Author: Justin Proctor

September 9, 2021

Passing the Torch to a New JCO Managing Editor

Outgoing Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) Managing Editor, Justin Proctor, shares the exciting news that Dr. Stefan Gleissberg is the new Managing Editor of JCO. Stefan is no stranger to JCO, as he’s been with the journal since 2019, first in the capacity of Assistant Production Editor, and then as Production Editor. His knowledge of our journal, dedication to its mission, and kinship with our staff makes him a great fit for leadership within the JCO family. Learn more about Stefan below!

In 2016, it was decided that the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) could benefit from the creation of a new role: a Managing Editor. The behind-the-scenes of JCO looked very different then, with just a handful of amazing volunteers working overtime to keep everything afloat. And so when the Editor-in-Chief at the time, Dr. Jason Townsend, reached out to me to gauge my interest in the position, I was excited to accept the offer, join the team, and figure out how best to help.

I ended up making the decision to focus a lot of my effort over the following years on building up a bigger team. We simply needed more hands on deck to ensure a more timely and quality product, and to give JCO the personable touch that we wanted to have. I’m happy to say that those efforts have borne fruit: JCO has gone from an all-volunteer team of ~6 individuals to a team of 10 part-time paid staff and 17 volunteers. Now, thanks to all of these amazing staff and the quality work they produce, JCO has an extensive list of achievements and publications to be very proud of. From submission through to publication, this team has become a cohesive unit that goes above and beyond to support our authors, reviewers, and each other—each and every step of the way. The added capacity has also allowed us to build out other elements of JCO. This will ensure the journal has the foundation and adaptability to remain the #1 ornithological journal in the Caribbean far into the future. I’m feeling really good about the road ahead.

The time has come, however, for me to pass the Managing Editor position into new hands. As much as I’m going to have a hard time letting go of it, I think it’s a healthy move for the journal. What’s exciting is that the change-up will allow me more time to serve the journal’s needs through my Vice-President Executive Board position with BirdsCaribbean, albeit more from the background. We are at an unprecedented time in which the JCO has two representatives on the BC Board of Directors, including me and our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr. This is a great opportunity to build even more positive momentum.

During our preliminary search for a new Managing Editor, we were pleasantly surprised when one of our own staff members expressed interest in the position. We were excited to first pursue that possibility before advertising the position more broadly. And so we did pursue it, and couldn’t be happier with how things turned out. On behalf of the BirdsCaribbean Board of Directors, Joe, and myself, I am excited to announce that Dr. Stefan Gleissberg will be stepping up into the role of Managing Editor. Stefan is no stranger to JCO, as he’s been with the journal since 2019—first in the capacity of Assistant Production Editor and then as Production Editor. His knowledge of our journal, dedication to its mission, and kinship with our staff makes him a great fit for leadership within the JCO family.

Stefan’s previous career as an international researcher in the plant sciences afforded him intimate familiarity with the world of scientific publishing. He has served both as author of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and as peer reviewer of manuscripts for academic journals and book publishers. A life-long birder, Stefan decided to re-engage in bird conservation and the birding community after retiring from his career in plant biology. In 2014, Stefan founded the Athens Area Birders in Ohio, a local community engaged in nature education and birding, and joined the Board of Directors of the Athens Conservancy, a land trust. He currently serves as Vice-President of the Ohio Ornithological Society, as steering committee member of the Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative, and as a statewide eBird data reviewer for Ohio, among other roles. From 2015 to 2020, Stefan served as the editor of The Cerulean, a print/online newsletter-magazine of the Ohio Ornithological Society. For this member-centered publication, he oversaw all aspects from acquisition, editing, layout, photo-editing, and production. He also contributed editorials and articles. And his more recent work with JCO has immersed Stefan into the world of Caribbean birds, a place where I know he’s excited about spending a lot more time.

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. It’s a one-of-a-kind journal that we are fortunate to call our own. To Stefan, I wish you great success in your new position as Managing Editor. It’s a lot of fun, no doubt about it. And while I can’t promise it will be all rainbows and butterflies, I can promise a lot of palm crows and raucous cries!

All the best,

—Justin Proctor

Editor’s note: We thank Justin Proctor for his incredible service and hard work to build the JCO team and make journal the successful peer-reviewed publication that it is today, and we extend a warm welcome to Stefan.

p.s. The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is in need of financial support! If you are able to make a one-time donation or become a monthly sustainer, know that your gift would be helping to building capacity for science and conservation of Caribbean birds, a core part of our vital mission.

February 25, 2021

Caribbean Bird Records – Unusual Sightings – Needed for North American Birds

This female Common Eider was spotted at Cooper’s Island, Bermuda during the 2016 annual Christmas Bird Count, and was the first record for the island. (Photo by Andrew Dobson)

For over 100 years, North American Birds and its predecessors have delivered regionalized summaries of bird populations — including the West Indies. These regional reports are now being housed online which means they can be available much more quickly than the traditional printed copies. If you are already an eBirder*, you should be able to find your unusual records very easily.

For about three years, publication of reports unfortunately ceased altogether due to staffing and management issues at the journal. But with a new team on board, things are happening fast!

BirdsCaribbean members Robert Norton, Anthony Levesque, and Andrew Dobson have been compiling seasonal reports for the West Indies and Bermuda region for many years. We are keen to maintain these reports but can only do this with your help.

What records are required? — rare sightings, unusually high numbers, the effect of hurricanes on local bird populations, etc. We are especially keen to receive news of the ‘first record’ of a species or the ‘first breeding record’. There is the opportunity of show-casing more photos online than in the printed copy, and so if you have a great photo of a rarely seen bird please submit that, too.

We need your unusual records from 2018 onwards. Simply email us a list indicating:

A Spotted Crake was reported from Desirade Island, Guadeloupe in 2014. This species was only the second record for the Caribbean. (Photo by Anthony Levesque)

Name of observer
Name of species
Number of birds
Location
Date first seen
Date last seen (if known)
A hyperlink to your eBird Caribbean checklist
Any other comments (e.g. first record since 1995, first known wintering record, earliest spring arrival)

All contributors will be listed and credited with sightings.

Many thanks if you are able to help. To speed up the process, please feel free to copy all three regional co-editors listed below when you send the email.

Thank you,

Andrew Dobson (Past-President, BirdsCaribbean)

Andrew Dobson (Bermuda)

andrewdobs@gmail.com

Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas)

corvus0486@aol.com

Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles)

anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr

*For those of you that are new to eBird, it’s a fun and easy (and very powerful!) platform to record your bird sightings, find the best places to bird, and more. And your data helps scientists better understand and conserve birds. If you’re in the Caribbean, be sure to use our portal, eBird Caribbean, to enter your data which offers birding protocols (e.g., the Caribbean Waterbird Census) and news stories unique to the region. We encourage you to get started and create an account; follow the quick instructions here. The eBird mobile app, available for both IOS and Android, is also great for entering your data straight from the field. Be sure to choose “Caribbean” as your region in the eBird app settings (“Settings” –> “Portal”).

January 11, 2021

Trinidad Conference Postponed, but Unique Opportunity with AOS Arises for 2022

Trinidad Conference Postponed

Scarlet Ibis in Trinidad will be worth the wait! (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)

After A LOT of lengthy discussions over the previous month with our Board, staff, and partners, BirdsCaribbean has made the difficult decision to officially postpone our conference in Trinidad slated for late July, 2021.

2020 has been a devastating year for our Caribbean community, emotionally, physically, and financially. Many of our partners and community members have suffered extensive setbacks in their research, work, and personal lives. Recuperating from these losses will take considerable time. We feel it would be unwise to plan an in-person conference for 2021, during what promises to be a period of slow and difficult recovery. We owe it to our community to acknowledge their most pressing needs, and to dedicate our time and resources to helping them during this period of recovery.

Additionally, although vaccines are on the horizon, we do not know at this time how quickly they will be distributed. It seems unlikely that everyone will be able to receive a vaccine in time to safely attend the conference. The uncertainty makes planning nearly impossible.

We extend our immense gratitude to all of the Local Organizing Committee in Trinidad, a group that has already invested a significant amount of time, energy, and enthusiasm into early preparations for the conference. Thank you! But your efforts have not been in vain. We look forward to picking up where we left off in the coming years when an in-person conference in Trinidad is feasible.

Conference in Puerto Rico 2022

Get excited about seeing Puerto Rican Bullfinches in Puerto Rico in the summer, 2022! (Photo by Hemant Keshan)

While discussing the possibility of moving the Trinidad conference back one full calendar year (to the summer of 2022), we became aware that the American Ornithological Society (AOS) had already scheduled their next annual meeting for June 27 to July 1 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. AOS kindly invited us to co-host this meeting, along with the local host in Puerto Rico and our non-profit partner Para La Naturaleza (PLN). Since it does not make sense to hold two major ornithological conferences back-to-back in the Caribbean, we have decided to join AOS and PLN and hold a joint conference in 2022. We are very grateful to their organizing committee for welcoming us and being as excited about these plans as we are!

Joining forces with AOS for their Puerto Rican conference will be a unique experience for our BirdsCaribbean community. Although it will be a larger conference and not focused exclusively on Caribbean birds, it will give all of us an opportunity to engage with a much larger network of scientists and conservationists. This will encourage knowledge sharing, collaborations, and much more! We are confident that it will be a fun, productive, and rewarding experience for all of us. And we will be sure to create many opportunities for our BirdsCaribbean community to connect with each other throughout the event.

Possible Virtual Mini-Conference this Summer

We are also entertaining the idea of conducting a small virtual “mini-conference” this coming summer that would consist of a series of talks and possibly some workshops and/or Working Group meetings, all online. We’ll be exploring this possibility over the coming months and will inform our community in the Spring.

January 8, 2021

JCO Roundup: Volume 33 Features New Research from 11 Caribbean Islands

Despite the challenges of the year 2020, JCO’s Volume 33 includes 16 publications, 3 book reviews, and a review of the recent ornithological literature from the Caribbean. The volume includes articles on a diversity of topics and taxa from 11 island territories and one Caribbean basin continental site. The content is a credit to all of the authors, reviewers, and JCO staff who overcame the pandemic challenges to contribute to the publication effort in a timely fashion. We thank all involved in this effort for their contributions, which have advanced our knowledge of Caribbean birds in 2020.

Please take some time to enjoy all of Volume 33. We should all take pride in this work and make the time to congratulate each other on all of these accomplishments, especially during this challenging year. If you enjoyed reading a publication, please send the authors a quick email letting them know. That is what makes Caribbean ornithology special—a sense of community and comradery unlike anywhere else.

— Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., JCO Editor-in-Chief, and Justin Proctor, JCO Managing Editor

P.S. More good news: we have a lot of great manuscripts at various stages in the pipeline right now, which means that V34 is already off to a strong start!

Map depicting research locations of the studies published in Volume 33.

RESEARCH ARTICLES AND NOTES

Composition of bird community in Portachuelo Pass (Henri Pittier National Park, Venezuela)

Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Jhonathan Miranda, and Miguel Lentino

In Henri Pittier National Park, Venezuela, the low-lying Portachuelo Pass provides essential habitat for both resident and migratory bird species. Despite this, information about the composition of the bird community is scarce. In this study, Sainz-Borgo et al. survey and describe the species inhabiting Portachuelo Pass, highlighting key characteristics of the avifauna in this important ecosystem.

Mass fallout and stopover duration of Migratory Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata) in Bermuda after Hurricane Nicole

Miguel A. Mejías and Albert J. Mejías

On 13 October, 2016, Hurricane Nicole made landfall over Bermuda. Mejias and Meijas acted quickly, utilizing the hurricane as an opportunity to document a species fallout event. Here, they present the results of their post-hurricane songbird surveys, documenting a significant fallout of Blackpoll Warblers and underscoring the importance of remote oceanic island refuges for fallout migrants.

Woodland size and vegetation effects on resident and non-resident woodland birds in Bermuda

Miguel A. Mejías and Erica Nol

While historically, Bermuda was home to lush, native, evergreen forests, human colonization in 1612 led to progressive habitat fragmentation and introduction of exotic trees. In this study, Mejías and Nol explore the impact of woodland size and vegetation features on species richness and bird abundance, specifically emphasizing the effects on White-eyed Vireos. Critically, they show that larger, less-fragmented woodlands are essential for supporting abundant and diverse bird communities.

Historical review of information on terns nesting in Bermuda, with prospects for re-establishing some of the lost species

David B. Wingate and Ian C.T. Nisbet

Early accounts from the Bermuda Islands suggest the presence of myriad nesting tern species on the islands; however, only the Common Tern survived into the 20th century. Here, Wingate and Nisbet review both the historic and recent records of terns on Bermuda, shedding light on the prospect of restoration and species recolonization using modern conservation techniques.

Abundance and distribution of Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) in the Virgin Islands

Louise M. Soanes, Judy Pierce, Daniel Nellis, Susan Zaluski, and Lewis G. Halsey

Due to a severe decline in the North Atlantic Roseate Tern populations in the 1900s, countries worldwide initiated conservation plans. However, few studies have focused on the Caribbean population of Roseate Terns. Using three decades of survey data, Soanes et al. detail the abundance and distribution of Roseate Terns in the Virgin Islands, identifying key breeding sites, reporting a gradual population decline, and calling for further conservation and research efforts.

Light-level geolocation reveals the migration route and non-breeding location of an Antillean Nighthawk (Chordeiles gundlachii)

Noah Perlut and Anthony Levesque

Though the Antillean Nighthawk is a relatively common species in the Caribbean, its migration routes and non-breeding location remain a mystery. In an effort to identify these locations, Perlut and Levesque attach a geolocator to a female Antillean Nighthawk, tracking and documenting her movements throughout a one-year period.

