Susan, a certified bird guide from Bonaire, was out birding when she spotted a newly arrived Osprey perched on a post. Only when she looked back at her photos did she spot something different about this bird. Read on to find out more about this bird and its amazing migration from Susan.

Fall migration is an exciting time of year in the Caribbean! This is when those of us birding on Bonaire begin to see the arrival of many migratory species, and one of those is the majestic Osprey. Although we do observe Ospreys year-round, the population greatly increases during fall migration and over the winter months.

Many of the Ospreys that spend winter on Bonaire have a highly refined site fidelity. They actually return to the same tree limb, or other favorite perch, each and every winter. For other arriving Ospreys, Bonaire is quite likely to be the first land they encounter on their southern journey. They will rest and recover from a long flight across the Caribbean Sea, before continuing southward to overwintering grounds in South America.

Two bands are better than one…

On September 12, 2022, I was birding down in the southern salt flats of Bonaire. Along the way to the southern point, I noticed that one Osprey had just arrived and was perched on its favorite hunting tree. As I continued birding, I spotted a second Osprey perched on a post. Here was a great photo opportunity, I thought, as I snapped off several images. However, it wasn’t until I looked at the images the following day, that I noticed this Osprey wore two bands.

One was a color band and was mostly readable. The number 54 was clearly discernible, but a toe partially obscured the initial letter on the band; it appeared to be an F. Unfortunately, the second band was not readable in my images. Finding a banded bird makes it an individual – it is no longer an anonymous bird among many other anonymous birds.  I was curious about this special bird, and so I began my Internet search for registries of banded Osprey to try to find out more, with what little information I had.

But my efforts fell flat- I came away empty handed!

The BirdsCaribbean network: a fountain of knowledge

Every birder needs to be part of a bird network.  Since there is just so much to learn about our feathered friends, it’s impossible to know everything.  A birder needs a support network–somewhere he or she may go with questions, and, for me, there is no better bird network than BirdsCaribbean. It’s an incredible resource that delivers again and again!

When my initial Internet searches didn’t help, I turned instead to my trusty bird network.  And, hey presto! Within just two hours, I learned that Dr. Scott Rush, Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management, Mississippi State University, was mentoring a Ph.D. research assistant, Natasha Murphy, who was banding Ospreys as part of her doctorate program. Now in touch with the person in the know, I learned the backstory of Osprey F54.

Osprey F54: a long-distance traveler who makes it look easy

Natasha was able to provide me with the who-what-where-when details I sought! Natasha and her technician, Sage Dale, with help from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and USDA personnel, banded Osprey F54 and his sister, F55, on June 20, 2022. Their nest was at Guntersville Lake (lat/long: 34.659337, – 85.944116) in Alabama, on a structure that acts as a navigational marker in Jones Bar, on Guntersville Reservoir.  When banding took place blood was also drawn for research purposes, which also provided DNA-sexing:  Osprey F54 was a male.  On that same day, Natasha and Sage banded 30 Osprey chicks in the area!

Based upon measurements taken when banded, it was estimated that Osprey F54 was 36 days old at that time.  Along with his color band, he was also outfitted with a U.S.G.S. band with the number 1218-10018.

Less than three months later, this Osprey was sighted here on Bonaire. This means that F54 had covered a distance of over 3,000 kilometers, or about 1,900 miles! It would take nearly seven hours in a plane to make that trip. We humans might consider it a long flight, yet this young Osprey made an equivalent trip and arrived in Bonaire looking healthy and fit after his long flight. Zero jet lag!

Only time will tell if Osprey F54 will join the ranks of the many human “snowbirds” who fly to Bonaire to spend the winter (I am talking about the tourists escaping the chilly weather up north, of course).  Or, will Osprey F54 be a short-stay “stopover visitor” as tourism officials say, who visits for a week or two for some rest and relaxation, before moving onward? It’s his first migration, and perhaps he will decide he likes Bonaire. Like many other overwintering Ospreys, we are likely to see him back year after year. And he will find his favorite branch or perch, too.

Now all F54 needs is a name!

Bird banding tells a story

With the information I received from Dr. Rush and Natasha Murphy, I was able to report banded Osprey F54 to the Bird Banding Laboratory at the U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center.  Each reported sighting adds a data point to this individual’s history and will provide further insight as to his movements and migrations.

The world’s birds need us now more than ever.  Recent studies have shown that an alarming number of birds have declining populations.  Research projects, such as Natasha Murphy’s, provide insight and knowledge, allowing for better-managed conservation and preservation efforts.

Making the most of banded birds

How can we maximize the value of banded birds, and learn more from them?

Get photos if you possibly can. It really doesn’t matter if you are using a point-and-shoot camera, as I do, or if you have the fanciest camera that today’s technology can provide.  The point is to document your observations with images.  Sometimes we only get a brief glimpse of a bird, and we don’t have time to take in all the details, such as bands.  Even if we identify the bands, we might not have the luxury of time with the bird to be able to read them.  By taking images, you have a record and can review them for additional details you might not have discerned in the field.

I would also suggest that you become part of a birding network! Knowledge and information can only add to the enjoyment of your birding experiences.  In the case of Osprey F54, I would never have been able to find out the bird’s history without my birding network.  It added so much to the pleasure of seeing this splendid bird; it is now a unique individual to me.  If you can find birders in your area with similar interests, you can discuss your observations.  Learning from each other is so rewarding!

Susan has lived on Bonaire for 30 years, she is a graduate of the Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Course run by BirdsCaribbean. Susan is a bird guide and a wildlife photographer. You can read more of her Bird Blog posts on her webpages here and get some useful photography tips here.

Find out more about the Caribbean Birding Trail On Bonaire and throughout the region!

If you spot a banded bird, do your best to record the band colors and any numbers or letters, paying special attention to the location of the band or bands on the bird’s legs. Binoculars or zoom photography may allow you to clearly see the band colors and the numbers engraved onto the band. Scientists use this information to track bird populations and migrations. Report your sightings of to the USGS Bird Banding Lab which oversee all banding in the United States, and you can report sightings of color banded shorebirds to BandedBirds.org.

You can find out more about Ospreys as a migratory bird in the Caribbean on our ‘Migratory Bird of the Day’ page all about Osprey! This contains interesting facts, puzzles, videos and photos and more!