Field technicians at the Loma del Toro colony in happier times (Photo by Grupo Jaragua)
Jennifer Wheeler of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group shares some shocking and sad news on the Black-capped Petrel in the Dominican Republic.
In mid-March 2021, researchers from the environmental organization Grupo Jaragua arrived at Loma del Toro, located in the Dominican Republic’s Sierra de Bahoruco National Park. The team’s mission was to check up on the Black-capped Petrel, an endangered seabird endemic to the Caribbean.
The trip to the field site was long and taxing, the final hours of bumpy travel up a steep, unpaved mountain road. Nevertheless, the team was in an upbeat mood, anticipating evidence of the first chicks to be hatched this year.
A shocking sight
Sadly, the researchers’ hopes were soon to be crushed. In the early morning, the forest of Hispaniolan pines that is home to the Black-capped Petrel nesting sites would normally have been full of life, with a noisy dawn-chorus of migrant and resident birds. Instead, the woods seemed a bit quieter than usual. When they reached the nesting sites, the team was met with a scene of carnage. The colony’s burrows were torn up, petrel feathers scattered around, and the remains of eggs and adult petrels dotted the ground. Predators had decimated the colony.
Analysis of camera traps at thirteen nests revealed that several dogs had been visiting the colony regularly since the end of November, and the depredations were the work of one particularly determined dog. This individual killed a minimum of seven adult petrels, likely more were attacked off camera.
Dog invading a Black-capped Petrel burrow at the Loma del Toro colony. An adult petrel was killed outside this burrow in early March. (Photo by Grupo Jaragua)
Rare and vulnerable nesting sites
Only about 100 nests of the Black-capped Petrel have ever been located, after years of searching. These are all in the mountains on Hispaniola (the island comprised of Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Loma del Toro, in the Dominican Republic just east of the Haitian border, hosted 28 of them. Of the 28 known burrows, at least 22 were invaded by the dogs (based on camera traps, visual inspection of nests, and observation of carcasses.) Field teams expect that there were additional yet-to-be-found burrows in the area; these may have been affected as well.
The site has been monitored regularly since 2011. Adults claim burrows in November and December, and usually a high proportion (~70%) of chicks fledge from Loma del Toro in the summer months. There have been disappointments and setbacks before. In 2018, the presence of a cat resulted in the failure of nine nests at Loma del Toro. The loss of breeding adults and destruction of burrows, however, made this year’s scene especially tragic.
An adult Black-capped Petrel in a Loma del Toro burrow in early 2014. Black-capped Petrels nest in colonies in underground burrows located on forested slopes and cliff sides on Hispaniola, generally above 1500 m. They lay just one egg. (Photo by Grupo Jaragua).
Introduced mammals – a destructive threat
Worldwide, animals introduced by humans – rodents, mongoose, cats, dogs, pigs – have devastated native island bird populations. The seabirds that evolved on islands free of mammalian predators are ill-equipped to withstand the pressure of animals evolved to take prey.
Not that Black-capped Petrels and other seabirds are helpless – these are tough birds that spend their lives in the winds and waves of the marine environment. Camera footage shows them battling each other as well as rats. However, seabirds are typically clumsy and slow on land, and nests on or in the ground are easily accessed by predators.
In an endangered species such as the Black-capped Petrel, any death of an adult can have extreme consequences for the health of the entire population. For this reason, the Conservation Action Plan currently being updated by the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group (IBPCG) identifies predation by introduced mammals as a key threat, and reduction of predator pressure as a top strategy. In fact, Grupo Jaragua’s deployment of multiple camera traps was a step in understanding the specifics of the threat at known colonies.
Dog standing over dead Black-capped Petrel. Another petrel, presumably a mate, returned to this burrow in early January (Photo by Grupo Jaragua).
Tackling the challenges
What now? Of course, the park authorities in the Ministry of the Environment have been notified about the specific threat posed by the recently documented group of dogs. The International Black-capped Petrel Group (IBPCG) had already begun to pilot trapping activities for smaller predators such as rats and mongoose. It will also pursue the idea of restoring the Loma del Toro colony using buried nest structures (“artificial burrows”) to provide more secure nesting locations.
Reducing the predation pressure at Loma del Toro and other Black-capped Petrel colonies will be a challenge given the costs and logistics of operating in a remote, mountainous location. Accessing the Black-capped Petrel colonies can only be done by rough unpaved roads that take a heavy toll on the research teams’ trucks. Finally, the IBPCG must also combat the threats of fire, collisions, habitat loss and degradation from agricultural expansion, all while continuing to seek out and study the species in colonies elsewhere in the region.
The Working Group and partners fight on…
Yet, this group’s efforts have always been notable for the level of shared dedication and collaboration to benefit this special bird. The IBPCG has strategies in place to offset many of the conservation threats that the Black-capped Petrel faces annually; some have already shown positive outcomes for the species. The tragedy at Loma del Toro only strengthens the resolve of Grupo Jaragua and its IBPCG partners, which include BirdsCaribbean, the American Bird Conservancy, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) and others – to protect the species and allow it to thrive across its range.
…and need your support
The IBPCG continually strives to raise funds for its work. If you would like to contribute to keeping the Grupo Jaragua field team in the field and support the work to reduce predation pressure and other threats, please give directly to Grupo Jaragua at http://www.grupojaragua.org.do/apoyanos or you can route through a gift through BirdsCaribbean: http://bit.ly/GiftForCaribbeanBirds
More bad news! At press-time, a raging wildfire threatens the remaining birds and burrows of the Loma del Toro colony. We await more information…
Hannah Carey (left) and Marie-Eve Cyr teach kids at the bird festival. (photo by Belmont Estate)
Do House Wrens on Grenada have different songs in different places? In 2017 Marie-Ève Cyr, a masters student from the University of Manitoba, visited Grenada to find out. Read all about her research and the celebration of Grenada’s birds that Marie-Ève and her lab-mates held whilst on the Island.
Back in 2017, I had the chance to visit the island of Grenada and the southern West Indies on a field course with other students from the University of Manitoba. As a group, we were there to learn about the natural history of the island, local socioeconomics, and sustainable tourism. As a researcher with the Koper lab at the University of Manitoba, I also planned to study resident House Wrens. During our stay we were helped and guided by a multitude of wonderful local organizations, including Belmont Estate, SPECTO, and Almost Paradise Cottages.
Learning from each other
Beyond academic goals, we wanted to give back to the community. As part of the field course, we created the 2017 edition of Celebration of Grenada’s Birds Festival, hosted by Belmont Estate, where we taught local children about Grenada’s avian fauna. The festival was a success and an amazing experience. But during the field course, I also collected recordings of Grenada House Wren songs, and in October 2020, my colleagues and I published a paper about these recordings in the journal Bioacoustics. So, during our stay in Grenada, we learned from the community and they learned from us.
Click on photos below to view larger and see captions.
Rojin Amani at teaching table festival. (photo by Belmont Estate).
Zoya Buckmire releasing Lesser Antillean Tanager. (photo by Belmont Estate)
Changing their tune in the city
This research on Grenada House Wrens started from discussions with other Canadian students who had visited Grenada before me. We were discussing how the Grenada House Wrens appeared to sing differently from those they usually hear in Canada; and that there were variations in their song across the island. However, we could not find any studies on House Wren songs in Grenada. My interest was piqued! Because my background is the study of the effect of noise and human activity on birds, those two ideas merged in my mind. I focused my attention on figuring out whether those differences in the House Wren songs that my colleagues had identified were associated with the human presence in their environment. As it turned out, my colleagues were right. House Wrens did sing differently in different parts of the island, and adjusted their song when living in urban habitats.
Kim Wetten and Lee Sutcliffe with a House Wren. (photo by Belmont Estate)
Singing in different spaces
House Wrens are found throughout North and South America. They are one of the most widely distributed species and their song is extremely variable. With a variety of life history traits throughout its range, there is some discussion about the status of the House Wren as a single species with over 30 recognized subspecies. Could one or more of these subspecies qualify as full species?
Accompanied by two colleagues, I recorded House Wrens in five urban areas and five rural areas in Grenada in 2016 and 2017. Grenada is a Small Island Developing State, where cities are characterized by buildings a few storeys tall. The capital of St. George’s has fewer than 40,000 inhabitants. This contrasts greatly with big cities in North America and makes this research all the more interesting. Since most of the literature regarding urbanization and its impact on birds was done in North American cities, it is hard to look at them within the context of Grenada. We felt that birds in Grenada, including House Wrens, might deal with the challenges of urban environments differently.
A lovely Grenada House Wren in the hand. House Wrens are widely distributed across North America, South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. They are migratory in northern latitudes but are year-round breeding residents in the tropics and much of South America. House Wrens are resident in the Lesser Antilles islands of Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, and Barbados.
Competing with the humans
We found that House Wrens did adjust their singing style in urban areas to improve their communication, using a mix of strategies. As is often observed in North American birds, they increased the lower frequency of part of their songs, specifically the introductory part. This reduces the masking of their song caused by the noise created by humans. However, unlike their North American counterparts, they sang faster trills in urban habitats. Fast trills can quickly disappear in closed habitats, but can also transmit further. This might explain why Grenadian House Wrens increase the number of trills as a compensatory mechanism in urban settings. It also suggests that birds in Grenada, and in other parts of the Caribbean, face different challenges compared to birds in larger North American cities. Why might this be?
Grenada House Wren singing. (photo by Kim Wetten)
Birds and buildings
The high number of large and tall buildings, such as skyscrapers, in North American cities create a closed environment. There are lots of opportunities for echoes and the reverberation of sounds from the walls of buildings. But in Grenada, the dense and tall surrounding forest might actually be more closed than urban surroundings. Buildings in Grenada’s towns are generally less than four storeys tall, are not very close together, and are separated by roads. This is a good reminder that socio-economic context is important to consider, and bioacoustics research should expand its scope outside North America. More research from the Koper lab is ongoing in Grenada—there is much more to learn, so stay tuned!
Marie-Ève Cyr is a graduate student working on her Master of Natural Resource Management in the lab of Professor Nicola Koper at the University of Manitoba. Her current focus is on bioacoustics research and conservation biology, studying bird species under anthropogenic pressures in the Canadian prairies and the Caribbean.
Dr. Nicola Koper is a Professor in the Natural Resources Institute of the University of Manitoba. She studies avian conservation biology in Canada and the Neotropics. Currently, she is focusing on effects of anthropogenic noise, oil and gas activity, and agroecology of birds.
Click on photos below to view larger and see captions.
Zoya Buckmire holding a Black-whiskered Vireo with Kim Wetten at Belmont. (photo by Belmont Estate)
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch. (photo by Paul Des Brisay)
Kim Wetten banding a Mangrove Cuckoo. (photo by Belmont Estate)
Common Ground Doves. Photo by Paul Des Brisay.
Chris de Ruyck teaching Wing String 2019. (photo by Belmont Estate)
Black morph of the Bananaquit. (photo by Paul Des Brisay)
Perhaps it all started with chickens! Orlando with two Rhode Island Red chickens in Third grade. A gift from his father for being in the top 10 of the class.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our dearest friend and colleague, renowned Cuban Biologist and Ornithologist, and living legend, Orlando H. Garrido Calleja, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, March 1st, 2021! Orlando, you are a jewel in the crown of Caribbean ornithology, and a treasured friend to so many!!! We wish you excellent health and many more years of happiness enjoying your work, passions, and company of dear family and friends!
In this article, Nils Navarro Pacheco pays tribute to Orlando in honor of his birthday, describing his many contributions to science, taxonomy, and natural history in Cuba, as well as his personal qualities of humility, generosity, and kindness. (scroll down for español) Many of Orlando’s colleagues also give testimonials about Orlando’s many achievements and contributions in a wonderful video by AvesPuertoRico (scroll down to view video).
I thank my BirdsCaribbean colleagues for giving me the opportunity to write this tribute to my beloved and admired friend and teacher, Orlando Garrido Calleja, on his ‘first’ 90th birthday. And I say ‘first’, because (simply) Garrido, as everyone calls him, is History, and history outlives human beings forever and ever.
Emeritus ornithologist and living legend, Orlando Garrido, sharing stories from the field while showing us his endemic bird collection; BirdsCaribbean Cuba Bird Tour. (Photo by Susan Jacobson)
Natural sciences in Cuba has in Garrido one of their most illustrious sons, whose awards have transcended national borders to become a symbol for generations of Caribbean naturalists. Nobody else has been able to explore each landscape and each animal entity of this archipelago and beyond in the same way; venturing into a great diversity of zoological groups, ranging from beetles to mammals, and it is in birds and reptiles, where his greatest scientific contributions lie. All in a historical context where there were no books or field guides like there are today. When he went to the field it was almost “blindly,” only with a backpack full of the passion and spirit of a “discoverer,” a word that would define him as a man of science. These were times when neither GPS nor digital technology existed, and the Internet had not even been thought of. His bibliographic reviews are incredible and even today I often ask him how they could do it in those days, to which he only responds with his characteristic smile.
Garrido is an example of greatness, simplicity and humility, as is common from greatest men of science, and also he is a person with great insight and irreverent sense of humor. Garrido does not skimp on sharing his knowledge and discoveries with other colleagues. When I met him, many years ago, I saw him as something unattainable; I remember the first time when Alfredo Rams, a mutual friend and former director of the Holguín Natural History Museum, took me to his house. That was precisely when I began to become more interested in herpetology, on that occasion Garrido, with that spontaneity that characterizes him, provided me with all the basic and necessary information to be able to delve into what later were new species that we would describe together, from that moment he has been my mentor and enduring advisor.
It is surprising how this nonagenarian sportsman turned scientist, mind is still so clear and fluid, personally, I consider it as we call here ‘mataburros’ (donkeys’ killer = encyclopedia), when I have any questions I just call him by phone. Garrido still remembers details from any of his publications, from expeditions in the 1960s, and describes them with the same passion as in those days. Anyone would think that Garrido is an excellent teacher, nothing could be further away, because they do not ask him to give them a class. His patience would not allow it, neither his nor yours… However, with Garrido, you learn by his side, with his example; Garrido is a school unto itself.
Orlando Garrido, Nils Navarro and Herb Raffaele at the 21st International Conference of BirdsCaribbean, in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July, 2017. Orlando was awarded a BirdsCaribbean Lifetime Achievement Award.
I will not do the story of his life, but we attach his full biography so that it is available to all. From that boy who raised chickens, to that boy who dropped out of biology at the University to become an internationally famous tennis player (he played six times at Wimbledon and still has the sweater from 1958!), representing Cuba in countless national and international competitions of the highest category. And from there he went on to become the pride of Cuban science.
I would like to summarize in a paragraph the greatness of his research. Garrido has to his credit the discovery of four mammalian taxa and the description of: 58 insect taxa, 21 birds, 90 reptiles (37 of them at the species level), and he holds the world record in species description of the genus Anolis. Also 78 new records among birds, reptiles, and coral fish, 23 taxa have been dedicated to him, and in total he has 298 publications.
Orlando, today I want to congratulate you with all my heart for having reached such an advanced age, with such energy and clarity, and also extend it to that person who by your side has allowed you to be who you are, to Gloria, your wife, that sweet and kind being who has “put up with you” for all these years, because as the saying goes: Behind every great man there is always a great woman…!
Personally, I would like to give you the dedication of my new book (in prep), for which you are and will continue to be an inspiration, and your legacy is inextricably linked to each of its pages:
Dear Orlando, this is my gift for your first 90 years. I dedicate this new “Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba” to you on behalf of all those who in one way or another love and enjoy the nature of Cuba and the Caribbean. In its pages and illustrations are engraved your countless teachings, adventures, studies, and discoveries. To you who have always been our example, with your enthusiasm and infinite energy, your invaluable contributions to science, your simplicity and your friendship. To you who are Great among the Greats, with the pride of being your disciple and friend!
Hover over each photo to see the caption – click on any photo to view the photos as a slide show. Thank you to Orlando’s wife, Gloria, for providing most of these precious photos to us!
Orlando and Reynaldo Garrido Calleja
Orlando, on the roof of the house of Perseverancia 258 between Neptuno and Escobar. Havana
Orlando Garrido Calleja
With the medal of the Sacred Heart
Orlando Garrido Calleja.
Perhaps it all started with chickens! Orlando with two Rhode Island Red chickens in Third grade. A gift from his father for being in the top 10 of the class.
Finalist in singles and doubles with Eduardo Zuleta, Ecuador. Rey Garrido when he won the Quebec, Canada Open. 1959.
Playing ball at El Vedado Tennis
Clandestine historical photo. Coffin of the Egyptian Pharaoh Cheops, in the Pyramid of Cheops, Cairo, Egypt. 1958
In front of the Pyramid of Cheops, Cairo, Egypt
Humboldt Expedition. Cuba-La Rada.
On a street in Calcutta, India, taking notes to include in my memoirs while Eduardo Argón, from Uruguay, took the photo. 1958
After a hunt with Warren, Popeye, Jacques. Australia.
La Fe, Pinar del Río, a future new subspecies. With the taxidermist Felino González
Cochabamba. Bolivia, with a sloth
With Florentino García Montaña and Telmo Naranjo, taxidermist, in Cayo Pugas, Tunas de Zaza.
Common Loon, Gavia Immer. First Record for the Antilles and Cuba.
With an Iguana, Juan García Cay, San Felipe Keys.
With Florentino García Montaña and Felino González, la Fe, Pinar del Río
Bare-necked breed of chickens created by Orlando Garrido
Bare-necked breed of chickens created by Orlando Garrido
Celebration of the First Anniversary of the Collections Department of the National Museum of Natural History. 1988.
Recording bird songs with George Reynalds
Orlando and Ornithologist George Reynalds. Recording bird songs.
Orlando and Ornithologist George Reynalds. Recording bird songs.
Orlando recording bird songs.
With ornithologist Lester Short, entomologist Esteban Gutiérrez. Arachnologist Giraldo Alayón, Jennifer Horne, wife of South African ornithologist Lester Short
Zapata Swamp. 1982
Isla de Pinos, March 1984
With George Reynard March 1984
With George Reynard March 1984
Ornithologist George Reynard, Ornithologist from Kenya, South Africa, Mrs. Jennifer Horne, wife of North American ornithologist specialist in woodpeckers Lester L. Short and Orlando
Holguín – Guantánamo. 1 April 1986.
Holguín, Río Jaguaní
Holguín, Río Jaguaní
With Jorge de la Cruz
Key West Florida- 1993
Key West Florida-1993
Key West Florida-1993
Key West Florida-1993
Monte Verde, Costa Rica, Marzp 1994
With Florentino García Montaña, tourism specialist
With George Reynard, 1994
Puerto Rico. Orlando Garrido, Alberto Areces, Antonio Pérez Asso, Riberto Arencibia and Víctor L. González.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Caracas, Venezuela.
Caracas, Venezuela.
Orlando Garrido and Mario Llamas, former Mexican National Tennis Champion. Acapulco, November 1995
Tribute to Gilberto Silva Taboada. José Fernández Milera and Orlando Garrido Calleja. University of Havana
Tribute to Gilberto Silva Taboada. José Fernández Milera and Orlando Garrido Calleja. University of Havana
Tribute to Gilberto Silva Taboada. José Fernández Milera and Orlando Garrido Calleja. University of Havana
With Rogelio García, El Pelao, Orlando’s first guide in Zapata Swamp.
With Rogelio García, El Pelao, Orlando’s first guide in Zapata Swamp.
With bird watchers in Santo Tomás, Zapata Swamp.
With bird watchers in Santo Tomás, Zapata Swamp.
International Congress of Zoology. Topes de Collantes, Trinidad, 15th November, 2007.
International Congress of Zoology, with Luis Diaz. Topes de Collantes, Trinidad, 15th November, 2007
International Congress of Zoology, with Arturo Kirkconnell. Topes de Collantes, Trinidad, 15th November, 2007
International Congress of Zoology, with Luis, Arturo, Alayón, Silva, Ivonne y Esteban. Topes de Collantes, Trinidad, 15th November, 2007
International Congress of Zoology, with Luis, Arturo, Silva, Esteban y los otros. Topes de Collantes, Trinidad, 15th November, 2007
Group photo at the third NAOC Conference in Baton Rough, Louisiana, in September 2002. (photo by Mike Sorenson)
Victor Joseph (Antigua), Orlando Garrido, and Leo Douglas (Jamaica), At the third NAOC Conference in Baton Rough, Louisiana, in September 2002. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
International Congress of Zoology, Trinidad, 15th November, 2007
International Congress of Zoology, Trinidad, 15th November, 2007
Orlando signing “The Birds of Cuba”. November 2014JPEG_420
Orlando Garrido in his Wimbledon sweater from 1958
Esteban Gutiérrez, Orlando Garrido, Arturo Kirkconnell and James Wiley
Group photo during the 21st International Conference of BirdsCaribbean, in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July, 2017
From left to right: Vicente Berovides, Orlando Garrido and Nils Navarro. 21st International meeting of Birds Caribbean, in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July, 2017.
From left to right: Vicente Berovides, Pedro Regalado, Orlando Garrido and Hiram González. 21st International meeting of Birds Caribbean, in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July, 2017.
During the award ceremony for Orlando Garrido’s lifelong work and presentation of a documentary about his life and work. 21st International conference of BirdsCaribbean, in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July, 2017. Maikel Canizares and Lisa Sorenson present a BirdsCaribbean Lifetime Achievement Award to Orlando.
Orlando Garrido, Nils Navarro and Herb Raffaele at the 21st International Conference of BirdsCaribbean, in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July, 2017. Orlando was awarded a BirdsCaribbean Lifetime Achievement Award.
From left to right: Nils Navarro, Orlando Garrido and Esteban Gutiérrez. During Illustration event in Cuba, Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Man, April 2019.
From left to right: Orlando Garrido, Vicente Berovides, Alberto Estrada, Santos Cubilla, and Aslam Ibrahim Castellón, Garrido’s home.
From left to right: Orlando Garrido and Nils Navarro. During the launch of the Cuba Endemic Birds Field Guide. Felipe Poey Museum, University of Havana, 2015.
Visit with Orlando at his home in Havana (2016) – Lisa Sorenson, Jim Wiley (RIP), Orlando, and Ann Sutton.
Emeritus ornithologist and living legend, Orlando Garrido, sharing stories from the field while showing us his endemic bird collection; BirdsCaribbean Cuba Bird Tour. (Photo by Susan Jacobson)
Orlando Garrido regales our group with stories of his Cuban adventures as a biologist and tennis pro! BirdsCaribean Cuba Bird Tour (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Orlando Garrido and Herb Raffaele, at Orlando’s home in Havana, January 2017 (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Joanne Justo-Gaymes, Orlando Garrido, and Glenroy (Pewee) Gaymes at the BirdsCaribbean Conference in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July 2017 (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Lisa Sorenson and Orlando Garrido – It’s always a delight to visit with Orlando, who is so vivacious and full of stories!
Group photo with Orlando at his home in Havana. BirdsCaribbean Cuba Bird Tour, January 2019.
Group photo with Orlando at his home in Havana. BirdsCaribbean Cuba Bird Tour, January 2020.
Tribute video to Orlando Garrido, presented at the BirdsCaribbean 21st International Conference in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July 2017:
Presentation of a lifetime achievement award to Orlando Garrido, at the BirdsCaribbean 21st International Conference in Topes de Collantes, Cuba, July 2017:
Homenaje a Orlando H. Garrido en sus 90 años
Agradezco a los colegas de BirdsCaribbean por darme la oportunidad de escribir este homenaje al querido y admirado amigo y maestro Orlando Garrido Calleja, en sus primeros 90 cumpleaños. Y digo primeros, pues Garrido (a secas), como le llaman todos, es Historia y la historia simplemente sobrevive a los seres humanos por los siglos de los siglos.
Las ciencias naturales en Cuba tienen en Garrido a uno de sus hijos más ilustres, cuyos lauros han sobrepasado las fronteras nacionales para convertirse en símbolo para generaciones de naturalistas caribeños. Nadie como él ha sido capaz de adentrarse en cada paisaje y en cada entidad animal de este archipiélago y fuera de él, incursionando en una gran diversidad de grupos zoológicos, que va desde los coleópteros hasta los mamíferos. Y es en las aves y los reptiles, donde radican sus mayores aportes científicos. Todo en un contexto histórico donde no existían libros ni guías de campo como ahora, cuando se iba al campo casi “a ciegas”, solo con una mochila llena de la pasión y el espíritu de un “descubridor”, palabra que pudiera resumirlo como hombre de ciencia. Eran tiempos donde ni existía GPS, ni tecnología digital y menos se pensaba en la Internet. Sus revisiones bibliográficas son increíbles y aún hoy le pregunto, a menudo, como fue que las pudieron hacer en aquellos tiempos, a lo que él solo responde con su característica sonrisa.
Garrido es un ejemplo de grandeza, sencillez y humildad, como es típico de los grandes hombres de ciencia y, además, una persona con una gran perspicacia e irreverente sentido del humor. Garrido no escatima en compartir sus conocimientos y descubrimientos con otros colegas. Cuando lo conocí, hace ya muchos años, lo veía como algo inalcanzable. Recuerdo la primera vez, cuando Alfredo Rams, amigo común y antiguo director del Museo de Historia Natural de Holguín, me llevó a su casa. Ahí fue precisamente cuando comencé a interesarme más por la herpetología, en esa oportunidad Garrido, con esa espontaneidad que lo caracteriza, me brindó toda la información básica y necesaria para poder profundizar en lo que luego fueran nuevas especies que describiríamos juntos, desde ese momento ha sido mi mentor y consultor permanente.
Es sorprendente como este hombre nonagenario devenido en científico desde el mundo del deporte, posee su mente aun tan clara y fluida. En lo personal, lo considero, como decimos acá, un “mataburro”, cuando tengo alguna duda simplemente lo llamo por teléfono. Garrido aún recuerda detalles de cualquiera de sus publicaciones y de expediciones de los años 60, describiéndolos con el mismo apasionamiento que en aquellos días. Cualquiera pensaría que Garrido es un excelente profesor, nada más alejado de eso, pues no le pidan que les dé una clase, su paciencia no se lo permitiría, sí, ni la de él ni la suya… Sin embargo, con Garrido se aprende, a su lado, con su ejemplo, Garrido es una escuela en sí mismo.
No voy a hacer la historia de su vida, sino que adjuntaremos su biografía completa para que esté disponible para todos. De aquel niño que criaba pollitos, hasta aquel muchacho que dejó la carrera de biología en la universidad para llegar a ser un tenista internacionalmente famoso, representando a Cuba en un sinnúmero de certámenes nacionales e internacionales de la más alta categoría y de ahí pasó a convertirse en gloria y orgullo de la ciencia cubana.
Quisiera resumir en un párrafo la grandeza de sus investigaciones. Garrido tiene en su haber el descubrimiento de cuatro taxones de mamíferos y la descripción de 58 taxones de insectos, 21 de aves y 90 de reptiles (37 de ellos a nivel de especie), ostentando el récord mundial en la descripción de especies del género Anolis. Ha realizado 78 nuevos registros entre aves, reptiles y peces coralinos; 23 taxones le han sido dedicados y en total posee 298 publicaciones.
Orlando, hoy quiero felicitarte de todo corazón por haber llegado a tan avanzada edad, con tal energía y claridad y además hacerlo extensivo a esa persona que estando a tu lado ha permitido que seas quien eres, a Gloria, tu esposa, ese ser dulce y amable que te ha “soportado” todos estos años, porque como dice la frase: ¡Detrás de todo gran hombre siempre existe una gran mujer…!
A título personal quisiera regalarte la dedicatoria de mi nuevo libro, para el cual tú eres y seguirás siendo inspiración y tu legado está ligado indisolublemente a cada una de sus páginas:
Querido Orlando, este es mi regalo por tus primeros 90 años. Te dedico esta nueva “Guía de campo de las aves de Cuba” en nombre de todos los que de una forma u otra aman y disfrutan de la naturaleza de Cuba y del Caribe. En sus páginas e ilustraciones están grabados tus incontables enseñanzas, aventuras, estudios y descubrimientos. A ti que has sido siempre nuestro ejemplo, con tu entusiasmo e infinita energía, tus inestimables aportes a la ciencia, tu sencillez y tu amistad. ¡Para ti que eres Grande entre los Grandes, con el orgullo de ser tu discípulo y amigo!
Nota: Hemos dispuesto un espacio para todos los colegas que deseen enviar mensajes de felicitación a Orlando. Los que lo conocen, saben que todos los que hemos interactuado con él tenemos siempre una anécdota que contar, ¡Bienvenidas sean entonces también sus anécdotas!
It’s that time of year when Caribbean waterbirds get a chance to shine! Between the 14th of January and the 3rd of February, despite the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, binoculars, cameras and scopes were turned in their direction as they pottered about along our coastlines. Yes, it was the 12th annual Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC), an opportunity not only to count but also to learn and to raise awareness of these fascinating birds.
Learning the finer points of waterbird and shorebird ID on one of BirdsCaribbean waterbird ID webinars (image from Waterbirds ID Webinar Part II: Shorebirds; photo by Hemant Kishan)
This past year, it has been hard to meet in person and many events have ‘gone virtual.’ In keeping with this, BirdsCaribbean kicked off the 2021 CWC with a series of three online CWC webinars. The first focused on the importance of the Caribbean Waterbird Census, and explained how to participate. Our other two webinars concentrated on how to identify wetland birds, with a whole session dedicated to Shorebirds – a group that can tricky to identify, and are certainly a challenge when starting out! These webinars provided helpful reminders to those who have participated before and were an introduction to those new to the CWC. If you are looking for waterbird survey and ID tips, all three webinars are available to watch on BirdsCaribbean’s Youtube channel. In Puerto Rico, Sergio Colón and José Colón of Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (SOPI) also presented a webinar on the common waterbird species in Puerto Rico to help people brush-up on their bird ID before doing CWC surveys.
Many of our partners took part in the 2021 CWC across our region. In Venezuela, with support from dedicated volunteers and BirdsCaribbean, Ave Zona carried out CWC surveys across an impressive number of different sites on several offshore islands and cays that are important to shorebirds and waterbirds, including some of the important wetland habitats on Margarita Island. They shared some of the species seen during their surveys on social media, including Laughing Gulls, Comb Duck, Great Blue Heron, Wilson’s Plover, and many other shorebird species. This is an amazing effort by Ave Zona given the logistical difficulties involved in travel in Venezuela.