Novedades sobre la reproducción de dos especies de aves marinas poco comunes en Cuba*

Antonio García-Quintas, Laritza González Leiva, and Ariandy González González

The second breeding record of Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri) and the fourth breeding record of Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), were detected in the Felipe de Sotavento and Barlovento cays of northern Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. These seabirds are uncommon in the country; so, new records of nests with eggs and chicks indicate the need for increased sampling in northern cays of the country. The studied cays are among the most important nesting sites for seabird colonies in Cuba in terms of number of species and breeding pairs.

*Erratum: Novedades sobre la reproducción de dos especies de aves marinas poco comunes en Cuba

An error was found in the García-Quintas et al. manuscript published earlier in this volume, in which the photographs of an egg and chick in Figure 2 represent Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii), not Common Tern (S. hirundo).

Checklist of the birds of Finca Nolla, a recently protected area in northern Puerto Rico

Adrianne G. Tossas, Osvaldo Rullán, Robert J. Mayer, and Jean P. González

Throughout the 20th century, Finca Nolla, a wetland on the northwestern coast of Puerto Rico, was severely disturbed by agricultural and industrial practices. However, in 2011, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources purchased the land, designated it as a protected area, and began restoration activities. By thoroughly documenting the avifauna within Finca Nolla, Tossas et al. establish a baseline for future avian assessments and propose an upgrade of the conservation status to nature reserve.

A survey of Grenadians on seabird harvest in the Grenada Grenadines

Wayne A. Smart, Natalia Collier, and Virginie Rolland

Historically, overexploitation has contributed significantly to seabird population declines. Though protective laws have since been enacted, the extent of continued, illegal seabird harvest is unclear. Through their survey of the fishers and recreationists at the Fisheries Division office in Sauters, Grenada, Smart et al. shine a light on the persistence of seabird harvest in Grenada, highlight the sociodemographic factors that are associated with seabird harvest, and propose a possible community-based monitoring program. Photo

Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) roosting at Washington-Slagbaai National Park, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands

Fernando Simal, Adriana Vallarino, Elsmarie Beukenboom, Rutsel Paula, Henry Beaumont, George Zaragoza, Esther Wolfs, Patrick Holian, and Elisabeth Albers

After anecdotal reports suggested that the seabirds roosting on the northwestern coast of Bonaire had been reduced to less than 60 individuals, Simal et al. began to investigate. From 2008–2010, they conducted roost counts at seven sites in Washington-Slagbaai National Park. Here, they document substantially higher seabird counts than previously suggested, with a maximum of 240 Brown Boobies in July 2009.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada

Juliana Coffey, Natalia Collier, Vaughn Thomas, and Romould Compton

Though historically considered very rare in the West Indies, Lesser Black-backed Gulls have become fairly common non-breeding visitors to many Carribean islands, including most of the larger Lesser Antilles. Continuing this trend, here, Coffey et al. document the first records of Lesser Black-backed Gulls on both Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

The Pleistocene Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) from The Bahamas

Ajay M. Patel and David W. Steadman

Despite the rarity of Burrowing Owls on Abaco, The Bahamas, today, many Pleistocene Burrowing Owl fossils have been recovered from the island. Using skeletal measurements, Patel and Steadman compare these fossils to modern specimens from western North America, South America, and Florida. Their results shed light on possible morphological adaptations of the Abaco owls to the island’s biogeography.

Nest site characteristics of the Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi)

Briana M. Yancy, Janine M. Antalffy, Michael G. Rowley, Cierra N. McKoy, Daniel C. Stonko, Lebron E. Rolle, Jennifer L. Christhilf, Scott B. Johnson, Shelley Cant-Woodside, and Kevin E. Omland

Building on the first documentation of Bahama Orioles nesting in pine forests on Abaco, The Bahamas, in this study, Yancy et al. further characterize these nest sites. By identifying specific habitat characteristics that are important for pine forest nests, this work not only enhances our understanding of Bahama Oriole nesting ecology, but also helps inform critical conservation efforts.

Using citizen-science data to identify declining or recently extinct populations of Bahamian birds

Ruby Bagwyn, Kylen Bao, Zuzana Burivalova, and David S. Wilcove

The widespread use of the citizen-science database eBird offers a unique opportunity to analyze trends in bird populations. Here, Bagwyn et al. use eight years of eBird sightings to identify Bahamian bird populations that have recently gone unrecorded. Through this, they find 43 populations, representing 25 species, that are potentially declining or extinct, suggesting areas that should be of key conservation concern.

Picky Palmchats (Dulus dominicus): do they really prefer to nest in royal palms?

Qwahn D. Kent, Maia Edwards, Tim Wu, and André A. Dhondt

While other communal-nesting species show clear nest tree preferences, little is known about whether Palmchats prefer to nest in certain palm species over others. To investigate this gap, Kent et al. characterized Palmchat nest trees in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Overall, Palmchats nested more frequently in royal palms and Hispaniolan silver thatch palms compared with cana and coconut palms and in taller, thicker trees, regardless of tree species.

Distinguishing between Roseate and Common Terns at breeding colonies in the West Indies

Ian C.T. Nisbet

The author sets out to bring attention to an ongoing misidentification problem between Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) and Common Terns (S. hirundo) on their breeding grounds in the West Indies and Bahamas. Observers should pay special attention to: adult bill color and breeding plumage, clutch size, and characteristics of nestling down feathers as well as leg color.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue, & Ian Fleming

Book author: Jim Wright

Review by: Steven Latta

Birds of the UK Overseas Territories

Book editor: Roger Riddington

Review by: Steven Latta

Birds of the West Indies: Second Edition

Book authors: Herbert A. Raffaele, James Wiley, Orlando H. Garrido, Allan Keith, and Janis I. Raffaele

Review by: Andrew Dobson

RECENT ORNITHOLOGICAL LITERATURE (ROL) FROM THE CARIBBEAN

ROL 2020

Steven C. Latta

Article by (1) Simon Campo – Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and a Graduate Student at the University of California, Berkeley; Connect with Simon via LinkedIn or email; (2) Justin Proctor – Managing Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology; and (3) Joe Wunderle – Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology.

Journal of Caribbean Ornithology relies on donations to keep all of our publications free and open-access. If you’re interested in supporting our mission and the broader goal of giving a voice to Caribbean ornithologists and their work, please consider becoming a supporter of JCO. Thank you in advance!

November 24, 2020

Introducing BirdsCaribbean’s new Board of Directors

BirdsCaribbean Community,

It is with great excitement that we welcome our new BirdsCaribbean Board of Directors to the organization, and to our community. As a reminder to our member base, an election was waived this year because all candidates ran unopposed. That being said, we are welcoming many new Directors to our Board, who bring unique talents and backgrounds, as well as representation from Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cuba, and Grenada. We also welcome back several members of the previous Board, who are eager to help guide the transition and continue their hard work on behalf of BirdsCaribbean. Below you will meet this great team of new and returning faces, who are ready to help lead BirdsCaribbean into even more productive and successful years ahead.

President — Adrianne Tossas, Ph.D.

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Three terms on the BC Board of Directors (2003–2004, 2005–2006, and 2019–2020), co-founder and first coordinator of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (2002–2005), current co-chair of the Mentorship Program.

Nationality: USA

Residence: Puerto Rico

Experience: Adrianne has taught biology at the university level since 2004, leading undergraduate students in avian ecology research and conservation work. Prior to teaching she worked with the Puerto Rican Ornithological Society (SOPI), implementing the Important Bird Areas program from BirdLife International in Puerto Rico. Adrianne is the author of the book Birds of Puerto Rico for Children, and regularly gives talks and contributes newspaper articles about conservation for the general public.

“As President of BirdsCaribbean I want to help the organization grow by promoting broader participation in current flagship programs and working groups, by recruiting a diverse and inclusive membership, and by strengthening partnerships with other organizations. I will also be working to make sure that the organization has the resources it needs to carry out its work. My goal is to continue moving BC forward as the leading ornithological and conservation organization in the region.”

Vice-President — Justin Proctor, M.Sc.

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Vice-President (one term), Managing Editor of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (4 years), and conference organizer.

Nationality: USA

Residence: Front Royal, Virginia

Experience: Justin has a long and geographically scattered background of working in the fields of science, conservation, and education, from interpretation with the National Park Service in Maine, to underwater research with lobsters and shellfish in the Bay of Fundy, to youth adventure tourism in St. Martin and Costa Rica. After several years as program coordinator for Cornell’s Swallows of the Americas Project, Justin has carved out a niche for himself working extensively with aerial insectivore species, specifically swallows and swifts, from northern Canada down through Argentina. He conducted his master’s work on the threatened and endemic Hispaniolan Golden Swallow, and he also conducted an extensive search for the (likely) extinct Jamaican Golden Swallow. His work both domestically and internationally has included roles with non-profits, the National Park Service, the public education system, and university research projects. He is passionate about connecting communities with their environments, and in doing so instilling a greater sense of local environmental stewardship.

“Continuing on as Vice-President of BirdsCaribbean, I want to focus on attracting new members to the organization (early career professionals and new researchers in the region), helping them network, and getting them involved and engaged with the myriad programs that are underway throughout the Caribbean. I also plan to continue developing the BC Mentorship Program, help secure long-term funding for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, and continue improving our biennial conference experience for the BirdsCaribbean community.”

Secretary — Emma Lewis

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Member since 2013 when she joined the Media Working Group (currently the Chair). Was a member of the Organizing Committee for the BirdsCaribbean International Conference in Jamaica, 2015. Writes and edits media releases, articles, and blog posts for the BC website.

Nationality: British

Residence: Permanent Resident of Jamaica

Experience: Emma worked in International Banking in London for eight years before moving to Jamaica in 1988. She has since worked as a Public Affairs Specialist in the U.S. Embassy of Jamaica (1995–2011), worked in publishing/retail bookselling in Jamaica (1988–1995), and is now a freelance online writer and blogger. She has hosted her own personal blog (“Petchary”) since 2010 that regularly reports on environmental and conservation issues in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. Emma also conducts media/social media training, in recent years for a European Union NGO project and for the Press Association of Jamaica.

“As Secretary, I would like to see BirdsCaribbean continue to steadily expand its advocacy for birds and their habitats in the Caribbean, design programs with greater outreach to ‘unattached youth’ (ages 16 to 30 years) in rural areas, establish relationships with the Caribbean private (corporate) sector and young entrepreneurs to help develop local green economies, support and publicize BC’s projects through sponsorships, and establish/strengthen and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with international organizations such as UNEP and IUCN.”

Treasurer — Nicholas Sorenson*

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Monthly donor since November 2016 and now officially joined as a BC member; is the son of two ornithologists*, has traveled to numerous Caribbean islands, and has spent a lifetime exploring nature.

Nationality: USA

Residence: Miami, Florida

Experience: Nicholas (Nick) has extensive experience in financial consulting, with project work including financial statement analysis, business valuation, capital budgeting, trend analysis & forecasting, and strategic planning. He has served on the Alumni Advisory Committee for the Boston University Student Managed Investment Fund, was a Business Associate for Wellington Management Company, and an Analyst for the Michel-Shaked Group. Nick is currently a founder and managing partner of Ventus Advisors, and the Business Operations Manager at Lovepop. Nick greatly values environmental conservation efforts, scientific research, and global sustainability.

“As Treasurer, my focus will be to help BirdsCaribbean align its operations with its strategic and business development plans, which together will chart out a clear path for the organization to grow and manage its primary sources of funds (e.g., CBT/tourism, monthly donors, HNW/corporate sponsors, grants, etc.). I’ve worked with a number of startups as an advisor to help them develop customized financial/data-driven solutions, create external presentations, raise funding from investors, and optimize all aspects of the business. I’m excited about the possibilities for BirdsCaribbean because of my familiarity with its valuable work.”

*I hereby formally acknowledge that I am the son of Lisa Sorenson, the current Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, and that this immediate family connection could be perceived by others as a conflict (either internally or externally). Based on my review of BirdsCaribbean’s 306 Conflict of Interest Policy, it is my understanding that there are procedures and comprehensive safeguards in place to ensure that all decisions will be made objectively and in the best interest of the organization, its board, employees, members, partners, and beneficiaries. I pledge to ensure that all matters, in particular those involving financial considerations, will be handled with the highest level of honesty and integrity. Finally, I do not currently have (nor anticipate having) any employment engagements, consulting projects, or business interests that would create or lead to a conflict with BirdsCaribbean’s key objectives and long-term mission as a non-profit organization.

Director-At-Large — Maikel Cañizares Morera, M.Sc.

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Member of BirdsCaribbean since 2011, Chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the 21st BirdsCaribbean International Conference and the Caribbean Birding Trail Workshop held in Topes de Collantes, Cuba. 2017. Has also attended and been active at the 2001, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2019 conferences.

Nationality: Cuban

Residence: Havana, Cuba

Experience: Maikel works at the Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática in Havana. He is a conservationist, researcher, and educator. He holds a master’s degree in both Systematic and Applied Zoology (Universidad de la Habana, 2003), and Managing and Leading Conservation Projects (Cambridge University, 2016). Maikel has considerable experience in Psittacids management, Caribbean bird ecology and conservation, and working with people from rural communities. He was President of the Cuban Zoology Society since 2014 until 2019 and was President of the Cuban Chapter of the Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation since 2010 until 2017.

“As a Director-At-Large, I want to support cultural integration and scientific exchange among bird lovers from our Caribbean nations.”

Director-At-Large — Jacqueline Andre

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Member of BirdsCaribbean since 2013. Participated in three BC International Conferences, including Grenada, Jamaica, and Guadeloupe.

