Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: St. Lucia Black Finch
Known locally as the ‘Moisson Pied-blanc,’the spectacular St. Lucia Black Finch is endemic to the eastern Caribbean island of Saint Lucia! Though it resembles the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, which can also be spotted on Saint Lucia, this finch cannot be mistaken for its cousin as it boasts distinct field marks and calls.
Male St. Lucia Black Finches have jet-black plumage with pale pink legs, while the females sport brown upperparts and brownish-gray underparts paired with a gray crown and pale pink legs which explains the “Pied-blanc” part of its local name. Females and immature birds look alike. The similarly sized Lesser Antillean Bullfinch also sports a sleek all-black coat. But its red throat and patches above the eyes will help you to distinguish it from the St. Lucia Black Finch. It also twitches its tail from left to right while perched unlike the St. Lucia Black Finch which bobs its tail up and down.
Be sure to observe as well the St. Lucia Black Finch’s thick, large bill! This heavy bill is perfect for its diet of insects, fruits (mostly berries) and seeds which it finds in the understory. Its habitat includes both the dry forest and the rainforest. Though they can be seen alone, they are more often in pairs. The female lays two white eggs with brownish-red spots in a spherically shaped nest of twigs, located in a palm or shrub about three meters above ground, between November and June.
The call is a high “tseea-ts-ts-tsew” and a slightly squeaky “tsip!” Emphasis is placed on the second and last notes in a similar fashion to the Bananaquit.
Unfortunately, this endemic finch is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its estimated population range is between 250 and 999 individuals. One of its major threats is habitat conversion for agriculture and tourist amenities. Other threats it faces include the clearing of the understory in commercial woodlands like timber plantations and predation by invasive species like rats and mongooses. This species will benefit from the protection of dry forests on the island which are usually targeted for development associated with tourism. There is also a need to continue public awareness and engagement to increase local support for the conservation of this bird and other wildlife found within the same habitats in Saint Lucia.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Jeanette Victor for the text!
Colour in the St. Lucia Black Finch
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the St. Lucia Black Finch
The song of the St. Lucia Black Finch is a blurry “tick-zwee-swisiwis-you” .
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male St. Lucia Black Finch. The similarly sized Lesser Antillean Bullfinch also has black plumage, but its red throat and patches above the eyes will help you to distinguish it from the St. Lucia Black Finch (Photo by Cliff Buckton)Female St. Lucia Black Finch. Both females and immatures look alike, being brown and gray rather than black. (Photo by Peter Hawrylyshyn, Macaulay Library-ML614484439)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Can you find the words in our St. Lucia Black Finch word search? Read the text above all about this endemic bird to remind yourself of some of the interesting facts and information, as you look for all 15 hidden words!
Remember the words appear forwards and backwards, as are horizontal, vertical and diagonal! Need some help? Or want to check your answers? You can see where all the words were here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a St. Lucia Black Finch in the wild!
Take a virtual tour across St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent, and Trinidad in search of Amazon parrots!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: White-eyed Thrush
Let’s dive into the world of a Jamaican beauty—the striking White-eyed Thrush!
The White-eyed Thrush is a charming bird with a glossy, dark plumage and, as its name suggests, stunning white eyes that pop spectacularly against its dark feathers. The head is rich chocolate brown and the body has darker gray upperparts paired with light gray underparts. Its throat features white streaks on a brown background, bordered by a white patch below. These thrushes are endemic to Jamaica, where you will often spot them hopping around in the understory of lush forests. However, they are quite adaptable and resourceful birds, and can also be found in gardens, parks, and even urban areas. White-eyed Thrushes are known for their playful behavior, often seen hopping around fallen branches or splashing in puddles. These birds are quite the acrobats, so be sure to take some time to observe their entertaining antics when you spot them!
White-eyed Thrushes are omnivores, gobbling up all the tasty things that they can get their beaks on—insects, fruits, and berries. You can consider them the foodies of the bird world—they enjoy a quite diverse menu, sampling meals from the forest floor to the top of the canopy!
Their song is a melodic medley of “hee-haw” whistles and trills, a beautiful serenade which echoes through the forest. They are quite vocal, chirping away to establish territories or communicate with their mates. From April to June they focus on building their nests in the cozy nooks of trees, crafting them with twigs, moss, and other bits of nature’s treasures. Clutch size is 2-3 speckled bluish-green eggs. They are dedicated parents and take turns to incubate the eggs and feed the chicks until they fledge.
While not currently considered globally threatened, habitat loss remains a concern due to deforestation and urbanization. Invasive species and climate change also pose potential threats to their survival. We can all support White-eyed Thrush conservation efforts by advocating for the protection of their habitats, participating in reforestation projects, and spreading awareness about the importance of preserving biodiversity. So, the next time you are strolling through a Jamaican national park, keep an eye out for these delightful little thrushes—they are sure to brighten your day!
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Michelle Roberts for the text!
Colour in the White-eyed Thrush
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the White-eyed Thrush
The song of the White-eyed Thrush is a long series of very variable phrases commonly repeated two to five times.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
White-eyed Thrushes are omnivores. Their diet includes insects and other invertebrates, as well as fruits and berries. (Photo by Sam Zhang, Macaulay Library-ML612222289)White-eyed Thrushes can be found in the forests of Jamaica, but can also be seen in gardens, parks, and even urban areas. (Photo by Simon Best, Macaulay Library-ML300783961)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Today’s bird, the White-eyed Thrush searches for food through the forest layers. Here it will be looking for fruits and creepy crawlies including earthworms on forest floor and insects in the leaves and branches of the trees.
In today’s activity you will learn about the different places in the forest birds feed, from low down on the ground to high up in the tree tops. You will need to put the White-eyed Thrush in the places in the forest where it can be found. You can download all the instructions for this activity here, including all the pages you need to print out to complete this activity! You can use the information in the text above, all about the White-eyed Thrush, to help you correctly place the bird where it likes to feed.
For this activity you’ll need:
printed copies of pages 2 and 3
pencil
colouring pencils
scissors
glue stick
You will need a parent or trusted adult to help you with this activity!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Lesser Antillean Pewee
Despite its demure colour and dainty size, the Lesser Antillean Pewee unmistakably asserts its presence with its forceful “pree-e-e” whistle. This Caribbean endemic is found only on the islands of Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, and St. Lucia.In Puerto Rico, locals presumably think it is a cute but silly bird, referring to it as “Bobito”, “Jüi Pequeño”, or “Bobito antillano menor.” In Guadeloupe and Martinique it is known as “Gobe-Mouches” which simply translates to flycatcher.
The Lesser Antillean Pewee is just 15cm long (picture the length of a ballpoint pen!) and has brownish-olive upper parts, with a flat broad beak. The upper mandible is a darkish brown to black, while the lower mandible is pale in colour. There are three subspecies which differ in the colour of their underparts. The St. Lucia Pewee has reddish brown underparts whereas the Puerto Rican Pewee has cinnamon coloured underparts. The subspecies found on Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique have pale yellow-buff underparts.
If you’d like to see this tiny delight, your best bet is to strap on your hiking boots and make your way up to moist mid-elevation forests and woodlands where they will likely be seen sallying out after flies, bugs, bees, wasps, and beetles! At higher elevation montane forests they may even lead you to other endemic birds! In Puerto Rico, the Lesser Antillean Pewee has been recorded joining mixed-species foraging flocks with other endemics like the Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Vireo, and the Elfin-woods Warbler. Although they love spending time in the mountain forests, you may also see them in smaller numbers in low elevation and more open habitats like dry forests, mangroves and scrub.
During the breeding season from March to June, Lesser Antillean Pewees build nests that are superbly camouflaged! Their lichen-covered cup-shaped nests are so inconspicuous they may simply be overlooked as knots or burls on a branch. Their clutch consists of two cream eggs, with dark reddish-brown spots either at the midsection (Guadeloupe, Martinique and Dominica), broad end (Puerto Rican), or all over (St. Lucia).
Although the Lesser Antillean Pewee is not threatened, their populations are decreasing in Puerto Rico, and possibly also in other islands where they face habitat loss. There was a long-term decline in pewee capture rates in tandem with decreased forest cover reported from a project monitoring bird populations at Guánica Forest in southwestern Puerto Rico. While open areas are used for feeding on insects, wooded areas are important for nesting, so maintaining a diverse range of habitat is important for the survival of this species. You can protect pewee habitats by volunteering for habitat restoration projects, buying sustainably sourced wood products, and if you’re old enough, voting for better land management laws.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Aliya Hosein for the text!
Colour in the Lesser Antillean Pewee
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Lesser Antillean Pewee
The song of the Lesser Antillean Pewee includes a whistled “peee-oo” often followed by a trilling whistle. They also often make a single sharp “pee” call.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Lesser Antillean Pewee on Dominica. This small endemic can be found in mid to higher-elevation forests and woodlands. (Photo by David Hollie, Macaulay Library-ML593526331)Lesser Antillean Pewee on Guadeloupe. When hoping to spot this bird, listen for its forceful “pree-e-e” whistle. (Photo by Claire Affagard, Macaulay Library-ML611100310)The Lesser Antillean Pewees on Puerto Rico have cinnamon coloured underparts, unlike those on Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique that have pale yellow-buff underparts, and those on St. Lucia where they have reddish underparts. (Photo by Michael Stubblefield, Macaulay Library- ML545552701)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Today’s bird, the Lesser Antillean Pewee, loves to eat insects and is often in search of them for a tasty meal! Why not explore outside and “meet the insects” in today’s activity? You will get up close to some of those mini-beasts that are crawling, flying and even munching on leaves in your own backyard.
You can download all the instructions for this activity here, including instructions for how to make your own ‘mirror box’ for looking at the insects!
For this activity you’ll need:
an old light-colored bed sheet or towel
a magnifying glass or mirror box (see page 3)
garden gloves (optional)
camera
sheet of paper and pencil
Note: You will need a parent or trusted adult to help you with this activity!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: White-fronted Quail-Dove
If you listen extra carefully while walking along remote, dense, humid forests on the central and southwest mountains of the Dominican Republic, you will hear a very hushed, low frequency “coo-o-o” call coming from the thick vegetation of the forest floor. So soft is this call that it can be quite hard to pinpoint where it’s coming from. But we can tell you who’s making that gentle sound—it’s the White-fronted Quail-Dove! This beautiful, plump, but also terribly shy bird, spends most of its time out of sight. Spotting this bird always presents a challenge to birdwatchers and nature photographers in the Dominican Republic where it is locally known as ‘azulona’! The White-fronted Quail-Dove belongs to the Columbidae family, which comprises doves and pigeons—including the bold ones you see around your homes and schools.
White-fronted Quail doves are medium-sized birds that measure 27-28 cm. The crown, nape, and sides of the head are slate gray; sides of the neck suffused with beautiful reddish purple or violet, sometimes extending onto the breast. Underparts are mostly gray, becoming rufous on the lower belly and under the tail. Its contrasting white forehead gives this dove its name and is a great field mark for identification. Its eyes are red and it has a reddish bill that is paler towards the tip. The legs are pink. Males and females look alike. Young birds are browner and lack the metallic sheen on the back and neck. This is the only quail-dove that lacks facial stripes.
The White-fronted Quail-Dove is endemic to Hispaniola, restricted to the isolated, dense, moist montane forests on Sierra de Bahoruco and the Central Mountains of the Dominican Republic. It likely can no longer be found in Haiti due to high levels of deforestation. It’s found at elevations from 745 to 1,685 m. This quail-dove has also been reported in shade grown coffee plantations. Little is known about its breeding ecology however, except that it lays 1-2 beige eggs on a nest of twigs and leaves placed low in the undergrowth.
This bird spends most of the time on the ground where it looks for seeds and small invertebrates to eat. The easiest way to try to observe this stunning quail-dove is when it ventures out of the dense forest to forage in a semi-open clearing or along a forest trail. While it is usually very shy and hard to spot, if you are in the right habitat, and are very patient, it can show itself very well.
The White-fronted Quail-Dove is classified as Endangered by the IUCN because it has a single, very small population of fewer than 2,500 individuals, which has suffered a continuing decline due to on-going fragmentation, loss of habitat, hunting pressure, and the effects of introduced predators like the mongoose and feral cats. Cats are prolific predators—even if you don’t see your cuddly, well-fed cat catching wildlife, they may still be hunting. Keeping your cats indoors can protect birds and other wildlife from being killed. Keeping cats indoors isn’t just great for wildlife, it’s good for the cats—it keeps them safe from being attacked, getting lost, or being poisoned.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Ivan Mota for the text!