Birders across our region took part in CWC 2021 (click to enlarge photos)
Birders from Ave Zona on on of their CWC surveys (Photo by Ave Zona)
Paula-Anne Porter and her birding group. Celebrating World Wetlands day with CWC surveys (Photo by Paula-Anne Porter)
BirdLife Jamaica celebrated Word Wetlands Day (2nd February) a few days early, with a weekend of wetland-themed activities including Caribbean Waterbird Census surveys in locations in and around Kingston Harbour. Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstones, Belted Kingfishers, and a Louisiana Waterthrush were amongst the birds recorded. One of the surprises of the weekend, shared on Twitter by radio broadcaster and avid birder Paula-Anne Porter, was the sighting of a Brown Booby in the fishing village of Port Royal near the entrance to the harbour – “a rare sight in these parts” as it largely breeds on outlying cays. Additionally, several banded birds were spotted; one Sanderling, when reported, was recorded as having been banded in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 2019.
Piping Plover with a Snowy Plover spotted on Anguilla- can you tell which is which? (Photo by Nature Explorers Anguilla)
On Anguilla, Nature Explorers Anguilla wrapped up their CWC by identifying an impressive 53 species on their surveys! Their sightings included the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, with a beautiful photograph of this bird shared on social media (see Gallery at end for this and other photos taken during CWC2021). Nature Explorers also shared an exciting and rare sighting, when a birding group spotted a Piping Plover hanging out with some Snowy Plovers, at Cove Pond Important Bird Area. The two species look similar but the Piping Plover can be picked out by its bright orange legs and short ‘stubby’ bill. Piping Plovers are not often seen on Anguilla, but this might be a favourite location for them, as one was seen in the same spot last year.
Garganey seen on Guadeloupe during CWC 2021 (Photo by Anthony Levesque )
Other rare waterbirds seen during this year’s CWC included a Garganey spotted on one of his CWC surveys by Anthony Levesque in Guadeloupe. This is only the second record of this species for the Island!
In Antigua the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) and their ‘ Wadadli Warblers’ Birding Club split into teams and organised several CWC Level 2 counts at three different sites. During their census they managed to count a fantastic total of 42 bird species. The EAG used the need to wear face masks during COVID as an excuse to get creative. They challenged people to join in their bird ‘mask-erade’ by designing bird-themed face masks to celebrate the finale of their CWC. The results were some wonderful, fun, and colourful creations. The winning prize went to Auriel Hunte for her Snowy Egret-inspired Mask. Read more about the EAG’s CWC activities and check out some more of the bird masks in our blog post from Shanna Challenger and Britney Hay.
EAG’s Mask-erade Competition for the 2021 CWC – click to enlarge photos
Flyer for EAG’s Bird Mask-erade
Winning mask of the EAG’s Wadadli Warblers “Mask-erade,” designed by Auriel Hunte after the beautiful Snowy Egret
Over in Grenada, a wonderful flock of 92 Blue-winged Teal was spotted on La Sagesse Pond; and 3KC Birding Adventures recorded some nice footage of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks on Antoine Lake.
Challenges there were, but this year’s CWC yielded some interesting results. Most importantly, many of our partners did get out and about and enjoyed an array of species, while counting furiously!
A huge thank you from BirdsCaribbean to all those who took part in the Caribbean Waterbird Census this year- your survey results help us keep track of what is going on with waterbirds in our region and identify trends and important sites for waterbirds. Big thanks also to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, and our members and donors for supporting our Caribbean Waterbird Census! Don’t forget you can do CWC surveys at your wetland all through the year, find out more about CWC and how to take part here and find fantastic resources to help you here.
More photos from our partners during CWC 2021 – ENJOY!
Flock of Laughing Gulls in flight in Venezuela (Photo by Ave Zona)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron seen by Nature Explorers Anguilla during their CWC survey (Photo by Nature Explorers Anguilla)
Piping Plover, spotted on Anguilla- a rare sighting (Photo by Nature Explorers Anguilla)
Orange Valley Mudflat in Trinidad during CWC2021 (photo by Mark Hulme)
CWC survey on the West Coast Mudflats Trinidad (Photo by Mark Hulme)
Identifying shorebirds during a CWC survey on the West Coast Mudflats Trinidad (photo by Mark Hulme)
Shorebirds spotted by Ave Zone during one of their CWC surveys (Photo by Ave Zona)
One of the fun entries in EAG’s “maskerade” contest!
The Snowy Egret in its natural habitat, which Miss Hunte’s mask was designed after. (photo by Nick Hollands)
Lovely artwork on a mask from EAG’s “maskerade” competition for the CWC 2021.
Another clever mask from EAG’s competition – can you tell what species this is?
Shanna Challenger shows off her White-cheeked Pintail mask – we love it!
The #McKinnonsMallards conducting their bird surveys at the McKinnon’s Saltpond for the Caribbean Waterbird Census. (photo by Shanna Challenger)
The EAG Bird Club “Wadadli Warblers” celebrating the completion of another successful CWC count in Antigua.
This Brown Booby was spotted on Jamaica during CWC surveys.
A banded Ruddy Turnstone seen during CWC2021 on Jamaica
This Sanderling, seen in Jamaica was banded in Saskatchewan, Canada in 2019
Enjoy this video of the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks seen on Antoine Lake, Grenada
Some birders posted about their CWC surveys on instagram
Ajhermae White helps students of the Grade 5 class of Look Out Primary School with shorebird ID during their field trip at Marguerita Bay. (Photo by Stephen Mendes)
Enthusiasm is a key ingredient when observing, teaching, and talking about birds. For Ajhermae White, organizing a shorebird education initiative funded by BirdsCaribbean on her native Montserrat was a learning experience for her as well as her audiences, and a deeply satisfying one all around. Here is Ahjermae’s account of her journey as a shorebird educator – with young children, frigatebirds, and Government officials thrown into the mix.
The ‘Education on Shorebirds in Montserrat’ project is an initiative carried out by the island’s Department of Environment and sponsored by BirdsCaribbean. The aim is to spread awareness of shorebirds and their habitats. Once island residents learn more about these birds and understand their significance, the likelihood of threats to shorebirds, such as habitat destruction and human disturbance, will be reduced. As the project leader, I was really excited about the possible outcomes of this initiative.
The journey of being a shorebird educator has been a fulfilling experience. It has been a real privilege for me as the project leader to be given the opportunity to educate the local populace, in schools and among the general population about this fascinating topic. This has afforded me personal growth in addition to the enormous pleasure of sharing my passion for birds and their habitats.
Cleaning Up the Beaches Where Shorebirds Hang Out
Young girls participating in the clean-up. (Photo by Stephen Mendes)
The first major activity of this project was hosting a beach clean-up, in August 2020. Together with my colleagues from the Department of Environment, we brought the local community together to clean a shorebird habitat ahead of the migratory season.
We chose Marguerita Bay, which is located on the eastern side of the island, for this clean-up. Debris is constantly deposited on this beach as a consequence with the tides of the Atlantic Ocean. Nonetheless, this beach has been a popular site for shorebirds on Montserrat during the migratory season.
It was a good turnout of volunteers of all ages, from various community groups. I found it quite surprising to see the various types of items that were collected from the beach. These included items such as fishnets, clothing items, shoes, and even a 20 pound propane bottle! This clean-up was a success. An amazing 1,300 pounds of trash was removed from the beach. As such, the beach was much cleaner for the 2020 fall migrants.
Click on photos to enlarge
Some of the participants of the beach clean-up. (Photo by Stephen Mendes)
Participants collecting trash at the beach clean-up. (Photo by Stephen Mendes)
Working in Schools and Communities
Ajhermae White giving a shorebird presentation to the Grade 6 students of the Brades Primary School. (Photo by Rianna Thomas)
During the month of October 2020, we were out in the schools and communities, conducting outreach sessions. We gave presentations and organized field trips. We conducted outreach sessions with The Rotaract Club; grade classes in three primary schools; two groups with members of the public; and last but not least, an After School Club of four to six-year-olds.
For most of the school engagements, we made presentations in the afternoons. The following morning, we took the students out on the field trip, as soon as the school day started.
The students listened intently and participated actively in all the presentations, which was impressive. We talked to them about “What is a shorebird?” and went on to discuss their habitats, feeding habits, and threats to their survival. We then described some common shorebirds on Montserrat.
Semipalmated Sandpiper at Marguerita Bay during the field trip with the Grade 6 students of the Brades Primary School.
We made sure that these presentations included many pictures and videos of shorebirds and their habitats. Some classes had interesting questions. I specifically recall that during one presentation a student asked whether the Killdeer was the adult version of the Semipalmated Plover. When the student asked this, I felt a sense of gratification. This not only demonstrated that they were paying attention but that they were engrossed sufficiently to spot the similarities and differences and between the different species.
After every presentation, we gave the students a short quiz with spot prizes. After the quiz, every student was given a token (badge, sticker, pamphlet, or bird band). Needless to say, they were very excited to be “little ambassadors” for migratory shorebirds with their stickers and other tokens.
Meanwhile, Out in the Field…Frigatebirds Were a “Hit”
Our first stop for every field trip was the recently-cleaned Marguerita Bay, where students were thrilled to see shorebirds like the Sanderling, Pectoral Sandpiper, and the Semipalmated Sandpiper. However, as the month of October progressed, there were fewer sightings, as the shorebirds were moving on.
During every field trip at Marguerita Bay, we could count on the Magnificent Frigatebirds to put on a show by flying very low and putting on acrobatic performances when swooping down to drink water from the pond. It was as if they enjoyed the attention from the young bird-watchers, who could observe the sexual dimorphism in this species.
Even if there weren’t many shorebirds to see at the beach at the time of the visit, the Frigatebirds captivated the students. The After School Club birders (4-6 year olds) were mesmerized by the Magnificent Frigatebirds. I recall that I wasn’t certain whether these little ones would understand terms like “female”, “male” and “juvenile,” so to simplify for these kindergartners, I told them which frigatebirds were “girls”, “boys” and “babies”. They kept shouting out “That one’s a baby bird!” They were so funny.
Some of the information about the shorebirds was in Spanish, so I made sure that any student who spoke Spanish as a first language was able to see the Spanish names as well for the various species. Those students also received a Spanish Shorebird poster.
All Went Well With the Student Birders!
Students from the After-School Club are excited to identify shorebirds with Scriber at Marguerita Bay, Montserrat (photo by Ajhermae White)
The second stop during the field trips was to Carr’s Bay. This area is near a busy road so we always took extra precautions when visiting this area. Students spotted species like the Sanderling, LesserYellowlegs, GreaterYellowlegs, SolitarySandpiper, and others wading in the water. There were also a few other wetland bird species that the students were able to identify, such as the Common Gallinule and the Snowy Egret.
When we returned to the classroom we distributed refreshments and provided additional tokens. I gave students a shorebird word search that I created online, to help them remember the names of the shorebirds of Montserrat.
Students of the Brades Primary School identifying shorebirds at Carr’s Bay. (Photo by Ajhermae White)
Although I always felt a little anxious before leading a field trip, I felt relieved afterwards, because they were successful and went ahead without mishaps. This was quite a responsibility for me, especially with the smallest bird enthusiasts. The students were able to see shorebirds and many other birds. Fortunately, there were no accidents during the field trips and even if it was a rainy day, the rain stopped long enough for the field trips to take place.
Engaging with the students was really gratifying. After the first few educational events, I started feeling more confident about putting myself out there to educate more students and the public. The enthusiasm that the students displayed showed me how much potential there is to impart knowledge to the younger generation, so that they can become more intensely aware of the avian biodiversity on Montserrat.
Students of the Grade 6 class of the St Augustine Primary School showing their shorebird identification cards after their field trip. (Photo by Thiffanie Williams)
Radio, a Powerful Medium for Reaching People
We used radio a great deal during this project. We recorded a few radio spots to inform the public about shorebirds, their habitats and migration, playing shorebird calls to grab the listeners’ attention. The spots also informed listeners about some of the threats that these birds face, such as habitat loss and pollution. A few of our outreach activities were scheduled around World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) so this celebration got coverage on the local news and the public was informed about the activities planned.
The Department of Environment was featured on the Ministry of Agriculture’s radio program called “MALHE VIBES” in October. On this live program, James ‘Scriber’ Daley (Forest Ranger) and I spoke about shorebirds and their habitats, informed listeners about our activities throughout the month, and used the opportunity to invite people to a public shorebird educational event. (See the end of this post for links to all Ajhermae’s radio appearances during this project!).
Great Support for Public Events – and a Government Minister, Too
We hosted public events to educate people in the community about shorebirds and give them opportunities to see shorebirds in their habitat. We advertised these events on the radio and on Facebook. I was really grateful to my co-worker, Thiffanie Williams, who created digital flyers to advertise the public events of this project.
Digital flyer for the first public shorebird educational event. Created by Thiffanie Williams, Montserrat Dept of Environment.
For the public events Scriber and I conducted presentations, starting at 6:30 am. This presentation covered the same topics as the school presentations – but this time, people of all ages attended these sessions. We also gave a mini-quiz to participants, with the opportunity to win a BirdsCaribbean tote bag. After stocking up on refreshments and equipping them with binoculars, the participants boarded a bus at 7:00 am. Just like the school field trips, we took the participants to Marguerita Bay and then to Carr’s Bay. At Marguerita Bay we didn’t see as many shorebirds as we had hoped to see but some seabirds were present.
The Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Crenston Buffonge, looking at shorebirds in the spotting scope. (Photo by Ajhermae White)
The radio sessions had clearly paid off, as residents of all ages attended the public birding events. I was particularly grateful that the Minister of Agriculture, Lands Housing and the Environment (MALHE), Hon. Crenston Buffonge and the Parliamentary Secretary, the Hon. Veronica Dorsette-Hector, each attended one of our public outreach sessions. It made me really pleased that these members of Parliament took part in these educational events and publicly showed their support for the project. This gave me hope for the future of wetlands on Montserrat.
Shorebirds at Carr’s Bay during the first public field trip on October 17th 2020. (Photo by Ajhermae White)
Carr’s Bay never disappointed us! On the first public birding trip, we saw fifteen different bird species at this site, including various species of shorebirds, like the Spotted Sandpiper and the Least Sandpiper! The first public birding trip was quite fulfilling for me because I saw two bird species that I had never seen before: the Merlin, and one that had eluded me many times – the Belted Kingfisher. The Minister jokingly commented that perhaps he and the other participants brought the good luck that allowed me to see these species.
It was quite satisfying to see when someone got an ‘aha moment’ after learning something new or finding out the name of a bird that they’ve often seen. A young girl, Kearah Ryan, who joined the second public birding trip, wrote a lovely blog about her experience. During that trip, Scriber and I were interviewed live on the radio by phone, informing the listeners about shorebirds, their habitats, migration, and the importance of protecting these birds. To my further delight, this clip was featured on ZJB Radio on the local news the following Monday. This served to boost my confidence as a shorebird educator.
Kearah Ryan looking through the spotting scope at Carr’s Bay. Be sure to check out Kearah’s lovely blog and photos on her first shorebirding experience! (link above) (Photo by Ajhermae White)
An Impactful Project, a Great Personal Experience
Participants of the second bird watching trip. (Photo by Ajhermae White)
Overall, this project has been a resounding success! The Covid-19 pandemic had minimal impact on this educational project, as we have been fortunate in that Montserrat recorded no active cases between July 2020 and February 2021. With the use of the radio spots, the radio program, and the news, we effectively reached and educated many people locally about shorebirds and raised awareness about the threats that this group of birds face. So far we have directly engaged 145 persons, including two elected politicians. The feedback has been positive!
It is fair to say that I experienced personal growth while undertaking this project. It allowed me to sharpen my organizational skills, as quite a lot of planning and coordination was required to organize the clean-up and field trips. Additionally, with the wide coverage through the media and in-person presentations, my communication skills were also enhanced. As a direct consequence of this and the feedback I received, I am more confident to take on other projects in the future. I am therefore thankful to BirdsCaribbean for firstly, igniting my interest in birds, which allowed me to gain knowledge about avian species. Secondly, through their generous funding of this project I had the opportunity to educate Montserrat about this fascinating group of birds.
Ajhermae White and James ‘Scriber’ Daley with the participants of the first public shorebird outreach session. (Photo by Stephon Hixon)
Ajhermae White is an Environment Officer from the Department of Environment in Montserrat. She received a small grant from BirdsCaribbean to support her in this project to help educate people on Montserrat about shorebirds, their habitats and conservation. Thank you to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Manomet for supporting our Caribbean Waterbird Census and Shorebird Monitoring and Conservation Projects!
Check out the awesome live interviews of Ajhermae White and James “Scriber” Daley (Montserrat Dept of Environment) for their shorebird education events:
On Thursday 22nd October 2020, the Department of Environment were the guests on the Ministry of Agriculture’s radio program “MALHE Vibes” where they spoke about out shorebirds and the activities that they had been conducting for the Shorebird Education project (start at 2:34):
While on the Public bird watching trip at Carr’s Bay, Ajhermae got a chance to go live on ZJB Radio to let everyone know about our birding trip. Here is a link to that snippet of the radio program:
One of the mini-birders on the public birding trip, Kearah Ryan, wrote a lovely blog post and shared photos about her shorebirding experience on Saturday. Here is a link to her blog:
BirdsCaribbean note: We are so proud of Ajhermae White, a young conservation leader in Montserrat! Ajhermae attended our Conservation Caribbean Shorebirds International Training Workshop in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico in February 2019. Thank you to the Dept of Environment and James Scriber Daley for their incredible support! Many thanks also to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund, Vortex Optics, Optics for the Tropics, and to our generous members and donors for supporting this project.
One of the species found at all CWC sites, the bold Green Heron. (photo by Britney Hay)
This year marked the 12th anniversary of the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC). Shanna Challenger and Britney Hay from the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) update us on the highlights of this years CWC activities on Antigua. Find out what the group saw during their citizen science surveys and who made the winning mask in their fun and creative ‘Bird Mask-erade’ !
We’ve all heard the age-old saying “birds of a feather flock together” – but when counting birds, we realize that birds not of a feather will still flock together, making counting an even more challenging experience, requiring a sharp eye, and close attention to detail.
The aptly named Lesser Yellowlegs, one of the many migratory bird species spotted at the Fitches Creek Mangrove during surveys conducted by the #FitchesCreekFalcons. (photo by Nick Hollands)
It’s a beautiful Sunday evening, and the sun is beginning to make its descent. You arrive at the mangrove, armed with your mask, binoculars, reusable water bottle, and most importantly, insect repellent. White feathery heads dot the lush mangrove, and you get into position, ready to count the mysterious colony of egrets or “garlings”. As you look through your spotting scope and begin your count, you take a closer look and realise that the seemingly monotonous flock of egrets also includes other species, such as Yellow-Crowned Night Herons, Brown Pelicans, and Little Blue Herons. As you excitedly record the numbers of birds seen, you look around for the final three minutes, and a majestic Osprey flies overhead just in time to be included in your count.
What’s described above is a typical experience of being a birder and participating in the annual Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC). This year marked the 12th anniversary of this region-wide wetland bird and waterbird monitoring program, spearheaded by BirdsCaribbean. The CWC, which took place between January 14th and February 3rd across the region, aimed to raise awareness of wetland birds and their habitats by engaging different agencies and individuals in monitoring and conservation. Across the Caribbean, avid birders took to their favourite wetland bird sites to record the number and species of wetland birds in the spirit of conservation.
The #McKinnonsMallards conducting their bird surveys at the McKinnon’s Saltpond for the Caribbean Waterbird Census. (photo by Shanna Challenger)
Members of the EAG’s birding club, the Wadadli Warblers, and friends were sure to get involved in the CWC action this year. The 21 participants were split among three different wetland sites: the Fitches Creek Mangrove, McKinnon’s Salt Pond, and Nevis Street Mangrove. Except for the Nevis Street Mangrove, each of these sites are considered Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) because of the notable species and numbers of native and migratory birds that they regularly support.
At each site, CWC Level 2 counts were conducted by the respective teams, affectionately named the “Nevis Street Noddies”, the “McKinnons Mallards” and the “Fitches Creek Falcons”. During the census this year, a whopping 42 species of birds were seen between the three sites. Preliminary findings showed the evidence of nesting White-Cheeked Pintails, as ducklings were observed at McKinnons; and the surprising presence of Laughing Gulls, which are not usually seen until later in the year. Collecting this data is invaluable for monitoring the health of waterbird populations and their habitats in our Antiguan wetlands. It is beneficial to both birds and people, since we rely on the same habitats for our health and well-being.
The EAG Bird Club “Wadadli Warblers” celebrating the completion of another successful CWC count in Antigua.
Unfortunately, each of these sites were under pressure, threatening the bird species that lived there. Pollution through illegal dumping, noise, invasive species, and infrastructural developments were all examples of this.
This year’s census was the most robust CWC data collection effort to date and we applaud our teams for their contributions as citizen scientists. For the grand finale of the CWC activities, the EAG encouraged the Wadadli Warblers to participate in a Bird Mask-erade, where members were tasked with designing a face mask inspired by their favorite wetland bird. In addition to celebrating the CWC, the friendly competition sought to link our culture with our love of the environment, while providing a keepsake of our current times during the pandemic. The winner of the competition, Auriel Hunte, won a Birds of the West Indies field guide (new Second Edition!), written by renowned author Herb Raffaele, and a $50 food voucher for her feathery Snowy Egret-inspired mask.
Click on the photos below to view them larger.
Winning mask of the EAG’s Wadadli Warblers “Mask-erade,” designed by Auriel Hunte after the beautiful Snowy Egret
The Snowy Egret in its natural habitat, which Miss Hunte’s mask was designed after. (photo by Nick Hollands)
More fund photos from EAG’s ‘bird Mask-Erade’ (click on the photos below to see the them larger in a gallery).
Flyer for EAG’s Bird Mask-erade
One of the fun entries in EAG’s “maskerade” contest!
Shanna Challenger shows off her White-cheeked Pintail mask – we love it!
Lovely artwork on a mask from EAG’s “maskerade” competition for the CWC 2021.
Another clever mask from EAG’s competition – can you tell what species this is?
The Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) works to raise awareness about the importance of waterbirds and the need for conservation efforts to improve their habitat, especially in local Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) like the McKinnon’s Saltpond, and the Fitches Creek Mangrove. Our work is possible through support provided by BirdsCaribbean, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. BirdsCaribbean also thanks the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, Manomet, and our members and donors for supporting our Caribbean Waterbird Census and Shorebird Monitoring and Conservation Projects!
Find EAG on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/EAGAntigua
West Indian Whistling-Ducks swimming through duckweed at Negril Royal Palm Reserve in Jamaica. WIWDs are endemic to the West Indies. Their long-term survival is threatened by destruction and degradation of their wetland habitats from development, climate change, and pollution, as well as poaching and predation by invasive species. (photo by Ann Sutton)
We are pleased and proud to announce that Inauguration Day, 20th January 2021 was the start of a new and wonderful initiative. This big event happened far from Washington D.C., in a remote wetland near Negril, Jamaica. On this day, two West Indian Whistling-Ducks, nicknamed “Joe” and “Kamala”, became the first of their kind to bear GPS trackers. From now on, like their namesakes, these birds will be the focus of constant scrutiny and international attention. Their solar–powered backpack trackers will report their locations every hour. Read on as Dr. Ann Haynes-Sutton shares more with us about this exciting new initiative.
West Indian Whistling-Ducks (WIWD) are one of the rarest ducks in the Americas. We know very little about the behavior and movements of these secretive ducks, which are found only in the northern Caribbean (including the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, Antigua and Barbuda; extirpated, very rare, or vagrant elsewhere). WIWDs are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “Near Threatened.” Threats to these ducks include destruction of their wetland habitats, climate change (severe droughts, storms, and flooding), predation by invasive species (e.g., mongoose), poaching, and pollution from agriculture and other sources. BirdsCaribbean members have long reported declines in the population of Whistling-Ducks and their habitats throughout their range, which led to the creation of the WIWD and Wetlands Conservation Project. Jamaican populations are among the worst affected in recent years.
Three GPS trackers ready for application. (photo by Ann Sutton)
About 10 years ago, I regularly saw more than 150 in the Negril wetlands but over the years I heard reports that their numbers had declined catastrophically. The reports reached the Jamaican Government, who made the recovery of the WIWD the focus of part of their Global Environment Facility Project “Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystems Management in Caribbean Small Island States – Jamaica sub-project Biodiversity Mainstreaming in Coastal Landscapes within the Negril Environmental Protection Area of Jamaica.” The Government hired me as the lead expert for the West Indian Whistling-Duck component.
In order to plan for the ducks’ recovery, I needed detailed information, for example, how many there are, where they feed, nest, and roost, and the threats they face. I couldn’t find any such data, for Negril or any other part of Jamaica. I set out to survey the ducks from the ground, from roads, and by boat, using tapes, drones and cameras. All these approaches failed. Apart from one location, I could not find any ducks, although with the help of the Negril Environmental Protection Trust I received some reports from local community members.
Thus, I was more than delighted when BirdsCaribbean and Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation supported the purchase and importation of some GPS trackers from Cellular Tracking Technologies. These state-of-the-art trackers, used successfully on species like Peregrine Falcons and Greater Sage Grouse, will plot the positions of the ducks every hour to within a few metres.
BirdsCaribbean Executive Director, Lisa Sorenson commented, “We are thrilled with the launch of this exciting project. I expect it will lead to major improvements in our knowledge of the ducks’ movements and habitat use. If so, BirdsCaribbean will seek to do tracking in other parts of the Caribbean. WIWDs populations are small on every island where they occur (with the exception perhaps of Cuba) and they have been extirpated from several countries. We hope to ramp up our knowledge and conservation of this important regional endemic.”
Brandon Hay and Ricardo Miller taking measurements on one of the two WIWDs that were captured. (photo by Ann Sutton)
On 20th January 2021, our small team – composed of Ricardo Miller of the National Environment and Planning Agency, D. Brandon Hay of the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, and myself – captured two West Indian Whistling-Ducks in Negril and fitted them with transmitters. It was an amazing thrill to hold these beautiful birds in our hands and very carefully attach the devices. Gina Kent from the Avian Research and Conservation Institute in Florida and Lisa Sorenson of BirdsCaribbean were on hand remotely to provide us with technical advice and support.
With excitement and trepidation we set the ducks free. Now we are looking forward to see what we can learn from them. The information I gather will support my work with the local and international communities to develop and implement measures to preserve West Indian Whistling-Ducks in Negril. No doubt our findings will promote initiatives to assess and conserve the ducks in the rest of Jamaica, and throughout their range.
We decided to call the ducks “Joe” and “Kamala” in honour of the very auspicious date and our hope that they can help to save the species. Go for it Kamala and Joe – we wish you well!
Dr. Ann Haynes-Sutton is a Conservation Ecologist and Co-Chair of BirdsCaribbean’s Bird Monitoring Working Group and Seabird Working Group. She has been a long-time member of BirdsCaribbean’s WIWD Working Group and is also the senior author of Wondrous West Indian Wetlands: Teachers’ Resource Book, published by BirdsCaribbean and used in over 145 Wetlands Education Training Workshops since 2002.
Acknowledgements: We are thankful to BirdsCaribbean members and donors whose financial support made this project possible. We are also thankful to National Environment and Planning Agency, Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, Avian Research and Conservation Institute, Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation, and Cellular Tracking Technologies for support and assistance with this exciting project.
If you would like to donate to support this project, please click here. Thank you in advance!
First data coming in from “Kamala” showing her movements around the Negril Royal Palm Reserve in Jamaica.
Brandon Hay with Joe, one of the two WIWD. (photo by Ann Sutton)
The team at work, taking measurements on one of the two ducks that were fitted with GPS transmitters.
WIWD with GPS tracker attached using a backpack style harness. The tracker weighs about 20 g, which is about 2% of the species’ body weight. The batteries are solar powered. (photo by Ann Sutton)
WIWDs are a secretive duck, difficult to survey and study, as they typically roost in mangroves or other dense vegetation during the day. They become active at dusk, flying around to different wetlands to feed. (photo by Ann Sutton)
Shanna with critically endangered Antiguan Racer (Photo by Chaso Media)
BirdsCaribbean is delighted by the news that the Environmental Awareness Group’s (EAG) Shanna Challenger, based on the island of Antigua, has received the Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Leadership Award. The award, which honors young Caribbean environmental leaders under the age of 30, was announced recently by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI). Puerto Rican water specialist Amira Odeh was also a recipient.
Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, noted that EAG has been a long-standing partner of the organization on several important projects.
“Shanna is truly a star!” said Sorenson. “We have worked closely with her for the past four years and have been impressed by her energy, her enthusiasm, and her leadership skills. Shanna participated in our surveys of the Barbuda Warbler, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria on Antigua’s sister isle in 2017. We congratulate Shanna on her outstanding work on the Redonda Restoration Program, which was tremendously successful.”
An Honors graduate in Ecology from the University of the West Indies in 2016, Shanna went on to study for her Master of Science in Conservation Biology, which she achieved with Distinction at the University of Kent in the UK under a Chevening Scholarship. She joined EAG in 2016, managing the Redonda Restoration Program, and working on plans for a proposed protection area on the small island with government, regional bodies, and international non-governmental organizations.
Redonda Tree Lizard (Anolis nubilus). (Photo by Ed Marshall).
She now coordinates the Offshore Islands Conservation Program, which was responsible for saving the world’s rarest snake, the Antigua Racer, from extinction. Shanna is developing a ridge-to-reef program, working with communities to conserve species and habitats. As if that is not enough, she continues to volunteer with a local youth non-profit organization.
Lisa Sorenson noted Shanna’s dynamic personality, which enlivens meetings of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group meetings, as well as our training workshops and conferences. Shanna helps to promote the value of Antigua and Barbuda’s ecosystems and wildlife on local media, planning and implementing BirdsCaribbean activities such as the Caribbean Waterbird Census, Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, and World Migratory Bird Day, particularly in Antigua’s extensive mangrove areas.
