Bon Accord Canals, Magdalena Golf Course and Ponds and Canaan Sewage Ponds. Waterbirds seen and counted included shorebirds, herons, egrets, and ducks – a reminder that man-made wetlands can also support a diversity of wetland birds.
Scarlet Ibis were counted as they flew in to roost at Caroni Swamp, Trinidad. (Photo by Mark Hulme)
Mark Hulme records birds in eBird during a CWC survey at the west coast mudflats, Trinidad. (Photo by Alex Sansom)
White-cheeked Pintail, seen at the sewage ponds on Tobago. (Photo by Matt Kelly)
Laura Baboolal and Alex Sansom doing a CWC survey at Caroni rice fields, Trinidad. (Photo by Mark Hulme)
Birders on Bonaire were waiting with bated breath as they watched the final nest preparations of two amorous Least Grebes. Throughout the CWC, the two grebes completed their nest, then produced and incubated eggs. For the birders watching this wonderful process, it was almost like they were the expecting parents! Today, there are two very young Least Grebes swimming in a freshwater pond on Bonaire!
Least Grebe nest with its clutch of eggs-but will they hatch? (Photo by Susan Davis)
Least Grebe sitting on its nest in Bonaire. (Photo Susan Davis)
Least Grebe adult with its chick, Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
January always heralds the main breeding season of Bonaire’s iconic bird, the American Flamingo. Hundreds, if not thousands, of flamingos can congregate in the protected area of the flamingo sanctuary, deep in the heart of the Cargill Salt Ponds. Birders are looking forward to seeing the next generation of Bonaire’s famous flamingos soon.
January is the main breeding season of Bonaire’s iconic bird, the American Flamingo. (Photo by Susan Davis)
Thousands, of flamingos congregating to breed in Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
Reddish Egret spotted during CWC surveys on Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
In Venezuela, as in previous years, Josmar Esteban Marques, with Ave Zona, continued to monitor offshore islands and cays during the CWC. This year Josmar and his team counted approximately 500 breeding pairs of Brown Booby on Los Roques. All nesting on a single cay!
The Caribbean Waterbird Census is an ongoing, long-term survey effort and provides us with important data that helps to keep track of the birds using Caribbean wetlands, understand threats, and to raise awareness. We appreciate every single CWC count that gets done during the annual 3-week regional census in winter. Thank you to all those who sent us highlights and all those who led or joined a CWC survey this year. If you missed this year’s regional census don’t worry – you can do a CWC count at any time of year! Counts are valuable at any time of year and add to our knowledge of the resident and migratory birds using our wetlands and beaches. Just be sure to use a CWC protocol in eBird Caribbean to enter your data and do your best to do a complete count, i.e., record all the birds you see and hear.
Enjoy more photos from CWc around the caribbean in 2022!
Perched Pelican seen during CWC2022 on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Common Gallinule. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
The salt ponds on Antigua are home to many waterbirds, Wadadli Warblers did a great job doing CWC surveys in these habitats. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
A group of Egrets (mainly Cattle) spotted during CWC surveys on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
A mixed flock of shorebirds seen on Jamaica during CWC2022. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Wilson’s Plovers on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
A Jacana spotted during CWC2022 on Jamaica. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Roots & Shoots did their CWC survey at Punta Cucharas, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Greater Yellowlegs seen in the rice fields of Trinidad during CWC. (Photo by Mark Hulme)
Birding by bike in Cuba. (Photo by Lourdes Mugica)
Least Grebe adult ready to feed a damselfly to its chick, Bonaire. (Photo Susan Davis)
Least Grebe adult feeds a damselfly to its chick, Bonaire. (Photo Susan Davis)
A Great Egret preening. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
White Ibis seen a Blassina, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Students carry out CWC surveys Puerto Rico’s northwest coast
A majestic Great Blue Heron spotted on Jamaica. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Roots & Shoots bird watching and celebrating the life of Shirely Droz during CWC2022. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
A small flock of Ruddy Turnstones seen in Jamaica. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Roots & Shoots did their CWC survey at Punta Cucharas, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Cayman Birding post about CWC on Instagram
Greater Yellowlegs foraging on Tobago. (Photo by Matt Kelly)
Birds in flight during Roots & Shoots CWC surveys in Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
A Whimbrel flies over a salt salt pond on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Caroni rice fields at sunrise during CWC in Trinidad. (Photo by Mark Hulme)
Semipalmated Sandpiper spotted during Roots & Shoots CWC survey in Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
A distant view of a Spotted Sandpiper on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
White-cheeked Pintails spotted in Anguilla. (Photo by Nature Explorers Anguilla)
A Mangrove Cuckoo spotted during CWC2022 on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Members of Roots & Shoots during their CWC survey. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Students carry out CWC surveys Puerto Rico’s northwest coast
Least Grebe Chick, Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
Least Grebe Chick, Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
Sometimes you have to get wet feet on surveys! (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