Colour in the White-fronted Quail-Dove
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the White-fronted Quail-Dove
The song of White-fronted Quail-Dove is a repeated “oop-oop…”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
The White-fronted Quail-Dove is a shy bird that spends most of its time out of sight. This beautiful dove is one of the hardest species of birds to see in the Dominican Republic! It presents quite a challenge to bird watchers and photographers. (Photo by Doug Whitman, Macaulay Library-ML613246991)White-fronted Quail-Doves are endemic to the island of Hispaniola, restricted to remote dense humid montane forests on Sierra de Bahoruco and the Central Mountains of the Dominican Republic. It’s likely that this bird is no longer found in Haiti. (Photo by Bobby Wilcox. Macaulay Library-ML615097922)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : UPDATE Test your knowledge of where Caribbean endemic birds live with our ‘Fly away home’ Map Matching Activity!
Draw lines from the picture of each Caribbean endemic bird to match each one with its home. You can find out more about Caribbean endemic birds by reading our posts each day or you can go back and find all the endemic birds that we have featured in previous years here. You can also find out all about our Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book with even more birds to colour in!
Here is the Answer Key – don’t look until you have completed the activity!!!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a White-fronted Quail-Dove in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Great Lizard-Cuckoo
Meet one of the Caribbeans avian rock stars – the Great-lizard Cuckoo! This eye-catching bird calls Cuba and The Bahamas its home.
Now, picture this: a big ol’ lizard cuckoo doing its thing on the islands of Andros and Eleuthera in The Bahamas, and chillaxin in Cuba, rocking the same vibe on different islands. They even have their own fancy scientific sub-species names, “Coccyzus merlini bahamensis” in the Bahamas and “C. m. merlini“, “C. m. santamariae” and “C. m. decolor” in Cuba ! Sounds like a bird version of Hogwarts houses, doesn’t it?
It was once also found on New Providence in The Bahamas, but was extirpated with the last one being seen in the Retreat Gardens National Park in the early 2000’s. Historically, the Great-lizard Cuckoo was found on Long Island, indicating a broader distribution across the islands of the Great Bahama Bank. Remains of the species have also been found on Middle Caicos, in TCI.
These birds are hyper- carnivores, munching on lizards, insects, nestling birds and eggs, snails, centipedes, and even wasp larvae. In Cuba, their palate is similar but also includes small fruits.
But here’s the scoop: the Great-lizard Cuckoo in The Bahamas is living the island life on only two islands. Talk about exclusive! Sadly, their population is playing hard to get – nobody’s really counted or studied their population, but the rumour is it’s going down.
Now, let’s talk fashion. These cuckoos have the whole olive-brown upperparts, white or greyish throat, and a rufous belly thing going on. It’s like they stepped out of a bird fashion magazine. And their vocals? A throaty “Ka ka, kaaaa, ka ka ka ka ka” and a “ta-coooo” that’s the bird equivalent of beatboxing.
Love is in the air during breeding season, but details are sketchy in The Bahamas – it’s like they’re keeping it a secret. In Cuba, it’s a different story; they’re throwing bird parties between April and October, laying a couple of white eggs in twiggy nests.
But, oh no, the Great-lizard Cuckoo’s got some drama. Habitat loss, sneaky predators like house cats and raccoons, and playing real-life Frogger with cars are their arch-nemeses in The Bahamas. These birds aren’t jet-setters; they prefer the quiet life in forests and scrub habitats. But wait, development on Eleuthera is cramping their style. We need some serious bird bodyguards and habitat protection to keep the party alive!
So, here’s the deal – let’s make sure the Great-lizard Cuckoos keep strutting their stuff in the region. Conservation and habitat protection can greatly assist the survival of this amazing species. Let’s give them the support they need, ’cause nobody wants to live in a world without these Caribbean icons.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Scott Johnson for the text!
Colour in the Great Lizard-Cuckoo
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of the Great Lizard-Cuckoo
The calls of Great Lizard-Cuckoo are a loud, long, ratcheting “eh-eh-eh…”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Great Lizard-Cuckoos are found in The Bahamas and Cuba. In the Bahamas they are only on the islands of Andros and Eleuthera. (Photo by Neil Hilton)Great Lizard-Cuckoo. These voracious carnivores will feed on lizards, insects, nestling birds and eggs, snails, centipedes, and even wasp larvae (Photo by Mario Olteanu)Great Lizard-Cuckoo Perched. These birds can be found in forests and scrub habitats. (Photo by Frantz Delcroix, Macaulay Library-ML62014491)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Get active with your family and friends with our fun chick feeding game! We want you to imagine you are a busy Great Lizard-Cuckoo with a hungry brood of chicks to feed! It will take some speed and dexterity to help provide food for your baby birds. Download the instructions here.
We would love to see photos and/or videos of you and your family playing the game. You may email them to Aliya.Hosein@birdscaribbean.org
Please note that by submitting your photos and/or video you give BirdsCaribbean consent to use your photos and/or videos on our website and social media accounts.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Great Lizard-Cuckoo in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Antillean Palm Swift
A fast flying, deftly maneuvering miniature fighter-jet of the Caribbean sky, your attention will likely be drawn to the Antillean Palm Swift when it dives past your face or emits a flurry of twitters- “tooeee-tooee” – above you in pursuit of its insect prey. This aptly named bird lives exclusively in the Greater Antilles islands (save Puerto Rico). And while Antillean Palm Swifts can definitely fit in the palm of your hand, this bird takes its name from the palms it frequently uses for nesting and roosting.
Up close, these tiny swifts are adorable, with enormous, dark chocolate eyes relative to their little sooty brown and dull white bodies; their tiny beak belies a sizable gape for hoovering in plenty of flies! Males and females seem to be indistinguishable to the human eye, but even if they were, you’d probably have a hard time telling them apart anyway because they seem to never sit still, other than when they disappear into a cluster of palm fronds.
The Antillean Palm Swift’s nest is a remarkable construction — a soft bed of feathers, plant fibers, and silky and fluffy seed heads fashioned into a slight pouch, in which 2-5 white eggs are laid. It’s attached within the nooks and crannies of palm fronds. They prefer to nest in the dead and hanging leaves of Sabal, Washingtonia, Roystonea, and Copernicia palm species. And because of their preference for dead and dying palm fronds, you can also be nearly sure to encounter them nesting and roosting in palm thatch roofs! Both male and female Antillean Palm Swifts take care of the chicks.
And did we forget to mention that Antillean Palm Swifts nest in colonies? That’s right! One can often encounter dozens of these swifts darting in and out of a palm or thatch roof, sometimes at eye-level! And apparently they secure their nest using their own saliva!
A brief aside: So if these birds are such strong flyers, are able to nest in a variety of both natural and manmade structures, and have a food source that is rather ubiquitous, why haven’t they successfully colonized the other Caribbean Islands? You can pretty much throw a stone from one Caribbean Island to the next, but for some reason there is a hard line drawn between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico that these little guys just don’t seem to want to cross. There are tiki huts, palm trees, and insects in Puerto Rico… so what’s the problem? Vagrant records for Antillean Palm Swift on Puerto Rico do pop up from time to time yet the species seems unable to get a foothold (or maybe a winghold?). Clearly more ecological research on this endemic fighter-jet is needed.
All kidding aside, we encourage folks to seek out this one-of-a-kind species and enjoy some time watching these little swifts and their aerial acrobatic shows. Did you know? You can ensure encore performances for years to come when you stop killing native insects. Don’t spray them. Don’t bait them into traps. Don’t poison your landscape and watershed where they live (and tell your neighbors to stop killing insects too)! Instead, devote your efforts to building back a diverse native habitat on your property, which in turn produces beneficial predatory insects that bring balance to the entire system.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Josh LaPergola & Justin Proctor for the text!
Colour in the Antillean Palm Swift
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of the Antillean Palm Swift
The calls of Antillean Palm Swift are a high-pitched metallic sounding twitter.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Antillean Palm Swifts can be found feeding over open habitats. Swooping low to the ground with their fast erratic flight. (Photo by Jeremiah Trimble, Macaulay Library-ML257901871)Antillean Palm Swift. This bird takes its name from the palms it frequently uses for nesting and roosting. (Photo by Guy Stevens, Macaulay Library-ML614528277)You can often encounter dozens of Antillean Palm Swifts darting in and out of a palm or thatch roof, sometimes at eye-level! (Photo by Paul Arneson, Macaulay Library-ML149238231)
Enjoy these beautiful photos of the Antillean Palm Swift!
Antillean Palm Swifts live exclusively on the islands of the Greater Antilles with the exception of Puerto Rico. (Photo by Francisco Alba)Antillean Palm Swift shouldn’t be confused with other swift species in the Greater Antilles, their black-and-white plumage, long slim wings, and long forked tail are unique within its range. (Photo by Guy Stevens, Macaulay Library-ML614528284)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : We hope that you have been enjoying learning all about our Caribbean endemic birds! Don’t forget that this year our theme is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”. Some of the birds we have featured so far are endangered and many others are under pressure, often from human activities. This means our special endemic birds and many of the other beautiful birds that live in or visit us in the Caribbean need your help.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Black-billed Parrot
Upon approaching Jamaica’s verdant Cockpit Country in the early morning, you will, depending on the time of year, see pairs or flocks of emerald green parrots flying purposefully across valleys, their flight ‘bugles’ echoing through the forested hills. Landing noisily in the treetops, they call to each other with a variety of squawks and warbles. These raucous birds are Black-billed or Yellow-billed Parrots—both of which are endemic to Jamaica! Their populations are restricted to the wet limestone forests of the Cockpit Country, the John Crow Mountains, and moist mountain forests of central Jamaica.
The Black-billed Parrots, simply called ‘Black Bill’ in Jamaica, are smaller and darker than the more colourful Yellow-billed Parrots. They are most closely related to another Caribbean endemic parrot, the Puerto Rican Parrot. Overall, Black-billed Parrots are a dark, forest green with flecks of scarlet above the grayish-black beak. Most Black-billed Parrots also sport a row of small, scarlet feathers in their wings, which show as a red flash in flight. The leading edges of the flight feathers progress from deep blue to turquoise, with the trailing edges grading from black to green. Splashes of red and yellow show in the tail feathers when the tail is spread.
Courtship for Black-billed Parrots begins as early as January when pairs can be seen flying apart from flocks. They are cavity nesters—they excavate a deep chamber in the trunk of a large tree which they use to nest, lay 3-4 eggs, and raise their young. Most nesting activity happens in March. Females incubate the eggs during which time their mates will bring food for them throughout the day. Eggs hatch after about 24 days and both parents feed and raise the hatchlings. Baby parrots are born completely featherless and with their eyes and ear openings fused shut. They’re also born with large feet which prevent them from toppling over when food is being regurgitated into their beaks. They grow baby feathers first which initially give them a decidedly spiky appearance! These eventually lay smooth as they continue to grow. Baby Black-billed Parrots play with small leaves and sticks—this activity strengthens the muscles which they will need to make long flights in search of food. After about 60 days, the young parrots are ready to leave the nest.
Black-billed Parrots forage over a wide area of forest, eating a variety of fruits, seeds, berries, blossoms, and even the leaves of trees. Like other parrots, they transport fruits and seeds using their beaks and feet, which they disperse over long distances—making them important but often overlooked seed dispersers of the forest.
The Black-billed Parrot is listed as Endangered. Threats to their survival include loss of forest habitat and the increasingly hot and dry climate. Hot, dry, and windy conditions are perfect for bushfires that destroy fruiting trees and kill baby parrots that are unable to fly. Predation by the endemic Jamaican Boa contributes to a high rate of nest failure (over 50%) in Black-billed Parrots. Poaching for the illegal pet trade has also increased, with parrots being sold along the roadside and through social media outlets—deleterious activities that rarely face enforcement action. Bauxite mining is an imminent threat to the blackbills’ stronghold in northeastern Cockpit Country. The survival of the Black-billed Parrot will depend on the protection of this important area, as well as enforcement of Jamaica’s Wildlife Protection Act.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Wendy Lee for the text!
Colour in the Black-billed Parrot
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of the Black-billed Parrot
The calls of the Black-billed Parrot include a harsh “mwah” as well as scratchy sounding “uh-luh” calls often given in flight.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Black-billed Parrots are listed as Endangered by the IUCN and their population is declining. Some of main threats to these birds include habitat loss, removal in birds from the wild for the pet trade, and nest predation by invasive predators. (Photo by John Oates)Black-billed Parrots eat a variety of fruits, seeds, berries, blossoms, and even the leaves of trees. They are important seed dispersers in the forest. (Photo by Bobby Wilcox, Macaulay Library-ML415820601)Black-billed and Yellow-billed Parrots on Jamaica are most closely related to the Puerto Rican Parrot. (Photo by Wendy Lee)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Discover the birds of the Caribbean with Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, and learn how to fold a Parrot out of paper with this video!