Shanna dressed as Barbuda Warbler for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (Photo by Rudolph Zachariah)
“Shanna has been known to enthusiastically impersonate a Barbuda Warbler in full costume for children during the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. This past May, Shanna and her talented EAG colleagues Natalya Lawrence and Andrea Otto, presented a six-session Zoom course for beginning birders on bird identification and monitoring. As a result, the study group formed a birding club, the Wadadli Warblers, which keeps in touch on the WhatsApp platform and meets regularly for birding trips. Club members are also undertaking Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) surveys in Antigua for this year’s census. This is quite an achievement when COVID-19 restrictions are still in place,” added Sorenson.
“There is no doubt that the Caribbean needs more “home grown” youth activists in the conservation field. We commend the CFVI on offering this award, which we feel sure will inspire other young people across the region to take up the reins in the field of biodiversity conservation. We are equally convinced that Shanna will keep on growing as a leader. We look forward to continuing our vibrant partnership with her and with EAG.”
Shanna diving on Redonda’s reefs (Photo by Ruleo Camacho)
Barren landscape on Redonda in 2012 before invasive rats and goats were removed (Photo by Jenny Daltry)
Shanna about to board the helicopter to Redonda (Photo by Sophia Steele)
Male Brown Booby with nest in vegetation (Photo by Shanna Challenger)
Redonda transformed from bare rock to a carpet of vegetation in 2020, after removal of invasive species (Photo by Cole White)
Find out more about the Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Leadership Award winners & The TransforMAtion of Rodonda Island:
Sales of music and merchandise by Shika Shika have raised just over U$30,000 so far
Since the launch of their “A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America, & the Caribbean” album Shika Shika have raised an amazing $30, 000 USD for bird conservation! The digital album and single tracks are available online as well as limited numbers of the vinyl album, posters, prints and t-shirts. Profits go to BirdsCaribbean and three other conservation organizations in Mexica, Central and South America.
It’s musical activism! Listen to the call of the endemic (and elusive) Jamaican Blackbird with a hypnotic beat. The Zapata Wren of Cuba sings sweetly, accompanied by delicate electronic notes. The Keel-billed Motmot of Central America emerges from behind gentle rhythms. The cries of Mexico’s Thick-billed Parrot blend with a finger snapping background.
These are some of the exciting tracks on the album, A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Released online in June by Shika Shika, sales of the music and merchandise have raised just over U$30,000 to date, the non-profit label announced. Profits will go to BirdsCaribbean as well as three other bird conservation organizations in Mexica, Central and South America.
A limited number of these vinyl records are available from Shika Shika
A unique fusion of music and birdsong with a purpose, the ten-track electronic music album, incorporating the songs and calls of endangered birds, is still available, along with vibrant and attractive merchandise. Single tracks, the full digital album, limited numbers of the vinyl edition as well as limited edition posters, prints and T-shirts with the album’s colourful artwork, can be purchased on the Shika Shika website and Shika-Shika’s Bandcamp website.
In celebration of this fund-raising milestone, Shika Shika has produced a podcast in English and Spanish, The podcast includes interviews with the directors of the four non-profit organizations it has partnered with to produce this musical gem. BirdsCaribbean Executive Directer, Lisa Sorenson, and the others explain how the funds will help in their conservation efforts.
“We are delighted to learn that the album is such a success, and we are extremely grateful for the partnership with Shika Shika and the funds raised so far. We encourage music lovers and bird lovers to continue to purchase this wonderful music for gifts or for themselves, in support of our birds,” said BirdsCaribbean’s Executive Director Lisa Sorenson. “All these bird species, many of them forest dwellers, are threatened by development and the destruction of their habitats. BirdsCaribbean is committed to working with local partners for the conservation of habitats for birds such as the highly endangered Bay-breasted Cuckoo of Hispaniola, one of the birds featured on this album.”
Zapata Wren and Jamaican Blackbird designs
The project is the brainchild of Robin Perkins, also known as El Búho (“The Owl”) , a UK-born musician music producer, and environmental campaigner. It is a follow-up to A Guide to the Birdsong of South America, released in 2015. Perkins first researched the most endangered birds in various countries and then invited locally based electronic DJs and composers to produce one track each featuring the song of a particular bird. The contributors include some who are passionate birders themselves, like the Belizean guitarist and manager of the well-known indigenous group Garifuna Collective, whose song features the Black Catbird.
Listen to the album, learn more about the project and artists, and shop here and Here. You can also listen and buy using the links below.
T-shirts with the album artwork are available for sale.
Radio spots about the album on various BBC World Service programmes. Here are the links to listen:
Join Adam Brown as he takes us on a trip to Haiti, to the remote mountain village of Boukan Chat. This village and the people who live there are the focus of conservation efforts to save the elusive and endangered Black-capped Petrel. Find out more about village life and how sustainable agriculture has been helping both the people and the petrels.
The village of Boukan Chat, Haiti is a one-dirt road, dusty small village on the frontier of the Haitian border with the Dominican Republic. To get there from the capital city of Port au Prince is a 6-hour driving adventure that takes you from paved roads, to dirt roads, to riverbeds, and finally up a steep climb to the remote mountain outpost.
EPIC research team driving from Port au Prince to Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by SoulCraft)
Life in the Village of Boukan Chat
With an average income of around $5/day, the residents of Boukan Chat all live in small and simple houses, constructed of concrete blocks with sheet metal roofing that is weighted down on the structure with assorted rocks. There is no power in the village, however, there is a single solar powered streetlight, which is a popular hangout for people after dark.
Everybody in the village is a farmer, from the moms and dads, to the grandparents, to the kids, to the babies on their parents’ (or siblings!) back. The food the people of Boukan Chat eat, is the food they grow. Farm plots range from backyard gardens at residents’ houses in the village to expansive multi-acre farms up in the hills behind town. The local farmers market is on Tuesdays, and as you can imagine, the whole village turns out for the weekly event.
Farmers market day in Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by EPIC)
There is no running water in or around the village. During the rainy season, residents capture and store water in cisterns, but in the dry season, they must travel up to 10 miles by foot, horse, or motorbike to collect their water from a community pump.
Petrel team member Jose Luis, painting a Black-capped Petrel mural on a cistern in Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by EPIC)
There are schools in the village, all of which are private. Often, what this means is that a single teacher in a one-classroom building teaches a mixed-age class of youth, ranging from kindergarten to high school. The classes meet for a couple hours each day, except in the summer – unless the weather is too severe, or a large farm harvest is taking place.
The village is represented in the regional men’s soccer league by an incredibly competitive group of local young men. Games on the weekend are highlights for the whole village and hundreds of people show up to the soccer field, one of the only flat spots in the whole village, to cheer the local squad on.
Two members of the Boukan Chat soccer team (Photo by SoulCraft)
The Search for the Black-capped Petrel Begins
The Black-capped Petrel is an endangered seabird that nests in the Caribbean region. Its local name is Diablotín, which means ‘little devil’, a name likely arising from supernatural beliefs associated with the species’ habit of calling in the dark of night. Currently, the only known nesting colonies are on the island of Hispaniola, although recent evidence suggests that there might also be a small colony on the island of Dominica. With an estimated global population of between 1,000-2,000 nesting pairs, the species is endangered due to habitat loss, threats by introduced predators, and collision hazards along its flight pathways.
Adult Black-capped Petrel sitting on its nest near Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by SoulCraft)
In 2011, the team from EPIC’s partner foundation, Grupo Jaragua, led by Ernst Rupp and consisting of an intrepid group of young field assistants, crossed the border from the Dominican Republic into Haiti and began searching for nesting endangered Black-capped Petrels on the slopes just above Boukan Chat. The team knew little of the village of Boukan Chat but were driven to search these hills, known as Morne Vincent, as they contained some of the last forested areas in Haiti and therefore were likely home to nesting petrels. That year, on that first mission to this area, the team discovered the first known active Black-capped Petrel nests ever recorded.
Petrel team member Perrin using a camera to investigate a Black-capped Petrel nest near Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by SoulCraft)
The Forests and the Farmers
The nesting colony on the forested slopes of Morne Vincent are immediately adjacent to the farming areas of Boukan Chat. These forests and slopes serve as a natural water catchment for the agricultural areas. While surveying on Morne Vincent, the petrel team made introductions with the farmers in the village. Realizing that preserving the forests of this area was crucial to conserving petrel habitat, the team from Grupo Jaragua, along with its partners from EPIC, JACSEH, SoulCraft, and Plant with Purpose endeavored to work alongside these farmers to conserve petrel habitat through sustainable agriculture, increased youth environmental education programming, and improved community savings programs that increase economic resiliency in the face of natural disasters (or a global pandemic!)
The evolution of our Black-capped Petrel conservation initiatives in Boukan Chat and the immediate impact they made on preserving local populations of the petrel, have made it the flagship program of the overall effort to preserve the petrel. With the idea of conserving the petrel through poverty alleviation, our initiatives penetrated most aspects of the Boukan Chat community.
Sustainable Agriculture in Action in Boukan Chat
As part of our sustainable agriculture program in Boukan Chat, we supported the creation of 22 Village Savings Farm Groups, made up of 2,600 people from 409 family farms. Within this program, we do classroom lessons that explain the theory behind sustainable agriculture. Specifically, farmers learned how improved human land use and crop management leads to higher yields, less soil erosion, and increased family incomes. In the field with the farmers, we have together created 520 compost piles, controlled 1,200 linear meters of gullies, installed 6,750 linear meters of anti-erosive barriers, and replaced 96 gallons of chemical pesticides with natural pesticides. Annually, the farm groups together save about $56,280. What do all these numbers mean for the Black-capped Petrel? Less stress on the human communities and reduced encroachment into the last remaining forested nesting habitat of the petrel.
Farmers in Boukan Chat, Haiti working together to build a soil erosion barrier (Photo by Plant with Purpose)
As part of our youth environmental education program, we annually reach 3,600 students in Boukan Chat. Our programs focus on basic environmental themes such as soil and water conservation, the role of plants in the environment, and environmental stewardship in the community. With an eye towards the future, realizing that the youth of the community today will be the farmers of the community tomorrow, we are setting the foundation towards continued sustainable agricultural practices moving forward.
Petrel team members Jose Luis, Rene Jene, and Anderson Jean teaching a class on petrel biology to a school in Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by EPIC)
The Black-capped Petrel: A Village Icon
Along with the community, we celebrate the collaboration and commitment that we have made together to improve lives of both humans and petrels. We do this through sponsoring the local soccer team, who in turn wear a patch of the petrel on their soccer jerseys. We hire local artists to paint iconic images of the petrel on cisterns in the village. Annually, as part of the Black-capped Petrel Festival, we march together through the village, led by the Black-capped Petrel mascot and the local carnival band, and celebrate our successes together.
Black-capped Petrel mascot leading the parade for the Diablotin Festival in Boukan Chat, Haiti (Photo by EPIC)
The conservation of the imperiled Black-capped Petrel is about the long game. While we measure our success in short term impacts, true lasting success and firm conservation of the Black-capped Petrel will take decades to implement. Its about buy in with human communities that live among nesting petrels and supporting the improvement of those human lives so that those humans, in turn, are able to make the choice to both support their families at the same time as preserving the petrel. While we have had great success since the first nest was found in 2011, we look forward to the challenges that lay ahead.
This project is funded in part by the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund (BirdsCaribbean), the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Bird Conservancy, and numerous individual donors.
ADAM BROWN is a Senior Biologist with Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC). Adam oversees EPIC’s Black-capped Petrel Conservation Program and has been an active member of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group since 2011. Adam has pioneered the use of radar to track Black-capped Petrels to their nesting colonies on Hispaniola, has led expeditions to locate petrels on islands throughout the Caribbean, and is a strong advocate of collaboration among petrel conservation organizations within the Caribbean region.
find out more about this project and the Black-capped petrel working group here & Here and in the wonderful Videos and articles below!
Rhiannon and Yvan from our Seabird Working Group recently had the chance to catch up with Juliana Coffey, one of the main seabird biologists working with the seabird populations and local communities in St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada, to hear about her recent seabird-related activities!
Juliana Coffey is leading EPIC’s seabird program in the Grenadines.
BC: How did you get involved with seabirds in general, and what is your experience with seabirds?
Juliana: I am originally from the island of Newfoundland, off of northeastern Canada. Newfoundland and its surrounding areas are home to millions of breeding seabirds, and our offshore waters are known as a “busy marine bird highway”. So, seabirds are a core part of our natural and cultural heritage: our fisherfolk have their own local names, folklore, superstitions, and knowledge of seabirds acquired over generations at sea.
I first became involved with seabirds when I was 16 through a summer internship at the local university. I was working as a field assistant for a well-known marine ornithologist who exposed me to seabird research and conservation. This was my first taste of field work, and first experience working directly with fisherfolk and indigenous communities on seabird issues. Over the next 20 years, I built up a significant amount of sea-time, including pelagic trips in the Atlantic, Arctic, Indian and Southern Oceans, and have lived at sea or in a tent for months at a time. I have been involved in various types of seabird research, including studies on satellite telemetry, marine debris, nest shelter construction, traditional knowledge collection, as well as outreach activities. Most of these activities have focused on seabirds in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
BC: Can you tell us about the Grenadines and how you ended up working with seabirds there?
Juliana: The Grenadines Island chain consists of about 80 islands, islets and cays spanning approximately 100 kilometers. We refer to this region as “transboundary” since these islands are politically divided between the nations of Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Despite there being numerous islands, only nine are inhabited.
The Grenadines archipelago consists of more than 80 islands, islets and cays which host globally and regionally significant seabird populations (Photo by J. James)
I first came to the Grenadines in 2011 through an internship at the Sustainable Grenadines organization on Union Island, where my work involved conducting bird surveys for the Caribbean Waterbird Census. Through this role, I started to become more familiar with Caribbean seabirds, as well as migrant species from North America. It was interesting to see the same species I recognised from my work further north, and to realize how far they travel on a yearly basis!
BC: You co-authored a book on Grenadines’ birds. Can you describe that project and explain how you incorporated local knowledge?
Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines Book (Coffey and Ollivierre 2019)
Juliana: In most of my prior work elsewhere, I always had a field guide to consult when I was challenged with identifying a bird, or wanted to know its habitat or range. Nothing of that sort existed at the time specifically for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines or Grenada. Because I had no idea what a mammoth task writing a field guide would be, I naïvely decided to initiate what ended up being quite a consuming project. Luckily, my co-author Aly Ollivierre (BirdsCaribbean) got involved very early on, and we were able to motivate each other through the process. We finally released the book last year.
Collecting local ecological knowledge of birds from residents of the Grenadines (Photo by A. Ollivierre)
I had spent many years working in the Canadian north on Inuit lands, where traditional knowledge and experience is valued, especially with regards to resource management issues, and I had worked on many projects that utilised this undocumented knowledge. When I began the bird book for the Grenadines, I wanted to gather as much information as possible. I was keen to gather local knowledge, local names, folklore and cultural appreciation of birds in the Grenadines and to include it in the book. The aim was to create a final product that would be of interest to the local communities and build a bridge between culture and conservation. The most rewarding part of this project was returning to the Grenadines with printed copies and showing individuals how their knowledge had been represented. This was an opportunity to preserve and promote this piece of heritage for future generations.
BC: You are now working as a Project Coordinator for Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC). Can you tell us how you became involved with EPIC and more about your role?
Brown Boobies at Lee Rock, Grenada (Photo by J. Coffey)
Juliana: I first became interested in EPIC when I learned of their monumental efforts to survey all the seabird breeding colonies throughout the Lesser Antilles between 2009-2010. These surveys documented three sites of global importance and 18 of regional significance, on remote and inaccessible islands in the Grenadines island chain. Prior to this, little was known about breeding seabirds on these islands. EPIC’s surveys put this archipelago on the map as one of the top breeding seabird hotspots in the region! Twelve seabird species breed on these islands and over thirty more species have been recorded. However, many of these populations are threatened by human activities such as illegal harvesting, the presence of rats, cats and goats, periodic vegetation control fires in colonies, and coastal development.
Magnificent Frigatebird colony on Battowia (Photo by J. Coffey)
I first became involved with EPIC as an Associate in 2017, and have been working as their Project Coordinator for the Grenadines program for the past two years. My role with EPIC includes a wide range of tasks, including fieldwork, training, and coordinating local citizen scientists, grant and report writing, and advocacy and outreach. My work involves enhancing awareness of threatened seabirds in the region in general, and promoting their protection locally and internationally. I work closely with the project team, including Natalia Collier (Program Director), Lystra Culzac (Lead Educator), and Quincy Augustine (Project Assistant).
BC: EPIC recently compiled a conservation plan for seabirds of the Grenadines. Please tell us more about this and how it developed?
Grenadines Seabird Management Plan
Juliana: The community-based conservation management plan was developed through stakeholder consultation throughout both nations. It draws together all available information on seabirds from these remote islands. The twelve breeding species were each given a profile including information on population size, their breeding distribution, and the timing of their annual cycles. The document also includes an overview of what threats exist on particular islands and throughout the region; the legal context for protection; human values for seabirds; information on what other endangered and endemic species are found on the islands; and finally, recommendations for future research and management. This is the first time much of this information has been presented side-by-side, and we hope that it can be used as a planning document for seabirds and island conservation in the Grenadines going forward.
Community consultations on Mustique (Photo by V. Thomas)
BC: Can you tell us more about your involvement in the training of citizen scientists?
Grenadines Seabird Guardians surveying seabirds at Grenadines’ islands (Photo by A. Ollivierre)
Juliana: Many of the breeding colonies in the Grenadines are remote and difficult to access. As there are over 80 islands and cays in the Grenadines, enforcement and monitoring is incredibly complicated and often not feasible due to the high costs and human input required. Nevertheless, many of these uninhabited islands are visited regularly by fisherfolk, tour operators and recreationists from nearby inhabited islands. We wanted to develop a program that could address the challenges of research and monitoring while increasing local awareness and involvement.
Grenadines Seabird Guardians surveying seabirds at Grenadines’ islands (Photo by J. Coffey)
Over the course of several years, through group and one-on-one trainings, we have formed a dedicated team of citizen scientists called the “Grenadines Seabird Guardians”. Members of this group visit seabird colonies and collect population estimates, as well as information on threats. I provide ongoing support to the Guardians on seabird identification and maintain a central database of observations. Communication within the group is primarily through WhatsApp where members can share their observations and provide support to one another. Some of the Guardians were recently involved in cleanups at offshore islands which host nesting seabirds, but which have not previously been the focus on conservation efforts.
BC: What kind of specific information are the Guardians reporting?
Juliana: Despite all the complications that Covid-19 restrictions have caused in 2020, this has actually been our best year for receiving reports from the Guardians. Anyone involved with seabird research would probably agree that studying seabirds is a great way to self-isolate! This year, we have received reports of seabird egg and chick harvesting, a threat previously identified by EPIC as one of the most pressing for seabirds in this region. We are also receiving reports of introduced mammal sightings, marine litter, vegetation control fires and human disturbance. Through this program, we have also documented rare sightings of seabirds such as Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The work is therefore enhancing our knowledge of how the region is used by non-breeding resident and migratory seabirds. In 2019, we also documented a thriving Magnificent Frigatebird colony on one of the islands. This turned out to be one of only four in the Lesser Antilles, and the only one known from the southern islands!
Threats in the Grenadines: Disturbance (Photo by J. Coffey)
Threats in the Grenadines: Harvesting (Anonymous)
Threats in the Grenadines: Introduced species (Photo by J. Coffey)
BC: There seem to be many human-induced threats in the Grenadines. What work is being done in terms of outreach and education?
Community outreach (Photo by L. Culzac)
Juliana: Because many of the threats are related to human activities, we are strategically making efforts to show people how important seabirds are to their culture and livelihoods in the Grenadines. Fisherfolk for example use seabirds to find fish, navigate and understand weather patterns. They have superstitions concerning certain species. For example, storm petrels are believed to indicate that bad weather is coming! Seabird guano fertilizes coral reefs and nearshore habitats adjacent to their colonies, which in turn benefits fisheries and tourism. Seabirds in many other areas have actually become viable ecotourism attractions, which is something we want to promote as an option for supplemental or alternative livelihoods in this heavily tourism-dependent region.
Wildlife Reserve sign installation (Photo by J. Coffey)
To reach the various groups involved in management, including the general public, we have designed a multi-faceted education program, targeting various age groups and sectors. Lystra Culzac, our Lead Educator, conducts school and community presentations and has recently drafted a school curriculum that we are aiming to integrate into the school systems in both nations. We have also recently launched a Waste-to-Art contest open to residents of Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Earlier in 2020 we released a mini-documentary which is intended to reach a wide audience, and we also issue monthly press releases to local and regional media. We have also designed and distributed posters and brochures concerning seabirds. We conducted an updated “harvest study” to determine the extent that seabird chick and egg consumption is still practiced. We also installed “Wildlife Reserve” signs on two major colonies with the help of several fisherfolk from Carriacou and Bequia. This was a nice transboundary collaboration between fisherfolk coming together for seabird protection.
School seabird presentations (Photo by L. Culzac)
Unfortunately, many islands in the Grenadines are privately owned, and listed on the international Real Estate market. A major hotel and resort development was recently announced for one of the regionally important colonies. Education and awareness can help to mitigate threats from human activity, but if the island is sold to a developer the seabird colonies can quickly disappear. We are working hard to ensure that this doesn’t happen.
BC: What other activities is EPIC hoping to undertake going forward?
EPIC and local partners have targeted islands with seabird colonies for marine litter removal (Photo D. Baker)
We are using the recent Conservation Plan as a guide for the activities that we undertake. We have recently added several other types of data collection to our citizen science program, which can easily be undertaken by the seabird guardians with minimal training. These include enhanced invasive species surveys using camera traps and tracking tunnels, assessments of the quantity of plastics in seabird nests and feather collection from seabird carcasses for heavy metal analysis. We are hoping to train others in the use of drones and other remote monitoring tools, given that the area is incredibly difficult and expensive to access. It is now over ten years since the last population census, so we are planning to conduct new surveys to allow a better idea of population trends. We also plan to do some telemetry work in the near future, in order to gauge the at-sea movements of some species while away from their colonies, and assess how much seabirds move back and forth between nations when searching for food. This work will hopefully promote the reality that seabirds are a shared resource. To successfully preserve them in areas such as the Lesser Antilles requires management cooperation from multiple nations.
EPIC and local partners have targeted islands with seabird colonies for marine litter removal (Photo by D. Baker)
One of the core items in the Conservation Plan is the formation of a transboundary wildlife working group, focused on seabirds, who met virtually for the first time in early November. This group consists of various stakeholders from both nations, such as fisherfolk, forestry officers, NGOs, tour operators and biologists. This group was put together to begin implementing priorities from the Conservation Plan, and to continue the momentum of participatory management.
We also recently undertook several beach clean-ups at known seabird colonies; this is the first time that these islands have received any attention for litter removal. We hope that these activities will ensure that seabirds have a safe place to nest and rear their young. As litter keeps arriving on these shores from both local and distant sources, we hope to continue these clean-ups during our regular seabird surveys.
BC: What is your favorite part of your work in the region?
Project Assistant Quincy Augustine and Wildlife Biologist Wayne Smart lead a team of Grenadian biologists conducting seabird surveys at Diamond Rock (Photo by Q. Augustine)
Juliana: Just as seabirds unite air, land and sea, we have been able to unite people in both nations (and beyond), through seabirds. With our Seabird Guardians program, it has been wonderful to see individuals take leadership roles, and also to deploy multi-disciplinary teams that are able to learn from each other. This has enabled us to discover much along the way, such as the Magnificent Frigatebird colony on Battowia. Such discoveries highlight the need to take swift conservation action in the region.
The small and seemingly insignificant moments are really the most memorable. For example, during a fisherfolk consultation last year, one younger fisherman expressed a lot of interest in learning more about seabirds, as he was aware that it could make him a more successful fisherman. Cases such as this provide positive feedback that our discussions with community members are having an impact, and that individuals are able to find links to their own livelihoods about why seabirds matter. I suppose my favorite part overall is that, despite populations in the Grenadines being highly threatened, the seabird colonies are still quite remarkable. This is really at the core of why we do that we do, and to speak up for these seabirds who cannot advocate for themselves.
We thank Juliana and the team at EPIC for their efforts on seabird conservation in the Grenadines, and look forward to hearing more about EPIC’s activities in the future. For more information on the work that EPIC does, please visit the organization’s website at www.epicislands.org or follow its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/epicislands
Grenadines Seabird Guardian Vaughn Thomas conducting a seabird survey (Photo by J. Coffey)
Brown Noddy and chick in the Tobago Cays Marine Park (Photo by J. Coffey)
Brown Noddies incorporating marine litter into nest construction (Photo by J. Coffey)
International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) at Mabouya Island with local partners Ocean Spirits and Kipaji Inc. (Photo by V. Thomas)
Veterinarian Dr. Kenrith Carter (Grenada) generously assists with injured seabird rehabilitation (Photo by K. Charles)
Petit Canouan (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) hosts more than 40,000 pairs of Sooty Terns (J. Coffey)
Goat presence at globally and regionally important seabird colonies (Photo by J. Coffey)
Project Assistant Quincy Augustine and Wildlife Biologist Wayne Smart lead a team of Grenadian biologists conducting seabird surveys at Diamond Rock (Photo by Q. Augustine)
Grenadian biologists conducting a seabird survey at Diamond Rock (Photo by A. Mitchell)
“Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines” authors presenting a book to Mayreau fisherman Philman Ollivierre (Photo by V. Ollivierre)
Brown Noddies incorporating marine litter into nest construction (Photo by J. Coffey)
Kate Charles (Ocean Spirits) coordinating a clean up at a seabird colony (Sandy Island), Grenada (Photo by K. Drew)
School presentation on Petite Martinique (Photo by V. Thomas)
Wildlife Reserve sign installed on Battowia, a globally important seabird nesting island (Photo by V. Thomas)
Laughing Gull and Grenadines Pink Rhino Iguana endemic subspecies (Photo by J. Coffey)
Lystra Culzac conducting community outreach on Grenadines’ seabirds (Photo by EPIC)
Lystra Culzac conducting a school presentation on seabirds (Photo by EPIC)
Magnificent Frigatebirds nesting at Battowia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Photo by J. Coffey)
Brown Pelicans are present in the Grenadines in abundance during non-breeding season (Photo by J. Coffey)
Dr. Kenrith Carter conducting a necropsy on a Laughing Gull, assisted by Kate Charles (Ocean Spirits) and Vaughn Francis (Tropical Adventures) (Photo by V. Thomas)
Marine litter at seabird colonies (Photo J. Coffey)
Red-billed Tropicbird on nest (Photo by J. Coffey)
Red-billed Tropicbird chick (Photo by J. Coffey)
Red-footed Boobies nest in globally important numbers at sites in the Grenadines (Photo by J. Coffey)
Grenadines Seabird Guardian conducting a seabird survey (Photo by J. Coffey)
Grenadines Seabird Guardian citizen scientists (Photo by A. Ollivierre)
The Grenadines archipelago provides important habitat for non-resident and migratory seabirds (Photo by J. Coffey)
Field training trip with Grenadines Seabird Guardians (Photo J. Coffey)
EPIC and local partners have targeted islands with seabird colonies for marine litter removal (Photo by D. Baker)
EPIC and local partners have targeted islands with seabird colonies for marine litter removal (Photo D. Baker)
Lystra Culzac and team conducting community outreach on Saint Vincent (Photo by EPIC)
Local field team member preparing to climb into a Ridgway’s Hawk nest (Photo by Eladio Fernandez)
For almost everyone 2020 has been a year of challenges and unexpected changes. The onset of COVID-19 has required all of us to adapt in unforeseen ways. For those working on the Ridgway’s Hawk Conservation Project in Dominican Republic, it has been a year full of surprises, compromises and hope. Find out from Marta Curti what has happened with Ridgway’s Hawk and efforts to promote its conservation in the DR since COVID hit.
Over the past ten years, The Peregrine Fund has invested heavily in recruiting, hiring and training a local team of dedicated, hard-working and passionate parabiologists – local community members who assist conservationists working in the field. We believe our conservation projects can only be successful when they have the support, cooperation and involvement of local people. We believe in this so strongly that a major goal is to build sustainability by eventually having it managed entirely by locals. In a normal year we rely a great deal on our in-country staff, but 2020 put them to the test. They took up the challenge. Even though neither our project manager, Thomas Hayes, nor I were able to travel to Dominican Republic during 2020, our teams on the ground kept working despite the pandemic. Remarkably, they have achieved most of the project objectives to date.
The Most Successful Breeding Year
In 2009, we began a Ridgway’s Hawk reintroduction program in Punta Cana. Prior to that, hawks had not been documented in the area for decades. Thanks to this program, we observed the first successful breeding attempt in 2013, when a young male hatched and fledged from a wild nest. Each year thereafter, the population has been growing steadily. We are very happy to report that 2020 has been the most successful nesting season in Punta Cana to date! During this breeding season, our team monitored 18 pairs of Ridgway’s Hawks, 17 of which made nesting attempts. A whopping 21 nestlings successfully fledged, and our crew was able to band 18 of them. Placing bands on young birds is a way for us to monitor the survival of the fledglings and their dispersal patterns.
Some Hitches and Delays
While our field work continued quite smoothly, we had to postpone a few important activities due to COVID-19. First, we postponed releasing any additional young hawks at our second reintroduction site (Aniana Vargas National Park) until 2021. Despite this setback, our team continued to monitor the hawks we had released there in 2019. While it did not observe any successful breeding attempts this season, a few bonded pairs and some nest building activity were reported!
Adapting to the Pandemic with Online Education
Ridgway’s Hawk adult (photo by John Hannan)
Our education and community outreach programs were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We were unable to conduct face-to-face education outreach for most of 2020, and we had to postpone our pilot education campaign which had been scheduled for June.
This is disappointing after such great success in 2019 where, in October alone, we had reached 1,600 adults and children through our environmental outreach program. We were also unable to build on 2019’s outreach momentum. We had distributed 10 chicken coops, held 3 workshops (reaching 34 people, 19 of which were teachers) and visited 18 communities and 4 schools. However, islanders and conservationists are always willing and able to adapt to adverse situations. Although we could not engage in any live Ridgway’s Hawk Day activities this year, we hosted an online presentation followed by a question and answer session with members of our field teams in Los Limones and Punta Cana. We had 17 participants for this event.
