Category: Research

January 16, 2018

The Mystery of the Missing Todies: Understanding the Impacts of Invasive Mammals

Broad-billed Tody perched in a tree. They will typically perch on small branches with food before entering the nest. (Photo by Holly Garrod)

Invasive mammals are known to be a problem on many islands. Holly Garrod shows first-hand how some of these pesky species are causing nest failure for one of the Caribbean’s most well known and best loved birds—the tody.

It was a muggy afternoon, typical for the summers in Jarabacoa, the central region of the Dominican Republic. Rubber boots on and camera in hand I was making my way through the creek system of a local farm. The goal was to check Broad-billed Tody nests. I was in the first field season for my master’s research, studying the breeding biology and behavioral interactions of Hispaniola’s two tody species: the Broad-billed Tody (Todus subulatus) and the Narrow-billed Tody (Todus angustirostris). One aspect of my research included how non-native mammals were affecting their breeding success. I had dubbed the creek I walked through as “tody neighborhood” (or barrio de barrancolis in Spanish), due to the high volume of nests I had found, totaling up to 15 in that one creek alone. I anticipated it would be one of my most productive sites this year, little did I know I was to be wrong.

But before I get into the mystery at tody neighborhood, let me explain some basic tody facts. Todies, while appearing to look like our pollinating hummingbird friends, are actually more closely related to kingfishers. Interestingly enough, todies are one of only two families of birds that are endemic to the Caribbean (the other being Dominican Republic’s national bird – the Palmchat). Within their Family Todidae, there are 5 species distributed throughout the islands of the Greater Antilles, most of which are named for the island they’re found on, excepting the aforementioned Hispaniolan todies. This interesting phenomenon, where Hispaniola is the only island to have two tody species, is the baseline for my master’s research, and the reason I was walking through creeks searching and monitoring for tody nests.

Typical clutch of Broad-billed Todies at 12 days old. Clutch size is typically 1-4 chicks. (Photo by Holly Garrod)

Now when most people hear “bird nest,” they think of an assemblage of twigs and moss carefully placed among the branches. But todies are different. For their nests, the pair chooses a dirt bank, then takes turns digging a burrow using their beaks. Typically, the burrows end up being about 10-15 cm deep, with some of them curving and all of them having an enlarged chamber at the end. With their preference for dirt banks, the best place to look for these burrows ends up being creeks.

Which brings us back to tody neighborhood. Walking through the creeks, notebook in hand, I stopped at the first nest. It was still early in the season, late May, and from my last check I knew all the nests had eggs. Now it was just a matter of seeing when they would hatch. I used an endoscope camera to check the nests, a long bendable tube with a camera and light on one end, where the other end hooked up to a monitor, providing live-stream tody footage. I slid the camera into the first nest, seeing nothing. Knowing that this nest had a tricky curve, I tried for several more minutes until something appeared, a cricket. Oftentimes when the todies finish breeding, other animals will move into the unoccupied cavities; typically large cave crickets are the most common. For this reason, todies almost always construct a new burrow every year. Presence of the cricket meant the nest had failed.

I continued to the other nests, hoping to have better luck. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw the next nest still had the three eggs noted from several days earlier. But that’s where my luck ended. The next 5 nests had failed. I was baffled, from all outward appearances the nests appeared fine: the holes were still the same size and there were no signs of forced entry or tracks around the banks. When I returned several days later, it was more bad news. More failed nests and still mostly no signs of the culprits. Several nests appeared as though they may have been enlarged, but most others maintained the same outward appearance. Who could be predating these tody nests?

This is a Broad-billed Tody chick at 13 days old. I banded chicks between 12-14 days because at that point they were most developed. Chicks typically fledged (left the nest) around 14 days after hatching. (Photo by Holly Garrod)

I started putting up camera traps (part of my funding from the David Lee Grant), hoping to get footage of what was happening at these nests. The idea being, the camera traps are motion activated and start recording with the presence of movement. I set one up at one of the few remaining active nests in tody neighborhood, scattering the others at nests in other creeks. One week later, I returned to glean the videos. Sitting back at the field house, going through the videos I was disappointed with the first two cameras. Most of the videos showed twigs moving or people walking by, the angle looking slightly off to catch the curprit.

Then I came to a night picture. I was about to pass by when I saw the outline of a cat walking by. Suspect number 1. Yet when I checked the records that nest had fledged successfully when I retrieved the camera. Plus a cat would have to have caused some external damage to the nest hole to access the tody. Ruled out as the common culprit, but still a potential predator.

The next set of videos I pulled up began with a night shot. I waited several seconds and then suspect number 2 appeared: a rat. I watched several videos of what I can only assume to be the same rat climbing on logs and scurrying around. Video after video I watched the rat run around, but appear oblivious to the nest entrance. Finally, watching the rat take its usual stroll around the log, I saw it. The flicker of interest in the nearby nest hole. I watched as the rat approached, holding my breath. There was no way the rat could fit, it would have to dig out the nest at least a little bit, leave some trace of evidence behind. But lo and behold, the mammal contracted in its side and squeezed into the hole, no damage and no evidence. Then out it came, baby tody in its mouth. I finally understood why the nests were failing!

Video: During the night, a rat enters the tody cavity and predates one of the two tody chicks inside. The other was presumably trampled based on appearance the next day. This rat was caught on camera for several nights before entering the cavity. (Video by Holly Garrod)

As I continued watching the videos for another nest that had failed, I saw a third culprit appear, one I was surprised I hadn’t seen earlier. Let me introduce you to culprit number three, the mongoose. I watched as the weasel-like mammal appeared and begin excitedly digging at the base of the hole until it managed to disappear inside, and return with a single tody chick in its mouth.

Video: A mongoose digs out the nest from below and enters from the bottom, leaving with a tody chick at the end of the video. No todies were present after checking, suggesting the mongoose likely returned for the second chick. (Video by Holly Garrod)

A Narrow-billed Tody displays in the forest. (Photo by Holly Garrod)

Mystery solved. Or is it? From the videos and what evidence I could find, it appears that rats are the most wanted, followed by mongoose, and leaving room for both feral cats and dogs. What is clear is that the majority of these predations are from introduced mammals. Even though these mammals have likely been present on the island for several hundred years, it may not have been enough time for the tody to adapt in some way. Throughout these videos I saw no evidence of nest defense behavior, or evidence the parents were even present. Additional behavioral experiments I conducted using a mammal decoy showed the same result—no interest or concern in the “mammal” present at the nest. Do we really know the impact these non-native mammals are having on bird populations? Out of 42 Broad-billed Tody nests I was monitoring, nearly half (20) of them failed, while 6 of 20 Narrow-billed Tody nests failed. All of them appeared to fail from non-native mammalian predators.

While these mammals may not be putting a huge dent on the tody populations, it’s clear they are having an impact. Continued predation could cause a decline in population sizes, especially since the todies show little to no defensive behavior and are therefore highly vulnerable. My research highlights the importance of understanding breeding ecology and the factors that influence nest success in Caribbean endemics like the tody. It’s important to monitor populations so that we can undertake management actions if needed to ensure long-term survival of these amazing birds.

By Holly Garrod. Holly is a MsC student in the Biology Dept at Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania. One of the goals of her thesis research in the Dominican Republic is to better understand how Caribbean endemic birds respond to changing landscapes and invasive predators. Holly was a recipient of the 2016-2017 BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund Grant.

December 31, 2017

The Status of Caribbean Forest Endemics—Special Issue of JCO

The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) is excited to announce the release of a Special Issue on the Status of Caribbean Forest Endemics (Volume 30, Issue 1). Inside you’ll find a total of 10 publications, 9 of which focus on different forest endemic birds from central Cuba down to Grenada. The tenth publication provides statistical evidence of the JCO’s invaluable role as a multi-lingual, regional scientific journal that outshines other ornithological journals through its distinct subject strengths, especially in terms of papers published on the distribution and abundance of forest endemic species.

Map showing locations of research on various Caribbean forest endemic birds featured in the Special Issue of JCO.

In this Special Issue, we highlight those strengths with a collection of publications specific to forest endemic birds, many of which have become icons and flagship species for their specific island communities. In some cases, there is good news to report, whether it be population growth or range expansion, while in other cases, there are greater causes for concern and subsequent action on our part. The extirpation of the Golden Swallow from Jamaica, for example, is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of some of our forest endemics, and a prime example of the complexities of the problems that island birds face.

As stewards of island bird communities, we know that we must often be two steps ahead when it comes to making informed decisions with local conservation management practices. Islands are filled with diverse fauna and flora that interact in ways that can’t be seen anywhere on the mainland, but simultaneously their populations can often suffer the most from even the smallest disturbances. Our resilience must make up for those species that have such little of it. And here at the JCO we firmly believe that making the most current and impactful research available to our Caribbean community is one of the many critical steps towards doing exactly that.

The following are brief synopses of each publication you’ll find in our Special Issue, which we hope will quickly spark your interest in reading through each in more detail.

Our Special Issue starts off in the forests of Montserrat, a habitat heavily impacted by volcanic activity over the last twenty years. In Bambini et al.’s Current population status of four endemic Caribbean forest birds in Montserrat, current populations of four endemic forest birds are surveyed for, including the Bridled Quail-Dove (Geotrygon mystacea), Forest Thrush (Turdus lherminieri), Brown Trembler (Cinclocerthia ruficauda), and Montserrat Oriole (Icterus oberi).

We move to the Greater Antilles where, in the face of recent extirpations from its former range, Peña et al. bring us in-depth news on the endangered Giant Kingbird’s remaining foothold in Cuba with their publication Distribution and abundance of the Giant Kingbird (Tyrannus cubensis) in eastern Cuba.

Moving westward across the Caribbean’s largest island, we are now presented with information on a newly identified population of Palm Crows that may exceed 200 individuals, thanks to recent work by Maikel Cañizares Morera in his publication Nueva localidad para el Cao Ronco (Corvus palmarum minutus; Aves: Corvidae) en Cuba Central.

To the east, on the island of Puerto Rico, Anadón-Irizarry et al. provide us an invaluable update on the Status and recommendations for the recovery of the Elfin-woods Warbler (Setophaga angelae) in Puerto Rico. In light of devastating impacts to forest habitats by recent hurricanes, this work will be pivotal in helping post-hurricane conservation efforts understand the species’ vulnerability and most pressing needs.

In Haakonsson et al.’s Conservation status of Grand Cayman (Amazona leucocephala caymanensis) and Cayman Brac (Amazona leucocephala hesterna) Parrots, we find ourselves ~250 miles south of Cuba amid the Cayman Islands, where alarmingly two subspecies of Cuban Parrot are being found in fewer, more concentrated population sites.

Our journey swings us back east into the Lesser Antilles to the neighboring islands of St. Lucia and Martinique, where Mortensen et al. report on the Current status of the Endangered White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus), a dry forest songbird endemic to Saint Lucia and Martinique. Heavily geographically restricted on both islands and facing myriad threats, new and amplified life history information on the White-breasted Thrasher reviewed in this publication will undoubtedly prove invaluable for new conservation plans underway.

To the south lies the island of Grenada, where Bonnie L. Rusk has been undertaking Long-term population monitoring of the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi) on Grenada, West Indies. Here Rusk stresses the current critical state of the Grenada Dove based on long-term population trends and multiple obstacles facing species recovery.

Lastly, we set sail back up towards the Greater Antilles, finding our way to the beautiful island of Jamaica, and in particular its Cockpit Country – a region known for its seemingly impenetrable (yet still vulnerable) geography of karst-limestone hills. Herlitz Davis’ publication on Forest disturbance has negative consequences for the persistence of Jamaica’s threatened and endangered bird species in Cockpit Country brings forth evidence of an association between forest disturbance and bird distribution patterns in a globally important area for bird species that is under pressure from all sides by various types of habitat disturbance.

Pulling back to an island-wide view, Proctor et al.’s time censusing the remote corners of Jamaica for aerial insectivores completes an ongoing effort to determine whether any Jamaican Golden Swallows persist on the island in light of there having been no individuals reported since the 1980’s. The Last search for the Jamaican Golden Swallow (Tachycineta e. euchrysea) confirms the local extinction and highlights the importance of using new knowledge to strengthen conservation plans for the subspecies that persists on the island of Hispaniola to the northeast.

The Special Issue’s final publication is an equally important one in which we are empirically reminded of the unique niche that the JCO fills in the wider world of ornithological publications. The role of a regional journal as a depository for valuable ornithological data as demonstrated by Caribbean forest endemic birds, by Devenish-Nelson et al., is an uplifting report of the impact that our community’s journal is having on birds, people, and the bright future of research and conservation.

You will find the issue in its entirety for free download here:

https://www.birdscaribbean.org/jco/index.php/jco/index

Thank you to all the authors, reviewers, and members of the production team for making this Special Issue possible. Enjoy, and please spread the word!

Jason Townsend (editor-in-chief, JCO) and the JCO Editorial Team

December 15, 2017

Forest Restoration in the Dominican Republic: How I Got the Birds to Work for Me

Follow Spencer Schubert on his adventures into remote corners of the Dominican Republic and learn how birds (and their poop!) naturally restore forests. And they do this for free!

Bird enthusiasts have long struggled with the challenge of attracting birds to their backyards, often employing the use of feeders, bird baths, or populating their gardens with plants that birds like. There’s something about birds that really captures our attention, whether it’s their impressive bright plumage or the cheery music they produce.

The Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) is one of the most unique birds in the Caribbean region. The species is endemic to the island of Hispaniola. Over the course of our studies, we have found evidence that Palmchats consume more than 40 species of fruits, making them the most generalist and important seed dispersers known to these landscapes. Here, an individual is seen feeding on Wild Guarana (Cupania americana). (Photo by Dax Roman)

But birds have a lot more to offer beyond aesthetics. With an estimated 10,000 species of birds inhabiting our planet, it is perhaps unsurprising that they have adapted to eat just about any type of food found in nature. As it turns out, birds’ choice in cuisine often turns out to be beneficial to environments where humans live. Scavenging vultures limit the spread of pathogens by consuming dead animals. Birds of prey control rodent pests. And many birds feed on insects that can be damaging to farmers’ crops.

Another ecosystem service that fewer people are aware of is the dispersal of seeds in bird feces. That’s right! I am talking about bird poop. But before we all get too excited about bird poop, I need to take a few steps back to properly explain what I mean by this…

Many different kinds of birds have a sweet tooth for the juicy, nutritious fruits of the forest. But do yourself a favor and resist the temptation to try strange fruits that you see birds eating. Many of these are unpleasant and even toxic to people. Our palates are very different from those of birds, and that is no coincidence. Birds have evolved over time in native ecosystems with their plant neighbors, and many plants have adapted to take advantage of birds in a remarkably clever way.

You see, plants are faced with a different set of problems than those facing animals. Most importantly, they can’t really move around. For example, a tree cannot choose where it ends up and where it takes root. Long-lived trees might produce thousands, if not millions of seeds over their lifetime. Most of these fall to the ground directly below their parent, where they either get snatched by insect or rodent predators, fail to germinate, or eventually succumb to the overbearing shadow of their parent. (And you thought your parents were oppressive!).

The Red-legged Thrush is one of more than twenty species at my research site that we have confirmed feeding from fruit-bearing trees. Here, an individual is seen feeding on wild guarana (Cupania americana), one of the most popular fruits during the spring and early summer. (photo by Spencer Schubert)

Some lucky seeds manage to venture away, taking a ride with the wind, through the water, or undamaged in an animal’s gut. Some of these lucky seeds get even luckier still, by landing safely in a nice patch of fertile soil and substrate with moderate lighting from a gap in the forest canopy above.

Birds’ ability to fly long distances and visit a variety of habitats in a relatively short period of time makes them great seed dispersers from the perspective of the plant, and these two groups have evolved a mutualism for which they depend on the other. In exchange for their seed-dispersing services, birds are rewarded with a food supply.

Can a seed, dispersed, create a forest?

For my current research, I am working in the Dominican Republic, where I am trying to collect data to understand how seed dispersal by birds in cattle farms might be important for future forest restoration efforts in the region. Human populations all over the world are ravenous for beef and dairy. And in the tropics, by many estimates, the clearing of forests for livestock grazing lands has historically been the leading cause of deforestation. As a result, many experts see forest restoration in abandoned pastures as a key conservation strategy both in the present and in the future.

Constructing barbed wire fences around isolated trees in pastures allows us to study how birds may contribute to seed dispersal and regeneration patterns on abandoned farms. Some of the different plot types in this experiment included (a) mango trees, (b) open pastures without trees, and (c) Royal Palm trees. (photos by Spencer Schubert)

Having said that, restoration projects are expensive. The costs associated with growing trees in a nursery, transporting them, and caring for them after transplantation are high. It can conceivably cost thousands of dollars to manually reforest an area the size of a basketball court. In regions such as our work site in the Dominican Republic, where economic conditions are such that most working class jobs only pay $10 to $20 dollars per day, it is very difficult to convince organizations to take on these expensive projects.

The first step to my research project began about 18 months ago, when I secured permission to conduct my studies on a single large cattle farm near Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. The land owner agreed to let me fence off small sections of existing pastures to study seed dispersal and forest regeneration in the absence of human management and grazing, simulating abandoned conditions.

Señor Jose Brache is quite the character. An older gentleman on the verge of retirement, Sr. Brache much prefers his peaceful farm over the hustle and bustle of urban Santo Domingo. Like many older Dominican men, he has a lot to say about just about everything. It has become a frequent occurrence that Sr. Brache will encounter us on the main farm road in his truck and “kidnap” us for a ride to a part of the farm where he will tell a story about what the area looked like when he bought the property more than 20 years ago.

The first part of my project has been to study how certain isolated trees can attract birds to venture away from the forests out into the open pasture and how this might result in increased seed dispersal by birds and forest regrowth. Some of these selected trees included colony nest trees of Hispaniolan Woodpeckers and Palmchats, large mango trees, and control plots with no tree.

Perhaps the more interesting finding has been that relatively little forest regeneration has occurred during the study, so far. Below colony trees with many birds attending the tree, for example, both seeds and tiny seedlings are everywhere, but most of them do not survive. While it is still too early in the study to draw major conclusions, there is plenty of evidence to suggest from this and other similar studies that most seedlings end up losing their battle for survival when facing thick, tall grasses that are typical of these pastures. Furthermore, my findings suggest that it’s not so important how many seeds arrive as how good the habitat is when they get there.

The first step before setting up plots is to locate stands of bamboo and to harvest poles, cut them to specified lengths, and pack them up for transport. (photo by Spencer Schubert)

While isolated trees in pastures are not the miracle cure for deforestation that I would have hoped for, even a small effect is potentially valuable, especially when it’s FREE. These findings rattled my brain… the presence of trees as perches for birds potentially begets more trees and biodiversity. So rather than waiting decades to grow a nice tree that birds will use and disperse seeds around, I thought of a shortcut… Artificial perches.

An artificial perch is exactly what it sounds like: any man made object or structure that birds can perch on. From my reviews of scientific literature, I soon learned that this is not a new idea. A handful of studies dating back to the late 90s have attempted various designs for artificial perches to study how birds use them and contribute to seed dispersal and forest regrowth. Results have been mixed with some more successful than others. There is still not a clear consensus on the subject, but I knew it was worth a shot. I began looking for larger scale restoration projects that would provide an appropriate context to carry out this work.

A New Collaboration with Plan Yaque

Plan Yaque technicians assist Spencer in assembling artificial bird perches. Bamboo grows as a feral exotic plant at many many sites surrounding Jarabacoa. Not only is harvesting bamboo poles for perch materials free, but it also helps to control overgrown stands where it has become invasive. Before burying bamboo perches in the ground, we carefully treat the poles over an open fire to prevent resprouting. (photo by Eduardo Infante Sicard, Plan Yaque Inc.)

I did not have to wait long for an opportunity. It was June of 2016. Through a local colleague, I learned about a budding wetland restoration project in the town of Jarabacoa where I was working that was to be taken on by the NGO known as Plan Yaque. This organization is responsible for the conservation of natural resources in the Rio Yaque del Norte watershed, working mostly in rural farm communities.

After a few probing emails to the director, I was invited to attend an event with this organization. From the way they described it to me, it was meant to be something of a ceremony or convocation of a new community project they were undertaking. Put simply, Plan Yaque had convinced one of the community leaders in a rural neighborhood called Piedra Blanca to let them install a small dam structure in a stream running through the farm of one of the community leaders. They called this dam “trampa de agua” (water trap), and the premise of this project was to create a small reservoir in a headwater, spring-fed stream to maintain human-usable water sources from going completely dry during droughts.

Another major focus of this project is planting native tree species alongside this stream to help establish riparian forests with the aim of preventing soil erosion and mitigating the contaminants in the environment. They labelled the whole project with a clever title: “Litro de Agua” (Liter of Water) to communicate their objective of providing a consistent source of clean water to keep their farms going.

Spencer, project technician Joaris Gonzalez, and Cristián of Plan Yaque pose next to a fully assembled artificial perch. (photo by Kim Shoback)

I met up with the director of Plan Yaque and several technicians on a hot June day, and we made our way out to the site riding in flatbed of their pick-up truck along a rural highway through the foothills of the Cordillera Central. Only a day prior, the technicians had finished their makeshift dam, made from a combination of sandbags and old recycled car tires—a clever and low-cost approach for this function. On the near side of the creek, they had enclosed part of the pasture field with a barbed wire fence about 25 meters wide and 60 meters long to keep cattle from disturbing the upper stretch of the stream and their improvised dam construction.

Plan Yaque’s technicians held a short public forum with the family and neighbors explaining the goals of the project and inviting a discussion on how they could improve the project and monitor its success in more meaningful ways. Beforehand, the director had asked that I share my experiences with the farmers and talk about the importance of birds for healthy forests. My Spanish is pretty good. By this point, I had spent a collective eight academic years studying the language and nearly a year’s worth of time working in various Spanish-speaking countries. Dominican farmers don’t see a lot of foreigners, and I could see a lot of curious stares in my direction as I somewhat awkwardly presented, as I now present to you, this idea that birds (and their poop) are protagonists of natural reforestation. If you found my proposition to be a little eccentric, you can imagine how crazy I must have seemed to these people. Nevertheless, I got my message across and it has given my project an opportunity to greatly expand our research efforts.

Community members gather to listen to technicians from Plan Yaque and Spencer discuss how restoring riparian forests can benefit rural farming communities by improving water quality and availability as well as importance of seed-dispersing birds in healthy forest ecosystems. (photo by Holly Garrod)

One of the most remarkable discoveries during these adventures, from my point of view, concerns the Dominican people. Some of the most outspoken conservationists I have met in the country come from its most remote corners of the country. I have spoken to dozens of farmers over the age of 70 who tell me stories of lush green forests covering the hills and how so many birds have practically disappeared since their childhood. Fortunately for me, these individuals have graciously received me and my research project into their community. Together with our partner organization Plan Yaque, we are now incorporating both of our agendas into a single project. While they struggle to improve water availably and quality for farmers, I am recruiting the birds to bring the forest back and restore at least a piece of the glory that was once the tropical forests of Jarabacoa.

With the support of my university, funders, my partner organizations, and local farmers, we have started up a new project to study this untapped potential of fruit-eating birds. Currently our team is halfway complete in our goal of constructing eight plots for the calendar year. We will continue to study these plots over the course of two years with the goal of turning the project over to our local partners and arming them with new cost-effective, bird-friendly techniques for forest restoration.