All you need is a square sheet of paper – 24 x 24 cm is ideal. The video will show you step by step how to fold and create your Parrot! Enjoy also our photos of the many parrots that are endemic to the Caribbean islands at the end of the video!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Black-billed Parrot in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Oriente Warbler
It is impossible not to stop and marvel at the spectacular hubbub of a foraging flock of Oriente Warblers (Teretistris fornsi). Not only is this warbler is endemic to Cuba where it is known as the ‘Pechero’, these little birds belong to a family known as ‘Teretistridae’—where all the members are only found in Cuba and its surrounding cays!
Its simple but unique plumage instantly grabs your attention. The upper parts of its body are bluish gray which contrast strikingly with the yellow of its lower parts. That delightful lemony yellow extends from around the eyes and throat to the upper belly. The lower belly and undertail are pale gray, and the flanks have a dull brownish wash. Males and females look alike. Don’t confuse this bird with its cousin, the Yellow-headed Warbler, which has a yellow crown and is gray on the belly.
If the Oriente Warbler’s flashes of yellow and gray don’t immediately stop you in your tracks, its melodious song will. It has been described as “buzzy notes interspersed with sweeter notes.” Their call, however, is a shrill “tsi-tsi-tsi.” The Oriente Warbler also emits a series of loud, metallic calls that, during non-reproductive periods, attract several migratory and resident passerines to form mixed foraging flocks.
Orient Warblers can be found in dry coastal scrub and forest habitats along the central-eastern coast of Cuba. They specialize in feeding on all types of insects, but they have also been observed feeding on lizards of the Anolis genus, seeds, and flowers. Their foraging behavior is spectacular—like the Yellow-headed Warbler, they perform vertical and horizontal sweeps through all levels of the vegetation. It is common to find 10 or more individuals foraging together from ground level, up to the branches, trunks, or foliage of the trees!
Oriente Warblers reproduce during the months of March to July with the arrival of spring. Interestingly, researchers from the Eastern Center for Ecosystems and Biodiversity (BIOECO) have observed male Oriente Warblers paired with more than one female! They build cup-shaped nests using rootlets, vines, fine grasses, and ball moss. These nests are found in the branches of thorny plants. Females lay 2 to 3 light blue eggs with brown specks on the wide end. These are attended to by only one parent, most likely the female. The chicks make their wobbly exit from the nest after about a month, but remain with their parents for a few weeks. During this time, parents keep a watchful eye on them, showing them where to find food and stay safe from predators.
The size of the Oriente Warbler population is currently uncertain but it is believed that the population is stable, which is why the IUCN classifies the Pechero as “Least Concern.” If you enjoy nature, do not hesitate to visit Cuba to observe this absolute jewel of its birdlife!
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Claudia Mantilla & Carmen Plasencia León for the text!
Colour in the Oriente Warbler
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Oriente Warbler
The song of the Oriente Warbler is a jumbled combination of buzzy “zhip” and chipping “tip” notes.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Outside of the breeding season, which is when they defend a territory, Oriente Warblers are fairly sociable. They can be found feeding in mixed species flocks or will flock together as a single species in groups of up to 10 individuals. (Photo by Michael World)Oriente Warblers feed at all levels of the vegetation- you can find individuals foraging on the ground, on the branches, trunks, or foliage of the trees. They mainly eat insects, but they have also been seen feeding on lizards, seeds, and flowers. (Photo by Ian Burgess, Macaulay Library- ML558957951)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : On Cuba you might spot several different types of warblers. There are two little birds amongst them who look very much alike, but they’re not the same type of bird! Once is today’s endemic bird, the Oriente Warbler, and the other is the Yellow-headed Warbler. Both are mainly gray and yellow! In our activity of the day you need to look carefully at two photos and try to identify the Oriente Warbler. Check the text above for some handy tips.
If you get stuck and feel like you need a bit of extra help then take a look on the second page of this activity. You will find some helpful hints to set you on the right track.
Think that you found the Oriente Warbler? You can check if you are right on our answer sheet here. This activity is perfect to play with school groups or outdoor education clubs etc.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of an Oriente Warbler in the wild!
Wondering about some of the ways we monitor birds like the Oriente Warbler? Read all about the first-ever BirdsCaribbean bird banding workshop in Cuba!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Puerto Rican Mango
The Caribbean is alluring to many people with its tropical climate, picturesque landscapes that look like they’ve been pulled straight from paradise, and of course—mangos! But we’re not talking about the delicious tropical fruit—we’re talking about the dazzling hummingbirds that belong to the Anthracothorax genus. We think you’ll agree that they do nourish the soul and spirit, just like our region’s beloved fruit. There are four endemic mangos in the Caribbean, one of which is the Puerto Rican Mango (Anthracothorax aurulentus). This medium-sized hummingbird has a long, decurved bill and that adds a bit of green glimmer to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
In poor light, male Puerto Rican Mangos can appear all-dark, but when well illuminated, those seemingly unassuming colours transform—allowing us to witness a spectacular special-effects polychromatic show! Getting a glimpse of this magic makes it apparent why the local names for the species are “colibrí dorado” (golden hummingbird) and “zumbador dorado” (golden buzzer). The upperparts and throat gleam bright greenish-yellow, and chest deep indigo with green sides. The lower breast and belly are paler than the chest, and the lower belly is usually white. The tail feathers are a moody maroon-purple with black edging. Females have the same iridescent green upperparts, but drab white underparts with gray flanks. When their tails are folded, the outer feathers usually appear coppery or greenish; when fanned, these feathers show large rusty patches near the base with broad white tips.
Not too long ago, the Puerto Rican Mango and Hispaniolan Mango were considered the same species—then called the Antillean Mango. In 2022, the split was made based on plumage and morphometric (size and shape) differences observed in museum specimens.The male Hispaniolan Mango (Anthracothorax dominicus) has a shimmering green throat and entirely velvet-black underparts, and the female has a purplish tail base.
The species is widespread throughout Puerto Rico where you can spot them in dry forests, forest clearings, scrub, shade coffee plantations, and suburban gardens. Historically it was abundant on Vieques island but is now considered rare there as the last reported sighting was in 1994. The decline of the mango on the islands coincided with both the arrival of the Green-throated Carib, another Caribbean endemic, and the conversion of forest to more human-disturbed habitats—which the carib thrives in but the mango does not. A similar decline occurred on the Virgin Islands where its range is now limited to Virgin Gorda, Anegada, the Beef Islands, Guana Island, and St. Thomas.
If you are from, or visiting, any of these islands, listen for its call—a high-pitched, sharp chip described as “tsick“; or for its song, a high, thin rapid trill or buzz preceded and followed by one or several high pitched “tsit” notes.
Like other hummingbirds, the Puerto Rican Mango is a sugar addict with an insatiable appetite for nectar! It doesn’t only consume nectar though. It is also skilled at capturing and eating insects, including small wasps, beetles, and flies—all while in the air! Males will however still aggressively defend nectar-rich territories from other nectar feeding birds.
Its breeding season extends throughout the year but peaks from March to July. Mama hummingbirds build a deep cup-shaped nest lining the inside with soft plant fibres whereas the outside is covered with flakes of bark and lichen bound together by spider webs. They incubate the two eggs for approximately 15 days. The nestlings are fed a nutritious mix of nectar and insects that is regurgitated straight into their hungry beaks. After about 25 days they are strong enough to leave the nest to start their own lives.
Fortunately the Puerto Rican Mango is not a threatened species! However, we need to ensure we can enjoy their dazzling displays for years to come by planting native flowers that hummingbirds feed on in our gardens, reducing our use of insecticides (most of which kill both the good and bad insects), and supporting local environmental organizations with their reforestation initiatives.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Aliya Hosein and Adrianne Tossas for the text!
Colour in the Puerto Rican Mango
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Puerto Rican Mango
The song of the Puerto Rican Mango is made up of high-pitched, thin rapid trills and buzzing notes, often with high pitched “tsit” calls at the start and end.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Puerto Rican Mango. The striking yellow-golden plumage on its upper parts has earned this bird the local names “colibrí dorado” (golden hummingbird) and “zumbador dorado” (golden buzzer). (Photo by Rafy Rodrguez)
Female Puerto Rican Mango at the nest. Females have the same iridescent green upperparts as males, but drab white underparts with gray flanks. (Photo by Alcides Morales Perez, Macaulay Library- ML588237551)
Puerto Rican Mango feeding, with his tail fanned showing off his deep purple tail feathers. (Photo by Rafy Rodriguez)
Enjoy these beautiful photos of the Puerto Rican Mango!
Male Puerto Rican Mango in flight. This species is widespread throughout Puerto Rico and can be found in dry forests, forest clearings, scrub, shade coffee plantations and suburban gardens. (Photo by Peter Hawrylyshyn, Macaulay Library-ML540850091)Male Puerto Rican Mango perched. In addition to eating nectar they are also skilled at hunting insects, including small wasps, beetles, and flies, which they catch on the wing. (Photo by Benny Diaz, Macaulay Library-ML161402841)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : The Puerto Rican Mango is a striking bird with vivid shining colours of glittering green, inky black and vibrant violet!But who says you have to travel to Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands to see these beautiful colours?In this activity you’ll make a suncatcher—a decoration that catches rays of sunlight and casts them as rainbow hued patterns across the room! You might want to make this beautiful suncatcher as a gift for Mother’s Day!
Here is a list of materials you will need:
empty clear plastic milk jug, washed and dried
permanent markers
scissors
utility Knife
hole punch
twine, string or yarn
You can download full instructions here including a bird template for you to use. This activity involves using a knife and scissors.
Make sure you have an adult to help you with the cutting.
Let’s celebrate moms AND endemic birds!
Mother’s Day is this weekend on May 12th and we’ve got you covered. We have an endemic bird-themed Mother’s Day Cards to download and colour. This is a fun activity for people of all ages to celebrate the mother figure in their life!
Please download and print our card template (letter size will work best but A4 will be ok too). It’s best to use card stock, but regular printer paper will do just fine. Once printed, fold in half horizontally (so the short sides touch) and write your own special message on the inside! Don’t forget to colour in the pictures on the front and on the back. Or if you are feeling really creative be inspired by one our featured birds and draw your own greeting card!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Puerto Rican Mango at its nest in the wild!
Read all about how the Antillean Mango got split into two new species back in 2022! One of these was the Puerto Rican Mango, but do you know which other island also got a ‘new’ species of hummingbird from this split?
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Least Pauraque
You’re enjoying a nice relaxing night in the southwestern dry forests of the Dominican Republic when you hear an eerie “twooorii” from the forest. Is it a ghost?? Or even worse—the fabled Chupacabra!?
Although the avian family name Caprimulgidae does actually hail from myths purporting that these birds suckled (chupa) on goats’ (cabra) udders, the Least Pauraque couldn’t be more of an adorable toasted marshmallow of a bird with no interest whatsoever in drinking goat milk. They are actually far more interested in eating nocturnal flying insects—which is great news for all of us who don’t fancy nights filled with mosquitos!
These birds are locally known as ‘Torico’. Their local names come from their guttural repeated “torico, torico” call.
And while you might wander into the woods seeking to find the source of these spooky calls—you’ll be looking for a long time as these birds are masters of disguise! They are cryptically colored with streaked blackish-brown upper parts and a creamy white belly with feathers laced in blacks and browns. They wear a pearly white collar and search for insects with their huge, dark eyes—all the better for nocturnal foraging! You can tell them apart from Hispaniola’s other nightjar (the endemic Hispaniolan Nightjar) by the band across the end of their tail feathers which is white in males and buffy-cream in females. They also lack the white wing crescents of Antillean Nighthawk and much prefer perching and sallying to actively soaring like the nighthawks tend to do. While it might look like they can’t catch much in their tiny beaks, their mouths actually open very wide to catch unsuspecting insects.
Whilst they do share Hispaniola with several other nightjars, the Least Pauraque is unique in their genus! They used to share their genus with the Jamaican Pauraque, which although discovered first in 1758, has not been seen or detected since 1860. The Least Pauraque on the other hand is newer to science, having been described in 1917 and was later assigned to the same unique genus in 1928 by the notable James Bond.
