Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Yellow-headed Warbler
Easy to spot because it forages in the understory is a small distinct warbler with an all-yellow head that contrasts with a plain gray body—the Yellow-headed Warbler (Teretistris fernandinae). It occurs over the western third of the main island of Cuba, as well as on the Isle of Youth and Cayo Cantiles. It is one of two warbler species endemic to Cuba.
The Yellow-headed Warbler is considered a “sister species” of the more easterly distributed Oriente Warbler (Teretistris fornsi), the other endemic warbler. Sister species are closely related – they are the two descendant species formed when one species splits during evolution.
In recent times, some biologists found an area of geographical overlap of the two species on the south side of the island between Cienfuegos and Trinidad City. Interestingly they have discovered a hybrid population here!! This means that both species have been living in this area and breeding with each other for years!! Hybrid zones happen when two closely related species come into contact with one another again and interbreed.
It’s easy to tell these two warblers apart in the field. The Yellow-headed Warbler, has an all-yellow hood and yellow eye-rings and the rest of the plumage is plain gray while the Oriente Warbler has a gray head but yellow face and chest. So you may be wondering, what do the hybrid warblers look like? The hybrids have a yellow hood and yellow chest!
Yellow-headed Warblers inhabit forests and wooded vegetation at all elevations, also scrubby thickets in semi-arid areas. They form small flocks when they are looking for food like insects and other invertebrates, mostly in understory, but also on the ground or in branches. During this time you may hear them making high-pitched buzzy notes tsi-tsi-tsi tsi-tsi, repeated many times.
Many other species of birds tag along with these bustling foraging flocks and often wait for the insects that escape from the Yellow-headed Warblers. They also benefit from the added protection of being alerted to the presence of lurking predators. It is common to see Cuban Vireos, La Sagra´s Flycatchers and Cuban Bullfinches, as well as migratory warblers like Black-and-White Warblers, Prairie Warblers, Worm-eating Warblers, and Northern Parulas joining the flock of Yellow-headed Warblers.
With spring, starting in March, the numbers of insects and bugs begin to increase! This is when the breeding season for the Yellow-headed Warbler starts and usually continues until July. It builds a cup-shaped nest of grasses, rootlets, and other plant fibers placed low or fairly low in a bush, vine, or sapling. Clutch size is 2 to 3 eggs, with egg-laying taking place from April to June.
Although the conservation status of the Yellow-headed Warbler is Least Concern, we need to monitor and protect this bird. Keep in mind that it is a restricted-range species, present only in western Cuba. It is therefore vulnerable to many threats, such as deforestation, pollution, and impacts from climate change, including severe drought, storms, and hurricanes. These threats could kill birds outright as well as damage their habitats, food sources and ability to breed successfully. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Thanks to Ernesto Reyes Mouriño for the text!
Colour in the Yellow-headed Warbler
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Yellow-headed Warbler
The song of the Yellow-headed Warbler is series of raspy, high-pitched, buzzy notes.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
A Yellow-headed Warbler calls. (Photo by Greg Lavaty)Yellow-headed Warbler. (Photo by Doug Greenberg)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: There are two warblers who both live in Cuba and look very much alike, but they’re not the same! Once is today’s endemic bird, the Yellow-headed Warbler, and the other is the Oriente Warbler. Both are mainly gray and yellow! In our activity of the day you need to look carefully at two photos and try to identify the Yellow-headed Warbler. Check the text above for some handy tips.
If you get stuck and feel like you need a bit of extra help then take a look on the second page of this activity. You will find some helpful hints to set you on the right track.
Thinks that you found the Yellow-headed Warbler? You can check if you are right on our answer sheet here. This activity is perfect to play with school groups or outdoor education clubs etc.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this delightful video of a Yellow-headed Warbler foraging in the wild!
Elvin removing a cuckoo from a mist net. (Photo by Josh Covill)
BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Bird Banding Network recently held their second bird banding training workshop in the beautiful Dominican Republic. Read on for a delightful personal account of this workshop from local high-school teacher and dedicated Dominican biologist Elvin Manuel Vargas Estévez.
On the fresh morning of March 8th, 2023, in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life as a biologist would begin. I was participating in a Bird Banding Workshop organized by BirdsCaribbean. It sounds beautiful just to say it, but the true beauty lies in how and what happened there to consider it so valuable.
I must admit—I have always been a wildlife lover since I was a child. But my four-year-old self could never have imagined that I would have a bird in my hands, measuring its anatomical proportions, carefully observing the arrangement of its feathers, and eagerly looking for molt limits. However, today I feel immense excitement knowing that it is now part of my life, allowing me to continue to educate myself and contribute knowledge to avian conservation and society.
Setting up mist nets and sowing euphoria
On the first day of the workshop, my colleague Gerónimo Abreu and I were so excited to start the activities. We talked about what we wanted to do that day from the moment we woke up until we left our room. Once everything was ready, we headed to the main hall and dining room of the Ranch, where lead banding trainer Holly Garrod explained to us with great enthusiasm what we were going to do that day. With clear instructions, we took the necessary equipment and set off to explore the area that would be our morning workplace for the next four days.
The non-traditional, open-air classroom where learning, sharing and discussions took place during the workshop. (Photo by Elvin Estévez)
The process of setting up mist nets is an art that is not as boring as it may seem. Well, it’s true that it’s probably not the most exciting part of a bird bander’s day, but there is a certain magic in the process. The first time I saw a mist net was during a bird banding demonstration that Holly did at the Botanical Garden in Santiago. There I learned that setting up and taking down nets is like a climbing sport. We drive stakes firmly or look for a stable attachment, and “climb with the net” to maintain tension at all times. How interesting! Something as methodical and procedural as setting up a mist net can become fun if you look at it with different eyes.
I remember how the other participants were attentive to everything that moved, what the trainers said, and what more experienced banders did. Throughout that first day, I kept learning about the nets, observing how the more experienced bird banders worked, and learned how to enter banding data while eagerly waiting to hold and band a bird for the first time.
Participants learned to set up and close mist nets during the workshop. (Photo by Josh Covill)
“Don’t be afraid, you are in control, not the bird”
As a child, I used to watch many programs on channels like Animal Planet and Discovery Channel with deep curiosity, as I have always found wildlife fascinating. However, animals did not captivate me solely for their majesty, such as lions and other big cats, or for their incredible sizes, like hippos and rhinos. For me, the greatest treasure in observing an animal is being able to understand its unique behavior and social interactions, at both inter- and intraspecific levels. That’s why I was so amazed when I started focusing more on birds as my birdwatching hobby developed. As fellow ornithologists and birders know, there is nothing more unique than a bird’s behavior.
The first time I held a bird in the context of bird banding was at the Santiago Botanical Garden. I was given the opportunity to release a freshly banded bird and it was a beautiful experience. However, it pales in comparison to the moment when I released a bird from its bag, held it properly, and took the necessary measurements before banding it and then releasing it. This whole process was so exciting for me that it came with a mix of nervousness.
When I was about to process my first bird, Juan Carlos (JC) Hernández Ordoñez was the one supervising my work. I am infinitely grateful to JC as he helped me learn the proper technique and gain confidence to safely handle a bird. I remember very clearly how at the beginning my nervousness caused my hands to shake a little when taking measurements and analyzing the bird. It was then that I heard JC say, “Don’t be afraid, you are in control, not the bird.”
Elvin banding a Palmchat. (Photo by Josh Covill)
That is when I realized that my nervousness, perhaps driven by the fear of hurting the bird, was only adding stress that was being transmitted to the animal. If you are nervous and stressed, the bird you are holding will be too. But if you control the situation and remain calm, the bird you are processing will eventually calm down as well.
By the end of the course, about five birds had passed through my hands, and all but one showed no signs of stress that would warrant a premature release. It is amazing to have an animal in your hands for the right purpose, and then release it knowing that someone, another bird bander or even a birdwatcher, may encounter it some day in the future. The banded bird connects us to a shared conservation goal and binds us to it in an intimate way.
Molt, molt, molt!
Wait, who said that it was only about knowing how to handle a bird, taking it out of the net, and banding it for release? That’s excellent, but I’m sure you’ll be interested in knowing the age of the individual you’re holding, or at least an approximation. Why is it useful for us to know the age of the bird we’re banding? Well, among many things, it allows us to understand the ecological role that the individual is playing, or will play in the near future. If it has already gone through a reproductive stage, if it will seek to reproduce soon, if it has recently left the nest. Or if it is simply a fully mature individual that has been interacting with the surrounding ecosystem for more than two years. Of course, in addition to age, there are other things we can learn with greater accuracy with a bird in the hand, such as its sex or health status, which, of course, will help us quantify and infer more aspects of the bird’s life cycle.
A bird in the hand allows us to learn about the age and health of the bird. (Photo by Josh Covill)
Molt, also known in birds as the replacement of feathers, is key to bird banders. These patterns of feather replacement, or molt patterns, can help us determine the age of a bird. When I first learned about molt, I was amazed by the beauty of this natural process in all birds. I admit that at first my “operating system” almost failed due to so much information to process. At that moment, I realized how we were all connected by another common interest throughout the workshop: molt! It was incredible. If we were at the banding table, we talked about molt. During and after lunch: more conversation about molt. Before sleeping: a study session on molt. We were obsessed with learning more and more about molt, practicing the Wolfe-Ryder-Pyle (WRP) method (a system for aging birds based on their different plumages) countless times, and even immersing ourselves in Peter Pyle’s book “The Identification Guide to North American Birds” as if it were our “bible.” How much I enjoyed all of that! As my friend Daniela Ventura said, we were becoming “molt nerds” and we were enjoying it.
Daniela and Elvin take a closer look at a bird’s wing while another participant Amonie Holas looks on. (Photo by Josh Covill)
The best part is realizing that we never really stop learning, because Pyle’s book does not have all data about all birds. In fact there are birds for which we have little or no data. Those occasions when we encountered individuals with unique molting strategies, challenging molt limits, and deceptive alternate (breeding) plumages were the perfect setting for creating a session where trainers discussed what the correct code would be to describe the age of the bird, and the rest of us watched attentively as these interesting analyses unfolded. The fact that you can always come across these unique and challenging situations is, for me, part of the magic that birds hold in their molt strategies.
Birds Connecting the Americas
Undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful things about the workshop is the opportunity to meet people with similar interests and visions. Since we arrived at Rancho Baiguate in Jarabacoa on the afternoon of March 7th (a day before the official start of the workshop), we realized this benefit. After dropping off our luggage in the assigned room, we immediately went to dinner and sat at a table with Holly, Maya, Steve, and Zoya. From that moment on, we got to know each other and had many conversations about various topics, and it was very enjoyable. But if there’s one thing that stands out above all else, it’s how birds were the center of many of those conversations. Yes, I understand it may seem obvious, but even though we knew we would meet people who shared the same love for birds and conservation as we do, it’s always an indescribable pleasure to be able to talk and connect in person. Throughout the workshop, we met and interacted with incredible people, and we expressed our desire to work together on different approaches, always revolving around birds.
Coming together to learn. Holly teaches the group about molt. (Photo by Maya Wilson)
Making lasting connections at the bird banding training workshop. From left to right: Daniela, Gerónimo, Elvin and Zoya.
Participants at the banding workshop, earlier this year, in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Joshua Covill)
Examining a Hispaniolan Woodpecker wing for signs of molt. (photo by Josh Covill)
Elvin banding a Black-throated Blue Warbler (photo by Maya-Wilson)
Finding common ground with people who share similar research and conservation interests is great because valuable knowledge is shared in those encounters. However, this would not amount to much if genuine connections are not formed—concrete connections that allow for efficient and organized collaboration. That’s why we were all very excited with the presentation of the BirdsCaribbean Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) network and the Institute of Bird Population’s monitoring program for overwintering migratory birds, otherwise known as MoSI (monitoreo sobrevivencia invernal). It’s fascinating!
I want to express how thrilled and engaged we all were when the CBB network was introduced. The fact that we are being presented with a way to stay connected is more valuable than it may seem because it encourages more organized efforts: joint research proposals, shared databases, and fundraising for future projects. Similarly, I find the MoSI program incredible as it specifically focuses on connecting different bird banding stations where data on molt and plumage condition of banded species are provided. What does this do for us? It helps us primarily to understand how birds are changing their molt strategies, which, in addition to updating our records, helps us understand how species are being affected by various factors such as habitat loss and climate change.
My Plus/Delta
The Plus/Delta dynamic was key to the performance and experience we had in the workshop. Every afternoon, we took a moment to discuss the positives of the day (the “Plus”) and what we wanted to improve on in the next day’s work session (the “Delta”). It was very productive, as we listened to each other’s daily experiences, had the opportunity to share our achievements, and set goals for the next day. It is very gratifying to remember how, thanks to Plus/Delta, Gerónimo and I reflected on something that filled me with particular joy and satisfaction.
At the beginning of the article, I mentioned how after each morning’s banding session, we would casually talk about the things we were able to accomplish and say, “But tomorrow I want to be able to do this.” And that’s how, thanks to our trainers and fellow workshop participants, we were able to accomplish each and every one of those things we said we wanted to do.
My Plus, as some of us would say at the end, was the entire workshop. I am infinitely grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many incredible people through birds, and at the same time, learn so much alongside them. My experience was invaluable, and I am satisfied with everything I was able to achieve in those five days. The fact that I was able to band birds for the first time and know that I had the opportunity to contribute useful knowledge through it is amazing. The mini-courses on molt were amazing, our shared obsession made us connect so much that there was not a moment during the workshop when we were not making references to WRP codes or molt limits. Even during the farewell dinner, while we talked about everything, references to aspects of molt in birds would occasionally arise, and it was fascinating.
Elvin receiving his Certificate of Achievement from Holly and Juan Carlos (JC).
And what about my Delta? My Delta is a collection of things. It is clear that I want to continue to educate myself to grow this newly created wonderful network of bird banders in the Caribbean. In addition to that, I want to fight to make my country, the Dominican Republic, a place where ornithology, conservation, and science in general receive their deserved recognition and support from society and authorities. The love or curiosity for nature is in some way part of all human beings, but it is clear that not everyone can be expected to understand the complex ecological processes behind the beauty of the natural world.
Beyond that, I understand that in every nation, there must be a solid system where anyone willing to serve through scientific knowledge can find support and guidance. For this reason, one of my long-term goals (a goal that is shared by many of us attending the workshop) is to advocate for the reinforcement of the importance of avian conservation and government support for research related to it, both in the Dominican Republic and throughout the entire Caribbean.
About Elvin:Elvin Manuel Vargas Estévez, is biologist interested in bird behavior and avian conservation, from the Dominican Republic. He is a high-school science teacher at O&M Hostos School in Santiago and also volunteers with the Santiago Botanical Garden to survey and monitor the bird population in the Garden. Elvin is incredibly passionate about inspiring and educating the next generation of nature enthusiasts. He hopes to continue learning about birds and acquiring new skills that will help him make a positive impact in bird and wildlife conservation.
Acknowledgements: BirdsCaribbean thanks the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service International Programs, and all of our members and donors whose support helped make this workshop and our Caribbean Bird Banding Network possible.
To learn more about our Banding Workshops and Caribbean Bird Banding Network, check out the links below:
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Inagua Woodstar
This feisty Bahamian endemic hummingbird was formerly considered a subspecies of the Bahamas Woodstar. But the Inagua Woodstar was classified by the American Ornithological Society as a separate species in 2015. It is found only in Great and Little Inagua, two Islands in the southeastern part of The Bahamas archipelago. The Bahamas Woodstar, however, is found throughout the rest of the Bahamas. Additionally, both species differ from each other in morphology, coloration, vocalizations, and even courtship displays!
The male’s iridescent gorget (throat) of both species is a brilliant shade of purple, sometimes chartreuse (yellow-green) if the light catches it just right. But the Inagua Woodstar male may have patches of iridescence on its forehead and lores (area in front of the eyes). Furthermore, adult male Inagua Woodstars have a unique tail—it is slightly longer and more strongly forked than the Bahama Woodstar, and the outer feathers fan out in a unique lyre shape (think of a U-shaped harp).
Female Inagua Woodstars are much like female Bahama Woodstars—dull green on the back, rufous belly, and whitish upper breast and throat. As with most hummingbirds young males closely resemble females until they undergo their first adult molt at about 10 months of age. Young hummingbirds tend to rest on plant leaves instead of hovering when feeding on flowers.
The song of the Inagua Woodstar is quiet and simple, sounding like wet, squeaking shoes. Calls include a sharp, metallic “tit” or “tit-it”; often given in a series, sometimes quite rapidly. Males also make a metallic sound with their tail during display flights.