The Northern Mockingbird is another important seed-dispersing species at our research sites. While most birds only occasionally venture away from the forest into open fields, mockingbirds are quite comfortable doing so. This curious individual was seen exploring the newly-installed fence posts. (photo by Spencer Schubert)

I owe thanks to a handful of individuals and organizations for their role in making my project so successful. Devoted efforts from project technician Joaris Samuel Gonzalez and field assistants Alex Lascher-Posner, Paris Werner, Kim Shoback, and Tyler Glaser helped get this study off the ground and were invaluable for data collection. Dr. Eric L. Walters of Old Dominion University helped advise the project and has been instrumental in the progression of my ideas and my development as a scientist. My fiancé, Holly Garrod, has helped me hold my life together during graduate school and has also contributed substantially to my research project as she pursues her own graduate research in the Dominican Republic. Local organizations Plan Yaque and Rancho Baiguate have provided key logistic support, without which this work would not have been possible. Furthermore, numerous private land owners have generously received us on their farms to conduct our field studies. This research was funded jointly by the Rufford Small Grant (II) Program, the Sophie Danforth Conservation Award from Roger Williams Park Zoo, and the David S. Lee Fund Grant from BirdsCaribbean.

By Spencer Schubert. Spencer is PhD student in the ecology program at Old Dominion whose thesis focuses on the contributions of avian seed dispersal to tropical forest recovery and plant-frugivore seed dispersal networks on farmland landscapes in the Dominican Republic. Spencer was a recipient of the 2016-2017 BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund Grant and is using his research as a platform to raise interest in the ecological importance of birds for restoration projects in the region around Jarabacoa.

Another follow-up article on Spencer’s research:

Birdy Hear, Birdy Do: Does Playback Attract Seed Dispersers to Restoration Sites?

December 12, 2017

New Nesting Habitat for the Bahama Oriole and New Opportunities for Young Researchers

The critically endangered Bahama Oriole is found only on Andros, Bahamas. (Photo by Steve Brezinski)

The sun was now enough above the horizon that a few rays made it down to the understory of the pine forest. We walked quickly to our next point then began another nine-minute sampling period. About one minute in, we heard the clear crisp song of a Bahama Oriole, about 100 meters to our south. My student Briana noted this information on the data sheet. While waiting, she also recorded details about the habitat and the surrounding vegetation within a 100-meter radius: number of pines – 100+, number of understory palms – 10-20, number of coconut palms – 0, overall habitat – 100% pine forest.

The oriole sang several more times before the point count ended. Just 18 months prior, when we began the Bahama Oriole Project in October 2015, we would have been extremely surprised if we found an oriole in the pine forest. Previous research suggested that the orioles were concentrated in the settlements, especially around coconut palms, which were thought to be their preferred nesting tree. But in 2016, our team had discovered three different pairs of orioles nesting in this very pine forest, several kilometers from the nearest houses, farms or coconut palms. Now we were conducting an exhaustive population estimate to determine whether the orioles were found in just a few areas in the pine forest, or whether they were utilizing many areas of the pine.

Briana Yancy measuring nest site characteristics. (Photo by Kevin Omland)

We continued to walk along the long-abandoned logging road to the next randomly selected point. As we gained just a few feet in altitude, the pine forest became drier, and the gorgeous understory Key Thatch Palms became shorter and more scattered. I honestly feel ecstatic to be able to work in these vast remote forests, and as we walked along, I asked Briana what she thought of the habitat. She quickly spoke glowingly of the same features that I love so much – the open canopy, the echo of a Bahama Mockingbird song, and the unfamiliar beauty of the understory thatch palms.

This was Briana’s first fieldwork in the tropics, and she was off to a great start. As we walked, I asked her what she wanted to do after she finished college at UMBC. She said that this was exactly the kind of work that she had dreamed about doing – working on a tropical island, studying a critically endangered species, and seeing all these new birds and habitats. She had just finished her sophomore year as a Geography and Environmental Sciences major. Briana is in UMBC’s prestigious Meyerhoff Scholars Program, which is nationally known for its success in increasing underrepresented minority participation in science and technology.

Breeding in the Pine Forest – “Briana’s Nest”

A Bahama Oriole takes off in the pine forest. (Photo by Dan Stonko)

We conducted eight more counts that morning, and we did not hear or see any other orioles during the counts. However, as we continued west toward our meeting point on one of the main logging roads, the land sloped down again and we entered a wet area with many more understory thatch palms (so named because of their local use in roof making). The common species here is the Key Thatch Palm (Leucothrinax morrisii). To me these palms are the most beautiful plants on Andros, and they have intrigued me since my first days on the island. As we walked, suddenly Briana and I both heard a distinctive short “see-you” whistle, which meant a Bahama Oriole was nearby. She pointed as an oriole flew from one low thatch palm to another. Then, a second bird flew in and swooped up to one of the tallest of these understory palms. I whispered excitedly to Briana that maybe there was a nest nearby.

“Briana’s Nest.” Nest is hidden in the hanging dead fronds (yellow arrow). (Photo by Kevin Omland)

The first bird then entered the same tall thatch palm. There had to be a nest in that tree, so we approached and started looking under each of the hanging dead fronds. There it was: a neat tan palm-fiber basket, hanging protected under one of the dried-up fronds. We christened it “Briana’s Nest” and stepped back to observe the parents – two stunning adult Bahama Orioles. Both the males and females in this species sport a striking jet-black and lemon-yellow plumage. Both sexes also sing, so it is impossible to tell the sexes apart in the field. We observed both parents bringing food to the nest – there were clearly nestlings, but with the nest over seven meters up, we do not yet have the equipment to further investigate their age or number.

The project has now documented seven nests in the pine forest – three in 2016 and four in 2017. But we know nothing about what happens to nests in the pine forest. In 2018, we will conduct two main projects to evaluate breeding in the pine forest. First, Brianna will lead a project quantifying the key characteristics of the nesting trees and surrounding forest. Can the orioles nest in any part of the pine forest, or are there certain types of habitat (perhaps with tall thatch palms for example) that are preferred nesting sites that need to be preserved? Second, one of the Bahamian students will lead the effort to quantify nesting success and determine the greatest threats to nests – rats, cowbirds or feral cats. So far, we have little evidence of cowbirds in the pine forest, but preliminary surveys with trail cameras suggest that feral cats are likely widespread across the island. And arboreal rats could be important nest predators. Which if any of these threats are significant causes of mortality that need to be managed?

A Big, Diverse Field Crew

Soon we were joined by the two other teams that had been doing point counts that morning. One was led by Rick Stanley, a Masters student at the Imperial College London. The other was headed by Scott Johnson, a Bahamas National Trust science officer – who has a wealth of knowledge about the flora and fauna of Andros. We showed everyone the nest we just found, then compared notes from the morning. Rick’s team had also heard one oriole during counts in the pine that morning, and Scott’s team had heard two. The orioles are never common, but they seem to be widespread on the island.

The 2017 Field Crew. Left to Right: Kevin Omland, Michael Rowley, Jennifer Christhilf, Ciera McKoy, Briana Yancy, Matt Kane (all UMBC), Rick Stanley (Imperial College London), Daniel Stonko (UMBC), Scott Johnson (Bahamas National Trust).

Before leaving we took time to take some shots of the whole 2017 field crew. I look back upon that photo with a great deal of pride and gratitude. Each one of those young researchers has already made important contributions to the project. It is such a privilege to do fieldwork with students every year. For many of the students, this is the first time that they have traveled outside the US – one had never even been on a plane before this trip! The opportunity to introduce these students to the joys (and challenges) of tropical fieldwork is one of the best parts of this project. I am especially excited when my students get to work with BNT’s Scott Johnson and interact with students from the Bahamas.

Our shot of the field crew differs from many group pictures of field biologists or birders because it includes people of many different backgrounds. By drawing on UMBC’s diverse student population, and by working closely with our Bahamian collaborators, we are trying to bring a broader range of backgrounds and perspectives to fieldwork and wildlife conservation. Work throughout the Caribbean demonstrates the kinds of multinational and multiethnic collaboration that will build capacity in our increasingly diverse US population as well as in the island nations that are the focus of BirdsCaribbean.

Dr. Kevin Omland is a faculty member in the Biology Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). In collaboration with Bahamas National Trust, he began the Bahama Oriole Project in 2015. Dr. Omland was recognized as the UMBC Presidential Research Professor for 2016-2019. He is co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the American Ornithological Society. The Bahama Oriole Project has received generous support from the American Bird Conservancy and an anonymous donor through BirdsCaribbean. Stay tuned for updates from our upcoming 2018 field season.

November 30, 2017

Funding Opportunity—The David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds

2017-2018 Awards Now Open!

Size of Award: Several grants up to $1,000 each

Application Deadline: January 7th, 2018 at 5 p.m. EST.

Address Questions and Send Application to: Will Mackin, Co-Chair Seabird Working Group, BirdsCaribbean, wicbirds@yahoo.com; copy to info@birdscaribbean.org

Announcement of Awards: February 3rd, 2018

Donations to the Fund: Tax-deductible (U.S.) at this link.

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Dave Lee holding a White-tailed Tropicbird in the Bahamas. (photo by Mary Kay Clark)

David S. Lee was a pioneering naturalist and conservation biologist who helped get BirdsCaribbean started nearly 30 years ago, and inspired many naturalists with his work and his writing. He was a man of many interests, and with respect to the Caribbean, published numerous papers and articles in the popular press on seabirds, Bahamian fish, turtles, snakes, bats, and orchids.

Donations from Dave’s wife, Mary Kay Clark and his mother, June Bash, allowed the establishment of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds that will award money to conservation projects in his honor. The money is being held in a trust and will be used to award an annual grant for innovative projects that protect Caribbean birds and their habitats.

Goal of the Fund: The David S. Lee Fund for Conservation seeks to continue David’s passion for protecting wildlife. The fund will support direct, innovative conservation work in the Caribbean Region for birds and their habitats. The fund will be managed by BirdsCaribbean and used for annual small grants.

A striking male Magnolia Warbler perches momentarily on a branch while foraging for food during its spring migration. (photo by Gerald A. DeBoer, Shutterstock)

Eligibility: Scientists/naturalists working in the Caribbean, in conservation organizations or academic programs, may apply. Applicants should be students or early career ornithologists, conservationists, or wildlife professionals (i.e., not established faculty or senior staff of a conservation organization, less than 7 years post-graduation). A student must be enrolled in accredited Masters or PhD program in ecology, biology, conservation, or related field to be eligible. Applicants must be paid or sponsored members of BirdsCaribbean at the time of application.

Use of Funds: The funds can cover travel to field sites, living expenses in the field, or costs for equipment and supplies to conduct conservation projects. Examples of equipment and supplies include traps, cameras, automated recording units, nest boxes, etc. Ineligible costs include salary or other wages, overhead fees, etc. Projects that foster collaboration between scientists/naturalists in different island groups of the Caribbean, such as joint projects to test conservation techniques for similar species, will be favored.

Application Guidelines:

Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. All should have an English version of the abstract
Applications should be emailed as a Microsoft Word document.
The application should include a cover page, proposal (see guidelines below), and a curriculum vitae for the applicant.
Separately, by email, three individuals who can attest to your effectiveness in previous work should submit letters of recommendation. For students, this would include your academic advisor.

Evaluation:

A committee appointed by BirdsCaribbean will review the proposals and award the grants.
The awardee will be required to submit a report one year from the day of the award explaining how the award money was spent and the results of the project to that point.
Awardees are encouraged to present the results of their work at the biennial International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean and publish in The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology.

Eligible applicants can download the application here..

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But wait! What if you are not eligible to apply for funds, you ask? You can still support this worthy cause by being a sponsor!

Reddish Egrets (dark morph). (photo by Tania Thomson, Shutterstock)

This fund will be for the conservation of any bird in the Caribbean as a reflection of Dave’s diverse interests. He was an important part of many projects, ranging from those of the Black-capped Petrel and Seabird Working Groups to the scholarly debate leading to the elevation of the Bahama Yellow-throated Warbler to a full species.

At the moment the fund contains $12,000. Our initial goal is to raise $25,000 so that we can award $1,000 every year to a worthy student or early career ornithologist, conservationist or wildlife professional. Not only will this fund encourage creative field work for projects that make a difference, but it will also help build the knowledge and skills of young conservationists that are urgently needed to make sure that the Caribbean birds and habitats that Dave treasured are still around for future generations to enjoy.

Cuban Parrot surveying his domain. (photo by Elliotte Rusty-Harold, Shutterstock)

At the 2015 BirdsCaribbean meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, a round of beers was purchased in Dave’s honor, since he always seemed to have a cooler full when people wanted one (and even when they didn’t). Think of this fund like a cooler full of refreshing beverages that Dave would have around if he were here. We owe it to Dave to stock that cooler—to vitalize naturalists and empower them in their work to help wildlife.

Please give a tax deductible donation to the David S. Lee Fund. Give generously. The more we put into the fund, the more we can give out each year. Thanks to all those that have contributed to the fund!

Click here to make an online contribution.

If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for the David S. Lee Fund. If you have questions or to make other arrangements for donating, please feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Treasurer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org)

Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760-2076

Thank you for your participation and support!

October 26, 2017

Meet the Superspecies of Parrots: Yellow-crowned Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala)

The Yellow-crowned Amazon is part of a superspecies of similar, closely related Parrots. (Photo by Faraaz Abdool) — The Yellow-crowned Amazon belongs to a superspecies of similar, closely related parrots. (Photo by Faraaz Abdool)

Many comic book characters we know and love today can be identified by their signature symbols. In the blink of an eye we can recognize the S of Superman’s shield or the beaming light of the Batman logo when Gotham City needs the Dark Knight to fight its villains. Likewise, when many Trinidadians see a parrot with bright yellow on the head they immediately identify it using the local name, “Venez” Parrot. But few people know that this bird belongs to a superspecies group of Amazon Parrots (genus Amazona) comprising 11 subspecies. A superspecies is a species complex of closely related, very similar species that are often difficult to distinguish. The subspecies are categorized into three groups: 1) Yellow-crowned or ochrocephala 2) Yellow-naped or auropalliata and 3) Yellow-headed or oratrix.

Amazona ochrocephala ochrocephala, the Yellow-crowned Parrot, known locally as the Yellow-crowned Amazon (or Venez Parrot) found on Trinidad belongs to the – you guessed it – “Ochrocephala” group. It was possibly introduced from Venezuela or Guyana but its distribution extends into Colombia, Brazil, Suriname and French Guiana. This medium-sized Amazon weighs about 500 grams with primarily green plumage, a yellow forecrown and white eye-ring. Look carefully and you will see that the bend of the wing and base of the tail are both red. These traits are used to distinguish it from the ever present and ever noisy Orange-winged Parrots (Amazona amazonica). If you can’t get an up-close look at the parrot listen for its call which is a distinctive mellow, rolling bow-wow; this is in contrast to the shrill kik-kik…kik-kik calls of the Orange-winged Parrots.

Yellow-crowned:

Orange-winged:

Like most other parrots, Yellow-crowned Amazons are monogamous and prefer to nest in hollow trees or palms. While other Amazons choose their nesting cavities based on tree species, cavity height from the ground and cavity entrance size, Yellow-crowned Amazons tend not to have a preference for a specific tree species but do require trees in good condition. Because pairs maintain their nesting territories throughout the year, things can get really loud if a bird or pair tries to take over another pair’s nest or even if a neighbour oversteps his boundary. Yellow-crowned Amazons are very aggressive and coordinated in defending their nests. The nesting pair will vocalize while perched next to each other or physically attack an intruder by lunging with beak open and wings extended.

A human archnemesis

The Yellow-crowned Amazon is locally known in Trinidad as the Venez Parrot. (Photo by Lester James)

If Yellow-crowned Parrots and their superspecies are superheroes of the bird world, then poaching of juveniles can be considered the population’s kryptonite. Fledglings over 40 days old are commonly taken from the wild though some poachers remove nestlings from the cavity when they are as young as three days old. Removing young birds from the wild is as bad for the population as it is for the individual birds. The young parrots are taken before they have reached sexual maturity and therefore, the current breeding pool of adults is not being expanded or replaced.

One reason Yellow-crowned Amazons are so popular for the pet trade is their ability to mimic human speech quickly. Because they are so desirable, some poachers in Central America dye the forecrown feathers of Red-lored Amazons (A. autumnalis) and Brown-throated Parakeets (Aratinnga pertinax) yellow and sell them as Yellow-crowneds to unsuspecting customers. Currently, Yellow-crowned Parrots are considered Least Concern by IUCN due to their wide geographic distribution and estimated healthy population size. However, the combination of habitat loss, their low reproductive rate, and poaching for the pet trade remains a major concern.

Vocalizations: an unsung hero

A Yellow-crowned Amazon pair preening in Trinidad. (Photo by Richard Lakhan)

Even I would admit that hearing a parrot “talk” is very entertaining and amusing. However in the wild they use their own dialect with each other and their communication is not limited to repeating the calls of one or a few parrots. Yellow-crowned Amazons use syntax to arrange the structure of calls including those used in territorial disputes. It is plausible that by using syntax, communication among parrots is more flexible than we think. In addition, dialect through duets is used to woo potential mates and successfully reproduce. Males and females have sex-specific notes. These serve to tell the caller’s sex, availability to pair (i.e., spoken for or not) and to facilitate communication with multiple interested parrots . Yes, all is fair in love and war, even for parrots.

Other vocalizations, like contact calls, are used to maintain order within flocks to achieve common goals such as finding food or avoiding predators. Just imagine how little justice would get served if the members of the Justice League were unable to create a strategy to fight their enemies because they didn’t understand each other! Interestingly contact calls may also serve to ascertain a parrot’s regional identity. A survey of 16 Amazon roosting sites in North and South Costa Rica, 18 miles apart, revealed that each region had a distinct type of call. Researchers found that neighbouring roosts within a region shared a common call type and in each roost a single call type was recorded resulting in the mosaic pattern typical of vocal dialects in humans.

When Yellow-crowned Amazons are kept as pets and taught to repeat silly phrases, we undermine so much of their intelligence and even their identity. Out of the cage they speak their own language, one that takes years to develop and runs much deeper than “Hello” or “Who’s a pretty bird?” In order for this beautiful, complex superspecies to thrive in the wild, we all need to be local superheroes and take a stand against wildlife poaching.

How can you help parrots in the wild?

The Blue and Gold Project recently launched their fundraising campaign to protect the Blue and Gold Macaw in Trinidad. This large, charismatic bird was extirpated from the island in the 1960s. A reintroduction program began in 1999, and after several releases, there is a small, stable population with documented breeding success. The Blue and Gold Project is raising funds to host local capacity building workshops to educate community members about wild macaws and the pet trade, monitor the illegal trade of macaws, and conduct much-needed research on the wild reintroduced population. Please donate today!

Aliya Hosein is a 2017 CLiC (Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean) Fellow working on a Blue and Gold Macaw Conservation Project on her home island of Trinidad. She believes that parrots are so colourful and boisterous that without them forests, savannas and swamps would be dull.

August 5, 2017

Saving a Species in Peril—A Holistic Approach to Conserving the Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic

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 tells us about the work of The Peregrine Fund to save this critically endangered raptor.

Ridgway's Hawks are critically endangered, found only in Los Haitises National Park in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by the Peregrine Fund). — Ridgway’s Hawks are critically endangered and found only in Los Haitises National Park in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)

The Ridgway’s Hawk is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, but is now considered to be extinct in Haiti. The last remaining population of this species is in a small national park, Los Haitises, in the Dominican Republic (DR). There are only an estimated 350-450 individuals left in the wild.

I have been working as a biologist for The Peregrine Fund for the past 17 years. I have been lucky enough to have been a part of several of their projects helping to conserve birds of prey in many countries around the world. In 2011, I joined the team working in DR to help to save the Ridgway’s Hawk from extinction.

The Peregrine Fund’s Ridgway’s Hawk conservation project has been running since 2002 and has many facets. When I was asked to share a short article about our project on the BirdsCaribbean blog, I spent a long time thinking what to write about. I could focus on the advances we have made to prevent botfly (Philornis pici) infestations in nestling Ridgway’s Hawks – an issue that, if left untreated, could cause over 70% mortality in young hawks.

Or I could discuss the successes of our Assisted Dispersal Program: bringing young hawks from Los Haitises National Park and releasing them in Ojos Indígenas Reserve in Punta Cana in an effort to create additional populations of the hawk in other protected areas on the island. Assisted Dispersal has resulted in the formation of 15 breeding pairs to date and 22 wild fledged young!

Nestling Ridgway's Hawks hatched in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, thanks to The Peregrine Fund's Assisted Dispersal Program. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund) — Ridgway’s Hawks hatched in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic thanks to The Peregrine Fund’s Assisted Dispersal Program. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)

Another aspect of the project I could mention is our collaboration with Fundación Grupo PUNTACANA and the Disney Conservation Fund to retrofit dangerous power lines preventing electrocutions of not only Ridgway’s Hawks, but other species of birds as well. A whole other blog post could focus on our program to provide free chicken coops to individuals in small communities, an effort to help avoid conflicts between humans and hawks that sometimes prey on young poultry.

Instead, today I would like to tell you about our community development and our environmental education programs. One important aspect of The Peregrine Fund’s work, is to improve the lives of people in areas where we are conserving birds of prey, whether through training, educational activities, or employment opportunities.

In the communities surrounding LHNP we are working with 17 local technicians that we have trained and hired. Some are in their 40s and 50s and have been with the project since its inception. Others are in their early twenties and are just beginning their careers. In small towns around LHNP, there are limited job opportunities and our project is able to provide economic benefits, employment and valuable training in skills such as tree climbing, data collection, bird banding, nest searching, as well as computer data entry and leadership skills.

A completed painting of a Ridgway's Hawk, done by one of the local school children. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund) — A completed painting of a Ridgway’s Hawk, done by one of the local schoolchildren. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)

We began our environmental education program in Punta Cana in 2013, after three of our released Ridgway’s Hawks were shot in a nearby community. Since then, we have expanded our efforts and now work with over 15 communities and have reached over 7,000 individuals in a wide radius around the release site through door-to-door visits, educational presentations, school activities and teacher training workshops. One of the most fun and successful activities that we do every year (as part of our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival) is the celebration of Ridgway’s Hawk Day, May 25^th.

Thanks to a generous donation from BirdsCaribbean, this year we celebrated Ridgway’s Hawk Day with three separate activities around the country! The first, we held with two of our local partners: the National Zoo (ZOODOM) and Fundación Propagas. Schoolchildren from Santo Domingo were treated to a close-up view of a live Ridgway’s Hawk at the zoo, and also participated in an art project, receiving a raptor inspired mask at the end of their visit.

The second and third Ridgway’s Hawk Day activities took place in Punta Cana, where, with the help of Fundación Grupo PUNTACANA – another important local partner, we hosted two celebrations on June 1^st and 2^nd. Over 80 children visited our Ridgway’s Hawk release site in Punta Cana and saw young hawks up close, learning about the release process and the importance of protecting wildlife. Participants also learned how to use binoculars on a nature walk while practicing birding in forests and lagoons. The children also created beautiful art, painting and coloring on recycled wood – which focused on Ridgway’s Hawks, nature, and other wildlife observed during their visit. Select pieces will be displayed at an event in a local art museum early next year.

Participants are beginning to paint images of Ridgway's Hawks and other wildlife and nature scenes from the day. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund) — Participants are beginning to paint images of Ridgway’s Hawks and other wildlife and nature scenes from the day. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)

To end the day, we headed down to a nearby beach where the kids played games in the sand, learning about the importance of a balanced ecosystem for creatures both on land and in the sea. After a picnic lunch under the shade of nearby trees, students clapped hands and swayed to the rhythm of drums during an interactive dance performance by one of our volunteers, in a full Ridgway’s Hawk costume!