An Exciting New Education Guide Goes Bilingual
Children from Santo Domingo spent a morning learning about birds of prey and engaging in art activities related to the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo by ZOODOM)
We designed and printed new bilingual education materials (in Spanish and Haitian Creole). We provided some of these materials to our counterparts in Haiti for their community education activities. We continue to work on the text and design of our raptor-based environmental education guide, which we originally planned to distribute only in the Dominican Republic. The scope of the guide has now grown, and it will be made available to educators throughout the Caribbean, available in English, Haitian, and Creole Spanish.
Happily, last month, we were able to begin face-to-face educational programs on a limited basis. Partnering with the local platform ZOODOM, we worked with 12 children and 8 adults. They saw a live Red-tailed Hawk and Ashy-faced Owl and then received a short presentation on the Ridgway’s Hawk. Afterwards, the children colored a picture of the Ridgway’s Hawk.
The COVID Experience Has Taught Resilience
As we look to 2021, a great deal of uncertainty remains regarding travel and our ability to carry out face-to-face programs. Our main concern is the safety of our teams and the people in the communities where we work. However, what 2020 has taught us is that we are resilient and so is the Ridgway’s Hawk. Despite the pandemic, this year’s results and the efforts of our team truly give us hope that our project’s sustainability goals are achievable. The long-term protection of this Critically Endangered raptor is also making progress, before our very eyes. We want to thank the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund and all its supporters for making this work possible. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, please rest assured that we will carry on the work and the dream of community-based conservation.
Children from Santo Domingo spent a morning learning about birds of prey and engaging in art activities related to the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo by ZOODOM)
Gabriela Diaz, a biologist and environmental education with the The Peregrine Fund, works with children from Santo Domingo to teach them about birds of prey and the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo ZOODOM).
Coloring in a Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo by ZOODOM)
Find out more about the work of The Peregrine Fund to save this critically endangered raptor and read past updates from the project here:
The White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus) is an Endangered songbird with an extremely small and increasingly fragmented range. Over 80% of the global population is found in Saint Lucia, most of it within the Mandelé range, which is considered the stronghold for the species at about 1,000 adults. (the remaining 20% is in Martinique). Bela Barata, Field Programme Officer with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, takes us into the field to find and study this elusive bird.
A pair of White-breasted Thrashers in the wild (Photo by Robert Curry, 2007)
On a sunny February morning, beneath the canopy of dry scrub forest along the central East Coast of Saint Lucia, staff of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Saint Lucia National Trust and the Division of Forestry prepared to complete the day’s task: checking camera traps in White-breasted Thrasher territory. One factor that limits reproductive success of this bird is nest predation by native predators such as the Saint Lucia boa constrictor and non-native predators such as rats, cats, and mongoose. The team had recently installed a network of camera traps, which take photos when trigged by motion, across the Mandelé range to get an indication of potential predator abundance in the area. These cameras were being monitored on a regular basis by Durrell and our partners.
Saphira Prepares to Meet the Thrasher
This assignment would turn out to be a great occasion for Saphira Hunt, Conservation Assistant at the Saint Lucia National Trust and Durrell’s Project Officer. Saphira has been working to raise people’s awareness to conserve this endangered bird for a number of years. Surprisingly, she has never seen a thrasher in the bush. On that day, however, while checking the cameras, she would come across the Endangered White-breasted Thrasher for the very first time in her life.
Saphira was thrilled with the opportunity and she vividly recalls her excitement: ‘We were trekking into Fer de Lance (Saint Lucia pit viper) territory with two tasks at hand. One was to check on the camera traps placed in the thrashers’ nesting sites and the second task was to see a White-breasted Thrasher live in its habitat—a first for me. Adorned with knee high snake gators, rubber boots, machetes, and snake hooks, we set off on the first trail ever, vigilant for any Fer de Lance along the way. The first camera trap was 5 meters ahead. Guided by a GPS unit, we walked single file; I strategically placed myself between two Forestry Officers each wielding a machete. I figured this positioning would decrease my chances of encountering the venomous Fer de Lance. As much as I was excited to see the White-breasted Thrasher in the wild, it would also be my first time seeing the Fer de Lance in the wild.’
Saphira Hunt, Conservation Assistant at Saint Lucia National Trust and Durrell’s Project Officer, ready for work and moments before spotting a White-breasted Thrasher in the wild. (photo by Durrell Wildlife)
The Sound of Silence (and the Thrasher’s Call)
As we trotted on, we kept our ears and eyes peeled, looking to the ground in hope of seeing the bird thrashing in the leaf litter or calling out to a mate. The lead Forest Officer spotted the first camera trap, while our team got ready to check the SD card for photos of potential predators. The area was scanned for any presence of Fer de Lance. We checked the first camera, and then another one. While we were on the move, a member of our team spotted the thrasher. Everyone stopped to admire, and then silence ruled: we heard nothing but the thrasher’s call.
Saphira describes her first sighting: ‘Onward, forward we went, checking two more camera traps along the trail. Suddenly, we heard the distinctive call of the White-breasted Thrasher. Pius Haynes (Senior Wildlife Conservation Officer of the Forestry Division) moved slowly forward, trying to spot the pair. There they were, perched on a low hanging branch. Everyone moved aside to allow me to quietly walk up to meet Pius where he pointed out the White-breasted Thrasher to me. Oh, what a sight! With their dark topcoats and blinding white under bellies, they were a stunning pair. I stood there in total silence letting the sounds of the forest fill my senses as I watched in awe.’
Pius Haynes sets up a camera trap at the correct height to take photos of our target mammal species. The camera is triggered by motion and will take a photo when an animal passes by (Photo by Jennifer Mortensen)The team getting prepared to check camera traps in White-breasted Thrasher territory. (photo by Durrell Wildlife)
An Action Plan Took Shape in 2014
Saphira experienced a unique moment; the view of a rare and magnificent bird is something hard to forget. The White-breasted Thrasher was once more widespread in Saint Lucia, but the population is thought to be declining due to fragmentation of dry forest, the thrasher’s habitat, and increased depredation by non-native invasive species, such as rats, domestic cats, and mongoose. Our collaborator, Jennifer Mortensen from the University of Arkansas has been studying the ecology of the White-breasted Thrasher since 2006 and co-wrote the Species Action Plan (produced in 2014). Jennifer describes with great satisfaction how it feels to see a conservation plan being put forward for this species:
“I remember the day. It was 2014. A beautiful February afternoon. This was my 8th trip to Saint Lucia, but the first time visiting during the “winter.” Clear skies, slight breeze, low humidity, few mosquitos. Why had I always come during the “summer” rainy season? Well, for one, the mangoes. But more importantly, I suppose, the rainy season is the breeding season for the White-breasted Thrasher. And I love that bird. They are kings of the dry forest. They are spunky. Some say they have an understated elegance that is unrivalled across the Caribbean. And they are Endangered, which is why we met that afternoon in Dennery in February of 2014 to hash out the species’ first conservation plan. This plan, called the Gòj Blan Plan after the thrasher’s local Kwéyòl name, leads directly to the work we are doing now, six years later. To see those discussions and all that planning turning into conservation action is really exciting.”
Jennifer Mortensen, from the University of Arkansas, retrieving camera trap data with a team of conservationists from the Saint Lucia Forestry Department, including Stephen Lesmond, Therence Eugene, Jeannette Victor, and Jonathan Cornibert (from right to left). (photo by Durrell Wildlife)
Jennifer recently returned to Saint Lucia to support implementation of our White-breasted Thrasher project. She was a little nervous to return to Saint Lucia after six years away. She recalled, “While I’d kept in touch with friends and colleagues, and often thought about thrashers (still analysing field data), I didn’t know what to expect. However, seeing the Pitons as we approached the island, the colourful roofs of Vieux Fort, the faces of friends at airport arrivals, and then finally, being back in the bush with the thrashers—it felt, at once, like no time and all the time had passed. Birds we banded in 2012, now 8 years older, were still thrashing about in the leaf litter only 60m from where we last encountered them.”
Betty Petersen Grant Supports Predator Study
We are working with a wide range of collaborators, partners, and funders to save and protect this endangered bird. With the support of BirdsCaribbean’s Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, our current work is looking into nest predation and investigating the abundance and activities of invasive predators like the mongoose. Predation is considered the primary cause of White-breasted Thrasher nest failure. It is also suspected to be the most important cause of juvenile mortality. Data we collect on non-native predator abundance and locations via our camera trap network will serve as a baseline and will assist us in the design of a non-native predator control programme, which is the next step of the project.
Non-native mammal predators caught on our network of camera traps. Starting bottom left and moving clockwise: mongoose, opossum, rats, cat. (photo by Durrell Wildlife)
These activities are based on the Gòj Blan Species Action Plan and will help determine if directed non-native predator control is a viable management strategy to improve nesting success of the White-breasted Thrasher or whether efforts should be focused on other management strategies. We have a dedicated team comprised of wildlife officers, naturalists, and conservationists from the Saint Lucia Forestry Department, Saint Lucia National Trust, and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Together, and with BirdsCaribbean support, we are ready to promote the conservation of the White-breasted Thrasher in Saint Lucia. We look forward to reporting back after our next field season!
COVID-19 UPDATE
First case of Covid-19 in Saint Lucia was recorded in March 2020, followed by the government announcement of restricted rules to contain the spread of the virus: international flights were prohibited, a curfew was imposed, only essential shops remained opened, and schools were closed.
Our 2020 project goals of beginning the non-native predator control program and schools-based outreach activities could clearly not go on as planned. With schools closed, awareness activities will be postponed until the next academic year. Given the major disruption in international shipping, the equipment needed to implement the invasive species control program could not be delivered, causing us to shift this activity to next year as well. However, all was not put off… Ahead of us was the challenging task of completing another season of White-breasted Thrasher nest monitoring, initially proposed to start shortly after the predator control program in May 2020.
A Safe and Successful Nest Monitoring Season
Field activities were on-hold until July 2020, which is when the government granted permission to start reopening businesses and offices, following specific guidance and safety measures. Since outdoor activities such as fieldwork were considered safe, our team could proceed with nest monitoring. Bela Barata, Programme Officer for Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, said ‘of primary concern was the health and safety of our local staff, who are essential in delivering fieldwork and collecting all the data that underlie our efforts to save and protect the White-breasted Thrasher’.
In Saint Lucia, White-breasted Thrashers may breed between April and September, so we had to act quickly if we wanted to get a good sample of nests to monitor this year: ‘we had to adapt to the current scenario, make appropriate changes to deploy a reasonable survey effort and also ensure this could be done in the safest way possible’, said Bela. To safely deliver this activity, we reduced the field team to two people to ensure social distancing and used trail cameras to ‘watch’ nests. The cameras allowed us to reduce site visits to only once per week where we simply retrieved camera data, limiting contact between team members.
Camera traps were successfully installed in July 2020 and deployed for 1½ months. We recorded a total of 19 White-breasted Thrasher nests during this period, with nests occurring across each of our four field sites. Most importantly, by the end of the monitoring season, our team was well and healthy. We are now working to share the dataset, which contains thousands of photos. With this data our team will be able to calculate nest success, stages of nest failure, nest visitation by potential predators, and depredation events.
The success of this season survey under a global pandemic scenario was only made possible due to a well-coordinated response and the support of multiple partners. Saint Lucia National Trust and Durrell Project Officer, Saphira Hunt, was able to put together all equipment needed for field work in a noticeably short time. Saint Lucia Forestry Department staff was on stand-by, ready to install the cameras at any moment. Our White-Breasted Thrasher expert, Jennifer Mortensen from the University of Arkansas, worked quickly to provide a revised and updated monitoring protocol, setting a step-by-step guide that supported our field team without in-person supervision. From all lessons learnt, the delivery of the nest monitoring this year proved that we have a terrific in-country capacity, which is the bedrock of a relationship of trust and crucial for the long-term sustainability of this project. Together, we are working to achieve one shared goal: saving the White-breasted Thrasher from extinction.
By Bela Barata. Bela is Project Officer with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. She coordinates this project, providing logistic support to the team in the field to deliver project activities, and she provides regular updates on the activity plan.
Close-up of the White-breasted Thrasher (Photo by Hank Tseng and Adams Toussaint)
BirdsCaribbean approves of Dominica’s plans to launch new efforts to protect the Sisserou and Jaco parrots. Both species are rare and live nowhere else in the world. A recent letter from the Ministry of Environment, Rural Modernization and Kalinago Upliftment, attached here, reaffirms Government’s pledge to help these birds locally, with the help of long-term international and local partners. This includes the return of parrots secretly taken to Germany in March 2018. Other measures include parrot surveys, further repair of the Parrot Centre, and more.
The Sisserou, or Imperial Parrot, is a national symbol found only on Dominica and is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. This bird was photographed in the wild feeding after Hurricane Maria. (Photo by Stephen Durand)
On March 18th, 2018, a few months after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP) took rare parrots from Dominica. This included two Sisserou (Imperial Parrots, Amazona imperialis) and ten Jaco (Red-necked Parrots, Amazona arausiaca), all hatched in the wild. Claiming this was an “emergency measure,” ACTP took the parrots to a private facility in Germany. All the parrots had survived Maria and had been rehabilitated.
The export was not approved by Dominica’s management or scientific authorities for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Dominica’s Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division was not consulted or warned. BirdsCaribbean expressed its deep concern and was among thirteen groups that wrote a letter to the United Nations.
On May 1, 2018, over forty well-known scientists from around the world wrote to Dominican and German authorities. They urged the return of the birds and an investigation into ACTP. ACTP was the subject of two investigative reports in the Australian Guardian later that year. They were also featured in an in-depth article in Audubon Magazine’s Summer 2020 issue, among others. These revealed that the group also had removed hundreds of rare parrots from Australia and Brazil, and rare parrots from St. Lucia and St. Vincent. The articles also revealed that ACTP’s director was convicted of kidnapping, extortion and other crimes, and has no scientific credentials.
Rescued and rehabilitated Jaco (Red-necked Parrots) at the aviary in Dominica in 2018. (photo by Stephen Durand)
BirdsCaribbean stands ready to support its members and partners across the region, who work hard to protect and support threatened species such as the iconic Sisserou – nurturing them within their own native ecosystems. We continue to urge the immediate return of Dominica’s parrots (as well as any offspring) to the Parrot Conservation and Research Centre in Roseau, Dominica after first transferring them to a reputable zoological facility to ensure the birds are disease-free. We welcome plans to renovate the Centre in Roseau to enable it to continue its work in wildlife rehabilitation and research under a parrot monitoring program and for increased capacity-building and training for Forestry staff and other scientists on the island.
Building on partnerships, this kind of empowerment of local expertise will provide for a hopeful future for these birds. BirdsCaribbean supports the government’s Wildlife Conservation Partnership plan. We look forward to hearing more about these positive developments, a welcome ray of light in these hard times.
Caribbean shorebirds count in 2020! With growing threats to their habitats, perhaps now more than ever.
As shorebirds begin to arrive in the Caribbean, many still have not fully transitioned from their breeding plumage, like this beautiful Black-bellied Plover. In the winter, these birds are mottled gray and white overall. (Photo by Jerome Foster)
Our Caribbean partners went out “shorebirding” in their favorite spots between September 3 and 9, 2020, as part of the Global Shorebird Count. Despite some local challenges, the efforts of Caribbean birders were rewarded. Worldwide, preliminary results show 1,567checklists from 1,303 unique locations where 146 species of shorebirds were recorded. The official 2020 results summary results have not been posted yet but will appear on the World Shorebirds Day website. The Caribbean should be well represented.
In the Dominican Republic, Grupo Acción Ecológica visited several sites important to shorebirds in Samaná, San Cristobál, La Vega and Peravia. They recorded a wide range of shorebird species and some large groups of birds including 800 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 600 Stilt Sandpipers, 420 Black-bellied Plover, and 350 Semipalmated Plover. They even encountered some less common species, likea group of three Wilson’s Phalaropes.
In Barbados, several BirdsCaribbean members spent the week of The Global Shorebird Count visiting the many swamps across the island. Notable observations included an impressive group of 32 Whimbrels, in addition to 6 Upland Sandpipers and another Wilson’s Phalarope. Other birds observed included Semipalmated Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Ruddy Turnstone, among many others.
Black-necked Stilts are found in the Caribbean throughout the year. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
In Guadeloupe, Anthony Levesque visited Pointe des Chateaux and counted 430 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 19 Hudsonian Godwits and even a European subspecies of Whimbrel. See all the species on his eBird checklist here. On a different day during the week, he was able to capture an Eastern and Western subspecies of Willet foraging next to each other (see the eBird checklist for a photo). According to eBird, the “Eastern” subspecies breeds in saltmarshes along East Coast of U.S. while the “Western” breeds in marshy grasslands in the Interior West of North America. It seems that “East meets West” in Guadeloupe’s wetlands during migration!
Emma Lewis provided an excellent round-up of World Shorebirds Day with stunning photos in a blog article for Global Voices:
For some Jamaican birders, the highlight of World Shorebirds Day was perhaps the appearance of an adorable family of West Indian Whistling Ducks, captured on video by Damion Whyte, biologist, birder and a passionate social media educator on all things environmental. Others in Jamaica were not so lucky. Members of BirdLife Jamaica — much fewer in numbers this year, due to COVID-19 restrictions — trekked in ones and twos to their favorite viewing sites. One member, on arriving in Old Harbour Bay after heavy rains the day before, found the location overwhelmed with mud!
Young birders celebrate World Shorebirds Day in Ashton Lagoon with SusGren on Union Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo by SusGren)
There were also more sociable events on the calendar. The NGO SusGren (Sustainable Grenadines) shared photos of an educational trip to the newly-restored Ashton Lagoon on Union Island. In celebration of World Shorebirds Day 2020, SusGren in collaboration with Environmental Attackers conducted educational outreach for students of the Stephanie Brown Primary school. The high-spirited students, who were out of their beds as early as 5:30 a.m. for the session, were engaged in activities such as bird labeling, bingo, and bird identification.
Shorebirds rely on Caribbean habitats to rest and refuel during their long migratory journeys, while some are resident year-round in the region. Large tourism developments, including hotels, marinas and other projects, continue to be built along the islands’ coastlines, resulting in the destruction of vital mangroves and wetlands. Currently, three tourism projects under way in Grenada threaten wetlands that shelter birds and other endangered species, including turtles. On other islands, hunting and plastic pollution are major threats for shorebirds.
As Emma noted, “World Shorebirds Day in the Caribbean is not only a celebration of the birds themselves, but of the beautiful places they call home, even if only temporarily for many of them.”Thank you to everyone who participated in the event this year!
In case you missed it earlier, you can download the pdf of our Quick ID Guide to Common Shorebirds of the Caribbean here. For use in the field, print on card-stock and laminate.
Short-billed Dowitchers feeding and resting near Great Bay, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, 6 September 2020. (photo by Ann Sutton)
A Willet in flight, Barbados. (Photo by John Webster)
A pair of Hudsonian Godwits in Barbados. (Photo by John Webster)
Red dots represent 2020 Global Shorebird Count participation; gray dots represent previous year’s locations.
A Ruddy Turnstone and Lesser Yellowlegs in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Pedro Genaro)
A striking Wilson’s Plover. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
Semipalmated Plovers in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino).
A group of Whimbrels at Chancery Lane, Barbados. (Photo by Julian Moore).
Wilson’s Snipe in Barbados. (Photo by John Webster)
American Golden-Plovers, Willets, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Southern Lapwing. (Photo by Jerome Foster)
A Semipalmated Plover. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
Spotted Sandpipers don’t have their breeding plumage spots year-round. During the winter in the Caribbean, they are commonly seen without them. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
Grupo Acción Ecológica members counting shorebirds in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino).
Least Sandpiper foraging at Great Pedro Pond in Jamaica, 6 September 2020 (photo by Ann Sutton)
In 2014, BirdsCaribbean forged an exciting partnership with Carefree Birding, a group of fun and relaxed birders that offer unique birding trips for cruise line passengers. Carefree Birding has developed opportunities for passengers to observe native birds and wildlife while experiencing all the fun and relaxation of cruising.
Owners Ken Burgener and Linda Warschauer are the hosts on each cruise, and their Carefree Birding concept looks something like this:
“Board cruise ship, unpack gear, get a full night’s sleep, disembark when the ship reaches port, spend no more than five or six hours birding, return to ship and relax, meet to discuss the following day’s excursions, have dinner with other birders, repeat next day.” (2013 Porthole Cruise Magazine)
On select cruises, expert birding guides are invited to join the group. Carefree Birding, with the help of local environmental organizations, arranges birding field trips at each port of call. 100% of the money collected for the tours is routed directly to these local groups. The excursions are slow paced, short, physically easy, and fun-filled.
Carefree Birding owner, Ken Burgener, having a lot of fun “on the job” with Adams Toussaint, local birding guide on St. Lucia. (photo by Carefree Birding)
BirdsCaribbean recently conducted an interview with Ken and Linda about their company’s plans for launching their first birding cruise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us for a conversation on what the cruise will entail, and whether or not it’s a good fit for you!
BirdsCaribbean: We are betting that Carefree Birding is excited to start making plans for 2021, after a very quiet and challenging year for your business. Tell us about the trip that you have slated for next March?
Carefree Birding: Yes—we are very excited to get back out on the water in March of 2021, following strict safety guidelines of course. As you can imagine, with the shutdown of the cruise line industry, we are holding our breath. We have been very lucky as we did not have any cruises planned until Feb 2021. We did have to cut this year’s Peru trip in March a week short (though we did finish our Amazon Cruise), but we all got back safe and sound. The March 2021 trip will be aboard the Celebrity Reflection, departing out of and returning to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The 11-night cruise will visit the islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, and Grand Cayman with a stop in the South American city of Cartagena, Colombia.
One of the best aspects of going on a Carefree Birding cruise is the great people that you get to meet along the way. Not only will you get to know your fellow birders, but we also work with some of the best guides in the Caribbean. Since teaming up with BirdsCaribbean (BC), we have been introduced to an entirely new suite of local birding talent, several of them trained in BirdsCaribbean’s Guide Training Program, as part of the Caribbean Birding Trail initiative. We are always excited to reconnect with our skilled and personable bird guides each time we go back to their islands. And thanks to these new relationships, we have also been able to expand our itineraries.
During our time on the Celebrity Reflection, we will have group meetings during our days out at sea. We take advantage of this sailing time to show you short presentations on the destinations coming up next, as well as videos and photos of the birds we hope to see there. And if you so desire, you can eat with the group during dinner where we have tables reserved. We have selected an area off the main dining room, where it is much quieter and easier to talk. We suggest that you sit with different people in our group during the evening meal, that way you can meet more people and learn about their birding experiences. Remember this is Carefree, so if you have other plans no problem!
Carefree Birding group in Barbados, with expert local guide, John Webster (far left). (photo by Carefree Birding)
BirdsCaribbean: This sounds excellent. You mentioned safety guidelines. What will 2021 look like in terms of cruise ship safety precautions?
Carefree Birding: We are hoping that the cruise industry is on stable grounds (make that stable water!) and it will be safe for all the passengers and the crews around the world. Celebrity Cruises has developed a Healthy Sail Panel—11 expert doctors, scientists, and health specialists—that will be guiding our way to safely cruising the new world. As things change, these top medical and science experts will make sure that we and the staff on the ship stay safe. They know that for the boat to continue sailing, protocols need to prioritize safety, and they will do whatever it takes to ensure our health, even if that means canceling the cruise.
BirdsCaribbean: It sounds like Celebrity Cruises has a good plan in place. However, if the Caribbean islands are not ready to receive tourism by that time, what will happen?
Carefree Birding: If the cruise cannot be safely done, Celebrity Cruises will cancel with 100% money reimbursed or put on deposit for any cruise with them in the future. Our travel agent—Travel Services—will take care of your booking and explain your options with the cruise line. Carefree Birding only collects money for your Birding Package, which consists of the shore excursions and our administration fees. If the cruise is canceled we will refund all of your Birding Package money.
BirdsCaribbean: And what if the trip is deemed safe, but an already signed-up passenger doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea any more?
Carefree Birding: No problem at all, Carefree Birding will accept cancellations—no questions asked—up until 30 days of departure, with 100% of your Birding Package money reimbursed. We don’t want to pressure anyone. Currently, when you put a deposit down for your cabin onboard the Celebrity Reflection ($900), that deposit is totally refundable up until the moment you complete your final payment for your cruise cabin. If you have paid the final payment, Travel Services will inform you with the most up-to-date information about their cancellation and refund policy with Celebrity.
White-cheeked Pintail in St. Martin. This is an endemic subspecies in the Caribbean (Anas bahamensis bahamensis). (photo by Binkie van Es)
BirdsCaribbean: We are sure that a lot of people will be put at ease knowing that all of these safeguards and money-back guarantees have been put in place. So, can you tell us a bit more about the fun that awaits?
Carefree Birding: Absolutely! Imagine getting off the cruise ship with our small birding group and having a local islander come to personally pick us up and guide us around their home island for several hours! Not only does the guide know the local birds and birding hotspots really well, we get to learn about local history. The guides enjoy answering questions about life on their island. Our group comes away knowing more about the islands and their culture and people. This is a great way to make new friends throughout the Caribbean.
BirdsCaribbean: Sounds like a perfect way to connect with the local culture and birds in a sustainable and respectful way. And it also sounds like an island experience that nobody else on that cruise will get!
Carefree Birding: You got it—that’s the spirit of Carefree Birding! By using local guides, our birders get to experience the real island, and visit more “off the beaten path” sites. And of course the birding experience is excellent: small groups, lots of one-on-one interaction with the guide, and a built-in flexibility to go wherever the best birds are that day—not where they were three weeks ago. As you know, birds can and do move a lot, but our guides scope out the best spots the days just before we arrive. We have gone to private houses and farms, where the birds are thriving, and often observe many other types of wildlife. Ever been birding on a goat farm? Been there done that! How about on an almost deserted beach, with a cold drink in your hand? If not for our local guides, we never would have access to such unique experiences. Once a guide even arranged to have a private Portajohn sent out to the beach where we were birding. Talk about personal service!
Carefree Birding embraces the local culture (including local transportation) at every port-of-call. It’s all about having fun, meeting new people, seeing some great birds, and supporting smaller towns and businesses along the way. (photo by Carefree Birding)
BirdsCaribbean: Your trips sound amazing. How does someone go about signing up, and are there any restrictions?
Carefree Birding: Anyone on the cruise is welcome to sign up for a Carefree Birding trip. If you have a SOB (Spouse of Birder), they can also come on the cruise for the same price, and they do not have to pay the Birding Package with Carefree Birding. They will also be able to eat with us and enjoy a great cruise while you are away looking at birds. We can help you get set up for both the cruise and our birding trips. Please reach out to us [Ken and Linda] at: carefreebirding@aol.com, 954-766-2919
After you visit our website, go to the registration page, fill out the big yellow box at the bottom of the page and send it. Travel Services will contact you and help book your cruise. Travel Services helps you select the type of cabin, and answer any of the other important questions you might have about the cruise and how to book it. Ken and Linda will answer any questions about the field trips, and any other non-ship questions. Booking the cruise seems to be the hardest part of the entire trip. Once you get on the ship, all is well!!! Carefree Birding will send you tips on how to get ready for the cruise.
We have done over 40 cruises, and we can’t wait for the next one! Join us!
A Carefree Birding group enjoys spotting waterbirds in beautiful Sint Maarten / St. Martin with Binkie van Es, BirdsCaribbean member and Caribbean Birding Trail trained guide. (photo by Carefree Birding)Hudsonian Godwit — one of the many migratory shorebirds you can see in the Caribbean. (photo by Binkie van Es)
It was a bit of a gamble. The speakers were all ready to speak. The agenda was set.
But…would anyone show up?
Well, they did, in the thousands. The North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) 2020, originally scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico from August 10 to 15, had switched gears. It took the brave decision to go virtual in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a tremendous, complex undertaking – and the organizers pulled it off, in style. Hundreds of live, oral presentations took place in general sessions and in symposia, while 80 “lightning talks” and 3 minute poster presentations added excitement. Round tables, workshops and networking opportunities were all well attended by participants from far and wide, under the appropriate theme: “Flight paths addressing global challenges.”
The Caribbean Presence: Island Treasures
NAOC 2020 commented on its website: “The virtual format of the conference attracted particularly high attendance from students and colleagues in Mexico, Central and South America, and Caribbean countries.” In total, nearly 3,000 attended the conference from countries as far-flung as Australia and China.
BirdsCaribbean hosted a symposium called “Island Treasures: Lessons learned from 30 years of avian research, education, and conservation,” which drew a substantial audience from the region and beyond. Sixteen outstanding presentations showcased the exciting conservation work being carried out across the islands, ranging from restoration of key habitats to saving endangered species to wildlife trafficking (see list of talks and presenters in the image gallery below). We had a stimulating panel discussion at the end of the symposia where presenters answered questions from the audience and shared their opinions and expertise on a range of challenging conservation issues.
Island Treasures Symposium Panel discussion on Zoom at the end of the Symposium where presenters answered questions from the audience and shared their opinions on conservation challenges facing the Caribbean region.
An additional symposium organized by Dr. Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr. (the new Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology) focused on the impact of hurricanes on birds called “Birds and hurricanes: effects, responses, resilience, and conservation.”
If you missed the conference or wish to view any of the talks in the above symposia, stay tuned, we will be posting the presentations on our YouTube channel!
The Socializing Side: Virtual Cocktails or a Cup of Tea
The “Caribbean Meet and Greet” session on August 12 was a resounding success. Around sixty guests gathered, cocktails in hand (or in some cases a cup of tea), to chat and get to know each other. It was a time to reconnect with old friends and to make new ones. We answered fun trivia questions about Caribbean birds and gathered in smaller chat rooms for 10 minutes at a time for more intimate chats.
BirdsCaribbean Meet and Greet – some of the folks that stopped by for our Zoom cocktail hour. It was great fun to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones!
Of course, there was no final banquet – and was it really necessary, one participant wondered, when one could just go to the kitchen and fix oneself a peanut butter sandwich? Perhaps virtual banquet menus could be submitted next time, she suggested.
