In 2022 BirdsCaribbean ran its first Caribbean Bird Banding workshop in the Bahamas. Get a first-hand account of the highlights of this workshop from Cuban participant Daniela Ventura. Want to know what a ‘Molt Nerd’ is? Read on to find out! No, surely not! Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that in …
Caribbean Bird Banding Network Bird banding is a monitoring technique used throughout the world to gain valuable data from birds in the hand. While surveys give us a broader picture of landbird communities, banding gives us deeper insights into how these birds are doing, allowing for assessments of body condition, survival, phenology, demography, longevity, and …
Birders showed up for the Global Shorebird Count – and so did the shorebirds! Our Caribbean partners were thrilled to see some exciting and unusual birds (including a “first” for Bonaire!) during one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the birding calendar. The Global Shorebird Count took place from September 1 – 7, 2022, …
On April 9th, 2021, La Soufrière Volcano, on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent, began to erupt for the first time in 42 years. These explosive eruptions left the conservation community gravely concerned about impacts to the island’s wildlife and vegetation. Using funds raised through our volcano recovery campaign, BirdsCaribbean, the Saint Vincent Department of …
When the world seemed to stop at the behest of the pandemic, forcing most of us to remain at home, our BirdsCaribbean community kept going — birding, monitoring, and sharing our stories from safe spaces in our neighborhoods, community parks, and backyards. Nearly three years and countless virtual meetings later, the anticipation of an in-person …
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2022 is “Loving Birds is Human Nature”. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home. Endemic Bird of the Day: Bahama Swallow …
Patricia Bradley arrived on Grand Cayman in 1982 and began to put together comparative monthly records of bird sightings on all three islands. In the four decades since, she has authored several field guides and natural history books, and a British Ornithologists’ Union checklist. She is a founding and Life member of the Cayman Islands …
We’re delighted to share an exciting new education project, “Into the Wild with the EAG.” This program, which includes engaging short videos and an activity booklet for students, was developed by our partner, the Environmental Awareness Group in Antigua and Barbuda. Learn all about it from Program Coordinator Shanna Challenger and find out how you …
The online Seabird Fest on December 2 really made waves! It was a tremendous success, with a substantial participation by over 50 partners and individuals involved in seabird research and monitoring. The online meeting, over two hours long, was a sweeping and extensive overview of BirdsCaribbean’s Seabird Working Group’s (SWG) activities and findings, followed by …
Over 45 days, the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) 2021 explored the theme of Sing, Fly, Soar – Like A Bird! The festival celebrates the birds found only in the region, highlights the threats to their survival and demonstrates how we can protect them for generations to come. We extend a massive “thank you” to …
Flock together with us this August for the AOS 2021 Virtual Meeting! The meeting, August 9-13, features a fantastic line-up of keynote and plenary speakers, workshops, symposia, discussions, and social events. The meeting theme, Birds of Many Feathers Flock Together, aims to harness the power of all the individuals who study, conserve, and educate about …
BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce that we were recently awarded a Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) Grant! With the help of matching funds from our partners, we were awarded US$200,000 to implement a project that will increase capacity to monitor landbirds in the Caribbean! BirdsCaribbean has several successful bird monitoring initiatives, including our Caribbean …
Red Knots are known for their extraordinary long-distance migrations. On the Atlantic Flyway they head north from their main wintering areas in South America to breed in the Arctic, traveling as far as 15,000 km each way! Here in the Caribbean, they winter in small numbers on various islands, and we see them also during …
In 2014, BirdsCaribbean forged an exciting partnership with Carefree Birding, a group of fun and relaxed birders that offer unique birding trips for cruise line passengers. Carefree Birding has developed opportunities for passengers to observe native birds and wildlife while experiencing all the fun and relaxation of cruising. Owners Ken Burgener and Linda Warschauer are …
It was a bit of a gamble. The speakers were all ready to speak. The agenda was set. But…would anyone show up? Well, they did, in the thousands. The North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) 2020, originally scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico from August 10 to 15, had switched gears. It took …
This year is different—very different. BirdsCaribbean, like many other organizations, has had to “rethink” and restructure many of its regular activities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), celebrated each spring by diverse groups and partners throughout the Caribbean, moved into the online world for 2020. It transformed into a …
We have all had to adapt to a drastically different way of life in a very short time. One of our partners, the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) in Antigua and Barbuda, has risen to the challenge and made the best of a difficult situation. They organized an online “Birding for Beginners” course to encourage more …
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 …
BirdsCaribbean is excited to finally announce all of our Global Big Day 2020 prize winners! It was an action-packed day with so many unique adventures unfolding around the world. To everyone that participated — thank you, and we hope you had a great time! Without further ado, let’s give a big congratulations to the following …
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us in our virtual “From the Nest” edition! Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home. Endemic Bird of the Day: Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo The Hispaniolan Lizard-Cuckoo …
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 …
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 …
Ashton Lagoon has re-awakened! The local non-profit conservation organization Sustainable Grenadines (SusGren) welcomed guests to the lagoon’s (re)birthday celebration at its welcoming eco-friendly building on Union Island in the Grenadines on May 31, 2019. The building adjoins Ashton Lagoon, the largest natural bay and mangrove ecosystem in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This area was …
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, …
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, …
“I honestly finally feel like I can tackle shorebirds, with some level of comfort and confidence. I am so excited to get back out and practice!” Natalya Lawrence, Coordinator of the Offshore Islands Conservation Programme at Antigua’s Environmental Awareness Group, said this just after she returned from the Conserving Caribbean Shorebirds and Their Habitats International …
Our 30th Anniversary celebration of BirdsCaribbean continues! We’re delighted to share another short fun video of our members and partners describing the work they are doing with us to conserve birds and sending messages of congratulations. Thanks to you all for being part of our community, and enjoy! Starting us off is Scott Johnson, Science …
It was back in my university days on Antigua. I was studying for an undergraduate degree in Tourism. I remember spending every spare moment traversing the globe virtually, via GoogleEarth. One afternoon, I could visit the Louvre, and on another, discover the archaeological zone of Choquequirao in Peru. I was learning the world, one tiny …
It’s springtime in the Caribbean and all across the islands, the landscape will be painted with the vivid colours of the striking yellow and pink poui trees, the gentle blue from the blossoms of the Lignum Vitae, and so many other trees, bursting with colour. This too is the time when our birds settle down …