You can find them in arid or semi-arid lowlands of Hispaniola. They are big fans of scrubby limestone woodlands filled with prickly cactus and thorn scrub, though they have also been recorded in deciduous, coniferous, and other mixed forests spanning from sea level up to 800m in elevation. The best spot to find the Least Pauraque is the Sierra de Bahoruco mountain range in the southwest of the Dominican Republic.
While not globally threatened, these adorable bug-eaters are considered near-threatened. Since they are hard to find and thus hard to count, we can only roughly estimate their population which is believed to be between 6,000-15,000 individuals. This population is suspected to be in a slow decline. Their current status in Haiti is not well known, wide-scale deforestation for agriculture and charcoal production mean they have lost much of their preferred habitat. In fact, there were no records of Least Pauraque in Haiti between 1928 and 1969! They are known at 16 widespread locales in the Dominican Republic—however, their cryptic plumage keeps them well hidden and it is believed that they likely occupy more areas than these. Continued threats include predation from introduced rats and mongoose, and continued forest loss for agriculture.
While decisions about protecting habitats from unsustainable development that can threaten the Least Pauraque are often in the hands of policy makers, you can still help your backyard birds thrive! Just like the Least Pauraque there are other birds, like the Gray Kingbird and Greater Antillean Bullfinch, that like to feed on crunchy and gooey insects. Avoid using insecticides so that these birds will have enough insects to munch on and keep coming back to your garden.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Holly Garrodfor the text!
Colour in the Least Pauraque
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of the Least Pauraque
The calls of the Least Pauraque include a rising whistle “tooooooeeeeeee,” and a three syllable trilled “oo-weee-oo.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Least Pauraque perched. These birds specialize in catching and feeding on flying insects. While it might look like they can’t catch much in their tiny beak, their mouths actually open very wide! (Photo by Kristof Zyskowski, Macaulay Library-ML174412081)Least Pauraque camouflaged in leaf litter. These birds are masters of disguise. The best habitats to look for them in are the arid or semi-arid lowlands of Hispaniola. They are big fans of scrubby limestone woodlands filled with cactus and thorn scrub. (Photo by Dax Roman)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : What facts can you remember about today’s endemic bird – the Least Pauraque? Test your knowledge by filling in the missing words in our Least Pauraque facts! We have given you all the correct words to use but can you put them into the right fact?
You can re-read the information all about this bird above, or search on the BirdsCaribbean webpages or online for more information about the Least Pauraque! Then, when you have completed all the sentences, you can check your answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Least Pauraque in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Tawny-shouldered Blackbird
Blackbirds love to hang out with other blackbirds and this beloved endemic is no exception. The Tawny-shouldered Blackbird is considered nearly endemic to Cuba where locals call it ‘Mayito.’ There is a small relict population in Haiti. Like other blackbirds, it belongs to the Icteridae family, which includes other cool endemics like the Greater Antillean Grackle, Cuban Blackbird, and Red-shouldered Blackbird. It forms mixed flocks with these species. It even flocks with Shiny Cowbirds—which are known to parasitize their nests! Being in a mixed flock affords Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds better protection from predators and possibly improves foraging efficiency. At night, their raucous roosts can be immediately identified in parks and tree groves.
Male and female Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds look alike. Both have black plumage, and distinctive tawny (orange-ochre) patches on the shoulders with a yellowish-cream border. This shoulder patch is particularly striking in males during the breeding season. Females are duskier and lack the bluish gloss of the males. These relatively small birds measure approximately 7.5 inch to 8.7 inch.
Not all species of songbirds can sing duets with their mates but Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds rather delightfully can! Both males and females have melodious voices with males usually leading the serenade. Solo songs are a shrill “shuh-riii-iii” and calls are a short and strong metallic “chic-chic.”
Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds are monogamous, nesting in trees or bushes near water, and prefer colonial nesting, with many nests close to each other. They nest from April to August with chicks fledging the nests mostly between May and July. Females take the lead in constructing the nests using dried grass, moss, twigs, hair, and feathers. Clutches comprise 3–4 bluish to greenish eggs with brown spots.
In Cuba look for these black beauties in woodlands and woodland edges, farmlands, and rice fields. In Haiti, they occur along channels of dry open woodlands. They can also be found in Cuba’s cities and neighbourhoods, and are not restricted to wetlands like their counterpart, the Red-shouldered Blackbird. Their omnivorous diet of insects, seeds, fruits, and nectar allows them to adapt to a variety of habitats.
While primarily sedentary, vagrant Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds have been recorded in the southeastern United States and the Cayman Islands, possibly blown off route during storms and hurricanes.
Fortunately, the Tawny-shouldered blackbird is not globally threatened. Although common in larger islands in the Cuban archipelago, it is rare in Haiti, mainly in the western part, and the current status of its populations there is unknown.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Ailén Anido Escalona for the text!
Colour in the Tawny-shouldered Blackbird
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Tawny-shouldered Blackbird
The song of the Tawny-shouldered Blackbird is made up of long buzzing notes, sometimes interspersed with short higher-pitched ‘buzzes’. Both males and females will sing, sometimes together.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Both male and female Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds have melodious voices. Unlike many species of songbirds, where only the male sings to attract a mate, they will sing duets together! (Photo by John Drummond, Macaulay Library-ML27841521)In Cuba, look for Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds in woodland and woodland edges, farmland, and rice fields. They can also be found in Cuba’s cities and suburbs and are not restricted to wetlands like the similar looking Red-shouldered Blackbird. (Photo by Neil Hilton)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : The Tawny-shouldered Blackbird enjoys catching and eating bugs. It searches trees and in bushes, sometimes even on the ground to find tasty creepy crawlies to munch on. Perhaps catching a moth, a tasty worm, or a spider!
Imagine you are a Tawny-shouldered Blackbird in search of a meal. In today’s activity you will go exploring and find out what bugs there are in your backyard in our fun bug hunt!
Follow our instructions and see how many different types of bugs you can find! Perhaps you will spot a butterfly or a bee flitting past? Remember to just look at the bugs and not to touch or collect them.
You can check the ones you see off on our list, and perhaps take some photos of them?
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of Tawny-shouldered Blackbirds in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Jamaican Tody
When you hear the name Robin Redbreast, you might think of different birds from around the world. But in Jamaica, it refers to the Jamaican Tody (Todus todus). European settlers, nostalgic for the robins of their homelands, tended to name any small bird with a splash of red on its chest a “robin.” However, the Jamaican Tody doesn’t actually have a red breast—it has a red throat! Its compact body sometimes makes this detail less obvious at a glance.
This tiny bird has other fascinating local names—‘Jesus Bird’ and ‘Rasta Bird.’ According to legend, during Christ’s crucifixion, a drop of blood fell onto the bird as it looked up at the cross, leaving a permanent mark. Its ‘Rasta Bird’ nickname comes from its striking red, green, and yellow colors, which match the Rastafarian flag, making it a true symbol of Jamaica.
Todies are a unique genus found only in the Greater Antilles and are entirely endemic to the Caribbean. There are five species, each found on a single island—except Hispaniola, which has two. The Jamaican Tody was the first tody species to be described by scientists.
This vibrant little bird is only about 9cm (3.5 inches) tall, with a large head, stout body, and short tail. It looks like a puffball of feathers, with a vibrantly red throat, a pointed red-and-brown bill, and a dazzling green back and wings. It has a white mustache that ends in a touch of blue. The iris can be blue-gray, brownish-white, or even a rare half-and-half combination! The breast is white, with some green washing on the sides. There are varying amounts of pink on the flanks and bright yellow or green on the lower belly.
Found in all types of forests, from mangroves to mountains, the Tody is most common at mid-levels. Don’t let its small size fool you—it has a huge personality! You’ll likely see it flitting about in the undergrowth, constantly searching for its next meal. It perches on low branches with its long, broad bill tilted upwards as it patiently scans the vegetation for crawling larvae and flying insects. Once spotted, the Tody swoops down or up to catch its prey in a flash! Captured prey are shaken or beaten against a branch before being eaten.
This tody is also quite vocal! It gives a loud “beep” call during the breeding season and a rapid, guttural “frrrup” sound for territorial displays. If danger is near, it lets out a sharp “cheep.” But not all of its sounds come from its beak—its wings create a signature “buzzing” noise in flight!
When it comes to raising their offspring, a typical nest of leaves and twigs just won’t do for Jamaican Todies. Instead, they dig burrows into soil banks, where they lay 1 to 4 white eggs. Both parents take part in excavation and chick-rearing.
Although not currently threatened, Jamaican Tody populations are impacted by habitat destruction and predation by the invasive Indian Mongoose. Reforestation efforts and controlling invasive species can help ensure this little bird continues to thrive. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Damany Calderfor the text!
Colour in the Jamaican Tody
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Jamaican Tody
The song of the Jamaican Tody is a series of scratchy sounding “zheh” sounds often followed by a brief rattling call.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
The Jamaican Tody’s brilliant red, green, and yellow/gold colors also embody the Rastafarian colours, making it a true icon of Jamaica. (Photo by Matt Grube)The Jamaican Tody can be found in all types of forests, from mangroves to mountains. Look for this little bird perched or flitting through the undergrowth in search of insect prey. (Photo by Anthony VanSchoor)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Jamaican Todies feed on insects like beetles, flies, moths, crickets, and grasshoppers. When catching flying insects for a delicious meal Todies will “sally” (swoop) out form their perch on a nearby branch and grab this insect right out of the air! If they are successful they then head back to their perch and tuck into their catch.
Can you help this hungry Jamaican Tody find its way through our maze to to grab some tasty insect food? You can find the correct route here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Jamaican Tody in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Lesser Antillean Euphonia
This tiny flitting endemic icon can be found on not one, not two, not three, but nine islands in the Lesser Antilles (Barbuda to Grenada). The Lesser Antillean Euphonia is a brilliantly colored bird. The male has a sky-blue helmet, olive-yellow underparts, a bright yellow patch on the throat and forehead, a dark mask, and an olive-green back. Although males and females are similar in appearance, the female is more uniformly olive-green and has a smaller yellow forehead patch.
Lesser Antillean Euphonias are predominantly a species of dense forests, from dry lowlands to wet mountain tops. They can be found in most available habitats and adjacent disturbed areas, especially where mistletoe is present. Why mistletoe? Mistletoe berries are their favorite food! Like many other plants, mistletoe are dependent on birds to disperse their seeds but the way this happens is remarkable. Euphonias break open the outer shell of the fruit and swallow the inner portion. They digest the pulp which is rich in fat and protein and then defecate the seeds onto tree limbs where they germinate, thereby helping to “plant” them in another location. The seeds have a sticky film on them which acts as a glue to stick the seeds to the tree limb. Euphonias can be seen quickly “wiping” the seeds onto a branch after pooping them out to prevent them from sticking to their vent feathers! They also occasionally eat other fruits, seeds, and flower buds.
Though one of the most brilliantly coloured and active Caribbean endemics, birders lament that they are rarely lucky to catch even a glimpse of Lesser Antillean Euphonias. But their distinctive song—a jumbled trilling, tinkling “tuc-tuc-tuc…”, punctuated with sharp whistles, can be heard from above, usually pouring out from the labyrinth of mistletoe vines.
The breeding season lasts from January to July, possibly peaking from April to June. Dome-shaped nests, with a side entrance, are constructed using moss and rootlets, with an inner cup of dried grass, strips of bark, and shredded plant material. In St Vincent a nest was placed about 10m up and attached to vines growing against the trunk of a forest palm. The vines most likely provide camouflage and stability for the nest. Eggs (4) are white with mauve or reddish brown spots, especially at the larger end, with the markings sometimes forming a ring.
While not threatened, Lesser Antillean Euphonias are uncommon throughout their range. Populations have been recorded within protected areas in Guadeloupe, Dominica, and St Lucia. But strong winds and tree falls, caused by severe storms and hurricanes can decrease the amount of food available to them. It is important for us to support our local NGO initiatives, like removing invasive species and replacing them with native trees, to increase the resilience of our forests so that Lesser Antillean Euphonias and other forest-dependent birds can continue to thrive.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Aliya Hosein for the text!
Colour in the Lesser Antillean Euphonia
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song and the calls of the Lesser Antillean Euphonia
The song of the Lesser Antillean Euphonia is a jumble of is a rapid jumble squeaky, and whistled notes.