A Hooded Warbler. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
It’s tiny stature and yellow legs are a give away that this is a Least Sandpiper, seen on Jamaica during CWC. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Common Gallinule chicks seen during CWC surveys at Blassina Canal, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Least Grebe adult with its chick, Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
This Peregrine was seen on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Some of the ducks spotted during CWC2022 on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Some of the 1000s of Short-billed Dowitchers seen during CWC counts on Turks and Caicos. (Photo by Simon Busuttil)
Ducks a plenty, the Wadadli Warblers on Antigua saw these White-Cheeked Pintails. (Photo EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Common Gallinules. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
A Mangrove Cuckoo spotted during CWC2022 on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Reddish Egret searches for food, Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
Brown Pelican. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Yellow-crowned Night Heron on Tobago. (Photo by Matt Kelly)
Roots & Shoots did their CWC survey at Punta Cucharas, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Blassina Canal, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Celebrating the life of Shirley Droz during CWC2022. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Great Blue Heron, Blassina Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Black-whiskered Vireo spotted on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Least Grebe adult with its chick, Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
A mixed shorebird flock seen during Roots & Shoots CWC survey, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
A Black-necked Stilt spotted preening during CWC2022 on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets in Anguilla. (Photo by Nature Explorers Anguilla)
Wilson’s Plover, Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Lots of black-and-white birds! A Black-crowned Nigh Heron joined by two Black-necked Stilts on Jamaica. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
San Juan Bay Program Staff and the captain of the boat ready for the CWC at the Blassina Canal. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Cattle and Great Egrets seen on Tobago during CWC. (Photo by Matt Kelly)
Northern Waterthrush spotted in Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Students carry out CWC surveys Puerto Rico’s northwest coast
A Gray Kingbird. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
A Pacific Golden Plover (in the foreground- Black-bellied Plover behind), spotted on Jamaica during CWC. (Photo by Ricardo Miller)
Juvenile Little Blue Heron seen during CWC on Tobago. (Photo by Matt Heron)
Members of Roots & Shoots counting birds during their CWC survey. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Filling in a CWC site description form on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
This fish loving Osprey was seen by the Wadadli Warblers during their surveys. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Brown Pelican. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Wilson’s Plovers in flight, spotted during Roots & Shoots CWC survey Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
A Pacific Golden Plover, spotted on during CWC, this is the 1st record of this species on Jamaica! (Photo by Ricardo Miller)
The Wadadli Warblers on Antigua saw both White-cheeked and Northern Pintails on their surveys. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Shorebirds in flight during CWC survey in Puerto Rico. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Cayman Birding post about CWC on Instagram
Students carry out CWC surveys Puerto Rico’s northwest coast
Harold Manrique, the Water Monitor coordinator, looking at the water oxygen levels during a CWC survey, Blassina Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Roots & Shoots remembering Shirley Droz during CWC. (Photo by Miguel Angel Rivera)
Lovely colors catching the light on this Glossy Ibis, seen on Jamaica. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Least Grebes build a nest on Bonaire. (Photo by Susan Davis)
Cayman Birding post about CWC on Instagram
Out on a CWC survey in Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Grenada Fund for Conservation encourage people to take part in CWC2022
Black-whiskered Vireo spotted on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Green Heron spotted during CWC at Blassina, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves)
Students carry out CWC surveys Puerto Rico’s northwest coast
A Pacific Golden Plover, spotted on during CWC, this is the 1st record of this species on Jamaica! (Photo by Ricardo Miller)
Ryan Chenery takes in the scenery on a catamaran from Saint Lucia to Martinique (Photo by Birding the Islands)
The Caribbean is, unquestionably, a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world to visit, and is a destination on many a birder, nature-lover, and holiday-maker’s bucket-list. Yet, with over 700 islands, islets, reefs and cays spread over 14 different countries and 20 dependencies, putting together an itinerary that encompasses a little bit of everything you want to experience while you’re there can be tricky (and at the very least, time-consuming) if you are doing it yourself. As a solution to this challenge, our local partner Birding the Islands has created a new and exciting offering: Build Your Own Tours!
COVID-19 has put a damper on birding tours the world over, with many people less inclined to travel in groups. So, whether you are a solo traveler, have a partner or friend you wish to travel with, are a family, or a small private group, Birding the Islands’ new range of fully-customisable private tours to the Caribbean are guaranteed to fit your budget, and promise to get you excited about traveling once again!