Woodstars can be found in nearly all habitats, including dune scrub, freshwater riparian areas, parks, and gardens. They visit flowers of numerous native plants including salvia, sages, various honeysuckles, red-bird cactus, aloe vera, Bougainvillea, Noni, and flame of the woods (Ixora) shrubs. The Geiger Trees, however, seem to be a magnet for many male Inagua Woodstars. Both sexes defend territories around favored nectar sources. Nests may be found anytime from September to June (and possibly year-round) with possible peaks in April-May and October. Nests are usually 3-7 feet off the ground in trees which offer evergreen foliage. In vegetated areas just off the beaches on the eastern side of the islands, nests may be found in various wild scrub plants, about 2-3 ft off the ground. All nests are approximately 2 inches and usually contain two eggs.If you hear the female making repeated calls as you enter a nesting area, she’s telling you “do not come any closer to my nest!” And we hope that you will take heed of of her disturbance warning.
The location of the birds on the islands is highly dependent on the weather in summer and fall, due to the direct influences of hurricanes and the amount of rainfall. While this species is presently common in the Inaguas, it is a restricted range species. It is therefore vulnerable to threats like severe storms and hurricanes, which could wipe out its population directly from the storm itself, or indirectly from destruction of its habitat and the loss of nectar food sources.
Wondering how you can get an up-close look of this endemic gem? Travel to Great Inagua in The Bahamas, where you will fly into Matthew Town, the one small settlement on the island. The locals are helpful with sharing recent sightings and are very willing to give you directions. Please contact these expert local birders/guides for more information: Tarra Lindo Lilninebig@hotmail.com or Casper Burrows Friendlytoursinagua@gmail.com
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Perched Male Inagua Woodstar. (Photo by Ann Maddock)Female Inagua Woodstar in flight. (Photo by Ann Maddock)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Like all birds, the Inagua Woodstar and other hummingbirds like to bathe. But they won’t use a traditional birdbath. They prefer to take a shower in moving water- like from a mister, sprinkler. or dripper, or they use a much shallower source. They will even bathe in the water droplets that collect on leaves!
Why not make a hummingbird water dripper so that these lovely little birds can take a shower in your garden? If you have an empty juice bottle you can make this dripper. Other wildlife in your yard will also appreciate having some water!
To make the dripper you will need:
1 plastic jug or bottle, clean, empty and with labels removed
craft wire, twine, ribbon, strips of cloth
1 straight pin or fine-gauge needle
Scissors
Paint or markers (optional)
Be sure to have an adult on hand when using the needle and scissors!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of an Inagua Woodstar feeding in the wild!
Want to know more about these beautiful endemic birds and other hummingbirds? Why not watch our webinar “Flying Jewels: A Photographic Journey of Select Hummingbird Species of the US and The Bahamas“. In it Ann Maddock shares fascinating information about hummingbirds, using stunning photos from her book of the same name! Ann and our friends from The Bahamas talk about the Cuban Emerald, Bahamas Woodstar, and Inagua Woodstar and how anyone can safely photograph hummingbirds, attract them to your yard, and keep them coming back! First shown as a live Webinar as part of BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival 2021.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Jamaican Becard
In the forests and woodlands of Jamaica, you hear a loud and melodious Ricka-ticky-ti-tee and quickly begin searching the canopy of the large trees around you. There it is – the Jamaican Becard (Pachyramphus niger). This unmistakable call lends to one of its local names “Rickatee.” Usually perched scanning for prey, this small flycatcher-like bird is around 18 cm with a large square head and heavy black bill, large brown eyes, and a slightly forked tail.
Males are glossy black on the back and duller on the front. Females (and juveniles) are quite different—they have a bright rufous head, throat, wings, and tail, medium gray back, and pale gray underparts. In most instances, if you see one sex you’re sure to see the other. The Jamaican Becard is typically seen foraging in the mid to upper levels of the forest primarily feeding on insects and other small invertebrates, which it captures by hovering or gleaning from the leaves and branches of trees. They also eat small berries. Belonging to the family Tityridae, a group of Neotropical songbirds, the Jamaican Becard is unique. Of the 17 species of Becard (Pachyramphus spp), it is the only island endemic. The other 16 are found on the continental mainland ranging from Mexico through Central America and South America (only one species, the Rose-throated Becard, is resident in the US in southeastern sections of Arizona and Texas). A standout trait of the Jamaican Becard is its spectacular nest. It’s very large, up to 1.2 m in circumference, and made of sticks, leaves, grasses, ferns, vines, moss, and Tillandsia. The nest is draped and hung at the end of a slender branch high above the ground from a large tree. This gives rise to two of its other local names: “House bird” and “London City.” The female lays three eggs. The breeding season runs from March to June.
Jamaican Becards are clever birds too! The main entrance to the nest is usually at the bottom but there are often several false entrances to baffle predators. With such an attractive stockpile of materials, many other birds of varied species often steal material to make their nests, keeping the Becard couple busily remodeling or fending off the looters. Although fairly widespread across the island, Jamaican Becards are not found in dry limestone forests. With their ecology being dependent on fairly good canopy and large trees the Jamaican Becard is another species that highlights the importance of maintaining forest habitats with large trees in Jamaica.
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Jamaican Becard
The song of the Jamaican Becard is an an excited-sounding chatter of squeaky notes, often followed by a drawn out “tweeeee” note.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Jamaican Becard. (Photo by Matt Grube)Female Jamaican Becard. (photo by Dave Curtis)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Today’s endemic bird, the Jamaican Becard lives in the forests of the mountains in Jamaica. This is where they will nest and attempt to raise their chicks. But it’s not always easy! Jamaican Becards, like many other birds, face many challenges during their breeding season. They must find a mate and build a nest. Then protect the nest and eggs. They must also feed their chicks so that they can grow into strong and healthy birds.
In our “Bird Survivor” game you can learn more about nesting birds and what birds need to do to successfully raise a bird family! Have you got what it takes?
For this activity you will need at least one adult to help organize the game; a large space (indoors or outside); the “Bird Survivor” game cards (provided with the full activity guide); and a group of adults and/ or kids to play the game! You can find out more in our activity introduction here. You can find all the information, instructions, a guide to learning outcomes and the “Bird Survivor” cards in our “Bird Survivor” activity guide and materials. This activity is perfect to play with school groups or outdoor education clubs etc.
Enjoy these videos of a female and a male Jamaican Becard in the wild!
At the unveiling of the information sign featuring a Spotted Sandpiper, at Shell Beach, Antigua. (Photo by wadadliunplugged.com).
Illegal dumping of trash is a problem at some of Antigua’s wetlands, including those that are Important Bird Areas (IBAs). These places are vitally important for migratory shorebirds, who, after traveling thousands of kilometers, need a winter home that is safe and clean, not full of trash! Wildlife Officer, Joshel Wilson from the NGO ‘The Environmental Awareness Group’ (EAG) tells us about efforts by EAG and the ‘Wadadli Warblers’ Birding Club to use shorebird themed signs to reduce this problem and make these important wetlands havens for wildlife as well as more enjoyable for people to visit.
The Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) is Antigua and Barbuda’s oldest non-governmental environmental organization and has been at the forefront of conservation work for over 30 years. From restoring offshore islands and saving species from extinction to education, community engagement, and influencing environmental policy, the EAG works collaboratively to enact environmental change in Antigua and Barbuda.
Core to our work is our aspiration to have “a society with individual and collective responsibility to care for and value biodiversity and ecosystems for the long-term benefit of people and wildlife.” To do that, we stand strongly on integrity and the belief that environmental work should not only be worthwhile but also interesting and satisfying, with a hint of adventure.
Silver Linings During the Pandemic
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EAG promoted a virtual bird identification training that would allow participants, specifically Antiguans and Barbudans, to enjoy birding in their backyards. Following the six intense training sessions, the ‘Wadadli Warblers’ Birding Club was formed in May 2020. The club now has 35 members who participate in monthly birding expeditions across the island, regularly sharing bird photos, bird calls, and videos in their WhatsApp group. Once fully trained in Bird ID and survey methods we thought that the Wadadli Warblers would be the perfect partners to assist with conducting the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) surveys. As such, they have collaborated with the EAG in 2021 and 2022, assisting with monitoring and data collection and allowing individuals from the club to contribute to citizen science, which will lead to better management of IBAs on the island.
The Wadadli Warblers birding group out on a waterbird survey in Antigua during the Caribbean Waterbird Census 2022. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Wetlands with a Problem
During the EAG’s Caribbean Waterbird Census survey and Trash Challenge initiative (our country-wide wetland clean-up days), it had been noted that there is significant illegal dumping at IBAs in Antigua, despite potential fines of EC$3000-$15,000 for littering. This issue poses threats to the resident and migratory birds that live in and visit these important areas.
Wilson’s Plover, Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
Illegal dumping is a problem at Antigua’s important wetlands. (Photo by Joshel Wilson)
A Whimbrel flies over a salt salt pond on Antigua. (Photo by EAG/ Wadadli Warblers)
But what could be done to reduce this illegal dumping of trash? During this project we aimed to tackle the issue by raising awareness about the importance of shorebird protection in Antigua and Barbuda, thereby increasing public participation in conservation efforts. We also aimed to reduce illegal dumping at IBAs through the development of informative shorebird signs, working with the Wadadli Warblers to make this happen!
Shorebird Signs Show the Way
I am excited to share with you the success of this project, led by the Wadadli Warblers Birding Club and supported by the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), aimed at improving shorebird habitats and discouraging illegal dumping in Antigua and Barbuda. As part of the project, six signs were designed and installed at Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas where shorebirds are found and illegal dumping is an issue.
Five of the six signs featuring shorebirds and waterbirds in situ at their wetland sites in Antigua. (Photos by Deri Benjamin and Joshel Wilson)
We successfully achieved our project objectives by implementing several activities, starting with selecting suitable sites that met specific criteria. Data collected during previous Caribbean Waterbird Censuses (CWC) was used to identify sites with high shorebird presence, illegal dumping issues, and easy public access. The Wadadli Warblers formed a sign committee comprised of eight members, five men and three women, to assess the areas and select the six major site locations that met the criteria.
During the sign-planning process engaging with landowners was a crucial aspect of the project to ensure that the signs were in maximum view of the public. We also developed a plan that outlined the benefits of installing the signs for landowners, such as increased awareness of the importance of shorebirds and their habitats and reduced illegal dumping in the area. The landowners were visited to discuss the benefits of the signs and address any concerns that they had.
Shorebird Sign, discouraging illegal dumping and featuring a Whimbrel. (Sign by Patrick Joseph aka Stooge Co.)
Once the sites were identified and landowners were on board, the Wadadli Warblers’ Sign Committee was tasked with developing the content for the signs. They worked with a graphic designer, Patrick Joseph, principal of Stooge Co., to create unique signs. Once the designs were finalized they were created by sign printer, Select Signs and Graphix, using high-quality materials. This is important as these new signs need to withstand the high winds and salty conditions at the sites where they are installed.
Cleaning Up and Raising Awareness
A Wetland clean-up during “Trash Challenge” on Antigua. (Photo by Sherrel Charles/ EAG)
In addition to installing the signs, we conducted clean-ups at some of our target wetlands, including Darkwood Beach, Shell Beach, Ffryes Beach, Fitches Creek Mangrove, and Johnson’s Point. Our clean-ups were a collaboration between the Wadadli Warblers Birding Club, EAG members, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, Youth Today, and the Parham Alliance for the Beautification and Revitalization Organization (PABRO), in a local effort to reduce waste along our coasts. This activity helped raise awareness of the impact of illegal dumping on shorebird habitats while also keeping the areas clean and free of waste.
To ensure the public was aware of the newly erected signs, an unveiling was held at Shell Beach on February 6, 2023, accompanied by a birding session with the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Tourism, members of the Wadadli Warblers Birding Club, EAG Board members, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, and media personnel from Antigua/Barbuda Broadcasting Services and Wadadli Unplugged.
A Brighter Future for Wetlands and Shorebirds
Looking out for Shorebirds! Birdwatching at the sign unveiling, Shell Beach, Antigua. (Photo by wadadliunplugged.com)
The project’s success was further cemented by partnering with the Ministry of Tourism’s Sustainable Tourism Unit to promote avi-tourism as a viable option in Antigua and Barbuda. Bird tourism could potentially be used by the EAG as sustainable financing, increasing our ability to manage more areas for shorebird protection in the future!
I am thrilled to have been part of a project that successfully achieved its objectives, and I commend the Wadadli Warblers Sign Committee, the Ministry of Tourism, and all those involved in making it a reality. This project’s success shows that with dedication, hard work, and collaboration, we can make a positive impact on our environment and promote sustainable tourism.
This project was made possible with funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada via a BirdsCaribbean grant to EAG.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Lesser Antillean Swift
As the name implies, this superb flying swift is endemic to the Lesser Antilles. It is generally fairly common, and at present the species is known to breed on the islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent (St. Vincent and the Grenadines). eBird data also reports some observations in the Grenadines—Bequia and Union Island.
The Lesser Antillean Swift has a protruding head, a short square tail, and wings that bulge in the middle, cut in at the body, and hook at the end. At first glance it may look like a torpedo with wings whirling through the sky. But spend enough time observing the Lesser Antillean Swift and you will see its black-brown upperparts with a narrow gray rump-band; brown underparts and paler throat. In fact this swift, like many other swifts, spends most of its life on the wing using its speed and agility to catch flying insects. Even copulation occurs in flight!
The Lesser Antillean Swift can be found in a variety of habitats from high altitude pristine mountains to drier lowland savannas and cultivated areas. Highly gregarious, it is often found in flocks of 20-40 individuals. Its stubby dark-gray body and rapid, shallow wingbeats differentiate it from all swallows.
While it doesn’t decelerate often, it does slow down to nest. The breeding season is believed to span from May to July. The nest is built with a mixture of mud, saliva, and other materials the swifts catch in flight. Nests are cup-shaped and built within hollows, trees, caves, or on the sides of cliffs in mountainous areas. Clutch size is 2-3 eggs.
Although not considered a species of conservation concern, there is a serious lack of research and knowledge about this species, making it difficult to accurately assess the species’ status. It’s important to keep in mind that insectivorous birds have undergone some of the steepest declines across all avifauna, due in high part to the use of chemical pesticides applied at industrial scale. Deforestation is also likely to affect the species by reducing available nesting sites. It’s also important to note that basic natural history information on many Caribbean swifts, including this species, is limited, presenting low-hanging fruit for future research.Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Lesser Antillean Swift
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the call of the Lesser Antillean Swift
The calls of the Lesser Antillean Swift are a high, sharp twittering.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Lesser Antillean Swift on the wing. (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)Illustration of a Lesser Antillean Swift. (Art by Ian Lewington)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Lesser Antillean Swifts feed on insects, swooping through the air to catch them on the wing! Can you help this hungry Lesser Antillean Swift find its way through our maze to to grab some tasty insect food? You can find the correct route here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of Lesser Antillean Swifts in the wild!
In 2022, Cuba held its first ever bird banding workshop, part of BirdsCaribbean’s ongoing efforts to build a banding community in the Caribbean. Find out more about bird banding in Cuba and about how the workshop went from Cuban bird bander and ornithologist Daniela Ventura.
Daniela Ventura banding a Cuban Green Woodpecker supervised by banding trainer Juan Carlos Fernández Ordóñez (Photo by Holly Garrod)
The year 2022 was pivotal for bird banding in the Caribbean. Earlier in March, the first Caribbean Bird Banding Workshop was held in The Bahamas. Bird researchers and conservationists from several islands, attended with the goal of learning about ethical and scientific banding protocols and acquiring the skills to successfully run their own banding stations. The long-term dream is to develop a network of collaborators, spread across the region, that can contribute with insights into bird movements and population status of migratory and resident species. This event alone would have sufficed to call the year a landmark. But we Caribbeans like to think BIG.
Therefore, the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) partnered with BirdsCaribbean to host the first ever Banding Workshop in Cuba, which took place from November 4th to the 18th in Santiago de Cuba. Cuba being the largest island in the region with the longest banding tradition, is an essential part of this network. The goal of this workshop was ambitious: gather people and institutions with current banding protocols in the island to organize them into a National and Regional Banding Network and host a North America Banding Council (NABC) certification. NABC certification is widely accepted as the banding standard throughout the Americas. This is the certification that BirdsCaribbean is aiming to use as part of the Caribbean Bird Banding Network.
This workshop represented a milestone in my bird banding career. Back in March, I would not have imagined that my banding skills were going to be tested that soon. The NABC certification is a rigorous process of theoretic and practical exams that evaluates your abilities and knowledge in bird banding, according to the standards and practice of that institution. I accepted the challenge. It meant a great incentive to boost my skills, and if I became certified, I would be confident enough to pursue my long-cherished dream of starting my own banding station in Havana. With those motivational thoughts in mind, and the prospects of seeing some eastern endemic birds that I don’t get to see often, I embarked on the wearisome 12-hours bus trip to Santiago. It would prove to be worth it.