The calls of the Lesser Antillean Euphonia include a high-pitched “wheee”, a more grating “djip”, as well as a “beep” call, sometime in a series, and a rapid “whip-ip.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Female Lesser Antillean Euphonia, Guadeloupe. This little bird is found on nine islands in the Lesser Antilles! (Barbuda to Grenada). (Photo by Anthony Levesque, Macaulay Library- ML140599201)Juvenile Lesser Antillean Euphonia, Guadeloupe. Young birds are even more uniformly olive-green and are less colourful than both the adult males or females. (Photo by Anthony Levesque, Macaulay Library-ML465196671)Male Lesser Antillea on Dominica. These colourful endemic ‘jewels’ are hard to spot, listen out for their distinctive jumbled, trilling song and keep your eyes peeled! (Photo by David Hollie, Macaulay Library-ML595435561)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Honey bees feed on both nectar and pollen. The nectar is for energy and the pollen provides protein and other nutrients. They find their food through sight and smell.
In todays activity you will do an experiment to test how great bees are at remembering where they can find food!
With the help of an adult, you will need to gather the following items before you get started:
Pan or microwave-safe dish
Water
50g sugar
5 clear dishes
4 pieces of white paper
1 piece of red paper
Then download and follow you simple instructions and get started finding out more about bees!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Read all about the latest bird species changes in the Caribbean! This included ‘splitting’ the the former Antillean Euphonia (Chlorophonia musica) has now been differentiated as the Puerto Rican Euphonia (Chlorophonia sclateri), the Hispaniolan Euphonia (Chlorophonia musica), and the Lesser Antillean Euphonia (Chlorophonia flavifrons).
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Vitelline Warbler
Introducing the Vitelline Warbler! If you’re from the Cayman Islands you may know it as “Chip chip.” This little gem might be small, but it’s got some fascinating facts up its wing. Found only in the Cayman Islands and Swan Islands, there are not one, not two, but three wonderful sub-species of Vitelline Warbler! Each one has its own unique flair, adding even more color to these islands’ ecosystems. Spot the S. v. nelson subspecies on the Swan Islands, S. v. vitellina on Grand Cayman, and S. v. crawfordi on Little Cayman & Cayman Brac.
Spotting a Vitelline Warbler can be a treat—here’s what to look for! A small songbird measuring around 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) in length, males sport an olive-green crown and upperparts, and median wing coverts edged yellow with greater wing coverts edged olive-yellow, forming two wing bars. The wings and tail are dusty olive, the head is bright yellow with an olive-green eye-line, and a moustachial stripe that curves below the eye (similar to that of a Prairie Warbler). Underparts are yellow, the sides and flanks are a washed olive color and faintly streaked (not visible during winter). Females are similarly colored but tend to be more dull with less distinctive face markings. The Vitelline Warbler has a pointed bill, perfect for hunting insects.
These birds are not really city birds, and instead prefer the peace and quiet of their leafy homes. If you’re looking for a Vitelline Warbler, head to the thick, dry shrublands, woodlands, and forest edges. Keep your eyes peeled though, these birds are like the ninjas of the forest! Their olive-green color helps them blend in perfectly with the foliage, making them tricky to spot.
What’s on the menu for these little guys? Bugs, bugs, and more bugs! They’re insectivores, gobbling up all sorts of creepy crawlies they find in the foliage. They occasionally consume nectar.
Despite their diminutive size, Vitelline Warblers have giant voices! The sweet melody of their songs echoes through the forest. Listen for a buzz with three brief introductory notes followed by a longer ascending note, and then a long descending note: dzz-dzz-dzz-zzzzii-zzzzuu.They use 3 varieties of these chirps and trills, perfect for serenading potential mates or just chatting with their pals.
When it’s time to settle down and start a family, these warblers get busy! The female builds a cozy little nest resembling a small deep woven cup made from grass, cotton, bromeliads, spider webs, and feathers. These nests are very well hidden by leaves and vines. Mama warbler lays her eggs, usually a small clutch of two eggs, and both parents take turns keeping them warm until they hatch.
The Vitelline Warbler is listed as a restricted range species and faces several threats that have contributed to its classification as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN. As human populations expand and develop, the natural habitats of the Vitelline Warbler on the Cayman Islands are shrinking, leaving them with less space to live, breed, and find food. You can help protect their habitats by supporting local environmental NGOs that are working to prevent urban sprawl and restore natural areas.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Kelsey-Rae Smith for the text!
Colour in the Vitelline Warbler
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Vitelline Warbler
The song of the Vitelline Warbler is made up of 4-5 harsh, slurred acsending and descending notes “szwee-szwee-szwee-zee” .
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Vitelline Warbler. Look out for this colourful endemic in thick, dry shrublands, woodlands, and forest edges on the Cayman Islands! (Photo by Nicole Martin, Macaulay Library-ML493131001)The female Vitelline Warbler is slightly duller than male, with more uniformly yellow ear-coverts. This bird has a very small range and some of its habitat is under threat of development in the Cayman Islands—it is currently listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN. (Photo by Simon Best, Macaulay Library-ML611247300)
Juvenile Vitelline Warblers are pale grayish or grayish-brown on their heads and upperparts. (Photo by Larry Therrien)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : There are two warblers who can both be found in the Cayman Islands and look very much alike, but they’re not the same type of bird! Once is today’s endemic bird, the Vitelline Warbler, and the other is a Prairie Warbler. Both are mainly olive-coloured and yellow! In our activity of the day you need to look carefully at two photos and try to identify the Vitelline Warbler. Check the text above for some handy tips.
If you get stuck and feel like you need a bit of extra help then take a look on the second page of this activity. You will find some helpful hints to set you on the right track.
Think that you found the Vitelline Warbler? You can check if you are right on our answer sheet here. This activity is perfect to play with school groups or outdoor education clubs etc.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Vitelline Warbler in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Bare-legged Owl
Cuba is the home of two tiny endemic owls. The Bare-legged Owl, locally called Sijú Cotunto, is perhaps the lesser known of the pair. That does not mean it is uncommon—in fact, it is easily observed all around the country in wooded areas, mixed palm forest, semi-deciduous forest, and thickets. It is most active at night, which is when you can sometimes hear its series of soft hoots hoo hoo hoo huhuhuhuhuhuhuu, with a bouncing ball rhythm that accelerates at the end. The best chance to see this cute little puffball of an owl during daylight is while it is roosting inside caves or in the crevices of palm trees.
The name of this owl tells us about its most distinguishing characteristic: the lack of feathers on its legs, which are yellow-green in color. If you come across the similar Burrowing Owl, which is very rare in Cuba, you can use this feature to tell them apart! The other tiny Cuban endemic owl, the Cuban Pygmy-owl, also has feathered legs and is more active during the day, unlike its nocturnal bare-legged cousin. Their big, dark brown eyes also distinguish them, as the other species have yellow eyes. Their plumage is mostly rufous to brown on the upperparts, with white spots on the wing feathers. The throat and belly are mostly white, with some brown streaks on the breast and flanks.
Bare-legged Owls feed mainly on large insects and occasionally on frogs and small reptiles. The breeding season occurs from December to June, with a peak around March-April. They use abandoned woodpecker holes or natural openings in trees where they lay two white eggs. They can also be found nesting on cliffs or caves. It is very common to find them in pairs—that observation, coupled with the record of a pair living for seven years in the same territory—has led to scientists suspecting that they are monogamous birds. However, Bare-legged Owls are very secretive, meaning we still have lots to learn about their behavior, especially during the breeding season! This ‘secretiveness’ and the fact they are nocturnal make any sighting a joyful event!
Luckily, Bare-legged Owls do not seem to be in decline. They have a large geographic distribution and have shown adaptive traits in the face of habitat conversion for housing and commercial development. However, as a secondary cavity nester, it is important to protect the holes and dead trees that are an important resource during the breeding season. Dead trees still provide cover and nesting spaces for birds and mammals too, so don’t get rid of the dead trees in your yard just yet!
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Daniela Ventura for the text!
Colour in the Bare-legged Owl
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Bare-legged Owl
The song of the Bare-legged Owl is a soft series of “hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo…” notes that accelerate. This bird also sometimes make a screeching sound.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Bare-legged Owls are ‘secondary cavity’ nesters, meaning they use holes made by other birds especially woodpeckers and natural openings in trees, particularly palms. (Photo by Aslam Ibrahim Castellon Maure)Although Bare-legged Owls, like most owls, are most active at night, your best chance to spot one is during the day whilst this tiny owl is roosting. (Photo by Max Schwenne)The Bare-legged Owl is fairly common across Cuba and appears to be able to adapt to live in human modified landscapes. (Photo by John Mangold)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : How much do you know about the life-cycle of our featured bird the Bare-legged Owl? Why not test your knowledge and complete our “Life Cycle of an Owl” activity?
First spend some time learning about owls on the internet or at your school library. Then carefully cut the ‘missing’ images and paste in the correct order to complete this owl’s life cycle! Don’t forget to label each stage.
You can check your completed life cycle against the correct one, which can be found here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Bare-legged Owl in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Puerto Rican Oriole
If the early bird gets the worm, the Puerto Rican Oriole (Icterus portoricensis) really has an edge on the competition! These charismatic birds (called Calandrias in Spanish) mainly sing in the darkness of the early morning, before first light. Both male and females sing lilting, whistling songs until sunrise, after which they mainly produce sharp tchu and buzzy wink calls. Mated pairs often stay close together all day long, and use those calls to keep track of each other, like a game of Marco Polo.
The Puerto Rican Oriole is a member of the Icterus genus, and used to be called the Greater Antillean Oriole. In 2010, the Greater Antillean Oriole was split into four distinct species: the Cuban Oriole (Icterus melanopsis), the Hispaniola Oriole (Icterus dominicensis), the Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi), and the Puerto Rican Oriole.
Puerto Rican Orioles are endemic to the island of Puerto Rico where they can be found across the island in gardens, mangroves and other wooded areas. They forage in pairs or family groups for insects, spiders, fruits, nectar, small lizards, and frogs. Their pointed beaks are sharp and strong, perfect for prying into small cracks in trees or pulling off pieces of breadfruit.
They have beautiful, unmistakable plumage—adults of both sexes are mostly black, with patches of intensely yellow feathers on their shoulders, rump, lower belly, and thighs. Juveniles are olive-green or yellow, with patches of black feathers appearing as they age. It is impossible to tell males and females apart just by looking at them. But only females build the nest, so if you see a Puerto Rican Oriole building a nest you can be certain it’s a female!
Females weave the fibers of palms into a cup-shape nest, which hangs underneath palm fronds or banana leaves. Typically, they prefer to nest and forage on the edges of forests, especially in areas with palms. If you live in Puerto Rico and have palm trees, check under the fronds, from March to June, where you may find their basket-like nests! But remember to be a good host and give her space and privacy. Their oval-shaped eggs are pale white with brown speckles on them, and both parents raise the chicks after they hatch. Nestlings are fed more insects than fruits.
Though classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, preliminary research indicates that the population may be declining. Unfortunately, Puerto Rican Oriole nests are favorite targets for parasitism by Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis), who lay their eggs in the nests of other birds for them to raise. As a result, Puerto Rican Orioles often raise cowbird chicks instead of their own, and their reproductive success is low. They may be more successful in more densely forested areas where there are fewer cowbirds.
Overall, the Puerto Rican Oriole is a beautiful, fascinating bird that any visitor to the island should be sure to seek out. If we protect their natural habitats and monitor their population, this endemic songbird can continue its early morning serenade for generations to come.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Michelle Moyer for the text!
Colour in the Puerto Rican Oriole
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Puerto Rican Oriole
The song of the Puerto Rican Oriole is a series of high-pitched whistles , mixed with buzzes and warbles.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Female Puerto Rican Orioles weave the fibers of palms into a cup shape, which hangs underneath palm fronds or banana leaves. Typically, they prefer to nest and forage on the edges of forests. (Photo by Michael Ocasio, Macaulay Library-ML599415791)
Immature Puerto Rican Orioles look very different from the adults being mainly olive or yellow in colour. Patches of black feathers will start appearing as they age. (Photo by Ricardo Sanchez)Puerto Rican Orioles like to get started early in the day. Both male and females sing lilting, whistling songs in the hours of darkness in the early morning, before sunrise. (Photo by Ken Pinnow)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Can you find the words in our Puerto Rican Oriole word search? Remind yourself of some of the interesting facts about this endemic bird as you look for all 15 hidden words!
Remember the words may appear forwards and backwards, as well as horizontal, vertical and diagonal!
Need some help? Or want to check your answers? You can see where all the words were here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Puerto Rican Oriole in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: La Sagra’s Flycatcher
Weep. A pause. Weep. A pause. Weep. You hear the sound of wings fluttering briefly and the clickety-clack of a beak snapping shut. The weeping continues.