We have already begun to see the positive effects of our education efforts in communities, especially in the attitudes of individual people. Most notably, in the community where our three Ridgway’s Hawks were killed a number of years ago, we now have a nesting pair of hawks who just fledged two perfectly healthy young! The entire community knows of the presence of the hawks and is now actively supporting their protection!

Though we still have a long way to go to ensure the conservation of the species, we continue to be encouraged by the changes we see taking place, making great strides each year and we look forward to the day that the Ridgway’s Hawk is no longer an endangered species.

A "Ridgway's Hawk" comes to visit. (photo by The Peregrine Fund) — A “Ridgway’s Hawk” comes to visit. (photo by The Peregrine Fund)

Marta Curti works as a biologist with The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit organization whose mission is to conserve birds of prey worldwide.

June 20, 2017

The Vampire Diaries: Searching for Seabird Blood in the Sunny Caribbean

Roseate tern chick, ready for sample collection. (Photo by Paige Byerly) — Roseate Tern chick, ready for sample collection. (Photo by Paige Byerly)

In the pursuit of wildlife research, I’ve climbed cliffs, dodged black bears, ridden in tiny planes through turbulent mountain air, jumped into surging ocean waters, and hiked alone through remote wilderness. None of these activities have scared me as much as handling my first Roseate Tern chick, a delicate ball of fluff just hours from the egg.

As I prepared to take a blood sample, hands shaking, I carefully stretched out the chick’s back leg, searching for the threadlike femoral vein. Anxious tern parents called and swooped above us in the early morning sky, and the chick peeped quietly in my hand. I angled the needle and, taking a deep breath, slid it gently in. My reward was a perfect bead of red blood. I transferred the blood into a vial of storage solution, handed Daniel the chick to return to the nest, and leaned back to savor the short moment of victory. One sample down, 29 to go.

Paige taking time to enjoy the moment in the LeDuck island colony, chick in hand. (Photo by Chris Pavlik)

This spring I started my first full field season researching Caribbean Roseate Terns. These gorgeous Larids (bird family Laridae includes gulls, terns, and skimmers) are an especially challenging seabird to study, as anyone who’s tried will be quick to tell you. Like many seabirds, Roseate Terns nest on small islands, which offer a relatively predator-free habitat to raise chicks. Unlike many seabirds, they move colony sites almost yearly, for reasons we haven’t yet been able to determine.

In the Virgin Islands, which host ~50% of the Caribbean population, Roseate Terns have over 26 potential nesting cays that they choose from. That means that any research activities must first involve locating the birds, then figuring out a plan for that unique colony site. Caribbean Roseate Terns are also easily disturbed, and are prone to colony abandonment. Too much research activity in the colony could lower their reproductive success, which is the opposite goal of our efforts. For all these reasons, determining colony success through means such regular nest checks is not possible for this population, forcing us to get a little more creative.

Adult roseate tern couple displaying courtship behavior in the LeDuck island colony. (Photo by Daniel Nellis) — Adult Roseate Tern pair displaying courtship behavior in the LeDuck island colony. (Photo by Daniel Nellis)

Because Roseate Terns have such a large range, and aren’t too interested in country boundaries, effective conservation planning for this species requires collaborating across borders. I’ve teamed up with researchers from several organizations in the Caribbean for this project, chief among them Susan Zaluski from the British Virgin Islands’ Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society and Daniel Nellis from the US Virgin Islands Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

In addition to developing a standardized monitoring plan to use between the two territories, we are working to answer some of the basic questions regarding Roseate Tern ecology in the region. Because nesting cays are so difficult to regularly access, we’re using motion-activated game cameras installed at nests to be our eyes in the colonies. This year, we have cameras in six active colonies. We’re hoping that the images from these cameras will help us better understand the role of predation in colonies, as well as incubation behavior and hatching success.

The USVI Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s trusty boat, the R/V Bananaquit, waiting for us at a colony site. (Photo by Paige Byerly)

Roseate Terns are declining across the Caribbean, and we don’t know why. Are population declines due to low nest success at colony sites, or to low adult survival on wintering grounds? The breeding season is only part of a Roseate Tern’s year, and come August they will leave the Virgin Islands. Band returns have indicated that the birds travel to wintering grounds in South America, but we know very little about their non-breeding movements.

Roseate Terns are smaller and lighter than other terns, and this has made following their movements using technology like satellite tags difficult. To answer some of the larger questions regarding population health and movement, we’re turning to another source: DNA. Caribbean Roseate Terns aren’t alone in North America—there is also a well-studied population in New England. These two populations are believed to share wintering grounds, but aren’t thought to interbreed. Such isolation is unusual for such far-flying seabirds, particularly as it’s thought that the migratory pathway of the Northeastern population takes them through the Caribbean.

We’re partnering with agencies in the US to determine relatedness between Caribbean and Northeastern Roseate Terns through genetic analysis. Genetic information will give us a better idea of the population health of Caribbean Roseate Terns, and will provide some intriguing clues on who they’re mixing with on their wintering grounds, which might better help us understand where they’re going.

Vial of precious roseate tern blood, ready for analysis! (Photo by Paige Byerly) — Vial of precious Roseate Tern blood, ready for analysis! (Photo by Paige Byerly)

Which brings us back to that first morning of sampling. It’s best to get blood from chicks less than 3 days old. Younger chicks are easier to catch, and their skin is thinner and easier to pierce with a needle. They also seem to heal more quickly, with bleeding stopping within seconds—sometimes too quickly for me to get a full sample. All these sampling considerations make geneticist researchers like myself sound particularly, well, bloodthirsty, and have led to us being characterized as “vampires.” It’s a nickname I’ll proudly answer to, knowing as I do all the amazing secrets hidden in that remarkable substance.

Unlike mammal blood, avian blood is nucleated, meaning that every blood cell contains copies of DNA. That DNA can tell us the history of an entire species and beyond, if only we can find exactly the right questions to ask and the right tools for answering them.

Figuring out the best timing for our DNA sampling required four separate boat excursions to locate the most accessible tern colony and estimate when the majority of eggs would hatch. After deciding that LeDuck island would be the best candidate for sampling, we returned early one morning to swim our gear onto the islands in waterproof coolers, then hiked through waist-length thorny brush to reach the terns. I set up my sampling station on a flat boulder, and Daniel and my visiting husband worked the colony, locating the tiny chicks and bringing them to me bundled up in hats, hands, pockets, and bandanas. We moved between colony sections to allow anxious tern parents to return to their nests, working as quickly as possible to minimize stress to the colony.

Intrepid tern biologist Daniel Nellis swims ashore with research gear. Watch out for sea urchins! (Photo by Paige Byerly)

In all the haste, I still made sure to take a moment to breathe, look around, and enjoy the view. All that research planning, all those questions, came down to two short hours in the field and those 30 precious vials of blood. A year of collaborative effort went into my sitting on that boulder, first chick in hand, and I wanted to make sure that I took the time to appreciate it.

After the Birds Caribbean conference in Cuba (hope to see you there!) I’ll be heading back to Louisiana to lock myself in the lab and get started on analyzing all this data. I’m so excited to see where these results take us, and look forward to sharing my findings with you all in the future!

Paige Byerly is a PhD student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her research investigating genetic diversity among Roseate Terns in the Virgin Islands is supported by a grant from the BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund and a research fellowship from the National Science Foundation. The Caribbean Roseate Tern, is a threatened metapopulation of Sterna dougallii dougallii, and thought to be declining across its range. Her research will help conservationists better understand the migratory ecology and population vulnerability of Roseate Terns.

May 24, 2017

Bahama Swallows in the “Pine Islands”—Report from the Field

A male Bahama Swallow. (Photo by Melanie Rose Wells)

Maya Wilson is a graduate student at Virginia Tech researching the ecology and life history of the Bahama Swallow, an endangered species endemic to the Bahamas. She is one of the dedicated young scholars who was awarded the BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund Grant and her work is critical to understanding the Bahama Swallow and informing conservation strategies. Here, she discusses her research and describes her exciting field experiences with this unique species.

As we exit the truck, I hear a series of aggressive clicks and feel a rush of air as a wing brushes only a couple inches from my head.

When the Bahama Swallows began breeding, we started watching this particular area intensely, suspecting that the large, still-standing dead pine tree (i.e. pine snag) only a few paces from the old logging road would be a choice spot for a pair of swallows to make their nest. Sure enough, a couple weeks ago we found three white eggs. We are now scheduled to come back to see if those three eggs have hatched, and the parents are obviously well aware of that.

Peeper camera used to study Bahama Swallow nests that are otherwise well out of normal reach. (Photo by Daniel Stonko)

The bird that dove at my head joins its mate on a small exposed branch in a nearby tree and they chatter to each other, seeming to make a plan, before taking off again to resume their “attack.” It is hard to resist the urge to duck as I watch the male turn toward me and dive again, this time straight at my face. However, just like every other time, he changes direction at the last possible second — a signature move of a swallow. In reality, these small (~15 g) birds can’t hurt us.

The three of us walk to the back of the truck and begin to assemble the “peeper” camera so that we can take a closer look. Using several specialized pieces of hardware, we attach the camera to a large extension pole. I hoist the apparatus onto my shoulder to keep it steady, carefully climb over the pile of loose limestone along the road, and circle around to the other side of the snag. The nest is inside a hole (i.e. cavity) about 31 feet (9.4 meters) up, making this one of the highest nests we have studied, and therefore one of the hardest to observe.

I turn the camera on, and Mel confirms that it is wirelessly sending images to the monitor she is holding. I begin hoisting the pole upward, locking each section into place. Finally, the camera is near the correct height, and Shannan, who is standing back so that she has a good vantage point, guides me until it slips into the nesting cavity.

The 2015 Bahama Swallow field team (left to right): Tivonia Potts (Bahamian), me – Maya Wilson, and Nicole Acosta (Ecuadorian)

“Two chicks!” Mel shouts, and then, “wait, the last egg is hatching!” There is a bustle of activity as we all try to look at the small screen to see what is happening in the nest. Sure enough, the last egg has a crack down the middle, and a nestling is trying to fight its way out to join its two siblings in the nest.

We record a short video and then I bring the camera down. We all head back to the truck, disassemble the camera, and pile back in while the adult swallows take turns making sure that their newly hatched nestlings are okay. We have to try our hardest to disturb the nest as little as possible, so we decide to leave this family alone for a few days.

Bahamian pine forest is prime nesting habitat for the Bahama Swallow. (Photo by Melanie Rose Wells)

The memory of watching a Bahama Swallow nestling hatch during the summer of 2016 will stick with me for the rest of my life. I am back on Great Abaco Island again in 2017, and for the third field season in a row our team will be made up of three women in their twenties. Dressed in worn-out field clothes and carrying our peeper camera and other equipment through the forest, we certainly get our fair share of confused stares. But we spend several months of the year in the northern Bahamas for a reason. Great Abaco, Grand Bahama, Andros and New Providence are the only islands within the more than 700 islands that make up the Bahama Archipelago that contain large areas of the native Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea bahamensis). This is why these three islands have rightfully earned the nickname, “pine islands.”

These pine forests are home to many birds, including five of the six Bahamian endemic species. One of these endemic species is the endangered Bahama Swallow (Tachycineta cyaneoviridis), which has only ever been found to breed on the pine islands. This bird, along with many other Caribbean endemics, is severely understudied.

My graduate research focuses on three main areas, with the overarching goal of providing information that is relevant to the species’ conservation to my main collaborator, the Bahamas National Trust, as well as other local organizations.

(1) How many Bahama Swallows are left, how are they spread across the pine islands, and do birds on the different islands breed with each another?

There have only been a few official estimates of Bahama Swallow population levels over the past 30 years, and they indicate a rather dramatic decline. The IUCN Red List estimates a current population of 1500-4000 individuals. Using multiple survey techniques, I hope to provide a more precise estimate that will shed some light on overall species abundance and whether Bahama Swallows favor certain habitats or islands in general. Using genetic information, we can determine whether the species has become separated into smaller, isolated populations, which would have significant implications for the survival of the Bahama Swallow and subsequent conservation management plans.

(2) When and where do Bahama Swallows breed, and how successful are each of their nesting attempts?

Time series of Bahama Swallow nest monitoring. (Photo by Maya Wilson)

Bahama Swallows are obligate secondary cavity-nesters, meaning that they will only build nests inside a cavity; however, they do not have the ability to create that cavity themselves. Rather, they rely on natural processes or other excavating species to create cavities for them. In 1995, Allen (1996) conducted a study that revealed important information about Bahama Swallow breeding biology and behavior. The swallows breed between April and July, laying an average of three eggs in abandoned woodpecker cavities in pine snags and various other cavities. By locating swallow nests in all cavity types, and then monitoring those that we can safely access, we hope to provide additional information on the determinants and limitations to the breeding biology of the species.

(3) Is breeding habitat limited? How do Bahama Swallows interact with other cavity-nesting species in the same habitat?

Male Bahama Swallow in the hand. (Photo by Maya Wilson)

Almost all of the forest on the pine islands is secondary growth, the result of extensive logging that took place from 1905-1969. It still is not clear what effects the logging and subsequent disturbances (e.g., fire and hurricanes) have had on the structure of the pine forest or the surrounding habitats, and on the species that inhabit them. The Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) is present on all of the pine islands, and is closely associated with the pine forest, although it can be found in other habitats. In The Bahamas, the larger West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris) is mostly limited to Great Abaco, where it is mostly associated with dry broadleaf “coppice” and human habitation. The swallows and other secondary cavity-nesters rely on these woodpeckers to create cavities for them. However, the availability of cavities and the competition for those cavities may vary between habitats (e.g., pine forest vs. towns). We can look at these interactions by assessing the availability of nesting resources and documenting nests of all cavity-nesting species.

My research has come a long way since it began in 2014, though there is still much to accomplish. My team and I continue to unravel the ecology and biology behind the pine islands and their Bahama Swallows, and are currently getting our 2017 field season underway. I look forward to keeping the BirdsCaribbean community updated as the project progresses and am excited to meet more of you at the Cuba Conference this July.

Maya is a PhD Candidate at Virginia Tech. To learn more about the Bahama Swallow research and team, please visit please this website. Maya’s research is funded by BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund, The Rufford Foundation, IDEA WILD and Golondrinas de las Américas.

The 2016 Field Team, including (L to R): Melanie Wells (Australian), me, Maya Wilson, and Shannan Yates (Bahamian).

May 16, 2017

Finding Bahama Oriole Nests in the Pine Forest—Reflections from a Young Scientist (Part 2)

Roni keeping watch on the pine forest nest — Roni Rolle observing a Bahama Oriole nest on Andros Island (Bahamas). (Photo by Dan Stonko)

Dan Stonko joined Dr. Kevin Omland’s research group studying the Bahama Oriole as an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. With the research team, he traveled to Andros in the Bahamas to search for the nesting Bahama Oriole and gained invaluable field experience while making memories of a lifetime (check out his recent blog article). Here, Dan summarizes his perspective of science, education and mentoring as learned through his undergraduate experiences.

As an undergraduate, I have been incredibly lucky with the opportunities I’ve received. Taking on undergraduate students into your lab can be risky in itself for multiple reasons – we are usually inexperienced, require time and effort to train, and usually can’t contribute nearly as much as a higher-level student/employee. For these very reasons, I have come to be evermore grateful for getting the kinds of opportunities as amazing and impactful as I’ve shared in my previous blog post. Whenever anyone asks me about our lab’s work, I start off by discussing the science and research. Before long, I tend to catch myself getting into the unexpected and memorable lessons I’ve learned. So here are just a few of those lessons:

1. The most impactful learning can happen outside of the classroom

Okay, this might sound cliché. But when I started college, I felt certain that most of my time in college would be spent either in class or studying. I then reasoned that most of my learning would therefore happen in class or while studying.

I graduate in two months and can definitely confirm that this is how I spend most of my time. Yes, as a biochemistry major I have gained much of the central scientific knowledge through classes. However, the science I study has come to life through my research. I’ve applied my knowledge to real-world situations, designed experimental procedures, built relationships with mentors, collaborated with peers, and worked in the field. These lessons and experiences will be with me forever, and they’re the kinds of things you can’t get by simply sitting in class or reading a textbook.

Getting out of a messy situation while in the field in the Bahamas. Photo by Dan Stonko

2. Science is a verb

Whether doing field research in a pine forest, looking through a microscope or telescope, or mixing chemicals in a beaker – I have come to see science, in its purest form, as the pursuit of knowledge. Not a noun, but a verb. It is the act of careful observation, meticulous investigation, and ceaseless questioning of the things around us. If the pieces fit together just right, our curiosity can be rewarded with an expanded understanding of our world.

3. Modern discoveries in science are made possible by our predecessors

Isaac Newton once wrote that, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Before I got involved with research, that adage sometimes crossed my mind; often it would do so while reading or hearing about some unimaginably complex discovery that undoubtedly depended on contributions from many people. This thought always gave me a fundamental admiration for the explorers and scientists who came before us. As a researcher, I’ve gained a new and deeper understanding of Newton’s words.

Going into our first trip, most of what was known about the Bahama Oriole came from earlier research by Dr. Melissa Price. Her work provided the most recent population estimates and gave thorough information on the reproductive ecology of the species. Whether I was in the field collecting data or in lab drafting the manuscript to share our findings – I knew that her work (and that of countless others) influenced our work. It’s a humbling reminder for a scientist to keep in mind: with every day that we work and every discovery that we make, our progress is possible because we stand on the shoulders of the giants who mentor us and came before us to provide our foundation.

4. Observation is the true driver of science

Some areas of popularized science today seem to reinforce (what I believe to be) a subtle yet significant misconception, which presumes that questions are at the bedrock of any scientific endeavor. However, I have found observations are the truest foundation. Countless scientific advances throughout history didn’t arise by seeking answers to specific questions. Even when questions have led to advances, initial observations were always there to lead to those questions in the first place. In other words, we first make observations about our world, which then allow us ask questions such as: What? Why? When? How? It all may seem like semantics, but I believe that grasping this subtle distinction instills a sense of deserved respect for observation as the most critical scientific tool for discovery.

Some of our research on this first trip was oriented towards specific questions or goals, such as the distance sampling surveys that we used to estimate population size. The majority of our efforts, however, occurred without particular goals and depended simply on observation (e.g. catching and banding orioles, recording observations on bird behavior, and finding nests). At first, this idea of working without a particular goal in mind may seem counterintuitive. Nevertheless, the work proved invaluable as it led to us finding orioles nesting in the pine forests. This trip serves as reminder that simply listening, watching, and being present to make observations can lead to unexpected discovery.

April 20, 2017

Finding Bahama Oriole Nests in the Pine Forest—A Victory over Rocks and Poisonwood (Part 1)

March 28, 2017

First Photographic Record of Kirtland’s Warbler in Cuba!

Kirtland’s Warbler spotted on Cayo Guillermo Cay off the northern coast of Cuba. The bird (male) is identified by its yellow underparts with black streaks on flanks, white undertail coverts, blue-gray upperparts with black streaks, and conspicuous white eye-crescents that contrast with black lores and forehead. This appears to be a first winter male as the bird shows some brown on its upperparts and face. (photo by Anne Goulden)

Anne Goulden, from Sarnia, Ontario, spotted and photographed a Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) on a recent birding trip to Cuba, making this the first “official” sighting of the bird on Cuba.

Anne Goulden has been an avid birder for ten years. “Birding has been a hobby—make that an obsession—since 2007,” she says. Anne had just finished a 9-day birding tour in Cuba with Eagle Eye Tours and had arranged to stay on an extra three nights at their last stop, the Cayo Coco Cays located along the northern coast of Cuba. She wanted to bird at a leisurely pace on her own before returning home. The group was staying at the Iberostar Playa Pilar Hotel in Cayo Guillermo, one of the Cayo Coco Cays, known as a birding hot spot because of the Cuban and regional Caribbean endemics that live in the area.

On February 22^nd Anne’s tour group birded for about 1 km along the road between their hotel and the Playa Pilar Beach looking for a Bahama Mockingbird, a species found only in a few locales in Cuba, Jamaica, and in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. “We were out for about an hour and were lucky enough to find a few Bahama Mockingbirds in addition to warblers and a few local birds,” Ann commented. The bus returned to the hotel to send everyone off to the airport to return home.

This photo shows the yellow throat, breast and belly, white undertail coverts and black lores of the Kirtland's Warbler. The broken white eye ring is also clearly visible. Female Kirtland’s are similar to males but have no black on the face and their upperparts and face are more brown. (photo by Anne Goulden) — This photo shows the yellow throat, breast and belly, white undertail coverts and black lores of the Kirtland’s Warbler. The broken white eye ring is also clearly visible. Female Kirtland’s are similar to males but have no black on the face and their upperparts and face are more brown. (photo by Anne Goulden)

The next morning, February 23^rd, Ann set out at on her own at about 7am along the same road to see what else she could find. She spotted an unfamiliar bird in a tree with red berries about an hour into her walk. “I wish I could say I knew what it was, but I didn’t,” said Anne. “I knew it was a warbler, but that was about it. I managed to get a few poor photos before it flew off.”

After Anne returned home she looked through her pictures, but still couldn’t place the bird. Ann was disappointed that her photos were not in sharp focus, but she knew that they were clear enough for an ID. She sent the pictures to two local birders who both suggested Kirtland’s Warbler, but it wasn’t even in Anne’s book so she did not include it in her e-bird checklist until the bird was also positively identified as a Kirtland’s by her two tour leaders, Hector Gomez de Silva and Colin Jones (the ID was also confirmed by eBird Caribbean reviewers). The individual appears to be a juvenile male (first winter).

The road where the Kirtland’s Warbler was spotted on Cayo Guillermo, one of the Cayo Coco Cays on the northern coast of Cuba. The road leads to Playa Pilar beach and beyond that to a new hotel under construction. (photo by Anne Goulden)

“I was very excited to have this bird confirmed as a Kirtland’s Warbler,” exclaimed Anne. “I live in Ontario so know about the Kirtland’s and what a rare bird it is, but I never expected to see one in Cuba. I have only had a fleeting look at this bird once before, in Ontario in 2014.”

One of the rarest songbirds in North America, the Kirtland’s Warbler is listed as “Endangered” under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Its current status is Near Threatened on the IUCN “Red list of Threatened Species,” upgraded from Vulnerable in 2005, thanks to successful recovery efforts.

The Kirtland’s Warbler winters primarily in the Bahamas Archipelago, which includes The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It inhabits early successional broadleaf scrub or shrubby habitats, where it feeds on fruits, insects and spiders. Recent surveys indicate that the warblers most commonly winter in the central islands of The Bahamas including Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador, and Long Island.

The Kirtland’s Warbler was spotted feeding on berries of the Gumbo Limbo tree (Bursera simaruba), a very important food source for many birds, including migratory warblers fattening up in their Caribbean wintering grounds for their long journey north to their breeding grounds in spring. (photo by Anne Goulden)

Kirtland’s Warblers are known to overwinter outside of the archipelago, however, as documented by a photograph of an individual during a Christmas bird count on Bermuda in 2004, and a bird photographed in Key West, Florida this past winter. In addition, there have been sight records of wintering Kirtland’s Warblers from northern Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Unfortunately sight records alone are insufficient for “official” documentation, which requires either a good photo or a specimen of the bird. Thus, the fact that Ms. Goulden photographed a Kirtland’s Warbler (with typical field marks visible) verifies for the first time the “official” presence of the warbler in Cuba.