A very long and thin island
Havana, the capital city and my hometown, is 868 km away from Santiago de Cuba, the second most important city in the country, which is famous for its carnival and its scorching sun all year round. The tiresome road trip was endurable thanks to the best company I could possibly have: my friends Esteban Márquez and Juan Carlos Fernández (JC). Their good humor guaranteed the trip was joyful. Actually, sometimes I was just about to doze off and JC interrupted it with a joke. During the long journey to Santiago, we were picking up participants from other provinces.
Arnaldo Toledo checking the molt on an Oriente Warbler at the banding station. (Photo By Daniela Ventura)
The ride took us all night and so we arrived at our destination at the same time the first dawn chorus of birds began singing. The Ecological Reserve Siboney Juticí is a karstic landscape of marine terraces—ancient ocean floor now elevated gazing at the Caribbean Sea. The typical coastal shrubby and thorny vegetation is a paradise for migratory warblers and plenty of Cuban endemics, like the Oriente Warbler, Cuban Gnatcatcher, and Cuban Bullfinch. It was a perfect location for the longest running banding station in Cuba, named after the German scientist that was a pioneer of Cuban ornithology: Juan Cristóbal Gundlach. The first four days of the workshop were scheduled to be spent here, coinciding with the monthly period of banding sessions occurring at the station.
We arrived yawning and with sleepy eyes, only to meet an incredible welcoming committee. Freddy Rodríguez Santana, the leader of the station and the most dedicated and diligent workshop organizer, received us with a beaming smile. The station and protected area staff were also cheerful and active, almost as if it wasn’t 5 am in the morning! They seemed ready to start working and I, honestly, was only longing for a bed.
We didn’t have to wait for long for coffee and breakfast. Behind that magic brew that stirred us all a little, was the heart and soul of the banding station: Emelina. She is the keystone that holds the station and everyone together. Eme (as colleagues called her lovingly) is more than the excellent cook that prepares the delicious food and drinks that keeps you sane in the melting hot weather. She is also a kind and caring woman so all of us, workers and visitors alike, become instantly her spoiled children.
When the introductions were over, Freddy quickly rushed us to the rooms, so we could settle in and rest a few hours before the work started. The objective of the day was setting up the mist nests for the upcoming banding session, and to officially inaugurate the workshop.
Learning about Cuba’s longest running banding station
Mariam Curbelo checks mist nets during a net run. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
The workflow of a constant-effort banding station has a unique flavor. For twelve years, researchers of BIOECO and the staff of the protected area (some of whom have banding training and certification from Germany) have conducted monthly banding sessions at the reserve. Not even hurricanes nor a pandemic have stopped their committed work. We witnessed its smooth organization from the moment we arrived. Each person plays an invaluable role, from the field technicians that know the exact location of every single net, to the researchers that band the birds and take the data. Setting up the nets is an essential process of every banding protocol. A total of 22 nets are placed along three different trails. The park’s staff kindly took their time to show us and guide us through the process step by step. Left alone they would have done the job in less than half an hour. That is how well they do their job!
With the nets ready to start banding the next day, we headed to the classroom to receive the official welcoming. Thirteen participants from all around Cuba, and my friend Esteban from Venezuela, were going to receive training in the nitty-gritties of banding birds for scientific endeavors. Esteban’s main motivation, along with another three of us, was taking the NABC exam that would allow us to be the first Caribbean certified banders. Even though the stakes were high, we had the best teachers: Holly Garrod and JC Fernández, NABC trainers, and of course, the staff at the JCG station with their gathered experience of 12 years of nonstop field work.
A season of Blackpoll Warblers
A male Blackpoll Warbler in fall migration and winter plumage. Males in breeding plumage in spring look very different—they have a black cap and white cheek patch. (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
I was expecting to meet and get a closer look at birds that I can’t find so easily at mist-nets in western Cuba. But Blackpoll Warblers were a treat beyond my wildest daydreams. I had the privilege to band a few of the dozens of individuals we caught during these three days. Blackpolls are world champions in the bird migration contest. Some individuals are known to fly up to 8,000 km from their breeding grounds in Alaska to their wintering areas in Brazil. They also take a route that leads them to fly out over the Atlantic Ocean sometimes three-days long without making any stop. That easterly path is the reason why they are more commonly found in places like Santiago, and very rare in the western side of Cuba.
Uncommon birds for me, but the daily bread for our banding colleagues in Santiago, were Cape May Warblers and Black-throated Blue Warblers. Cape-Mays can be very tricky to age and sex, because there are a lot of individual variability and overlap, but Black-throated proved easier for me. These challenges of new species were just exactly what we needed to get ready for the NABC exam. A bander must also be prepared to deal with species that he or she has never encountered before. That is why learning the theory behind molt strategies and molt extents in bird families in general is a requirement for getting a better understanding on the topic. And why we not only had the morning sessions at the banding table, but presentations about these subjects in the afternoons. Luckily, we had Emelina´s miraculous coffee to keep our brains working!!
Butter butts in the cloud mountains
La Gran Piedra Biological Station sign. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Packing jackets and scarves are not something you would expect for a banding trip to Santiago, which is known as the “tierra caliente” or “hot land” to Cubans. But precisely because I am a daughter of the tropics, temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius already make me shiver. The second part of our banding training was going to take place in the cloud evergreen forest of Santiago’s mountains. From the melting sun and heat of Siboney, we moved to the chilly weather of Gran Piedra biological station. The landscape was surreal. We got up before dawn every day, only to walk into a never-ending cloud. We felt the moisture dampening our clothes and boots, and chilling our bones to the core… Ok ok, you might think I am exaggerating. But if you do not believe me, ask Holly, who knows the winter in cold Montana and was as frozen as me. Luckily, even the sun warms up there, so as the day grew old, the temperature got mildly cozy, neither too cold nor too hot—the perfect weather for banding.
Female Yellow-rumped Warbler, showing off her “butter butt.” (Photo by Karen Gallo)
And the perfect weather too for some northern warblers that do not usually migrate far south, it seemed. I had never seen a Yellow-rumped Warbler before, and for that week at Gran Piedra, I must confess I almost got tired of them. There were just too many, an incredible and rare event not only in Santiago, but in Cuba. These birds are known to be facultative migrants, which means there are years when most of the population ventures farther south, and there are others when they mostly stay close to their breeding areas. Scientists do not yet understand well the mechanisms regulating these cycles, but they believe it has something to do with their favorite food, caterpillars, which also have complicated population cycles. Imagine our bewilderment when during one net check there were 15 “butter butts” in just a single net, waiting for us to band them. They proved a “hard pill to swallow” because of the variation in their winter plumage.
Esteban and I were actually quite worried we that we might end up with a somewhat tricky Yellow-rumped during our NABC exam. And if you know Murphy´s Law, well as a matter of fact, that was just what happened. But it allowed us to practice our skills before the exam. An important lesson we learned during that week was that in this banding business, accuracy is better than precision. If we are not certain of a bird’s age or sex, it is better to be less precise by saying “I honestly don’t know”. Bander’s ethics are important not only regarding bird safety, but also to ensure the quality of the data we are gathering.
Uncovering the mysteries of Cuba’s iconic endemics
We also had the chance to band some of the more stunning and iconic endemics, like the Cuban Tody, Cuban Pygmy-Owl, and Cuban Trogon. The study of our resident birds has for a long-time been a pending subject of Caribbean ornithology. There are mysteries waiting to be unraveled and bird banding can allow us to unearth some of them. For example, it can help us decipher the reason behind todies having both blue and brown eyes. Or if there might be size or plumage differences among the sexes in trogons where males and females appear to look identical. I was lucky to band one of the two Cuban Trogons we caught at the nets. These were also the first Trogons ever banded in the Gran Piedra station!! This was a great opportunity for me to practice the cone-shape or “ice cream” grip, the handling method used for birds with short tarsus (the lower part of a bird’s leg) like trogons. Using the appropriate handling technique for each bird is one of the first lessons for a bander to master. Our aim is to always improve and update our knowledge and practice to ensure bird safety.
Testing Times
Daniela and Josmar consult Pyle the bird bander’s “bible” and discuss molt with JC. (Photo by Mariam Curbelo)
The days passed in a blur of banding practice in the morning, molt theory during the afternoons, and night outings to marvel at the pair of Stygian Owls that lived in the pine trees surrounding the banding station. But for the four of us who had a rapidly approaching and demanding exam, our days also included a lot of study of Pyle, the bird bander’s “bible,” looking through wing pictures, and reading of the bander’s study guide. Eventually, the first day of the certification arrived. The examiners put to test our abilities at extracting birds from the nets, and also our handling and banding skills. The practical exam also included the setting up of mist nets.
That afternoon, we had the most dreaded and unnerving part of the certification: the four-hour long written exam that comprised questions ranging from bird safety to molt theory. We needed a minimum of 80% of correct answers to be qualified as banders. I remember the feeling of relief when I handed my exam sheet to Holly. Evaluations were not finished yet, so I went to bed tired but at least more relaxed knowing that the toughest part was over. During the remaining sessions we were going to be examined in the use and understanding of the Pyle guide, and a test where we were expected to accurately identify species, age, and sex from 10 bird photos.
Supporting Success
As we were drawing near the end of the certification, exhaustion and tension were high. I must acknowledge the supportive spirit of the workshop participants, the station’s staff, and our examiners alike. They all put up their best smiles, and constantly cheered us on. Emelina almost fed us too much and made us drink nearly too much coffee. But I don’t have enough “thank you” words for every person that tolerated my stressful humor or made me laugh those days. I know that I owe them a huge debt that I can now call myself a NABC certified bander!!
For in the end, thanks to our trainers and all the support I received, I achieved my goal – I left the workshop as a NABC certified bander, as did Josmar! Later, two of my Cuban colleagues Carmen Plasencia Leon and Arnaldo Toledo, would finish the final portion of the exam and leave the second BirdsCaribbean Banding Workshop in the Dominican Republic (February 2023) as NABC banders. Back in Fall 2022, Zoya Buckmire from Grenada received her NABC certification whilst interning at Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) in Oregon. This means that in the last year the Caribbean Bird Banding Network has now helped the first five Caribbean banders get their NABC bander certification. This lays the foundation for the future growth of the network.
Processing a recaptured Oriente Warbler, a Cuban endemic and a focal bird at Santiago´s banding scheme. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Partipants heading to-open mist nests placed alongside the road at La Gran Piedra Biological Station. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Arnaldo Toledo reads a combination of metal and color bands on an Oriente Warbler. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
An endemic Cuban Pygmy Owl in the hand.
I said earlier that the Cuba Banding Workshop was a milestone. But it wasn´t because I proved myself in a challenging exam. It was the invaluable lesson that if we as a country want to have a broad understanding of our bird population dynamics, we have to work with a team spirit. We have to go for independence and self-sufficiency and develop our own research objectives, and training opportunities. This workshop was the first step towards that ambitious goal.
About Daniela:I have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and I am part of the Bird Ecology Group of the University of Havana. As a professor trainee I give lectures and seminars in Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology. I am also a graduate student. My research interests include bird population dynamics, movements, and migration. I am a passionate bird bander and molt nerd, and recently created a banding station at the National Botanical Garden in Havana, a dream project of mine. I believe that long-term monitoring of bird populations will greatly increase our knowledge about the ecology of our resident and understudied species, and will highlight the importance of Cuba and the Caribbean as a wintering and stopover site for Neotropical migrants.
Science communication and public outreach are also very close to my heart. Organizing activities for the Caribbean Bird Endemic Festival and World Migratory Bird Day, and managing the social media accounts of the Bird Ecology Group on Instagram and Facebook, perfectly combine my interests in bird conservation and public outreach. I am a fervent advocate of the idea that research needs to be shared in every step of the process, and that science must be taken out of the ivory tower of academia and be made by and for all people. Empowering locals and creating community alongside building conservation networks should be the goal of all Caribbean islands. As a proud member of BirdsCaribbean, my dream is to keep contributing to the development and success of bird research projects in the region, as well as educating the next generation of conservationists.
Acknowledgements: BirdsCaribbean thanks all of our members and donors whose support helped make this workshop and our Caribbean Bird Banding network possible.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager
Of all the endemic Hispaniolan birds, only one bears the title of being Haiti’s only endemic, and that is the lovely Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager. Found only in the western part of Haiti, it is counterpart to the more wide-spread Black-crowned Palm-Tanager, found throughout Hispaniola. This handsome bird is gray below with a gray crown and nape and yellow-green wings, back, and tail. Its black face mask contrasts sharply with broad white mustache stripes and three white spots around the eye, giving it a spectacled appearance and its common name of “four eyes” in Spanish and French, cuatro ojos or quatre-yeux.
The Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager can be distinguished from the similar Black-crowned Palm-Tanager, by, you guessed it, the namesake crown color. In addition, Gray-crowned Palm Tanagers have a white chin and gray throat, whereas the Black-crowned Palm Tanager has an entirely white throat.
But be wary of young Black-crowned Palm-Tanagers in the Sierra de Bahoruco population in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. These young birds will often have a black-gray mottled crown. So how else can we differentiate the two? Check the breast color, the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanagers not only have a gray crown but also a grayer breast, compared to the Black-crowned Palm-Tanager, whose breast is more grayish-white.
With these two birds being so similar, they’ve got to be related right? Correct – and actually it’s a pretty cool story also explaining a bit of the restricted range of the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager. These birds are found west of the Jacmel Depression, a strip of land running north-south that separates the Tiburon Peninsula from the rest of Hispaniola. During the Mid Pleistocene (circa 1 million years ago) the Jacmel Depression was so low, it was actually underwater, making the Massif de la Hotte mountain range on the Tiburon Peninsula effectively isolated from the rest of Hispaniola. This isolation is what allowed for the speciation of the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager. And it’s speculated that this geographic barrier led to the speciation of many other flora and fauna, much of which has yet to be described to science!
Though very range restricted, within the Tiburon Peninsula, the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager is actually fairly common, being found in forests from the coast up to 2,400m elevation. They have been found inhabiting mangrove forests, city parks, coastal scrub, agro-forestry plantations, pine forest, semi-humid forest, and humid forest. Though they are especially abundant in the Macaya Biosphere Reserve, a national park high up in the Massif de la Hotte mountains. Like their black-crowned counterpart, these birds are also generalists, feeding on ripe fruits and probing dead leaves for arthropods.
While the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager is considered common, especially in comparison to many other Haitian birds, they are still of conservation concern. Only 1.5% of Haiti’s original forest cover remains, and even this continues to face the threat of encroaching agriculture and charcoal production for cooking. Their small range and lack of any conservation enforcement means conserving what little remains of the Tiburon Peninsula should be a top conservation priority to ensure the survival of these unique birds as well as other species waiting to be discovered..Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the call of the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager
The call of the Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager is a thin “Peee-u“.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager – note the gray crown and white mustache strips and chin. The throat of the similar Black-crowned Palm Tanager is entirely white. (Photo by Charles Davies-Macaulay Library -ML128928411)A Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager feeds on berries. (Photo by Sean Christensen-Macaulay Library- ML50182511)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: This activity is for everyone! The Gray-crowned Palm-Tanager is endemic to Haiti, part of the island of Hispaniola. It’s time to get creative and learn to draw two other beautiful endemic birds from Hispaniola. The similar looking Black-crowned Palm Tanager, who lives ‘next door’ in the Dominican Republic and another the Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo (found across Hispaniola). Grab some paper and your colouring pencils and get ready to draw along with artist Josmar Esteban Marquez!
Then, enjoy this video of a Gray-crowed Palm-Tanager in the wild!
If you’re working today, you shouldn’t be. Tomorrow is Global Big Day for crying out loud. Cash in a sick day or just play hooky. It’s prep time!
And so… here’s your Friday Checklist:
1) Polish up your binos with one of those sweet microfiber cloths. Nobody knows what microfiber actually is; maybe spider silk, or the amazingly soft armpit hair of a baby sheep, or dandelion seed fluffs delicately sewn together. Scholars are mystified, so just be happy it works. Wipe away.
2) Begin carb-loading. Finding time to eat a proper meal tomorrow will be challenging, so aim for consuming somewhere around four to five thousand calories today and you should be good to go. But avoid new and spicy foods. Diarrhea on game day will cost you time, and time=birds. Pig out.