Could Virtual Conferencing be the Way of the Future?
Conference goers, including BirdsCaribbean members and partners, were impressed not only by the quality of the presentations, but also by the fact that the technology smoothly facilitated them. For some, like conservation ecologist Ann Sutton Haynes in Jamaica, it was a new experience:
“This was my first experience of an online conference and I was surprised how well it went. The good things were the low cost, the flexibility to attend when it was convenient and even the online questions and responses went well. There was even a weird pleasure in attending real time sessions…If it’s affordable I think it would be great if all our conferences in future could be both in person and virtual.”
Science Officer at the Bahamas National Trust Scott Johnson was also enthusiastic about the benefits of virtual conferencing:
“My experience participating in the NAOC online symposium was most enjoyable. I had the opportunity to meet up with old friends and some of my mentors as well as listen to some amazing talks including bird smuggling, hurricanes and its effects on birds, and more. I think this is a great alternative to expensive travelling and the logistics associated with it and would like for an online conference like this to continue moving forward.”
Scott Johnson (bottom), Science Officer at the Bahamas National Trust, talking with 2 fellow panelists, Stephen Durand (left), Forestry Officer, Dominica, and Dr. Ancilleno Davis (right), Science and Perspective, at the BirdsCaribbean Island Treasures Symposium.
Biologist Quincy Augustine, staff at the Windward Islands Research & Education Foundation (WINDREF), St. George’s University in Grenada was also pleased with his experience:
“Despite the unforeseen challenges we are currently experiencing, I must commend the organizers for putting together such a great conference – hats off to you! It was one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended with a twist and additional perks – could you imagine what it would have been like if this conference was face to face! The topics, presentations, and the opportunity to build a network are so needed, especially for researchers like myself.”
A Key Focus on Diversity and Inclusion
Colombian ornithologist and Professor Andres Cuervo stressed the significance of the conference, enthusing on the conference Slack channel: “I want to highlight the diversity, quality, and great composition of the keynote plenary speakers of NAOC 2020. I’ve loved every single one of them, and they have been so different in approaches and people. Thank you for that. Today’s Daniel Cadena’s plenary was truly outstanding. His closing remarks are important messages for ornithology and for this meeting.”
Diversity and inclusion was a particularly important aspect of the conference for BirdsCaribbean. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee – including BirdsCaribbean’s Jessica Cañizares and Environment of the Americas’ Sheylda DÍaz-Méndez – worked hard to help “increase the awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion in ornithology and to help cultivate an ornithological community that is committed to the recruitment, retention, and support of all of its members at and beyond NAOC 2020.”
Participants also expressed appreciation for the English and Spanish translations and subtitles in presentations. The organizers were pleased to note: “Many people who would not otherwise have been able to attend were able to do so, due to a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation and sponsorships from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and other partnering organizations, through generous underwriting for free registration for students and greatly reduced registration fees for everyone else.” BirdsCaribbean thanks the US Forest Service International Programs for providing scholarships for Caribbean nationals to attend the conference.
Hope for the Future…and Trinidad?
Social media and our @BirdsCaribbean twitter feed were hoppin’ during the 5 days of the conference as people shared what they were learning. #NAOC2020
BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Lisa Sorenson concluded that the online event filled her with optimism.
“We were thrilled to make such a substantial contribution to what is one of the largest ornithological conferences in the world,” she noted. “We were happy with the positive feedback we have received; this encourages us and our partners, who are doing really worthwhile and inspiring work in the region.”
“Yes, challenges and threats are unrelenting, but we have many more active projects, with people and partners working on research, monitoring, engaging with the public to change the culture, and carrying out successful conservation initiatives to save and restore species and habitats.”
Registered attendees will have access to all recorded presentations through the EventPilot app through Wednesday, September 9.
Meanwhile, we are keeping our fingers crossed for our planned International Conference in Trinidad. We hope to see all our friends and collaborators, old and new, in late July 2021! If you are a new friend of BirdsCaribbean, don’t forget to sign up to our monthly newsletter here for further updates.
BirdsCaribbean was one of nine partner organizations hosting the NAOC 2020 Conference. We thank the US Forest Service International Programs and other sponsors for providing generous support to allow our Caribbean delegates and others to attend the virtual conference at no cost or a reduced fee. #NAOC2020
The gallery below shows the 16 presentations in our Island Treasures Symposium. No worries if you missed the talks, we will be uploading them to our YouTube Channel.
BirdsCaribbean Meet and Greet – more of the folks that stopped by for our Zoom cocktail hour. It was great fun to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones!
Birds of the UK Overseas Territories has just been published! The book explores the birds and other wildlife of each of the 14 UKOTs with a particular focus on environmental threats and conservation issues. Six Overseas Territories are within our region: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos. Many BirdsCaribbean members have helped produce the detailed accounts.
The recently (July 2020) published Birds of the UK Overseas Territories includes detailed accounts of the biodiversity of 14 of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) with an emphasis on their avifauna. Although the UKOTs are spread around the globe, of great interest to BirdsCaribbean members will be the chapters on Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In terms of global biodiversity, these territories are remarkably significant. Among landscapes that range from coral atolls, through mangroves and dry forests to the ice sheets of Antarctica, the UKOTs support no fewer than 45 species of birds currently considered to be globally threatened. They are also home to a third of all the world’s breeding albatrosses, and nine of the world’s 17 species of penguin.
In a rapidly changing world, the UKOTs symbolise global crises in climate and biodiversity. Threats faced by their wildlife range from mortality of seabirds at sea through industrial fisheries, and on land as a result of introduced ground predators to the utter devastation of hurricanes in the Caribbean—which provide a stark reminder of our changing climate. The human impact on the wildlife of our planet has been increasing for centuries, but the next few decades promise to be critical.
This book explores the birds and other wildlife of each of the 14 UKOTs, with a particular focus on environmental threats and conservation priorities. Written by authors with a deep connection to the sites, this book represents an important stocktake of the biological richness of these special places in the early 21st century.
Lavishly illustrated with photos and maps it is well worth purchasing especially as all profits go to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ (RSPB) conservation work throughout the UKOTs.
A beautiful White-tailed Tropicbird – a common site on some Caribbean rocky coast lines. (photo by Andrew Dobson)
Birds of the UK Overseas Territories – edited by Roger Riddington.
Published by T & AD Poyser
ISBN: 9781472977267 (Paperback)
ISBN: 9781472977250 (Hardback)
For purchase from the following vendors:
Amazon Smile: Remember to use smile.amazon.com and designate BirdsCaribbean as your charity to support when making purchases from Amazon (a portion of your purchases comes to us – every little bit helps!).
A galaxy of shorebirds! Craig Watson of the USFWS shares stories from the field on Year Five of Piping Plover surveys in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
On Piping Plover Cay
It was January 2020, and the Fish Fry festivities in Bight Park, Providenciales were in full swing as I arrived in Turks and Caicos, eagerly looking forward to a great couple of weeks of shorebird surveys in the islands. I soon discovered that my colleagues, now in their fifth season of surveys, had already experienced great success before I arrived. They recorded an astounding number of individual shorebirds on Black Rock—nearly 5,000, including over 2,800 Short-billed Dowitchers and 180 rufa Red Knot, a threatened species in the USA and Endangered in Canada.
Jen Rock observing thousands of shorebirds at Black Rock, Caicos Banks (Photo by Caleb Spiegel)
We had named a small cay northeast of South Caicos “Piping Plover Cay,” and sure enough, 43 Piping Plovers had already showed up. This amazing little bird is also Endangered/Threatened in the US and Endangered in Canada. This spot, where our team observed a high count of 88 Piping Plovers in 2017, is not just the most important site in the Turks and Caicos, but an important winter site for the entire Atlantic Coast Population. Most Piping Plover winter sites have less than 10 birds, while the numbers of Piping Plover on this tiny island exceed the 1% threshold for the biogeographic population.
Piping Plovers at Piping Plover Cay, South Caicos (Photo by Craig Watson)
A Special Bird and a Recovering Island
The following day brought some thrilling discoveries. I set off to conduct surveys with Dodley Prosper of the Turks and Caicos Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) and to our delight we located 5 Piping Plovers on Stubbs Cay. One was really special; it had been banded in New Brunswick, Canada as a chick, returning to the same Canadian location in 2019 and 2020 to breed! Moreover, while Dodley and I were surveying the small islands between Providenciales and North Caicos, the rest of the team found 32 more Piping Plovers on Little Ambergris Cay, west of South Caicos. This was more than we had ever found there in our five years of surveying. After Hurricanes Irma (and Maria) hit hard in 2017, sucking away several sandy beaches, no plovers were seen. Thus, it was comforting to realize that not only the habitat, but also the numbers of this species appeared to be rebounding on this uninhabited wetland nature reserve. This was a very encouraging start to our fifth season!
Piping Plover Cay, South Caicos (Photo by Craig Watson)
How We Got Started
Our annual surveys in Turks and Caicos began in early 2016. We wanted to know how many Piping Plovers and other shorebirds wintered there, and how important this scattering of over forty coral islands was for their fragile populations. After the hurricanes of 2017, we also assessed the storms’ impact on the birds and the places they made home during the winter months. Surveys have also focused on identifying potential threats to winter habitats.
Unfortunately, there are a range of threats that are common to many parts of the Caribbean: sea level rise caused by climate change factors; invasive species; disturbance from recreational activities; and development. It was important for us to work with many local partners, including the TCI DECR, who now have first-hand information to continue monitoring and protecting the most critical habitats. Now, the question is: will the significant numbers of Piping Plover, Red Knot, and Short-billed Dowitcher we have discovered in the past four years continue to use the islands during the winter? And how will the severe storms affecting Caribbean islands more frequently influence the shorebirds’ population?
Will these shorebirds, especially the Piping Plover, survive these growing challenges?
Over the next ten days, our team explored much further. We revisited many areas we had been to in previous years, discovered new sites, and even used airboats for the first time in our surveys to access shallow sand and mud flats that were otherwise inaccessible. The weather was good, the beauty of the islands was remarkable, and with our new discoveries more information is now available to help conserve shorebirds in the islands.
Airboat surveys for Piping Plovers, McCartney Flats, East Caicos, local guide Bibo with Beyond the Blue, Caleb Spiegel, Jen Rock, Elise Elliott-Smith (Photo by Craig Watson)
Piping Plovers Making Moves
This winter our total Piping Plover count was slightly over 140. This was the second highest since our high count of 193 in 2017, and far higher than our low count of 62 following Irma and Maria in early 2018. At this point, we are not sure whether this reflects a true rebound from the storms or shifts in the use of habitats afterwards. We will need to conduct further surveys to be able to find the real answer, and to understand the meaning of the numbers that we observe annually. Piping Plovers form a strong attachment to their winter homes. Individual birds are known to use the same areas each winter, which may include sand flats, smaller cays, or multiple beaches.
Based on our previous knowledge of how the birds use specific areas, we were able to split into two teams to survey extensive habitat within a couple miles of where Piping Plovers had been observed in the past. This led to an exciting and fascinating discovery: Piping Plovers were moving back and forth between these areas during their daily activities, even within the same tide cycle. With the two teams observing at the same time, we were able to record band numbers from birds moving around these areas at two locations on separate days. Success! Now we were able to get a grasp of the birds’ local movements.
Survey Team for North and Middle Caicos, Sarah Neima, Caleb Spiegel, Junel Blaise, B Naqqi Manco, Elise Elliott-Smith, Dodley Prosper, Craig Watson (Photo by Jen Rock)
An Airboat Makes A Successful Debut
The large sandy flat area surrounding Piping Plover Cay on the northern end of South Caicos and McCartney Flats on the south side of East Caicos have several nearby sites used by a single flock of Piping Plovers. Although the distance between these two sites is relatively short (~1.25 km), making it easy for the birds to fly back and forth, it is a struggle for us humans to search—unless, of course, we have two teams and an airboat. Numbers on Piping Plover Cay had dropped dramatically since the hurricanes, but we were thrilled to find that over 50 Piping Plovers were using these two surrounding areas.
This was the first year we attempted to use an airboat to conduct surveys. The Beyond the Blue fishing guides out of South Caicos assisted us and we were able to reach several areas that we had never been able to access previously. We could never forget our first (and only) attempt at a survey in the past, when we dragged kayaks across what seemed like endless sand flats. This time, we were at first concerned about airboats disturbing birds so we proceeded with caution, stopping at a distance and then wading close-in by foot. The birds were hardly disturbed at all; and we would never have found them without the use of the airboat.
Birds, Not Conchs, on Conch Cay
Conch Cay, between Middle and North Caicos, and East Bay Island National Park, just off the northeast coast of North Caicos, are neighbouring sites used by Piping Plovers. Conch Cay and the sand flats at the southern tip of East Bay are pretty close together (~1.5 km) making it a short flight for plovers. Again, it had been difficult for just one team to observe the birds’ movements to and fro. This time, while one team was surveying Conch Cay, those birds flew directly to where the team on East Bay was surveying (up to 30 individuals had been observed here in the past).
We had never seen Piping Plovers on Conch Cay before—another new site to document! We realized that these birds may utilize neighboring small cays and beaches as one larger site. In other words, it is all part of the same neighbourhood for them.
Three cays northeast of Provo—Dellis, Stubbs, and Ft. George—also proved to be Piping Plover wintering sites. For the first time a small flock was observed on Stubbs Cay. These birds flew in the direction of Dellis Cay and were relocated later by observing the same bird with the same black flag marker on its leg! This means that not just one or two islands need protection for the continued survival of the Piping Plover. They are actually moving around much larger areas. So, these entire complexes of islands, cays, and intertidal flats need to come under the conservation umbrella.
Piping Plover Survey Locations (Map by Aly Ollivierre)
Snowy Plovers, Salt Flats and Flags
New findings did not end with Piping Plovers this year. On the old sandstone dikes of the South Caicos Cemetery Salinas (salt flats) we counted 17 Snowy Plovers. The Salinas are precious habitats for shorebirds and in our years of surveys we had only detected one Snowy Plover at Northwest Point Preserve two years ago! The Salinas support 21 species of shorebirds and 16 species of waterbirds, including large numbers of migrating Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Least Sandpipers. The Snowy Plover is a relatively uncommon resident in the northeast Caribbean, and another subspecies listed as Threatened in the U.S. It is fantastic to know that Snowy Plovers are year-round residents here in the Salinas on Turks and Caicos!
Snowy Plover South Caicos Cemetery Salinas (Photo by Craig Watson)
And the Piping Plovers waved flags! Perhaps one of the highlights this year was that nineteen (19) of the Piping Plovers we observed were tagged with unique color flags and codes, identifying the individual bird and its breeding origin. These birds breed in Canada and the U.S. and all but one were banded on their breeding grounds—which included beaches in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. One bird was marked as a migrant moving through North Carolina. Other flagged species recorded in the islands were Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, and Sanderling. These resightings are critical, as they are telling us where we need to protect and manage the places where they stop and settle. This will help sustain them throughout their travels, whether they are breeding in Canada, migrating, or wintering in the Caribbean! Keep an eye out for marked shorebirds on your island, report sightings (BandedBirds.org) and contribute to improving our collective knowledge!
Flagged Piping Plover from Escuminac Beach, New Brunswick, Canada on Little Water Cay (Photo by Craig Watson)
Checking out New Spots
Our teams ventured further afield, visiting and surveying areas that we had not looked at in past years. One such area was the island of West Caicos and nearby cays. We had a bit of a bumpy ride out to the cays, but all in a day’s work! We found that some of the smaller cays really did not have suitable habitat for Piping Plovers. West Caicos had some beach areas on the east shore similar to other beaches where Piping Plovers were found. However, most of these beaches were very high energy—not a suitable environment for roosting or foraging birds. We did find a good population of Bahama Mockingbird, which was previously undocumented. The team also found good numbers of seven species of shorebirds including Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Lesser Yellowlegs, all identified as critical species in the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative.
Extensive flats on West Caicos (Photo by Craig Watson)
For the first time we conducted comprehensive surveys in and around the Wheeland Ponds in Providenciales. It is an area of brackish ponds and mangroves, as well as old sand mining pits between Northwest Point and the Blue Hills area. Historically, the area was used for agriculture and sand mining, and for “wrecking”—the shipwreck salvage business. The salinity of the ponds along with the limestone outcroppings support the same types of wildlife, particularly birds, as in other areas. Our surveys detected approximately 20 species, 10 of which were shorebird species, with significant numbers of Black-necked Stilts, Killdeer, and Wilson’s and Black-bellied Plovers. Other birds of interest included American Flamingo, White-cheeked Pintail, and Least Grebe. Currently, the 96-acre area is being considered for inclusion in the Turks and Caicos national park system, as a critical habitat reserve.
Jen Rock and Sarah Neima surveying the Wheeland Pond area (Photo by Craig Watson)
Valuable Partnerships in Conservation
What would we do without our partners? The success of our surveys would not have been possible without this network of awesome people assisting in our efforts. The collaboration has grown over the last five years and now includes many local colleagues, most notably the TCI Department of Coastal and Environmental Resources (DECR). Although first led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in recent years surveys have been jointly led by USGS, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and DECR. From the start, the DECR has provided boats and personnel every year, and over time their members have developed significant expertise in surveying shorebirds. For the first time in 2020, DECR was in charge and worked independently on a survey of Big Sand Cay.
BirdsCaribbean, SWA Environmental (Kathleen Wood), the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund (Don Stark), and the Turks and Caicos National Trust (supported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) are local organizations that provided funding support, in addition to the survey assistance by Kathleen Wood. Big Blue Collective (Mark Parish), Beyond the Blue (Bibo), and local guides Tim Hamilton and Cardinal Arthur provided invaluable knowledge of the islands, the marine landscape, and skills in navigating the turquoise waters. In many cases these boat operators went above and beyond our expectations. They got us where we needed to go when we needed to be there, working long hours for not much pay.
Local guide Cardinal Arthur with Jen Rock and Sarah Neima (Photo by Craig Watson)
Information sharing is what it’s all about. During our five years of surveys, we have observed approximately 80 bird species and roughly 13,000 individual shorebirds, providing DECR and local partners with the “know how” to assist in managing the natural resources of the islands. Data on Piping Plovers and other shorebird hotspots has been used by the TCI Government to inform all-important environmental impact assessments and other land management decisions.
It is likely the current pandemic may not allow international partners like myself to conduct another survey in 2021. However, we all hope that another year of surveys can be completed by our many great partners on the ground in Turks and Caicos. The islands are a true treasure for shorebirds and we need to protect and manage these precious places for the continued survival of the species and the environment.
Each year has brought new discoveries and the more we discover, the more effective our partnerships and conservation efforts become! The charming Piping Plover, a very special winter resident in TCI and Bahamas, remains an inspiration to us all.
Craig Watson is the South Atlantic Coordinator of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. His job is to coordinate bird habitat conservation efforts with partners for high priority species that utilize the Atlantic Flyway (Canada to South America). If you would like to help fund future surveys and conservation actions for Piping Plovers and shorebirds in the TCI, Bahamas and the region, please click here.
Enjoy the photo gallery below. Hover over each photo to see the caption; click on the first photo to see a slide show.
Black-necked Stilts, Whitby Salina Pond, North Caicos (Photo by Craig Watson)
Team surveying West Caicos, Sarah Neima, Elise Elliott-Smith, Craig Watson, Dodley Prosper, Junel Blaise (Photo by Jen Rock)
Beach at West Caicos, first time surveyed (Photo by Craig Watson)
Joe Grant’s beach, Joe Grant’s Cay, East Caicos (Photo by Craig Watson)
Piping Plovers at Piping Plover Cay, South Caicos (Photo by Craig Watson)
Piping Plovers on Stubbs Cay (Photo by Craig Watson)
Reddish Egret dark phase (Photo by Craig Watson)
Wild Cow Run Beach, Middle Caicos (Photo by Craig Watson)
Piping Plover with flag on East Bay Island Reserve from Second Beach, Newfoundland, Canada (Photo by Caleb Spiegel)
DECR Conservation Officers Rodney Smith and Delroy Glinton assisting with access to islands for shorebird surveys (Photo by Craig Watson)
Reddish Egret white phase (Photo by Craig Watson)
Survey crew on Little Ambergris Cay, South Caicos, Foreground Eric Salamanca (DECR), Sarah Neima and Jen Rock (Environment and Climate Change Canada) Elise Eliott-Smith (U.S. Geological Survey), Background Kathy Lockhart and Tyann Henry (Photo by Caleb Spiegel)
DECR boat assistance with surveys, Dellis Cay (Photo by Craig Watson)
Mark Parrish of Big Blue Collective assisting team surveying at Ft. George Cay, Providenciales (Photo by Craig Watson)
Dodley Prosper (formerly of DECR) surveying in the old sand pits of the Blue Hills area of Providenciales (Photo by Craig Watson)
Team surveying Little Water Cay, Elise Elliott-Smith, Sarah Neima, Jen Rock, Craig Watson (Photo by Mark Parrish)
Piping Plover Cay, South Caicos (Photo by Craig Watson)
Elise Elliott-Smith and Jen Rock on airboat (Beyond the Blue) (Photo by Caleb Spiegel)
Crew surveying Little Ambergris Cay, South Caicos, Sarah Neima, Tyann Henry, Kathy Lockhart (Photo by Jen Rock)
Local guide Tim Hamilton, Craig Watson, Elise Elliott-Smith, Caleb Spiegel, Dickish Cay, Middle Caicos (Photo by Marley Hamilton)
Junel Blaise of DECR assisting with surveys, Pigeon Pond and Frenchman’s Creek Nature Preserve (Photo by Craig Watson)
Conservation Officers Rodney Smith and Trevor Watkins of DECR assisting with access to islands for shorebird surveys (Photo by Craig Watson)
Elise Elliott-Smith, Sarah Neima, Jen Rock, surveying Little Water Cay in Turks and Caicos. (Photo by Craig Watson)
BirdsCaribbean, like many other organizations, has had to “rethink” and restructure many of its regular activities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), celebrated each spring by diverse groups and partners throughout the Caribbean, moved into the online world for 2020. It transformed into a “virtual festival” from our homes—our “nest.”
Vivian and her grandson Diego enjoy birding in Punta Cana in the DR. Grupo Acción Ecológica developed a simple protocol so that the citizens could make observations of birds from their homes and nearby surroundings, departing from traditional group activities for CEBF for the first time. They report that 70 species were sighted, of which 19 (27%) were endemic. Furthermore, the Festival generated wide family participation and photographs of birds, with much excitement and enthusiasm for this birding-from-home activity (Credit: Grupo Acción Ecológica).
Making the Most of the Challenge
In the 19-year history of the CEBF, we have always found fun and creative ways to connect people to our rich and diverse regional avifauna, with a special focus on the unique 171species that live only in the region. Each year, partner organizations, led by BirdsCaribbean organize educational, social and scientific events, gathering people of all ages together at various birding “hotspots.” This year, the planned theme was to celebrate our Birds and Culture; but the challenges of COVID-19 and the social distancing restrictions on the islands’ residents presented unusual challenges for participants.
However, adjusting to difficult situations is nothing new for the region, points out CEBF Regional Coordinator Eduardo Llegus: “Caribbean people—and birds—are very resilient. We have endured catastrophic hurricanes, severe droughts, heavy rainfall and flooding, pollution, and a number of impacts on our environment caused by human activity.”
“Despite these challenges, our enthusiastic partners and bird educators still inspire everyone to help conserve our winged friends and their local habitats, as well as our natural resources, in harmony with humans,” he stressed.
The Virtual Festival Takes Off
Children, teens and adults engaged in a safe, fun, and educational “virtual festival” for CEBF 2020. Online discussions, webinars, courses, educational videos, bird puzzles, maps, eBooks, colouring pages, blog and newspaper articles all formed part of an exciting range of remote activities.
Birding safely from the house in the Dominican Republic! Due to COVID-19, many people enjoyed watching and learning about birds from their house for this year’s CEBF. Many people started birding for the first time (credit: Grupo Acción Ecológica)!
BirdsCaribbean launched pages from the recently published Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book on our website. This delightful book features 50 endemic Caribbean birds and includes a wealth of additional information on each bird. BirdsCaribbean is especially grateful to the artist Christine Elder, Mark Yokoyama, and many other contributors, including bird photographers. We featured an Endemic Bird of the Day for 50 days on our From the Nest page, and shared photos, puzzles, activities, videos, bird songs and calls, and more.
Throughout this spring, the online world was busy. Birds Caribbean was no exception, with visits to our website and to social media pages increasing by more than 500% in the last two months. BirdsCaribbean now has hundreds of new friends and followers, all engaged and interested in our work.
BirdsCaribbean partners created their own online initiatives for CEBF 2020, mainly on their social media pages, reaching more than 100,000 people all around the Caribbean region, and across the globe. The Bahamas National Trust offered the first online talk, exploring the mysteries of the legendary “Chickcharney”, an owl-like folkloric creature. Artist Christine Elder live-streamed hands-on workshops on Sketching Hummingbirds and Sketching Parrots assisted by parrot expert, Aliya Hosein, in Trinidad.
Social media post by a new BirdsCaribbean fan, Trinidadian Katrina Khan-Roberts, of her sketches from Christine Elder’s Caribbean Hummingbirds Webinar
Josmar’s Drawing and Coloring Caribbean Endemic Birds YouTube Series
Cuban groups partnered with the University of Havana to focus on an Endemic Cuban Bird each day on Facebook, with wonderful photos and fascinating information on each species.
The Cubans shared a different Cuban endemic bird each day of the Festival.
Les Fruits de Mer, BirdLife Jamaica, SOH Conservación, Grupo Acción Ecológica, Puerto Rican Bird Photographers and other Caribbean non-governmental organizations posted on social media about endemic birds and their habitats.
Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources Twitter post on the Puerto Rican Parrot
Learning New Ways to Connect
CEBF 2020 was remarkable, offering fresh insights and perspectives through the online experience. BirdsCaribbean and its partners entered a new world of creative possibilities, discovering fresh ways of communicating our important messages on endemic birds. We explored different options, learned to handle Zoom meetings and to present online, and stepped up our social media presence. The response was enthusiastic. The festival was more than just a substitute for regular organized, in-person events. CEBF 2020 highlighted in an innovative way the importance of our unique native wildlife, and emphasized how essential it is to protect our endemic species.
Visit BirdsCaribbean to find From the Nest page, our Youtube channel, and Resources page to enjoy our Endemic Bird of the Day series with photos, puzzles, activities, videos, and more. Follow BirdsCaribbean (@BirdsCaribbean) and your local nature groups on social media with #CEBFFromTheNest and #Festival_de_Aves_Endémicas_del_Caribe.
Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival events are held annually between Earth Day on April 22nd and International Biodiversity Day on May 22nd. Contact your local environmental group to find out about events on your island, or contact BirdsCaribbean to organize an event of your own: CEBF@birdscaribbean.org.
Thank you to all of our partners and friends across the region for participating so enthusiastically and making CEBF 2020 memorable and special. Enjoy the gallery below! (hover over each image to see the caption; click on each photo to see it larger and to view images as a gallery).
Artwork from the DR shared by Grupo Accion Ecologica.
Parrot expert and enthusiast, Aliya Hosein, in Trinidad, did a wonderful job sharing information, artwork, and stamps of the Caribbean’s endemic parrots
BirdsCaribbean offered online puzzles of endemic birds with each Endemic Bird of the Day; these can be accessed at our From the Nest page.
Bird Photographer in Puerto Rico shared many outstanding photos of Puerto Rico’s endemic birds.
Dr. Adrianne Tossas in Puerto Rico gave an outstanding webinar on the endemic birds of Puerto Rico, co-hosted by the DRNE and BIrdsCaribbean.
The Dominica Forestry Dept did a lot of great sharing about birds found Dominica’s diverse habitats.
Corredor Biológico en el Caribe shared information about the much beloved endemic Cuban Tody for CEBF 2020.
Participants in our parrot sketching workshop by artist and naturalist Christine Elder, showed off their artwork on social media!
Dominica’s Forestry, Wildlife and parks Division challenged their followers to ID birds throughout the month.
Ave Zona in Venezuela was active ni sarhing information about endemic birds and habitats for CEBF.
Sustainable Grenadines Inc in Union Island, did a fantastic job sharing sightings of birds at local habitats throughout CEBF!
Antillean Crested Hummingbird, one of 3 species of hummingbirds that are resident in Antigua and other Lesser Antilles islands plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. (photo by Nick Hollands)
We have all had to adapt to a drastically different way of life in a very short time. One of our partners, the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) in Antigua and Barbuda, has risen to the challenge and made the best of a difficult situation. They organized an online “Birding for Beginners” course to encourage more people in Antigua to learn about local birds, take up birdwatching as a hobby, and to help with citizen science initiatives in Antigua. Here they describe the course and initial outcomes.
The Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) in Antigua and Barbuda is constantly seeking out means to connect our people with nature. EAG aims to promote a greater understanding of and appreciation for how our natural environment provides essential services that support our very lives.
Much of the work that EAG is involved in promotes the conservation of birds and their habitats. One of our goals is to encourage our residents to go out and become citizen scientists—observing birds, collecting data, and sharing it on a platform that can be used by scientists and decision-makers.
A Virtual Introduction to the World of Birds
Yellow Warbler or Canary, as it is commonly called in Antigua. This small bright yellow bird is often found among Wild Tamarind plants and has a beautiful song. (photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
But first, how do we get people to bird, if they don’t know much about the birds? And how do you bird during a pandemic lockdown? The EAG team decided to launch an online Bird Training session called Birding for Beginners, in the month of May. This consisted of six webinars that taught the basics of birding, including identification, behavior, habitat, ecology, Important Bird Areas, monitoring techniques, threats to birds, conservation, and ethical birding.
Antigua and Barbuda is home to numerous species of resident birds, and over one hundred species of migratory birds spend part of their year here. Birds are ubiquitous on our islands; they are found from the mountain tops of the Shekerley mountain range right down to the wave-chasers on our sandy beaches. We have big, imposing raptors and tiny little hummingbirds. We have land birds, shorebirds, wetland birds, and in-between birds!