You peek outside and see a medium-sized, nondescript flycatcher perched, leaning forward, on a low branch. It has a brown-gray head, back, and wings (with two inconspicuous wingbars), a grayish-white underside (sometimes tinged with yellow), and reddish-brown tail and primaries. Perhaps its short crest, reminiscent of a Troll doll, is puffed up, but otherwise the bird is unremarkable…until it launches itself from its perch, snags an insect you didn’t even notice from a branch, U-turns with a backflip, and neatly returns to its perch, displaying acrobatics that would rival the Cirque du Soleil.
The La Sagra’s Flycatcher (Myiarchus sagrae) is a member of the tyrant flycatcher family, which is the largest family of birds in the world, comprising more than 400 species. The La Sagra’s range includes The Bahamas and Grand Cayman (local name Tom Fool) and Cuba (local name Bobito Grande). Across these islands, it inhabits nearly all ecosystems including pine forests, mangrove wetlands, and coppice (evergreen broadleaf forests). There are also records of it in southern Florida, where it is considered a rare vagrant. Typically identified first by its one-note weep call rather than by sight, listen out also for its weep–piri song.
This bird really lives up to the name ‘flycatcher’! First, its diet consists primarily of insects. Beetles, caterpillars, moths, katydids, and even dragonflies are favourites, but they are also known to eat fruits and seeds when necessary. Second, the La Sagra’s Flycatcher hunts via “hawking” or “sallying,” where a bird watches for insect prey from a perch, flies off to grab it on the wing, and returns to devour its catch.
During the breeding season, April to July, they build cup-shaped nests using hair, plant fibers and other soft materials in the cavities of tree trunks, broken branches, and even bamboo stalks! Clutch size varies from 2 and 4 eggs.
The La Sagra’s Flycatcher is not threatened but as noted by the IUCN, its population is decreasing. This is likely due to habitat destruction caused by catastrophic hurricanes and unsustainable development. A decrease in the supply of its favourite food—insects, caused by excessive use of insecticides for pest control, is also responsible for its decline.
You can take action to conserve both birds and insects. Whether you have a backyard, garden, or just a balcony planter, provide a haven for the right insects by planting with native plants. And if you do spot any pests in your garden, use nontoxic methods to get rid of them (e.g., neem oil). If we all do our part, birds like the insect-loving La Sagra’s Flycatcher will continue to thrive and provide enjoyment to all.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Giselle Dean for the text!
Colour in the La Sagra’s Flycatcher
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the call of the La Sagra’s Flycatcher
The calls of the La Sagra’s Flycatcher include a quick “sweet” and whistled “whit-it, did-id-oo.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
La Sagra’s Flycatcher in The Bahamas. The La Sagra’s range includes The Bahamas (home to the subspecies lucaysiensis), and Cuba and Grand Cayman (subspecies sagrae in both islands). (Photo by Beth Hamel)La Sagra’s Flycatcher mainly perches in and hunts insect from the understory. They use their acrobatic flight skills to snatch insects out of the air. (Photo by Greg Lavaty)La Sagra’s Flycatcher belongs to the ‘tyrant flycatcher’ family. This is the largest bird family in the world, with over 400 species! (Photo by Michael World)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Have you ever wondered what birds live in your backyard? Have you thought about how many birds might be there? Well, today’s “Backyard Bird Blitz” activity is going to help you answer those questions!
Telling the difference between different species of birds can be tricky but we have some tips to help you sort them in them into ‘types’ of bird, which is a really great starting point. We’ve also got some great advice on the best way to count the birds in your backyard. Just download our simple instructions, find a comfy spot with a great view of the birds in your yard or garden and get started!
If you need more help trying to identify birds down to which species they are you could try looking in a local bird field or ID guide or take a look on eBird Caribbean to see if you can find the birds you have been seeing. If you live in the Caribbean you may also spot one of your wonderful endemic birds enjoying your backyard!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a La Sagra’s Flycatcher in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Blue Mountain Vireo
The Blue Mountain Vireo is not blue in colour, doesn’t sing the blues, and is not restricted to the Blue Mountains in Jamaica as its name suggests. However, it is known for its distinctive song, a long trilling whistle, and its alarm call, a harsh “brrrr” which drops in pitch at the end. They are very secretive and are often heard before being seen.
The Blue Mountain Vireo is described as a plain, chunky vireo with a blue-gray head, heavy dark bill, and yellow underparts. It has no facial markings or wing bars, unlike the Jamaican Vireo, which is smaller with conspicuous white wing bars.
This lovely vireo, endemic to Jamaica, is an uncommon resident in humid forest, especially in montane regions. Its habitat ranges from the low elevations of Windsor in Cockpit Country to the high elevations of the Blue Mountains (500-2000m). They are also found in degraded woodlands, farms, gardens, shade coffee plantations, and along roads in higher and wetter areas in Jamaica. They often forage in dense foliage, searching leaves, lichens, and under tree bark for juicy and crunchy insects (beetles, grubs, and spiders), or close to the ground where they glean insects off flowers. They also eat fruit. They usually forage alone or in small mixed flocks with other insectivorous birds.
Their nesting period runs from March to July, during which time Blue Mountain Vireos build a cup-shaped nest using mostly moss. Their nests can be seen dangling from trees or even medium height saplings. Eggs are spotted, but information about clutch size, incubation, and fledging are currently unknown.
The Blue Mountain Vireo is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Habitat loss is the main threat to this species. Trees within its habitat are cut down for charcoal burning, small-scale farming, and development. Bush fires also limit the area of suitable habitat available for Blue Mountain Vireos and other wildlife. It is important that we protect their habitats by not clearing large areas in the forest, and that we work towards restoring degraded parts of their habitats by planting native trees.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Damion Whyte for the text!
Colour in the Blue Mountain Vireo
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of the Blue Mountain Vireo
The song of the Blue Mountain Vireo is a loud, musical trill.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
The Blue Mountain Vireo is a plain-looking bird. You can tell it apart from the Jamaican Vireo by its lack of facial markings and wing bars, and larger size. (Photo by Bobby Wilcox, Macaulay Library-ML515352281)Blue Mountain Vireos love forest with dense vegetation and prefer higher elevation and wetter forests. (Photo by Eric Hynes)Blue Mountain Vireos are listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Habitat loss due to farming and development are the main threats to the species. (Photo by Michael Woodruff, Macaulay Library-ML138683421)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Do you know what the different parts of a bird are called? Knowing them can help you to learn how to describe and identify birds, as well as colour them in. Learn the names for the parts of a bird by checking out the diagram in this page.
Test your knowledge on today’s endemic bird by matching the correct names to the correct ‘parts of a Blue Mountain Vireo’ and completing this sheet.
Want to check your answers? You can see where all the words matched up to here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Blue Mountain Vireo in the wild!
Find out more about Jamaica’s endemic with this fantastic poster made by BirdLife Jamaica featuring ALL the endemic birds on the island!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Hispaniolan Emerald
See them sparkle. See them shine. These birds are looking mighty fine. Both in name and in plumage, the Hispaniolan Emerald is a literal gem of a bird!
True to their name, both males and females boast glittering green feathers. Females have a bronzy glint to their green and can be distinguished from males by their pale white chest and throat. Males have a dark chest and a green gorget (throat patch) which shimmers brilliantly when awash with light. Look for the little white spot behind their eyes which gives them an extra cute face!
How does the emerald stand out from Hispaniola’s other hummers? Fortunately there are only three other resident hummers to tell it apart from. The first key is habitat. The Hispaniolan Emerald prefers higher elevation montane tropical forests. Usually they won’t be found below 200m, but can be found as high as 1,500m! The higher into Hispaniola’s mountains you venture, the more emeralds you’re likely to see. Listen for their sharp metallic chipping notes next time you go for a mountain hike in Hispaniola.
The second clue is to look at their bill and tail shape. The Hispaniolan Emerald has a straight bill, unlike the decurved bill of the Hispaniolan Mango. If you catch it in a bit of sun, you might even see that the lower bill is actually red. Next check the tail shape—emeralds have a dark forked tail, whereas the Hispaniolan Mango has a rounded tail with orange-purple feathers.
The Hispaniolan Emerald is also perfectly sized in between the teeny tiny Vervain Hummingbird and the larger Hispaniolan Mango. This has given it one of its local names—Zumbador Mediana. It is also referred to as Zumbador Esmerelda or Zumbador Verde in the Dominican Republic. In Haiti, they’re known as Wanga-nègès mòn.
Although emeralds themselves are not a Caribbean specialty, our Caribbean emeralds are unique! Most other emerald hummingbirds in the neotropics are in the genus Chlorostilbon. While Caribbean emeralds had formerly been classified as such, recent molecular studies have shown that they are distinct! As such, Caribbean emeralds were placed in the recently resurrected genus, Riccordia, named to honor French surgeon-naturalist Alexandre Riccord. This genus now contains all Caribbean endemic emeralds including the Puerto Rican Emerald, the Cuban Emerald, the Blue-headed Hummingbird, and of course our featured Hispaniolan Emerald. It also includes the extinct Brace’s Emerald, formerly of Grand Bahama.
These hummingbirds are trap-liners, which means that they usually have a preferred flower route. They love common Caribbean flowers like Inga, Heliconia, and Hibiscus. They are also quite adept at snatching insects in the air when they need a little of that extra protein boost!
Like other hummingbirds, the female does all of the work when it comes to nest-building, weaving together a cozy cup of moss and ferns, lining it with lichens, and tying it all together with a bit of spiderweb. She lays two white tic-tac size eggs which usually hatch after a little over two weeks of incubation and fledge about 20 days later.
While Hispaniolan Emeralds are still a common sight around much of the Hispaniolan highlands, they are losing much of their habitat to deforestation, especially in the Haitian mountains, though they persist in La Visite National Park and Pic Macaya Biosphere Reserve.
You can get the opportunity to see these sparkling gems for yourself this summer at our annual conference in Santo Domingo! Be sure to sign up for a trip to Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve or get yourself into the mountains for a good chance to see the Hispaniolan Emerald!
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Holly Garrod for the text!
Colour in the Hispaniolan Emerald
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of Hispaniolan Emerald
The call of the Hispaniolan Emerald is a sharp “tic” often repeated in a series.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
A female Hispaniolan Emerald feeds her chicks at the nest she built. Like other hummingbirds, she doesn’t get any help from the male! Chicks will fledge about 20 days after the eggs hatch. (Photo by Alberto Rojas)A beautiful male Hispaniolan Emerald. Look for these hummers at higher elevations—the higher you venture, the more emeralds you’re likely to see! (Photo by Bradley Hacker)Male Hispaniolan Emerald in Flight at a flower. As well as feeding on nectar, they will also eat insects—snatching them out of the air! (Photo by Cameron Rutt)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Our 2024 Caribbean Endemic Bird Festive theme is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”. What better way to help protect insects than by giving them somewhere to live? In today’s activity you’ll be making a bug hotel. Bug hotels are a great addition to your garden, back yard, or community space. They attract and protect bugs that keep your plants healthy. And don’t forget what is good for bugs is good for birds!
For this activity you will need:
Toilet paper rolls
Milk Carton
Acrylic paint
Large straws or rolled up pieces of paper
Natural materials for bugs to hide in e.g. moss, dried grass, pinecones, twigs, leaves
Stones
Rolled paper
Craft knife (optional)
Black dot stickers or black paint
Just download our handy instructions and get started. Note that this for this activity you will need a parent or trusted adult to help you!
Enjoy this video of a Hispaniolan Emerald in the wild!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Cuban Gnatcatcher
Did you know that in Cuba we have a miniature endemic mockingbird? That’s right! It’s the Cuban Gnatcatcher, known locally as ‘Sinsontillo’—which means mockingbird! Just in case you wondered—no, it doesn’t belong to the same family as the well-known mockingbird—but its name fits perfectly! Its appearance, tail, habitat, and even its song are almost identical to those of the mockingbird.
The Cuban Gnatcatcher is one of the smallest birds in Cuba. Both sexes have a similar blue-gray and white plumage, but the male stands out for its beautiful song. They spend the day in small family groups or pairs, mainly looking for small insects and occasionally smaller reptiles. Along with the Cuban Vireo, it is one of the most confiding species we have in Cuba. It is not afraid of humans, providing us with the opportunity to appreciate its beauty up close and enjoy its presence in our natural environment.
This small bird is considered relatively common in particular isolated patches of coastal scrub habitat with medium-height trees. It can be found in the north of Holguín, Camagüey, the northern Keys of Ciego de Ávila and Santa Clara, and in the southern region in Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Trinidad, and Cienfuegos.