The habitat where the bird was found and the photo of the warbler feeding on the fruit of Gumbo Limbo or Gum Elemi (Bursera simaruba) are all typical of the habitat and behavior of the wintering Kirtland’s Warblers observed in The Bahamas. In addition, the first Cuban sight record of the warbler in 2006 was also from the Cayo Coco cays. The cays located off Cuba’s north coast have typical scrub vegetation including Black Torch (Erithalis fruticosa), Wild Sage (Lantana involucrata), and Snowberry (Chiococca spp.) which also produce the fruits favored by the warbler. The cays also host specialties such as the Bahama Mockingbird and Thick-billed Vireo, both of which are typical birds of the Bahamian bush.

A beautiful Western Spindalis spotted on Cayo Guillermo; this bird is endemic to Cuba, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. (photo by Anne Goulden)

In recent years, more and more observations of the Kirtland’s Warblers have been made during the winter months. Some of the increase in observations might be attributable to more birders in the field in the warbler’s habitat. The more likely explanation, however, is that increased wintering grounds observations are attributable to the increase in the size of the Kirtland’s Warbler population at least since the 1970s and 1980s. This increase in the population of the warblers is directly attributable to the success of the intensive recovery effort focused on the warbler’s breeding grounds in Michigan.

Kirtland’s Warbler breeds in early successional Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) habitat primarily in Michigan with recent breeding now established in similar habitat in southern Ontario and Wisconsin. Habitat loss and degradation coupled with nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds were the primary factors contributing to the species decline to record low populations of the 1970s and 80s. In that period, counts of approximately 200 singing males on the breeding grounds were typical, whereas today, thanks to habitat management and cowbird control, the recent breeding ground censuses of singing males is approximately 2,350 singing males. [The biologists are not being sexist, its just that females are difficult to detect and count in contrast to the males which are obvious as they sing on their territories in early spring; the sex ratio is assumed to be 50:50]. Thus the abundance of recent winter observations of the Kirtland’s Warbler is a testament of the success of the conservation program directed at the recovery of this endangered species.

Cuban Bullfinch on Cayo Guillermo, endemic to Cuba and the Cayman Islands. (photo by Anne Goulden)

A recently published article by Dr. Nathan Cooper and his colleagues from the Smithsonian Institution suggests the possibility of some Kirtland’s Warblers occurring in Cuba. The research, based on use of light-sensitive geolocators to track the warbler suggests the occurrence of Kirtland’s Warblers wintering in Cuba; the photo obtained by Ms. Goulden establishes the fact. Congratulations to Ms. Goulden!

“I don’t live far from Michigan and hope in the next year or two to make a trip to the Kirtland’s Warbler’s famed breeding grounds,” said Anne. “Seeing this rare bird on its wintering grounds is, however, probably the most exciting thing that is likely to ever happen to me as a birder! I’m thrilled I was in the right place at the right time and managed to get a photo of the bird. It’s certainly rewarding for ordinary citizens like myself to contribute to science through our birding activities and use of eBird Caribbean!”

By Lisa Sorenson and Joe Wunderle

Anne Goulden’s checklist from 23 February, 2017 with the Kirtland’s Warbler can be viewed at this link.

Andrew Dobson’s checklist from 19 December, 2004 with the Kirtlands Warbler can be viewed at this link.

Congratulations to Anne Goulden for her first official sighting of the Kirkland's Warbler in Cuba. "Seeing this rare bird on its wintering grounds is probably the most exciting thing that is likely to ever happen to me as a birder! " she exclaimed. — Congratulations to Anne Goulden for her first official sighting of the Kirkland’s Warbler in Cuba. “Seeing this rare bird on its wintering grounds is probably the most exciting thing that is likely to ever happen to me as a birder! ” she exclaimed.

Additional reading:

Isada et al. 2006. First Sight Record of a Kirtland’s Warbler in Cuba (North American Birds).

Cooper, N.W., M.T. Hall worth, and P.P. Marra. 2017. Light-level geolocation reveals wintering distribution, migration routes, and primary stopover locations of an endangered long-distance migratory songbird. Journal of Avian Biology 48: 209-219.

Heritage Plants: Native Trees and Plants for Birds and People in the Caribbean

Cape May Warbler, a common wintering warbler in Cuba and throughout the entire Caribbean region, was also seen in the Cayo Coco Cays. (photo by Anne Goulden)

February 25, 2017

JCO Roundup: Volume 29 Covers Research Across the Caribbean and Highlights the Adelaide’s Warbler

The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) is a free, peer-reviewed journal produced by BirdsCaribbean.

With nine research articles, two book reviews, and an ornithological literature review, we are excited to announce the completion of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology’s Volume 29. Collectively the publications highlight valuable work spanning the entire arc of the Caribbean island chain, from Cuba to northern South America. The quality, quantity, and distribution of research represented in Volume 29 is testament to the JCO’s continued mission to build and grow a community of ornithologists around the advancement of scientific knowledge of all the unique avifauna of these island habitats.

These accomplishments would of course not be possible without the commendable teamwork that happens between researchers, reviewers, editors, and volunteers in all corners. Thank you so much for bringing your passion to the table and helping produce such a valuable resource to the field of ornithology.

Volume 29 wraps up with two complementary articles on the Adelaide’s Warblers:

Adelaide’s Warbler on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. (photo by Sean Rune)

1. “First observations of Adelaide’s Warblers (Setophaga adelaidae) outside of Puerto Rico, in the U.S.Virgin Islands” is an article by Sean M. Rune and LeAnn M. Conlon that documents the first sightings of this species of warbler outside its endemic range of Puerto Rico (and its island-munici palities of Vieques and Culebra). From one to four individuals were recorded during each of ten observation periods spanning from 24 March to 17 December 2012 on the island of St. Thomas. One observation of one individual on 6 January2013 occurred on the island of St. John. Seeing as Adelaide’s Warblers are known to breed during the late spring and early summer months, these observations may indicate the initiation of range expansion by the species from Puerto Rico to the U.S. Virgin Islands to the east.

Adelaide's Warbler with white lower eye crescent - a possible female - on St. John. (photo by E. Dluhos in Veit et al. 2016) — Adelaide’s Warbler with white lower eye crescent – a possible female – on St. John. (photo by E. Dluhos in Veit et al. 2016)

2. Further evidence of range expansion by Adelaide’s Warblers follows in the article “Vagrancy and colonization of St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, by Adelaide’s Warblers (Setophaga adelaidae)” by Richard R. Veit, Lucinda C. Zawadzki, Lisa L. Manne, Pearl Cales, Danielle Fibikar, Shannon Curley, Elizabeth Dluhos, and Robert L. Norton. The authors observed five Adelaide’s Warblers on St. John during January of 2015 and eight individuals in the same area one year later. Given that these vagrants arrived against prevailing easterly trade winds and were observed in the same area from 2012-2016, Veit et al. hypothesize that in current time we are witnessing the eastward colonization of new islands by Adelaide’s Warblers.

A thorough overview of Adelaide’s Warblers highlighting these newly published articles has been written by Jason A. Crotty and can be found in a recent article of the magazine BirdWatching.

Map of the Caribbean; the two final publications in Volume 29 of the JCO focus on the hypothesized range expansion of Adelaide’s Warblers from Puerto Rico eastwards to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Archives Have Grown – We’re excited to announce that we’ve been able to put some serious time into uploading and making available older volumes of the journal. The JCO Archives are now completely catalogued back to the year 2005. Our goal is to continue working our way back in time, ultimately providing easy (and free!) online access to every article of every publication back to the journal’s beginning – Volume 1 in 1988. We encourage you to take some time looking around the archives to remember and discover all the great work that has been contributed over the years. We will continue to make announcements as more volumes are made available.

What’s Coming Up – The 21st International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean set to take place in Cuba this July promises to be an unforgettable event. Detailed information about the meeting can be found here, the meeting website will have a lot of updates in the coming weeks. Regular attendees of BirdsCaribbean conferences and seasoned Caribbean ornithologists should take advantage of this attractive venue to consider reaching out to young, burgeoning researchers across the islands that could greatly benefit from attending. BirdsCaribbean is making an active push to integrate new members into our community, and the best way to do so is by word of mouth from all of our members. Everyone planning on attending the conference should come ready to have an excellent time, and don’t forget to budget some extra time in Cuba if your schedule allows! Volume 30 of the JCO is already underway with a lot of great manuscripts in the pipeline. We’re also looking forward to the release of a Special Issue on Caribbean Forest Endemics that promises to be around a dozen articles in length. Rumor has it that we’ll be seeing some great articles on everything from Elfin-woods Warblers to Golden Swallows to Giant Kingbirds. Stay tuned!

By Justin Proctor, Caribbean Ornithologist; Freelance Writer; Loving Husband. Justin is part of our JCO Editorial and Production team and a frequent contributor to our blog.

February 23, 2017

BirdsCaribbean Awards David S. Lee Fund Grants to Six Worthy and Exciting Projects

David S. Lee Fund award recipient, Grenadian Wayne Smart, scans for seabirds in the Grenadine islands with his spotting scope.

BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce the first award recipients of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds. We are extremely pleased to support these dedicated young scholars as they pursue important research that will increase our knowledge of and inform conservation management decisions for Caribbean birds. The award recipients are: Wayne Smart, Maya Wilson, Spencer Schubert, Ramon Williams, Holly Garrod, and Paige Byerly.

The David S. Lee Fund was established in 2016 to recognize the scientific and conservation efforts of David S. Lee, a biologist and naturalist dedicated to Caribbean biodiversity. The award funds innovative avian conservation research in the Caribbean. All projects demonstrate a commitment to engaging with local scientists, government officials, organizations and communities, as appropriate, to involve them in the research, share results, and build interest in local birds and their conservation.

Thanks to support from the David S. Lee Fund and contributions from an anonymous donor, BirdsCaribbean is able to provide grants of $900 to $1,000 for six exceptional conservation research projects in 2017, the first year of funding for the award. Congratulations to all the dedicated and hard-working student recipients, who embody the vision that we all share of a bright future for the conservation of Caribbean birds. We look forward to hearing about their work in forthcoming articles and publications.

Seabird nesting performance, colony declines and invasive predators in the Southern Grenadines.

Wayne Smart holds a Laughing Gull chick during a previous field season. (photo by Wayne Smart)

Wayne Smart, Arkansas State University

Seabird colonies are declining globally for multiple reasons such as habitat loss, introduced predators, and poaching. The Grenadines support five Important Bird Areas and host a number of seabird colonies, though little is known about local seabird decline. Wayne Smart will conduct field work on five uninhabited islands off the north coast of Grenada this summer. By interviewing locals, monitoring nests, and deploying cameras and two types of traps, he anticipates gathering valuable baseline knowledge about the current size and reproductive success of seabird colonies in the Grenadines and how they are impacted by introduced rats. The data will inform seabird management decisions for a community-based conservation program.

The Bahama Swallow is an endangered endemic found on only three islands in the Bahamas. (photo by Melanie Rose Wells)

Population biology, life history and ecology of the Bahama Swallow (Tachycineta cyaneoviridis): informing conservation of an endangered species.

Maya Wilson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

The Bahama Swallow is an endangered species endemic to Grand Bahama Island, Great Abaco Island and Andros Island in the northern Bahamas. The swallow relies on pre-existing cavities in Caribbean Pine (Pinus caribaea), which are only found in large tracts on these island (they are also found on New Providence Island though the breeding Bahama Swallow likely was extirpated from here). Maya Wilson will undertake her third and final field season to investigate the population abundance, life history traits and nesting resource limitations of the Bahama Swallow. She is collaborating with the Bahama Oriole Project to develop survey techniques to estimate population and habitat data for both species. In addition, gene flow between islands will be analyzed from samples collected during mist netting efforts. Maya’s research will provide important information about two endangered Bahama endemics that will be used to inform conservation strategies for these species and their habitats.

Artificial perch installation as a method for enhancing avian seed dispersal and accelerating early-stage forest recovery in the central Dominican Republic.

Spencer Schubert, Old Dominion University

A group of seed-dispersing Palmchats using a natural perch. (photo by Spencer Schubert)

In Hispaniola, less than 15% of the original wet forest cover remains, primarily due to deforestation for cattle ranching. It is well known that frugivorous birds provide vital ecosystem services that aid in forest growth, such as pollination and seed dispersal. Spencer Schubert will travel to the Dominican Republic this summer to investigate the role of artificial perches as a strategy to increase natural seed dispersal and reforestation. From his previous work in the area, he has identified 24 species of frugivorous birds that aid in seed dispersal. Working with the local NGO Plan Yaque, he intends to install artificial perches in different spatial patterns and measure frugivore use and seed deposition. Results from this study will directly benefit Plan Yaque and their ongoing reforestation effort, local farmers, and the biodiversity and avian communities that rely on forests.

Distribution, diversity, and abundance of Grenadian birds, including endemic and restricted-range species.

The Lesser Antillean Tanager is one of the target species in the study of Grenada passerines proposed by Ramon Williams. (photo by Paulson Des Brisay)

Ramon Williams, University of Manitoba

Like many islands in the Caribbean, Grenada is undergoing rapid development leading to increased human disturbance and habitat loss. The conservation status of Grenadian passerines in response to development is poorly understood as there is little information regarding the distribution, diversity and abundance of species across the island. Thirty-five passerines are found on Grenada, including the critically endangered Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi), the endangered Grenada Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus mirus) and the endemic Grenada Flycatcher (Myiarchus nugatory). Ramon Williams will begin field work this summer to estimate passerine species diversity and abundance, in addition to quantifying vegetation structure, in representative habitat types across Grenada. This study will produce a comprehensive assessment of the status of passerines on the island, potentially identifying areas of conservation priority.

Nest response of Broad-billed Todies (Todus subulatus) to an invasive nest predator, the small Asian mongoose.

The Broad-billed Tody is one of two endemic tody species found on Hispaniola. (photo by Holly Garrod)

Holly Garrod, Villanova University

The Broad-billed Tody is endemic to the island of Hispaniola. Like all todies, this species nests on the ground by building burrows in embankments. This nesting strategy makes todies extremely vulnerable to introduced predators, such as the small Asian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus). This summer, Holly Garrod will return to the Cordillera Central region of the Dominican Republic – where she conducted pilot research in 2016 – to monitor nesting todies and nest predation. She is interested in the behavioral differences of todies in undisturbed and disturbed sites and how this might affect reactions to nest predators and reproductive success. Understanding how birds respond to predators under different environmental conditions has the potential to improve anti-predator management techniques for native bird conservation.

Conservation genetics of the Caribbean Roseate Tern

Paige Byerly, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Roseate Tern chicks in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. (photo by Paige Byerly)

The Caribbean Roseate Tern, a threatened metapopulation of Sterna dougallii dougallii, is thought to be declining across its range, though the trajectory of the population is not well understood. Paige Byerly will undertake a project to analyze the genetics of the Caribbean Roseate Tern in order to investigate gene flow patterns between this population and the similar Northeastern Atlantic population. It is thought there is no movement between the two groups; such genetic isolation has the potential to negatively impact population viability. In addition to gene flow, this analysis will yield information about genetic diversity and effective population size. Samples will be collected this summer from populations in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Massachusetts. Results from this study will provide researchers and conservation managers with valuable new information about connectivity, migratory ecology and population vulnerability.

To learn more about the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds, click here. If you would like to contribute to the fund and help support future projects, click here. You can choose to designate your gift to the David S. Lee Fund.

BirdsCaribbean thanks the scientists that provided thoughtful and constructive reviews of the proposals. We are very grateful to all that have donated to the David S. Lee Fund. We are pleased and proud to honor Dave’s legacy with the funding of these exciting projects that will advance the development of young Caribbean scientists and contribute to the conservation of Caribbean birds.

January 18, 2017

Join the Conservian Live-Aboard Schooner Expedition 2017

Wilson's Plover chick. This is an excellent opportunity to gain multi-species shorebird ID and monitoring experience. — Wilson’s Plover chick. This is an excellent opportunity to gain multi-species shorebird ID and monitoring experience.

Your help is needed to protect beach-nesting birds, nests, and young. Conservian is planning for Year 2 of their shorebird and habitat conservation program in the Bahamas. Come join them for the adventure of a lifetime!

Conservian is seeking a weekly crew of 8 to 12 enthusiastic volunteers for our Bahamas shorebird habitat conservation project in May 2017 aboard the 75ft schooner “Dream Catcher”. This is an excellent opportunity to gain field experience and shorebird ID skills. Trip cost for one week is $1,250 and includes your bunk, onboard meals, water, and ground transportation associated with project. Participants will fly to the Bahamas to designated airports for shuttle transport to schooner. A valid passport is required. Airfare and insurance are not included.

Project Summary

In 2017, Conservian and partners will continue on-the-ground protective and restorative measures to limit human-caused disturbance, and control invasive Australian pine at key Piping Plover, shorebird, and seabird sites in the Bahamas. Field volunteers will participate in collecting new data on shorebirds and seabirds of the Bahamas. Selected sites include Globally Important and locally Important Bird Areas and national parks of the Bahamas, such as Lucaya National Park IBA, Peterson Cay National Park IBA, Joulter Cays National Park IBA, and the Berry Islands, as well as additional key shorebird sites on Grand Bahama Island and Great Abaco. Read about our exciting and successful field season in 2016 here.

Our days will be filled with much adventure. The focus of the work is surveying for beach-nesting bird breeding pairs, nests and young, and working with local volunteers to implement protective measures in the field. Focal species include Wilson’s Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns and other colonial nesting species. We will work in both populated and remote areas, sail blue Caribbean waters, visit white sandy beaches, boat to little islands, conduct ground surveys for beach-nesting birds, nests, and downy chicks, and meet new people. We will work with local volunteers to post and sign shorebird sites and control invasive Australian pine. Field crew will assistant with collecting data on breeding pairs, habitat assessment and human-created disturbance. Field crew will also assist with shipboard duties; sailing, cooking and cleaning. There will be time to fish, snorkel, and visit local island towns.

Our days will be filled with much adventure aboard the 75ft schooner “Dream Catcher”.

Project partners include: BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, International Conservation Fund of Canada, USFWS/NMBCA, LightHawk, Dow AgroSciences, Grand Bahama Nature Tours, Optics for the Tropics, Grand Bahama Port Authority, Bahamas Public Parks & Beaches Authority, Bahamas Environment, Science & Technology Commission, Rand Nature Center, Abaco Friends of the Environment, Treasure Cay Community Center, Royal Bahamas Police Force/Marine Support.

Project Activities:

Protect, post & sign shorebird & seabird sites
Collect new data on nesting shorebirds & habitat
Observe/assist with bird banding (conditions permitting)
Control invasive Australian pine on beach habitats
Work with local volunteers to accomplish the above goals

Qualifications: Applicants must be responsible, adventurous, in good physical condition, enjoy working in teams and be capable of walking several miles during warm weather in the Caribbean. Applicants must be comfortable living communally onboard a schooner and riding in small boats to access survey sites.

May expedition schedule and locations (final dates TBD)

Assist for one week or more:

Week 1: Grand Bahama Island- (Freeport GBI Int. Airport)

Week 2: Great Abaco, west- (Freeport/Marsh Harbour Airport)

Week 3: Great Abaco, east- (Marsh Harbour Airport)

Week 4: Berry Islands & Joulter Cays-(Marsh Harbour/Nassau Int.Airport)

If you would like to join our conservation crew for a week or more as part of our Volunteer Field Crew:

Please send 1) letter of interest 2) resume 3) names, email addresses and phone numbers of 2 references to Margo Zdravkovic. Please label all attachments with your name. The review of applicants is ongoing and will continue until positions are filled.

See the article on 2016 project from our supporters at LightHawk.

Read the story of our successful 2016 expedition.

Visit CoastalBird.org for more information about our 2017 expedition.

Visit Coastal Bird Conservation on Facebook for more information on Conservian’s coastal bird conservation work.

Download the Expedition Brochure.

December 12, 2016

Opportunity to Study One of the Rarest Birds in the Caribbean – The Bahama Oriole Project

Bahama Oriole adult on Andros. It could be a male or a female, as both sexes have this striking black and yellow coloration. (photo Daniel Stonko, UMBC)

The Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi) is the most endangered bird in the Bahamas. It is now restricted just to the Andros Island complex. There may be as few as several hundred individuals left, making it also one of the most endangered endemic birds in the entire Caribbean. Of greatest concern is that the oriole was driven from the Abaco Islands in the 1990s for unknown reasons. It is one thing to have a known killer lurking, but in the case of the oriole, what caused it to go extinct on Abaco is unknown. We hope to help preserve this charismatic and colorful species on Andros, which surprisingly is not that difficult to observe on certain parts of the island. Like many tropical birds, both the females and the males have elaborate coloration – both sexes are jet black with bright yellow patches over much of the body.

We began the Bahama Oriole Project last year with the overall goal of preventing the extinction of this beautiful oriole. The project is a collaboration between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and the Bahamas National Trust (BNT). We have conducted several field trips to begin to determine how many orioles are left, and to learn what the major threats are to this species. We also need to learn much more about where the oriole spends its time throughout the year, including what it eats, how widely it ranges, and what its preferred habitats are for feeding and nesting. The last published estimates suggest as few as 300 individuals may remain. However, in May 2016 our field team, including students from the Bahamas and from UMBC, discovered previously unknown breeding populations deep in Andros’ vast pine forests. For several reasons, we are guardedly optimistic that good science and dedicated conservation measures can save this species from extinction.

eBird Caribbean sightings of the Bahama Oriole. The oriole is now confined to the Andros island complex, roughly 150 miles SE of Miami. Much of Andros is undisturbed wilderness, just a 15 minute flight from the huge resorts in Nassau. The oriole is now completely absent from the Abaco complex north of New Providence. (Recent sightings are shown in red, sightings older than 30 days shown in blue.)

Our first need is to recruit a PhD student to lead this research effort for the next five years. The student would be advised by Kevin Omland in the Biology Department at UMBC, in collaboration with researchers in the Geography Department at UMBC (Collin Studds and Matt Fagan) and researchers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (Scott Sillett). The student could choose to focus on any one or two aspects of the project including: 1) population size estimation and habitat usage, 2) breeding ecology including cowbird parasitism and predation by introduced predators, 3) remote sensing and details of habitat usage in breeding and non-breeding season (in relation to fire and climate change), and 4) conservation genetics of populations on three different parts of Andros. Please contact Kevin Omland (omland@umbc.edu) and send a CV and short paragraph on research interests. The application target date for full consideration by the UMBC Biology Department is Jan 1, 2017.

We are grateful for the support and advice given to the project by BirdsCaribbean, and we plan to give updates on the project through blog posts and newsletter items. Meanwhile, we invite you to come to Andros to see all the great migratory and endemic birds there! Be sure to add to our knowledge by posting all sightings of Bahama Orioles to eBird Caribbean and to the “Bahama Oriole Project” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BahamaOrioleProject/

Finally, the project needs ongoing assistance with everything from housing to transportation on Andros, so please consider either monetary or in-kind donations to the project through BirdsCaribbean. Thank you!

By Kevin Omland, Ph.D., Professor, Biology Dept., University of Maryland, Baltimore County

December 7, 2016

JCO Round-up December 2016

As the holiday season gets underway, we’d like to bring your attention to the most recent batch of articles published in the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. All three studies stem from islands within the Greater Antilles, and all are valuable contributions to our growing knowledge of Caribbean birds. As all of the JCO’s publications are free and open-access, please don’t hesitate to pass them around, discuss them with colleagues, and reach out to the authors themselves if you are interested in learning more about their research.