3) Play around on social media—you need to get the down-low on what other birders are up to right now. If they’re doing anything other than prepping for tomorrow, you can feel good about yourself. Also, we’re now living in an age where you can type pound signs in front of any nouns and verbs and then good things happen!? (Type #BandingTogetherForCaribbeanBirds and see what you find.) These are called hashtaggies. The more of these the better. In fact, if you add enough into one sentence, the entire sentence will become unintelligible, which is perfect, because confusing competing teams is part of your winning strategy. For your posts tomorrow, use #GlobalBigDayBirdsCaribPound signs#.
4) Why not set up camp tonight right where you want to start birding tomorrow? This is called tailgating, which is different from what New Jersey drivers do every time they get behind the wheel of their vehicles. Get a head start.
5) Take a nap from at least noon to 3pm today. You’ve earned it. Plus, tomorrow is going to be an early one. Sunrise waits for no one, neither does that dawn chorus. Sleep easy.
6) Be wary of encountering other birders out there as they may be Global Big Day’ers. They may look friendly at first glance, but what they really want is information, like what cool birds you have seen and where. Act naive, maybe even slightly disappointed, and ask them if they wouldn’t mind giving you advice on how to find whatever the most common species is in your area. They’ll leave you alone after that. Fly casual.
7) Refresh your knowledge of intricate molt patterns, especially with gulls. Rumor has it that some gull species have over 300 plumage variations, and that no mortal human can possibly comprehend them all. Muttering something about “3rd year nonbreeding alternate plumage” to a teammate might score you some cool points. Good luck.
8) It’s time to plan out the ground that you’re going to cover. Hour-by-hour planning is fun, but so is winging it. Keep some spontaneity on the docket. And remember that high vantage points are worth seeking out. The higher the better. Never been sky-diving? Now is your time. Bungee-jumping sounds cool, too, but during the recoil you might concuss yourself with your binoculars. Go high.
9) It’s gonna be a long day, so be sure to hydrate like crazy. Electrolytes are all the rage these days, and because they taste like hell by themselves you’ve got a great excuse to mix in a few cups of sugar. Nectar for the birds, and nectar for you. Pace yourself.
10) Reflect on which sock type to wear: tube socks or low-cuts? Don’t kid yourself, you’re a birder. That choice was made long ago. Tube up!
11) Tell a family member about Global Big Day. Not your second cousins on your mother’s side, they won’t care. But maybe your sweet aunt or the brother you’ve neglected for far too long. Convince them that birding is fun and that they should join you, or better yet, donate to your team. Remember that family is obligated to love you and the things you do. And grandpa is definitely sitting on some money that he should be contributing to BC’s fundraiser. Milk that.
12) Cue up your eBird account, make sure it still works, and check in with your team leaders to make sure you are added to your team’s Global Big Day Trip Report. (Check your team’s trip report – links are here – and see if you are on the list of members!). Your role as a community scientist makes you awesome. And remember that LBBs (Little Brown Birds) are definitely an acceptable species entry in eBird. Sure, Jeff Gerbracht will have to go through and manually correct each one of those entries, but that’s the price he pays for pledging his allegiance to a stacked GBD team. EBird or bust.
13) With all this prep, your Global Big Day will surely be unforgettable. But your memory isn’t what it once was, so you might actually forget a lot of it. Best to document your exploits. While it’s highly likely that Uncle Sam or Big Brother is continuously taking beautiful photos of you from above, some good shots from ground-level of birds and people birdwatching will make you eligible for more prize giveaways—so be sure to pack a camera. Say cheese!
If you’re not having fun, then you’re not birding. And if you’re not birding, you’re definitely not having fun. Let’s make Global Big Day 2023 the best one yet!
Here’s a link to our Global Big Day blog article with more information about how this fundraiser will benefit conservation of the Caribbean’s AMAZING birds!
Any questions whatsoever about your birding mission tomorrow, don’t hesitate to email or text us! Lisa Sorenson – lisa.sorenson@birdscaribbean.org (508-333-8587);and Jeff Gerbracht – jeffgerbracht@gmail.com (607-793-6056).
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Puerto Rican Flycatcher
The Puerto Rican Flycatcher (Myiarchus antillarum) is a medium-sized tyrant flycatcher, endemic to the island of Puerto Rico. It can be inconspicuous, due to its dull brown plumage on its back and mostly grayish-white underparts, but the voice of this elegant bird can be heard from a distance. The Spanish name “Juí” is derived from its characteristic whistled “wheeeeee” call. It also produces other distinctive calls throughout the day, like the quick “tsee-ick” whistle and longer dawn song “whee-a-wit-whee.”
Flycatchers can glean for insects from a substrate, but they mainly catch them in the air, flying out from a perch. This hunting strategy, known as “sallying,” requires acute vision and rapid movements! Its preferred diet consists of insects, like wasps, crickets, and beetles. But it also consumes a small amount of vertebrate prey, including snails and small lizards, and a few seeds and fruits.
The reproductive season extends from February to July. It nests in natural tree cavities, some previously built by Puerto Rican Woodpeckers (Melanerpes portoricensis). They are also known to use artificial nest boxes. Breeding biology studies have found that Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitize the nests of the Puerto Rican Flycatcher, thus decreasing their breeding success.
The species inhabits wooded areas, from coastal woodlands and mangroves at sea level to coffee plantations and mid-elevations montane forests. The species is not limited to the island of Puerto Rico; it is also found in the dry forests of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, including St. John, Anegada, and Beef Island, although uncommon.
A long-term mist-netting study in Guánica State Forest in southern Puerto Rico, found a sharp decline in the flycatcher capture rate between 1989 and 2010. However, it is unknown if this trend extends island wide. For the moment, it is considered a species of Least Concern.Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Thanks to Adrianne Tossas for the text!
Colour in the Puerto Rican Flycatcher
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of the Puerto Rican Flycatcher
The calls of the Puerto Rican Flycatcher are a short “tsee-ick” and a plaintive whistle “wheeeeee.” It also has longer dawn song “whee-a-wit-whee.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Puerto Rican Flycatcher perched, showing off its crest. (Photo by Matt Grube)Puerto Rican Flycatcher. (Photo by Alan Wells)Puerto Rican Flycatcher. (Photo by Benny Diaz)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Puerto Rican Flycatchers can be found in many different habitats including mangrove forests. Mangroves are important for so many of our endemic, resident and migratory birds. They are also home to many other animals and plants. On top of all this mangrove provide protection against storm damage and floods! Do you know where the mangroves are on your island? Why not find out and complete our Where Are My Mangroves? activity.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Puerto Rican Flycatcher carrying nesting material to its nest, in an old pipe!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Red-necked Parrot
Looking out over Dominica’s lush rainforests, you might think the trees have learned to fly as large green shapes soar through the sky. But just as if they’ve read our curious minds, the birds announce themselves with loud, shrill “chur-lu-weeek” calls—it’s the Red-necked Parrot (Amazona arausiaca) making its presence known over the island’s sweeping valleys.
Locally called the Jaco Parrot, this species is one of two parrots found only on Dominica (Waitukubuli). The only other Caribbean island with two endemic parrots is Jamaica. What sets the Jaco apart from its cousin, the Imperial Parrot(Amazona imperialis) or Sisserou, is its striking appearance— a bluish head, a bright green body, a yellow tail band, and a splash of orange-red on its upper chest and wings. When in flight, its blue underwings become visible, blending beautifully into the sky—just as its green plumage camouflages it within the rainforest canopy.
Jaco Parrots feed mostly on seeds, nuts, and fruits from both wild and cultivated trees, though they are sometimes seen nibbling on young plant shoots. They are as messy as they are noisy, leaving half-eaten fruit scattered across the forest floor—almost as if they’re leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for birdwatchers! One thing they certainly share with the Dominican people is their love for seeded fruits like citrus, guava, and passion fruit.
While these parrots are said to have an exceptional palate, their fondness for cultivated crops sometimes creates conflicts with farmers when they damage harvests. However, the Jaco Parrot is listed as a specially protected bird in Dominica due to its cultural, economic, and ecological significance, as well as its Vulnerable status on the IUCN Red List.
Dominica’s forests—and its parrots—have recently faced numerous and devastating challenges, including hurricanes and poaching, but the Jaco’s resilience has allowed it to recover time and again. With the ability to lay up to four eggs and adapt to both coastal and inland vegetation, these charismatic birds continue to thrive. Flocks of up to 15 birds can still be seen soaring over the island’s mountains, their loud calls echoing as if to say, “Hello, hello, I am still here!”
Thanks to Jeanelle Brisbane and Stephen Durand for the text!
Colour in the Red-necked Parrot
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of the Red-necked Parrot
The calls of the Red-necked Parrot include a shrill “chur-lu-weeek” with the final note louder and high-pitched, as well as “cureeek” call.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
A Red-necked Parrot, locally know as a “Jaco”. (Photo by Jenny Craddock)
A Red-necked Parrot enjoys a tasty meal. (Photo by Stephen Durand)‘Jaco’ Parrot Perched in a tree. (Photo by Paul-Reillo)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Red-necked Parrots love to eat fruits and seeds! Why not try making this passion fruit cup feeder? You can can fill it with seeds or pieces of fruit, and hang in your garden to keep the parrots well fed. Not in Dominica – the home of these beautiful endemic parrots? No problem, any parrots that live near you and many other types of wild birds, will love this feeder! Hang it up, fill it with food, and see who comes to visit for lunch.
Remember that this activity involves using scissors and knife, you will need an adult to help with making this.
Even if you don’t get any parrot visitors to you feeder you can enjoy this video of Red-necked Parrots in the wild! The video shows these beautiful parrots feeding on flowers.
Sadly the charismatic endemic parrots of Dominica have been subject to the controversial export of several individual birds after the 2017 hurricane season and the highly damaging passage of Hurricane Maria. You can read more details of what happened below, including links to a detailed investigation carried out by ‘The Guardian’ newspaper (UK).
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Ashy-faced Owl
The Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic). It is a close relative of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba), but it is much darker and smaller. Its adorable heart-shaped face is ash gray which gives rise to its common name.
It is easy to distinguish a night owl from a daytime owl by the color of its eyes. The Snowy Owl, the owl featured in “Harry Potter,” has yellow eyes and is a good example of a daytime owl. The Ashy-faced Owl has black eyes and is a night owl or nocturnal hunter. It feeds mostly on small mammals (rodents and bats), but its diet includes more than thirty species of birds, plus reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
Although the Ashy-faced Owl is considered abundant on the island, and is not threatened (Least Concern) its population is considered to have declined since 1930. This is due to the destruction of its habitats and the scarcity of nesting cavities. It is also suspected that its close relative, the Barn Owl, may be competing with it for nesting sites. Unfortunately, owls are also persecuted and often killed because they are believed to be omens of death. This is a quite common, but unfounded superstitious belief in the Caribbean.
Ashy-faced Owls live in many types of habitats: open fields, both dry and wet forests, scrub, cave areas, agricultural plantations, palm plantations, and abandoned buildings, but they prefer dense wooded areas. Their calls consist of a harsh “shaaaaaa” sound that looks like a whistle and rapid clicks like those of insects.
They breed from January to June, nesting in natural cavities such as hollows in trees, in caves, in limestone cliffs, and in artificial places. They lay 3 to 4 white eggs. The eggs of birds nesting in dark cavities are almost always white, perhaps because in the dark they cannot be seen by predators. Only females incubate the eggs. Incubation lasts from 30 to 32 days.
Females are much larger and stronger than males—they weigh more than 500 grams, while males weigh between 300 and 350 grams. Therefore, in cases of “domestic disputes” between a nesting pair, the male is the most vulnerable. But there is an advantage to being smaller. Males, being smaller and more agile, hunt different prey from females. Their diet is more varied and this helps reduce competition for food between the sexes.
In captivity a pair with three chicks consumes on average a dozen mice per night, which proves their importance as biological controls. Perhaps whoever kills an owl should be condemned to eat twelve mice a day for several weeks! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Thanks to Simón Guerrero for the text!
Colour in the Ashy-faced Owl
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of the Ashy-faced Owl
The calls Ashy-faced Owl are include a harsh and hissing “shaaaaaa” call as well as rapid, high-pitched clicks.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Ashy-faced Owl spotted in 2023 in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Joshua Covill, Macaulay Library-ML527553631).An Ashy-faced Owl with it’s small mammal prey, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Ross Gallardy- Macaulay Library-ML26038361)Ashy-faced Owl in the Dominican Republic. Note the ash-gray face and buffy underparts, which distinguish it from the Barn Owl, which has a white face and underparts. (Photo by Jay McGowan, Macaulay Library-ML162362421)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: How much do you know about the life-cycle of our featured bird the Ashy-face Owl? Why not test your knowledge and complete our “Life Cycle of an Owl” activity?
First spend some time learning about owls on the internet or at your school library. Then carefully cut the ‘missing’ images and paste in the correct order to complete this owl’s life cycle! Don’t forget to label each stage.
You can check your completed life cycle against the correct one, which can be found here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of an Ashy-faced Owl in the wild!
Find out more about the Ashy-faced Owl in the article from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, published in 2018. In this article, Curti et al. provide the first detailed description of an Ashy-faced Owl nest, providing vital information about the biology of this secretive species.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Fernandina’s Flicker
Walking in the Cuban countryside you may find an extraordinary bird, busy among the grass and leaves of the ground—the Fernandina’s Flicker! You may be wondering “on the ground?!” And rightly so! When we think about woodpeckers, we don’t expect to find them on the ground, but this is one of many ways that this woodpecker is unique.
Endemic to Cuba, the Fernandina’s Flicker (Colaptes fernandinae) is the largest woodpecker in the country, with an impressive size of 33-35cm (the Ivory Billed Woodpecker is larger, but sadly it may be extinct). Its plumage is mustard yellow with fine black barring that becomes thicker on the upperparts. Its head is cinnamon tan with fine barring from forehead to nape; the eye is dark brown, and it has a strong black beak. The male has a solid black stripe of feathers in the malar (cheek) region, this is absent in the female. It is the only woodpecker on the island that lacks red color.
Specially adapted to open vegetation ecosystems with few trees, the Fernandina’s Flicker prefers savannas with palms and open forest. The soil offers the main source of food, and our flicker does not hesitate to get some dirt on its beak! It excavates the ground or searches through the leaf litter for insects, larvae, ants, and any other juicy delicacies. It will also examine trunks and bark of trees for food.
As with all woodpeckers, they have very long tongues that they keep rolled around their skull. The tongue has a special tip, serrated, sharp, and really sticky, which they use to probe under bark and in holes to reach their meals. Locally they are called Ground or Dirty Woodpecker, and Ant-eater.
In the mornings and during the breeding season the Fernandina’s Flicker constantly repeats its unmistakable call “kía-kía-kía-kía-kía” and a long sputtering “kirrrrrrrrr.” They become very active and it is common to see them defending their territories and chasing each other. Sometimes pairs will perch on branches and trunks, raising their heads up and down in courtship while making their typical sound “flíck-flíck-flick.”
The breeding season is from February to June. They excavate cavities almost exclusively in palm trees and lay 4 to 5 white eggs. Sometimes they form loose colonies of a few pairs on palmettos, and even share palms with other cavity nesting birds like the Cuban Parakeet or Cuban endemic owls.
The Fernandina’s Flicker is one of the rarest woodpeckers in Cuba. Classified as Endangered by the IUCN, it is restricted to small areas and its population size is declining. Its presence strongly depends on the native Cuban palm savanna ecosystem, which has been reduced or lost due to causes such as cattle ranching, invasive species, and logging.
In addition, due to a scarcity of palm trees and consequently nesting sites, the flicker faces strong competition from the West Indian Woodpecker. The woodpecker is very territorial and will harass flicker parents, destroy their eggs, and take over their territories and nest sites. Thus, it is very important to preserve Cuba’s palm savanna habitats. This is the best way we can help this majestic woodpecker to continue soaring through the skies of the Cuban countryside.Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Fernandina’s Flicker
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the call of the Fernandina’s Flicker
The calls of the Fernandina’s Flicker include a loud and rhythmic “flick, flick, flick, flick…”and “kía-kía-kía-kía-kía” and a long sputtering “kirrrrrrrrr.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
A male Fernandina’s Flicker – note the black “malar” (cheek) stripe, which is unique to the male. (Photo by Aslam Ibrahim Castellon)A female Fernandina’s Flicker, the black malar (cheek) area is heavily streaked with white. (Photo Dubi Shapiro-Macaulay Library-ML205141591)
A Fernandina’s Flicker pair engaged in a head-weaving courtship in Matanzas, Cuba.(photo by Robert-Lockett, ML439669801)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Our Caribbean Endemic birds are beautiful and fascinating – why not take inspiration from these birds and make you own ‘Zine’ to be included in our BirdsCaribbean Zine library?