Nationality: Dominican

Residence: Dominica

Experience: Jacqueline (Jacquie) is a Forest Officer with the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division in Dominica and is currently the head of the National Parks Unit. She has an undergraduate degree in Natural Resource Recreation Management from Virginia Tech. Jacquie has been involved with bird education for several years as the Environmental Education Officer of the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division, and attended her first BirdsCaribbean conference in Grenada in 2013.

“As a Director-At-Large, I want to help foster more education programs that would in turn create much-needed awareness and bring a deeper appreciation for nature in the Caribbean.”

Director-At-Large — Terry L. Root, Ph.D.

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Past participant in two of BirdsCaribbean’s Cuba tours, and a monthly donor to BC.

Nationality: USA

Residence: Sarasota, Florida

Experience: Terry was a Professor at the University of Michigan for 14 years and then Stanford University for 15 years. She was a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change 4th Assessment Report that in 2007 was co-awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Vice President Al Gore. Terry was also a lead author for the 3rd Assessment Report (2001) and a review editor for the 5th Assessment Report (2014). She has served on the Board of Directors of three different conservation NGOs (Point Blue 2002–2012, National Audubon 2010–2019, and Defenders of Wildlife 2010–2014 & 2020–Present) and has been the Science Advisor to the Board of Directors of the American Wind and Wildlife Institute (AWWI, 2012–2015 & 2019–Present). Additionally, Terry is currently a Science Adviser to National Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife, AWWI, and Climate Communication.

“I have worked my entire career on how climate disruption has influenced the biology of wild plants and animals, and how that influence has grave potential of facilitating the extinction of a quarter to half of the species on the planet. I believe my skills and expertise can help BirdsCaribbean attain their mission of raising awareness, promoting sound science and empowering local partners to build a region in the Caribbean where people appreciate, conserve and benefit from thriving bird populations and ecosystems.”

Journal of Caribbean Ornithology Editor-in-Chief — Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., Ph.D.

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Founding member of BirdsCaribbean in 1988, former Vice-President and President on the Board, and has contributed to the society’s first constitution & bylaws. Was co-organizer for the society’s conferences in Puerto Rico, Aruba, and Guadeloupe, and the Chair and organizer of the Founders Awards for best student presentations at four conferences. Has assisted with fund-raising and grant proposal writing to support workshops and regional conferences, participated as a presenter or a chair/organizer for workshops/special sessions at all conferences, and has served as a reviewer on the editorial board of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology since its beginning in 1988.

Nationality: USA

Residence: Puerto Rico and Georgia, USA

Experience: Joseph (Joe) did his dissertation research on the genetics, behavior, and ecology of the Bananaquit on the island of Grenada, W.I., where he lived for six years and taught in the Canadian Junior College for Marine Biology in the nearby Grenadines. Prior to moving to Puerto Rico, he taught and conducted research with the Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica as well as at North Carolina State University. He was a professor in the Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Puerto Rico in Cayey for eight years before joining the U.S. Forest Service’s International Institute of Tropical Forestry in 1988, from which he recently retired after 30 years as a Wildlife Team Leader & Research Wildlife Biologist. He still maintains his ties with the University of Puerto Rico as an adjunct professor where he advises and teaches graduate students in ecology and ornithology. An underlying theme of his research is disturbance ecology, an understanding of which has facilitated his efforts to identify conservation prescriptions for bird populations threatened by disturbance from hurricanes, droughts, agriculture, and selective logging. He has authored or co-authored over 100 publications mostly based on his research on avian ecology and conservation biology, which he conducted throughout the Caribbean and Bahamas as well as in Central America and Brazil. In an effort to build local research and conservation capacity in the Caribbean and elsewhere, he has involved students and recent graduates from the region in his field research.

“I plan to continue to help strengthen BirdsCaribbean’s programs in education, outreach, advocacy, and transfer of scientific information related to avian conservation and ornithology in an effort to build local capacity to conduct research and foster conservation for Caribbean birds. Specifically, as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, I wish to build on the efforts of Jim Wiley and subsequent editors and their staff to increase the visibility and utility of the journal; to encourage and foster publication by Caribbean nationals; and to ensure the sustainability of JCO as an open access journal. JCO has an important role to play by facilitating communication among ornithologists, naturalists, and conservationists working in the region and by serving as a repository for studies of Caribbean endemic bird species and other species of conservation concern.”

Past-President — Andrew Dobson

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Member since 2001, President of the Board 2005–2008 and 2017–2020, and led BirdsCaribbean tours to Cuba in 2019 and 2020.

Nationality: British

Residence: Cambridge, UK

Experience: Andrew was educated in the UK and has a B.A. in Economics (University of East Anglia), Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (Bristol University) and M.B.A. (Educational Management) University of Leicester. Andrew taught in Bermuda for over 28 years. He served on the executive of the Bermuda Audubon Society 1990–2018 including many terms as President. He produced the Society’s newsletter during that period and developed their website. He organized birdwatching courses, field trips, an annual bird camp, and coordinated the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and International Migratory Bird Day events in Bermuda. Since 1995 he has been a regional editor for the journal North American Birds. He attended his first BirdsCaribbean conference in Cuba in 2001 and has since served twice as the Society’s President. In 2002, his ‘Birdwatching Guide to Bermuda’ was published. He has co-authored articles on Bermuda’s IBAs and Bermuda’s birds. A keen photographer, his bird photos have appeared in many publications. He is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and a BirdLife International Rare Bird Club member. In 2018 he received an honour from Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to the protection of Bermuda’s natural environment and his work with the Audubon Society. Andrew recently retired from teaching and moved back to the UK with his family where he remains active in birding and conservation action.

“I am honored to be part of an amazingly dedicated team committed to supporting such important bird conservation work in the Caribbean region. The Society reaches thousands of people in the region with its educational programs. I am proud of the response that BirdsCaribbean has given to island communities in the aftermath of recent disastrous hurricanes, especially the resources supplied quickly to feed starving bird populations. In an unprecedented period of climate change, I look forward to being part of a team working with local communities to create a better environment for both people and birds.”

Executive Director — Lisa Sorenson, Ph.D.

Previous or current links with BirdsCaribbean: Member since 1996, Project Coordinator, WIWD and Wetlands Conservation Project 1997 to 2016, former Vice President and President of the Board, Executive Director 2013 to present.

Nationality: USA

Residence: Natick, MA, USA

Experience: Lisa has a B.Sc. is in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota. She has been working in the Caribbean for over 30 years and has expertise in waterbird and wetland ecology and conservation, climate change, conservation education, and surveying and monitoring techniques. Lisa raises funds for and oversees BirdsCaribbean’s various capacity building programs, such as the West Indian Whistling-Ducks and Wetlands Conservation Project, Caribbean Waterbird Census, BirdSleuth Caribbean, Caribbean Birding Trail Program, and bird festivals. She also works closely with our partners throughout the region, mentors students and young wildlife professionals, develops materials, and facilitates training workshops. Lisa became interested in Caribbean bird conservation through her PhD research on the breeding ecology and behavior of White-cheeked Pintails in the Bahamas and climate change impacts on wetlands and birds. She is passionate about her work and inspired by all the great work that our partners are doing to raise awareness and make a difference to help conserve the Caribbean’s amazing birds and biodiversity.

“Continuing as Executive Director, I want to grow and expand on all of our great programs in the region to conserve birds and nature. I believe that raising awareness and encouraging local citizens to know and appreciate birds, as well as get involved in science, monitoring, and conservation is vital to ensuring the long-term survival of the region’s incredible bird life. My priority is to continue building the capacity of our amazing local partners to carry out the fantastic work they do with their communities. We will build on our successes and strengths and grow the network of people that love birds and understand the value of local habitats for wildlife, sustainable livelihoods, ecosystem services, and ultimately, human health. I am honored to be part of an outstanding team that cares deeply about our mission and gives generously of their time and expertise. And I am thankful beyond words for our many partners, members, and supporters who believe in us and support our work in myriad ways.”

October 7, 2020

Bird with us on October Big Day and Receive a Discount on your BC Membership!

Join us for OCTOBER BIG DAY on Saturday, October 17th!

OCTOBER BIG DAY is a 24-hr period for all of us to commit to going out and safely birding. No matter where you are in the world, we invite you to carve out some time on October 17th to go birding, record all of the birds you see, and then submit that information to eBird.

For those of you that are new to eBird, it’s a fun and easy (and very powerful!) platform to record your bird sightings, find the best places to bird, and more. And your data helps scientists better understand and conserve birds. To get started and create an account, follow the quick instructions here.

We know that you don’t need even more incentive to get outdoors and birdwatch (it’s already so much fun and a welcome distraction from everything else!), but we’re going to give you one anyway! Send us the link to your eBird checklist(s) from October 17th, and we’ll send you back a special coupon for 25% off a BirdsCaribbean annual membership, or membership renewal if you are already a member with us. BirdsCaribbean is a big supporter of eBird as well as creating opportunities for all of us to get excited about connecting with nature and birds, so the membership discount is our thanks to all of you for getting involved!

For more information on the event, click here.

So, here’s what you need to do:

Friday, October 16th: Take a few minutes to sketch out a plan for where you are going to go birding the next day. Even just 10 minutes observing and recording birds in your backyard would be a great contribution to citizen science, once you enter your sightings into eBird. Make sure that you choose a safe place to do so. And don’t forget to start piling up the snacks that you’ll take along with you (a critical detail for successful birding).

Saturday, October 17th: Go birding! Have a great time! Take pictures and good notes of what you see. Don’t forget to look for owls and other nocturnal birds that night — the big day goes until 11:59pm in whatever time zone you are in!

Sunday, October 18th: Upload your checklist(s) to eBird (feel free to do this on Saturday if you have the time) via the website or mobile app. Then, send the link to your completed checklist(s) by email to: Justin Proctor at justin.proctor@birdscaribbean.org. We’ll send you back a coupon for membership, and easy directions on how to use it! Please send us any great pictures from the day as well!

Keep in mind that a membership* with BirdsCaribbean is a great value — there’s a lot included!

• FREE subscription to Birds of the World — the most comprehensive online resource about birds — a $49 value!
• Immediate access to our quarterly newsletters, packed to the brim with great information on birds and all of the projects we have going on around the Caribbean
• Meet and network with scientists, birders, educators, and conservationists across the region
• Receive discounts on our products, conferences, and workshops
• Be a hero to Caribbean birds! — Through your BirdsCaribbean membership, you are directly helping in our urgent fight to save critically important habitats from destruction and birds from extinction.

*Because our annual memberships run from January 1st thru December 31st each year, participants of October Big Day will receive a complimentary membership for the remainder of this calendar year, AND a full membership for the entirety of 2021!

To our monthly donors, Life, Benefactor, Corporate, Sponsored, and Comped members — we can’t thank you enough for your continued support of BirdsCaribbean and our mission. We will be reaching out to you over the coming weeks with more information about your membership status and benefits. In the meantime, we hope that you join us for OCTOBER BIG DAY!

We are looking forward to birding “with” all of you on Saturday, October 17th.

Mark your calendars now, and get excited!

If you wish, you can RENEW your membership now at this link or JOIN for the first time here.

PS. OCTOBER BIG DAY is part of the first Global Bird Weekend. If you’d like to be a part of this bigger event, you can join for free as an individual or join a group. Once you are registered, you will be eligible to win some great prizes. Don’t forget to also send BirdsCaribbean your eBird checklist(s) to receive your membership coupon. There are a lot of great opportunities this weekend, so make sure you get out birding and record your observations.

We look forward to birding “with” you on Saturday!

Please share this invite with your friends and family, and encourage them to allocate some time for birdwatching, too!

August 26, 2020

“Meet the BirdsCaribbean Board” Webinar — Register Now!

August 20, 2020

Announcing a New Book: Birds of the UK Overseas Territories

Birds of the UK Overseas Territories has just been published! The book explores the birds and other wildlife of each of the 14 UKOTs with a particular focus on environmental threats and conservation issues. Six Overseas Territories are within our region: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos. Many BirdsCaribbean members have helped produce the detailed accounts.

The recently (July 2020) published Birds of the UK Overseas Territories includes detailed accounts of the biodiversity of 14 of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) with an emphasis on their avifauna. Although the UKOTs are spread around the globe, of great interest to BirdsCaribbean members will be the chapters on Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

In terms of global biodiversity, these territories are remarkably significant. Among landscapes that range from coral atolls, through mangroves and dry forests to the ice sheets of Antarctica, the UKOTs support no fewer than 45 species of birds currently considered to be globally threatened. They are also home to a third of all the world’s breeding albatrosses, and nine of the world’s 17 species of penguin.

In a rapidly changing world, the UKOTs symbolise global crises in climate and biodiversity. Threats faced by their wildlife range from mortality of seabirds at sea through industrial fisheries, and on land as a result of introduced ground predators to the utter devastation of hurricanes in the Caribbean—which provide a stark reminder of our changing climate. The human impact on the wildlife of our planet has been increasing for centuries, but the next few decades promise to be critical.

This book explores the birds and other wildlife of each of the 14 UKOTs, with a particular focus on environmental threats and conservation priorities. Written by authors with a deep connection to the sites, this book represents an important stocktake of the biological richness of these special places in the early 21st century.

Lavishly illustrated with photos and maps it is well worth purchasing especially as all profits go to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ (RSPB) conservation work throughout the UKOTs.

White-tailed Tropicbird by Andrew Dobson — A beautiful White-tailed Tropicbird – a common site on some Caribbean rocky coast lines. (photo by Andrew Dobson)

Birds of the UK Overseas Territories – edited by Roger Riddington.