Getting to Know Birds
Ruddy Turnstones are common winter shorebirds in Antigua and the Caribbean. They find invertebrate prey items on the beach by flipping over stones, hence their name “turnstone.” (Photo by Arnaldo Toledo)
During the webinars, the participants were challenged to learn to identify birds by their shape, size, colour, behaviour and location. For example, one should be able to look at a bird’s bill and decide if it’s a meat-eater, a seed-eater, an insect-eater, a fruit-eater, or otherwise. Some birds glide in flight while others flap. When feeding, some probe and peck, while others snap prey out of the air, or flip over everything in sight. How about their behaviour on the ground? Some run around, some pose majestically with a piercing gaze, and some even “twerk” (bobbing their tail incessantly)!
Participants learned about the important part birds play in our environment. The EAG webinars highlighted some of birds’ vital ecosystem roles. These include keeping the insect population under control, dispersing seeds, pollinating flowers, cleaning up carcasses, advising on the weather, enriching the soil – and even influencing fashion! Participants also learnt about birding “hotspots,” Important Bird Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas across our islands. Examples of these are our offshore islands, Christian Valley, Wallings, McKinnons Pond, and the Codrington Lagoon.
An International Study Group is Born
The Barbuda Warbler, found nowhere else in the world except the tiny island of Barbuda (photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Of course, we also examined identifying common birds, as well as rare birds and resident and migratory species. We highlighted birds of conservation concern due to threats they face, both human-caused (e.g., destruction of their habitats) and natural (e.g., hurricanes). Special mention was made of our endemic Barbuda Warbler, found nowhere else in the world but – Barbuda.
To wrap up the course, participants learned how to implement actions to conserve birds, how to monitor them, and how to use the online applications eBird Caribbean and Merlin to identify birds and store their birding observations.
The participants were eager and enthusiastic, joining EAG via Zoom and Facebook. The interest was greater than expected and they all returned regularly to keep up with the course. Most of our participants were local, but others from across the region joined us – including participants from Anguilla, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts, and Trinidad and Tobago. Even persons from the UK and US who are regular visitors to the island followed the course!
Inspiration and Support – Thank You!
Shawn Maile was enthusiastic about the course and his new-found hobby and shared his experience and certificate proudly on his LinkedIn.
One of the participants, Shawn Maile, shared his thoughts in an article he posted on his LinkedIn: “I jokingly posted a status to say that maybe I should take up birdwatching. Next thing you know, I was signed up for an online birding course in the middle of a pandemic and starting a new hobby.”
He further commented, “Fast forward to the end of the course and I have currently logged over 25 different species of birds. I can no longer walk, drive, run, or simply go outside without seeing, hearing or sensing a bird. Now armed with the skills to identify and count the avian species, I can proudly say I am a certified beginner birder. Armed with my binoculars and ebird app, I forge into the unknown tracking and viewingmy winged friends.”
Following the course, we are pleased to announce the formation of our very own bird club, the Wadadli Warblers! Our first team outing occurred last week as we began field training at McKinnons Pond, all while wearing masks. We anticipate building up our team of local contributors who monitor birds and their habitats (e.g., participating in the Caribbean Waterbird Census), traveling the Caribbean islands to see the region’s incredible diversity of birds (there are 171 endemics) – and having fun doing it!
The Wadadli Warblers take on their first birding expedition to birding hotspot, McKinnon’s Pond, in Antigua.
This training opportunity and ongoing mentorship would not have been possible without the support of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Cape Cod Bird Club, BirdsCaribbean, and the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. Our participants were treated to a special appearance by Dr. Herbert Raffaele, former Director at USFWS Division of International Conservation (funding millions of dollars for conservation projects around the world), and award-winning author of several books including the important field guide, “Birds of the West Indies.” Special thanks to Dr. Lisa Sorenson of BirdsCaribbean for her assistance, and for being present at every webinar, supporting the presenters and answering questions.
We urge you to start appreciating our natural world. We urge you to take this time to reconnect to nature. Join the EAG and join the bird club too! For more information, contact us at 268-462-6236 or eagantigua@gmail.com. To donate and support our programs, click here. And enjoy the photo gallery below (click on each photo to see it large and view as a slide show).
Editors Note: Congratulations to the EAG team for this hugely successful and engaging online training. EAG has been a long-time partner of BirdsCaribbean and the 3 facilitators of this course, Natalya Lawrence, Shanna Challenger, and Andrea Otto, have all been active members of BirdsCaribbean. They have participated in our workshops and conferences and have been awarded many grants to carry out education, monitoring, restoration and conservation projects in Antigua and Barbuda. We applaud their enthusiasm, professionalism and sheer hard work to advance awareness, appreciation, and conservation of Antigua and Barbuda’s incredible biodiversity. We encourage you to support the amazing work of the EAG either through membership or a donation.
To learn more, check out the following articles and Youtube videos:
The ongoing Black Lives Matter movement continues to challenge us and to confront deeply-entrenched attitudes and assumptions about race that affect so many individuals and communities negatively. This includes the vibrant and growing communities of Black scientists, naturalists and birders, in the Caribbean and beyond. At BirdsCaribbean, we have been similarly inspired to reach out directly to the organizers of Black Birders Week, who swiftly took action following the Central Park incident – a blatant display of white privilege. We applaud this strong response, because their goals reflect our own: inclusivity, diversity, solidarity, teamwork – and of course, the common love of birds that brings us together.
Here is an article co-authored by three co-organizers of Black Birders Week, Amber Wendler, Alex Troutman, and Chelsea Connor, who met up with Executive Director Lisa Sorenson and other BirdsCaribbean leaders recently on Zoom. We look forward to continuing the dialogue, to building our relationship, to sharing ideas and to working together on concrete plans and actions that will empower Black birders and shine a light on their amazing work. Rome was not built in a day, as the saying goes, but we at BirdsCaribbean are committed to supporting Black Birders Week, fighting discrimination, and bringing hope. We are stronger together!
#BlackBirdersWeek flyer with list of events created by Sheridan Alford and Danielle Belleny. Full text at tinyurl.com/BlackBirdersText
Black Birders Week was created in response to a racist incident in New York City’s Central Park: Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the police on Christian Cooper, a Black birdwatcher, and lied, saying, “There’s an African American man threatening my life,” when he politely asked her to put her dog on a leash in an area that required her to do so by law. Many people do not realize that racist incidents, such as this one, happen every day – they are just not captured on video. The recording of this incident highlighted some of the challenges Black people face when going birdwatching or participating in other outdoor activities. In addition to not feeling safe, many Black people feel as if they do not belong in outdoor spaces predominantly occupied by white people. Black Birders Week was organized by individuals of BlackAFinSTEM, which is a collective of Black birders, nature enthusiasts and scientists. The goal of Black Birders Week was to increase the visibility of Black birders and nature enthusiasts and promote inclusivity in the outdoors.
After Black Birders Week, co-organizers Amber Wendler, Alex Troutman and Chelsea Connor virtually met with members of BirdsCaribbean, so that we could all share our experiences and discuss how the birding community can take action to become more diverse and inclusive. It felt as if we all already knew each other and were friends, catching up after a few years of being apart. It was inspiring to hear everyone’s stories and the projects that they have worked on and plan to do in the future. We’re excited to meet in person next July at the next BirdsCaribbean International Conference in Trinidad, and we’re looking forward to continuing these conversations virtually in the meantime.
Participants in the Zoom Meeting. From left to right. Top row: Chelsea Connor, Lisa Sorenson, Alex Troutman. Second row: Amber Wendler, Justin Proctor. Third row: Emma Lewis, Howard Nelson, Ancilleno Davis. Fourth row: Adrianne Tossas. BirdsCaribbean Board member, Leno Davis (Bahamas) commented: “Being a scientist can be challenging for some and less challenging for others. Our group spoke of privilege, racism, tokenism, implicit and institutional biases, representation, and shifting cultural perspectives and norms. Being black in the Caribbean is different from the USA or UK experience but they are all valid.”
What does Black Birders Week mean to you?
Amber Wendler is a PhD student at Virginia Tech pursuing research on Puerto Rican Todies.
Amber Wendler: Black Birders Week means a lot to me. It has given me a sense of community. I could not be happier to finally see so many other birders who look like me and have had similar experiences to me. I am blown away by all the support this week has received and it has given me hope for the future.
Alex Troutman: Black Birders Week means freedom, inspiration, and growth. Freedom to immerse yourself in nature. It has been inspiring to see all the people supporting Black Birders Week and saying that they are going to make a stand to make sure birding is inclusive for all people! Black Birders Week means growth, not only because I grew as a birder and individual by telling and hearing other birders’ stories; but also because the birding community is growing stronger in numbers and morally. More people stand to make a change, or call out actions and behavior discouraging others who do not fit the typical birder profile of an older white male.
Chelsea Connor: Black Birders Week meant getting my voice, and the voices of others like me amplified. We had been talking on and off about the struggle we face with the outdoors, but now we were more widely heard, and invited to share. I got to see so many Black people outside, doing what they love and to hear their stories and the inspiration that this event gave them. I’m so proud and that will all stay with me forever.
What did you take away from Black Birders Week and what do you want others to know?
Alex Troutman is a Masters Student at Georgia Southern University studying the dynamics of insect communities and MacGillivray’s Seaside Sparrow nestlings in tidal wetlands of Georgia.
Amber Wendler: People too often value biodiversity of nature more than diversity of people. Ensuring that Black people and other under-represented groups have access to and feel welcomed in the birding community and outdoor spaces leads to a diversity of ideas and perspectives, which greatly benefits the community and advances scientific research. I am truly amazed by the BlackAFinSTEM group. Individuals from this group saw an opportunity to bring awareness to an important issue, quickly came together to plan and were able to change the minds of many people.
Thanks to Black Birders Week, we increased the visibility and amplified the voices of Black birders. Individuals and organizations started to take action to make the birding community more diverse and inclusive, and many Black birders who previously felt alone now have a supportive community. However, it’s important to recognize that systemic racism was built up over hundreds of years and thus will not be fixed in a week. There is still a lot more work that needs to be done until all Black people will feel safe and welcomed in outdoor spaces. We all must continue to listen to people’s experiences, learn and take anti-racist action.
Alex Troutman: Black Birders Week has not only encouraged me, but it has also given me a sense of pride. First, I am proud that 30+ Black people in the STEM field who identify as birders could make this happen without ever being in a room together and not ever officially meeting each other besides Zoom sessions. Next, I had a sense of pride and encouragement from all of the support that we have been given from people who participated in Black Birders Week in some way, whether it was following with each day’s hashtag or viewing the live streams.
It has been encouraging to see all of the Black birders and Black nature lovers who are out there. I thought I knew a good bit of them, but Black Birders Week has allowed me to connect with so many others who I probably never would have met if it wasn’t for Black Birders Week. Some people were even within the same state. It has also been encouraging to see the younger generation get excited about birding! Black Birders Week gave me community, support, and encouragement to keep going! I hope that others got as much out of BBW as I did. I want others to see that everyone can and should be welcome to go birding without FEAR, DISCRIMINATION, and LACK of ACCESS. It truly takes everyone to make sure that nature can be used and enjoyed by all.
Chelsea Connor is a herpetologist and science communicator. Birds were her first love growing up in Dominica. She currently is a student in Texas researching anole diets and tweets anole facts and about her island, @ChelseaHerps
Chelsea Connor: I want people to remember that silence is complacency. A lot of the things that happen that are witnessed by someone can be stopped by the simple intervention of a white ally. Allies should use their platforms as much as possible to amplify the voices and experiences of BIPOC (Black and Indigneous People of Color) and to create paid opportunities and spaces for them where they are fully supported. Too often BIPOC get hired, but then they’re left alone to face discrimination and racism from their coworkers and peers.
I feel like Black Birders Week has definitely made that conversation start happening more. It’s so encouraging and heartening to see everyone who participated and still hearing about the effect it had for them. I expected the event to go over well, but the international recognition it got blew my mind. It makes me feel hopeful, like much needed change can start happening. I’ve also gotten to connect with so many great people and institutions and I cannot wait to see them grow. Depending on your background, you may not know what it’s like to not feel heard and then to finally have that – but I can tell you, it’s been quite an experience and I’m so happy to have had it. I can’t wait to see more representation of us outdoors and in the natural sciences. Thank you for being part of this too.
Sincere thanks to Amber, Alex and Chelsea for talking with us and writing this wonderful article! Big thanks also to our colleague, Andrew Rothman (@The_Rothman), for introducing us. We appreciated tuning into #BlackBirdersWeek events and look forward to further discussions, opportunities to partner, and actions we can take together to make sure Black birders are welcome and supported everywhere. We welcome Amber, Alex, Chelsea, and all others to our BirdsCaribbean community, a diverse network of wildlife professionals, birders, tour guides, educators, community members, and more. Stay informed about Caribbean bird news by signing up for monthly newsletter here. Join us here. And follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@BirdsCaribbean).
We know. It has been a difficult time, and you might be starting to get “itchy feet.”
You’re probably not quite ready to travel yet, but as soon as it is safe, where would you go?
Think green, forested hills filled with bird song; cool rivers with the splash of waterfalls and deep pools to enjoy; or inviting turquoise bays fringed with silvery white sands. This is the Caribbean, and it’s waiting for you!
Our Amazing Island Guides
The Purple-throated Carib is endemic to a handful of islands in the Lesser Antilles (Photo by Barbara and Frank Lilievre).
BirdsCaribbean has the perfect tool to help you with your future plans: a newly updated Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) Guide page! Expert local guides are essential to getting the most out of your travel experience, so we have gathered information on the best in the region—all within one handy directory on the CBT website.
These guides, from 21 islands—and counting—have completed the CBT Interpretive Guide Training Program or have obtained training or certification through other programs. They are trusted partners of BirdsCaribbean and the partner organizations we collaborate with on the islands. These knowledgeable guides will satisfy bird, nature, and adventure tourists of all kinds. From birding, boating, and botanical gardens to mountain trails, waterfalls, and even rum tours … there is something for everybody.
Adams Toussaint, St. Lucia Birding & Wildlife Ambassadors
If you browse through our directory, you will see what an extraordinary range of expertise these local guides have to offer.
Our most recently trained guides in Grenada can take you out to sea, birding on sailboats (Vaughn Thomas at Archipelagics) and in kayaks (Kendon James at Conservation Kayak). Seasoned guides such as Adams Toussaint in Saint Lucia, and Lystra Culzac in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been leading birdwatching tours for years. They know exactly where to take you to find all the unique birds of their islands, including the extra special (and incredibly beautiful) St. Lucia and St. Vincent Parrots.
Lystra Culzac, guide in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
You will also see that our guides offer tours in several languages. Binkie van Es on Sint Maarten speaks four languages, and David Belfan in Martinique speaks no less than five! If they have written a bird guide, this is also highlighted. For example, Erika Gates (Bahamas), Anthony Levesque (Guadeloupe), Ann Sutton (Jamaica), Kate Wallace (Dominican Republic), Roger Neckles (Trinidad and Tobago), as well as Birdy Jno Baptiste and Stephen Durand from Dominica are all published authors of field guides for their countries!
So … Where To?
This beautiful bird, of resplendent plumage, is the National bid of Cuba. It’s colors match the colors of the Cuban flag (Photo by Jose Pantaleon).
Maybe you will opt for the largest island in the Caribbean: Cuba! There are 26 bird species on Cuba that are found nowhere else in the world, from the smallest bird in the world (Bee Hummingbird) to their beautiful National Bird (Cuban Trogon). There you can meet up with Ernesto Reyes, who will introduce you to these birds and so much more. Ernesto is a Cuban biologist with more than 15 years of experience with birds in Cuba, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. He offers multi-day birdwatching and bird photography tours (including two tours with BirdsCaribbean) that allow visitors to observe more than 95% of Cuba’s bird species. What riches!
Maybe instead of big, you go small. You might consider putting Anguilla in your plans. This 35-square mile, neatly wrapped package of an island contains a surprising amount of biodiversity. Go with Jackie Cestero of Nature Explorers Anguilla to explore the island’s more than 20 wetlands—once the center of a thriving salt industry dating back to prehistoric Amerindian inhabitants. Today these wetlands provide critical habitat for both resident and migratory species as they travel along the Atlantic Flyway. Be sure to pack your snorkel and fins, because Anguilla’s extensive marine park system is home to a number of species of turtles, colorful reef fish, and corals. Many of the island’s beaches provide nesting habitat for endangered sea turtles and, if you’re lucky, you’ll also spot migrating whales and dolphins.
Make Your Plans Happen
Hopefully by now you’ve got some ideas of where to go, and who to go with. Whatever you decide, just be sure of two things: hire local guides and keep going back to the Caribbean! No two islands are alike.
Beautiful jungle path through the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico beckons you to come visit. (photo by Dennis van de Water)
The Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) is a project of BirdsCaribbean. The CBT has been developed to connect people to the extraordinary places, diverse cultures, and people of each island. The CBT promotes authentic experiences that benefit local people and encourages the protection of the Caribbean’s natural resources, including birds and their habitats.
Through our CBT Interpretive Guide Training Program, we are partnering with operators and guides in the region to organize one of the most comprehensive guide training and certification programs in the region. The course is facilitated by National Association of Interpretation (NAI) Certified Interpretive Trainers, and participants learn not only to identify the local bird species and their connection to the environment, but also how to effectively communicate information to audiences in a meaningful and enjoyable way. To date, we have held International Training Workshops in Grenada, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Bonaire, Cuba, and St. Vincentand theGrenadines.
We would love to have your feedback. Have you been on a birding tour with a great birding tour guide from on or off our page? We’d love to hear about it. If you would like to recommend a great guide we don’t know about, organize a guide training program in your country, or want to know about the next program we might offer, drop us a line at info@caribbeanbirdingtrail.org and—when you do go on the Caribbean Birding Trail (and we hope you will)—let us know how it went for you.
Special thanks to our Caribbean Birding Trail Project Coordinator, Aly Ollivierre, and our website developer, Kathleen McGee, for working so hard to get the site updated over the past six months!
Check out our short video on the Caribbean Birding Trail:
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us in our virtual “From the Nest” edition! 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: Ridgway’s Hawk
The Ridgway’s Hawk is found only on the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by the nations of Haiti and Dominican Republic. It is one of the most Critically Endangered raptors in the world, with fewer than 500 birds remaining. It hunts by maneuvering through the thick forest with the help of its broad wings and long tail, or by perching low to the ground in open areas scanning for prey. It feeds on snakes, as well as lizards and skinks, frogs and toads, small rodents, bats, and birds.
This hawk often builds its nest right on top of an active nest of the Palmchat, the national bird of the Dominican Republic. The hawks add larger twigs on top of the existing Palmchat nest, without causing any harm to the smaller birds nesting below. It’s like a two-story building for birds! The Ridgway’s Hawk is not shy around people and will even nest close to settlements and roads. However, nesting pairs are quick to defend their territory against humans or any other predator—they will vocalize loudly and chase off the intruders.
Since the late 19th century, the Ridgway’s Hawk population has been in steep decline. Much of their native habitat is disappearing through clear-cutting of forests and wildfires. Birds are also shot or chicks taken from the nest and killed as people fear these beautiful hawks will prey on their chickens. Fortunately conservationists at The Peregrine Fund, working in partnership with local communities, are making great progress in saving this species from extinction. BirdsCaribbean is supporting on-the-ground conservation work for this species through its Betty Petersen Conservation Fund. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Ridgway’s Hawk!
Download the page from Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the drawing above or 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 Ridgway’s Hawk
The Ridgway’s Hawk call, is a loud, shrill repeated wee-uh.
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!
Adult Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo by Pedro Genaro)Immature Ridgway’s Hawk (Photo by Guillermo Armenteros)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Complete our Ridgway’s Hawk Word Scramble! How many words do you know? If you need help, check out our Glossary for some definitions that will help you figure out this word scramble. And here is a the Answer Key to the puzzle.
FOR ADULTS: Learn more about what is threatening the Ridgway’s Hawk survival and how conservationist Marta Curti and communities in the DR are working to save it, thanks to the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund and The Peregrine Fund. Donate here to support this project and save the hawk for future generations to enjoy!
Members of the community of Los Brazos create a home-made sign that reads “Welcome to Los Brazos. This community protects the Ridgway’s Hawk” to show their support of the conservation projectOur field crew in Los Limones organized the painting of a beautiful mural at the entrance to the community to highlight the importance of conserving Ridgway’s Hawk in the area (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)
Soaring above the tree tops of Los Haitises National Park is the mighty Ridgway’s Hawk. Conflicts with humans and changes in its forest habitat have made it hard for this species to survive. Marta Curti gives us an update on the exciting work of The Peregrine Fund to save this Critically Endangered raptor.
Since 2000, when we began our project to conserve the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic (DR), we began to hire and train local crew members to help carry out the field work. In 2011, we increased our recruitment and training efforts greatly. One of our main goals is to make the project sustainable in the long-term, which means giving locals the opportunity and the means to support their families while working directly for conservation.
We currently have over 20 Dominicans employed on our project. Most were born and raised in the very communities where we work, right in the heart of Ridgway’s Hawk territory. These residents range in age from late teens to over 60. They are trained in nest searching, monitoring, data collection, data entry, tree climbing, banding, treating nests to prevent nest fly infestations, and environmental education techniques. They spend long hours in the field, hiking over rough terrain, sometimes in oppressive heat and humidity or torrential downpours, to monitor and protect the hawks. While we are always so grateful for the work they do, this year, more than ever, their commitment to this project has proved invaluable.
Members of the community of Los Brazos create a home-made sign that reads “Welcome to Los Brazos. This community protects the Ridgway’s Hawk” to show their support of the conservation project
Communities Take Up the Reins During COVID-19
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Thomas Hayes (Ridgway’s Hawk Project Director) and Marta Curti (Ridgway’s Hawk Project Environmental Education Specialist), will not be able to travel to the DR for the next several months, if not longer. If this were a “normal” year, we would both be planning a trip now, as the next few months are critical to our project’s success. Ridgway’s Hawk breeding season is in full swing and it is important to continue monitoring, banding, and treating nests. Thanks to our local crew, this work is being accomplished without a hitch!
At our first reintroduction site, the Punta Cana Resort and Club, our team is monitoring 17 pairs. Six of these pairs have hatched 13 young so far this year, while 9 have eggs waiting to hatch! This is an incredible achievement, considering that Ridgway’s Hawks hadn’t been documented in this area since the 1970s and breeding pairs didn’t start to form there until 2013! Though our environmental education efforts have been postponed in order to maintain social distancing, we were still able to reach 1,594 individuals at the beginning of the year. Our crew in Los Limones had a beautiful mural painted at the entrance to the town.
Our field crew in Los Limones organized the painting of a beautiful mural at the entrance to the community to highlight the importance of conserving Ridgway’s Hawk in the area (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)
Los Brazos: An Eco-Friendly Release Site for Ridgway’s Hawks
While our seasoned crews are doing an amazing job in Punta Cana and Los Haitises National Park, we are particularly grateful for the newest additions to our team – our crew from the town of Los Brazos, located within the Aniana Vargas National Park in Dominican Republic. The small town of approximately 100 people relies heavily on the production of shade-grown certified organic cacao. Young and old, men and women, work daily to harvest, dry, process, and sell the crop.
The town itself consists of one dirt road with houses scattered on either side. In and around the town are cacao plantations interspersed with tall trees, wildflowers and wildlife. To maintain the organic certification, they must heed certain rules: no use of pesticides, no killing of wildlife, no cutting of forests. This, and the fact that this area was designated as Aniana Vargas National Park in 2009, was the main reason we chose this area as the newest site for Ridgway’s Hawk releases. Though every area has its unique challenges when it comes to releasing birds of prey, we knew we would be ahead by leaps and bounds releasing birds here. Thanks to support from the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, we were able to release 25 young hawks in this area in 2019.
Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Sete Gañan, leads a jewelry-making workshop in the community of Los Brazos, the site of our newest release site for Ridgeway’s Hawk (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Exciting News to Report
Though we had planned to release another group of hawks this coming field season, we have decided to postpone this year’s releases due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, thanks to our local crew, we have some amazing news to report. Our team has documented a pair of hawks building a nest in the area. This is the first pair formed from the previous year’s cohort of released birds, and a huge step in developing an additional hawk population in this region.
A nestling Ridgway’s Hawk is in good hands with our local biologists (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
While there is so much uncertainty in the world at this time, it is an opportunity to focus on the things we are grateful for. I, for one, deeply appreciate the work of our amazing team and their unending dedication to protect this hawk. And I am grateful to the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund and BirdsCaribbean for continuing to support our work.
By Marta Curti, The Peregrine Fund. Marta began working as a field biologist with The Peregrine Fund (TPF) in 2000 when she worked as a hack site attendant on the Aplomado Falcon project in southern Texas. She has since worked as a biologist and environmental educator on several TPF projects from California Condors in Arizona to Harpy Eagles and Orange-breasted Falcons in Belize and Panama. She has been working with the Ridgway’s Hawk Project since 2011. This project is funded in part by BirdsCaribbean’s Betty Petersen Conservation Fund. Please donate to help this save the Ridgeway’s Hawk!
Our local field crew tracking reintroduced hawks using radio telemetry. Each young hawk was fitted with a transmitter – paid through support from the Betty Petersen Fund – so we could monitor them after release. This is a key part of the program as it helps us keep track of the young birds during the first critical weeks after release (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
A Ridgway’s Hawk nest with young (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
A local team member climbs a Ridgway’s Hawk nest tree in order to band nestlings before they fledge. Banding young is an important part of our project as it helps us monitor dispersion patterns and survivability of young hawks through band re-sightings (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Our local field crews participate in First Aid training to help keep them safe in the field. This is just one of several training programs we provide (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Julio Gañan, trains one of our local volunteers, Fredelina Espino Campo, in tree climbing techniques (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Peregrine Fund seasonal biologist, Sete Gañan, observes released Ridgway’s Hawks along with a young community member from Los Brazos. Everyone in the community showed a great interest in the project, and we had visitors both young and old almost every day during the releases (Photo by Nicholas Lormand/The Peregrine Fund)
Are you staying home right now? Sit back, relax and enjoy this vivid account of a trip around four islands, an adventure in search of the Amazona parrots. Ryan Chenery, the Barbados-based CEO of Birding the Islands will take you there. Ryan’s company is a proud partner of BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) and shares our philosophy of directly involving and benefiting local communities. Birding the Islands tours often using CBT-trained local guides—not only contribute to conservation efforts across the islands but also to support locally owned businesses. These tours are multi-faceted, but…“We always come back to the birds!” says Ryan.
St. Vincent Parrot (Amazona guildingii) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
Birding the Islands and BirdsCaribbean February 2020 trip to: St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent, and Trinidad
Day 1: St. Lucia, Airports and Aupicon
We exit the plane at the vibrant Hewanorra International Airport and get straight into some productive airport birding. We easily spot the endemic subspecies of Carib Grackle and seemingly ever-present (yet fascinatingly split) near endemic subspecies of Bananaquit, flitting from one heavily laden calabash tree to another. A juvenile Merlin perched high atop a swaying Australian Pine is a surprising and welcome addition to our fledgling Lesser Antillean list. What a great start!
As we make for our first birding hotspot of the trip, the spectacular scenery of St. Lucia leaps out at us. This is a breathtakingly beautiful island – the perfect blend of towering forest-covered mountains and pristine white sand beaches lined by sparkling turquoise seas. It is no wonder that, centuries before, the French and British fought fiercely and passionately for the right to fly their flag atop its highest peak.
St. Lucia Parrot (Amazona versicolor) (Photo by Birding the Islands client John Dyson)
We plan our arrival at the sprawling Aupicon Wetlands to coincide with the return to their roosts of several species of heron and egret. After our vehicle winds its way through a corridor of towering Coconut Palms (their produce once the primary export crop of this lush tropical island), we catch our first sighting of migratory Blue-winged Teal and resident Common Gallinule – the brilliant blue wing coverts of the former and radiant red frontal shields of the latter gleaming in the last of the sun’s rays. Adding to the spectacle, large flocks of Snowy as well as Cattle Egrets now begin a near continuous approach to favoured roosting sites in the middle of the wetlands. The darting bills and dancing legs of Tricolored and Little Blue Herons contrast nicely with the bobbing of Pied-billed Grebes and American Coots (white-shielded Caribbean subspecies). A lone Osprey returning from the sea with a freshly caught fish is the cue for us to head to our accommodation for dinner.
Day 2: Endemic Overload!
The morning begins at our peaceful Inn, tucked away in quiet Mon Repos, where we enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast (yes, more freshly picked pineapple is on its way Nick!) on the sweeping veranda overlooking the densely forested hillsides and glittering waters of Praslin Bay.
Mon Repos is ideally located in the vicinity of some of the last remaining Dry Atlantic Forest on the island, and we start the morning’s birding by entering this wilted, scrubby landscape… only to be treated to absolutely cracking views of an inquisitive Mangrove Cuckoo. This seemingly impoverished habitat also yields our first three endemic sightings of the trip. A charming pair of St.Lucia Black Finch forages amongst the leaf litter, their pink legs dancing amongst the crisp brown leaves. With every step closer the gleaming black of the male provides an ever more diagnostic contrast to the soft cinnamon brown of his mate. We also see a stunningly patterned St. Lucia Oriole; and a brilliant adult St. Lucia Warbler, its subtle patterns fully visible in the neutral morning light.
The strikingly patterned St. Lucia Oriole (Icterus laudabilis) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
We continue northwest over the dominant mountainous spine of the island and down to the scenic west coast, gliding through the sleepy towns of Laborie and Choizeul. There is a striking difference between the rich fertile soils found here in the shadow of the cavernous Mt. Soufriere and the parched earth of our last birding site. While living beneath a volcano is not without its risks, the rewards can also be great – as evidenced by the wealth of produce in the form of yams, dasheen, sweet pototato, plantains and much more being sold here at small roadside stalls. The unparalleled fertility of this region also attracts large numbers of indigenous birds, drawn to the wondrous variety of fruiting citrus trees. We soon find ourselves surrounded by a host of other new and exciting regional specialties.