What is a Zine? Zines (pronounced zeen) are simple, self-published booklets. They are an easy and fun way to share your ideas with the world. If you are passionate about something and want to make your voice heard, zines are a great way to do this!
For this year’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival why not create a zine based on our 2023 theme? Water: Sustaining Bird Life. We encourage you to do some research on your topic through online searches, reading books in the library, your own personal experience with the bird, and speaking with local experts. BirdsCaribbean will also feature an endemic bird each day on its website and social media accounts. You can find more information, suggested topics, a list of the materials you will need and ideas for the best way to create your Zine in our downloadable, detailed instruction sheet.
You can also take inspiration from this beautiful Zine all about today’s Endemic bird created by Arnaldo Toledo from Cuba. This was the winner of our Grand Prize for adults (ages 16 and older) of our 2021 Zine competition. “Apuntes de campo Carpintero Churroso” (Field Notes Fernandina’s Flicker).
See all the winners from 2021 and find links to more Caribbean endemic bird Zine here:
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy these videos of a Fernandina’s Flickers in the wild! You can see a female foraging on the ground; A male calling at a nest-hole and a male and female together at a nest-hole.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Scaly-breasted Thrasher
Some birders have a really hard time trying to find today’s bird, especially novice birders! The Scaly-breasted Thrasher is built like a thrush and looks a lot like it’s cousins, the Spectacled Thrush and Pearly-eyed Thrasher. This handsome bird belongs to the family “Mimidae” – which includes mockingbirds and thrashers.
Scaly-breasted Thashers might be considered by some to be a bit on the drab side. They have a dark gray-brown head, tail, and upper parts. This lack of “field marks” could put even an experienced birder in a frenzy. But look closely and you will see the scaly breast that give this bird its name really stands out, distinguishing it from other similar species! Scaly-breasted Thrashers also have a short dark bill, thin white wing bars, a hint of scarlet on the rump, and a yellow iris.
These thrashers can be found in the Lesser Antilles, from Anguilla all the way down to Grenada. They use a wide variety of habitats, from mangroves and coastal scrub to semi-open woodlands and humid forests. Scaly-breasted Thrashers are also commonly seen in and around human habitations on some islands. They love to forage high in the canopy in Dominica and Guadeloupe, but will be seen feeding much lower in Montserrat and St. Kitts.
These birds are not fussy and eat a wide variety of foods, including insects, fruits and berries, although they are thought to favour fruits. Their breeding season is in May to June, when they raise 2 to 3 chicks.
Scaly-breasted Thrashers sound similar to mockingbirds, but their voice is softer and slower…be sure to take a listen to for their beautiful warbling song. And listen out for the “dew-quip!” given often when foraging.
Scaly-breasted Thrashers are listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN, but with habitat loss and land-use change they could become less common in the future. For example, birders in Grenada already find it hard to spot Scaly-breasted Thrashers. There is still a lot to learn about this Caribbean endemic and it’s important to make sure we protect its habitats to ensure its future is secure. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Thanks to Quincy Augustine for the text!
Colour in the Scaly-breasted Thrasher
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Scaly-breasted Thrasher
The song of the Scaly-breasted Thrasher is a series of high-pitched squeaks and lower-pitched whistles.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
A Scaly-breasted Thrasher calls from a tree in Guadeloupe. (Photo by Judd Patterson)
A Scaly-breasted Thrasher perched on an African Tulip, Saint-Kitts. (Photo by Steven Mlodinow)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Do you know what the different parts of a bird are called? Knowing them can help you to learn how to describe and identify birds, as well as colour them in. Learn the names for the parts of a bird by checking out the diagram in this page.
Then test your knowledge on today’s endemic bird by matching the correct names to the correct ‘parts of a Scaly-breasted Thrasher’ and completing this sheet.
Want to check your answers? You can see where all the words matched up to here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Scaly-breasted Thrasher in the wild!
The Scaly-breasted Thrasher is endemic to much of the Lesser Antilles. If you want to find out more about the birds to be found across this group of islands we have good news for you, there is an amazing guide to birds of the Lesser Antilles now available! This field guide allows readers to easily identify all the birds they could possibly find, from Anguilla in the north of the chain down to Grenada in the south. Find out more here:
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Martinique Oriole
Orioles in the Lesser Antilles have black heads and necks, but not the Martinique Oriole! It stands out from the others by having a dark cinnamon hood. Its underparts, rump, and epaulets (shoulders) are a burnt-orange, and wings, back, and tail are black. Looking at the base of the lower bill you will notice that it is actually pale bluish-gray in color. Sexes are alike but the female is a bit duller.
Even though it is brightly colored the Martinique Oriole is still easy to miss. This is because it spends its time foraging in the canopy above for insects, flowers, and fruits. Additionally it has a restricted distribution on the island. Its main habitats include mangroves, dry forest on limestone soils, humid forest, gardens and tree plantations below 700m. Listen out for its song of clear whistles and soft warbles as well as harsh, scolding calls “cheeu.”
Breeding generally occurs from February to July, but has been reported in December too. They weave palm fibers into a shallow pendant basket nest usually 2–4 m above the ground. The nest is attached or stitched to the underside of a large leaf of tree, e.g., seagrape or trumpet tree, to a palm frond, or to the leaf of banana or Heliconia plant. Clutch size is 2–3 eggs that are white to pale bluish with brown spots and blotches. The incubation period lasts a minimum of 14 days. Both male and female feed the chicks and defend the nest.
Its restricted distribution, as well as population decline, have been attributed to brood parasitism by the Shiny Cowbird and deforestation. The Shiny Cowbird will lay her eggs in the nests of other birds and let the other mother bird, in this case the Martinique Oriole, do all of the hard work of incubating and rearing the young cowbirds.
The Martinique Oriole is considered Vulnerable with a decreasing trend in population size and small global range. However, a recent decrease in cowbird numbers has allowed a slight recovery. The species will also benefit from the protection of its preferred habitats from being destroyed and replaced by agriculture, housing, resorts and other businesses.Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Martinique Oriole
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Martinique Oriole
The song of the Martinique Oriole is a series of clear whistles.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
A Martinique Oriole, perched. (Photo by Frantz Delcroix-Macaulay Library-ML61978751).A Martinique Oriole searches for food. They eat both insects and fruits. (Photo by Bussier Romain-Macaulay Library-ML136544221)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Can you find the words in our Martinique Oriole word search? Remind yourself of some of the interesting facts about this endemic bird as you look for all 15 hidden words! Remember the words appear forwards and backwards, as well as horizontal, vertical and diagonal! Need some help? Or want to check your answers? You can see where all the words were here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Martinique Oriole in the wild!
The BirdsCaribbean family is once again beaming with pride!
The American Ornithological Society (AOS) has announced that Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, Dr. Lisa Sorenson, is one of two recipients of the prestigious Ralph W. Schreiber Award, which honors extraordinary conservation-related scientific contributions by an individual or small team. Dr. Sorenson will receive her Award at this year’s AOS Joint Conference with the SOC (Society of Canadian Ornithologists–Société des ornithologistes du Canada) in London, Ontario, to take place from August 8-12, 2023.
“I am extremely impressed not only by the quality but also by the breadth and depth of this year’s AOS award winners,” commented AOS President Colleen Handel. “These scientists are being honored for their stellar accomplishments in research, conservation, publications, and service, but they also each exemplify the utmost in dedication to fostering the next generation of ornithologists. They embody the value of a true community.”
Dr. Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., involved with BirdsCaribbean since its first year (1988) and currently serving as a Board Member and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO), praised Dr. Sorenson’s extraordinary energy and dedication: “As a founding member and early officer of the Society for Caribbean Ornithology (SCO) and now BirdsCaribbean (BC), I could never have imagined in the 1980s the breadth of bird conservation activities initiated and instituted by BC under the tireless leadership of Lisa Sorenson.”
Natalya Lawrence receiving an Educators’ Award from Lisa Sorenson and Sheylda Diaz-Mendez, and Natalya’s son Jordan, already an avid birder! (BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe, July 2019)
“As Executive Director of BC, Lisa has expanded the diversity of activities and opportunities in support of Caribbean bird conservation and ornithology to strengthen the region’s bird conservation capacity. The Caribbean’s unique birdlife and those who appreciate this birdlife have greatly benefited from Lisa’s dedicated efforts and we congratulate her for her justly deserved Ralph Schreiber Conservation Award.”
From the country of Antigua and Barbuda, BirdsCaribbean Board Secretary Ms.Natalya Lawrence confirmed Dr. Sorenson’s influence on her life when she wrote to Lisa: “Everything said about you in the award is true. You were the one that got me hooked on birds, and you are one of the greatest educators I have ever been honored to know. And your calm and passionate spirit, your diligence and patience make everyone you interact with want to learn more and do more. Congratulations to you on an honor that is well-deserved!”
Lisa Sorenson, who is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Boston University, conducted research on the behavioral ecology of White-cheeked Pintails in the Bahamas for her Ph.D. She served as Vice President and President of the Society for Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (now BirdsCaribbean) from 2005 – 2012, and as its Executive Director since 2012. Through her pioneering work, she has greatly increased awareness, appreciation, and conservation of the Caribbean region’s remarkable avifauna among Caribbean island residents – and beyond.
More on our Executive Director’s work and achievements
Lisa’s work over 35 years includes capacity building; outreach and education; fostering an active network of Caribbean conservationists; and reaching Caribbean audiences through community and youth education, science and the teaching of conservation methods. She is an inspiration to many young Caribbean conservationists, providing guidance and encouragement.
She is particularly focused on the need to train Caribbean nationals and empower local partners, educators, and communities to conduct their own research and conservation. Since 1997, she has initiated 150 international and local training workshops, reaching more than 5,000 people. This is of critical importance, as hitherto most bird research on the islands had been conducted by visiting scientists from overseas, often with little local involvement. Moreover, she has nurtured an appreciation of nature and of the joy of birding, working with and supporting numerous Caribbean partners on almost every island.
Lisa has received five awards for her work in the region, including a Partners in Flight Leadership Award. She has also authored or co-authored numerous bird education resources, including school curricula and monitoring manuals for the region, as well as publications in peer-reviewed journals. She has been an AOS Elective Member since 1998 and an AOS Fellow since 2011. She helped to organize the 2022 joint American Ornithological Society & BirdsCaribbean Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, serving on numerous committees.
Lisa and Lourdes in the field together in Cuba. (photo by Martin Acosta)
Dr. Lourdes Mujica Valdes, Auxiliary Professor in the Faculty of Biology at the University of Havana, Cuba, described the impact of Dr. Sorenson’s work on the people (and birds) of the Caribbean: “Lisa is the kind of person that makes the world a better place. She has really made a difference in the Caribbean. People in the region have received and shared her passion, commitment, and love for birds and nature during the last 25+ years. She has developed many conservation and education projects, gathered together many people from different cultures, and provided training, encouragement, and tools to those that needed them most.
“Lisa has been the heart and soul of BirdsCaribbean, and with her leadership, we have become, all of us, a huge and committed Caribbean family working together for bird conservation. We need more Lisas to save our biodiversity and our planet!”
Our deepest thanks and appreciation to you, Lisa, for doing so much to create a truly Caribbean family of bird conservationists across the islands!
Lisa and fellow educators at a Wetlands Education Training Workshop in Dominica.
Lisa Sorenson and guide Ernesto Reyes showing a young boy some birds in Cuba. (photo by Tania Pineiro)
Lisa with Eric Carey (BNT Executive Director, retired), Martin Acosta, Lourdes Mugica and other colleagues at the BirdsCaribbean Conference, Jamaica 2015.
Lisa and Caribbean colleagues at the AOS-BC Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 2022.
Lisa Sorenson birding with youth at Ashton Lagoon, Union Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Comments from lisa’s Colleagues:
“It is an awesome experience to be part of a team with someone with such a high work ethic. Lisa’s commitment, passion, and dedication extend to all projects and programs of the organization. And, she is not only an advocate of Caribbean birds, but of our people too, since she makes sure to provide everyone with opportunities for learning and engaging. Under her leadership, BirdsCaribbean has grown to higher levels. Lisa is an inspiration to all of us!” – Adrianne Tossas (BirdsCaribbean President)
Lisa Sorenson is an amazing, passionate, conservation professional. Lisa looked beyond the borders of her home country and embraced our many island nations of the Caribbean as her platform to effect conservation. And she did so, stretching every dollar and through synergies, increased many-fold the impact of her work. This is a well-deserved award and I feel so fortunate and honoured to call her my friend. Congratulations, Lisa!– Eric Carey (Bahama National Trust, retired Executive Director)
“Well deserved my friend! Congratulations on this distinguished recognition of all you do for birds!” – Jane Alexander (Actress and Conservationist)
“The American Ornithological Society selected Lisa to receive its highest conservation honor for her BirdsCaribbean leadership. We all know without a doubt how deserving she is!” – Franci Cuthbert (Ornithologist)
“Perfect award for the perfect awardee. No one has done more for conservation in the insular Caribbean, especially during the past decade when it has been so hard to maintain focus in the face of accelerating effects of social and climate change.” – Bruce Potter (Island Resources Foundation)
Dr. Sorenson has increased awareness, appreciation, and conservation of the Caribbean region’s unique avifauna through targeting research, conservation, and public engagement programs for Caribbean island residents and beyond. Building from her PhD research on the behavioral ecology of White-cheeked Pintails in the Bahamas, Lisa’s efforts over 35 years include capacity building, outreach and education, fostering an active network of Caribbean conservationists, and teaching of conservation methods, community and youth education, and science to Caribbean audiences. Her leadership while Vice-President and President of the Society for Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (2005-2012) (now BirdsCaribbean), and more recently as Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean (2012-present), has inspired, motivated, and energized island residents as well as others to contribute to island conservation efforts.
Lisa has demonstrated tremendous skill bringing people together from different island cultures, seeking funding (raised > $3 million since 1997), and personally encouraging and mentoring so many to become involved in and support bird conservation. To advance conservation in the region, she has had to overcome many of the realities and challenges for island conservation including: limited or no conservation funding within the region; diverse cultures; poor communications among islands; and a lack of conservation ethic and trained conservation professionals on many islands.
Historically, much of the research on island birds was conducted by visitors from North America, often with little local involvement, thus limiting the opportunity for growth of indigenous conservation and capacity. Dr. Sorenson’s leadership has helped to overcome these challenges by addressing the need to train Caribbean nationals and empower local partners, teachers, and communities to carry out their own science, education, monitoring, and conservation. Since 1997, she has facilitated the delivery of over 150 international and local training workshops, reaching over 5,000 people.
In all of BirdsCaribbean’s programs, Lisa has been a champion of increasing appreciation of the region’s endemic and migratory birds and the value of nature through experiencing the joy and fun of birding and bird education programs. This has, in turn, resulted in greater engagement in and successful NGO and community-led actions to monitor, restore, and conserve threatened species and habitats, as well as more young people pursuing careers in conservation. Without Lisa’s sustained dedication, Caribbean bird conservation would be far less advanced.
Lisa has received 5 awards for her work in the region, including a Partners in Flight Leadership Award. She has also authored or co-authored numerous bird education resources, including school curricula and monitoring manuals for the region, as well as publications in peer-reviewed journals. The multiple diverse Caribbean conservation initiatives, programs, and activities initiated, inspired, and/or facilitated by Dr. Sorenson’s leadership can be found on BirdsCaribbean’s website: https://www.birdscaribbean.org/our-work/about-us/ These include the West Indian Whistling-Duck and Wetlands Conservation Project, BirdSleuth Caribbean, Caribbean Waterbird Census, Caribbean Birding Trail, Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, Caribbean Seabird Conservation, and Caribbean Landbird Monitoring, among others. Lisa is an Elected Fellow (2011) of the American Ornithological Society and helped organize the joint American Ornithological Society & BirdsCaribbean Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico in June 2022, serving on numerous committees.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo
Old Man Bird, as the local admirers call it, is a stunning bird endemic to Jamaica. This large cuckoo stands at 48cm (19in) and is distinguished by its thick, dark gray decurved bill, creamy white throat fading into pale gray on the breast, and contrasting chestnut belly and underparts. Its broad, long, dark gray tail is tipped with large white spots, while its legs are gray.
The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (Coccyzus pluvialis) is found in moist woodland, wooded cultivation, or open thickets in the hills and mountains of Jamaica. During the winter, it descends to lower elevations but is only found near the coast in the wettest places. It runs along branches like a large rat or sails silently on extended wings from one tree to another.
The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo feeds on lizards, mice, insects, caterpillars, nestlings, and eggs.
Even though the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is known for its hoarse quak-quak-quak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak call, which is most frequently heard from April to June, it makes a very quiet landing in trees. Its nesting period is from March to June, and the nest is an untidy platform made of sticks in the middle or upper canopy of tall mature trees.