Published by T & AD Poyser

ISBN: 9781472977267 (Paperback)

ISBN: 9781472977250 (Hardback)

For purchase from the following vendors:

Amazon Smile: Remember to use smile.amazon.com and designate BirdsCaribbean as your charity to support when making purchases from Amazon (a portion of your purchases comes to us – every little bit helps!).

Barnes & Noble: Available here in Paperback and Nook

NHBS (Natural History Book Service): If you’re in the UK or Europe, shop here.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron in Bermuda by Andrew Dobson — Yellow-crowned Night Heron in Bermuda (photo by Andrew Dobson)

Authors of Caribbean UKOT chapters – you may recognize some familiar names. Congrats to our colleagues on this great achievement!

Anguilla – Steve Holliday, Karim Hodge, Farah Mukhida, Clarissa Lloyd, James Millett, Louise Soanes

Bermuda – Andrew Dobson, Jeremy Madeiros

British Virgin Islands – Clive Petrovic, Louise Soanes, Nancy Woodfield Pascoe, Susan Zaluski

Cayman Islands – Patricia Bradley

Montserrat – Steffan Oppel, Gerard Gray, James Daly, Stephen Mendes, Calvin Fenton, Gemma Galbraith, Shawn Daniel, James Millett.

Turks and Caicos islands – Kathleen Wood

July 31, 2020

BirdsCaribbean Elections: The Call for Nominations is Now Open!

A REMINDER OF WHAT’S HAPPENING:

Every two years, BirdsCaribbean (BC) holds an election for its Board of Directors.

This year — 2020 — is an election year, and we need the involvement of our community members!

Serving on the BirdsCaribbean Board of Directors is a fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of an organization dedicated to conserving the region’s incredible birds and nature. We are a vibrant network and work with many partners throughout the region, including governments, NGOs, educators, tourism interests, communities, students, and more. The BirdsCaribbean Board is an extremely personable, inclusive, and enthusiastic group, and we are eager to bring new ideas and backgrounds to our leadership. Without a doubt, serving on our Board of Directors is an enriching and rewarding experience, and interested individuals should not hesitate to pursue a position.

THE CALL FOR NOMINATIONS IS NOW OPEN!

The BirdsCaribbean Nominations Committee is ready to receive nominations.

The nomination period will remain open for two full months, closing on midnight 30 September. During this time, our community’s goal is to develop the best possible slate of nominees to provide leadership and growth for BirdsCaribbean.

Important lingo:

Nominees = individuals that have been nominated to stand for election
Nominator = the person making the nomination
Seconder = an additional person that supports the nominator’s choice

WHAT POSITIONS ARE UP FOR NOMINATION?

We are looking for Directors to join our leadership board.

Additionally we are looking for Directors that will take on operational duties: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

WHO CAN NOMINATE AND WHO CAN BE NOMINATED:

BirdsCaribbean board members and friends at the NAOC (North American Ornithological Congress) in 2016. Joining our board is a great opportunity to contribute to regional bird conservation and work with an amazing network of dedicated conservationists!

Any individual, sponsored, honorary, or life member in good standing* may be nominated and may also nominate or act as a “seconder” (i.e., give a second endorsement) for a nominee. All nominators must make sure that their nominee is willing to stand for election.

Exceptions:

Directors that have served two consecutive terms in a position cannot run again for that same position. These individuals can run for a different position. [This means that Andrew Dobson cannot run for President in the 2020 elections.]
Note that individuals who have been disqualified because they have served 2 consecutive terms may run for election for their previous posts after a break of 1 term (2 years) or more.

Note — If you would like to know if a prospective nominee is a current member of BirdsCaribbean, or if you are not sure of your membership status, please contact BirdsCaribbean’s Administrative Assistant, Delores Kellman. You can easily renew your membership or join BirdsCaribbean. Contact us if you would like to apply for a sponsored membership.

*The Nominations Committee will perform a thorough vetting of each nominee to make sure that they are suitable for candidacy.

HIGHLY DESIRED TRAITS FOR NOMINEES INCLUDE:

Qualified for the post (please read the Terms of Reference for each position)
Prior experience on the Board or another non-profit Board
Enthusiasm and commitment to contributing to the leadership and mission of BirdsCaribbean, a non-profit organization

Any BirdsCaribbean member in good standing can nominate any other BirdsCaribbean member in good standing. All members should be active in seeking out nominations for elected or appointed posts. We encourage you to open up dialogue with individuals that you think would be a great addition to the BirdsCaribbean Board, and encourage those individuals to run for election.

Note — the Nominations Committee will be considering the Board’s need for diversity and representation when developing the list of candidates for election.

WHEN YOU ARE READY TO NOMINATE AN INDIVIDUAL, PLEASE COMPLETE THE ONLINE NOMINATION FORM:

Be ready to provide the following:

Nominee’s name, address, country(ies) of citizenship and residence.
Position the nominee is standing for.
Evidence of the nominee’s willingness to stand for election. This is a brief statement that the nominee must write, and then send to you to be added to the nomination form. This should be a brief statement of interest (describing in about 100 words why the nominee thinks they are eligible for the post and what they will contribute if elected).
Name and contact information of a “seconder” (i.e., another person that agrees with this nomination), who must also be a member in good standing.

The nominations will be reviewed by the Nominations Committee to ensure that the nominees are eligible and that the nomination forms are complete.

**Complete the Nomination Form* here**

*You may nominate more than one individual. Please complete a new nomination form for each individual and each position they seek.

The deadline for receipt of nominations is 11:59 PM, 30 September 2020.

MEET THE BC BOARD WEBINAR

Save the date: 1 September (1pm EDT): — Join us for a 1 hour virtual session where you get to meet the current Board members, hear about their positions, and ask any and all questions you have about what serving on the BC Executive Board entails. More details on this event will be made available soon.

For more information on the entire election process, please visit our Elections blog article:

BirdsCaribbean Elections 2020 — Here’s What You Need to Know

Todies and Trogons plate from Birds of the West indies — The Caribbean is home to so many incredible species of birds. Join our Board of Directors, and help us protect them! Artwork from Birds of the West Indies by Herb Raffaele et al.

July 20, 2020

BirdsCaribbean Elections 2020 — Here’s What You Need to Know

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Every two years, BirdsCaribbean (BC) holds an election for its Board of Directors. The Call for Nominations is open, and will remain open until the night of 30 September.

This year — 2020 — is an election year, and we need the involvement of our community members!

Serving on the BirdsCaribbean Board of Directors is a fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of an organization dedicated to conserving the region’s incredible birds and nature. We are a vibrant network and work with many partners throughout the region, including governments, NGOs, educators, tourism interests, communities, students, and more. The BirdsCaribbean Board is an extremely personable, inclusive, and enthusiastic group, and we are eager to bring new ideas and backgrounds to our leadership. Without a doubt, serving on our Board is an enriching and rewarding opportunity, and interested individuals should not hesitate to pursue a position.

Purple-throated Carib — BirdsCaribbean is seeking “hummingbirds” to join our Board of Directors — individuals with lots of energy and enthusiasm!

Some important vocab and distinctions:

Directors = Leaders of the organization
Board of Directors = Entire leadership group (all officers and directors)
Executive Board = Officers only

Positions on the Board of Directors that are open for election include:

4 Officer Directors (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and
1 Director-at-Large

Basic responsibilities of every Director:

Determine and promote the organization’s vision and mission
Ensure effective organizational planning
Determine and monitor the organization’s programs and services
Ensure adequate resources and manage resources effectively
Select the Executive Director
Enhance the organization’s public image
Participate in Board discussions
Promote BirdsCaribbean
Support BirdsCaribbean financially
Take a leadership role on committees
Reveal conflicts or issues

Directors that take on Operational Duties are called Officers, and are listed here:

President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Past-President
Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology

Directors without Officer positions are called At-Large Directors.

HOW WE NEED YOU TO BE INVOLVED:

Over the coming months, BirdsCaribbean’s members will:

nominate good individuals for these Board positions, and then
vote on the individuals put forward for election by the Nominations Committee

This is an important opportunity for our community to shape the leadership and future direction of BirdsCaribbean!

ELECTED BOARD POSITIONS and their CURRENT STATUS:

Leo Douglas showing an endemic bird poster to Jamaican schoolchildren. — Serving on the BirdsCaribbean Board of Directors is an enriching experience, where you can really make an impact. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

The current members of the full Board of Directors may be viewed here.

The following positions are elected positions, and are all open for nominations, no matter the incumbent’s status.

President: Currently filled by Andrew Dobson, not eligible for re-election to this position (has served two consecutive terms). Position must be filled.
Vice President: Justin Proctor, eligible for re-election to this position.
Treasurer: Laura Bambini, resigning. Position must be filled.
Secretary: Hannah Madden, resigning. Position must be filled.
Elected Director-at-Large: Adrianne Tossas, eligible for re-election to this position.

More information on the roles and responsibilities of Directors and Terms of Reference for each of the elected Officer positions can be found here:

BirdsCaribbean Board Orientation Handbook (contains the basic list of Director Responsibilities)
BirdsCaribbean Terms of Reference for Elected Officer Positions

IMPORTANT BY-LAWS (RULES) TO KEEP IN MIND:

Elected individuals will serve a two-year term starting in January 2021 and ending December 2022.
Board members can serve in the same position for two consecutive terms (if re-elected for a second term). They must then take a two-year break or serve in a different position.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

I want to nominate someone that is NOT from the Caribbean, is that ok? Yes, absolutely. Nominees can be from anywhere. However, we do want to strongly encourage nominations of Caribbean nationals.
Do I have to support BirdsCaribbean financially if I am giving my time as a Board member? At a minimum, you do need to be a member, so yes. Your financial support may come in a form other than cash (e.g., assisting with fundraising, grant-writing, membership drives, communications, etc.). Because the Board is responsible for contributing to the financial well-being of the organization, leaders of the organization must help find those funds.
Do I need to be a BirdsCaribbean member to nominate someone or to run for office? Yes, only members in good standing can nominate persons for a position or run for one of the elected positions on the board. If you need to renew your membership, you can do so quickly here. If you would like to join for the first time, click here.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

In order to keep our community engaged with the elections, our goal is to keep you well informed of how and when BC members can be involved. Here is a timeline of what lies ahead:

1 August: Call for Nominations opens.
1 September (1pm EDT): Meet the BC Board Webinar — a 1 hour virtual session where you get to meet the current Board members, hear about their positions, and ask any and all questions you have about what serving on the BC Executive Board entails. More details on this event will be made available soon.
1 August – 30 September: Two months’ time during which nominations can be sent to the Nominations Committee.
1 October: Nominations are closed. The Nominations Committee reviews the nominations and agrees on a slate of candidates that they submit to the Board for approval.
1 November: The President will announce the slate of candidates and release the link to electronic ballots to BirdsCaribbean members.
1 November – 15 December: All BirdsCaribbean members should vote during this time.
20 December: The President will announce the results of the election.
31 December: Terms of Office for previous Board members end.

PART 1: NOMINATIONS

The most important part of the election process is the nomination period, a time during which we as a community seek out the best individuals to serve on our Board. In order to oversee this effort, BC has a Nominations Committee, which for 2020 is composed of the following individuals:

Andrew Dobson – President of BirdsCaribbean
Lisa Sorenson – Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean
Justin Proctor – Vice President of BirdsCaribbean
Hannah Madden – Secretary of BirdsCaribbean
Ancilleno Davis – Director-At-Large of BirdsCaribbean
Ann Sutton – former Secretary of BirdsCaribbean
Howard Nelson – former President of BirdsCaribbean

The Call for Nominations is open, and will remain open until the night of 30 September. During this time, our community’s goal is to develop the best possible slate of qualified individuals to run for election, and ultimately provide leadership and growth for BirdsCaribbean. Some traits of nominees that should be considered include:

Qualification for the post (please read the Terms of Reference for each position)
Prior experience on the Board
Diversity of geographic representation
Enthusiasm and earnest commitment to developing a non-profit organization

Any BirdsCaribbean member in good standing can nominate any other BirdsCaribbean member in good standing. All members should be active in seeking out nominations. We encourage you to open up dialogue with individuals that you think would be a great addition to the BirdsCaribbean Board, and encourage those individuals to run for election.

PART 2: ELECTIONS

On 1 November, BirdsCaribbean will send an electronic election ballot to all BC members. The ballot will contain background information on all of the nominated individuals, though we encourage members to research their choices as thoroughly as possible before casting their votes. Remember that elected individuals will become the next BirdsCaribbean Executive Board, a group tasked with shaping the future of the organization. Make your vote a good and educated one!

Members will have six weeks (until 11:59pm EDT 15 December) to electronically submit their votes. All BirdsCaribbean members should vote during this time.

PART 3: POST-ELECTION

BirdsCaribbean will announce the election results on 20 December 2020. Newly elected Board members will receive specific training on how to fulfill their duties, and will also have the opportunity to connect with and learn from the Board member that previously held their position.

New Board members will officially begin their terms on 1 January 2021.

QUESTIONS?

If you have any queries about the election process, please contact Justin Proctor (justin.proctor@birdscaribbean.org).

If you have any questions about your membership status or that of a prospective nominee, please contact Delores Kellman, BirdsCaribbean Administrative Assistant: delores.kellman@birdscaribbean.org

June 18, 2020

Joe Wunderle Comes Onboard as JCO’s New Editor-in-Chief

It is with great excitement that we are finally able to break some very big news — effective today, Dr. Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr. will be serving as the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology’s new Editor-in-Chief!