Hispaniolan Woodpeckers (Melanerpes striatus) hanging around a nesting cavity excavated in a living Royal Palm (Roystonea borinquena). Hernandez found them to be very common in his Dominican agricultural field site, along with the country's national bird, the Palm Chat (Dulus dominicus). (photo by J. P. Hernandez) — Hispaniolan Woodpeckers (Melanerpes striatus) hanging around a nesting cavity excavated in a living Royal Palm (Roystonea borinquena). Hernandez found them to be very common in his Dominican agricultural field site, along with the country’s national bird, the Palm Chat (Dulus dominicus). (photo by J. P. Hernandez)

1. We start off in the Espaillat Province of the Dominican Republic with an article entitled, Avian biodiversity in a pasture-dominated ecosystem, by Jason P. Hernandez. The work focused on gaining a better understanding of bird diversity in altered ecosystems; in this case, agricultural lands. Additionally, Jason collected data on the presence/absence of the Royal Palm (a tree species known to serve as important nesting habitat for several bird species in Hispaniola) as well as seedling recruitment success in pastureland that is heavily trafficked by cattle.

Thirty-three species – 32 of which are residents – were observed at the study site. Fourteen colonies of the endemic Hispaniolan Woodpecker were observed, all utilizing either dead or living Royal Palms, and 76% of the recorded bird species were thought to be tree dependent in some way. Royal Palm seedlings were considerably more abundant in riparian corridors compared to adjacent open pasture land, though both areas contained similar percentages of cattle paths. Though Royal Palms are known to regularly re-establish themselves in disturbed habitats, Jason hypothesizes that the hotter, drier conditions experienced in open pastures compared to cooler, more shaded riparian areas may explain the differences in recruitment. Jason suggests that beyond the good practice of leaving already-established trees throughout agricultural land, seedling recruitment must be considered to ensure future habitat. The replacement of conventional open pastures with sylvopastoral systems may become essential to supporting avian diversity in the presence of continued grazing practices.

Endemic to its namesake, the Puerto Rican Oriole (Icterus portoricensis) is a tropical songbird now shown for the first time to exhibit both male and female song. (photo by Jose A. Colon Lopez)

2. Moving eastward from the island of Hispaniola, we find ourselves in Puerto Rico’s Maricao State Forest. Documentation of female song in a newly recognized species, the Puerto Rican Oriole (Icterus portoricensis) is written by authors Susanna K. Campbell, Alcides L. Morales-Perez, John F. Malloy, Oliver C. Muellerklein, Jin A. Kim, Karan J. Odom, and Kevin E. Omland. Campbell et al. set out to determine if female Puerto Rican Orioles sing, how that compares to their male counterparts, and finally how that information fits into the role of female song across the Caribbean oriole clade. The authors point out that female song is especially common in the tropics, whereas the majority of research on bird vocalizations has emanated from temperate regions, a geographic bias that only recently has gained more attention.

Results from the study were positive in confirming the first documented case – and in general – female song in the Puerto Rican Oriole, that males and females sing similar songs, and that when this is incorporated into the phylogenetic reconstruction of the Caribbean oriole clade, there is evidence that this clade likely had a common ancestor that had female song. Furthermore, the Puerto Rican Oriole is a tropic endemic displaying female song, providing further support that female song is correlated with tropical residence. Interestingly, female song was lost in one of the outgroup species of the clade, the Orchard Oriole, when the species moved to temperate residence and breeding. Campbell et al. theorize that female song may be more prevalent in the tropics because longer breeding seasons result in year-round territory holding, increasing the likelihood of female-female competition and the need for joint territory defense.

The beautiful, migratory Black-throated Blue Warblers (Setophaga caerulescens) were among the most commonly mist-netted birds in Jamaican coffee farms during the winter months of Spidal and Johnson's study. (photo by M. D. Johnson) — The beautiful, migratory Black-throated Blue Warblers (Setophaga caerulescens) were among the most commonly mist-netted birds in Jamaican coffee farms during the winter months of Spidal and Johnson’s study. (photo by M. D. Johnson)

3. For the third article, we leap-frog back over Hispaniola to the island of Jamaica, where Aaron B. Spidal and Matthew D. Johnson bring us their work on Sexual habitat segregation in migrant warblers along a shade gradient of Jamaican coffee farms. Spidal and Johnson point out that in the face of ongoing declines in many species of Neotropical migratory birds, attention towards habitat modifications in tropical agricultural landscapes is important. In particular, the authors focus on coffee farms and the degree to which eight different farms across Jamaica vary in percent shade cover over their respective stands of coffee bushes.

Birds and canopy cover were sampled at each site during the winter months of 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. 298 mist-net captures produced 14 species of migratory warblers, the most common being Black-throated Blue Warbler, American Redstart, and Prairie Warbler. Canopy cover ranged from 0 to 89% with a mean of 56.7%. Spidal and Johnson found that across all species, there was a significant correlation between proportion male and percent canopy cover, with positive correlations occurring in each of the three common warbler species. This suggests that segregation between sexes may be occurring within a single habitat along a gradient of habitat quality, which may be explained by superior food availability available to insectivorous warblers existing higher in the canopy compared with that found in the coffee bushes below. The authors intend this work to set the stage for additional studies testing for whether the degree of sex class segregation of migrant warblers can be indicative of habitat quality on coffee farms.

Map depicting locations of the three most recent studies published by the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in the latter half of 2016.

We want to conclude by taking the opportunity to thank the greater Caribbean ornithological community for giving the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology another great year of contributions. To all of the researchers, reviewers, and other contributors – thank you for all of the hard work you do. Your time, energy, input, and feedback are what collectively build the JCO into a stronger peer-reviewed publication.

By Justin Proctor; member of the JCO Editorial and Production team and regular contributor to the BirdsCaribbean blog.

November 18, 2016

Las’ Lap or the Party Now Start? Eye-opening New Report on the Status of the Caribbean’s Forest Endemic Birds

Urban Barbados bullfinch (Loxigalla barbadensis) are better problem-solvers and bolder than the rural counterparts. They show highly localised innovative behaviours, such as opening sugar packets. It is classified as ‘Least Concern’. (photo by Arlene Ripley) — Urban Barbados Bullfinch (Loxigalla barbadensis) are better problem-solvers and bolder than the rural counterparts. They show highly localised innovative behaviours, such as opening sugar packets. It is classified as ‘Least Concern’. (photo by Arlene Ripley)

Ellie Devenish-Nelson and Howard Nelson share a recent assessment of how our forest endemic birds are doing. The results are sobering, but you can help us turn the situation around – read on!

We are lucky in the Caribbean to have an incredible diversity of forest-dependent endemic birds. Did you know that the Cuban Bee hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world, the Jamaican Streamertail hummingbird has the longest tail of any hummingbird, the Barbados Bullfinch are renowned for their problem-solving behaviour, and the Pearly-eyed Thrasher is famous as an ‘intrepid poacher’ and ‘supertramp’?!

But, the majority of these Caribbean forest birds are also declining and many are threatened. Semper’s warbler hasn’t been seen in St Lucia since 1961 and the Jamaican Pauraque has not been recorded since 1860. Hurricane Ivan wiped out about a third of the Grenada Doves in 2004, only about 120 pairs of Ridgway’s Hawk remain in one Hispaniolan national park, and the Bahama Oriole is now only found on one Bahamian island complex.

Howard presenting at the BirdsCaribbean/NAOC meeting. (photo by Ellie Devenish-Nelson).

Several years ago, Howard Nelson thought it would be useful to bring together folks working on forest-dependent endemic birds in the Caribbean, to share their findings. These birds are often hard to study, partly because of the terrain of their forest habitats, yet exciting research and management is happening that is important to share. So, at the BirdsCaribbean 2015 Jamaica meeting, Howard chaired a session on the status of Caribbean forest endemics.

Following on from the success of this 2015 session, BirdsCaribbean hosted a well-received symposium on Caribbean forest endemics at the 2016 North American Ornithological Congress, where Howard presented on the ‘Red List Status of Caribbean Forest Endemic Birds.’ It was an incredible opportunity to raise the profile of the Caribbean’s special birds, at such a huge gathering of ornithologists. Here, we summarise some of our current work on the status of Caribbean forest endemics.

There may be less than 200 Critically Endangered Grenada dove (Leptotila wellsi) left in the world. These birds are restricted to just a few areas of dry forest on Grenada and are sensitive to habitat disturbance and natural disasters. (photo by Howard Nelson) — There may be less than 200 critically endangered Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi) left in the world. These birds are restricted to just a few areas of dry forest on Grenada and are sensitive to habitat disturbance and natural disasters. (photo by Howard Nelson)

So, how did we go about this research? To understand extinction risk in this group, we first needed to look at how much we actually know. We asked: are species that should be getting attention, getting attention? Are data that we need to manage species available and being published? What is the quality of data, if it exists at all?

To answer these questions we conducted an extensive review of the published scientific literature for each endemic species. We also examined information from the IUCN Red List and the BirdLife Data Zone estimates of the quality of data used for these Red List assessments.

What did we find? Of the 167 IUCN assessed forest-dependent endemic species (there are an additional two recently split species that are not yet assessed by IUCN), 26% are threatened. An overwhelming 53% are in decline, including 79% of all threatened species. Only 4% of all species may be increasing (the rest are 32% stable and 11% unknown). This means that even though the majority of endemics are not considered threatened, most species are not doing well. Only 7% of all species are under active species management, as reported by the IUCN Red List. All these managed species are threatened, but that still constitutes less than a third of all the species that are threatened.

When we looked at the quality of this data, we found that for a staggering 95% of these species, the trend estimates available are either of poor or of unknown quality. Without good quality data it’s hard for us to know how these species might respond to changes in their environment and, whether we need to start managing them.

What about research effort? One way to measure research effort is to count the number of published studies for a given species. We collated over 1,500 records of published research since 1989 for all the Caribbean forest endemics. On average, for the 96% of this group that had some research effort, there were about 9 published studies per species; but the variation around this average was high, meaning there were lots of species at either extreme.

The Vulnerable St Vincent parrot (Amazona guildingii) is one of 9 extant parrot species endemic to the Caribbean. Major threats to these birds include hunting and habitat loss. (Photo Howard Nelson) – or another sp. e.g. Endangered Imperial parrot (Amazona imperialis) the largest species of the genus Amazona (parrots native to Central, South America and the Caribbean). (photo by ??) — The vulnerable St Vincent Parrot (Amazona guildingii) is one of nine extant parrot species endemic to the Caribbean. Major threats to these birds include hunting and habitat loss. (photo by Howard Nelson)

Which species are studied most? We compared the research effort with what we might expect if research was equivalent across bird families. Some families had much more research, such as the parrots, with an impressive four times more effort than any other family. Other families had a lot less than you would expect, with the cuckoos having a disturbing six times less research than expected.

What does this mean? This definitely does not mean we should stop researching parrots. Quite the contrary. Even though parrots have comparatively more research effort and better quality data than other families, there is still so much we don’t know about them (e.g. survival rates are unknown for most Caribbean parrot species). We think these results point out just how much research we need for all forest endemics, to allow us to begin to understand these birds.

The bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), endemic to Cuba, is the world’s smallest bird weighing less than 2g, and is not much bigger than a bee. It is classified as ‘Near Threatened’. (photo by Ernesto Reyes) — The Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), endemic to Cuba, is the world’s smallest bird weighing less than 2g, and is not much bigger than a bee. It is classified as ‘Near Threatened’. (photo by Ernesto Reyes)

What about the data that we need to manage? We probably don’t need to know everything about a bird to be able to manage it, but we do need to know some basics, such as population size for instance. Sadly, we found that 90% of species did not even have a published population size estimate. This doesn’t mean that these estimates don’t exist somewhere, as we only searched the published literature. What it does suggest is a general lack of research and, good quality, accessible data.

An underlying assumption by conservation biologists, is that we use our research to prioritise which species deserve attention and need help first. Thus, a key question we had was whether threat status affects how much research effort a species received. Our preliminary analysis suggests that research is not higher in threatened than non-threatened forest endemics. So, contrary to what we might expect, a higher extinction risk does not appear to direct our research efforts.

The Critically Endangered Bahama oriole (Icterus northropi) is now only found in the Andros island complex in the Bahamas. It is threatened by habitat loss, shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitism and disease killing off its preferred nesting palm. (photo by D. Belasco) — The Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi) is now only found in the Andros island complex in the Bahamas. It is threatened by habitat loss, Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitism and disease killing off its preferred nesting palm. (photo by D. Belasco)

Is research effort increasing? Worryingly, we found that total research output on Caribbean forest endemic birds has not significantly increased since the late 1980s. This concerns us greatly, given the continued, and often increasing threats to the habitats of these species.

What are the conservation implications of existing data gaps? Our findings highlight how worried we should be about families with much less than expected research, given how many species are declining. We’re increasingly seeing throughout the world that common species are undergoing population crashes. The alarming lack of data for many Caribbean forest endemics suggests there’s a real risk that species could move into threatened categories before we even realise they’re in trouble. One positive finding was that for species with active management (e.g. parrots) we can have confidence in the data that exist. So, it’s not yet the Las’ Lap for our Caribbean forest endemics.

The regional endemic pearly-eyed thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) is a very successful nest predator and has a superior ability to colonize and adapt to new habitats. It is classified as ‘Least Concern’. (photo by Hannah Madden, St. Eustatius) — The regional endemic Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) is a very successful nest predator and has a superior ability to colonize and adapt to new habitats. It is classified as ‘Least Concern’. (photo by Hannah Madden, St. Eustatius)

Another uplifting finding of our study was the value of BirdsCaribbean’s Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) for disseminating research by regional and international researchers and managers on Caribbean forest endemic birds.

How you can help

BirdsCaribbean offers a way for everyone interested in Caribbean endemic birds to get involved in the conservation of the region’s iconic birds. Each year the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is celebrated across the region. The Caribbean Birding Trail tour guides can help you spot these unique endemics, and the working groups are a hub for researchers and practitioners. In 2017, JCO will publish a Special Issue on the Caribbean’s forest-dependent endemic species. This issue will highlight some of the fantastic research our members are doing on this group. You can read more about our research in the JCO’s Special Issue.

Finally, a really exciting outcome of Howard’s NAOC presentation was our team being invited to take part in the Ornithology Challenge hosted by the Experiment crowdfunding platform. Find out here how you can help us increase our knowledge of Caribbean endemics.

By Ellie Devenish-Nelson (Research Associate, University of Chester) and Howard Nelson (Past President, BirdsCaribbean, Lecturer, University of Chester), with thanks to Doug Weidemann for comments.

November 15, 2016

New Photo Book Celebrates the 2016 Caribbean Waterbird Census

The striking White Ibis uses its long down-curved bill to probe for prey in shallow water. It is locally common on some wetlands in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles, including Cuba, Turks and Caicos, Islands, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands and Jamaica. (photo by David Raynor) — The striking White Ibis uses its long down-curved bill to probe for prey in shallow water. It is locally common on some wetlands in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles, including Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands and Jamaica. (photo by David Raynor)

Earlier this year we asked our dedicated partners in the Caribbean who participate in the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) to share their experiences and some photos with us. We are grateful to those that took the time to do so. Some of these photos were shared on our BirdsCaribbean Instagram and published on Wetlands International’s website in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the International Waterbird Census (of which the CWC is a part), under the theme, The Biggest Count Ever. We’ve taken the stories and photos and turned them into a beautiful Shutterfly book that you can purchase or view online!

From stilts to sandpipers, ducks to dowitchers, a great diversity of waterbirds were observed and counted by over 260 participants in our 7th annual CWC, including large concentrations of waterbirds in previously unknown sites and many sightings of threatened birds, such as the Piping Plover and Red Knot. We want to thank everyone for making the 2016 regional CWC count another great success (although 2016 is not over and we hope folks are still out there doing their fall migration counts!).

Engaging the local community is key in achieving long-term success for waterbird conservation in the Dominican Republic.

This book was created in honor of the fine work that our partners are doing, such as Maria Paulino from the Dominican Republic, who understands the value of the CWC in engaging communities as well as contributing to science and conservation.

Maria commented, “During the time we’ve been doing this count we have come to realize that our country has a wealth that man can put no economic value on; it is a gift from nature that is still hidden for many. We have discovered the wonders of our wetlands thanks to these counts, and realized that bird species we once considered rare are actually quite common, that these species are there and are part of our fauna. These counts have also served to involve communities so that they can learn about, appreciate and care for these wetlands. We as a group have managed to integrate new people in the counts and they have learned to regard wetlands differently, because they see a great number of beautiful birds. We have also discovered new places in our country with a variety of wonderful birds. It is a pleasure to be a part of the CWC – we are committed to continuing monitoring and protecting wetland habitats, and we look forward to expanding our counts elsewhere in the future.”

The CWC is also an excellent tool for engaging young people to learn about birds, as demonstrated by the National Environment Planning Agency in Jamaica.

Andrea Otto and her team, members of the Environmental Awareness Group in Antigua, as well as many others noted the impact the drought has been having on the region’s wetlands and waterbirds and the vital importance of conservation. “Many areas were devoid of water, highlighting the importance of more permanent wetlands, like McKinnon’s Pond, where the team sighted many species of ducks, shorebirds, herons, egrets and seabirds,” declared Andrea. “The presence of all these birds and many more at McKinnon’s Pond in spite of the severe drought, has cemented its absolute importance as a wetland which should be preserved with herculean effort.”

Below we share with you a small selection of photos from the 2016 CWC, but you can see many more and read stories about the birds that were seen via the link to the Shutterfly book. We will be giving away two copies of this photo book to persons that participated in the 2016 CWC (random drawing). To learn how to participate in the CWC, visit this link – all are welcome!

One of the CWC surveyors at Ashton Lagoon, Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. (photo by Kristy Shortte)

CWC surveyors at Wheeland Pond, Turks and Caicos Islands. (photo by Eric Salamanca)

A group of Lesser Yellowlegs rests in the shallow water in a Curacao wetland. (photo by Robyn Fidanque)

Fernando Simal braving the elements during Bonaire's CWC. (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — Fernando Simal braving the elements during Bonaire’s CWC. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

CWC surveyors in The Bahamas. (photo by David Jones)

A flock of Sanderlings feeds along the beach at Cayo Jutia, Cuba. (photo by Alieny Gonzalez)

November 12, 2016

Where Small is Significant—Saving the BVI’s Seabirds One Cay at a Time

View of East Seal Dog Island taken from West Seal Dog Islands. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

Like jewels in the sea, the tiny cays of the British Virgin Islands are scattered around the coast. These dramatically beautiful islets are not just postcard pretty – they provide habitat for some of the most important seabird colonies in the region. Seabirds are one of the most threatened groups of birds in the Caribbean and the world. They are also among the least well known, especially in the eastern Caribbean. Thus in 2015, the Jost Van Dykes (BVI) Preservation Society (JVDPS) and partners, seeking to understand and conserve our breeding seabirds, launched the BVI Seabird Recovery Planning Programme (2015-2017).

With funding from the Darwin Plus Initiative, we are surveying seabird colonies on 43 islands, assessing threats at breeding sites, exploring the use of artificial nest boxes, and writing operational plans to control invasive species such as rats that are destroying some colonies. The information we gather will be used to develop a prioritization plan for BVI-wide seabird recovery.

Roseate Tern in Flight (photo by Jenny Daltry)

One of the BVI’s most important breeding species is the Roseate Tern, which is listed as “Threatened” by the US Department of the Interior. In the Virgin Islands, Roseate Terns nest on small, sparsely vegetated rocky cays. The tiny terns shift breeding sites annually but tend to favor a few spots. Their top choice has usually been 14-acre Green Cay, where until the late 1990s, they habitually nested in considerable numbers. In 1997, 1,755 of the approximately 2,000 total V.I. population’s nesting pairs chose the site. Sadly, as development crept its way across the BVI, rats also found Green Cay. As rats feasted on tern eggs, nest numbers dwindled. By 2015, there was no longer active nesting on the island.

Fortunately, a few small BVI colonies survive, including 2.5 acre East Seal Dog and 6.5 acre West Seal Dog Islands (which supported a few hundred breeding pairs of Roseate terns in 2014 and 2015). Although we also recorded rat predation of tern eggs on the West Seal Dog, these smaller cays provide an important refuge for Roseate Terns from which other sites might in the future be recolonized. Through this project we were able to begin collecting baseline data and working on feasibility and operational plans to rid the Seal Dog Islands of rats. In March 2016, the project carried us to the islands for winter surveys, and we recorded nesting Red-billed Tropicbird and Audubon Shearwater, further demonstrating the importance of these sites for the BVI’s breeding seabirds.

Dr. Louise Soanes, University of Roehampton, working on Seal Dog Islands. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

Thanks to the Darwin Plus Initiative, we were able to look at sites across the entire network of islands and cays in the BVI including many small sites that had been overlooked because of a previous focus on avian ‘hotspots’ such as the BVI’s three Important Bird Areas (IBAs): Great Tobago, Anegada and Green Cay. If our work had focused on single sites or just the IBAs, the Seal Dog Islands might have easily been overlooked. The BVI Seabird Recovery Planning Programme helped to elevate the profile of these other smaller, but also important sites.

I am happy to report that our work has resulted in new funding to control rat populations at both Seal Dog Islands and Green Cay. While Green Cay is recognized as a globally important site, rat control at the site will prove to be challenging, since it is so close to other inhabited islands that rats can swim over to and recolonize. Rat control is being carried out first at Seal Dog Islands, which will form a critical step in building our local BVI capacity to carry out small island restorations. Through lessons learnt on those cays, we will become better equipped to restore Green Cay and to identify other potential sites for similar conservation actions throughout the Territory.

The BVI Seabird Recovery Programme is led by Roehampton University and organized locally in the BVI by the Jost Van Dykes (BVI) Preservation Society. Other partners include the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands and the BVI Conservation & Fisheries Department. We are also grateful to BirdsCaribbean for the many ways in which their seabird capacity-building and training workshops (funded in part through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) and the Seabird Working Group network have helped to provide us with access to technical experts, opportunities for skills-building and materials (such as the nestboxes for tropicbirds) to directly benefit this project.

By Susan Zaluski, Director, Jost Van Dykes (BVI) Preservation Society.

Youth field assistant conducting rat bait trials on East Seal Dog Island. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

BVI Conservation Department's Atoya George in the field at Fallen Jerusalem. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society) — BVI Conservation Department’s Atoya George in the field at Fallen Jerusalem. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

Endeavor II, JVDPS's locally-built island sloop at Seal Dogs, used for project transport. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society) — Endeavor II, JVDPS’s locally-built island sloop at Seal Dogs, used for project transport. (photo by Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society)

October 28, 2016

Wanted!! Shorebird Enthusiasts

White-rumped Sandpiper during spring migration. (photo by Sipke Stapert) — White-rumped Sandpiper during spring migration in Bonaire. (photo by Sipke Stapert)

Are you a shorebird fan and want to support their conservation? Do you already carry out counts for the Caribbean Waterbird Census? Then join the International Shorebird Survey (ISS). Lisa Sorenson explains how to participate.

It’s that time of year when our islands are inundated with avian visitors —a great variety of delightful birds that have winged their way south to escape the soon-to-be-frozen north and take refuge in our sunny isles. They brighten our backyards, parks and ponds, and make birding ventures much more fun and interesting – what new migrant might surprise us today? I have had the good fortune to spend a little time in both Cuba and Bonaire the last few weeks and carry out surveys at various wetlands and coastal sites on each island – the large number of shorebirds at some sites, hungrily probing for invertebrates in the mud or snapping up brine flies out of the air was amazing.