While the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is fairly common and widespread in Jamaica, it is still important to conserve this species due to threats such as habitat loss, predation by non-native invasive animals, and climate change. To help conserve this bird, individuals can support organizations that protect and restore bird habitats, advocate for conservation policies, and participate in citizen science programs that monitor bird populations.
Overall, the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is a unique and fascinating bird that adds to Jamaica’s rich biodiversity. Its distinctive appearance, behavior, and call make it a remarkable species worth observing and protecting.
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the call of the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo
The call of the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is a low, growling “aahhhh” or long “quah-quah-aahh-aahh-aahh-aahh-aahh.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
A beautiful Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo perched in a tree. (Photo by Dominic Sherony)
Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo, Trelawny. Jamaica. (Photo by Michael Warner- Macaulay Library-ML510000521)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: This year our theme for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life.” We want to highlight the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds.
We often see birds flying, preening, and feeding, but rarely do we see them drinking water. This does not mean that water is not important to birds.
Birds need water just as much as we do. Drinking water helps them regulate body processes like digestion. Water also keeps birds clean and cool on hot days when they take a splish-splash in a puddle, gutter, or backyard bird bath. Many birds also rely on wetland habitats, such as our ponds, salinas, marshes, mangroves, rivers, and coastal waters.
In our activity you can create your own poster to show how important water is to birds. Draw in the various ways birds use water!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo up high in a tree.
The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is endemic to Jamaica – it is one of many birds that can only be found on this Caribbean island and nowhere else in the world! Discover more about the endemic birds of Jamaica in our blog article about the launching of a new poster featuring beautiful illustrations of all these special birds. You will also find a link to download a pdf of this lovely poster.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Bahama Mockingbird
In The Bahamas, when we hear the “trashers” singing, we know spring is upon us. Their rich soulful song is very pleasing to the ears of birders and nature lovers alike. But, there is more to love about these amazing birds than just their song! Here are some fascinating facts about the Bahama Mockingbird.
The Bahama Mockingbird is slightly larger than its Northern Mockingbird cousin and lacks the large white patches on the wings. It has grayish brown plumage with streaks on its sides and a thin white band on the base of its tail feathers. Females are slightly smaller and have a shorter tail. Juveniles have more densely spotted underparts. Their song is rich and melodious, though not as varied as the Northern Mockingbird. Bahamians locally refer to both species as “Trashers.”
The Bahama Mockingbird, Mimus gundlachii, was named after the German Ornithologist Johannes Christoph Gundlach who spent most of his working life in Cuba (1810-1896). If you’re wondering why the Bahama Mockingbird was named after a German ornithologist living in Cuba, that’s because this bird is not just endemic to The Bahamas.
Their current distribution is mainly in the Lucayan Archipelago (The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands), the Camagüey Archipelagoof Cuba (Cayo Coco Cays) and a small area in Southern Jamaica. Historically, this species was also found in Puerto Rico. Genetically, the Bahama Mockingbird is more closely related to Galapagos Mockingbirds than the Northern Mockingbird. But, Bahama and Northern Mockingbirds do sometimes inter-breed!
In The Bahamas, the Bahama Mockingbird is found throughout the archipelago but appears to have its highest concentration in the central Bahamas, especially on Cat Island. Throughout its range, it prefers arid areas and is found in dry forests and scrub habitats. Unlike its northern cousin, it is mainly found in intact native habitats and tends to avoid urban areas.
Bahama Mockingbirds are omnivorous; this means they feed on arthropods, small vertebrates, and fruit. They forage mostly on the ground, sifting through leaf litter and turning small stones with their bills.
Like the Northern Mockingbird, the Bahama Mockingbird builds a cup-shaped nest out of twigs and plant fibers. Both male and female participate in nest building. Clutch size is between 2-3 creamy to pinkish-white eggs with reddish brown speckles. Both parents raise the chicks. Nests are usually located between 0.5m and 4.5m off the ground but they will sometimes even build their nest on the ground.
Whilst not a threatened species, the Bahama Mockingbird has a restricted range, making it highly susceptible to habitat loss caused by climate change and unsustainable development. In The Bahamas the population may be declining due to competition with the Northern Mockingbird for resources like food and nesting sites.Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Thanks to Scott Johnson for the text!
Colour in the Bahama Mockingbird
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Bahama Mockingbird
The song of the Bahama Mocking bird is a series of phrases, each repeated several times.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Bahama Mockingbird spotted on South Eleuthera, the Bahamas. (Photo by Noam Markus -Macaulay Library-ML188561091)
A Bahama Mockingbird on Cuba. (Photo by Arturo-Kirkconnell Jr- Macaulay Lirbrary-ML93392851)A Bahama Mockingbird perch in a tree at Portland Ridge Jamaica. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)A Bahama Mockingbird with nesting material, spotted on Abaco, the Bahamas, during Global Big Day 2022. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: With lots more Caribbean endemic birds to enjoy and colour in during the coming weeks take a look at our colouring-in guide. This will give you some hints and tips on how to make your endemic birds look even more beautiful! Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Enjoy this video of a Bahama Mockingbird foraging in the wild!
If you want to find out more about our conservation work and BirdsCaribbean’s bird banding program you an read all about our bird banding workshop – which was held in the Bahamas in 2022.
We’ll be participating in this year’s Global Big Day (GBD)—the biggest birding day of the year—on Saturday, May 13, 2023, and raising funds to grow our Caribbean Bird Banding Network.
We are bringing back our popular teams competition, and celebrating together the bird diversity, excitement, and camaraderie that’s associated with Global Big Day.
Last year, Global Big Day virtually brought together more than 51,000 birders from 201 countries and submitted 132,000 checklists with eBird. This is the current world record for a single day of birding.
For BirdsCaribbean, the event was also successful—15 teams with members from 29 countries reported a total of 1,078 species and raised $13 734. We had so much fun doing this. Together we can make this year even better! Learn more below and on our Global Big Day GiveButter Teams page – join the fun here!
24 hours of learning, counting and sharing
During peak migration time in the spring, birders around the world head out to their favorite birding spots, or venture into new areas, to see, hear and record as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr period of time. This event helps scientists understand global bird populations and raises awareness of issues affecting them—and we need your help to do it!
No matter where you are, you can submit important data, via eBird checklists, about the birds around you. You don’t need to be an expert birder or spend the entire day looking for birds. Just 10 minutes of birding in your backyard or from your balcony will count too.
But birding is more enjoyable when done with a friend or a group. We are again calling on our community to bird together in virtual teams (you can decide if you want to join your national team or not) during Global Big Day. And engage in friendly competition to see which team can:
1) collectively see the most species of birds, and
2) raise the most funds.
Funds raised by BirdsCaribbean GBD participating teams will be used to grow our Caribbean Bird Banding Network by providing bands and other resources to Caribbean banders, providing more training opportunities and supporting bird banding projects across the islands.
The ‘Join a Team’ button is located just below the header graphic.
If you choose to create a team, personalize it with a fun name, photos and your own lingo. NOTE: if you are outside the US or Canada, we will need to assist you with the first step of creating your own team; after this you will be able to manage the team (email Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org and she will get you set up pronto!)
All team leaders and members should then invite family, friends, colleagues, and members of your birding community to join your team and/or donate to your team. It helps to set your own personal fundraising goal to help your team reach its overall goal!
By inviting people to your team, you are
(1) raising awareness for BirdsCaribbean and the Caribbean Bird Banding Network,
(2) helping to raise funds for Caribbean bird research and conservation, and
(3) promoting Global Big Day, citizen science, and the importance of conserving birds and their habitats.
By doing so, you will have (1) helped advance knowledge of Caribbean birds through bird banding which gives us a more detailed look at birds’ life histories, and (2) encouraged that team to give it their all on Global Big Day.
and/or . . .
3. Committing to spending some time (or the entire day!) birding on Global Big Day (May 13), being sure to keep track of what you see and then entering that information into eBird. We hope everyone will do this, whether or not they join a team or fundraise.
Group of birders in the Dominican Republic. Photo by Zara Palmer.
This will be a fun event to fundraise for and get excited about birds! Be ready to visit birding hotspots or set yourself up in a safe place* and bird for as much of the day as possible, knowing that all of your teammates, friends, and BirdsCaribbean community members are doing the same!
If birding from the Caribbean, you should plan to submit your observations to eBird Caribbean. 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.
Why this is Important
The insular Caribbean is a critical region for birds. There are 176 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 Donation Will be Used
This Global Big Day fundraiser will support the Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network, allowing us to continue providing bands and other resources to Caribbean banders, host more international training workshops , support Caribbean banders to attend internships (read about Zoya’s incredible internship at Klamath Bird Observatory) or other opportunities to practice and develop their skills, and grow and expand this network to more Caribbean islands.
Bird Banding Training Workshop participant David Walters placing a band on the leg of a Palm Warbler. Photo by Josh Covill.
The first webinar, ‘Banding Together – Creating the Caribbean Bird Banding Network, Part 1’ will be held on Friday, April 21 at 2 PM EDT. Join the BirdsCaribbean Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network live and learn what bird banding is, its applications and how it can change the future of Caribbean bird conservation.
The second webinar “Banding Together—Creating the Caribbean Bird Banding Network, Part 2” will be held on Thursday, May 4th at 4 pm EDT. Several Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network members, including Daniela Ventura del Puerto (Cuba), Zoya Buckmire (Grenada), Hector Andujar (Dominican Republic), and Dayamiris Candelario (Puerto Rico), will share what they have gained from being part of this initiative, and exciting plans for expanding bird banding in the Caribbean.
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!
Team Up to WIN
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)
We are happy and proud to congratulate our President Adrianne Tossas, who has received an Outstanding Women in STEAM award from the University of Puerto Rico for contributions to scientific research and education.
Adrianne Tossas giving an acceptance speech for her award.
Adrianne was nominated by her peers to be part of the 4th Power of Women in Science symposium that took place at the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras on March 31, 2023. The event celebrated the achievements of 25 women professors who excel in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). In a special ceremony, the Vice President for Research acknowledged the nominees representing the 11 campuses of the University of Puerto Rico, with a special recognition that was prepared and presented by young women from different local schools.
Adrianne has been a professor of biology at the University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla since 2008. As part of this position, she has led about 200 students in their first research experiences through the Bird Ecology and Conservation Project. Through the course Introduction to Research she engages undergraduate students in bird monitoring and mentors them to apply for graduate programs. Every semester, small groups of 10 to 15 students receive training in bird identification techniques, surveying protocols, experiment design, scientific writing, and skills for oral presentations.
Recognition for Outstanding Women in STEAM program invitation.
Adrianne with faculty of UPR Aguadilla after receiving her award.
Adrianne Tossas with fellow award recipient and woman in science Brenda Ramos during the event.
Both women and girls received awards for their contirbutions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths.
Here is more on our President’s work and achievements:
Landbird monitoring
In 2009 Adrianne Tossas started monitoring the avian community of Guajataca State Forest, a natural reserve in the northern karst region of the island. Point counts are conducted every spring, allowing for the assessment of 37 bird species, including 12 of Puerto Rico’s 18 endemic species. This 15-year comparison has shown population changes related to an extreme drought in 2015 and the passage of Hurricane María in 2017. The combined effects of both events caused a 10-20% difference in overall bird abundance from 2016 to 2018 compared to 2009-2015. Almost five years after the hurricane, the average number of individuals per count was still lower than baseline estimates.
Audiomoth Automatic Recording Unit (ARU) set up on a tree to record songs and calls of forest birds. (photo by Lisa Sorenson).
A new monitoring project with AudioMoth digital recorders began in this forest in 2022, to assess the singing activity of bird species. Approximately 3,000 minutes per month were recorded in February, May, July and August 2022, and January- March 2023. The open-source software ARBIMON was used to analyze the findings of the most abundant species. The top-five most frequently detected were the Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiquus) Puerto Rican Vireo (Vireo latimeri), Puerto Rican Bullfinch (Melospiza portoricensis), and Adelaide’s Warbler (Setophaga adelaidae). Ongoing data collection will permit comparing patterns over time.
Since the forest trails were inaccessible for almost a year after the passage of Hurricane María, Adrianne designed new projects in coastal areas to engage students in bird monitoring.
White-tailed Tropicbird
White-tailed Tropicbird egg. (Photo by Mary Gillham)
Since 2018 the group has been assessing the size and annual fluctuations of populations of the White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaeton lepturus) when they return from the sea to breed in the rocky cliffs of Quebradillas in northern Puerto Rico. This is the species’ only breeding site on the main island, since it is mostly known to nest on cays off the eastern coast. Biweekly surveys were conducted during the reproductive season, which extends from December to July, detecting a yearly average of 70 tropicbirds (range of 0 – 94 individuals). These data suggest that the population consists of approximately 50 breeding pairs; however, this number could be larger because the cliffs provide potential nesting sites beyond the study site. A count conducted along a broader extension of the cliff in February 2023 recorded a total of 206 individuals.
Brown Pelican
Adrianne and Brown Pelican on a boat during the 2023 Caribbean Waterbird Census.
Since 2019 the group has been assessing the population status of the Caribbean Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis occidentalis) on the coast of Aguadilla. From 2019 to 2021, up to 49 individuals were counted in 38 monthly surveys, including adults with reproductive plumage and juveniles. In October 2021 the group found an active breeding colony with 53 nests in a steep cliff bordering the seashore. A second nesting season is currently under study. No surveys have taken place in this area since 1993, even though this is one of the only three pelican breeding sites in Puerto Rico. These data are helping local conservation groups to promote the creation of a new nature reserve in coastal Aguadilla.
We congratulate Adrianne on her inspiring work in science and education and on her well-deserved award!
Are you passionate about Caribbean bird conservation and want to make a real difference? And do you have expertise that will help us to grow and become a stronger and more effective organization?
Consider joining our dynamic and dedicated team! We currently have openings for a Communications Manager and an Operations Manager.
Learn more about these positions and how to apply at the links below.
Applications for both positions must be received by 30 April, 11:59 PM EDT for consideration. More information and instructions on how to submit your application for each position can be found at the links below.
The Communications Manager oversees communications, marketing, and public relations efforts to raise awareness and support for BirdsCaribbean’s mission, projects, and programs. This role will provide strategic and tactical guidance to BirdsCaribbean to help our organization communicate effectively with our partners, members, and donors, and build awareness and engagement around our various programs. This is a full-time employee or contractor position with benefits and can be worked remotely from any location. Learn more and apply here.
Caribbean Nationals residing within the Caribbean are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Operations Manager will support our day-to-day operations and strategic growth decisions that support our mission, projects, and programs. This position requires the highest level of trust and confidence. Primary duties and responsibilities include bookkeeping, financial tracking/ budgeting, policy creation and compliance, and administrative support for multiple projects. This is also a full-time employee or contractor position with benefits and can be worked remotely. Learn more and apply here.
Note that due to the need for experience and knowledge managing a 501 c 3 nonprofit under US tax and banking laws, applicants must be US citizens residing in the US, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands.
Please share these job opportunities with others in your networks – THANKS!
Are you an experienced marketing and communications professional? Do you want to help us tell the world how amazing Caribbean birds are and why we should protect them? Then consider joining our team!
BirdsCaribbean (BC) is seeking to hire a full-time Communications Manager.
Position Overview:
The Communications Manager oversees communications, marketing, and public relations efforts to raise awareness and support for BirdsCaribbean’s mission, projects, and programs. This role will provide strategic and tactical guidance to BirdsCaribbean to help our organization communicate effectively with our partners, members, and donors, and build awareness and engagement around our various programs. This position will work in close collaboration with the Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean and other staff, including members of our Fundraising, Media, Education, and Program leaders and teams. This is a full-time employee or contractor position with benefits and can be worked remotely from any location. Caribbean nationals residing within the Caribbean are strongly encouraged to apply.
Key Responsibilities:
Overseeing BirdsCaribbean’s external communications with members, partners, donors, the public, and media sources
Overseeing all content creation and messaging, as well as online engagement growth, including:
Overseeing and developing materials to convey the organization’s mission and work
Keeping our website up-to-date with organizational news, events, and educational resources for our partners and members/followers
Managing and helping to create content for our social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube) together with our small team
Producing and overseeing all printed and digital marketing, promotional, and educational materials (e.g., one pagers, brochures, reports, promotional graphics for upcoming events, e.g., bird festivals, conferences, training workshops, webinars, contests, etc.), including graphic design needs
Executing clear and engaging copywriting for emails, blogs, press releases, and other promotional materials; coordinating and editing the work of other authors on our team
Drafting and sending out our monthly newsletter, and other email communications with members, donors, partners, etc.