For most of us, Joe is symbolic of Caribbean ornithology. He has lived and breathed it almost his entire life. You would be hard pressed to find a Caribbean researcher out there that hasn’t cited one of Joe’s papers, had the pleasure of working alongside Joe, or most importantly, befriended Joe.

Dr. Joe Wunderle — We’re delighted that Dr. Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr. will be serving as the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology’s new Editor-in-Chief.

But what makes Joe an exceptional choice to lead the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) into its fourth decade, goes far beyond his extensive research and academic background. From the beginning, Joe has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the people of the Caribbean. He has taught and mentored numerous students, always sending them off into the world with a greater understanding and appreciation for the natural world around them.

In the world of peer-reviewed journals, we often talk about Impact Factors, which are a measure of how extensively a journal’s publications are cited, and thus a proxy for how important a journal is in its field. If we were to apply that same train of thought to the impact that Joe has had on the people, wildlife, and landscapes around the Caribbean, he would certainly be ranked highly.

And Joe is definitely no stranger to BirdsCaribbean (BC). He has been involved with the organization since its first year, 1988, earning him the Site Fidelity Award presented at last year’s Guadeloupe Conference. He has served as Vice-President of BirdsCaribbean from 1991–1995, and then took the reigns as President from 1995–1997. Joe has also been an active member of the Founders Award Committee (founded by Fred Schaffner) since it first launched at BC’s Grenada Conference in 2013. This committee awards the students who present the best papers in conservation research or management at the biennial conference.

Meanwhile, here at JCO, Joe’s name is a very familiar one. And while it’s true that some of our staff know Joe best in the following format — Wunderle, J.M., Jr., [Year]. [Article Title]. [Journal Name]. — we are all really looking forward to working more closely with the real Joe over the coming months. His leadership for JCO could not be a better fit.

Here are some great links for learning more about Joe:

BirdsCaribbean 30th Anniversary Celebration (1988-2018)

Thirty Years of BirdsCaribbean: The “Founding Fathers” Reminisce

U.S. Forest Service: People Profile (includes education, publications, organizations served, and research)

Research Gate: Publication List

On behalf of all the JCO staff, welcome aboard, Joe! We’re very glad to have you with us.

And to members of the BirdsCaribbean community far and wide, please don’t hesitate to reach out and send Joe a warm welcome to his new position as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology!

— Justin Proctor, Managing Editor of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and Vice-President of BirdsCaribbean

Joe Wunderle receives the one and only Site Fidelity Award for being the longest running BirdsCaribbean member that has not missed a single conference in 30 years! BirdsCaribbean 22nd Conference in Guadeloupe, July, 2019. (photo by Mark Yokoyama)

May 23, 2020

Global Big Day Awards 2020

April 15, 2020

BIRDSCARIBBEAN’S GLOBAL BIG DAY — JOIN US!

BirdsCaribbean is excited to be hosting a fundraiser that focuses on the energy, excitement, and comradery that’s associated with Global Big Day!

Global Big Day is an annual event in which birders, often in teams, travel around an area trying to observe as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr period of time. Global Big Day is happening on May 9th this year!

Because of safety concerns with COVID-19, Global Big Day will have a different feel to it this year. Many of us will be birding individually, and from a safe place*.

In an effort to keep the event exciting, and give us all an opportunity to celebrate safe birding, BirdsCaribbean has created a fundraiser that brings us all “together” on virtual teams that can engage in friendly competition to (1) raise the most funds, and (2) collectively see the most species of birds on Global Big Day.

GET INVOLVED BY

Creating or joining a birding and fundraising team by clicking the JOIN button on the campaign page.

Once on a team, help personalize your team page with fun photos and your own lingo, and then invite family, friends, colleagues, or members of your birding community to join your team and/or donate to your team.

By inviting people to your team, you are (1) raising awareness for BirdsCaribbean and the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, (2) encouraging more fundraising to keep the Journal going, and (3) promoting Global Big Day and the importance of conserving birds and their habitats.

and/or . . .

Simply making a donation to one of the birding and fundraising teams.

By doing so, you will have (1) helped support the Journal, and (2) encouraged that team to bird as hard as they can on Global Big Day.

and/or . . .

Committing to spending some time (or the entire day!) birding on Global Big Day (May 9), being sure to keep track of what you see and then entering that information into eBird. We hope everyone will do this, whether or not they join a team or fundraise.

This will be a fun event to fundraise for and get excited about! Be ready to set yourself up in a safe place* and go birdwatching for as much of the day as possible, knowing that all of your teammates, friends, and BirdsCaribbean community members are doing the same!

Everyone should plan to submit their observations to eBird (or eBird Caribbean). Then we’ll tally them up and see how we all did! We will send out more information about this as the event draws closer.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

We are living in unprecedented times. The important role that science is playing in understanding COVID-19 and finding solutions is more clear than ever. What science does to inform and improve public health, it also does for conservation of wildlife and nature.

BirdsCaribbean’s mission is to conserve birds and habitats throughout the Caribbean islands. This depends in large part on science—investigating causes of species decline that can then inform management and conservation actions.

To share that science, our community of researchers depends on the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO). This in-house, peer-reviewed publication has served our community for 32 years and counting. But the JCO needs help to keep its publications free and open-access to the world. Explore the JCO here.

HOW YOUR GIFT WILL BE USED

This fundraiser will benefit the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology.

We are proud of our Journal and want to keep it free and open access to everyone. To do this, we need help fundraising to cover the Journal’s modest operating costs.

JCO has recently experienced remarkable growth, including adding many new and talented staff members, creating a highly efficient workflow, building a new website, completing fully-accessible Archives dating back to Volume 1, Issue 1 in 1988, and so much more.

JCO is an invaluable resource to thousands of Caribbean students, researchers, and conservationists, providing an unparalleled body of ornithological knowledge for the Caribbean region through its free, fully searchable website. This is why we are asking for your help in fundraising for JCO.

No matter what, we hope everyone will participate. You can bird by yourself, create a team or join a team, and then fundraise! Or you can simply make a donation, investing in science to help Caribbean birds. No gift is too large or too small.

As with everything in the Caribbean we will be successful when our whole community pitches in, so let’s do this together. We know we can count on you to help!

ABOUT GLOBAL BIG DAY

Global Big Day is organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Last year, people in more than 175 countries participated, setting a record for the most birds seen in one day all over the globe. Learn more here about this important citizen scientist initiative.

PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO:

(1) the team that raises the most funds

(2) the team with the most creative name and stylish fundraising page

(3) the team that sees the most bird species on Global Big Day

(4) the team that sees the most endemic species on Global Big Day

(5) the team with the best “find” of the day (unusual, rare, plumage aberration, etc.)

(6) the team with the best bird photo of the day (must be posted on eBird along with your list)

There will also be “Hidden Prizes”; the categories for these will be announced just prior to Global Big Day AND throughout the day on Global Big Day.

SAFETY

*Given the safety concerns the COVID-19 virus presents for doing Global Big Day counts, we recommend that you bird in your backyard. If it is safe to go out on May 9th be sure to choose birding locations that (1) comply with your municipality’s COVID-19 safety guidelines (i.e. social distancing and travel guidelines), and (2) comply with your personal safety preferences. And so whether you we will be birding at a local park, within your own backyards, or from your bedroom windows, we will all be enjoying the opportunity to distract ourselves with some safe, fun birdwatching. Additionally, we will all be birdwatching “together” for a great cause that unites us!

Thanks in advance for participating and supporting our fundraiser, however you can! We hope to see lots of teams forming throughout the Caribbean, US, Canada and beyond! We will keep you updated with more news and details about our Global Big Day, such as how to keep a count of your birds and enter your data on line – stay tuned!

February 7, 2020

JCO Roundup: Volume 32 Highlights Research in 17 Countries Across the Caribbean

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 the late Dr. James. W. Wiley.

I want to give some much-earned recognition to the 2019–2020 JCO team. While they were undertaking the aforementioned load of manuscripts, they were working double-time to make some incredible improvements behind-the-scenes. Let me just say that it’s no easy task to create and adopt a new workflow while you simultaneously have a dozen manuscripts—each at different stages— moving through the old workflow. And this new workflow means better communication, a higher-caliber final product, and a more efficient pathway for a manuscript to proceed from submission to publication. All great things!

Please take some time to enjoy all of Volume 32. Inside you’ll find a suite of excellent work stemming from more than 17 countries across the Caribbean. We should all take pride in this work and make the time to congratulate each other on all of these accomplishments. If you enjoyed reading a publication, please send the authors a quick email letting them know. That is what makes Caribbean ornithology special—a sense of community and comradery unlike anywhere else.

Thank you for your support of JCO!

— Justin Proctor, JCO Managing Editor

Map depicting research locations of the studies published in Volume 32.

RESEARCH ARTICLES AND NOTES

First report of American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) on Cuba

Michael J. Good and Giraldo Alayon

On December 3rd, 2014, ornithologists spotted an American Pipet during an annual Cuba Bird Survey led by the Caribbean Conservation Trust. Previously undocumented in Cuba, this observation marks the first report of this species on the island, and underscores the importance of the Guanahacabibes region as an important stopover for fall migrants.

Retrofitting power poles to prevent electrocution of translocated Ridgway’s Hawks (Buteo ridgwayi)

James F. Dwyer, Thomas I. Hayes, Russell Thorstrom, and Richard E. Harness

After a translocation program for the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk was stymied by electrocutions in the Dominican Republic, Dwyer et al. began to investigate. In this article, the authors identify the errors made while retrofitting power poles and discuss the necessity of properly mitigating electrocution risks for this project, and others throughout the Caribbean.

Phylogeography and historical demography of Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris)

Meghann B. Humphries, Maribel A. Gonzalez, and Robert E. Ricklefs

Currently, there are eight subspecies of Carib Grackle distributed across the Lesser Antilles and northern South America. By sequencing mitochondrial genes of Carib Grackles across their range, Meghann et al. shed light on the phylogenetic and geographic history of the species, bringing into question the bases for the subspecies classifications.

A general assessment of White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucocephala) populations in western Cuba

Martín Acosta and Lourdes Mugica

In response to the dearth of current literature on the White-crowned Pigeon, Acosta and Mugica compiled the latest data on this Vulnerable species in Cuba. Here, they present their findings, focusing on the current distribution of the species as well as conservation measures that have contributed to the perseverance of the species.

First record of Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis) for the Bahamas and the Caribbean

Anthony Levesque, Antoine Chabrolle, Frantz Delcroix, and Eric Delcroix

While the Sedge Wren commonly winters in Florida, it has yet to be recorded in the Caribbean, until now. In this article, Levesque et al. recount their sighting of this species on Grand Bahama Island, providing descriptions and photographs of the bird’s diagnostic features and the habitat where it was located.

Overwintering Bicknell’s Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) in Puerto Rico—rare and local

Christopher C. Rimmer, John D. Lloyd, and Jose A. Salguero-Faria

After Puerto Rico was identified as potential overwintering habitat for the globally Vulnerable Bicknell’s Thrush, Rimmer et al. conducted surveys to clarify the species’ winter distribution on the island. Here, they report that Bicknell’s Thrush is a rare and local species in Puerto Rico and highlight the importance of conservation efforts in Hispaniola, where the species is more abundant.

The Baudin Expedition to Tenerife, St. Thomas, St. Croix, and Puerto Rico in 1796–1798

Justin J.F.J. Jansen and Jerome Fuchs

In 1796, Nicolas-Thomas Baudin captained an expedition to the caribbean, bringing back close to 300 specimens; however, there is controversy surrounding their procurement. After investigating the origin and spread of these specimens, Jansen and Fuchs document their findings and address the arguments of theft made by David K. Wetherbee (1985, 1986).

Facial caruncles in Jamaican Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura)

Gary Graves

Currently, the six subspecies of Turkey Vulture are delineated by external measurements and subtle plumage variations, with the Antillean Turkey Vultures falling under Cathartes aura aura. However, through photographic documentation and eBird records, Graves calls attention to the similarity of facial caruncles on Turkey Vultures throughout the caribbean to those present on the eastern United States and Middle America populations. As facial caruncles are largely absent from South American populations, Graves’ work brings into question the diagnostic nature of these markings.

Historical status of geese in Jamaica and an early record of a Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)

Catharine Levy

While there are no species of geese native to Jamaica, vagrant or introduced species have been recorded intermittently on the island. Here, Levy amalgamates the scattered history of three geese species in Jamaica and presents a new record of a Snow Goose, illustrated in 1758: the second Snow Goose ever recorded in Jamaica.

Impact of an invasive fern (Dicranopteris pectinata) on bird diversity and birdwatching in a Jamaican Ramsar Site

Suzanne M.C. Davis

Though the comb forkedfern is native to the New World tropics, it is invasive to protected areas in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. By comparing the bird diversity between invaded habitats and fern-free habitats in the Mason River Protected Area, Davis demonstrates that increased incidence of comb forkedfern decreases bird diversity, particularly native species. Through this, Davis urges the importance of controlling fern spread to protect native bird and plant species.

Observations of Jamaican Crows (Corvus jamaicensis) mobbing Jamaican boas (Chilabothrus subflavus)

Richard R. Schaefer, Susan E. Koenig, Gary R. Graves, and D. Craig Rudolph

Though the Jamaican Crow and Jamaican Boa co-occur in certain habitats in Jamaica, there are no published reports of their interactions. By detailing four accounts of mobbing by crows on boas and one probable instance of depredation of a crow’s nest by a boa, Schaefer et al. are the first to document a presumably ongoing feud between these two native species.