Thanks to the great work you all are doing in gathering data through the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) and International Piping Plover Census, the importance of this region for waterbirds and shorebirds is becoming better understood at a rapid rate. Your counts are revealing that many shorebirds use the region as a winter home or as a place to rest and refuel during their long migrations. Your counts are also showing that a number of sites are of critical importance to migratory shorebirds, a group that has been showing serious population declines for the last 15 years. In order to further document numbers and long-term trends and gather additional information to help conserve these sites, there is a need for more regular monitoring data, especially during migration.

Knowing that many of you already go out to count waterbirds for the CWC, we would like to invite you to schedule some extra counts during the migration season in the Caribbean and with that, become a volunteer for the International Shorebird Survey (ISS).

ISS is an initiative organized by Manomet since 1974 and is a volunteer-based monitoring program specifically focusing on counting shorebirds during the southbound and northbound migration. These surveys are implemented throughout the Western Hemisphere and the data that has been gathered by volunteers has proven key to shorebird conservation planning.

How to participate? Easy!

A Short-billed Dowitcher probing for critters at one of Bonaire’s incredibly important salinas for migratory shorebirds. (photo by Sipke Stapert)

Just go to a/your nearby shorebird site two or three times a month during the migration season (August-October and March-May) and count all shorebirds. As the ISS protocol is basically the same as your CWC protocol—you can do both counts at the same time. Simply do a CWC count, making sure to count all birds, and enter your data as usual choosing choosing one of the CWC Count Protocols (Point Count, Traveling Count or Area Search) on Step 2 of “Submit observations” in eBird Caribbean (make sure you use our Caribbean eBird portal to be able to choose the CWC protocol).

More information on the ISS is in these flyers (English, Spanish), which you are welcome to distribute to other potential volunteers. You can also learn more on this website.

If you are interested but have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Arne Lesterhuis (Alesterhuis@manomet.org) or Lisa Sorenson (Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org).

Many thanks in advance for helping us to document the importance of our islands to shorebirds (see for example, Bonaire). We hope to see folks participating in the ISS soon!

By Lisa Sorenson, Shorebird Enthusiast and Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean

p.s. Here is a link to some helpful resources for counting shorebirds, a very challenging group to identify. It takes years of experience to become really good at shorebird ID, but learning is great fun. Here are some quick tips:

Go out and practice as often as possible. Spend as many hours as you can watching shorebirds, noting their overall size and body shape, feeding method, color and shape of bill, color and length of legs, call and behavior. Based on body and bill size and shape, learn to recognize groups, such as plovers vs. sandpipers. You will need to be a detective and work out the identification based on multiple subtle clues.
Try to learn a few common species really well that will serve as a reference (‘marker bird”) for size comparisons with species that you know less well.
If you are not sure about the ID, don’t guess! It’s much better to enter the data as “plover sp” or “peep sp” or “large shorebird” – various options like this are provided on eBird Caribbean – then enter inaccurate information.
Take photos of any species you are not sure of and send them to us for help with ID. This will help ensure that data quality remains high and help you to become proficient at identifying shorebirds.
Arm yourself with really great field guides, study them and make notes on the pages. In addition to Birds of the West Indies, by Raffaele et al, we recommend Stokes Beginners Guide to Shorebirds by Don and Lillian Stokes (excellent small book with KEY ID tips and great photos!). The Shorebird Guide by O’Brien, Crossley and Karlson is also great.

Download the Site Form.

International Shorebird Survey (ISS) Flyer for the Caribbean.

October 25, 2016

Searching for the Golden Swallow in Jamaica’s Ram Goat Cave

Do not attempt, unless you are a ram goat (or a swallow), advises Justin Proctor.

Ram Goat Cave; photo taken from Barbecue Bottom with a fixed Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens. (Photo by Justin Proctor)

From January 15^th to February 12^th and March 24^th to 27^th 2015, I surveyed the greater Cockpit Country region of Jamaica in search of the critically endangered Jamaican Golden Swallow (Tachycineta euchrysea euchrysea), accompanied by two other Cornell alumni: Seth Inman (La Paz Group) and John Zeiger (currently with the Aldo Leopold Foundation). One of the goals of the expedition was to spend considerable time censusing where the species had last been unequivocally observed in 1982, the Ram Goat Cave area of Barbecue Bottom.

However, in our efforts to research – and then ultimately find – Ram Goat Cave, we came across considerably more fiction than fact. The internet, multiple maps, a guide book or two, and many good-intentioned locals did a very noteworthy job of filling us up with misleading information and sending us down some dark and abrasive dead ends. For the record, we’re not complaining; the road less traveled in Jamaica always seemed to produce one of those classic “let’s not bring this up for a few years, but the grandkids will love it” stories. Yet in the end we did find Ram Goat Cave, and so here we aim to bring a little more clarification to a topic that few available resources seem to agree upon. We also begin to highlight the ornithological significance that the cave once may have had and where that finds us now.

To orient you, Cockpit Country is a roughly 1,160 km² designation of land, known by its undulating karst limestone topography, situated in west-central Jamaica. On the east-central side of Cockpit Country, running roughly north to south between the towns of Kinloss and Albert Town, is a relatively flat valley floor known as Barbecue Bottom. The geological fault that created this aberration also left some stretches of the valley’s western flank lined with exposed cliff sides. It is about two-thirds of the way up one those vertical rock faces that the notorious Ram Goat Cave continues to endure. It is important to point out that an old dirt and gravel road (named Burnt Hill Road if approaching from the south and Barbecue Bottom Road if approaching from the north, sometimes referred to in older texts as the “carriage trail”), runs parallel to Barbecue Bottom. For the most part, the road has been etched into – and snakes along – the upper hillsides, offering the wayward traveler some incredible views along the way. There is a point along this road that positions an observer directly above Ram Goat Cave, although without prior knowledge of this it would be impossible to discern, as no view of the cave is afforded from any point along the road. Meanwhile, down within Barbecue Bottom, a now mostly overgrown “bridle trail” can be found meandering along the valley floor. It is from this trail that views of Ram Goat Cave are possible.

Satellite imagery of Jamaica, West Indies with the Cockpit Country region enlarged. The red line denotes the most current boundary of the Cockpit Country (source: Windsor Research Centre), and the yellow rectangle indicates Barbecue Bottom.

Much like us, the Jamaican Caves Organization (JCO) had quite the adventure tracking down this cave. But eventually, they did find it, and they do reveal its approximate location. However, even with the information from their account, one would still struggle to “find” Ram Goat Cave, because due to the location and orientation of the cave, as well as the density of the wet limestone forest that blankets the landscape below, it can only be viewed from certain vantage points, all of which are located down within Barbecue Bottom. Adding to that, Barbecue Bottom, despite once being populated and cleared for drying considerable quantities of coffee and pimento, is now, as the locals would say, “bush up.” Nature in the form of thick, almost impenetrable vegetation is reclaiming the land. However, this reforestation should be embraced during what are otherwise considered strained times for the Cockpit Country as it faces a plethora of threats, one of the most daunting being the growing interest in extracting bauxite from within the region.

John Zeiger (left) and Justin Proctor (right) stand firm against the rain and mosquitos during an evening observation session of Ram Goat Cave (black spot in center of photo). (Photo by Seth Inman)

To our knowledge, Ram Goat Cave has never been entered or explored, undoubtedly because the cave cannot be reached without considerable rappelling equipment and expertise. The JCO decided not to do so (in the Spring of 1998) after concluding the following about the cave’s morphology:

“Ramgoat Cave is situated roughly 50 m up a vertical cliff, and about the same below the road, and is a cave in name only. From what we could see, it appears to be a small shelter cave with an opening of about 5 m, that looks like it will extend no more than 10 m into the cliff. We did not, of course, attempt to enter it because there is no point. By looking at it from below, and by looking at the morphology of where it is found, it is obvious that it goes nowhere. It is a shelter cave that became famous many years ago because of its absolute inaccessibility. One would have to be a ‘ramgoat’ to reach it.”

Old bridle trail (left) built from stacked karst rock (right) running along the valley floor of Barbecue Bottom. It is from this path that several vantage points allow an observer to view Ram Goat Cave on the cliff wall to the west. (Photos by Seth Inman and John Zeiger)

Although the unassuming Ram Goat Cave may not offer much to a spelunker, it has long been a point of interest and reference for avid birders in Jamaica. The Broadsheets – a biannual journal (published by the Gosse Bird Club, which was renamed BirdLife Jamaica in 1998) that has been dedicated to compiling and disseminating ornithological observations in Jamaica since August of 1963 – is sprinkled with entries of bird observations occurring near the cave (all seeming to have been taken from the road above). Much to our interest, throughout the years entries into the Broadsheets note that some species of aerial insectivores, in particular Cave Swallows (Petrochelidon fulva), Golden Swallows, and Antillean Palm-swifts (Tachornis phoenicobia), were reliably seen flying, foraging and interacting in close proximity to the opening of Ram Goat Cave, which in turn raises the question of whether or not they may have been using the cave for the purpose of nesting and/or roosting. Take for example this excerpt from an entry by Audrey Downer and Robert Sutton from 1972 (Broadsheet 1972:12):

“On July 3^rd 1972 we visited . . . a place called Ram Goat Cave on the Barbecue Bottom road where Golden Swallows have frequently been seen. Masses of Cave Swallow milled around, and with them several Golden Swallows. It had rained and puddles of water were on the road, which attracted the swallows. As the Golden Swallows swooped down to the puddles and then rose over our heads we could clearly see the white underparts. They then flew in the valley just below where we were standing and not more than 20 to 30 ft. away. In the overcast light the backs looked a bluish green and no yellow could be seen, but at that time of the year they could not be Tree or Bahama swallows.”

In fact, only ten years later, the last unequivocal sighting of the Jamaican Golden Swallow was seen in the greater vicinity of Ram Goat Cave, as is reported here by Audrey Downer (Broadsheet 1982:32):

Female Hispaniolan Golden Swallow (Tachycineta euchrysea sclateri) investigating an artificial nest-box in Parque Valle Nuevo, Dominican Republic. (photo by Justin Proctor)

“Is The Golden Swallow Declining?: In 1858 Osburn wrote to Gosse . . . describing Golden Swallows as appearing “in great numbers” over the canefields of Trelawny. Several years ago when Robert Sutton and I saw them at Ram Goat Cave there were only 5 or 6 seen at a time. No report has recently been recorded in the Broadsheet, but some visitors to the island in August this year [1982] reported seeing them on the Barbecue Bottom Road. In order to verify this report, a group of us headed by Robert Sutton went along this same road in the Cockpit Country on Sept. 11th, 1982. After stopping at Ram Goat Cave and Barbeque Bottom where we heard swallows but saw only Cave [Swallows] and [Antillean] Palm Swifts we stopped between the 15th and 14th mile-post at a spot overlooking the ruins of Stonehenge. Immediately below us was a grassy area with canefields in the distance. This looked like the spot described by the visitors, and sure enough Robert soon spotted a Golden Swallow circling with Cave Swallows … The visitors reported seeing 7 Golden Swallows, and we saw between 6 and 9 at a time. This is a far cry from the numbers reported by Osburn. Are they declining or are they more numerous after a rainy spell?”

There are other entries in the Broadsheets that also highlight the presence of multiple species of swifts and swallows foraging in the vicinity of Ram Goat Cave. Seth, John, and I have been diving into the implications of this in a manuscript that we are currently working on entitled, “Exploring the Plight of the Jamaican Golden Swallow,” which we hope to submit for review in the near future.

We opportunistically spent two evenings in mid-March of 2015 directly observing the cave from a distant vantage point down in Barbecue Bottom. This was a set of pilot observations in order to assess how more thorough documentation of avian activity in and around the cave could be implemented in the future. Our time observing the cave did not produce any positive sightings of aerial insectivores – or any other birds for that matter – making use of the cave. We do believe, however, that a regimented routine series of observations across a longer duration of the known breeding seasons for Jamaica’s aerial insectivores is warranted.

Beyond Ram Goat, Jamaica is incredibly abundant in caves. To our knowledge, the extent to which different bird species use – and potentially depend upon – these caves has yet to be studied. With so little known about the life histories of cliff/cave nesting species such as the White-collared Swift and Black Swift in Jamaica, it would seem fitting for ornithologists to combine forces with the Jamaican Caves Organization to better study and document these unique birds.

Satellite imagery with diagram depicting (i) our entry point from Burnt Hill / Barbecue Bottom Road (green arrow; 18.336450, -77.558283) down into Barbecue Bottom, (ii) our observation viewpoint from along the old bridle trail (black and white box; 18.337583, -77.555500), and (iii) Ram Goat Cave (thick white line; 18.337038, -77.557038).

In the meantime, we encourage birders to responsibly visit the Burnt Hill / Barbecue Bottom Road region of Jamaica’s Cockpit Country (Cockpit Country Adventure Tours offers outstanding birding and caving tours in this area). We’ve found this to be one of the most serene wild areas left in Jamaica’s interior, and in hopes of keeping it that way, we suggest you walk the road by foot [a landslide has been effectively blocking the road in recent years anyhow, so you will be unable to make a through-trip by car]. As you go along, be sure to spend some time in the Ram Goat Cave area, exercise caution if you decide to descend down into Barbecue Bottom proper, and be sure to see how many of Jamaica’s endemic bird species you can check off along the way (28 out of 29 endemics have been found in the Cockpit Country!).

By Justin Proctor; Caribbean ornithologist, member of the JCO Editorial and Production team, and frequent contributor to our blog. Check out his article on the Golden Swallow in the Dominican Republic here.

Thank you to Ann Sutton, the Windsor Research Centre, and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust for contributing information to this article.

October 24, 2016

Funding Opportunity—The David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds

2016 Awards Now Open!

Size of Award: $3,000 is budgeted for several grants up to $1,000 each from the David S. Lee Fund. (thanks to a new anonymous donor, the size of the award is increased this year from $1,000 to $3,000)

Application Deadline: December 15th, 2016 at 5 p.m. EST.

Address Questions and Send Application to: Will Mackin, Co-Chair Seabird Working Group, BirdsCaribbean, mackinwa@guilford.edu; copy to info@birdscaribbean.org

Announcement of Awards: February 1, 2017

Donations to the Fund: Tax-deductible (U.S.) at www.BirdsCaribbean.org.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Application Guidelines:

Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. All should have an English version of the abstract
Applications should be emailed as a Microsoft Word document.
The application should include a cover page, proposal (see guidelines below), and a curriculum vitae for the applicant.
Separately, by email, three individuals who can attest to your effectiveness in previous work should submit letters of recommendation. For students, this would include your academic advisor.

Evaluation:

A committee appointed by BirdsCaribbean will review the proposals and award the grants.
The awardee will be required to submit a report one year from the day of the award explaining how the award money was spent and the results of the project to that point.
Awardees are encouraged to present the results of their work at the biennial International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean and publish in The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology.

Eligible applicants can download the application form here.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

But wait! What if you are not eligible to apply for funds, you ask? You can still support this worthy cause by being a sponsor!

Click here to make an online contribution.

Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 4201 Wilson Blvd. Suite 110-174, Arlington VA 22203-1589

Thank you for your participation and support!

September 23, 2016

Caribbean Birders Take Note: Changes are Upon Us!

How the most recent supplement to the AOU Checklist of North American Birds impacts the way we see and define Coots and Bullfinches in the Caribbean.

Every year, new ornithological research digs deeper into furthering our understanding of the complex behaviors, distributions, morphologies, and relationships among bird species across the world. As new information rolls in, proposals are made to modify our current classifications of all these species. The North American Classification Committee (NACC) is an official committee within the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU) that bears the responsibility of weighing and subsequently incorporating these proposals into the current ornithological taxonomy and nomenclature.

Beginning in 1886, the NACC has published the AOU Checklist of North American Birds that comprehensively catalogues bird species known to North and Middle America. Most recently, their 57^th Supplement to this checklist was released in June via the AOU’s peer-reviewed scientific journal, The Auk: Ornithological Advances. Within that supplement, two species well-known to Caribbean birders have undergone important changes, and are discussed below.

American Coot (white shield). (photo by Mario Espinosa) — The Caribbean Coot, with its white shield extending up on to the top of the head, is no longer regarded as a separate species, but rather a sub-species of the American Coot. Enter your sightings in eBird Caribbean as “American Coot (White-shielded).” (photo by Mario Espinosa)

CARIBBEAN COOT – NOT A UNIQUE SPECIES

The Caribbean Coot (formerly Fulica caribaea) was – until recently – considered to be its own species of coot endemic to the Caribbean Basin (residing in Venezuela as well as the West Indies). It is a regular member of wetland communities where it can be seen swimming on ponds and lakes as well as walking about on the shore.

It was historically thought that Caribbean Coots and their very similar appearing congener, the American Coot, were separate species. As of this year, however, the AOU has decided that Caribbean Coots actually belong to the American Coot species.¹ The best evidence for this comes from research on their breeding biology by Douglas McNair and Carol Cramer-Burke.² It seems that St. Croix Caribbean and American Coots choose mates randomly with no regard for species, implying that there is no reproductive isolation on St. Croix. While occasional hybridization is ok, if the two were actually unique species, birds would have at least some preference (a strong preference, in fact) for breeding with fellow birds from their own species.

American Coot (white shield). (photo by Shannon O'Shea) — American Coot (Red-shielded). (photo by Shannon O’Shea)

Adding to that, the birding community originally thought Caribbean and American Coots could be distinguished by the morphology (size, length) and color of the shields and calluses located on their foreheads. However, that has become….messy. Furthermore, there are no discerning characteristics between their vocalizations.

All this implies that the Caribbean Coot has not actually differentiated from the American Coot enough to be its own unique species.³

Should I Identify and Report “Caribbean” Coots on eBird Caribbean Checklists?

Yes, but no longer as “Caribbean” Coots. eBird Caribbean now has three options when reporting coots belonging to the Caribbean/American Coot complex: “American Coot,” “American Coot (Red-shielded),” and “American Coot (White-shielded).”

(Note: options may be considered “rare” in certain areas and will be hidden from the default list when you enter sightings.) All previous eBird Caribbean records of Caribbean Coot have now been listed under American Coot (White-shielded). Please use this option whenever you successfully identify a Caribbean-type coot and use the American Coot (Red-shielded) option for American-type coots. For more information click here.

American Coot (White-shielded). (photo by Mario Espinosa) — American Coot (White- shielded) with downy chick. (photo by Mario Espinosa)

Sometimes, however, you may not be able to identify the coot as either a Caribbean or American-type (for example, when the bird is facing away and the shield is not visible, or the bird’s appearance is in between). When this happens, enter the bird as just an American Coot. Do not use the more specific options, even if your location makes one or the other extremely unlikely (this goes for other subspecies that can be reported in eBird Caribbean too!). Similarly, when conducting Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) counts, you should continue to count birds with white and red shields separately because the CWC will continue to monitor the Caribbean Coot’s status in the Caribbean.

CUBAN BULLFINCH – MULTIPLE SPECIES?

Cuban Bullfinch on Grand Cayman. (photo by Ray Robles)

The Cuban Bullfinch (Melopyrrha nigra) is a black and white songbird known to scrub and forest habitats on the islands of Cuba and Grand Cayman. Populations from each island have differentiated enough from one another that they can be identified as distinct subspecies. Specifically, the Cuban subspecies differs from the Grand Cayman subspecies by exhibiting a deeper shade of black and smaller body size, but the more noticeable difference can be found in their songs and calls.^3,4

Cuban Bullfinch in Cuba. (photo by Allan Hopkins)

Unfortunately, the isolation of these populations makes it difficult to tell if the bullfinches are species or subspecies, because unlike the Caribbean and American Coots, biologists are unable to study their mating preferences easily. However, after re-assessing the populations’ traits, the AOU has decided that they are still subspecies, at least for now.¹

Regardless of how many Cuban Bullfinch species there are, the two populations are clearly unique and of great conservation value. It is very possible that additional research will convince the AOU to change its decision. In the meantime, eBird Caribbean is including both populations separately as “subspecies groups” so keep entering your sightings of Cuban Bullfinches from both the Cayman Islands and Cuba.

¹Chesser, R.T., et al., 2016. Fifty-seventh Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 133:544-560.

²McNair, D.B., and C. Cramer-Burke. 2006. Breeding ecology of American and Caribbean Coots at Southgate Pond, St. Croix: use of woody vegetation. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 118:208–217.

³AOU Classification Committee – North and Middle America Proposal Set 2016-A.

⁴Garrido, O.H., et al., 2014. Revision of the endemic West Indian genus Melopyrrha from Cuba and the Cayman Islands. Bull. B.O.C. 134:134-144.

By Doug Weidemann, production editor for JCO and Justin Proctor, Caribbean Ornithologist; Freelance Writer; Loving Husband. Justin is part of our JCO Editorial and Production team and a frequent contributor to our blog.

August 30, 2016

BirdsCaribbean at the NAOC VI—Largest Gathering of Bird Brains Ever

The 6^th North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) – 16-20 August 2016, Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington DC—BRINGING SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION TOGETHER #NAOC2016

BirdsCaribbean co-hosts an Outstandingly Successful Conference

Our Caribbean flock gathers at our BirdsCaribbean booth, a popular spot in the Exhibition Hall - Kate Wallace, Erika Gates, Lisa Gates, Lisa Sorenson, Wayne Smart, Jennifer Wheeler, Howard Nelson and Ellie Devenish. — Our Caribbean flock gathers at our BirdsCaribbean booth, a popular spot in the Exhibition Hall – Kate Wallace, Erika Gates, Lisa Sorenson, Wayne Smart, Jennifer Wheeler, Howard Nelson and Ellie Devenish.

Between 16-20 August BirdsCaribbean joined with the Smithsonian Institution/Migratory Bird Center, American Ornithologists Union, Association of Field Ornithologists, CIPAMEX, Cooper Ornithological Society, Wilson Ornithological Society, Society of Canadian Ornithologists and Sociedad de Ornitologia Neotropical to co-host the sixth North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) – the largest meeting of American ornithologists ever held. More than 2,000 scientists, students, and conservationists met in Washington DC to share their work on the theme “Bringing Science and Conservation Together.”

As co-host to the meeting, BirdsCaribbean helped with the preparations, planning and program development—not an easy task given the hundreds of symposia, sessions, lightening talks, and posters that were presented, not to mention the myriad social events, field trips and other opportunities for networking. Fourteen concurrent sessions kept everyone constantly on the move but it all worked beautifully, thanks to the brilliant leadership of the meeting Chair, Dr. Pete Marra, of the Smithsonian Institution, and many hard-working committees as well as the stellar work of the conference organizers Crabtree and Company.

For BirdsCaribbean, the conference was a fantastic opportunity to share information about the work being done in the Caribbean and the many urgent threats faced by Caribbean birds. We also learned new approaches and techniques, made new contacts, welcomed new members, and discussed fresh ways we can work together to address urgent Caribbean conservation issues. It would be impossible to list all the insights we gained from the meeting and the many outstanding talks, but we have mentioned a few below.

The Plight of Caribbean Forest Birds

Howard Nelson presenting (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — Howard Nelson presenting about the status of Caribbean forest birds. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

According to Howard Nelson (previous President of BirdsCaribbean and a current board member), of the 171 forest endemic bird species, an astonishing 86% do not have estimates of population size in the literature and 69% have no published research on conservation efforts. Research effort remains consistently low across both common and rare endemic species. Only the most charismatic groups, such has the parrots are relatively well known.