Editing and approving press releases, articles, graphics, announcements, etc.
Helping to develop and manage fundraising and membership campaigns
Analyzing and documenting the effectiveness of all executed marketing and communications
Managing a calendar of organizational priorities and weekly tasks for internal coordination with the team
Managing photography and videography needs for events (e.g., conferences), activities, online, and print publications, as well as social media
Ensuring consistency of messaging across all marketing and communications channels to convey the organization’s brand, mission, vision, and values
Working in partnership with the Executive Director, and Fundraising, Media, Education, and Program Committees
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism, or a related field strongly preferred
Qualifications:
Minimum of 5 to 7 years of demonstrated experience in marketing/communications/public relations, including marketing and managing communications across a diverse set of platforms
Outstanding writing, editing, and proofreading skills; understanding of science grammar is a plus
Graphic design skills – Adobe Creative Suite and Canva strongly preferred
High proficiency with MS Office and WordPress strongly preferred
Advanced proficiency with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube
Ability to prepare and edit audiovisual materials (including videos) for social media posts or brand content
Knowledge of the media industry and ability to stay on top of market changes and relevant media opportunities
A passion and curiosity for environmental science and conservation in the Caribbean; strong interest and/or experience with Caribbean birds or ornithology/ecology is a plus
Strong attention to detail and the desire to deliver high-quality work without exceptions
Ability to prioritize tasks, simultaneously manage multiple projects, and set/meet deadlines
Capacity to oversee a small team that develops communications and educational content
Self-motivated, detail-oriented, focused, and ambitious; creative and innovative thinking
Professional demeanor, team player, and a consistent positive attitude
A reliable internet connection that supports Zoom video meetings without a problem
Ability to communicate professionally and respectfully with a highly diverse audience
Desired Knowledge and Experience:
Experience or working knowledge of Caribbean birds and environmental conservation issues
Experience with non-profit communications, marketing, and fundraising strongly preferred
Excellent oral communications skills
Professional working proficiency in Spanish and/or French language
Familiarity with Mailchimp
Employment Parameters
This is a full-time position (40 hours/week on average). It will require the flexibility to be available outside of normal working hours (i.e., 9 am – 5 pm) in certain cases, depending on the timing of specific deliverables and project deadlines. Pay will be commensurate with experience and local wage/cost-of-living considerations, and a benefits package will be developed in consultation with the candidate.
The Communications Manager works in a changing environment that adjusts to the needs of the day, including developments in our various programs. The environment may, at times, be fast-paced with interruptions, distractions, and deadlines. The Communications Manager needs to be flexible and be able to adjust to changing assignments or activities.
A cover letter (1-2 pages max) that expresses why you are interested in this position and summarizes your qualifications and experience
Current copy of your Resume or CV
Include a portfolio with samples of any of the following of your work: newsletter or blog articles, public relations or promotional materials, and/or social media posts that you have written.
Application period: April 5th to April 30th, 2023
About Us: BirdsCaribbean (BC) is a vibrant international network of members and partners committed to conserving Caribbean birds and their habitats in the insular Caribbean (including Bermuda, the Bahamas, and all islands within the Caribbean basin). 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. We are a non-profit membership organization based in the U.S. With 33 years of experience, BirdsCaribbean has built an extensive and active network of more than 60 partners across 31 countries, which include environmental organizations, government agencies, institutions, businesses, tour guides, educators, and individuals.
BirdsCaribbean is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. BirdsCaribbean makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.We look forward to hearing from you!
Are you experienced in managing operations of an organization? Do you have a passion for finance, efficiency, and organization? Would you like to work with a small non-profit comprised of dedicated staff, and help them to grow and prosper? Then consider joining our team!
BirdsCaribbean is seeking to hire a full-time Operations Manager.
Position Overview
BirdsCaribbean is a small but growing U.S. non-profit organization, funded by multiple income streams and running programs throughout the Caribbean region. We are seeking an Operations Manager to join the team who will support our day-to-day operations and strategic growth decisions that support our mission, projects, and programs. This position requires the highest level of trust and confidence. Primary duties and responsibilities include bookkeeping, financial tracking/budgeting, human resources, policy creation, compliance, and administrative and strategic support for multiple programs, memberships, and fundraising. The Operations Manager must maintain a collaborative and supportive relationship with BC’s Executive Director, its Board, and paid and volunteer program managers. This is a full-time employee position with some benefits that can be worked remotely from any location.
Note: Due to the need for experience and knowledge managing a 501 c 3 nonprofit under US tax and banking laws, applicants must be US citizens residing in the US, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Perform financial activities and maintain appropriate financial records.
Manage bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, and payroll.
Work on the organizational budget with the Executive Director and Treasurer, and specific project budgets with program managers.
Manage registrations and returns necessary for the organization’s financial transactions and compliance with regulations.
Document financial policies and procedures in the organizational manual and implement best practices and financial controls.
2. Oversee operational/administrative functions of the organization.
Assist in monitoring the general inquiries inbox online (Info@birdscaribbean.org).
Research, monitor, and purchase supplies, systems, and policies for administrative and operational activities.
Organize and maintain personnel files.
Document operational, administrative, and personnel policies/procedures in the organizational manual.
3. Support programs of the organization.
Assist program staff in obtaining necessary information or tools.
Complete monthly and ongoing review of program files/records to ensure compliance.
Assist in program activities (e.g., correspondence, administration of MOUs, project budgeting/reports, purchasing, tracking small grants, and proposals) as appropriate and applicable.
Assist in the organization and delivery of events, such as webinars, meetings, fundraising, workshops, conferences, or others, as assigned.
EDUCATION
Undergraduate degree required, advanced education such as a master’s degree in a relevant field and/or certifications are strongly preferred.
QUALIFICATIONS
Proficient computer skills including use of financial accounting systems (QuickBooks experience preferred), standard Office programs, maintaining spreadsheets and databases, and navigating websites.
3-5+ years of employment related to business administration, ideally of a nonprofit organization or academic institution.
Knowledge of nonprofit operations and ability to stay on top of regulations, requirements, and opportunities.
Strong attention to detail and the desire to deliver high-quality work without exceptions.
Ability to prioritize tasks, simultaneously manage multiple projects, and set/meet deadlines.
Professional demeanor, team player, consistently positive attitude, and ability to communicate professionally and respectfully with a highly diverse audience.
A strong, reliable internet connection.
A passion or strong desire to support and advance conservation in the Caribbean; an interest and/or experience with birds or other environmental fields is a plus.
Employment Parameters
This is a full-time position (40 hours/week on average). It will require the flexibility to be available outside of normal working hours (i.e., 9 am – 5 pm) in certain cases, depending on the timing of specific deliverables and project deadlines. Pay will be commensurate with experience and local wage/cost-of-living considerations, and a benefits package will be developed in consultation with the candidate.
The Operations Manager works in a changing environment that adjusts to the needs of the day, including developments in our various programs. The environment may, at times, be fast-paced with interruptions, distractions, and deadlines. The Operations Manager needs to be flexible and be able to adjust to changing assignments or activities.
A cover letter (1-2 pages max) that expresses why you are interested in this position and summarizes your qualifications and experience
Current copy of your Resume or CV
Personal References (3) and Background Check Consent.
Application period: April 5th to April 30th, 2023
About Us: BirdsCaribbean (BC) is a vibrant international network of members and partners committed to conserving Caribbean birds and their habitats in the insular Caribbean (including Bermuda, the Bahamas, and all islands within the Caribbean basin). 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. We are a non-profit membership organization based in the U.S. With 33 years of experience, BirdsCaribbean has built an extensive and active network of more than 60 partners across 31 countries, which include environmental organizations, government agencies, institutions, businesses, tour guides, educators, and individuals.
BirdsCaribbean is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. BirdsCaribbean makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.We look forward to hearing from you!
BirdsCaribbean is bringing you some highlights from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in our new feature “Just Published in JCO.” Here Zoya Buckmire, the Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, tells us all about a research note documenting the use of manmade materials by birds to build their nests.
Black-faced Grassquit nest with linen and cotton twine, and strands of plastic interwoven with natural materials. (Hannah Madden)
As human influence over the environment increases, so too does the distribution of man-made materials in natural spaces. More and more birds are encountering human debris in their habitat and interacting with these materials in various, often life-threatening, ways, such as mistaking them for food or becoming entangled in them. In this research note, Hannah Madden and Hailley Danielson-Owczynsky document landbirds in St. Eustatius using human debris in an interesting but potentially dangerous way. Their observations shows how pervasive our impact is on the world around us.
But how did this study come about? Our authors found the first nest almost by accident. As they were doing some yard work at Hannah’s property, the two came across a Black-faced Grassquit nest with plastic woven through it. Though they didn’t think much of it at first, a few days later they regrouped and decided to intentionally search the surrounding areas for more nests to see how common the phenomenon was.
They found a total of 19 nests, two which contained man-made debris, including linen, cotton, and polyester fibers and twine and pieces of white and clear plastic bags.
The second nest (shown in the photo below), belonging to a Bananaquit, wasn’t even found by the authors! Hannah’s daughter Lalia takes the credit for that, as she tagged along to the field visit. “She has a very sharp eye,” commented Hannah. “She helped us find the second nest, located along a fairly busy road, that I had overlooked entirely.”
Bananaquit nest with white and gray polyester fibers interwoven with natural materials. (Hannah Madden)
The biggest challenge to this research was the vegetation—acacia and other thorny plants provided many a hazard in the field. The authors were also discouraged by the “depressing amount of garbage in the vicinity, which of course, only makes this study that much more important.
The authors noted that the light-colored man-made materials may increase their visibility to predators leading to higher predation rates, but this needs further study. Their hopes are that their work “will encourage more people in the Caribbean to look out for man-made materials in landbird nests and conduct their own simple study,” said Hannah. “There is so little published literature about this phenomenon, yet it is likely a pervasive issue in the region.” Indeed, plastic pollution is severe throughout the Caribbean. Only through studying its many impacts on bird populations can we begin to understand – and address – this issue.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is a peer-reviewed journal covering all aspects of ornithology within the Caribbean region. We welcome manuscripts covering the biology, ecology, behavior, life history, and conservation of Caribbean birds and their habitats. This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
Get ready to embrace the color of springtime and honor the Caribbean’s finest and most unique birds with us during the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) 2023!
The festival begins on April 22nd (Earth Day) and runs through to May 22nd (International Biodiversity Day).
This regional event happens across the Caribbean every year and highlights and celebrates the amazing birds that live only in the Caribbean—their natural history, threats, and how we can help reduce these threats.
This year the theme for the festival is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life.”
We are using the same “water” theme as World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) for our CEBF to unify our messages about the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. (note: we will celebrate WMBD in the Caribbean with this theme in the fall).
Birds need water too!
We often see birds flying, preening, and feeding, but rarely do we see them drinking water. This does not mean that water is not important to birds.
In fact, birds need water just as much as we do. Drinking water helps them regulate body processes like digestion. Water also keeps birds clean and cool on hot days when they take a splish-splash in a puddle, gutter, or backyard bird bath.
Many birds also rely on wetland habitats, such as our ponds, salinas, marshes, mangroves, rivers, and coastal waters. With growing human populations and relentless development, there are growing demands for water and continued destruction of our remaining wetlands.
Pollution, erosion, and prolonged droughts are also directly impacting the quantity and quality of water resources and habitats available for our birds.
This CEBF join us in spreading the message that water conservation is vital for all life on earth, including birds!
More iconic endemic birds to be featured for Endemic Bird of the Day!
The CEBF team has been busy preparing for another stellar line-up for Endemic Bird of the Day! Follow this page during the festival as we share 25 new species! It’s a bit of a struggle for us to not reveal this year’s selected species just yet, but we can tell you this: expect beautiful bird artwork by the talented Josmar Marquez who will once again create our coloring pages. These will be accompanied by natural history information, range maps, puzzles, photos, videos, and activities, all designed to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and enjoyment for both adults and children.
A Key West Quail Dove enjoys a drink. Bird Baths can be a great place for birds!
Be sure to follow BirdsCaribbean on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep up to date with our ‘birds of the day’ and to find out about webinars and activities during the festival.
In addition to these online activities our amazing CEBF island coordinators and educators will be celebrating with festivities on their respective islands through in-person events. Birdwatching trips, presentations, arts and crafts, bird fairs, habitat clean-ups, and “birdscaping” of home gardens, schools and parks with native plants are just a handful of the events that will take place across the region this year.
We encourage you to get in touch with your local conservation organizations to find out what events are taking place near you, this includes forestry departments too! You can also get together with your friends and family, or community groups and plan your own event. We have lots of activities on our website and YouTube: quizzes, ‘Learn to Sketch’ and origami tutorials, bug hunts, upcycled crafts, outdoor games, and many more that you can do in small or large groups.
Don’t forget to tag us in your photos and videos @birdscaribbean with #CEBF #FromTheNest #WaterSustainingBirdlife
CEBF Small Grants – Apply Now
BirdsCaribbean will once again offer small grants to help cover some CEBF expenses. To apply, send a short proposal via this form, no later than 10 April, 2023. Remember to include in your budget any in-kind funding you can offer: such as volunteer staff time, other materials, etc. You may also send your proposal to CEBF Co-Coordinators: Eduardo Llegus (CEBF@BirdsCaribbean.org) & Aliya Hosein (Aliya.Hosein@BirdsCaribbean.org), and Lisa Sorenson (Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org) with the subject line: CEBF Small Grant Proposal 2023. Please contact Eduardo Llegus if you have any questions or doubts about this. We are looking forward to hearing about the many exciting activities you will be organizing this year.
We call on people of all ages to join us for this year’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival as we celebrate the diversity and endemism of bird species in the region and come together to raise awareness and nurture environmental stewardship.
You can use our beautiful graphics to promote your events for the CEBF – use them as they are (click in each image then right click and choose ‘save as’) or follow the links to use access a Canva template and add you own logos and information!
Bananaquits have a wide distribution and are found throughout the Caribbean, making them a perfect species to use in this study. (Photo by Carlos Henrique L.N. Almeida)
BirdsCaribbean are bringing you some highlights from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in our new feature “Just Published in JCO”. Here Zoya Buckmire, the Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, tells us all about an article exploring the topic of Avian Malaria using data from Bananaquits.
Like humans, birds are susceptible to parasitic infections, including avian malaria. Similarly, they show variations in hemoglobin structure (a protein contained in red blood cells that is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to tissues) that may influence their susceptibility to these infections. Using one of the most widespread West Indian species, the Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), Humphries and Ricklefs aimed to relate variation in hemoglobin structure to avian malaria infection across several islands. In this paper, they present the results of this fascinating study, with suggestions for appropriate markers for further biogeographic analyses.
Figure 2 for the article in JCO shows the locations that the samples came from, reflecting the wide distribution of Bananaquits in the region
This study came about from Humphries’ general interest in the varying distribution of avian malaria parasites and infections across the Caribbean. Bananaquits were a great focal species for this study, being so widespread throughout the region and with documented variability in their parasites among populations, even on the same islands!
The existence of a long-term dataset of Bananaquit blood samples, collected from 2004 to 2017 by Ricklefs and numerous former students of his graduate lab, perfectly set the scene for Humphries to dig into her questions. As the samples were already collected, Humphries was able to skip the field work and jump straight into data analysis. Humphries comments “Although I prefer being in the field in general, data analysis for this project was an adventure!”
She was able to design and optimize the protocols to analyze the blood samples, looking for a link between the structure of specific blood markers and infection by avian malaria parasites.
A Bananaquit in the hand (caught for banding). (Photo by Holly Garrod)
While the authors intended to study the structure of both alpha and beta globin (two key components of hemoglobin), they could not isolate the beta globin, they say “This is especially unfortunate because in humans, it is the beta globin that enables malaria resistance”. This important link may have had implications for human health and further studies of the disease in birds. For the alpha globin, the results were still not ‘significant’, as they did not find any relation between it and susceptibility to avian malaria.
Even though the study results were not as expected, there is always an opportunity to learn. Humphries still felt it was important to publish their results, and we agree. “Publishing null results is a good thing to do! This will save the next researcher the effort of asking the same questions I did and may stimulate someone else to track down that beta globin after all!” Plus, the alpha globin has potential as a genetic marker for further biogeographic studies, and this sets the foundation for a better understanding of population variation, avian malaria, and by extension, malaria in humans.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology publishes the peer-reviewed science on Caribbean birds and their environment that is so important to inform conservation work. All of the publications are free and open-access.