Unusual sightings and displacement of birds in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

Raúl A. Pérez-Rivera

With violently strong winds, hurricanes are known to displace birds and transport them to new and unusual habitats. That is why, when Hurricane Maria passed over Puerto Rico on September 20th, 2017, Pérez-Rivera was ready. Here, he documents several unusual bird sightings made by him and others in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

The status of diurnal raptor populations on La Gonâve, Haiti

Justin White, Lisa M. Kennedy, and Mary B. Kimsey

The island of La Gonâve, Haiti, boasts a diversity of bird habitats and has historically sustained a variety of both diurnal and nocturnal raptor species. However, due to rampant environmental degradation and habitat destruction, it is rarely visited by ornithologists or wildlife researchers. After conducting raptor surveys on La Gonâve in 2012, White et al. compared their findings with historical records of raptors on the island, noting that only a few generalist species have been able to sustain populations.

Records of the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) in Jamaica

Catherine Levy

While the Shiny Cowbird is native to South America, over the past century, this brood parasite has spread across the caribbean archipelago and into North America – but how and when did this dispersal occur? In an effort to document the introduction and spread of this species in Jamaica, Levy compiles historical observations of Shiny Cowbirds and postulates a potential hurricane-mediated arrival on the island.

Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) activity at nests in the non-breeding season

André Dhondt, Jeremy L. Collison, Matthew H. Lam, Matthew J. D’Ambrosio, and Taylor L. Crisologo

Palmchats are among the few passerine species that build complex, multi-chambered nests; however, there are no published studies of their nest-related behavior. After studying Palmchat nests in the Dominican Republic, here, Dhondt et al. report on their observations, noting differences in group size, nest size, twig-related activities, twig length and shape, and nest construction.

Leucistic Willet (Tringa semipalmata) sighted in Ciénaga de Zapata National Park, Cuba

William E. Davis, Lisa G. Sorenson, and Ernesto Reyes Mouriño

On January 28th, 2018, birders on the BirdsCaribbean Cuba Bird Tour in Ciénaga de Zapata National Park, Cuba, spotted an almost entirely white Willet amongst a group of Short-billed Dowitchers and other Willets. In this article, Davis et al. present photographic evidence and a detailed description of this leucistic Willet and use phenotypic characteristics to classify it as a western subspecies.

CONSERVATION REPORTS

Festival de las Aves Endémicas del Caribe en Cuba: 15 años educando para la protección de la avifauna

Ianela Garcia-Lau y Alieny Gonzalez

Since its introduction to Cuba in 2003, the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival has achieved paramount recognition for its talks, conferences, competitions, workshops, exhibitions, and other ornithological events. By uniting and strengthening the national network of environmentalists, this festival has expanded its scope of activities and built its capacity to prepare and distribute educational materials.

[this is our first publication under the header “Conservation Reports” – we invite more of these!]

IN MEMORIAM

In memoriam: Dr. James W. Wiley, 1943–2018

Jason M. Townsend, Rafaela Aguilera Román, Felisa Collazo Torres, José González Díaz, Chandra Degia, Hiram González Alonso, Floyd E. Hayes, Lyndon John, Steven C. Latta, Lourdes Mugica Valdés, Nils Navarro Pacheco, Fernando Nuñez-García, Carlos Peña, Herbert Raffaele, Pedro Regalado, Ernesto Reyes Mouriño, Yaroddy Rodríguez, Bárbara Sánchez Oria, Helen Snyder, Joseph Wunderle

Summary: This In Memoriam of Dr. James W. Wiley not only celebrates his foundational research career, with four decades of published work, but also the profound personal connections he built through his mentorship and friendship. Twenty authors contributed to this piece, paying homage to Jim and painting a beautiful picture of the life he lived.

BOOK REVIEWS

Birds of the West Indies

Book authors: Guy M. Kirwan, Anthony Levesque, Mark Oberle, and Christopher J. Sharpe

Book review by: Andrew Le Fleming Dobson, BirdsCaribbean President

Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba, Number 2

Book authors: Nils Navarro Pacheco

Book review by: Steven C. Latta, JCO Book Editor

Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines

Book authors: Juliana Coffey and Alison Ollivierre

Book review by: Steven C. Latta, JCO Book Editor

Field Guide to the Birds of Suriname

Book authors: Arie L. Spaans, Otte H. Ottema, and Jan Hein J.M. Ribot

Book review by: Steven C. Latta, JCO Book Editor

RECENT ORNITHOLOGICAL LITERATURE (ROL) FROM THE CARIBBEAN

ROL: 2018

ROL: 2019

A special thank you to Dr. Steven C. Latta, Director of Conservation and Field Research at the National Aviary and longtime editor for JCO, for his continued efforts undertaking this important section of our journal that compiles recent publications from around the Caribbean. Steve has been contributing ROLs to JCO since Volume 22 in 2009.

“My idea then was to catch everything that was published after the publication of Jim Wiley’s “A Bibliography of Ornithology in the West Indies” which I always thought was a tremendous effort and a tremendous resource. I wanted to make it easier for people across the Caribbean to have ready access to the most recent literature by knowing what had been published and how to contact the researchers for copies of their papers. I also wanted to make the updating of the bibliography a whole lot easier.”

Steve has done an outstanding job and we encourage our readers to look back through his work over the past 10 JCO volumes, which can all be found in our free and open-access Archives.

Article by (1) Simon Campo – Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and a Researcher at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT; Connect with Simon via LinkedIn or email; (2) Justin Proctor – Managing Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology; and (3) Aliya Hosein – Centre for the Rescue of Endangered Species of Trinidad and Tobago.

Journal of Caribbean Ornithology relies on donations to keep all of our publications free and open-access. If you would like to support our mission and the broader goal of giving a voice to Caribbean ornithologists and their work, please consider becoming a supporter of JCO.

November 24, 2019

Journal of Caribbean Ornithology Unveils the Archives: 31 Years and Counting

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 we started with Messenger Pigeons)

James (Jim) Wiiley crossing a raging river in Puerto Rico — Jim Wiley crossing the Mameyes River, in flood, en route to a Puerto Rican Parrot nesting area in 1978. (photo by Noel Snyder)

In 1988, Dr. James (Jim) W. Wiley conceived and published the first issue of El Pitirre, a newsletter for the Society for the Study of Caribbean Ornithology (now BirdsCaribbean). He went on to serve as Editor-in-Chief for the first 17 volumes—an incredible feat—and in the process, grew the newsletter into a peer-reviewed research journal well-respected across the Caribbean.

Volume 16 (2003) marked the end of the El Pitirre name and the birth of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. 2004 would mark Wiley’s final year, wrapping up his tenure with Volume 17. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) A. Jackson tagged in as a co-Editor-in-Chief with Dr. Floyd Hayes for Volume 18 (2005), with Floyd taking the reins from there. In 2006, Martín Acosta Cruz came aboard as co-Editor-in-Chief, overseeing manuscripts coming out of Cuba. Two years later, Floyd recruited Douglas Weidemann, a biology student out of Pacific Union College, to serve as an Editorial Assistant. Doug has been with the journal ever since and is the only member of our current staff who was there to watch JCO transition from paper to the digital world in 2014. In his 11+ year tenure, Doug has been instrumental in keeping JCO moving forward as the leading ornithological publication in the Caribbean.

Doug Weidemann with box of printed Journal of Caribbean Ornithology issues ready to mail out. — A photo of Doug Weidemann getting ready to mail out a new issue of JCO in 2010. Licking shut all 300+ envelopes is a memory that still wakes Doug up at night. (photo by Floyd Hayes)

Floyd and Martín would continue serving as Editors-in-Chief for the next eight volumes of JCO. In 2014 (Volume 27), Dr. Jason Townsend stepped into the Editor-in-Chief position, and shepherded JCO into a productive chapter that included transitioning the journal to open-access and onto an online academic publishing site, as well as growing the JCO team with new staff and new positions. When Jason created and advertised a Managing Editor position in 2016, I jumped at the opportunity to become involved, and have spent the last four years helping expand the journal’s publication capacity and improving timeliness of publication. We have worked hard at creating a bigger and more unified team, and that has made all the difference.

GETTING THE JOB DONE (if only you could claim blood, sweat, and tears as tax deductions)

More staff has ultimately afforded JCO more bandwidth to tackle some big, lingering side projects. One of those has been the ongoing project (3+ years) of completing the JCO Archives—a digitized, free, and open-access collection of every publication from every volume and issue dating back to Wiley’s Volume 1, Issue 1 in 1988.

The completion of the JCO Archives is owed to the hard work of MANY individuals, including Tristan Leisten, Zoya Buckmire, and Alex Sansom, to name a few. Thank you also to all of the great photographers who have allowed us to use their photographs for volume and issue covers:

Tanya Martinez, Zoya Buckmire, Charles D Peters, Eric Hynes, Juliana Coffey, Richard Briones, Amonie Holas, Gloria Achilla, Susan Jacobson, Jessie Pitt, Dave Irving, Rafy Rodriguez, Adam Toussaint, David Hollie, Pedro G. Rodriguez, Kenneth Butler, Jose M. Panteleon, Dax Roman, Aslam Ibrahim Castellon, Anthony Levesque, Claude Fletcher, Aaron Budgor, Pericles Brea, Adam Stinton. Ray Robles, Raphael Kopan, George Armistead, Wilfred Marissen, Ernesto Burgos, Gary Graves, Engie, Jonathan Liddell, Leticia Soares, Eladio Fernandez, Justin Proctor, Bruce Hallett, Carel P. de Haseth, Miguel A. Landestoy, Andre/Keila Dhondt, Kim Novino, Rafy Rodriguez, Rafael Arvelo, M. R. Paice, David Jones, Jamie Adams, Hubert Askanas, Pascal Villard, Matthew Johnson, Wolde Kristos, Sean Rune, Greg Homel, D. Belasco, and Michael J. Good.

So with open arms and big smiles on our faces, all of us at JCO welcome you to come and take a look through the new Archives. I may be a bit biased, but I think they look pretty darn good!

DIGGING INTO THE ARCHIVES (sit back, relax, and stay awhile!)

Readers be advised—you’ll notice that there are some differences between our cataloging of newer versus older volumes. Although we tried to keep the presentation of articles and their metadata consistent across all 32 volumes, as we worked our way back in time, older publications introduced new challenges. Early volumes of El Pitirre were organized much differently and contained different types of content. Parsing out each bulletin or announcement was essentially impossible, and so in those cases we have “lumped” some entries together into one downloadable PDF. But we still wanted you to be able to clearly see every major entry within a volume, and so we have conveniently displayed all titles and authors at the top of the page. We’ve also included downloadable PDFs for each of the El Pitirre volumes and issues so that you can have them in their entirety should you wish.

We hope you’ll enjoy strolling down memory lane as much as we have. Please take your time and enjoy reading back through 31 years of priceless contributions to Caribbean ornithology. And don’t forget to swing by the Archives whenever you’re working on a new manuscript. They contain decades of great science that might help shape your own!

Sincerely,

Justin Proctor

JCO Managing Editor

P.S. We’ve done our best to ensure accuracy across everything you’ll find in the Archives, but there is always the possibility that we missed something. If you find an error that needs correcting, please reach out and let me know (justin.proctor@birdscaribbean.org). However, there’s one thing that we definitely didn’t miss, and that’s the “winking” Gray Kingbird in the logo of El Pitirre’s third issue. Interestingly enough, it only winked for that one issue…

P.P.S. The JCO is proud to continue fulfilling our mission of commitment to giving a voice to Caribbean ornithologists and their hard work. Our journal has some great momentum underway right now, but we do need help to cover our operating costs as we grow our team, offer more development resources to our authors, keep the journal free and open-access, and continue to improve our submission to publication time. Please consider supporting Caribbean science and the dissemination of that knowledge through a donation to the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. From all of us at JCO, we thank you for your support.

September 27, 2019

BirdsCaribbean Awards: Giving credit where credit is due!

April 28, 2019

Guadeloupe is on the Horizon!

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 than 3 months from conference time, and I’m happy to report to you that everything is lookin’ good!

Our Conference Organizing Committee has been working around the clock for the last 5 months to ensure that your time in Guadeloupe is going to be the best it can be! And we have no intentions of dialing it back until we’ve made sure that all of you are at the Karibea Beach Hotel with a smile on your face, an ocean breeze in your hair, and a cold drink in your hands.

I can confidently say that we’ve created what promises to be an unforgettable adventure for you. Don’t miss out! If you haven’t yet acted on any of the other deadline reminders we’ve sent out, please take this one seriously – May 7^th (less than 10 days from NOW!) is the deadline for a GREAT MANY THINGS!

Early Bird Registration – May 7^th

Call for abstracts (presentations and posters) – May 7^th

Travel Support applications (awarded on a rolling basis) – May 7^th

I also want to point out that the pre-conference field trip on July 24^th with Anthony Levesque has only 8 openings left!

And the post-conference field trip to Dominica and Martinique has only 3 openings left!

In order to claim a spot, you MUST pay a DEPOSIT here, absolutely immediately.

Please reach out to me personally if you have any questions and need some help: justin.proctor@birdscaribbean.org.

Ok, with the paperwork behind us, let’s give you a glimpse of what we’ve been putting together!

First, the Karibea Beach Hotel is going to be our venue, and it won’t disappoint. The presentation and meeting rooms are comfortable and sized just right; the socializing space where we’ll be having our coffee breaks is set up perfectly to mingle with old friends and meet new ones; the backdrop is a beach looking out over the ocean towards the western half of the island, where Le Soufriere dominates the landscape; and the personal rooms are close-by, comfortable, and come with quite the view!

