Join BirdsCaribbean, the Caribbean Birding Trail and acclaimed Cuban bird guide, Ernesto Reyes Mouriño, on the adventure of a lifetime in January or March of 2021. Cuba is well-known for its amazing landscapes, vibrant culture and unique biodiversity. According to the new Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba: 2018-2019 Edition, 394 birds have been recorded …
Active Seabird Projects in the Caribbean Please find a list and summary of active and past seabird projects in the region, with links to project-specific websites and resources. We are actively adding to this list so please get in touch with our working group committee or through our survey if you have information to add. …
Seabird Conservation Seabirds (and waterfowl) are the only animals that have conquered the sea, land and sky. Over twenty species of seabirds live in the Caribbean, and many more visit every (see the West Indian Breeding Seabird Atlas). Seabirds spend most of their lives on or over the sea, foraging, feeding or resting. They are …
Magnificent Frigatebirds soaring like big black kites overhead are a familiar sight throughout the Caribbean. These birds are also commonly seen harassing and stealing food from other seabirds—a behaviour known as kleptoparasitism—earning them the reputation of being ‘Pirates of the Skies’! These days, a careful watcher might also see a Magnificent Frigatebird fitted with a …
Emma Lewis, writer and member of our Media Working Group, shares with us the unexpected joy and camaraderie we all felt birding “together” on May 9th, Global Big Day. Here is her report on the day’s adventures with photos and quotes from around the world. On a humid, overcast day in Panama City, Beny Wilson …
The biggest birding day of the year — Global Big Day —took place on Saturday May 9, 2020. More than 50,000 people from around the world joined in to record their sightings. Close to 300 participants from throughout the West Indies recorded 345 different species of birds! Cuba had the most species by country (135) followed closely by the Bahamas (126) and Puerto …
Working Groups Seabird Working Group “Seabird” is a general term used to collectively describe any species of bird that spends a substantial part of its life foraging and breeding in the marine environment. Twenty-two (possibly 23) species of seabirds breed in the Caribbean, and dozens more occur as migrants in the region. Because these birds …
Do you study seabirds as a student, scientist, or independent researcher? Do you manage nesting islands or work in a seabird colony? Do you teach environmental education about seabirds or lead birdwatching groups? Are you a project director, a volunteer, a retiree active in seabird conservation? If so, we want to hear from you! You …
Soaring above the tree tops of Los Haitises National Park is the mighty Ridgway’s Hawk. Conflicts with humans and changes in its forest habitat have made it hard for this species to survive. Marta Curti gives us an update on the exciting work of The Peregrine Fund to save this Critically Endangered raptor. Since 2000, when …
Are you staying home right now? Sit back, relax and enjoy this vivid account of a trip around four islands, an adventure in search of the Amazona parrots. Ryan Chenery, the Barbados-based CEO of Birding the Islands will take you there. Ryan’s company is a proud partner of BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) and shares …
Josmar Marquez, from AveZona, has lead bird monitoring projects on Coche Island in Venezuela since 2018. In addition to data collection, his work involves mentoring young conservationists and promoting nature-friendly behavior changes in the local community of the island. Here, Josmar describes his most recent Snowy Plover monitoring season and some exciting firsts for shorebird …
Aliya Hosein shares about her recent trip to Saint Vincent to learn more about the endemic St. Vincent Parrot, one of the most beautiful and colorful parrots in the region! I recently enjoyed an exciting trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I spent nine days on this wonderful, mountainous island; and I can certainly …
Join Jennifer Wheeler as she shares real-life stories from the field about the challenges of saving the endangered Black-capped Petrel, aka Diablotin, from extinction. You might laugh, you might cry, you might want to join the project. Hopefully you’ll feel as inspired as we are about the future of this species, thanks to the hard work …
From all of us at JCO, thank you to all of the authors and reviewers that contributed to a very successful Volume 32! Inside you’ll find a sizable number of publications, including 16 research articles, our first designated “Conservation Report,” 4 book reviews, Recent Ornithological Literature from the Caribbean, and a special In Memoriam for …
Spencer Schubert’s adventures into the remote corners of the Dominican Republic Part continue, all in the name of science and conservation. If you are reading this, I probably do not have to convince you that birds are great. The more interesting discussion to be had, of course, would be what makes them so great. We …