More featured articles from “just published in the jco”
A pair of Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus ridgwayi) constructing a nest atop one of the higher cliffs on the north end of Booby Cay, The Bahamas, on 25 October 2015. (Photo by Shelley Cant-Woodside)
BirdsCaribbean are bringing you some highlights from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in our new feature “Just Published in JCO”. Here Zoya Buckmire, the Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, tells us all about an article characterizing the birdlife of Conception Island National Park in The Bahamas, read on to find out more about this paper, including an exciting story from the field.
In the midst of the central Bahamas archipelago lies the tiny Conception Island National Park. This multi-island park is designated as an Important Bird Area, but until now, its bird diversity was poorly documented. In this paper, Reynolds and Buckner present the first avifaunal list for this park in over a 100 years, with a whopping 68 species, three of which are Bahamian endemics.
Although this is a much-needed update to the bird list of the park, it was not birds that first drew the authors to Conception Island. Reynold and Buckner’s numerous visits to the area, between 1994 and 2017, focused rather on lizards and snakes. But they made the most of each visit by recording everything else they observed, including the birds.
Years later, as Reynolds compiled their collective data from over the decades, the team decided to collate and publish the bird list as they noticed a glaring knowledge gap. “All the other islands surrounding Conception Island had published bird lists, but Conception did not. Conception Island is one of the most important National Parks in the Bahamas, so we felt that we needed to characterize the bird fauna there.” And what an important characterization it is! The last bird lists for the area were published in the late 1800s and did not exceed 13 species; the new estimate of 68 species is a fivefold increase and a testament to the ecological value of the National Park.
A Cape May Warbler. (Photo by Dax Roman)
As is often the case with nature, nothing can be studied in isolation, and in 2015, the authors’ herpetological (reptile-based) and ornithological (bird-based) interests collided. Reynolds gives the following anecdote: “My favorite moment was in 2015 when I found an endemic Critically Endangered silver boa stalking a sleeping Cape May Warbler in the middle of the night. The boa stalked it for about 10 minutes, then lunged to grab it and missed! The boa ended up with a mouth full of primary feathers, and the bird escaped.The boas were only discovered in 2015, so before that we had no idea that a large predator might be hunting the birds on the island. It turns out that the boas hunt the migratory birds as they rest on the island!”
It is always fascinating to witness nature in action, and we only wish that he had gotten a video of that moment!
This study was not without its challenges, of course. The difficulties of conducting research in the Caribbean are only amplified on remote islands. Expenses were a major limitation for Reynolds and Buckner. Trips to and stays on Conception Island were limited by their budget, so they had to maximize each visit. They did this by spreading their efforts over as many locations and at as many different times of day as possible. This produced bird data that was not systematically collected nor suitable for in-depth analyses, but perfect for the inventory presented here.
The brackish pond on the east end of Booby Cay in 2016. This brackish pond is not permanent and is sometimes completely dry. (Photo by R. Graham Reynolds)
The bulk of new bird records were waterbirds and shorebirds from this pond. Including Yellow-crowned Night Heron (pictured). (Photo by Heron-Hemant Kishan)
As for main takeaways, Reynolds and Buckner want to emphasize that “Conception Island is a tremendously important island for Bahamas wildlife, [and] it is hard to overstate how important it is,” both for seabird breeding colonies and as a stopover for migratory birds.
They are hopeful that this research highlights the value of the Conception Island National Park and the need to both study and protect it. The authors themselves have not been back to the area since 2018 due to changes in The Bahamas’ scientific permitting process, but hope that this paper serves as a step in the right direction. Conception Island National Park is a treasure, and further research will be critical for its continued management and conservation.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology publishes the peer-reviewed science on Caribbean birds and their environment that is so important to inform conservation work. All of the publications are free and open-access.
Big Year Cuba 2022 was a year-long birdwatching extravaganza, with birders—old, new, and in-between—across the largest island in the Caribbean competing to observe and record the highest number of species. Our Executive Director, Dr Lisa Sorenson, attended the Awards Ceremony in January. Here we share the amazing results of the competition and its likely impact upon the Cuban population and bird conservation.
The Big Year Cuba 2022 poster featured the charismatic and endemic Cuban Tody.
Together, Cuba’s pandemic crisis and the rise in the access to and use of social media, escalated the local tradition of keeping wild migratory and endemic birds in cages into a likely harmful and unsustainable illegal bird trade. Songbird capture and sales increased dramatically in Cuba over the period 2020-2022 and traffickers smuggling birds from Cuba have been seized at airports in Miami. Both Cuban and international conservation NGOs were alarmed by this dramatic increase. In response, they organized a ‘Big Year Cuba’ in 2022.
The year-long competition encouraged Cubans to don their Citizen Scientist caps and explore their island, while enjoying the birds in their natural habitats rather than in cages. Cuban birder and conservationist, Yaro Rodriguez, came up with the idea for Big Year Cuba. It was his hope that this competition would increase the number of birdwatchers in Cuba and birding hotspots on the island. Most importantly, however, Yaro’s goal was to strengthen and unify the position of the Cuban community of birdwatchers in their role as conservationists.
A small organizing committee was formed in Fall 2021 to plan the rules and guidelines for the competition. This included Yaro, Nils Navarro (Cuban artist, ornithologist and bird guide), Vladimir Mirabel (editor, The Cuban Birder magazine), Jeff Gerbracht (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and Lisa Sorenson (BirdsCaribbean). Generous sponsors (BirdsCaribbean, Optics for the Tropics, Environment for the Americas, and Caribbean Conservation Trust) kindly stepped up to offer cash and other prizes for the winners as well additional prizes for all who competed.
The contest was shared widely via social media on active and growing Cuban Birding Facebook pages and through The Cuban Birder magazine. Competing birdwatchers were required to submit their observations, via checklists, to eBird.
It was an intense year of fraternal competition among the Cuban birdwatchers to register the highest number of species, and the results were amazing. A total of 79 birders from 13 provinces (out of 15) were registered for the competition; 13 were women. Five birdwatchers recorded more than 200 species during the year and more than half of the competitors reported 100 species or more. Today almost the entire island is covered by active observers, contributing to eBird checklists daily.!
Awards Ceremony of the Big Year Cuba 2022
The Awards Ceremony was held at the ranch of the Monte Barreto Ecological Park on January 28, 2023, and attended by Cuban birdwatchers, ornithologists, and conservationists, along with colleagues from Optics for the Tropics, Environment for the Americas, and the Caribbean Conservation Trust. BirdsCaribbean’s Executive Director, Dr Lisa Sorenson, was also present at the ceremony to celebrate this historic achievement and help with awarding of prizes.
BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Dr. Lisa Sorenson congratulating the Organizing Committee and all birdwatchers for making it a highly successful event.
Renowned Cuban artist and ornithologist Nils Navarro opened the ceremony, sharing some of the challenges and rewards of organizing a competition of this magnitude. He highlighted the importance of joining other conservation projects in Cuba to make it a success. He also expressed his pleasure in seeing the genuine enthusiasm among Cuban birdwatchers. As a result of this initiative, areas that no one had observed before can now be explored, as in the case of Media Luna, in the south of Granma. Nils said that his colleague Ricel Polán was able to document, for the first time in the history of Cuban ornithology, the presence of the Caribbean Swallow (Progne dominicensis) nesting in that area!
Members of the organizing committee with winners of the Big Year Cuba competition.
Following this introduction, the highly anticipated winners of the Big Year Cuba 2022 were announced. Alejandro Llanes Sosa won 1st Place with a record of 261 species observed, Carlos Hernández Peraza came in 2nd Place with 242 species, and Sergio Luis del Castillo took home 3rd Place with 223 species. Their full testimonies can be found in the February 2023 issue of The Cuban Birder. Special Mentions were given to other birders who observed and recorded over 100 species. Lastly, Muhammed Halim Machado was recognized for having registered the 400th species in Cuban avifauna: the Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus).
First Place winner Alejandro Sosa.
Second Place winner Carlos Peraza.
Third Place winner Sergio del Castillo.
The ceremony ended with old and new friends mingling over delicious Cuban food and drink, including mojitos.
Invited guests mingle over mojitos at the Awards Ceremony.
The truth is in the eBird data
First place winner Alejandro Llanes in the field making sure he does not miss a bird.
According to eBird statistics, during 2022 Cuba showed a sustained growth in the number of uploaded checklists – placing it, for several months, among the most dynamic countries in the world. For example, in November 2022 the number of checklists grew by 145% compared to November of the previous year; in August, by 126%; in April, by 338% and in March, by 185%.
Between 2015 and 2018, only 30 Cubans signed up for eBird. This number rose to 161 between 2019 and 2022. There has been a significant increase in the number of active Cubans on the platform in the last 4 years!
With respect to participation in Global Big Day, from 2018 to 2020 only 43 observers participated. However, between 2021 and 2022 the participation was significantly higher with a total of 193 birdwatchers.
The number of birding hot spots also increased in Cuba from 237 in June 2021 to 361 at the end of December 2022. The number of reported species also grew in the same period from 361 to 375.
The future of birdwatching and conservation in Cuba
Big Year Cuba 2022 was met with great enthusiasm and commitment by Cubans to expand their knowledge of the incredible bird diversity on the island. The Organizing Committee is already thinking about the next Big Year Cuba competition in 2024, but until then they will continue to foster respect for wild birds and their habitats, across the island.
As a result of Big Year Cuba, many new birding clubs have launched in a number of individual provinces, encouraging more Cubans to enjoy watching and studying wild birds rather than trapping and keeping them in cages. Cuban Birding Facebook pages, including Club de Observadores de Aves Cuba and Aves de Cuba and others, have also seen a dramatic increase in their membership during the last 3 years, with many people sharing their sightings and actively following the pages. BirdsCaribbean and our partners will continue to support these efforts, such as recent grants to our Cuban colleagues through our ongoing grant programs.
Ultimately this effort has helped spark a passion for birding and bird conservation and is helping to raise awareness of threats birds face and the irreversible damage the illegal bird trade can have on wild populations. The Committee is hopeful that, through these initiatives, Cuban society will become well informed to make pro-bird conservation choices, including reporting of illegal wild bird sales and refusing to buy wild birds. We shall keep you updated on our collective efforts!
Big Year Cuba winners, after receiving their awards, took photos with their fellow birders. From left to right: Alejandro Llanes Sosa, Carlos Peraz, Vladimir Mirabel and Sergio del Castillo.
Thank you to the Organizing Committee for your hard work on this initiative and congrats on the overwhelming success of your first Big Year Cuba! Many thanks to our partners who sponsored cash and other prizes and donations of educational materials to Cuban birders. And huge thanks to our members and donors, whose generous support helped to make the Cuba Big Year and our other programs to support Cuban bird research and conservation, possible.
We are pleased to share with you the new edition of the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba, number 6, 2023, by Nils Navarro Pacheco.
The Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba is an annual publication that constitutes the most complete and updated official list of Cuban avifauna. It is the result of a deep and thorough bibliographic review and updating from the field. It serves as a basis for generating regional and global listings and is standardized for use with eBird.
The main objective is to provide up-to-date annual listings of Cuban birds, including reference information on each new report and general statistics about Cuban birdlife, and to serve as a reference platform for ornithological studies in the country. The new list has been enriched with 8 new records for Cuba for a total of 402 species.
This year’s cover highlights the Cuban Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus fringilloides), which could be separated at a specific level very soon. The photo of this beautiful bird was taken by Nils; it is the second most endangered raptor in Cuba.
The 2023 checklist is now available in PDF for free download from the BirdsCaribbean website (see below). The printed version is available on Amazon at a good price. It is not intended to be a field identification guide but is a checklist, updated in accordance with the 63rd supplement of AOS. Nils and the publisher, Ediciones Nuevos Mundos, hope this publication fulfills its role and is useful to all persons interested in Cuban birds and ornithology. Nils welcomes questions or suggestions about the checklist (Nils Navarro).
This checklist edition is dedicated to the memory of Jim Wiley, a great friend, extraordinary person and scientist, a guiding light of Caribbean ornithology. He crossed many troubled waters in pursuit of expanding our knowledge of Cuban birds.
If you are looking for a Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba, you can purchase it here or on Amazon.
Past checklists are all available for download, click on the images below to download a pdf of each.
Whether it’s the regal tropicbird in a crevice, the boisterous Sooty Tern overhead, or the Brown Booby sitting defiantly on its nest, it’s exciting to be among seabirds of all kinds. This year we encourage you to join the excitement during the 2023-2024 Caribbean Seabird Census! (or CSC23/24).
WHO can take part? This groundbreaking effort relies on participants to get out and count seabirds locally. Whether you manage a seabird nesting island as part of your professional duties, are an avid amateur ornithologist or birder, or are new to the seabird world but keen to get involved, you can take part in CSC23/24!
WHEN will CSC23/24 take place?It has already started but will run until the end of 2024! And a bit longer for species that nest over December-January. The best time to census nesting colonies of tropical seabirds is during the peak nesting period. The timing of this peak depends on species and can vary between islands – have a look at our Species Hours webinars (below) to learn more.
HOW to get involved in CSC23/24? Plan and carry out a count at one or more of your seabird colonies! Chances are that if you are a wildlife professional, you are already involved with the Caribbean Seabird Working Group! If not, we encourage you to join our email listserv and our Facebook page for regional information. At the island level, we encourage you to reach out to your local environmental NGOs: most of them already have plans to survey seabirds during CSC23/24 and would welcome any help. Once you have collected census data, you will be able to share it with the Seabird Working Group (more on this below).
Your data will contribute to a regional update of the health of our region’s seabirds, allowing us to determine if historical nesting sites are still active and whether populations are increasing or decreasing compared to previous estimates. We will also be collecting information on localized threats, which can inform conservation actions.
We have put together some great resources to help you get on your way to being a part of this important regional study. Use the links below to find what you need.
Thanks to funding from SPAW-RAC, all of these webinars are available with French subtitles! Spanish translations are on the way. Thanks to Hannah Madden, Frantz Delcroix, and Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez for help with the translations.
Recently we have begun a new series called Species Hours, which covers groups of seabirds; it’s an open forum for experts to share their wisdom and answer questions so you are prepared to go in the field and study seabirds.
Test your knowledge of Caribbean seabirds and field methods with our quizzes, which are linked to our webinar topics! Watch the webinar series to find all the answers (follow the links below for each quiz).
This page is also where you can find the Caribbean Seabirds Monitoring Manual! The manual is a great place to start and is available in English,Spanish and French.
Our Census Data Sheet
We have prepared standardized data sheets which can be used either in the field or as a guide for the types of information the census should include. You may already have a form you use or a well-worn notebook; any format is fine as long as it includes the key elements found in the standardized data sheet.
It’s important everybody collects the same types of information found in the data sheet, such as GPS points, names of observers, species, and number of apparently occupied nests. Using standardized information will allow for easier and more relevant comparison of results across the region.
Once you’ve collected your field data, you’ll need to enter it into our standardized reporting database so we can easily compile and compare everybody’s data.
Your data will then be referenced into the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, a free online, publicly available open-source repository of datasets that will ensure that you remain the full owner of your datasets. Once all CSC23/24 data have been collected, we will reach out to data owners and to Seabird Working Group members for interest in participating in data analyses. If you are keen to be involved in the regional analyses, you can already reach out to us at caribbeanseabirdsurveys@gmail.com. We will also strive to turn the regional analysis of CSC23/24 data into a learning opportunity for all. Once analyzed, the results of the surveys will be shared with the public. We are excited to share what the data tells us about the health of seabirds in the region!
Let’s start surveying!
Grenadines Seabird Guardian citizen scientists (Photo by A. Ollivierre)
The year has already started so we encourage you to get out there and survey year-round breeding seabirds, such as pelicans, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, and boobies which can be found now. The next big surge in nesting will be when migratory seabirds like gulls and terns return.
You can also join the Working Group’s Facebook page to hear about other people’s projects and share about your surveys. We are ready to help make your survey dreams a reality!
Graphics for the 2023-2024 Seabird Census are available in English, Spanish and French. Click on each image in the gallery below to enlarge then right click on an enlarged image and ‘save image as’ to download.
The 2023 Caribbean Seabird Census is jointly organized by BirdsCaribbean and EPIC, with support from SPAW-RAC and individual donations.
Easy to spot because it forages in the understory is a small distinct warbler with an all-yellow head that contrasts with a plain gray body—the Yellow-headed Warbler (Teretistris fernandinae). It occurs over the western third of the main island of Cuba, as well as on the Isle of Youth and Cayo Cantiles. It is one of two warbler species endemic to Cuba.
FOR KIDS: There are two warblers who both live in Cuba and look very much alike, but they’re not the same! Once is today’s endemic bird, the Yellow-headed Warbler, and the other is the Oriente Warbler. Both are mainly gray and yellow! In our activity of the day you need to look carefully at two photos and try to identify the Yellow-headed Warbler. Check the text above for some handy tips.