Karibea-beach-resort-Gosier-hotel-clipper-hotel-salako-résidence-prao-plage-17

We’ve got 6 exciting Keynote Speakers lined up. Be sure to make time to meet with as many of them as you can during a coffee break or over a meal!

The field trip options before, during, and after the conference are abundant and diverse. We’re throwing as many opportunities to explore the island at you as we possibly can! Climb a volcano, snorkel the mangroves, island hop down to Dominica and Martinique, watch the Caribbean Martins come in to roost in downtown Pointe a Pitre, explore the Deshaies Mountains, or experience Guadeloupe’s famous waterfalls – staying active won’t be a problem!

The Program itself is filling up quickly. We’ve already had dozens of excellent presentation and posters abstracts submitted, which means that our symposia from shorebirds to hurricanes to technology will be rich with new and exciting talks and information. Likewise, we are overflowing with interesting workshops and engaging training sessions. We’ll be sure to get the full digital version of the conference PROGRAM out to you before you head to Guadeloupe, so you can start making some decisions on what you’d like to attend!

Don’t forget, there are several PRE-CONFERENCE workshops ready for you to attend. Please make sure to adjust your travel accordingly and also let us know that you’ll be attending!

Restoring Habitat through World Migratory Bird Day Cleanups

Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation

Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Harvest Workshop

And if you’re coming to Guadeloupe to see some awesome birds, the island will not disappoint.

284 bird species have been observed in Guadeloupe, including 81 nesting species reported since the year 2000.

Guadeloupe hosts 8 bird species that are endemic to the Lesser Antilles, 5 species that are endemic to the Lesser Antilles + Puerto Rico, and 1 species entirely endemic to Guadeloupe – the Guadeloupe Woodpecker.

A huge thank you to Frantz Delcroix and Anthony Levesque for allowing us to showcase some of their stunning photographs:

And there is so much more lined up for you! Head to our conference website and just browse around to see what else we’ve been up to!

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, our conferences wouldn’t be teaming with a diverse crowd of scientists, conservationists, and students if it wasn’t for the generous support of donors that help sponsor delegates to attend. PLEASE CONSIDER helping sponsor a delegate – our conferences can be life changers for our community members that don’t normally have the financial means to travel, personally network with leaders in their field, and attend workshops and symposia that can help them better their work. Help shape the future of the Caribbean you love, and please considering sponsoring a delegate.

April 21, 2019

Happy 80th Birthday to our wonderful Kate Wallace!

The following birthday announcement is brought to you by…

Presidente, a refreshing brand of Pilsner beer proudly brewed in the Dominican Republic since 1935

and…

The Solenodon Crochet Company, a family owned and operated business out of Rabo de Gato known for high quality, hand-crafted crochet animals

Loving shout-outs, warm well-wishes, and funny anecdotes from your friends around the Caribbean and beyond:

Kate Wallace is a living legend in the Dominican Republic. With much enthusiasm, passion and energy, she has done so much to advance ornithology, bird education, and bird tourism in the DR.

For those that may not know her history: Kate arrived to the DR 24 years ago with the Peace Corps and has worked as a volunteer for BirdsCaribbean, Sociedad Ornitologica de la Hispaniola, Grupo Jaragua, and Grupo Acción Ecológica. Her formal education is teaching, and as a field naturalist, bird education came natural to her. At her house one can see drawings from the 1980’s all over the walls, including pictures done by school children learning how to draw birds. There is also a colorful bird rotofolio to give talks (“charlas”) about birds when there is no electricity, a frequent condition out in the countryside.

Over the years Kate has worked with many researchers and students such as Steve Latta, Chris Rimmer, and Justin Proctor, to name a few, generously helping them with whatever they needed—providing a place to stay in Santo Domingo and organizing help in the field and other logistics. Kate has been a key person in getting the Caribbean Waterbird Census going in the DR, and has organized and helped with countless bird education events for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and World Migratory Bird Day, as well as BirdSleuth Caribbean. Kate also developed her own bird tourism company, Tody Tours, and has a fabulous “camp” up in the Sierra de Bahoruco mountains so that people can experience the incredible birds and beauty of this region.

When you walk down the streets of the Colonial Zone with Kate, she is greeted by everyone. The day we went to the Ministry of the Environment, she was treated like royalty. Greetings from different people included, “I took the course you coordinated!” “Hi Katy, how are you? I know you from the workshops!” and “Hi Kate, after our bird club, now I work for the ministry.” Even out in the countryside, people wave to Kate as she drives by shouting “Katy, Katy” with a big smile! If you say to her, “Kate, you didn’t tell us you were famous,” she cheerfully responds, “I didn’t know I was!”

Kate is also fearless—the WORST roads in the world are in the DR and they are not an impediment to Kate and her mission. I have been with Kate when a rock fell from a passing truck on to our windshield – it sounded like a bomb and the windshield shattered into a million pieces, embedding some tiny fragments of glass into my skin. Another time, in pursuit of birds, we drove across a stretch of flooded, washed out road with a river running over it that nearly swept our car away! Both experiences were terrifying (to me), but were all in a day’s work for Kate!!!

Kate absolutely loves being a part of the conservation movement in the DR and, at 80, she still wants to do more for birds! Kate inspires us to keep working…and keep giving. She just registered for the upcoming BirdsCaribbean conference in Guadeloupe, and we can’t wait to see her there. In the meantime, we plan on celebrating her 80th birthday with a tall, cold beer—her favorite, El Presidente!!! Happy Birthday Kate, we love you!!!

– Lisa Sorenson and Sheylda Diaz-Mendez and the BirdsCaribbean Board

Over the course of 5 years of field work, Kate helped make the Dominican Republic a second home for us. She welcomed us into her Santo Domingo apartment, even providing a room for Jason to stash his many bins of field gear! Kate showed us around Santo Domingo, introduced us to birding spots, directed us to secluded natural areas, and let us camp at her Rabo de Gato property whenever we came down the north side of the Sierra de Bahoruco. She also introduced us to everyone and everything related to birds on the island, and never asked for anything in return except the occasional jug of maple syrup, brought in from the old country!

Kate’s influence on birdwatching and conservation in the DR is enormous. On her 80^th we wish her many more years of continued success and positive influence. We wish we could be there for a couple of Presidentes with Kate!

– Jason and Andrea Townsend

Happy Birthday Kate! We can never thank you enough for having been so much help and giving so much of your time and warm hospitality when we were in the DR. Your passion and dedication are an inspiration. We’ve been showing videos and photos of the work with cua and gavilan to our boys lately and we miss the birds, and you, a lot. Hope you have a lovely and wonderful day surrounded by many friends! All our love!

– Lance and Rina

Saludos a Dona Kate on your 80th birthday!

We are SO HAPPY that you stumbled into Joe Wunderle, Esteban Terranova, and me in Jarabacoa many years ago, and that your service to Dominican ornithology was launched.

Thank you for being our host, our field help, our eyes and ears, our recorder of data and histories, our annotator of records.

Thank you for being our networker, and introducing so many of us to each other.

Thank you for bringing ecotourism with style to the Sierra de Bahoruco.

Thank you for being you, and keeping that Kate attitude!

And most of all, thank you for being our friend!

Un abrazo,

– Steven Latta

A Birthday Shout-Out to Kate! Happy Birthday to the Silent Auction Queen! Thank you for all you’ve done to support BirdsCaribbean over the years!

– Jennifer Wheeler

Would like to add my birthday wishes to Kate Wallace. We have worked together on the Silent Auction for a few years and have also roomed together several times – still friends.

My Bird Club of New Providence (Bahamas) did Kate’s tour in 2010 which was amazing, she is a great tour guide and ambassador for the birds of the region.

Kind regards from Nassau, Bahamas,

– Carolyn Wardle

Kate has been an important part of my training in the world of birds, I am very grateful to have known her.

Once we were in a Christmas Count in Bani, for the Waterfowl and at lunchtime she told us that she felt calm in the local restaurant because the dishes had flower paintings, which in the restaurants that put white dishes without designs was very expensive, hahahaha.

In the festivals of endemic birds I teach how to draw any bird in 4 simple steps: a circle for the torso, a circle for the head, two lines are the legs and a triangle is the peak. Ready, you have your bird.

There are many things you can meet with a person with so much experience and way of being. Thank you Kate Wallace for your love of the birds of my country.

– Johanna Rodriguez Paulino

Kate,

Happy Birthday – can’t believe it’s your 80th, but congratulations for your many contributions to bird conservation and environmental education in the DR and throughout the Caribbean, all contributed with good cheer. Your willingness to assist with the silent auctions for BirdsCaribbean has helped raise badly needed funds for BC. I don’t know where the time went, but it seems like only yesterday when you came up to Jarabacoa to join Steve and the “Ciguetaros” in our coffee study. Your infectious enthusiasm was a shot in the arm for us and eventually to bird conservation and environmental education in the DR. Hope I can celebrate with you in Guadeloupe in July. Much to discuss I’m sure. In the meantime, all the best on an important birthday!!

Cheers,

– Joe Wunderle

I will say about Kate… she is a character and one for the history books. While Annabelle Stockton (Dod) made the birds of the DR and Haiti available for all through her newspaper articles and guide, Kate Wallace was responsible for promoting the birds of the DR and Haiti, helping researchers do their work, and helping form a whole generation of bird lovers in the DR. Her commitment to the conservation of birds is undeniable. She established the first hostal designed exclusively for birdwatchers in this country. She has witnessed how a few local bird watchers have transcended to become accomplished bird photographers. Here are a few of my favorite moments when I think of Kate:

Kate instructed Danilo Mejia once to buy a used SUV for her. He found one and used a mechanic friend of his to make all the necessary repairs before Kate even saw the vehicle. When Danilo was about to deliver it, he thought it needed a “Hati Guallace” special something that would make it hers, so he had a tinted paper placed on the upper part of the windshield that read “LLEGÓ KATY”.

Kate’s eternal response to whether she had seen birds on any given outing was always… “miliones de aves”. She would also unknowingly make these yummy noises when she ate… “hmmm… muy buena”. So I travelled with two good friends around Lago Enriquillo and after a couple of days of imitating Kate’s “miliones de aves” and “hmmm… muy buena” we arrived at the Hotel Iguana in La Descubierta. We met the owner at the front door of the house, next to which there was a closed window that hid the hotel’s dining table. We could not see beyond the window as the panes where shut. We asked the owner if there was vacancy and a second later we heard a voice through the closed window. “Hmmm… muy buena!” It was Kate who coincidentally was having dinner with some birders. Of course my two companions only knew Kate by my imitations of her savoring her beloved Dominican food.

A Kate Wallace fact: Kate is a very nice person until 5pm rolls around, at which time it is imperative to provide immediately a Jumbo-sized Presidente “vestida de novia” (frosted). If the Presidente is not provided immediately, she will turn into werewolf.

With much love,

– Eladio Fernandez

Happy birthday, Kate! Wow, 80! Congratulations on this milestone. We are sorry that we aren’t around to celebrate with you. I remember your 75th birthday party, dancing and partying on the street with you!

And there are so many wonderful memories we have with you of birding adventures. We have quite a few photos but want to send you a few for memory’s sake.

We want you to know how much we love and appreciate you, Kate, and we will celebrate your birthday with you, although from a distance.

Love,

– Steve & Sandra

Please send Kate my warmest regards and a Happy Birthday! shout out.

– Wayne Arendt

The day we visited Ebano Blanco reserve, while training guides for the Caribbean Birding Trail, a rooster ripped Kate’s pants! I have no idea what that rooster was thinking Kate would do, but It was just amazing to watch her, calmly but cautiously, regaining her balance after the “attack”. Strong message that the rooster will never forget! Kate your patient, diaphanous speech, and overall passion for bird conservation truly inspired me!

Happy Birthday “desde Panama”

– Beny Wilson

Kate, it has been A LOT OF FUN becoming good friends with you over the past 9 years. I feel like those of us that have extensively wandered the back woods of the DR looking for birds together share a special bond. There’s just nothin’ else like it!

Thank you SO MUCH for all your warm hospitality over the years, and most importantly, for all the great laughs and fun adventures along the way. You have been a big inspiration to me, and so many others, and you should be proud of that!

All my best,

– Justin Proctor

March 7, 2019

JCO Roundup: Volume 31 Describes Exciting Research from Nine Islands and Highlights Caribbean Endemics

Thank you to the Growing Editorial Team at JCO.

With the recent completion of The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology’s 31st volume, I would like to recognize the outstanding new team that has come together at the journal. Managing Editor Justin Proctor has done a tremendous job organizing a copy editing team that has helped us move manuscripts much more quickly and efficiently into production than ever before. This team includes Simon Campo, Holly Garrod, Dr. Alfredo Huerta, and Seth Inman. Their dedicated work made a major contribution to the diversity of articles published in Volume 31 and will ensure an increasingly timely publication model for JCO as we look forward to 2019’s Volume 32. Thanks to all!

On the production end, Doug Weidemann continues to do a painstaking job ensuring that all errors and formatting glitches are corrected before publication. Assisting Doug are two new Assistant Production Editors, Kyle Burnham and Jenifer Morgan-Davie. Special thanks to Doug for taking the time to work with Kyle and Jenifer as they learn the JCO production system! We also had the wonderful production assistance of Alice McBride on Volume 31. Although Alice is moving on to new career responsibilities that will not leave time for JCO work, we wanted to recognize all the hard work she put in to Volume 31, and wish her all the best! Please enjoy the Roundup of articles that follows, and know that this new team of JCO editors is looking forward to growing the journal, increasing our publication efficiency, and continuing to provide this valuable resource to the greater Caribbean community.