Dr. Nelson’s talk was the kick-off presentation of our symposia on August 18^th highlighting recent research and conservation efforts on Caribbean forest endemic birds. Illuminating talks in our session included (PDFs are available below): Jen Mortensen, who presented strong genetic evidence for separate species of the White-breasted Thrasher on St. Lucia and Martinique. Frank Rivera updated us on numbers of the Critically Endangered Grenada Dove and Hook-billed Kite (less than 200 individuals of each species remain). Chris Rimmer pointed out that of the 31 endemics on Hispaniola, more than half are threatened and we know very little about any of these species. Jane Haakonsson showed data on how Cuban Parrot populations in the Cayman Islands were able to recover from hurricanes, but that these populations are now badly threatened by development. James Goetz summarized a decade of research and conservation progress on the endangered Black-capped Petrel – his concluding message was that the fate of the petrel, i.e., how the story ends, is in our hands.

Enthusiasm and a Bicycle

Dr. Lourdes Mugica inspiring plenary talk. (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — Dr. Lourdes Mugica inspiring plenary talk included highlights from her many years of research on Cuban waterbirds and wetlands, interwoven with many humorous stories from the field. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

One surprising exception to the low level of scientific information to support conservation is Cuba. Dr. Lourdes Mugica of the University of Havana – a previous board member of BC – gave a fascinating plenary in which she talked about Cuban ornithology and her own research on wetland birds in the rice fields of Cuba. She reminded us that Cuban scientists continued to do first rate science when the only resources they had (because of the embargo) were enthusiasm and a bicycle. Later, as part of “Cuba Day,” Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology hosted an excellent symposium on Cuban Birds, with six Cuban ornithologists presenting. We live-streamed Lourdes’ plenary talk from our Facebook page – the video can be viewed at this link. More fun photos from the conference are posted here.

The Relative Importance of Conservation of Wintering Habitats for Migratory Birds

But it is not just Caribbean birds that are suffering declines. Mike Parr of the American Bird Conservancy emphasized the declines that many migrants are suffering and showed through scientific models that conservation on the wintering grounds is more likely to address these declines than anything that can be done on the breeding grounds.

The Never-Ending Importance of Education and Awareness

Science can identify the problems and solutions but only through education and awareness can we engage people to implement conservation measures. This was the theme of an excellent “lightening” session hosted by Environment for the Americas, at which both Lisa Sorenson and Leo Douglas presented papers on Caribbean outreach through the media, and an innovative study on impacts of environmental education on Jamaican youth.

BirdsCaribbean Reaching Out

Robin Bath-Rosenfeld and Darshan Narangat their poster (photo by Lisa Sorenson) — Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld and Darshan Narang present their poster on Magnificent Frigatebirds on Tobago. (photo by Erika Gates)

BirdsCaribbean was well represented in the sessions, workshops and symposia by a wide range of members and board members, young and old. We also took the opportunity to bring people together at a “Get-to-know BirdsCaribbean” social, at which more than 50 old and new friends came to meet, discuss on-going work and new directions, and drink rum to the sounds of Caribbean music. Our colorful booth in the exhibition hall was a hub for those interested in Caribbean birds, and was thronged by people who wanted to learn more about us and our work and buy T-shirts, field shirts, mugs, hats, artwork, crafts, and field guides to Caribbean islands. Many thanks are due to all our members and friends who volunteered to work at the booth and supported the booth by purchasing items throughout the meeting.

The future is Caribbean

Group gathered for Happy Hour at our booth: Leno Davis, Richard Johnston Gonzalez, Ann Sutton, Jennifer Wheeler, Lisa Sorenson, Chris Rimmer, and Pam Hunt.

There was much interest in two upcoming meetings in the Caribbean. BC shared the announcement of its next International Meeting in Cuba 13-17 July 2017. The NAOC announced that its next meeting will take place in Puerto Rico in August 2020. Both these meetings will help BC to raise interest in ornithology and conservation in the region.

For more information about the NAOC please visit their website, where you can download the program and abstracts.

The following is a list of papers presented at NAOC that mentioned the Caribbean. PDFs of some presentations are available for review (files are continuing to be uploaded).

Conservation of Caribbean Forest Endemic Birds Symposium (organized by BirdsCaribbean):

Red List Status of Forest Endemic Birds in the Caribbean. Nelson, Howard – University of Chester; Eleanor Devenish-Nelson – University of Chester; Doug Weidemann – BirdsCaribbean Journal of Caribbean Ornithology; Jason Townsend – BirdsCaribbean Journal of Caribbean Ornithology

Clear differentiation between island races of the White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus), an endangered Antillean passerine. Mortensen, Jennifer, Tufts University.

Population Assessment of the Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi) and Hook-Billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus mirus) using Distance Sampling and Repeated Count Methods. Rivera-Milán, Frank – US Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Branch of Population and Habitat Assessments

Hispaniolan Forest Endemics — Rare, Vulnerable and Understudied. Rimmer, Chris, Vermont Center for Ecostudies.

Conservation Status of the Cuban Parrot on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Haakonsson, Jane, Dept of Environment, Cayman Islands.

A Decade of Advances in Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) Research and Conservation. Goetz, James – Dept. Nat. Resources, Cornell University; Adam Brown – Environmental Protection in the Caribbean; Ernst Rupp – Grupo Jaragua; Anderson Jean – Société Audubon Haiti; Matthew McKown – Conservation Metrics; Patrick Jodice – USGS South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University; George Wallace – American Bird Conservancy; Jennifer Wheeler – BirdsCaribbean

Other talks that were about or mentioned Caribbean birds:

Unifying the Voice for Migratory Bird Conservation Across the Western Hemisphere through Festivals. Bonfield, S. Environment for the Americas.

Advancing Caribbean Bird Conservation through the Media. Sorenson, Lisa – BirdsCaribbean; Leo Douglas – BirdsCaribbean; Scott Johnson – Bahamas National Trust/ BirdsCaribbean

How does a two-day bird education event affect the long-term knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of high school students? Evidence from 13 Jamaican high schools. Douglas, Leo – BirdsCaribbean; Luke Powell – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Lisa Sorenson – BirdsCaribbean; Loraine Cook – Dept of Education, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica; Susan Bonfield – Environment for the Americas; Peter Marra – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

Seabird Colony Decline, Nesting Performance, Human Harvest, and Invasive Predators in the Southern Grenadine Islands. Smart, Wayne – Arkansas State University; Natalia Collier – Environmental Protection in the Caribbean; Virginie Rolland – Arkansas State University

Interspecific competition between resident and wintering warblers: Evidence from a 3D removal experiment. Powell, Luke – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Elizabeth Ames – The Ohio State University; James Wright – The Ohio State University; Nathan Cooper – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Peter Marra – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

A snapshot of the movements of White-crowned Pigeons satellite-tracked in Florida and the Caribbean. Kent, Gina – Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI); Ken Meyer – Avian Research and Conservation Institute; Ricardo Miller – Jamaica National Environment and Planning Agency; Alexis Martinez – Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources; Predensa Moore – Bahamas National Trust; Paul Watler – National Trust for the Cayman Islands

Estimating population density of a Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) colony in St. Giles Islands, Tobago using photographic surveys. Bath-Rosenfeld, Robyn – University of the West Indies/UC Riverside; Darshan Narang – University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago

Conservation Biology of the Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole: Estimating Current Population Size and Evaluating Threats. Omland, Kevin – University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Shelley Cant – Bahamas National Trust; Scott Johnson – Bahamas National Trust/ BirdsCaribbean; Matthew Jeffery – Audubon; John Tschirky – American Bird Conservancy; Holly Robertson – American Bird Conservancy; Melissa Price – University of Hawaii at Mānoa; Scott Sillett – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Advances in the Study and Conservation of Waterbirds and Shorebirds in Cuba. Jiménez, Ariam, University of Havana, Cuba.

Population biology, life history, ecology, and conservation of the endangered Bahama Swallow (Tachycineta cyaneoviridis). Wilson, Maya – Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Jeffrey Walters – Virginia Tech

Pelicanus occidentalis’ nesting disturbance on a small island in the Guadeloupe archipelago. Priam, Judith – Servicios Cientificos y Tecnicos

Conservation Action Plan for Bicknell’s Thrush: outcomes and next actions in both breeding and wintering grounds. Lloyd, John – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Eduardo Inigo-Elias – Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Kent McFarland – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Christopher Rimmer – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Juan Carlos Martinez-Sanchez – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Yves Aubry – Environment and Climate change Canada

Narrowing the Search for Overwintering Bicknell’s Thrush in the Caribbean. Rimmer, Christopher – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; John Lloyd – Vermont Center for Ecostudies; Jose Salguero – Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources

Sustainability Assessment of Plain Pigeons (Patagioenas inornata wetmorei) Illegally Hunted in Puerto Rico. Rivera-Milán, Frank – United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, Branch of Population and Habitat Assessments

Management and conservation of cavity nesting birds in Monte Cabaniguan Wildlife Refuge, Las Tunas, Cuba. Rodríguez, Aryamne Serrano

Cuban Bird diversity and habitat conservation through the Cuban National System of Protected Areas (SNAP). Mugica, Susana

Genetic characterization of Cuban colonies of American flamingos: impacts on its management and conservation. Quevedo, Alexander Llanes – University of Havana, Cuba; Roberto Frías Soler – University of Heidelberg, Germany; Georgina Espinosa López – University of Havana, Cuba

Bird migration across western Cuba. Hernández, Alina Perez

What a permanent banding monitoring scheme tell us about migration, territoriality and effects of hurricanes on birds of tropical dry forests of southeastern Cuba. Segovia Vega, Yasit

The current and future effects of climatic variation and change on tropical Frugivores. Boyle, Alice – Kansas State University

Seasonal changes in habitat utilization of Swainson’s Warblers in response to moisture and prey abundance. Brunner, Alicia – The Ohio State University; Christopher Tonra – The Ohio State University

Where and for how long do migrating landbirds stopover along the northern Gulf of Mexico? A radar perspective. Buler, Jeffrey – University of Delaware; Matthew Boone – University of Delaware; Jill LaFleur – University of Southern Mississippi; Frank Moore – University of Southern Mississippi; Timothy Schreckengost – University of Delaware; Jaclyn Smolinsky – University of Delaware

Assessing Plasticity in the Migratory Behavior of a Songbird Wintering in the Caribbean Using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. Dossman, Bryant – Cornell University; Colin Studds – University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Peter Marra – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Amanda Rodewald – Cornell University

Recovery of Birds Under the Endangered Species Act. Greenwald, Noah – Center for Biological Diversity; Kieran Suckling – Center for Biological Diversity; Ryan Beam – Center for Biological Diversity; Loyal Mehrhoff – Center for Biological Diversity; Brett Hartl – Center for Biological Diversity

Constructing a range-wide migratory network in an aerial insectivore to assess which seasons drive long-term changes in abundance. Knight, Samantha – University of Guelph; David Bradley – Bird Studies Canada; Robert Clark – Environment and Climate Change Canada; Marc Bélisle – Université de Sherbrooke; Lisha Berzins – University of Northern British Columbia; Tricia Blake – Alaska Songbird Institute; Eli Bridge – Oklahoma Biological Survey; Russell D. Dawson – University of Northern British Columbia; Peter Dunn – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Dany Garant – Université de Sherbrooke; Geoff Holroyd – Beaverhill Bird Observatory; Andrew Horn – Dalhousie University; David Hussell – Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; Olga Lansdorp – Simon Fraser University; Andrew Laughlin – University of North Carolina Asheville; Marty Leonard – Dalhousie University; Fanie Pelletier – Université de Sherbrooke; Dave Shutler – Acadia University; Lynn Siefferman – Appalachian State University; Caz Taylor – Tulane University; Helen Trefry – Beaverhill Bird Observatory; Carol Vleck – Iowa State University; David Vleck – Iowa State University; Linda Whittingham – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; David Winkler – Cornell University; D. Ryan Norris – University of Guelph

Tri-trophic ecology of native nest flies (Philornis trinitensis) in grassquits and mockingbirds of Tobago. Knutie, Sarah – University of South Florida; Jordan Herman – University of Utah; Jeb Owen – Washington State University; Dale Clayton – University of Utah

Prioritizing and implementing projects for the rarest bird species in the Americas. Lebbin, Daniel – American Bird Conservancy

Autumn migration ecology and biogeography of Red Knots at the Altamaha River Delta, Georgia, USA. Lyons, James – USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; Tim Keyes – Georgia DNR; Bradford Winn – Manomet; Kevin Kalasz – Delaware DFW

A Place to Land: Stopover Ecology and Conservation of Migratory Songbirds. Moore, Frank – University of Southern Mississippi; Emily Cohen – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Jeffrey Buler – University of Delaware

Phylogenomic analysis using ultraconserved elements reveals cryptic diversity in the complex Neotropical genus Pachyramphus. Musher, Lukas – American Museum of Natural History; Joel Cracraft – Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History

Abundance and body condition of a Neotropical migratory bird overwintering in mangrove forests in Colombia. Reese, Jessie – Virginia Commonwealth University; Lesley Bulluck – Virginia Commonwealth University

Examining dietary overlap in resident and wintering migratory warblers using next generation metabarcoding of feces. Welch, Andreanna – Durham University; Luke Powell – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Peter Marra – Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center; Robert Fleischer – Smithsonian Institution

The Population Genetic Structure of the Red-Billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) in the Gulf of California, México. Piña-Ortiz, Alberto – Centro de Investigaciónen Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Unidad Mazatlán; Luis Enriquez-Paredes – Facultad de Ciencias Marinas – Universidad Autónoma de Baja California; José Castillo- Guerrero – Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara.; Albert van der Heiden – Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Unidad Mazatlán

July 26, 2016

Join the Crowd and Support Caribbean Seabirds!

Seabirds are among the most endangered of all vertebrate groups. A new crowdfunding campaign is underway to support three critical scientific projects that will drive new discoveries and aid conservation of these most amazing birds. Please help us succeed!

Roseate Tern, a seabird of conservation concern. (photo by Jenny Daltry) — Roseate Tern, a seabird of conservation concern that breeds in the Caribbean. (photo by Jenny Daltry)

Three projects that will advance conservation of Caribbean seabirds via a crowdfunding grant have just been launched by BirdsCaribbean biologists. Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. According to a study by Massolutions.com, the crowdfunding industry is on track to account for more funding in 2016 than traditional venture capital sources (wealthy investors or financial institutions)! The websites, Kickstarter or Indiegogo, are two of the most well-known crowdsourcing websites, but there are many other sites.

Experiment.com is a crowdfunding site that focuses on promoting “science for the people, by the people.” It recently launched an initiative focused on seabirds, a group of wildlife urgently in need of science-based conservation. The call went out to BirdsCaribbean’s Seabird Working Group to consider projects. Three Caribbean seabird projects were submitted, accepted and are now ready to receive your backing!

The Mystery of the Disappearing Seabirds: Using Science to Protect Caribbean Seabirds

Seabird colony in the northern Bahamas. (photo by Will Mackin).

This project will seek the causes behind the disappearance of thousands of breeding seabirds in the Northern Bahamas. The project leaders, Will Mackin, Ann Sutton, Margo Zdravkovic, Lisa Sorenson, and Scott Johnson, will use surveys and mark-recapture techniques to find out whether the missing seabirds moved, suffered nesting failure due to invasive predators, or changed their behavior due to disturbance…or some combination of the above. The project builds on work underway by Conservian, an NGO which began a new monitoring and habitat restoration program for coastal birds in the Bahamas in 2016.

Seeking Safer Skies for Haiti’s Rarest Seabird

Habitat in Haiti for the Black-capped Petrel.

The endangered Diablotin, or Black-Capped Petrel, is the focus of this project. Françoise Benjamin and Juan Carlos Martínez-Sánchez seek to reduce collisions of petrels at communication towers along their breeding colonies in Southern Haiti, a threat brought to light by the International Black-capped Petrel Conservation Group. They will map and characterize communication towers located along known flying corridors and colonies of petrels, record bird collisions through personal observations and interviews, then take their findings to government and industry in order to recommend solutions to this concerning source of mortality.

What Factors Are Causing Seabird Declines in the Grenadines?

Wayne Smart and Natalia Collier want to determine the causes of documented declines in southern Grenadine seabird populations. In specific, they will look at how human and rat predation affects trends in six different seabird populations located north of Grenada. The findings of this project will be summarized, and made available to the public, and government agencies, in order to recommend and stimulate conservation actions.

Each of these projects has a specific fundraising goal. With Experiment.com, as with most crowdfunding sites, funding is all-or-nothing (that is, pledges by backers are collected only if the fundraising goal is achieved). Experiment.com has designated this initiative as a funding “challenge,” in that it will award additional funds to the three projects (of 15 total seabird projects) that have received the greatest number of backers by 6 PM on August 9th.

So don’t delay – Please support one or all of these worthy projects! Small donations from many people are most welcome as this will help all of us to be in the top 3 of seabird supported projects and win extra funds.

We thank you in advance for your support!

Will Mackin, Ann Sutton, Margo Zdravkovic, Lisa Sorenson, Scott Johnson, Françoise Benjamin, Juan Carlos Martínez-Sánchez, Wayne Smart and Natalia Collier
Members of BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group

p.s. Please share this post with your networks, colleagues and friends!

July 24, 2016

The Caribbean’s Piping Plover: A Matter of Knowing Where to Look

A peek into the sometimes elusive world of the Caribbean’s Piping Plover and the challenges of finding them on their wintering grounds. Elise Elliott-Smith reports Caribbean results for the 2016 International Piping Plover Census, held every 5 years.

A flock of Piping Plovers and a Sanderling in South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands. (photo by Craig Watson). — A flock of Piping Plovers and a Sanderling found in South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands. (photo by Craig Watson).

I’ll never forget the excitement, relief, and wonder I felt in seeing a group of ten Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) on Little Water Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. It was January 27, our first day of the 2016 International Piping Plover Census, and I had been more than a little anxious that we might not see any at all. I had made contact with Eric Salamanca of the Turks and Caicos Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) through BirdsCaribbean, and with the assistance of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) we successfully launched the first ever Piping Plover census in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Many people helped make this possible although it had been challenging getting the necessary funding, permits, and planning. Aerial images of the habitat looked good but there were only a handful of reports of only one or two Piping Plover in TCI, and more than one person had discouraged me from trying to survey there.

Elise Elliott-Smith, Craig Watson and Eric Salamanca count Piping Plovers on Fort George Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands. (photo by Caleb Spiegel).

Nevertheless, against all odds our census confirmed that these little birds had successfully flown over one thousand miles from their North American breeding grounds to land here on Little Water Cay, an island inhabited only by the critically endangered Turks and Caicos Iguana and other native wildlife. As we excitedly set up our scopes, the Piping Plovers quietly foraged on a little sand-spit near a couple of American Oystercatchers and a small fishing boat.

Piping Plovers in the Joulter Cays, Bahamas. (photo by Walker Golder).

Piping Plover are a threatened/ endangered shorebird that breed in North America along the Atlantic Coast (Charadrius melodus melodus) and the interior’s Great Lakes and Great Plains regions (Charadrius melodus circumcinctus) of Canada and the United States. They are better studied on their breeding grounds, and their tendency to disperse across their winter grounds makes monitoring and conservation efforts quite a challenge. In order to understand their distribution and track changes in populations, the International Piping Plover Census has been conducted every five years since 1991 across the bird’s winter and breeding range. Counts are always lower during winter, and we suspected we were missing birds outside the U.S. However, we didn’t have an inkling of the importance of the Caribbean to this at-risk species until we found over 400 Piping Plover in the Bahamas in 2006 and around 1,000 in 2011.

Location and numbers of Piping Plovers seen in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Islands and Cuba during the 2016 International Piping Plover Winter Census. Map courtesy of Audubon. — Location and numbers of Piping Plovers seen in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Islands and Cuba during the 2016 International Piping Plover Winter Census. Over 1,500 birds were counted. Map courtesy of Audubon.

During the 2016 International Piping Plover Census we coordinated the biggest search to date for this species in the Bahamas and northern Caribbean, resulting in over 1,500 observations. Multi-national teams of biologists and volunteers from the Bahamas National Trust, National Audubon, US Geological Survey, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, BirdsCaribbean, and many others surveyed the Bahamas, Cuba, and Turks and Caicos Islands. The Piping Plover surveys were well-publicized with instructions and identification tips published on eBird Caribbean, helping to garner support and volunteers counters. Surveys on other Caribbean islands were conducted as part of the Caribbean Waterbird Census; incidental reports also helped increase our understanding of this species’ presence in the Caribbean.

Reddish Egret (photo by ). — A stunning Reddish Egret in the Bahamas. (photo by Walker Golder).

It is an exciting time for biologists wishing to learn more about the distribution of Piping Plover and threats it faces during the non-breeding season. We also learned about other shorebird species in the Caribbean, including Wilson’s Plover and Snowy Plover, which is crucial to understanding why many shorebird species are declining, as well as learning more about their winter distribution. Although their eggs and young are vulnerable, recovery of the Piping Plover and other species depends on protection across their life-cycle. For example, the 2011 Census led to the designation of a National Park and Important Bird Area in the Bahamas. The 2016 results will hopefully inform many other conservation initiatives. Below is a summary of the Census on different islands/ island groups and additional photos and maps showing locations of surveys and numbers of different species of plovers that were counted.

Cuba 2016

University of Havana's Bird Ecology Lab (left to right) - volunteer: Ral Gomez, Bird Ecology Lab: Alieny Gonzalez, MartÌn Acosta, Lourdes Mugica, Ianela GarcÌa-Lau, Ariam Jiménez. (photo by Jen Rock). — University of Havana’s Bird Ecology Lab (left to right) – volunteer: Ral Gomez, Bird Ecology Lab: Alieny Gonzalez, MartÌn Acosta, Lourdes Mugica, Ianela GarcÌa-Lau, Ariam Jiménez. (photo by Jen Rock).

For the fifth time (5 out of 6 census years) the Canadian Wildlife Service partnered with local Cuban biologists to survey sites on the Caribbean’s largest island. 2016 marked a new collaboration with the University of Havana’s Bird Ecology Group led by Dr. Ariam Jiménez. Surveys differed from previous years in that there was greater capacity and improved coverage, with the addition of new survey sites and more local engagement.

Francois Shaffer (Canadian Wildlife Service) and Ianela Garcia-Lau (University of Havana) surveying for Piping Plover at Cayo Coco, Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba. (photo by Jen Rock)

A total of 105 Piping Plover were detected, an increase from the previous count of 89 birds during the 2006 census. Without a doubt, one highlight was identifying five banded birds from various breeding grounds including: Atlantic US, U.S. Great Lakes, U.S. Great Plains and Eastern Canada. However, our greatest delight was spotting birds from home: one banded in New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula and the other on the island of Newfoundland – the latter where only 12 birds have previously been banded! Overall the trip was a great success and we are happy to have engaged the expertise of the University of Havana; all of which was made possible via partnerships with Birds Studies Canada and through connections made via BirdsCaribbean.

The team was excited to spot a Piping Plover banded by Environment Canada at Plover ground North, Acadian Peninsula New Brunswick (summer 2015)! The banded bird (left foreground) was seen at playa Covarubias, Camag¸ey Province, Cuba, January 2016. (photo by Jen Rock) — The team was excited to spot a Piping Plover banded by Environment Canada at Plover ground North, Acadian Peninsula New Brunswick (summer 2015)! The banded bird (left foreground) was seen at playa Covarubias, Camaguey Province, Cuba, January 2016. (photo by Jen Rock)

Dr. Ariam Jiménez counting plovers at playa Santa Lucia, Camagüey Province, Cuba. (photo by Jen Rock)

The Bahamas 2016

Braving the elements to conduct the census in the Bahamas. (photo by Walker Golder).