Whilst the Cuban Gnatcatcher is often confused with the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a migratory species that visits Cuba in winter and is found throughout the country, they can actually be easily distinguished! Cuban Gnatcatchers usually stay in low and thorny terrain in small families—while the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is found anywhere, from gardens to parks, often in small groups in August when it begins its migration south.
Additionally, the Cuban Gnatcatcher has a loud melodious song and a black crescent behind the eye to the ear, features that are not present in the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. So if you are away from the coast and see a small bird with these characteristics in the winter months, you have most likely spotted the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, rather than the Cuban Gnatcatcher.
The naturalist Juan (Johannes) Gundlach first named the Cuban Gnatcatcher in 1858. Its scientific name, lembeyei, was a gesture of humility and gratitude from Gundlach to his friend and colleague, Spanish naturalist Juan Lembeye, with whom he shared many field expeditions and valuable information about Cuban birds. This led Lembeye to include them in his book of 1850, long before Gundlach published his first work in 1876.
The nests of the Cuban Gnatcatcher are built at the end of March and resemble those of the Cuban Emerald hummingbird, but are slightly larger. It is one of the few endemic Cuban species whose natural history has recently been well studied by Cuban researchers. However, we still need to find out more about the limits of its distribution. This little bird is restricted to specific areas along the coast, habitat that is under increasing pressure for tourism development. It is therefore important for us to learn more about its habitats, and actively protect these to preserve its populations.
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Yaroddys Rodriguez for the text!
Colour in the Cuban Gnatcatcher
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the song of Cuban Gnatcatcher
The song of the Cuban Gnatcatcher is a loud and melodious series of whistles and trills.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
At a size of between 10-11cm, Cuban Gnatcatcher is one of the smallest birds in Cuba! (Photo by Roberto Jovel)The Cuban Gnatcatcher’s black crescent behind the eye to the ear distinguishes it from the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. (Photo by Aslam Ibrahim Castellon Maure)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: During our 2024 celebration of Caribbean endemic birds we will be sharing a beautiful colouring page for every single bird we feature! These lovely pages were created for us by Arnaldo Toledo, who also created a coloured in version of each bird as inspiration. Get your colour pencils ready, and read these super helpful colouring in tips below. Then go ahead, download and print each bird, and get colouring! Enjoy!
These tips are also available in Spanish:
Enjoy this video of a Cuban Gnatcatcher in the wild!
Aliya Hosein, Co-Regional Coordinator of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival.
One of the issues that the birding community has been working on for the last several years is how we can be more welcoming and inclusive of all birders—beginner birders and future potential birders—to join us and share the joy of birding. It’s an issue to which passionate birders, Hannah Buschert, and her husband Erik, have given a great deal of thought, and which led to the creation of Women Birders (Happy Hour) podcast.
Their ‘happy hour’ podcast is dedicated to broadcasting the lived experiences of women, from diverse backgrounds, who love birds. And of course, it’s not happy hour without cocktails! For each episode, Hannah delights us with a unique, bird-inspired alcoholic concoction based on a species mentioned in the interview.
BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival Co-Regional Coordinator, Aliya Hosein chats with Hannah about fond memories of watching backyard birds with her father, growing and nurturing a bird watching community, how bird watching provides moments of wonder and encourages mindfulness, and the achievements that can be made when local and international conservationists join forces to reintroduce an extirpated native macaw in Trinidad in this insightful episode!
Blue-and-yellow Macaw in flight. (Photo by Luc Viator)
Aliya graduated from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus with a B.Sc. in Biology and M.Sc. in Sustainable Development and Conservation in the Caribbean (with Distinction). Her master’s thesis focused on the abundance of Red-bellied Macaws in relation to fruiting Moriche Palms in an edaphic savanna ecosystem. She is an alumna of the Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean (CLiC) Program. In 2017, Aliya attended our International Conference in Cuba and presented her research studying patterns of interaction between humans and Blue and Gold Macaws within farming and urban communities. Before joining BirdsCaribbean she worked on multiple projects applying social science tools to influence behavior towards more environmentally-friendly practices, including a behavior-change project to reduce the illegal buying and keeping of wild parrots in Trinidad and Tobago.
Red-bellied Macaws feeding on Moriche Palm fruits. (Photo by Neil Bowman)
Moriche Palms in the Aripo Savannas. (Photo by Nandani Bridglal)
Red-bellied Macaws in flight.
Aliya now works full-time for BirdsCaribbean on our Communications Team, writing, editing, and developing exciting content to educate and engage people year-round in learning about birds, and as Co-Regional Coordinator of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF). Here Aliya works with a team of bird educators and coordinators across the region to raise awareness about our endemic birds and the actions that can be taken to reduce threats to their survival and habitats.
Grab yourself a drink (might we suggest Hannah’s Blue and Gold Macaw cocktail below?), kick back, and settle into happy hour with Hannah and Aliya! It’s an inspiring podchat about the mentors and experiences that helped shape Aliya’s career in bird conservation and communicating science to motivate action to protect birds and their habitats.
Enjoy!
Listen
Choose your preferred podcast platform to listen to Aliya’s interview by clicking the image above or this Buzzsprout link.
Delight your taste buds with this tropical Blue and Gold Macaw cocktail
Hannah Buschert, host of the Women Birders (Happy Hour) Podcast.
In case you missed Hannah’s podcasts with our President, Dr Adrianne Tossas, and Caribbean Bird banding Program Coordinator, Holly Garrod, check them out here:
We are pleased to share with you the new edition of the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba, number 7, 2024, by Nils Navarro Pacheco.
The Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba is an annual publication that constitutes the most complete and updated official list of Cuban avifauna. It is the result of a deep and thorough bibliographic review and updating from the field. It serves as a basis for generating regional and global listings and is standardized for use with eBird.
The main objective is to provide up-to-date annual listings of Cuban birds, including reference information on each new report and general statistics about Cuban birdlife, and to serve as a reference platform for ornithological studies in the country. The increasing number of bird-watching tourists on the island as well as more bird monitoring by Cuban biologists and the rapidly-growing Cuban birding community are contributing to an increase in the number of previously unrecorded species entering the list every year. Furthermore, the influence of climate change is producing altered patterns of migratory movements in many species.
The new list has been enriched with 6 new records—3 of these were added to Cuba’s main list to bring the new Cuban total to 404 species. The other three records comprised two exotic species, and another which is currently classified as ‘dubious.’ Beyond the numbers though, splits announced in the American Ornithological Society 64th Supplement to the Checklist of North American Birds means that Cuba now boasts 3 more Cuban, rather than West Indian, endemic species! Cuba welcomes the Cuban Nightjar ( Greater Antillean Nightjar split to Cuban Nightjar and Hispaniolan Nightjar), the Cuban Palm-Crow (Palm Crow split to Cuban Palm-Crow and Hispaniolan Palm-Crow) and the Cuban Bullfinch (split from the Cuban Bullfinch into the Grand Cayman and Cuban Bullfinches, making the Cuban Bullfinch a true Cuban endemic!).
This year’s cover features a captivating photo of the beautifully plumaged Western Spindalis, Cuban subspecies (Spindalis zena pretrei), taken by Yadiel Veunes, in the Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt. The Western Spindalis belongs to the Spindalidae family which is a recognized family of songbirds endemic to the Caribbean. Spindalises were formerly classified as members of Thraupidae (or “tanagers”) but have since been reclassified as a separate family based on genetic studies. There are five subspecies of Western Spindalis one of which is the Cuban subspecies!
The 2024 checklist is now available in PDF for free download from the BirdsCaribbean website (see below). The printed version is available on Amazon at a good price. It is not intended to be a field identification guide but is a checklist, updated in accordance with the 64th supplement of AOS. Nils and the publisher, Ediciones Nuevos Mundos, hope this publication fulfills its role and is useful to all persons interested in Cuban birds and ornithology. Nils welcomes questions or suggestions about the checklist (Nils Navarro).
This checklist edition is dedicated to the memory of Jim Wiley, a great friend, extraordinary person and scientist, a guiding light of Caribbean ornithology. He crossed many troubled waters in pursuit of expanding our knowledge of Cuban birds.
If you are looking for a Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba, you can purchase it here or on Amazon.
Past checklists are all available for download, click on the images below to download a pdf of each.
We’re buzzing with excitement! The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) returns this spring to offer an immersive experience that combines the region’s iconic birds and mesmerizing ecosystems with the vibrant energy of our diverse cultures.
The festival begins on April 22nd (Earth Day) and runs through May 22nd (International Biodiversity Day). This annual regional event highlights the amazing birds that live only in the Caribbean—their natural history, the threats to their survival, and how we can help reduce these threats. This year’s theme is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds.”
Yummy! Bugs for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and growing baby birds
While some people may shriek at the sight of these tiny creatures (and rightfully so because our brains confuse fear with disgust, and some insects are actually harmful to us), they are an important delicacy for birds. For our dazzling hummingbirds, our captivating todies, swooping swifts and swallows, darting flycatchers, pewees and potoos, drilling woodpeckers, and many other birds—insects are an essential protein source. They keep up birds’ energy and body mass, and are also critical for nurturing healthy baby birds.
Black-crowned Palm Tanager with chick. (Photo by Dax Roman)
The Cuban Oriole will feed on soft fruits, nectar, and insects too. (Photo by Aslam Ibrahim)
Guadeloupe Woodpecker. (Photo by Frantz Delcroix)
A female Vervain Hummingbird feeds her chicks. (Photo by Eladio Fernandez)
The Bahama Swallow feeds mainly on flies and beetles. (Photo by Elijah Sands)
Insects are on the decline… But what can we do?
Unfortunately, a study published in the Journal of Biological Conservation reported that 40% of all insect species are declining globally. Loss of natural areas like forests and grasslands that have been converted or degraded by intensive agriculture as well as urban development and pesticide use have all contributed to this downward population trend. The decline of insects has led to a worldwide population decrease among birds, especially insectivorous birds. A scarcity of this protein-rich food source can reduce reproductive success, lead to weakened immune systems, and increased mortality rates for both adult birds and their offspring. In addition, scientific literature points to climate change and its stressors as posing a growing global threat to insect and bird diversity. This decline in insect populations adversely affects the ecosystem services that they provide to us all.
A male Carmine Skimmer. (Photo by Charles J Sharp)
This CEBF, we would love for you to join us in taking proactive conservation measures for insects: for example, by reducing your use of pesticides and herbicides, growing native plants, and limiting the use of exterior lighting around your house at night. And please, do also use your voice to counter the negative perceptions of insects, that they are “scary” and “gross.” Insects are pollinators, prey, physical decomposers, they advance progress in science and technology, and they provide pleasure. Writing blogs, newspaper articles, essays for school, taking interesting photos, and posting informative videos about insects on social media are ways to change these perceptions, and to increase appreciation within your community. Writing about, for example, their incredible adaptations, is one way of getting the message across about how important insects are to our ecosystems—and how fascinating!
Female Monarch Butterfly. Monarch Butterflies feed on poisonous milkweed. The toxins accumulate in the butterfly without harming it but are effective at deterring predators. (Photo by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson)
Ladybirds provide a natural way to control insect pests like aphids. (Photo by Charlotte Descamps)
Cuban subspecies of the bird grasshopper. (Photo by geosesarma)
Art for conservation: Supporting the protection of Caribbean birds and nature
The CEBF team has been busy preparing another stellar line-up for Endemic Bird of the Day! Our lips are sealed when it comes to this year’s selected species! But we are more than thrilled to share that Cuban ornithologist, photographer and scientific illustrator, Arnaldo Toledo, is currently busy sketching birds and mixing colors to create this year’s endemic bird coloring pages!
Artist Arnaldo Toledo at work.
Phase 1: Sketches of the Puerto Rican Tody begin the design by Arnaldo Toledo.
Phase 2: Painting begins with inspiration from the initial sketches.
Phase 3: Finishing touches are added to the bird and its surroundings.
Arnaldo skillfully captures the beauty of our natural world. His drawings bring a sense of wonder, joy, and appreciation for nature to children and adults. He was the artist behind our popular AOS-BC Conference t-shirt in 2022 and the grand prize winner of our first-ever Zine Competition for our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival in 2021.
Alongside Arnaldo’s drawings, we will provide natural history information, range maps, puzzles, photos, videos, and activities, all designed to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and enjoyment for both adults and children.
Celebrating birds, biodiversity, and beautiful Caribbean people
For over 22 years our amazing CEBF island coordinators and educators have been celebrating with festivities on their respective islands through in-person and online events. Thousands of people, of all backgrounds and abilities, flock to these events to explore nature, share knowledge about birds, and strengthen their commitment to environmental stewardship. Birdwatching trips, presentations, arts and crafts, bird fairs, habitat clean-ups, and birdscaping of home gardens, schools, and parks with native plants are just a handful of the events that will take place across the region this year. You don’t want to miss this feathered fiesta!