Birding the Islands clients stop to take a closer look and some photographs while on a tour. (Ryan Chenery)
Blue-headed Hummingbird perched on a branch in Martinique. (Beatrice Henricot)
Owned and operated by one of the Caribbean’s own, Barbados-born Ryan Chenery (author of the Birds of the Lesser Antilles HELM Field Guide, due to be released July 7th in the UK and October 4th in the USA, and Birding the Islands’ Lead Bird Guide) and his wife Alex (ex-teacher, yoga instructor and Birding the Islands’ Tours Manager), Birding the Islands specializes in organizing multi-island trips throughout the magical islands of the Caribbean.
“We’ve called these tours: ‘Build Your Own’, but this doesn’t mean that you’ll have to do any of the building yourself! All you need to do is tell us where you’d like to go, what you’d like to do when you’re there (don’t worry, we’ve got a great range of options to choose from), and how long you want to go for, and we’ll build your tour for you!” explained Ryan.
A snapshot of Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia. (Matt Brooks)
A close up view of Magnificent Frigatebird juveniles in Barbuda. (Ryan Chenery)
A lone St. Vincent Parrot takes flight. (Keith Clarkson)
Ryan and Alex have been leading birding and wildlife tours in the region for over 20 years, and by virtue of living, working and birding on, as well as traveling between these islands for over two decades, this dynamic husband and wife team have developed a trusted network of locally-owned accommodation providers, restaurateurs, activity providers, transport operators, and bird guides across the region.
“We know we can trust and rely on these providers to deliver the very best and most memorable experiences on our fixed-date tours, and we ensure it is these partners and other equally specialist providers that we use during your Build Your Own tour. We are proud to work with many of the bird guides listed on BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Birding Trail, and every trip taken sees a donation go directly towards supporting the tireless efforts of this crucial conservation charity, without whom several of the birds in the region would simply no longer be with us,” added Ryan.
Red-billed Tropicbird (Photo by Birding the Islands client, Keith Clarkson)
Partnering with BirdsCaribbean and the Caribbean Birding Trail for this initiative was a natural fit, given the shared philosophy of sustainable tourism and the protection of the Caribbean’s rich biodiversity, including birds and their habitats
“We developed the Caribbean Birding Trail to connect bird enthusiasts to the extraordinary places, diverse cultures, exquisite cuisine, music, and people of each island through authentic experiences that benefit local people. This new initiative by Birding the Islands seeks to further this vision and we are thrilled to be a partner,” commented Dr. Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director, BirdsCaribbean.
If you have a list of birds you want to see, or islands you’ve always wanted to visit, but you’re not sure of the best route to take, where to stay, or the best guides to use on each island, Birding the Islands can take the work out of building your tour, so that all you need to do is to sit back, relax, and count the days until you’re enjoying your dream Caribbean birding holiday.
Martinique Oriole perched on a Heliconia flower. (Beatrice Henricot)
“Over the years, we have put together a number of options for tours to islands that work really well together. These tried-and-tested island combos are not only cost-efficient when it comes to inter-island travel, but also maximize the number of endemics, regional bird specialties and other wildlife possible. They also provide you with the opportunity to experience the range of cultures, history, cuisine, and other activities these vibrant islands have to offer.
We also encourage you to get in touch and let us know of that one particular dream destination, or combination of islands you’ve always wanted to visit, and we’ll put together a tour for you and handle everything from start to finish. We cater to any and everyone, and make it our mission to ensure that you get to go on the tour that’s right for you. Above all, we aim to keep it personal and make it memorable!” shared Alex.
If you’re ready to tour your way with Birding the Islands, or if you’re keen to learn more about how Birding the Islands can make your birding tour dreams a reality, you can contact Ryan & Alex here – they are looking forward to hearing from you soon!