– Jason Townsend, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Caribbean Ornithology

1. **New documentation of pine forest nesting by the Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole (*Icterus northropi***)

Daniel C. Stonko, Lehron E. Rolle, Latia S. Smith, Alexis L. Scarselletta, Jennifer L. Christhilf, Michael G. Rowley, Shanna S. Yates, Shelley Cant-Woodside, Leslie Brace, Scott B. Johnson, Kevin E. Omland

Currently restricted to just Andros, the Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi) is of critical conservation concern. In this article, Stonko et al. present evidence that Bahama Orioles breed in and use pine forest extensively, altering the current approach to population estimates and conservation strategies.

2. Short-term fluctuations and long-term changes in the use of a tropical water reservoir by resident and migratory waterbirds in Jamaica

Stefan Bräger

Utilizing surveys of a man-made freshwater habitat, Bräger assesses the environmental factors influencing waterbird species abundance and composition in Jamaica. Additionally, he draws on four decades worth of observations to identify long-term trends in the waterbird population.

3. **A rare observation of White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris) breeding activity on Hispaniola**

Neil A. Gilbert, Michelle R.A. Eshleman, Amy E. Janik, Kiera L. Kauffman, Joshua B. LaPergola

With little known about the breeding status of White-collared Swifts (Streptoprocne zonaris) on Hispaniola, Gilbert et al. describe breeding behavior at a previously undocumented nesting site. Moreover, they urge the discovery and monitoring of additional nesting sites on the island to better understand behavior and population trends.

4. **First description of Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) nest and first record of Ashy-faced Owl nesting in Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) nest on Hispaniola**

Marta Curti, Christine D. Hayes, Thomas I. Hayes, Misael Calcaño Silven

Little is known about the life history of the Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops), a Hispaniolan endemic. In this article, Curti et al. provide the first detailed description of an Ashy-faced Owl nest, providing vital information about the biology of this secretive species.

5. **Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) occurrence near Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, 2001–2008**

Anthony Levesque, Pierre Yésou

Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) populations have experienced drastic decline and are currently considered endangered, though a small breeding population has been identified on Dominica. In this article, Levesque and Yésou present evidence of this population utilizing waters off the coast of Guadeloupe and call attention to the importance of these waters in conserving marine biodiversity.

6. **Flock size of West Indian Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna arborea) in Puerto Rico**

Nickolas S. Goodman, Jack C. Eitniear, James T. Anderson

Though West Indian Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna arborea) have been declining in recent decades, Goodman et al. present promising survey data suggesting that the population size on Puerto Rico is larger than previously estimated.

7. **Distribution, population status, nesting phenology, and habitat of the West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris nyeanus) on San Salvador Island, Bahamas**

Robert Miller, Jean Miller, Scott L. Findholt

San Salvador Island is home to a small population of West Indian Woodpeckers (Melanerpes superciliaris nyeanus), however little is known about this population. In this paper, Miller et al. confirm the presence of a single population of West Indian Woodpeckers and describe in detail their distribution, population estimate, nesting phenology, and habitat use.

8. Notable bird records from Hispaniola and associated islands, including four new species

Steven C. Latta, Pedro Genaro Rodríguez

As resources for bird-watching in Hispaniola have expanded, many new and vagrant species have been recorded. Here, Latta and Rodriguez provide detailed, formal observations of four previously unrecorded species and six vagrant species on Hispaniola and associated islands.

9. **New sightings of melanistic Green Herons (Butorides virescens) in the Caribbean suggest overlooked polymorphism**

Jacob R. Drucker, Ruth E. Bennett, Lila K. Fried, Mona L. Kazour, Darin J. McNeil

Color variation in Green Herons (Burorides virescens) has been poorly documented in the recent literature. Drucker et al. begin to fill this void by describing a melanistic morph and by discussing spatial color variation and polymorphism among erythristic individuals.

10. **Observations of territorial behavior of the Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) on St. Eustatius**

Joseph P. Shepherdson

In this article, Shepherdson analyzes observations of Antillean Crested Hummingbirds (Orthorhyncus cristatus) in three locations on St. Eustatius. Drawing on these observations, Shepherdson characterizes territoriality in the species and speculates on behavior differences between the sexes.

11. Seabird surveys of globally important populations in the British Virgin Islands

Susan Zaluski, Atoya George, Clive Petrivic, Judy Pierce, Nancy Woodfield-Pascoe, Louise Soanes

Zaluski et al. use survey data of Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) and Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) in the British Virgin Islands to assess current breeding populations. As a result of their data, they call attention to the importance of these surveys as well as conservation management practices for these species.

12. New avifaunal records and checklist for the island of Saba, Caribbean Netherlands

Michiel Boeken

With the last comprehensive species records for the island of Saba published in 1983, Boeken documents 31 new species on the island. Additionally, he provides updated breeding statuses of many avifaunal species.

13. **Atypical foraging habitat use by Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) in The Bahamas**

Scott Johnson, Pamela Loring, David Jones, Shannan Yates

Though Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) typically forage and roost in sand and mud flats, Johnson et al. document these shorebirds foraging amongst mangroves. As Piping Plovers are either Threatened or Endangered in the United States, this work sheds light on the importance of wetland habitats in conserving this species.

14. **Density and abundance of the Black-billed Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus scitulus) in eastern Jamaica**

Caroline D. Judy

After conducting point-count surveys in the John Crow and Blue Mountains, Judy presents population density and abundance estimates for the Black-billed Streamertail. Her data suggests reassuring news about the current population trends, but encourages further monitoring to better understand the species’ status.

15. **Nesting of the Puerto Rican Emerald (Chlorostilbon maugaeus) and a record of nestling parasitism by botflies (Philornis sp.)**

Spencer C. Schubert

In this article, Schubert thoroughly describes the reproductive biology of the Puerto Rican Emerald (Chlorostilbon maugaeus) after monitoring a nest for 29 days. Interestingly, he provides photographic evidence of botfly (Philornis sp.) parasitism of Puerto Rican Emerald nestlings, highlighting the threat of ectoparasitism to Caribbean birds.

16. Bird Checklist Guánica Biosphere Reserve Puerto Rico

Steven C. Latta

Here, Latta reviews the Bird Checklist Guánica Biosphere Reserve Puerto Rico, evaluating the utility and layout of the checklist as well as praising the rich biodiversity of the Guánica Biosphere Reserve.

Article by Simon Campo – Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and a Researcher at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. Connect with Simon via LinkedIn or email.

November 9, 2018

Exciting updates to the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology—aka JCO

A vibrant new look, a larger-than-ever staff, and a blast from the past in our growing Archives collection – we’re excited to let our community know that good things are happening all around the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology!

New Website

First and foremost, we have been moving forward with much-needed software upgrades that will allow us to create and better manipulate a new website interface. Our goals include a much more user-friendly interface, where reviewers, authors, and readers can more easily find the information they need, submit manuscripts, and receive communications from us. And so we are excited to show you our new website. While we are still working out a few small kinks and improving some aesthetics, we’re proud of the new look and feel, and hope you enjoy it as well!

More Staff

Next, in an effort to accelerate our publication pace, we have hired four additional staff members split between our Copy Editing and Production teams. Authors and reviewers should now expect quicker turn-around time, better communication from our end, and an even higher quality final product. Thank you to everyone for your patience of late as we train our new staff and continue to build greater momentum.

Page charges: While we continue to offer free, open access to all of our publications, we are pushing hard to take the JCO to the next level, but doing so requires a greater cost on our end that we hope to mediate with reasonable, low-cost page charges. As of January 1^st, 2019, we will be instituting these charges. Please note that if you do not have the funds to pay, you will be given the opportunity to waive the fee during the manuscript submission process. We do not want fees to prevent the publication of worthy work.

With new staff and systems in place, we are anticipating a considerable number of completed publications to be added to our current Volume 31 between now and the New Year. Please check back often to read all of the great work coming out of the Caribbean!

Thank you,

The JCO Editorial Board

Jason Townsend, PhD – Editor-in-Chief

C. Justin Proctor – Managing Editor

Doug Weidemann – Production Editor

We need your unusual records from 2018 onwards. Simply email us a list indicating:

Trinidad Conference Postponed

Conference in Puerto Rico 2022

Possible Virtual Mini-Conference this Summer

RESEARCH ARTICLES AND NOTES

Novedades sobre la reproducción de dos especies de aves marinas poco comunes en Cuba*

BOOK REVIEWS

RECENT ORNITHOLOGICAL LITERATURE (ROL) FROM THE CARIBBEAN

President — Adrianne Tossas, Ph.D.

Vice-President — Justin Proctor, M.Sc.

Secretary — Emma Lewis

Treasurer — Nicholas Sorenson*

Director-At-Large — Maikel Cañizares Morera, M.Sc.

Director-At-Large — Jacqueline Andre

Director-At-Large — Terry L. Root, Ph.D.

Journal of Caribbean Ornithology Editor-in-Chief — Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., Ph.D.

Past-President — Andrew Dobson

Executive Director — Lisa Sorenson, Ph.D.

Join us for OCTOBER BIG DAY on Saturday, October 17th!

So, here’s what you need to do:

Keep in mind that a membership* with BirdsCaribbean is a great value — there’s a lot included!

We are looking forward to birding “with” all of you on Saturday, October 17th.

Mark your calendars now, and get excited!

A REMINDER OF WHAT’S HAPPENING:

THE CALL FOR NOMINATIONS IS NOW OPEN!

WHAT POSITIONS ARE UP FOR NOMINATION?

WHO CAN NOMINATE AND WHO CAN BE NOMINATED:

HIGHLY DESIRED TRAITS FOR NOMINEES INCLUDE:

WHEN YOU ARE READY TO NOMINATE AN INDIVIDUAL, PLEASE COMPLETE THE ONLINE NOMINATION FORM:

MEET THE BC BOARD WEBINAR

For more information on the entire election process, please visit our Elections blog article:

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

HOW WE NEED YOU TO BE INVOLVED:

ELECTED BOARD POSITIONS and their CURRENT STATUS:

IMPORTANT BY-LAWS (RULES) TO KEEP IN MIND:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

QUESTIONS?

Here are some great links for learning more about Joe:

On behalf of all the JCO staff, welcome aboard, Joe! We’re very glad to have you with us.

MOST SPECIES OBSERVED – ACROSS ALL TEAMS

MOST SPECIES OBSERVED – BY TEAM

PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

Prizes!

*Prize(s) awarded to eligible winners are likely to elicit extreme jealousy from friends, family, and neighbors. BirdsCaribbean is not responsible for prizes that suddenly go missing.

A big congratulations to all of our winners!

And thank you to everyone, everywhere, for participating in our Global Big Day campaign, and for making it such an awesome experience!

GET INVOLVED BY

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

HOW YOUR GIFT WILL BE USED

ABOUT GLOBAL BIG DAY

PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO:

SAFETY

RESEARCH ARTICLES AND NOTES

CONSERVATION REPORTS

IN MEMORIAM

BOOK REVIEWS

RECENT ORNITHOLOGICAL LITERATURE (ROL) FROM THE CARIBBEAN

THE BACKSTORY (some historians claim that we started with Messenger Pigeons)

GETTING THE JOB DONE (if only you could claim blood, sweat, and tears as tax deductions)

DIGGING INTO THE ARCHIVES (sit back, relax, and stay awhile!)

Here’s a recap and another shoutout to all of our 2019 Award Winners:

Dearest delegates and potential delegates far and wide,

Ok, with the paperwork behind us, let’s give you a glimpse of what we’ve been putting together!

Restoring Habitat through World Migratory Bird Day Cleanups

Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation

Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Harvest Workshop

284 bird species have been observed in Guadeloupe, including 81 nesting species reported since the year 2000.

Guadeloupe hosts 8 bird species that are endemic to the Lesser Antilles, 5 species that are endemic to the Lesser Antilles + Puerto Rico, and 1 species entirely endemic to Guadeloupe – the Guadeloupe Woodpecker.

The following birthday announcement is brought to you by…

and…

Loving shout-outs, warm well-wishes, and funny anecdotes from your friends around the Caribbean and beyond:

1. New documentation of pine forest nesting by the Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi)

2. Short-term fluctuations and long-term changes in the use of a tropical water reservoir by resident and migratory waterbirds in Jamaica

3. A rare observation of White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris) breeding activity on Hispaniola

4. First description of Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) nest and first record of Ashy-faced Owl nesting in Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) nest on Hispaniola

5. Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) occurrence near Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, 2001–2008

6. Flock size of West Indian Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna arborea) in Puerto Rico

7. Distribution, population status, nesting phenology, and habitat of the West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris nyeanus) on San Salvador Island, Bahamas

8. Notable bird records from Hispaniola and associated islands, including four new species

1. **New documentation of pine forest nesting by the Critically Endangered Bahama Oriole (*Icterus northropi***)

3. **A rare observation of White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris) breeding activity on Hispaniola**

4. **First description of Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) nest and first record of Ashy-faced Owl nesting in Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) nest on Hispaniola**

5. **Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) occurrence near Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, 2001–2008**

6. **Flock size of West Indian Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna arborea) in Puerto Rico**

7. **Distribution, population status, nesting phenology, and habitat of the West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris nyeanus) on San Salvador Island, Bahamas**

9. **New sightings of melanistic Green Herons (Butorides virescens) in the Caribbean suggest overlooked polymorphism**

10. **Observations of territorial behavior of the Antillean Crested Hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) on St. Eustatius**

13. **Atypical foraging habitat use by Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) in The Bahamas**

14. **Density and abundance of the Black-billed Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus scitulus) in eastern Jamaica**

15. **Nesting of the Puerto Rican Emerald (Chlorostilbon maugaeus) and a record of nestling parasitism by botflies (Philornis sp.)**