First to appear however is a curious and hitherto unknown species—“the rare St. Lucia Bum Bird”! Or at least that is what we call the odd rufous-feathered buttock sticking out of a large ripe grapefruit at the side of the trail. It is not until the head of the owner of said buttock emerges from the depths of the fruit cavity, that we are able to accurately identify it as a Lesser Antillean Bullfinch. No sooner had our group exchanged smiles and taken photos than a flurry of wings announced the arrival of a splendid Gray Trembler! As is so often the case with this fascinating near endemic (known only to the tiny islands of St. Lucia and Martinique), upon landing the bird immediately begins to convulse its entire body in a violent trembling motion – hence its name. The brief display over, the trembler proceeds to sink its impressive bill into the fleshy centre of the grapefruit, from which the bullfinch had been so unceremoniously usurped!
Gray Trembler (Cinclocerthia gutturalis) about to dig in! (Photo by Mark Greenfield)
“Beak plunging” appears to be the order of the day. An obliging Lesser Antillean Saltator is the next to start tucking into a meal. This time, the weapon of choice is a gargantuan cone-shaped beak, and the victim—the soft flesh of the golden orbed breadfruit.
Lesser Antillean Saltator (Saltator albicollis) (Photo by John MacLennan)
The birding, already going well, suddenly and unexpectedly gets even better as out of the valley below a pair of St. Lucia Parrots wing their way up towards us and perch not 30 feet away. Perfect light and unimpaired views allow for an absolutely enthralling encounter with this large and stunningly patterned parrot—the first in our Search for the Amazonas!
We round off a terrific morning’s birding with a delicious buffet lunch of creole chicken, steamed mahi mahi, fried plantain, and yam pie… all washed down with freshly squeezed lemonade and enjoyed on the balcony of The Beacon—the restaurant with an unrivaled view of the magnificent twin-peaks of Les Pitons.
Back at our locally owned accommodation some of the group enjoy a relaxing late afternoon swim in the pool before dining on yet more delights prepared by the Paris-trained chef. Tonight’s specialty: lobster bisque, flank steak (or Creole mahi mahi) and crème caramel.
Not a bad place to return to and relax after a great day’s birding!
Day 3: A Breezy Farewell
Today sees us make for the pride of St. Lucia – the splendid Des Cartiers Rainforest. Upon arrival, we enjoy our pre-packed breakfasts before starting our way along the well-maintained trail. Here we are immediately transported into another world – one dominated by towering emergents, prehistoric tree ferns and dangling lianas.
When in St.Lucia, Birding the Islands works alongside local guide and BirdsCaribbean partner, Vision, who is a superb “birtanist” (birder and botanist rolled into one) and as we walk, Vision pauses to point out the many fascinating native tree species all around us (and explain their myriad uses). These make for fascinating topics of conversation between birding hotspots.By far the most dominant tree here is the mighty Lansan. It is known only to four Lesser Antillean islands. Its aromatic resin is a key ingredient of the slow-burning incense still used widely in St. Lucia homes to ward off evil spirits.
Our first bird experience in Des Cartiers is certainly one of the most memorable: a St. Lucia Parrot poked its head out of a nest cavity some 50 feet above us. But this ancient forest is to have many more surprises in store before we leave. At an observation area with breathtaking views of the riverine valley below, we enjoy incredibly close views of the Antillean Euphonia daintily hopping amongst strands of mistletoe. A pair of Lesser Antillean Flycatchers interrupt proceedings with a low fly-by. Other arrivals during our time at this site include a fabulous Green-throated Carib effortlessly gleaning insects from the underside of a leaf, a positively delicate St.Lucia Pewee seemingly freeze-framed on a looping vine, and an overly inquisitive Pearly-eyed Thrasher.
The delightful St. Lucia Pewee (Contopus latirostris) (Photo by Jane Hartline)
After a lunch enjoyed on the white sand shores of Cocodan, our final birding stop of the day is the towering peak of Moule a Chique, where we brave the blustery winds to look down upon Red-billed Tropicbirds hurtling beneath us – their brilliant pure white plumage contrasting perfectly with the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
Later that evening after a pre-dinner cocktail, we settle in to dine on Kingfish (delivered earlier from the traditional fishing village of Dennery, where the previous day we had the opportunity to witness an intense bartering culture in action). Experiencing the culture of the islands as well as supporting local communities, while illustrating the correlation between us visiting birders and the economic prosperity of many local businesses and citizens is extremely important for Birding the Islands Ltd and our partner BirdsCaribbean. We adopt this approach on every island we visit.
Hold onto your hats!!! Our group high atop Moule a Chique (pictured from Left to Right: the Bajan Birder-Ryan Chenery, Mark Greenfield, Valerie Brown, Ken Kuehn, Jane Hartline, John MacLennan, Bonnie Sample, St. Lucia Guide-Vision James, Jane Fenton, Nick Gibbons and Liz Tymour).
Day 4: Dominica, A Day of Close Encounters
The large boulders dotted throughout this islands’ lush landscape point to a violent volcanic past. However, as our vehicle makes its way around long winding corners and upwards along the coast, the sight of sparse tree canopies and fallen forest giants are glaring reminders of the after effects of a far more recent natural disaster (Hurricane Maria in 2017). This leaves us with a deep appreciation of the hardships endured by the inhabitants of this wild and stunningly beautiful land.
Red-legged Thrush (Turdus plumbeus) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Mark Greenfield)
Arriving at our cliff-side hotel, we enjoy a hearty lunch of line-caught tuna, steamed plantain, and veggie rice, enjoyed throughout in the company of a Red-legged Thrush and an absolutely brilliant Purple-throated Carib—its dazzling throat glinting in the sun as it feeds.
This Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis) provided constant entertainment at meals (Photo by Birding the Islands client Mark Greenfield)
Later in the afternoon, a sudden downpour restricts any extensive foray into the sprawling Syndicate Estate. But before the rain falls, we are treated to what surely must be one of the closest ever encounters with a Red-necked Parrot (Jaco) in the wild! Having entered the Estate in the presence of Dr. Birdy (Bertrand Baptiste) himself—the most experienced bird guide on the island and long-time BirdsCaribbean partner, we soon find ourselves surrounded by the gleeful calls of several Jaco in the fruiting trees around us. However, one particularly close cry draws us towards a heavily laden guava tree. In the heart of the sparsely leafed tree one of these brightly coloured Amazonas delicately plucks a swollen guava from the tree with its beak, and flies to a low cecropia perfectly positioned over our path. Following an excited period of hastily focusing scopes and training binoculars on the bird, we soon realize that the parrot is so distracted by its food that we can slowly approach—until we are standing a mere 15 feet beneath it! A full half an hour elapses with us caught up in this magical moment with this beautiful bird. Finally, its meal finished, it flies off towards a more secluded area.
What an experience!
Tonight we soak up the tropical ambiance at a candlelit dinner in the outdoor restaurant of our hotel—the sounds of the rolling waves beating against the black volcanic shores below.
Day 5: To the Seas!
After a mid-morning arrival at the bustling port of Roseau, we board our vessel and jet across the waters off the southwest of the island, in search of the giants that call Dominica’s deep oceanic trenches home. A whale-watching trip can be rewarding for pelagics, but in addition to the usual suspects of Magnificent Frigatebirds, Brown Booby and Laughing Gulls, this trip surprisingly only reveals a Sooty Tern and a Red-footed Booby as new species for the trip. The whales however are far more cooperative. We do not have to wait more than twenty minutes before the captain bellows “BREEEECH”! He knows these waters well, and skillfully guides us towards a pod of mighty Sperm Whales in such a manner that the next surfacing is far closer than the last. We are so close we can even listen via hydrophone to the popcorn popping sounds emanating from the giants as they hone in on prey below us!
From the bow of the boat we are afforded superb views as some of majestic behemoths rest near the surface, before resuming their feeding. Sadly the excitement of the encounter apparently proves too much for the engine of our craft, resulting in an earlier than planned end to our whale-watching adventure.
Maintaining our maritime theme of the day, we enjoy sumptuous fish tacos for lunch (what on Earth is in that sauce?) before settling in to a quiet final night at our beach-side hotel on Dominica. The spectacular Brown Pelicans in the height of breeding plumage settle in to roost in nearby trees.
A stunning sunset seen from our hotel room balconies on our last night in Dominica (Photo by Bajan Birder)
Day 6: A Day of Wonder
On our final day in Dominica we wake at dawn to travel into the montane forest for which this island is so renowned. As the skies clear, the birds begin to steadily appear. The methodical notes of Black-whiskered Vireo, a startlingly pugnacious Antillean-crested Hummingbird, and an inquisitive andscratchy-throated Plumbeous Warbler all provide us with excellent views. An obliging male Blue-headed Hummingbird steals the show by feeding at a flowering ginger growing conveniently close to our trail.
The fluid musical notes of a House Wren (Antillean) later lead us to a copse of flowering coffee, and an audience with this endemic subspecies. Increasing research on these islands is leading to many new species splits and the identification of a plethora of endemic subspecies throughout these closely neighbouring islands. That this wren (and many other subspecies in the Lesser Antilles) may well attain full species status in years to come is very possible indeed.
Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
The awesome power and force of the hurricane season of two years ago has transformed this forest. A large number of trees have been either felled or their canopies have been blown off. This has resulted in a huge increase in the amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor, which has in turn provided young saplings with the impetus needed in their never ending quest for the heavens. Out of devastation comes new life, and here in this magical setting, new life is all around us. Right on cue, Liz spots a young Red-rumped Agouti scurrying out of a path in front of the group.
Back at the hotel we enjoy our now customary three-course meal before setting off for the airport. An afternoon flight to St. Vincent awaits!
Bonnie and Jane enjoying a chat before heading to the next island on our itinerary – St. Vincent (Photo by Jane Hartline)
Day 7: St. Vincent, The Perfect Send-off
Serenaded by the calls of Yellow-bellied Elaenia and the gentle cooing of Scaly-naped Pigeons, we enjoy breakfast in the spacious open-air dining room of our beachfront hotel, located on the south west coast of spectacular St. Vincent. As we chat and await our meals, we briefly lower our cups of freshly brewed Vincentian to watch a school of flying fish—scales glistening in the early morning sunshine—leaping from the vast expanse of Caribbean Sea. Their gliding attracts the attention of a large number of Brown Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds, who immediately alter their flight course in pursuit. The boobies begin shallow exploratory dives, while the frigatebirds attempt to snatch the gliding fish from mid-air. A closer inspection with binoculars also reveals a boiling sea below the birds—perhaps an indication that this feeding frenzy was started by large predatory Dolphin or Crevalle targeting the flying fish from below.
What a start to the day.
Ahh—here come the omelettes!
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) having just caught a fish (Photo by Mark Greenfield)
After breakfast, the wonderful and knowledgeable Lystra Culzac (Caribbean Birding Trail certified guide) arrives to guide us to the birding hotspots on the island (the best of which requires her having negotiated with landowners for access to private land). We journey along the wave-ravaged Atlantic coastline, through the coastal settlement of Georgetown, with her black sand beaches and wind lashed rooftops and onward north to the volcanic slopes of towering Mt. Soufriere.
Its entrance guarded by brilliantly sapphire-headed St. Vincent Anoles, the well-maintained Soufriere Trail is lined with two species of endemic begonia. The raging Atlantic is clearly visible to the east, and expansive montane forest lines the volcanic slopes to the west. This is a forest in which the weird and wonderful come alive before your eyes. First, we spot the unique dark morph of Coereba flaveola attrata (endemic subspecies of Bananaquit) and St. Vincent Tanagers gorging themselves high in a fruiting fig. The eerily ethereal call of the Rufous-throated Solitaire, deep low notes of Ruddy Quail Dove and positively hyperactive vocalisations of Scaly-breasted Thrashers and Brown Tremblers (an entire genus restricted to the Lesser Antilles) all lead us deep within this ancient primary forest.
Rufous-throated Solitaire (Myadestes genibarbis) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
However the star of the show is so far remaining elusive…and quiet.
The song of the Whistling Warbler can travel for miles. We reach a now dry river bed, which for millennia slowly carved its way through the dark volcanic bedrock beneath our feet – and we hear THE CALL.
Cautious spisshing lures the tiny vocalist ever closer, until in a flash there he is—flitting ever so briefly out of the dense undergrowth, before once again retiring to a dark tangle of mistletoe and epiphyte-laden trunks. This is a Critically Endangered species and we are fortunate to have had even a glimpse.
Some treasures are meant to remain secret.
St. Vincent is a largely quiet and laid back island. We pass several rural communities tucked into the pocketed hillsides of a mountainous interior, on our way to the largest remaining roost of St. Vincent Parrotson the planet.
The tracks leading up to this secret location are narrow and heavily potholed, so we abandon our van and climb aboard a 4wd SUV—the only vehicle capable of making this ascent.
Crossing streams home where Green-throated Caribs bathe, lined with a multitude of tropical butterflies, we soon arrive at a quiet small holding perfectly framed by a scenic ridge.
As we arrive at the summit of the ridge, that quintessential call of parrots the world over begins to echo out of the east.
They are coming…
The birds first arrive in pairs (their constant calls seeming to reassure their respective life partners of their presence in the now steadily fading light), but slowly their numbers build, to the point where dozens of this once critically endangered parrot are winging their way over our heads.
A pair of St. Vincent Amazons (Amazona guildingii) winging their way in to roost (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
The thrill of being directly beneath them is exhilarating. However, we are only able to get a clear view of the truly spectacular deep blues and vibrant greens and oranges of their flight feathers when the parrots begin to tack hard and low down towards their favoured roosting trees, against a backdrop of the lush, verdant, forested valley below. These are stunningly beautiful birds. As they settle in to land, there are audible gasps of delight from our group.
We spend a full hour in the presence of St. Vincent’s national bird, enjoying every rhythmic twist and turn of their approach. This is one of the undoubted highlights of the trip.
A celebratory Dinner that night is a selection of creole fish dishes, washed down by the local Hairoun beer!
Day 8: Trinidad, The Spectacle
Masked Cardinal (Paroaria nigrogenis) in Caroni Swamp (photo by Mark Greenfield)
Several of us wake early to enjoy another dip in the calm waters typical of this Caribbean coastline. Then we settle into a delicious breakfast of pancakes and french toast, or for those of us feeling adventurous—salt fish buljol with all the local fixins!
The short 15-minute drive to the airport is filled with fond reminiscing of the variety of unique Lesser Antillean species seen… but we also talk about the many South American wonders that await.
We touch down in Sweet Sweet T&T (as the popular soca song so fondly refers to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) and are met by beaming Lester Nanan (our terrific local guide and grandson of the renowned conservationist Winston Nanan). We board a large comfortable bus and as we have arrived at midday, it is not long before a cooler is produced and we begin tucking into pre-ordered(and gigantic) chicken rotis (done the traditional Trinidad way—bone and all) as well as veggie rotis brimming with large chunks of mango, papaya, eggplant and more.
Trinidad is such a contrast to the small quiet islands of the Lesser Antilles that we have spent the last week travelling between. The area around the airport especially has the feel of a large metropolis. But (delicious rotis in hand) we are soon leaving all this behind and making for one of the treasures of the Caribbean—the Caroni Swamp.
En route we stop to bird productive grasslands, sheltering such vibrant secrets as Red-breasted Blackbird and Saffron Finch. We visit sheltered ponds and canals home to a plethora of water—loving species—from blazingly neon-crowned Yellow-hooded Blackbirds and nesting White-headed Marsh Tyrants to Southern Lapwing and Pied Water Tyrants.
The birding is thick and fast, but as 3pm arrives, we gather back at the bus in fervent anticipation of our next destination.
There are several wetlands in the Western Hemisphere that get birders’ hearts racing, and the Caroni Swamp is one of them. This sprawling 12,000-acre wetland is home to one of the greatest spectacles in the animal kingdom—the return to roost every evening of over 3,000 Scarlet Ibis!
Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) perched directly above us (Photo by Mark Greenfield)
Although this is the main event, the warm up acts are none too shabby, as evidenced by the pair of roosting Tropical Screech Owls, their intricately patterned breast feathers perfectly mirroring the marbled bark of the White Mangroves in which they roost. We have good views of the superb stock-still Boat-billed Herons from our flat-bottomed boat, as it negotiates its way through the mangroves.
Cruising through the mangroves in our comfortable flat-bottomed boat
As we edge deeper into the swamp, the long tendril-like roots of Red Mangroves seem to reach ever further into the water, providing prime perching positions for an unbelievable array of species. The roots are festooned with oysters, barnacles and home to a plethora of Mangrove Crabs…and occasionally Mangrove Boa. A magnificently coiffured Masked Cardinal and dainty Bicolored Conebill, along with both Green and Pygmy Kingfishers, all give us cause to pause and admire. We are even treated to a vociferous exchange between warring factions of Grey-necked Wood Rails!
After almost an hour of delightful travel we approach the famous roost site, a welcome low tide ensuring an added bonus encounter with 30 American Flamingos.
As we tether the boat, and start to share out the locally brewed rum punch and freshly baked pastries, wave upon wave of 50, 100, 200 ibis at a time begin continuously streaking by. Before long the dark green of the mangrove island upon which they roost is unrecognisable. It has been transformed into a rhythmic and convulsing mass of colour. The brilliant reds of the breeding adults contrast perfectly with the soft subtle pinks of non-breeders—all set against the wondrous backdrop of Trinidad’s stunning Northern Range.
An unforgettable experience.
Scarlet Ibises (Eudocimus ruber) coming in to roost (Photo by Mark Greenfield)
Later that evening we arrive at the world-renowned Asa Wright lodge where a delicious buffet dinner awaits us. We duly indulge, before strolling to our cottages located in the heart of the densely forested Arima Valley.
Day 9: Dawning of the Light
At daybreak we make our way to the veranda of the main lodge where, coffee in hand (locally harvested from trees on the Asa Wright estate), we settle in and prepare for what is surely one of the most incredible birding experiences in the region.
Below us, the waking sun is proving the catalyst for the inhabitants of this vast rainforest to begin to stir. The sprightly melody of a Cocoa Thrush, the rapid-fire staccato of a White-flanked Antwren and cat-like call of the Spectacled Thrush, mixed in with the somewhat demonic laughter of the Barred Antshrike combine and build to a feverish crescendo.
Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) (Photo by Biridng the Islands client Beatrice Henricot)
As more light steadily filters down through the canopy, the last of the nocturnal brigade (in the form of Pallas’s Long Tongued Bats) begin to surrender their positions at the feeders to a veritable onslaught of colour.
A sudden white flit across the feeders—the breast of a White-chested Emerald; a sprinkle of neon pink – the stunning crown of a male Ruby Topaz; brilliant orange ear tufts and a gently bobbing tail diagnostic of the bedazzling Tufted Coquette.
The dazzling Ruby Topaz (Chrysolampis mosquitus) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Beatrice Henricot)
And still they come.
There are the dazzling rich blues and emerald greens of Blue-chinned Sapphires and glistening Copper-rumped Hummingbirds—so close you can see the minuscule fluffy white garters on their legs.Purple as well as Green Honeycreepers, White-bearded Manakins, and Violaceous Euphonias all join the fray. In the distance, away from this hive of activity, a pair of Green-backed Trogons are taking turns to diligently and carefully excavate a cavity in a termite nest affixed to a gargantuan trunk. A dozen feet below them, a lone Golden Olive Woodpecker silently begins its measured investigation of the same tree.
With all of this birding brilliance, we almost miss breakfast…almost.
The entire day is ours to walk the myriad trails coursing through the private forests of Asa Wright, and after breakfast we begin by heading down Jacaranda Trail for an encounter with Oilbirds. Isolated from the rest of the bird world in a family of their own, living in caves and using echolocation to negotiate their nocturnal feeding forays, this is easily one of the strangest birds we connect with on the trip. The cave at Asa Wright is one of the most accessible sites to see them in the world and we are rewarded with sensational views! On our way back, and after passing under a spectacular Bee Orchid, we soon enter the realm of the Bearded Bellbird—its otherworldly metallic call boldly proclaiming this land to be his. Once we have tracked the call down to a favoured perch, the bird is brilliantly visible, its superb wattled neck flickering in the shafts of sunlight with every resounding CLANK of its call.
Bearded Bellbird (Procnias averano) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Steven Kornfeld)
After this excitement we retire in the heat of the day to the veranda, where we continue to watch the birding entertainment on show. Some of us round off the afternoon with a dip in the cool fresh water pools found throughout the Centre grounds.
After dinner, our night walk provides a fascinating insight into the lives of some of the nocturnal residents of these forests. Huge Trinidad Chevron Tarantulas cling to bamboo stalks; minuscule but “swerve-worthy” scorpions, velvet worms and land crabs line the banks of the roadside; and bats flutter almost constantly overhead.
Day 10: Desserts and Delightful Birding
The Asa Wright Centre grounds are superb, but to get a true sense of the variety of inhabitants of the highest peaks in the Northern Range, one must take to the Blanchisseuse Road. We do so on our final full day in Trinidad.
Birding is slow and steady at first, with initial stops revealing sightings of Tropical Parula and a magnificent pair of Collared Trogons. Later the ground appears alive with army ants, allowing for a close (but not too close) examination of the intricate relationship that Cocoa and Plain Brown Woodcreepers as well as Great Antshrikes have with these tiny marauders of the forest floor.
Great Antshrike (Taraba major) (Photo by Birding the Islands client Keith Clarkson)
We enjoy lunch at a local chocolatier’s farm, where the proprietor explains that his return to the land and harvesting of cacao has had a positive effect on many local communities in and around Arima, with an upturn in financial independence. The birding is good here too, for Rufous-breasted Hermit, Turquoise Tanagers, a Lineated Woodpecker, and hordes of Yellow-rumped Caciques all appear as we are wrapping up our chicken pelau and treating ourselves to a dessert of his delicious chocolates!
Turquoise Tanager (Tangara mexicana) (photo by Mark Greenfield)
At our final stop, the scale of diversity and sheer beauty of the birds of the Northern Range is truly revealed. Rufous-tailed Jacamars swoop from favoured perches to pluck swallowtail butterflies effortlessly from the air. A pair of Scaled Pigeons select the highest possible perch and turn purposefully to catch the last of the afternoon light on their brilliantly chevroned breasts. A young Forest Elaenia pleads with her parent, which ever so delicately plucks and then proffers a berry to its offspring to take a bite. Later a flock of seven spectacular Blue-headed Parrots silently wing their way in to a nearby cecropia and are joined at the canopy by a stunning Channel-billed Toucan. We cap off our frenetic and highly rewarding birding of the highlands with a young Yellow-headed Caracara flying directly over our bus. A pair of Tropical Kingbirds is hot in pursuit.
Day 11: A Ferruginous Farewell
On our final day of the trip, and after our now customary morning visit to the veranda, we take a leisurely stroll along the driveway that winds its way into the Asa Wright Centre. The forest that has yielded so many of its treasures to us has one more surprise in store: a superb sighting of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, which staunchly resists the urge to flee from incessant harassment by a large mixed flock of tanagers and flycatchers.
Life in the rainforest is never dull…for any of us!
At the airport, before boarding our flight, we pay a visit to the best Doubles hut on the island and positively chow down on these uniquely Trinidadian delicacies. There’s no way we were going to come to Trinidad and not have Doubles. The fusion of chickpeas, sweet tamarind sauce, pickled cucumber and hot sauce lights up the taste buds, and is a perfect send off to our tour—a tour which has given us a true flavour for the spectacular birding that the Lesser Antilles and Trinidad has to offer.
Thanks to our Caribbean Birding Trail partner, Ryan Chenery and his company Birding the Islands, for this positively wonderful and enticing trip report! To learn how you can join Ryan and BirdsCaribbean on our next In Search of the Amazonas tour (Nov. 21st to Dec. 1st, 2021) please contact Ryan at thebajanbirder@gmail.com. To learn more about the Caribbean Birding Trail, birding sites, tours, and guides throughout the islands, click here.
An absolutely stunning look at Oilbirds, one of the strangest birds we connected with on our February 2020 trip. Isolated from the rest of the bird world in a family of their own, Oilbirds live in caves and use echolocation to negotiate their nocturnal feeding forays. The cave at Asa Wright is one of the most accessible sites to see this species in the world and we were rewarded with sensational views!
Josmar Marquez, from AveZona, has lead bird monitoring projects on Coche Island in Venezuela since 2018. In addition to data collection, his work involves mentoring young conservationists and promoting nature-friendly behavior changes in the local community of the island. Here, Josmar describes his most recent Snowy Plover monitoring season and some exciting firsts for shorebird monitoring in Venezuela. (More photo and Español debajo)
In Venezuela, thanks to the support of the BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund, AveZona and the ARA MACAO Scientific Foundation have carried out population surveys of Snowy Plovers (Charadrius nivosus tenuirostris) on Coche Island. A large number of the birds have been recorded in the “Salina de San Pedro de Coche.” This has lead to an appreciation and increased value of the island as this species is threatened in the Caribbean region.
A newly marked Snowy Plover. (Photo by Antonio Ros)
Our project formally began in 2019, and since then we have conducted monitoring visits monthly to the San Pedro de Coche salt pans. Before we stepped foot in the field, the first step was to receive permission from the Ministry of Ecosocialism (MINEC) for the relevant permits to be able to move forward with the project. Thankfully, we were successful.
During our monitoring visits, we record the following information: number and location of Snowy Plovers, their age (adults or juvenile), sex, and any reproductive activity. In addition to monitoring, we also have indivudally marked some of the birds. Our team marked the first Snowy Plover in Venezuela in September 2019. It may seem like a small feat but it represents a lot of work! The birds are marked with black flags and white codes (right leg) and metal rings (left leg). Marking the plovers will help us better understand the behavior of each individual and to determine their site fidelity. In addition, we can learn if there is any migratory movement across the Caribbean for our local population of Snowy Plovers. To date, we have tagged seven individuals.
In February and March, 2019, we were fortunate to count Snowy Plover nests and chicks in the San Pedro salina. Joining us for this activity were students from the local community at Napoleón Narváez Bolivarian High School. It was rewarding to share information about these precious birds with young people and they were amazed to learn that the salina is so important to the Snowy Plover and other bird species (for example, Least Terns also nest there).
How many plovers are there?
A young Snowy Plover chick and egg on the beach of Coche Island. (Photo by Antonio Ros)
Currently, we are partnering with with Adrián Naveda-Rodríguez from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Mississippi State University, United States. Together, we are working on the detectability and abundance of the Snowy Plover in eastern Venezuela. The preliminary analyses are using samples from the non-reproductive season, from counts made at 12 points in the San Pedro de Coche salina.
We modeled the relationship between detection probability and air temperature, time of the day, and distance to salt. We included covariates for the number of feral dogs, horses and salt miners when modeling abundance. Detection probability was negatively affected by the distance to salt piles (0.49, 95% CI=0.49-0.5). Abundance was not associated with the presence or abundance of domestic animals nor salt mining activities. We estimated there were 96 (95% CI: 46-201) and 116 (95% CI=61-220) Snowy Plovers in February and December, respectively. We hope to present this information in more detail at the next NAOC and subsequently we plan to publish our results in a scientific journal.
Our group participated in the 22nd International BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe in July 2019 and in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Group Meeting in October 2019 in Panama. We were so excited to present the latest results from our research and the ways in which we involve the community in our projects.
A community effort
Our partnership with the community has continued beyond school field trips. Recently, we created a unique bird-inspired mural in the school of “La Uva” community which, of course, included depictions of the Snowy Plover and the Least Tern. It is truly a beautiful work!
The new mural featuring Snowy Plovers and Least Terns. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
One of the reasons for working in this region is to promote the integration of communities that have historically been marginalized from science and conservation. In search of improving this situation, we are carrying out activities within this project that integrate and dignify the local community, and also give recognition to the worldview of the inhabitants of the biological diversity of their island.
Josmar and students in the field observing Snowy Plovers. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Since the beginning of this project, we understood that in order to protect the salina and other places on the island, it is necessary to work hand in hand with the locals. We are very grateful for the school district of Coche Island, which has allowed us to work with educational institutions. Also, we are especially fond of the Napoleon Narváez Lyceum High School 9th Grade class, and teachers from various educational institutions for their receptivity and commitment. There are many locals that have opened their doors and hearts to this project and our team: Antonio Ros, Daniel Serva, Oscar Riera, Jose Gonzalez, Jesus Escalona, JC Fernández Ordoñez.
Many obstacles can arise when executing a project of this magnitude in Venezuela, but thanks to the constant support of BirdsCaribbean (including the David S. Lee Fund for Conservation) we are achieving our objectives. It’s very important to carry out this project that will help us to better understand the population of the Snowy Plover in the islands of the Venezuelan Caribbean. For me, it is a beautiful, very peculiar bird with very interesting habits. Luckily, in Venezuela it still can be observed very frequently in some places. Being able to say that there is a reproductive colony on Coche Island, and that it remains to this day, is a light of hope in the face of the global ecological crisis.
Please enjoy these short videos showing our work with the community from our Ave Zona Facebook page!
Josmar marquez, de AveZona, ha liderado proyectos de monitoreo de aves en Isla Coche, Venezuela, desde el 2018. Además de la colecta de datos, Su trabajo consiste en asesorar a jóvenes conservacionistas y la promoción de cambios conductuales ambientalmente amigables en la comunidad local de la isla. Aquí, Josmar describe su más reciente temporada de monitoreo del Chorlito Nevado.
Una pareja de chorlitos / A pair of plovers. (Photo by Antonio Ros)
En Venezuela gracias al apoyo de la beca David Lee, de BirdsCaribean, AveZona y la Fundación Científica ARA MACAO realizan el proyecto de evaluación poblacional del Chorlito Nevado (Charadrius nivosus tenuirostris) en la isla de Coche. En “Salina de San Pedro de Coche” se ha registrado un alto número de aves, lo que ha llevado a un aumento en la apreciación del valor de la isla para la especie, que se encuentra amenazada en la región del Caribe.
El proyecto comenzó formalmente en 2019, y se están realizado salidas mensuales a la salina de San Pedro de Coche. Antes de dirigirnos al área, el primer paso fue recibir el permiso del Ministerio de Ecosocialismo (MINEC) para el estudio de campo. Afortunadamente, tuvimos éxito.