Group Photo, Saint Lucia Birding Tour with Ryan Chenery and local guide Valence “Vision” James. (Photo by Birding the Islands)
CLICK ON EACH IMAGE TO ENLARGE AND SCROLL THROUGH THE GALLERY:
Ryan Chenery, Birding the Islands’ Lead Bird Guide
Alex Chenery, Birding the Islands’ Tours Manager
View from one of the trails in St Vincent and the Grenadines (Photo by Matt Brooks)
Rufous-throated Solitaire, Saint Lucia (Photo by Birding the Islands client, Keith Clarkson)
Sunrise at the secret spot, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Photo by Matt Brooks)
St. Vincent Parrots at sunrise. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Soufriere Bay, Saint Lucia (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Birding the Islands client enjoying a speedboat ride between Antigua and Barbuda (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Ryan Chenery, Birding the Islands’ Lead Bird Guide, takes in the view from a boat. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Migrating Humpback Whales in Dominica. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Ryan Chenery, Birding the Islands’ Lead Bird Guide, and client stop for a photo on the stunning beach in Barbuda. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Red-legged Thrush, Dominica. (Photo by Birding the Islands client, Mark Greenfield)
Looking out over Freights Bay, Barbados. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Birding the Islands group in the rainforest, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Matt Brooks)
View from one of the trails in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo by Matt Brooks)
Plumbeous Warbler, Dominica. (Photo by Birding the Islands client, Beatrice Henricot)
Birding the Islands client atop Moule a Chique, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Short-finned Pilot Whales so close you can touch them, Dominica. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
The stunning Piton Mountains, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Purple-throated Carib, Dominica. (Photo by Birding the Islands client, Mark Greenfield)
St. Lucia Parrot. (Photo by Birding the Islands client, John Dyson)
Magnificent Frigatebird colony, Barbuda. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Gray Trembler, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Birding the Islands client, Jane Hartline)
Birding the Islands clients in the rainforest, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Hearty meals at one of the lunch spots in Saint Lucia. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Ryan Chenery, Birding the Islands’ Lead Bird Guide, and clients out at sea. (Photo by Ryan Chenery).
Even the planes are colorful in the Caribbean. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Birding the Islands clients at the lookout situated at Moule a Chique, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Bridled Quail-Dove, Guadeloupe. (Photo by Birding the Islands client, Beatrice Henricot)
Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Barbados. (Photo by Birding the Islands client, Keith Clarkson)
Reduit Beach, Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Ryan Chenery)
Yachts moored off Young Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo by Matt Brooks)
“Conserving the Diablotin” informed by a decade of exploration and research
The Endangered “Diablotin” or Black-capped Petrel in flight. (Photo by Kate Sutherland)
The Endangered Black-capped Petrel is a seabird so secretive that ten years ago, only one active nest had ever been located and monitored.
Despite this tremendous gap in knowledge, the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group created an action plan in 2012 to guide the conservation of this rare seabird. Now, after a decade of searches, studies, and management actions, producing tremendous advancements in our understanding of this species, partners have released a new guide to empower petrel conservationists. The recently released “Conserving the Diablotin: Black-capped Petrel Conservation Update and Action Plan” lays out nine strategies to enable conservation and address threats to the species and its habitat.
The Black-capped Petrel is the rarest nesting seabird in the Caribbean, with only an estimated 2,000 breeding pairs remaining worldwide. Conservationists have now located more than 100 nests on the island of Hispaniola, and found evidence of smaller populations possibly breeding on Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Cuba. Once common in the Caribbean, the species’ population was decimated over the past two centuries by overhunting, the introduction of mammalian predators, and the destruction of its forested nesting habitat. Predation and habitat loss continue to threaten the species; just this past season, a number of petrels were killed and nests lost due to predators and habitat destruction.
In the new Conservation Update and Action Plan, the authors identified the strategies and actions most likely to combat the threats of predation and habitat loss. Community engagement, already begun at some petrel sites, is key to habitat preservation. Other strategies, including continued searches for the petrel, capacity building of local conservation organizations, restoration approaches, and advocacy for the species when at sea, are in place or in planning. Preventing petrel extinction requires that all of these strategies be complementary and employed together.
“This new road map to the recovery of the Black-capped Petrel calls for a multi-organizational approach to implementation. Fortunately, efforts on behalf of the species thus far have been notable for a high level of cooperation and communication. It’s been very gratifying,” stated Jennifer Wheeler, lead author of the document.
The core team that authored “Conserving the Diablotin” come from a varied group of organizations, including BirdsCaribbean, Clemson University, Cornell University, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Grupo Jaragua, and American Bird Conservancy. The authors drew on the expertise of a long list of collaborators from around the world and applied lessons learned from a number of successful projects with related species facing similar conservation problems.
The release of “Conserving the Diablotin” is a milestone for the group of individuals and organizations working to protect and study the Black-capped Petrel for so many years. This work was made possible by the financial support of many donors, chief among them the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
For more information on the Black-capped Petrel, please visit the below links:
Our mission is to raise awareness, promote sound science, and empower local partners to build a region where people appreciate, conserve and benefit from thriving bird populations and ecosystems.
Contribuir a la conservación de la biodiversidad de la isla La Española y los servicios ambientales que se deriven de ella, con la participación de las comunidades locales y apoyándose en la ciencia.