Between January 18 and 25, teams of Bahamians, U.S. and Canadian scientists spread out across the Bahama Archipelago to participate in the 2016 International Plover Census. The census was coordinated by Bahamas National Trust, Audubon, USGS and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Funding from USFWS, Disney and Audubon, helped engage an impressive thirty Bahamian volunteers who joined international scientists and volunteers to participate, develop skills, and increase our collective knowledge of shorebirds across the Bahamas.

American Oystercatchers in the Bahamas (photo by Walker Golder).

Faced with many logistical challenges and some uncooperative weather, the teams still managed to survey Grand Bahama, Abaco, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Andros, New Providence, Inagua, the Berry Islands, the Joulter Cays, Water Cays, the Exumas and Ragged Island chain. Shorebird research and improved Bahamian capacity between the 2011 and 2016 censuses helped focus efforts, which resulted in a successful count and the final data points to create at least two new Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas. The total number of Piping Plovers counted seen is still being finalized but is between 1,350 and 1,400, an increase from 2011 effort. Several banded birds were tracked back to their breeding grounds in the United States and Canada.

Turks and Caicos Islands 2016

Plover counters on North Caicos in the Turks and Caicos Islands (left to right): Elise Elliott-Smith, Caleb Spiegel, Brian Naqqi Manco of the DECR, and Craig Watson.

The 2016 Census was the first ever survey for Piping Plover on any of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), thanks to support from USFWS Migratory Birds, two USFWS and a USGS biologist worked with local biologists from the TCI Dept of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR). Additionally, a School for Field Studies professor accompanied us on one survey and we received support from local boat and fishing guides. Many of the larger Islands and smaller Cays were surveyed including Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South Caicos, Little Ambergris Cay, Dick Hill Cay, and others. Piping Plover were found throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands on 6 different islands/cays.

Wet work! Caleb Spiegel (USFWS) looks for plovers on Little Ambergris Cay, TCI. (photo by Craig Watson)

The preliminary total for surveys in the Turks and Caicos Islands was 96. Since little is known about shorebirds in Turks and Caicos and there is conservation concern for other species, efforts were made to record all shorebirds encountered, resulting in over 3,200 shorebirds from 17 species. We surveyed many of the most promising areas in the Turks and Caicos Islands, however there is additional habitat that we were unable to explore. The highlight of the trip was finding a flock of 42 Piping Plover on a small cay near South Caicos, including banded birds from New Brunswick (Canada), Massachusetts, and Rhode Island (U.S.).

Other Islands

One of two Piping Plovers spotted by Sipke Stapert in Bonaire, winter 2016. (photo by Sipke Stapert)

Although unable to organize surveys on other Caribbean islands as part of the 2016 International Census, we requested participants in the Caribbean Waterbird Census to make an effort to visit suitable habitat to look for Piping Plovers. Two surveys were conducted in Aruba but no Piping Plovers were seen. However, two were seen incidentally in Bonaire after the census in early March. Small numbers of Piping Plover have been reported in prior years on islands throughout the Caribbean including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Croix, Guadeloupe, and others. Generally these reports have been of only one or two birds, but there was one sighting of a group of 12 observed in the Dominican Republic in 2006. Since the Piping Plover is rare, cryptic, and widely dispersed in winter they could be more widespread in the Caribbean than we know at this time. Hence, we encourage biologists and birders on all islands to look for them on sand-spits, beaches, and other unvegetated or sparsely vegetated habitat on or adjacent to the shore.

Looking Forward to 2021 and Beyond

Wilson's Plover, one of the few shorebirds that breeds in the Bahamas, photographed on Andros Island in the Bahamas. (photo by David Jones). — Wilson’s Plover, one of the few shorebirds that breeds in the Bahamas, photographed on Andros Island in the Bahamas. (photo by David Jones).

Participating in the 2016 International Census was an amazing experience and I long to return in order to explore further and access sites we couldn’t get to in 2016. Flying from South Caicos to Providenciales in a tiny Twin Otter, I had a view of all the Caicos and little cays and it was impossible not to be struck by the beauty of the crystal clear waters and wonderful habitat. One thing that surprised me was the breadth of undeveloped and lightly developed land in Turks and Caicos. I did not realize that such areas still existed in the Caribbean, and these areas are an excellent resource for locals, visitors and birds. Birding eco-tourism is being promoted by the Turks and Caicos National Museum and the Tourism Board. National Audubon has been doing great work training locals in the Bahamas. Bird and nature tourism is also being developed throughout the Caribbean through the Caribbean Birding Trail, which has trained guides in Grenada, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. There is huge potential for much more, as long as natural areas are protected. Learning more about Piping Plovers and other shorebird species in the Caribbean informs conservation efforts and leverages international support to protect the vital habitat on which they depend. So, open your field guides to the shorebird section and read up on your plovers, then go look for them next winter, participate in the 2021 International Piping Plover Census, take pictures, and report all your observations on eBird Caribbean (and any Piping Plover sightings to me as well please!). With luck and your help, we might ensure that this fascinating but vulnerable shorebird remains for future generations to enjoy. Elise Elliott-Smith is a Wildlife Biologist for US Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, Oregon. She works on a variety of research and monitoring projects related to shorebird species of conservation concern. Email: eelliott-smith@usgs.gov Many thanks to Jen Rock (Canadian Wildlife Service) and Matt Jeffery (National Audubon Society) for summary information on the counts in Cuba and the Bahamas, respectively, and Karen Aguilar Mugica for the Cuba maps. P.S. Please continue to look for Piping Plovers whenever you are visiting coastal areas and/or doing a Caribbean Waterbird Census count. Plover identification tips and photographs are available here. Enter your checklists in eBird Caribbean and help advance our knowledge of all Caribbean waterbirds. Be on the lookout for banded birds and do your best to read the band colors and flags as described at this website and be sure to report any banded bands you see. Thanks! P.P.S. Guide booklets on bird-watching in the Turks and Caicos Islands are available at this website.

Location and numbers of Wilson's Plovers seen in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Islands and Cuba during the 2016 International Piping Plover Winter Census. Map courtesy of Audubon. — Location and numbers of Wilson’s Plovers seen in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Islands and Cuba during the 2016 International Piping Plover Winter Census. Map courtesy of Audubon.

Location and numbers of Snowy Plovers seen in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Islands and Cuba during the 2016 International Piping Plover Winter Census. Map courtesy of Audubon.

A closer look at Piping Plover survey sites in Cuba, 2016. Map courtesy of Karen Aguilar Mugica.

A closer look at Piping Plover numbers at each of the survey sites in Cuba, 2016. Map courtesy of Karen Aguilar Mugica.

Piping Plover in the Berry Islands. (photo by Walker Golder)

July 20, 2016

JCO Roundup: New Research from Cuba, Jamaica, Margarita Island and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is a free, peer-reviewed journal produced by BirdsCaribbean.

As we round the bend into the second half of the calendar year, the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) is excited to have already published four fantastic peer-reviewed articles since the beginning of 2016. We encourage you to follow the embedded links to the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology’s website where you can download and read the complete articles for free. Don’t hesitate to pass them around, discuss them with colleagues, and reach out to the authors themselves if you are interested in learning more about their research. The Caribbean is home to a unique, tight-knit community of researchers, conservationists, and students throughout the sciences; the JCO is excited to be at the forefront of all the incredible new ornithological knowledge coming from the islands and is equally excited to offer free access to all of the journal’s publications.

First up is an article by Hiram González Alonso, Alejandro Llanes Sosa, and Eneider Pérez Mena, entitled: Inventario de las poblaciones de aves en San Vicente y las Granadinas [Inventory of Avian Populations in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]. The authors conducted avian surveys at 25 localities around Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with the objective of updating our current knowledge of the species diversity and distributions found on these islands. The authors identified 89 species in total, and use their results to highlight several geographic areas of conservation importance, some of which are not currently recognized as IBA’s (Important Bird Areas) yet were found to serve as essential breeding and foraging grounds for multiple species of birds.

Cerulean Warbler Setophaga cerulea (photo by Elysa Silva). — Cerulean Warbler on Margarita Island (photo by Elysa Silva).

Next we head ~350 km to the southwest for our second article, Registros de nuevas especies de aves accidentales y exóticas en la isla de Margarita, Venezuela [Records of new accidental and exotic bird species on Margarita Island, Venezuela], by Virginia Sanz, Elysa Silva and Gianco Angelozzi. Margarita Island is located 22 km off the northeast coast of Venezuela and as of 2009 there were 193 bird species that had been recorded there. This article updates that list with an additional five species that were recorded for the first time on the island during the authors’ 2010–2014 study period. Those species include Plain-breasted Ground Dove (Columbina minuta), Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), Wattled Jacana (Jacana jacana), Scarlet-fronted Parakeet (Psittacara wagleri), and Chestnut-fronted Macaw (Ara severus). The dove and warbler are accidental visitors, while the jacana is a widely distributed species known to inhabit various aquatic habitats in South America and may possibly be expanding its range onto Margarita Island. The two parrot species are most likely escapees from the local parrot trade. Documenting changes to diversity on islands is important as we strive to better understand how the addition of both natural and introduced species impact island ecosystems.

Barn Owl (photo by Gary R. Graves). — Barn Owl in Jamaica (photo by Gary R. Graves).

The third article, Observation of a Barn Owl (Tyto alba) bathing in a rainwater pool in Jamaica by Gary R. Graves, stems from the south-central coast of Jamaica. Graves was able to document what may be the first record from the Western Hemisphere of bathing behavior being exhibited by a Barn Owl in the wild. The plumage of the individual indicates that it was T. a. furcata, the resident race known to the Greater Antilles, as opposed to the North American race, T. a. pratincola, which has been documented as a migrant to the region. Natural history observations such as this one by Graves are important in helping ornithologists identify all of the resources (in this case limited freshwater pools) a species needs in order to survive, which in turn helps to build a more holistic foundation of knowledge that conservation management policies can draw from.

Lastly, we have Kenneth G. D. Burrell and Lillian A. Knopf’s article, The status of the Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) in Cuba. The authors describe what appears to be the eighth formal record of an Easter Phoebe individual on the island of Cuba, documented in February of 2015. Burrell and Knopf summarize the other seven documented sightings of Eastern Phoebe in Cuba and attribute these occurrences to specific weather patterns happening at the time of fall migration or in winter. Specifically, the species may be susceptible to being blown off course by cold fronts and extreme winter weather.

The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal produced by BirdsCaribbean, the largest regional organization dedicated to the conservation of wild birds and their habitats in the insular Caribbean. The JCO has been in publication since 1988 (before 2003 as El Pitirre), offering authors the opportunity to publish avian-focused research from the Caribbean in any of the three most commonly used languages: English, Spanish, and French. In an effort to maximize ornithological knowledge throughout the Caribbean, the JCO offers free and open access to all of its publications.

Map depicting research locations of the four studies published by the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in the first half of 2016.

By Justin Proctor, Caribbean Ornithologist; Freelance Writer; Loving Husband. Justin is part of our JCO Editorial and Production team and a frequent contributor to our blog.

July 8, 2016

The David S. Lee Fund for Conservation

We are seeking to grow this fund and need your help.

The first call for proposals for proposals has been announced (deadline 15 December 2016) click here for information on how to apply) and the first award will be made in early 2017.

At the BirdsCaribbean meeting in Kingston, Jamaica in 2015, a round of beers was purchased in Dave’s honor, since he always seemed to have a cooler full when people wanted one (and even when they didn’t). Think of this fund like a cooler full of refreshing beverages that Dave would have around if he were here. We owe it to Dave to stock that cooler—to vitalize naturalists and empower them in their work to help wildlife.

Please give a tax deductible donation to the David S. Lee Fund. Give generously. The more we put into the fund, the more we can give out each year.

Click here to make an online contribution.

If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for the David S. Lee Fund. If you have questions or wish to make other arrangements for donating, please feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Financial Officer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org)

Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760-2076

Thank you for your participation and support!

June 28, 2016

Conserving Bahamas Beach-Nesting Birds and Habitats

Margo Zdravkovic shares her adventures from Conservian’s 2016 Bahamas Shorebird Conservation Expedition

Fair Winds and Full Sails

Living the dream—Margo Z. on the bow of the Dream Catcher. (Photo © Conservian/ Scott Hecker)

On the evening of April 27th, the Dreamcatcher’s captain, John Duke, and I sat at the 75-foot schooner’s large, wooden, galley table. With the sun setting over our research vessel, we studied charts and made final adjustments to plans that had been years in the making. We sailed out of Key West on the 26th, following the Florida Keys north, our schooner efficiently loaded with food, water, gear, and materials for the expedition. At sunrise we would set out and cross to Bimini, entering the infamous Bermuda Triangle. By the 29th we would clear Bahamian Customs in Freeport.

The five week long, 900-mile round-trip expedition would take us to the far reaches of the Bahama’s northern islands, including Grand Bahama Island, Great Abaco, the Atlantic Abaco Cays, and the Berry Islands. Anchored out, the nighttime sky was clear and endlessly full of constellations not easily seen from land. For me, sleep off the Florida coast tonight would be difficult, but essential. The dream was actually happening. At sunrise, with the invaluable partnerships and cooperation of so many, Conservian’s 2016 Bahamas Shorebird Conservation Expedition would, at last, become reality.

2016 Navigational Route of the Dream Catcher (Image © Conservian/ Margo Zdravkovic & Google Earth)

Bahamas Conservation Vision

Conservian’s mission is to conserve coastal birds and their habitats throughout the western hemisphere. The Bahamas archipelago is comprised of more than 700 islands and cays, and thousands of miles of sandy shorelines, sand flats, mud flats, and mangroves, possessing prime habitat for migratory and breeding shorebirds, much of it yet unexplored. Even now in 2016, as human-created pressures increase globally, very little information exists on many species of shorebirds in the Bahamas, particularly solitary beach-nesting birds like the Wilson’s Plover.

Wilson’s Plover chicks. (Photo © Conservian/ Margo Zdravkovic)

Why should anyone be concerned about such species? Well, the Wilson’s Plover can be thought of as a “canary in a coal mine” or species that indicates the diversity level of a specific coastal habitat. To thrive, the Wilson’s Plover, much like the endangered Piping Plover, needs healthy coastal habitats that are protected from human-caused disturbance. Plovers are fairly resilient and do well if provided with a safe stretch of coastal habitat to hatch nests and raise young. Protection for plover species can also act as an “umbrella” to benefit other coastally-dependent species.

American Oystercatcher with young (Photo by J. Gray)

Least Tern parents feeding young. (Photo by J. Gray)

The seedling concept for Conservian’s shorebird habitat conservation work in the Bahamas had taken root in 2011 during face-to-face discussions with Bahamas National Trust and other partners at the BirdsCaribbean International Conference on Grand Bahama Island. Later that year the Dream Catcher partnership began with Captain Duke’s idea of a live-aboard expedition. In 2014 LightHawk funded Conservian’s Bahamas aerial surveys that provided essential habitat data necessary to begin on-the-ground work. Discussions and planning continued through 2015 at the BirdsCaribbean Conference in Jamaica, where Conservian was invited to present a vision for new shorebird conservation work in the Bahamas. Resulting partnerships led to a cooperative Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant award which will help fund the project through 2017. The International Conservation Fund of Canada is also a key supporting partner of Conservian’s Bahamas conservation work.

Aerial of shorebird habitat, Long Island. (Photo © Conservian/ Margo Zdravkovic)

With the start of our expedition Conservian and partners would begin the first program in the Bahamas to implement on-the-ground protective measures to limit human-caused disturbance to beach-nesting birds, and initiate control of invasive Casuarina pine at key shorebird and seabird sites. We would accomplish these goals by working together in the field with our local partners and community members to conserve the Bahamas coastal treasures.

Our Research Vessel

Fair winds and full sails-crossing to Bimini! (Photo © Conservian/ Margo Zdravkovic)

Designed in 1996 by Captain Duke, the Dreamcatcher schooner, our home and floating field station, proved, as planned, the most efficient way to transport our crew, field equipment, and materials throughout the northern Bahamas archipelago. Solidly built of steel, she made a perfect expedition vessel. Her 20-foot beam provided great stability in open waters, yet her shallow, 5-foot draft allowed us close approach to our targeted landing areas. For ferrying field crew and equipment to shore we towed a traditional, custom-crafted, 30-foot, wooden longboat, the “Aida”, built by Captain Duke.

The expedition was planned for the month of May. After our three-day Atlantic crossing with only essential sailing crew, each week saw a new volunteer field team fly into Bahamian airports to join the project. The first team member, and one of our expedition photographers, arrived on Sunday May 1, followed by our first week’s crew on Monday at Freeport International Airport. Conservian’s team and ship’s crew adapted quickly to shared onboard duties of cooking, cleaning, and sailing.

Thirty-foot longboat “Aida” was used to ferry field crew and equipment to shore. (Photo © Conservian/ Maureen Lilla)

All hands on deck! Sails up! With Conservian’s volunteer crew. (Photo © Conservian/ Scott Hecker)

Each morning, we’d awake early to the welcome aroma of the Captain’s freshly brewed coffee along with views of golden sunrises, open horizons, and almost impossibly vibrant turquoise water surrounds. Each night and each following morning, Captain Duke and I, along with first mate Andrew, would review planned navigation routes and logistics for the schooner and longboat, as well as deployment and retrieval plans for field crew and equipment.

Logistical planning with Capt Duke, Margo, and 1st mate Andrew. (Photo © Conservian/ Scott Hecker)

Key elements of our mission on every island we visited centered on conducting surveys for beach-nesting bird target species and habitat assessments for human-caused disturbance. In planned areas, we posted signs to alert beach-goers to the presence of beach-nesting birds to reduce disturbance to birds, nests, and chicks. We made new friends wherever we went as the Bahamian locals were very interested in our expedition, desired to help, expressed appreciation, and discussed the future.

Posting beach-nesting bird sites with local volunteers (Photo © Conservian/ Maureen Lilla)

Challenges in the Field

Conservian field team loading into longboat. (Photo © Conservian/ Scott Hecker)

During survey work, we typically divided into smaller field teams of two or three, to cover the maximum area possible. Reaching shorebird sites, first by water and then by land, often proved to be our toughest daily task. Challenges began with finding suitably calm waters for team drop offs.

To reach potential habitat on islands with Atlantic beachfront, we often hiked on overgrown trails, through vegetated terrain, and across rocky shorelines. We made use of a variety of land-based transportation modes, from rental van and taxis to hitch-hiking on local golf-carts.

We walked many miles enduring May’s tropical heat, humidity, and biting insects while searching for beach-nesting birds or posting shorebird sites. Rewards, were abundant, however, with exciting new data collected, new shorebird sites posted, frequent nest and chick sightings, and unforgettable vistas of Caribbean sands and seas, as well as an occasional quick dip in the blue to cool off. Often when the Dreamcatcher was anchored off shore, our adventurous and productive days ended with a boat-side swim or snorkel in the clear, near-shore waters followed by a hearty meal from the galley, or on-deck barbecue, jointly prepared by the group.

Field team collecting new data on Grand Bahama’s north shore. (Photo © Conservian/ Maureen Lilla)

Margo’s mermaids cooling off after a hot day of field work. (Photo © Conservian/ Scott Hecker)

Field Successes

Prime beach-nesting bird habitat within mangrove wetlands. (Photo © Conservian/ R. Bjork)

We conducted ground surveys for beach-nesting birds on 29 islands and cays, collecting new data on habitats, and breeding abundance and distribution. Local volunteer stewards participated in ground surveys and assisted with posting and signing of imperiled shorebird areas. Noted conservationist Erika Gates and her dedicated volunteers joined us aboard the Dreamcatcher for a sign posting mini-expedition to protect Bridled Terns at Peterson Cay National Park, where Conservian also conducted Casuarina eradication. On Grand Bahama Island and Great Abaco, by invitation, we gave educational presentations, speaking about Conservian’s shorebird work and the expedition.

Wilson’s Plover nest. (Photo © Conservian/ Margo Zdravkovic)

Wilson’s Plover male. (Photo © Conservian/ Scott Hecker)

Casuarina pine training and control at Lucaya National Park, Grand Bahama Is. (Photo © Conservian/ Maureen Lilla)

With assistance from Ellsworth Weir, manager of Lucaya National Park, we conducted a pilot project to control the invasive species Casuarina pine, which has spread throughout the Bahamas eroding beaches and destroying shorebird habitat. Conservian provided in-the-field Casuarina control training for staff from the Bahamas National Trust and Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority. Our local Casuarina control team began eradication at Lucaya National Park’s Gold Rock Beach with herbicide donated to the project by Dow AgroScience.

Our Casuarina pine control team at Gold Rock Beach, Lucaya National Park. (Photo © Conservian/ Maureen Lilla)

Conservian’s Bahamas cooperative shorebird conservation work is a new and innovative program with long-term objectives for conserving and protecting the natural coastal resources of the Bahamas through directed assistance and local capacity building. With essential support from our partners BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, local volunteer coordinators Erika Gates, Honorable Pericles Maillis, Dr. Elwood Bracey, Shamie Rolle, and many others, we were able to accomplish major project objectives during our first year of the project. Our present and future successes are attributable in great measure to our increasing family of supporting partners, whom we look forward to working with again soon.

Erika’s volunteers at Peterson Cay National Park. (Photo © Conservian/ Maureen Lilla)

Bahamas 2017!

In May 2017, Conservian/Coastal Bird Conservation will embark on our second Bahamas conservation expedition in the northern Bahamas. Keep a weather eye on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CoastalBirdConservation for our other project updates and message us or email margoZ@coastalbird.org for information on joining Conservian’s conservation team on our next adventure.

Our Supporting Partner Organizations and Individuals

Margo Z. on Dream Catcher’s mast. (Photo © Conservian/ Scott Hecker) — Margo Z. on Dreamcatcher’s mast. (Photo © Conservian/ Scott Hecker)

BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, International Conservation Fund of Canada, US Fish and Wildlife Service/Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Grant, LightHawk, Dream Catcher Coastal Sailing Adventures, Dow AgroSciences, Grand Bahama Nature Tours, Optics for the Tropics, Grand Bahama Port Authority, Bahamas Public Parks & Beaches Authority, Bahamas Environment, Science & Technology Commission, Rand Nature Center, Abaco Friends of the Environment, Treasure Cay Community Center, Royal Bahamas Police Force/Marine Support, University of Florida, University of Miami, Mobile Bay Audubon Society, Atlantic Design Homes.

Honorable Pericles Maillis, Dr. Lisa Sorenson, Eric Carey, Erika Gates, Captain John O. Duke, Dr. Elwood Bracey, Shamie Rolle, Ellsworth Weir, Linda Barry-Cooper, Keith Kemp, James Madison Roswell, Andrew McDowell, Thomas Wilmers, Lee Pagni, Daniel Leckie, William Gravitter, Robert Gravitter, Edward Guerry, David Cummins, David L’Hereux, and Thomas Wilmers. Conservian 2016 Supporting Volunteer Crew: Maureen Lilla, Scott Hecker, Alexandra Newton, Tyler Kovacs, Emma Rhodes, Shona Lawson, Dawn Rasmussen, Carolyn Wardle, Janet Vertin, Robyn Darley, Robin Bjork, Ben Bowman, Pete Monte, Corina McBride, Coralina Meyer, Mihala Reedy, Charla Lower, Susan Silvia, Louis Wray.