Trinidad is home to 18 species of hummingbirds – we are all envious of this diversity! Aliya Hosein shares a folk tale of the role these birds played in the creation of one of Trinidad’s natural wonders—The Pitch Lake—and also some amazing natural history facts about these tiny but mighty birds. Most cultures around the …
Looking back on 2019, the year provided us with a range of experiences. There was excitement, success, tragedy, and hope. When we reflect on all that we have accomplished this year, in both the good times and the bad, there was one common theme: collaboration. Sometimes it took the form of official partnerships and other …
BirdsCaribbean’s third biennial photography competition took place at our 22nd International Conference in Guadeloupe. The five judges found it difficult to decide on the winners in each of three categories, and in particular the Grand Prize Winner. Artistry, composition, technique, colour, humour – and a great love for the subject matter – were embodied in …
On behalf of the entire Journal of Caribbean Ornithology staff, I am incredibly excited to announce that the JCO Archives are complete! And we are honored to dedicate these Archives to our deeply-valued and greatly-missed friend and colleague, the man who started this whole adventure: Dr. James W. Wiley. THE BACKSTORY (some historians claim that …
The Avalon is setting sail again this May for important shorebird and seabird conservation and research – join us! The mission is a continuation of on-the-ground protective and restorative measures to limit human-caused disturbance and control invasive Australian pine at key shorebird and seabird sites in The Bahamas with support from Conservian, BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National …
It is almost two months since a Category Five Hurricane named Dorian completely devastated the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco from September 1 to 3. Here is what has been happening since BirdsCaribbean sent out an online appeal for emergency funding to help birds and restore habitats on these islands. If you have not already …
Join Martha Cartwright and her five birding companions on their intrepid journey to the East End of Grand Bahama (GB) Island one month after Hurricane Dorian. Their mission was to check on the status of the birds and habitats devastated by this monstrous Category 5 Hurricane. Martha paints a vivid and sobering picture of the …
2019-2020 Awards Now Open! Size of Award: Several grants up to $1,000 each Application Deadline: December 7th, 2019 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: January 7th, 2020 Donations to the Fund: Tax-deductible (U.S.) at this link. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ David S. …
The month of October heralds a change in the seasons — even in the Caribbean. The days grow shorter and the fierce heat of the sun lessens. Countless birds journey to their winter homes in the Caribbean. For World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), Caribbean people celebrate the birds that come here every year. In the …
Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines is an innovative new avian field guide by co-authors Juliana Coffey and Alison (Aly) Ollivierre for the Grenadine archipelago shared between the countries of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada in the Eastern Caribbean. This is the first guide to specifically cover these transboundary islands, which are geologically, ecologically, …
“Horrific…. Unprecedented.…Complete and utter devastation…Human, environmental and economic ruin.“ These are the words people are using to describe to me the impact of Hurricane Dorian, the Category 5 storm that pounded the northern Bahamas for 2 straight days. Click here to make an online contribution. Last night I spoke with Erika Gates, a recent BirdsCaribbean Board …
Join BirdsCaribbean, the Caribbean Birding Trail and acclaimed Cuban bird guide, Ernesto Reyes Mouriño, on the adventure of a lifetime in January or March of 2020. Cuba is well-known for its amazing landscapes, vibrant culture and unique biodiversity. According to the new Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba: 2018-2019 Edition, 394 birds have been recorded …
What is a Gavilán? Have you seen a Guaraguaíto? These are two names sometimes given to the elegant Ridgway’s Hawk, a Critically Endangered bird of prey which lives only on the island of Hispaniola. This hawk has an estimated population of just 450 individuals in the Dominican Republic, and is believed to be extirpated in …
March 28th, 2019: A year and a half after Category 5 Hurricane Irma smashed into the beautiful island of Barbuda. A survey team is on the local ferry, returning to conduct follow-up population assessments of the endemic Barbuda Warbler and the Magnificent Frigatebird colony. The Barbuda Warbler was last evaluated by the IUCN in October, …
Cardinals are definitely red, Blue Jays are… well….yes, mostly blue, And it’s a FACT that our Guadeloupe Conference in July will be a damn good time… Because your BirdsCaribbean family—along with great birds, stunning landscapes, and a warm French culture—all anxiously await you! Dearest delegates and potential delegates far and wide, We are now less …