Durante las visitas de monitoreo, anotamos la siguiente información: cantidad de individuos y localidad, edad (adultos o juveniles), sexo, y actividad reproductiva del Chorlito Nevado. Además del monitoreo, también hemos marcado algunos individuos. Nuestro equipo marcó el primer Chorlito Nevado de Venezuela en septiembre de 2019. ¡Toda una hazaña! Se usaron banderas negras con códigos blancos (pata derecha) y anillos metálicos (pata izquierda). Marcar los individuos nos ayudará a entender mejor su comportamiento y determinar su fidelidad al sitio. Además, podríamos llegar a saber si existe algún movimiento migratorio entre esta población y el resto del Caribe. Hasta la fecha se han logrado marcar 7 ejemplares de Chorlito Nevado.
Durante los meses de Febrero y Marzo de 2019 logramos contar nidos y pichones de Failecito en la Salina de San Pedro. A esta actividad asistieron jóvenes del Liceo Bolivariano Napoleón Narváez. Fue muy gratificante compartir información sobre estas preciosas aves con los jóvenes y se sorprendieron al saber que la salina es tan importante para el Chorlito Nevado y otras especies de aves (por ejemplo, el Charrán Menor también anida allí).
¿Cuántos Chorlito Nevados Hay?
Marcando uno de los siete chorlitos/ Marking one of the seven plovers. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Actualmente, nos estamos asociando con Adrián Naveda-Rodríguez del Departamento de Vida Silvestre, Pesca y Acuicultura de la Universidad Estatal de Mississippi, Estados Unidos. Juntos, estamos trabajando en la detectabilidad y abundancia del chorlito nevado en el este de Venezuela. Los análisis preliminares están utilizando muestras de la temporada no reproductiva, de conteos realizados en 12 puntos en la salina de San Pedro de Coche.
Modelamos la relación entre la probabilidad de detección y la temperatura del aire, tiempo del día y la distancia a las pilas de sal. Incluimos covariables para la cantidad de perros salvajes, caballos y mineros de sal al modelar la abundancia. La probabilidad de detección se vio afectada negativamente por la distancia a las pilas de sal (0.49, IC 95% = 0.49-0.5). La abundancia no se asoció con la presencia o abundancia de animales domésticos ni actividades de extracción de sal. Estimamos que había 96 (95% IC: 46-201) y 116 (IC 95% = 61-220) Chorlito Nevados en febrero y diciembre, respectivamente. Esperamos poder presentar esta información en la próxima reunión del NAOC y publicarla posteriormente en alguna revista científica.
En agosto de 2019, nuestro grupo participó en la conferencia internacional de BirdsCaribbean en la isla de la Guadeloupe, y en noviembre de 2019 en la Reunión del Grupo de Aves Playeras del Hemisferio Occidental, en Panamá. Allí presentamos los avances de nuestra investigación, y las maneras en que involucramos a las comunidades en este proyecto.
Un Esfuerzo Comunitario
Obteniendo todos los detalles perfectos en el mural/Getting all the details perfect on the mural. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Nuestra asociación con la comunidad ha continuado más allá de las excursiones de la escuela. Recientemente, creamos un mural único inspirado en las aves en la escuela de la comunidad “La Uva” que, por supuesto, incluía representaciones del Chorlito Nevado y el Charrán Menor. ¡Es realmente un trabajo hermoso!
Una de las razones para trabajar en esta región es promover la integración de comunidades que históricamente han sido apartadas de la ciencia y la conservación. En busca de mejorar esta situación, estamos llevando a cabo actividades dentro de este proyecto que integran y dignifican a la comunidad local, y también reconocen la cosmovisión de los habitantes sobre la diversidad biológica de su isla.
Desde el comienzo de este proyecto, entendimos que para proteger la salina y otros lugares de la isla, es necesario trabajar de la mano con los lugareños. Estamos muy agradecidos con la dirección del municipio escolar Obteniendo todos los detalles perfectos en el mural.de Isla de Coche, que nos ha permitido trabajar con las instituciones educativas; así como con el Liceo Napoleón Narváez y los jóvenes de 9no grado, y docentes de varias instituciones educativas por su receptividad y compromiso. Hay muchos miembros de la comunidad que han abierto sus puertas y corazón a este proyecto y a nuestro equipo: Antonio Ros, Daniel Serva, Oscar Riera, Jose Gonzalez, Jesus Escalona, JC Fernández Ordoñez.
Observando los chorlitos/ Observing the plovers (Photo by Antonio Ros)
Pueden surgir muchos obstáculos al ejecutar un proyecto de esta magnitud en Venezuela, pero gracias al apoyo constante de BirdsCaribbean estamos logrando nuestros objetivos. Es muy importante llevar a cabo este proyecto que nos ayudará a comprender mejor la población del chorlito nevado en las islas del Caribe venezolano. Para mí, es un pájaro hermoso, muy peculiar con hábitos muy interesantes. Afortunadamente, en Venezuela todavía se puede observar con mucha frecuencia en algunos lugares. Poder decir que hay una colonia reproductiva en la Isla de Coche y que permanece hasta el día de hoy es una luz de esperanza frente a la crisis ecológica mundial.
Aliya Hosein shares about her recent trip to Saint Vincent to learn more about the endemic St. Vincent Parrot, one of the most beautiful and colorful parrots in the region!
St Vincent Parrot (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
I recently enjoyed an exciting trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I spent nine days on this wonderful, mountainous island; and I can certainly say that St. Vincent Parrots (Amazona guildingii), flying over the lush ridges at Jennings Valley, was the most memorable sight of all.
I spent months preparing for this trip. I carefully planned lodging and flights and made endless calls to my friend Cathlene Trumpet, who is a Forestry Officer with over fifteen years of service to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Forestry Department. Among the questions I asked her were “Who sells the best burgers and donuts on the island?” and “Where should I go to see the parrots?” Then it was time to leave Trinidad and fly towards my adventure.
Cathlene and I met through the Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean (CLiC) Fellowship Program. For 18 months we worked on an intense, sometimes hilarious, and occasionally scary project on the illegal trade in Blue and Gold Macaws in Trinidad. I remember being in awe as Cathlene related stories about the national campaign to build pride among Vincentians for their endemic parrot. Later, I flipped through my “Parrots of the World” book to find a picture of it.
In the past the St. Vincent Parrot, locally called the Vincie Parrot, was targeted for the local and international pet bird trade because of its beauty and rarity. Although St. Vincent and the Grenadines is made up of over 32 major islands, the St. Vincent Parrot is found only on the mainland of St. Vincent. Poaching and hurricanes, from colonial times to the present day, are still significant threats to the parrot’s habitat. These pressures have resulted in it being listed as Vulnerableon the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and in Appendix I by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It is estimated that there are only 850 St. Vincent Parrots in the wild.\
How Gorgeous is the St. Vincent Parrot!
Saint Vincent Amazon in flight (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
This parrot lives mainly in the upper west and east ridges of the central mountain range, just south of Mount Soufriére and the La soufriére volcano at elevations between 125 to 1,000m. It is a large parrot, certainly larger than the Orange-winged Amazon (Amazona amazonica) I am used to seeing in Trinidad. About 40 cm long, it is mostly bronze-brown, multi-colored with yellowish white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts. It has grey feet, reddish eye, and violet blue-green wings. Its tail feathers are centrally banded violet-blue with broad yellow tips. Two morphs exist: a yellow-brown morph and a less common green morph. Male and female birds are similar. The parrot feeds on the flowers, nuts, fruits and seeds of many plants such as Ficus, Clusia and Cecropia.
There Is More to Be Learned
At the breeding facility at the Botanic Garden (Photo by Cathlene Trumpet)
Before making the trek up into the moist montane forest to see the parrots, I had the pleasure of meeting the Director of the Forestry Department, Mr. Fitzgerald Providence. Initially I was intimidated by his title and stacks of reports on his desk. But once we settled down in his office, I was relieved to find out that he was delightfully welcoming and eager to tell me about St. Vincent.
We chatted about the island’s biodiversity; about flora and fauna both known and waiting to be discovered. He had noticed that the feeding habits of the parrots were changing. The parrots are now visiting agricultural areas on the island. He attributed this change to the influence of climate change on fruiting patterns of the parrot’s natural food plants. In general, however, he felt that much was still to be known about the St. Vincent Amazon. This parrot was proving to be quite mysterious. I was hooked and more than ever wanted to see them in the wild.
Afterwards we visited the Botanical Garden of Saint Vincent where there is a breeding facility for the parrots. The breeding program was established to provide a safety net for the parrots should there be a sudden decline in the wild parrot population following, for example, a hurricane.
An Early Morning Start
The next morning, Cathlene, Ray – her fellow Forestry Officer – my friend Nandani and I headed to Georgetown in a 4-wheel drive along the winding highway. It was five in the morning and people were already up and moving. The radio was airing an announcement to farmers and a reminder of the soon-to-be closed hunting season. We stopped to pick up Ian, another Forestry Officer, before continuing along the highway.
Sunrise over Jennings Valley (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
After about 20 minutes we ventured off into a narrow rugged road leading to Jennings Valley. We arrived at a farmed property with a small cottage. The sun was now beginning to rise and I really did not expect to see or hear any parrots. About 10 minutes into our uphill walk to the look-out point we heard their loud squawks “quaw….quaw…quaw” followed by shrieking “scree-ree- lee.” It was enough to stop us in our tracks. Pairs of parrots were emerging from the ridges north of us. It was still too dark and all we saw were their silhouettes.
As the sun began to rise more parrots began flying out, sometimes directly above us. I was mesmerized by the many colours of the St. Vincent Parrot in the sunlight, against an all-green backdrop. At times it seemed as though the pairs were touching each others’ wings while flying. The largest flock we saw was a group of twelve. They were all squawking, possibly deciding where to go to have breakfast. By now we had reached the look-out; a plateau with mountain views on the northern, western and southern sides and the deep blue Atlantic Ocean on the eastern side.
The Group, Gosfield Charles, Cathlene Trumpet Wyllie, Aliya Hosein, lan Christopher, and Ray Charles, at Jennings Valley (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
For about an hour or so we continued to see parrots flying over. Only one pair flew down into a golden apple (Spondias dulcis) tree near the cottage. I could not see what they were doing from my vantage point, but my guess is that they were feeding, because they were very quiet. A flock of three flew over us. Ian suggested it was a family in which the parents, with their stocky bodies and short tails, were leading the way, with their offspring straggling behind. After this sighting there was a lull in activity. The parrots either rested at the top of the trees or disappeared into the trees along the mountain ridges. We waited for about an hour again before leaving.
It really was a remarkable experience seeing the St. Vincent Parrots flying free, with people who truly appreciated their beauty. Nevertheless there is still a lot to learn about these birds’ ecology and their role in the island’s montane forests. Not much is known beyond its population estimate and description of nesting sites. An understanding of its habitat requirements and reproductive biology are critical components of well-developed protective measures to ensure the long-term survival of this incredible bird on the island.
Article by Aliya Hosein, member of BirdsCaribbean’s Media Working Group. Aliya works as the Leader of the Welfare and Wildlife Program at the Centre for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago. She is a biologist and avid conservationist, especially fond of parrots and hummingbirds.
Join Jennifer Wheeler as she shares real-life stories from the field about the challenges of saving the endangered Black-capped Petrel, aka Diablotin, from extinction. You might laugh, you might cry, you might want to join the project. Hopefully you’ll feel as inspired as we are about the future of this species, thanks to the hard work of many organizations and people.
Only a very small number of people on the planet can say they have had close contact with a Black-capped Petrel. This mid-sized seabird comes to land only to breed, only at night under cover of darkness, and often heads quickly out of sight into underground burrows. This covert behavior as well as the species’ eerie, wailing vocalizations in the night sky, earned it the name Diablotin (“little devil”) from early European and African arrivals to the Caribbean. It was the birds that should have been afraid: human settlement of the Caribbean, accompanied by the introduction of invasive mammals, reduced the Diablotin from abundant on many Caribbean islands to widely considered extinct by the early 1900s.
The Black-capped Petrel nests in burrows or crevices located at typically hard-to-reach, high-elevation spots in both the Haitian and Dominican Republic portions of Hispaniola. Petrel burrows have yet to be found on any other island (Photo by Jim Goetz)
I’ve been cheerleading and coordinating conservation of the Diablotin for a decade, working with numerous partners in the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. The species turns out not to be extinct but very rare. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the total world population is estimated at no more than 1,000 breeding pairs. Only about a hundred Diablotin burrows have been located to date, all on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). It’s actually much easier to see a Diablotin out at sea than find one inland.
My first encounter with the species was in 2009. I saw them zipping by at a distance over the open ocean from the Stormy Petrel, a seabirding tour boat operating out of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Though the Diablotin’s breeding range is limited to the Caribbean, it turns out that they concentrate in a foraging area off the southeast U.S. To observe them at sea, one needs to be out over deep marine waters near or in the Florida Current and Gulf Stream, and that is most easily done where the Outer Banks protrude into the Atlantic. In the subsequent years, I got no closer, and I certainly wasn’t one of the group of people that could say they had touched a Diablotin, seen one up close, or even smelled their fishy body odor. Last year, I decided it was time to change that.
The small number of people who have seen a Black-capped Petrel have usually seen them at a distance from a boat well out at sea in deep marine waters (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Hoping for Haiti
In April 2019 I planned on experiencing the Diablotin first-hand on a trip to Haiti. This is the country where most of those one hundred burrows are known to occur. In fact, it was in Haiti that they were re-discovered on a mountain ridge in 1961, after being lost to science for decades. This is miraculous considering that Haiti is one of the most deforested nations in the world, with some estimates that Haiti has retained less than 1% of its primary forest. Almost all of Haiti has been converted to agriculture or grazing, and secondary forest is degraded by wood-cutting and forest product collection. Petrels don’t need trees for nesting but trees and shrubs provide cover and root structure needed for burrow construction. Additionally, socioeconomic conditions in Haiti are so dire that people encountering these species are quite likely to consume them, which of course, is what introduced rats, cats and mongoose would like to do.
The Black-capped Petrel’s exact nesting locations in Haiti have not been easy to find. Even with the knowledge that they persisted on Haiti, it took until 2002 to locate an active burrow and until 2011 to see a living chick. Finding that little fluffball took an incredible number of hours crawling along cliffs and the forest floor, aided by information collected by radar and automated sound recording devices.
There is a small but significant nesting population of Diablotin in southwest Haiti, in a small patch of primary forest near the village of Boukan Chat. Since the discovery of the Diablotin in this area, local and international conservationists have been building relationships with the citizens of the village. Beginning with humanitarian projects, conservationists now pursue a strategy of improving farming practices and empowering local farmers to convert to more sustainable crops. More productivity on existing farmland reduces the likelihood of encroachment into the forest. Winning the hearts and minds of the local people also involves outreach, education and celebration. Foremost among these is the now annual Festival Diablotin Boukan Chat, which I had hoped to personally experience.
The conservation of the Diablotin relies on the actions and support of the local people. In the Haitian village of Boukan Chat, farmers are encouraged to switch to sustainable tree crops in buffer areas around the remaining patch of forest harboring petrels (Photo by Ernst Rupp)
Unfortunately, 2019 was not a good year for Haiti and its people. Anti-government protests turned violent last February, with accompanying increases in crime. The U.S. State Department and other authorities advised against travel to Haiti. Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) is the organization spearheading much of the education and outreach in Boukan Chat. Adam Brown, project leader, made the disappointing but prudent decision to cancel attendance by international festival team members, including myself.
And yet, civil unrest did not deter the local members from carrying on with the festival! Boukan Chat held a Black-capped Petrel parade with musicians, pupils, farmers, and community members from the village to the soccer pitch. The celebrations ended with a soccer match between two soccer teams, including the appropriately logo’ed Boukan Chat team, ‘The Diablotins.’ There was a nighttime screening of the short film, Haiti, My Love, My Home which tells how the villagers, conservationists and humanitarians, have come together to protect the Diablotin. EPIC just released another amazing film The Diablotin Festival, which portrays the festival and just about makes me cry every time I watch it. I sincerely hope I can attend the Diablotin Festival in-person in the future, and more importantly, that peace returns to Haiti.
A young man in a Black-capped Petrel costume leads the parade during the Festival Diablotin held in Boukan Chat, Haiti. The festival also includes a soccer game and film screening, and is designed to instill interest and pride in the rare bird nesting in nearby forest (Photo by Anderson Jean)
Lost (it) At Sea
May 2019 brought a new opportunity to encounter petrels. This involved another trip on the Stormy Petrel in North Carolina, but with a twist. A team would be attempting to capture petrels at sea in order to fit them with tracking devices. The goal was to learn more about Diablotin movements, and if the transmitters lasted until breeding season the following winter, track them to possibly new and unknown nesting locations. The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) invited Chris Gaskin from New Zealand and his super nifty, specially designed hand-held net launcher for the job.
New Zealander Chris Gaskin prepares the air compressor used to launch a spreading net into the air. The net was specially designed to capture flying Black-capped Petrels at sea, in order to fit the birds with tracking devices (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Even with this, I confess, I was a doubter. There was no way this was going to work. Petrels are fast flyers and don’t come all that near to boats. What I didn’t realize was that Chris would be shooting from a small, inflatable Zodiac, which apparently doesn’t spook petrels, especially those fixated on the smelly fish oil put out to attract them. On May 8, as I prepared to drive down to North Carolina from Virginia to join in the expedition, I received a text with an image of a flying net enfolding a Black-capped Petrel!
Turns out that the team was fantastic at catching petrels. Brian Patteson, captain of the Stormy Petrel knew where to find the birds. Brad Keitt with ABC and Pat Jodice with the U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Coop unit at Clemson University took turns piloting the Zodiac and Chris into position. Chris never missed after his first shot. Yvan Satgé, also with Clemson, deftly fit each bird with a small solar-powered tracking device and took measurements and photos. Arriving in North Carolina, I helped celebrate the first six Diablotin ever captured at sea and I couldn’t wait to observe and assist.
The weather did not cooperate. The first day after I arrived the seas were too rough to be safe. The next day the seas were too calm; open ocean seabirds like wind. The third day was too rough again. I was out of time and actually began driving home. What was I thinking!?! An hour out I came to my senses and turned back to Hatteras to wait for good seas. Finally, on May 14, conditions looked very promising. And they were! It was so exciting to see a bird netted by Chris and watch the Zodiac speeding back to the boat to hand it over to me. And then, the dream came true: I held a living Diablotin in my hands!
One of the first Black-capped Petrels ever to be caught at sea and fit with a satellite tracking device awaits release. In total, 10 birds were tagged in May of 2019, tracking petrel movements to as late as January 2020 (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Not for long. I rushed to disentangle the net, then thrust the bird into someone else’s hands so I could rush to the side of the boat and throw up my breakfast. My big chance to handle a live Diablotin and I nearly foul its feathers with vomitus. Sigh. I was seasick for the rest of the day, providing only comic relief while the rest of the team successfully captured and fitted four more birds with satellite transmitters. Over the months to come, the birds’ movements were followed via satellite. Amazingly, the bird I almost upchucked upon was still transmitting 8 months later, longer than any other. Maybe it felt the love.
Determined in Dominica
As noted, one of the hopes of the satellite tracking was to see if any of the birds traveled to new nesting locations. Diablotin burrows have been found only on Hispaniola, but hope and evidence exists that they also persist on other islands: notably Dominica, where evidence is very strong. In 2015, radar surveys performed by EPIC picked up 900+ petrel-like targets heading in and out of the mountains of that island. Additionally, individual birds were observed through night-vision scopes during those surveys. And over many years, a handful of grounded birds have been found well inland. Following the radar surveys, technical exchanges were arranged to train and assist in ground searching. In April 2016, a team from the Dominican Republic visited Dominica; another exchange in the opposite direction took place in April 2017. Unfortunately, bad weather limited search time and no burrows were located on Dominica. Then, petrel work and just about everything else on that island was derailed when Hurricane Maria blasted Dominica in September 2017, the strongest storm in that island’s recorded history.
Jennifer Wheeler takes a break on a newly opened trail in Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica, during a January 2020 expedition to look for evidence of Black-capped Petrels on that island. (photo by Stephan Brown)
Last month, I invited myself to assist EPIC’s trip to Dominica to repeat radar surveys after five years and to help resume ground searches. Overcoming the challenges of arriving in Dominica late and alone, needing to navigate across the island’s high mountains in the dark, and driving on the “wrong” side of the road, I began to feel quite confident and helpful. I met with staff from the Division of Forestry; attended to the logistics of rental car, rental house, and groceries and obtained the heavy marine batteries needed to power the radar. My greatest success was finding a supply of small desiccant packs (those little bags of silica used to absorb moisture). I visited a dozen shops dealing with computers, appliances, and clothing, affirming that yes, I did mean those little packets that say Do Not Eat, and finally, met success at a shoe store! I was so proud. But pride goeth before the fall.
Did I mention that Dominica has really narrow roads? And it was hard to see my front left side while driving with a right side steering wheel? Fortunately, the burly body-builder was very nice about the big dent I put in his car. Repairing the suspension from shoving his car into a culvert was going to be costly though. The good news was that the damage to the rental truck was minor! You can be sure that I was relieved to turn over the driving to Adam Brown when he arrived on the ferry from Guadeloupe after two weeks of radar surveys there. And I must report that Adam often turned over the driving the really winding roads to local team members Machel Sulton and Stephen Durand. Things went smoothly after that.
We assembled the marine radar equipment and headed into the hills. Sure, setting up takes some work, but this field activity was really pleasant. We positioned ourselves on a hilltop and watched the sun set, enjoyed the cool breezes, and looked and listened for night flying creatures. Petrels appear as a distinctive pattern of blips on the radar screen. Adam would note them coming and call out for us to attempt a sighting with the night vision or thermal image scope. As was the case in 2015, the surveys detected a number of petrels at a number of locations, flying rapidly in and out of the mountains. The peak of activity commenced about 45 minutes after sunset and tapered off at about three hours. At 9 p.m. we were packing up and headed to dinner, excited about our findings but a little concerned about the drop in petrel target numbers since 2015.
Adam Brown, Stephan Durand and Machel Sulton set up for an evening of radar surveillance in Dominica in January 2020. Five years earlier, the first radar surveys conducted on the island revealed hundreds of petrel-like targets flying in or away from several of Dominica’s mountains (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Daytime work to place soundmeters required more exertion. Radar surveys only point the way to the peaks where petrels might be nesting. Placing automated recording devices in these areas to collect any vocalizations helps narrow down the sites and seasons to search. As noted, work on Dominica to find petrels discontinued in late 2017, and the trails to the peaks selected for soundmeter placement had yet to be cleared of trees felled by hurricane and two years of new growth. Division of Forestry foresters are really very good breaking trail with machetes; regardless, it was a slow, hot hike up to the first of the selected peaks. It was certainly not unpleasant, given the varied foliage, numerous orchids and occasional songbird; but I wish we had packed more food! Once we reached higher elevations, there was the chance of finding petrel burrows so off trail into the thick, prickly underbrush we went. Crawling through the dirt, peering under roots and sniffing at holes, I fantasized about finding a burrow entrance. I’m a finder by nature—I’m happy to spend hours looking for beach glass, fossils, antiques—and I just KNEW at any moment, I would see a hole with a tell-tale plop of guano or catch a fishy whiff of petrel. What a find it would be! Alas…I did not nor did anyone else. There is still no documented nesting in Dominica since 1862.
Persistence
Now it’s February, and petrel conservationists are gearing up for field work and community-based conservation on Hispaniola. I’ve heard that the biologists in Cuba are planning an expedition into the Sierra Maestra. There will be detailed reports coming out on the surveys in Guadeloupe and Dominica, with the findings from monitoring and recommendations for continued searches. Soundmeters are placed and listening. The members of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group are strategizing for the long term and seeking funds. With the Diablotin, we must be persistent. Finding the petrel is difficult; contemplating the magnitude of its threats—human population growth, habitats invaded by introduced mammals, and climate change foremost among them—can be overwhelming. But as long as there are Diablotins, there is hope.
Here’s one more story to serve as a symbol of surviving against the odds. After placing a new soundmeter in Morne Trois Pitons National Park in Dominica, we went in search of one deployed in 2017 and actually found it. It was bleached, scratched, and breached by rainwater. The tree to which it was strapped was broken and battered by the 160 mph winds of a Category 5 hurricane. It was difficult to open the unit. Yet the SD card inside survived, containing readable data. Miracles do happen.
Jennifer Wheeler is an avid adventurer and loves volunteering her time to help conservation causes. She was the coordinator of the Waterbird Council for 10 years and Board member and Treasurer of BirdsCaribbean for 8 years. She is currently co-chair of the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group and Financial Officer for BirdsCaribbean.
The activities noted in this article were largely supported by Seabirding/Stormy Petrel, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Plant with Purpose, Jeune En Action Pour La Sauvegarde De l’Ecologie En Haiti, Soulcraft All-stars, Grupo Jaragua, BirdsCaribbean (and the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund of BirdsCaribbean), American Bird Conservancy, U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Coop unit at Clemson University, Dominica Division of Forestry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Disney Conservation Fund.
Please Donate!
To help save the Black-capped Petrel from extinction while also working with the people of Haiti to farm more sustainably, please donate here or here.
To view larger images in the gallery, click on each photo; they may also be viewed as a slide show.
Conservation actions in Boukan Chat, Haiti include educational programs for both adults and children. The long-term goal of these programs is to provide local people with knowledge and appreciation for sustainable agriculture and other livelihoods that increase standard of living and protect natural resources into the future. (photo by Anderson Jean)
Adam Brown takes a GPS measurement on a ridge overlooking a valley where radar detected petrel movements in and out of the nearby peaks (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Stephen Durand takes in the view overlooking a Dominica valley where radar detected petrel movements in and out of the nearby peaks. (photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
A soundmeter placed in early 2017 in Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park was recovered in 2020. Though the data are yet to be analyzed, the unit’s sound card was intact inside the unit, despite the devastation wrought by Category 5 Hurricane Maria (Photo by Stephen Durand)
Members of the team aboard the Stormy Petrel are all smiles after a successful expedition to catch Black-capped Petrels at sea. Can you tell who was seasick most of the trip? Back row, left to right: Yvan Satge, Chris Gaskin. Front row: Captain Brian Patteson, Jennifer Wheeler, Kate Sutherland, Brad Keith.
Jennifer releases a Black-capped Petrel fitted with a satellite tag.
The Cayman Islands Government is urging residents who are keeping Cayman Parrots as pets to have their birds registered with the Department of Environment (DoE) before February 29th, 2020. This amnesty is part of the Government’s efforts to reduce poaching and prevent further decline in the wild parrot populations on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.
The Grand Cayman Parrot (Amazona leucocephala caymanensis) and the Cayman Brac Parrot (A.l. hesterna), both represent the national bird of the Cayman Islands. The local name is “Cayman Parrot” but these parrots are a subspecies of the Cuban Parrot, which occurs in Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands and was formerly called the Rose-throated Parrot (read more on eBird Caribbean).
The Grand Cayman Parrot is generally green, with a white forecrown, white eye-rings, red cheeks (depending on whether male or female), black ear patches and blue wing feathers which are only seen in flight. Their tails are green with blue edges and red and yellowish-green underneath. The Cayman Brac Parrot is smaller in size and has a more pure white forehead with a large maroon area on its abdomen.
Cayman Parrot in the wild (Photo by Jane Håkonsson)
As is typical of parrots, they are active during the early morning, when they go out in search of fruits and berries. During the breeding season they look for food as well as tree cavities in which to raise their young. When resting quietly after their morning activities, they ‘comb’ and clean their feathers using their beaks. It is almost impossible to spot them at this time as they are perfectly camouflaged among the leaves of the trees. In the late afternoon they return to their roost.
The Cayman Brac Parrot previously inhabited Little Cayman but its prime nesting sites were destroyed in the Storm of 1932. It now has the smallest known range of any Amazon parrot in the world. Its survival depends entirely on the protection of remaining old-growth forest which can still be found on Cayman Brac.
Natural disasters such as hurricanes are a threat to the Cayman parrots’ survival—but not the only one. Habitat loss through development and trapping for the illegal pet trade also jeopardize the future of these birds.
DoE Research Officer, Jane Håkonsson, inspecting a pet Cayman Parrot
These parrots have been highly sought “gifts” and pets, even though they are protected by law. It is illegal to trap, sell and keep the birds in captivity. Yet, many people still keep them as pets. In an effort to curb the illegal trade in the national bird, the DoE set up a six month amnesty program, running from September 1st 2019 to February 29th 2020. Pet parrot owners can now legally register their birds without the risk of their pets being taken away.
Each pet parrot will be checked by a veterinarian, given an identification number printed on a small band around the parrot’s leg and implanted with an identification chip, similar to the ID tags used to register dogs and cats, at no cost to the owner.
About a year ago, the DoE started a collaboration with a private member of the public to open a much-needed Parrot Sanctuary in East End. The Cayman Parrot Sanctuary boasts native plants and trees. Parrots that are not yet able to return to the wild are housed in secure, clean and spacious aviaries. The Sanctuary is managed by Australian-born Ron Hargrave, who is very much invested in the conservation and well-being of parrots and Cayman wildlife.
The Sanctuary takes in injured parrots and provides rehabilitative care, with the goal of releasing the birds back into the wild population. The birds have a much higher chance of survival in the wild following releases from the sanctuary. They are given thorough medical exams and their health is continuously monitored. Parrots are also taught how to be wild birds again. They have natural foods to eat and learn where to find them; they are also able to form social bonds with other parrots.
Cayman Parrot at the Parrot Sanctuary (Photo by Jane Håkonsson)
Following every release, the birds are provided with temporary supplemental feeding stations. Their behavior and movements are monitored in the wild. To date seven parrots have been released.
Not all parrots can be released back into the wild. Therefore, pet parrot owners are discouraged from releasing their pet birds themselves. They should instead contact the DoE. Also, if you are a Cayman Parrot owner but have not yet registered your bird, please call Jane Håkonsson on 925-1807 or 949-8469 or email doe@gov.ky.
Spread the word and help protect the Cayman Islands’ national bird for generations to enjoy!
Special thanks to Aliya Hosein (Leader of the Welfare and Wildlife Program at the Centre for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago) and Jane Ebert Håkonsson (Cayman Islands’ Department of Environment Research Officer) for this blog article!
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