Find a CEBF event and celebrate!
We encourage you to get in touch with your local conservation organizations to find out what events are taking place near you—and this includes forestry departments too!
Looking for a CEBF event on your island? Check our map below for what is going on near you!
If you are a CEBF event organizer and would like to add your in-person, virtual or hybrid event(s) to this map please use this Google form to register your event with us. The information you provide will then be used to populate the map above. If your event is a presentation being held at a school or university and is not open to the public you can still fill out the form, but state that it is closed to the public.
You can also get together with your friends and family, or community groups, and plan your own event. We have lots of activities on our website and on our YouTube page: quizzes, ‘Learn to Sketch’ and origami tutorials, bug hunts, upcycled crafts, outdoor games, and many more that you can do in small or large groups.
Winning submission by Scarlett Evans for the Kids Art Contest (8-12 years) titled “Yellow Belly.” (Image courtesy Cayman Birding)
Cadets plant bird-friendly trees at Battle of Las Carreras Military Academy in the Dominican Republic.
Bird nests on display at CEBF event at El Yunque Forest. (Photo by Fundación Amigos De El Yunque)
How long are your ‘wings’? A member of Conservation Opportunity measures her arm length against a bird wingspan poster. (Photo by Conservation Opportunity)
Children and ARC Conservation members wear their hand crafted masks.
Yaritza Bobonis with Lola the Puerto Rican Parrot mascot. (Photo by Fundación Amigos De El Yunque)
Justin Saunders of Birdlife Jamaica helps with bird identification at Hope Gardens. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
The Conservation Opportunity cleanup crew. (Photo by Conservation Opportunity)
Student bird poster on display at the Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Grupo Acción Ecológica)
We did it! Students display the results of their BirdSleuth Caribbean Scavenger Hunt in Salt River, Jamaica. (photo by Emma Lewis)
Birding along L’Anse Aux Epines road, Grenada. (Photo by Gaea Conservation Network)
Students from St. Martin Primary School in Dominica planted native plants for CEBF 2018.
Don’t forget to tag us in your photos and videos @birdscaribbean on social media with #CEBF #FromTheNest #ProtectInsectsProtectBirds
CEBF Small Grants—Apply Now
Thanks to our generous donors, BirdsCaribbean is able to offer small grants to help cover some CEBF expenses! To apply, send a short proposal via this form, no later than Friday, March, 8th, 2024: bit.ly/CEBF-Grant-2024
Here are some CEBF events we funded in 2023 and 2022. All projects submitted for consideration must be relevant to this year’s theme, “Protect Insects, Protect Birds,” and BirdsCaribbean’s mission to protect birds and their habitats through science and education. All registered non-profit, civil society, or community-based organizations operating within local communities across the Caribbean are eligible for funding. Organizations directly funded from state budgets such as environmental departments or agencies within government ministries are also eligible for funding. Remember to include in your budget any in-kind funding you can offer such as volunteer staff time, materials, etc.
Dr. Lourdes Mugica and the Bird Ecology Group share educational materials on birds with the local community and children in Cuba for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival.
If you are unable to submit your application for a small grant via the google form (see link above), you may send your proposal to CEBF Co-Coordinators: Eduardo Llegus (CEBF@BirdsCaribbean.org) & Aliya Hosein (Aliya.Hosein@BirdsCaribbean.org), and Lisa Sorenson (Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org) with the subject line: CEBF Small Grant Proposal 2024.Please contact Eduardo Llegus if you have any questions about submitting an application. We are looking forward to hearing about the many exciting activities you will be organizing this year.
The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is a great way to learn more about birds and connect with nature. Your support ensures that our resources, which help both adults and children learn about how to protect birds, remain free and accessible. If you would like to make a contribution, please click here.
BirdsCaribbean is pleased to announce the 2024 cohort of grantees under two prestigious named awards, the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds, and the James A. Kushlan Research and Conservation Fund.
These twelve projects aim to advance the study and conservation of avifauna in seven different Caribbean countries: Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico (offshore islands in the Caribbean Sea), St. Eustatius, and The Bahamas.
In this article you can read about the exciting plans proposed by each awardee. Stay tuned for results and accomplishments featured in future issues of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, blog articles, and presentations at our upcoming 24th BirdsCaribbean International Conference in Dominican Republic this summer.
Congratulations to these outstanding researchers and conservationists from our BirdsCaribbean community!
Establishing baselines in research, data and science for birds (BiRDS for birds) in The Bahamas
Dr Ancilleno Davis, Science and Perspective & University of The Bahamas
Baselines in Research, Data, and Science for birds (BiRDS for birds) is a program to establish baseline data for bird diversity, population estimates, and research or scientific standards that can be applied to research and conservation activities throughout The Bahamas. The program will provide training in the use of bird monitoring protocols and access to optical equipment to local students along with opportunities to participate in wildlife assessments. It is expected that this project will improve local biodiversity knowledge, and ultimately, will help trainees to have better opportunities for obtaining jobs in conservation in The Bahamas and insular Caribbean.
Distribution shifts of the Oriente Warbler: species assessment in Villa Clara province, Cuba
Claudia Mantilla, Center for Environmental Studies and Services of Villa Clara, Cuba
The Oriente Warbler (Teretistris fornsi) is endemic to central-eastern Cuba. In recent years, occasional sightings have been recorded in provinces outside its known range, such as south of Cienfuegos and north of Villa Clara. In this project, Claudia will conduct population surveys and bird banding to understand the species’ distribution in the westernmost part of the central region of the country (Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Villa Clara), where it also overlaps with the congeneric Yellow-headed Warbler (T. fernandinae). The goal of this study is to determine the ecological requirements of the Oriente Warbler in order to promote the conservation of its habitat, since only 16% of its distribution is within protected areas.
Understanding the importance of a small urban park for conserving migratory and resident bird species in Havana
Daniela Ventura, University of Havana, Cuba
Havana is home for 47% of the bird species of Cuba, and is an important stopover and wintering site for migratory birds. Research efforts have been conducted in green spaces located in the less densely populated municipalities of the capital. Thus, to obtain a better understanding of urban bird communities within Havana, Daniela plans to expand a banding scheme initiated as part of BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Bird Banding Network to the Quinta de Los Molinos Park. Specifically, she intends to evaluate the migration phenology of Neotropical migratory birds that use the site as a stopover or wintering area, and determine the survival and overall physical conditions of migrant and resident bird species. The project will provide an indirect measure of the importance of urban forest fragments for supporting biodiversity, and will increase the awareness of park visitors about the need to protect wild birds.
Raising awareness and education on the endangered Jamaican Blackbird in a National Park
Justin Saunders, BirdLife Jamaica
In this project, Justin and a team of collaborators from BirdLife Jamaica, aim to create an innovative public education campaign to raise awareness about the endangered Jamaican Blackbird (Nesopsar nigerrimus) and its habitat in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park. The project includes the development of educational signs within the park and the creation of a basic virtual tour to engage a broader audience. The educational outcomes will be evaluated at educational events at the park. The plan will be implemented in partnership with the Jamaica Conservation Development Trust, Jamaica Environment Trust, and the National Environment Planning Agency.
Conservation ecology of the Puerto Rican Oriole
Michael Ocasio, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Conserving Caribbean island endemics, like the Puerto Rican Oriole (Icterus portoricensis), requires an increased and specific understanding of the threats faced by these species. Notably, the Puerto Rican Oriole has shown worrying signs of reproductive challenges, including high rates of brood parasitism and low reproductive success. In this project, Michael aims to assess the oriole’s population dynamics through point counts, banding, radio tracking, and nest monitoring across different habitats and elevations. His results on the species abundance, survival, and reproductive success will contribute to the Puerto Rico State Wildlife Action Plan, the USGS list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need, and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, while also fostering collaborative and effective conservation efforts in the Caribbean.
Investigating male and female vocalizations of an understudied endemic Caribbean songbird in Puerto Rico
Michelle Moyer, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The Puerto Rican Oriole (Icterus portoricensis), one of 18 endemic species on the island of Puerto Rico, remains significantly understudied. Improving our understanding of how the orioles use sex-specific songs is necessary to develop effective conservation management plans. Preliminary work in 2023 indicated that male and female orioles may sing different songs, but at similar rates. Increasing the sample size by recording additional individuals is crucial for gaining an accurate understanding of the singing behavior of this species. Through this project, Michelle will engage undergraduate students from the University of Puerto Rico in point counts and mist-netting, and intends to co-develop management strategies in collaboration with Para La Naturaleza.
Understanding the social and spatial organization of the Palmchat in the Dominican Republic
Qwahn Kent, Princeton University
In this project, Qwahn aims to investigate the social and spatial organization of the Palmchat (Dulus dominicus), a communally breeding bird endemic to Hispaniola. The Palmchat plays a crucial role in the ecosystem—it disperses seeds and provides nesting sites for several species, including the critically endangered Ridgway’s Hawk, which nests on top of Palmchat nests. Qwahn will band individual Palmchats and will use a social network analysis to understand their complex organizations. Morphological features of nesting trees will be measured, and a machine learning algorithm will be developed to predict Palmchat nest locations. This research has conservation implications, since the spatial organization of Palmchat nests and their movement patterns influence both patterns of seed dispersal, as well as nest site availability for the hawks.
Help the Bridled Tern return to Isla Contoy National Park, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Jonathan Nochebuena, Mexican Association for the Conservation of Birds and their Habitats (AMCAH)
The Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus) breeds on Isla Contoy, a small Island off the Caribbean coast of Yucatan, Mexico, which is considered a site of international importance for the conservation of seabirds. In 2019, AMCAH started a project to protect the terns’ nesting areas, with the support of park managers and the local group Friends of Isla Contoy. This new project intends to continue the monitoring and banding efforts with community participation, and to develop measures to help increase the species’ population. This initiative will also help raise community awareness about threats to seabirds in general.
Avifauna of Las Balsas wetland, Gibara, Holguín, Cuba
Ailen Anido, Museo de Historia Natural Joaquín Fernández de la Vara, Gibara
The wetland Balsas de Gibara in Holguin consists of a large area of mangroves, coastal lagoons, mudflats, and salt marshes located between two rivers that flow into Gibara Bay. High concentrations of waterfowl have been reported in this site, including new bird species for Cuba. Ailen and her team will carry out an inventory of the birdlife of this important site using BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Waterbird Census protocols. They will train local residents in bird identification and survey techniques to engage them in the field work throughout the year. She also intends to increase awareness of the high ecological value of this protected area by promoting sustainable practices, such as the creation of a birdwatching club and bolstering bird and nature tourism.
Update of the status and trends of American Flamingos in Cuba
Susana Aguilar, University of Havana
The Cuban population of the American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), the only flamingo distributed through the Caribbean, is one of the most important in the region. The species depends on estuaries and saline lagoons, making it vulnerable to climate change. In this project, Susana seeks to update the information about the status of the American Flamingo in the island by assessing its current distribution, and estimating its abundance and number of nests in the breeding sites. She and her team will carry out field expeditions to verify new potential nesting sites in remote coastal wetlands of central Cuba, using drones in their surveys. Results are expected to contribute to the improvement of management decisions for the species in Cuba.
Characterization of the community of aquatic birds associated with the wetland of the San Miguel de Parada Fauna Refuge
Yanelis Sánchez, Empresa Flora y Fauna, Santiago de Cuba
Cuban wetlands are important stopover and wintering areas for numerous species of migratory waterbirds. However, they are increasingly being polluted by industrial discharge of solid and liquid waste, like the case of San Miguel de Parada Wildlife Refuge in the province of Santiago, Cuba. Yanelis will be conducting monthly surveys in this wetland throughout the year to determine the composition and structure of the waterfowl community. Moreover, she intends to identify and monitor nesting colonies from May to June, describe their habitat characteristics, and assess the breeding success for different species. As part of the project, she also wants to promote the recovery and conservation of the Santiago de Cuba Bay by implementing effective management actions and educational campaigns.
Enhancing conservation initiatives for Red-billed Tropicbirds in Boven National Park, St. Eustatius
Jethro van’t Hul, St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA)
The Red-Billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus), an iconic seabird species with striking red bills and long tail streamers, faces imminent threats to its population on the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius. Previous research estimated only 300-500 breeding pairs. Through this study, Jethro aims to reassess the population on Pilot Hill, and compare counts with a second study site on the cliffside area of Boven National Park where no data has been collected previously. Monthly surveys will be conducted in both locations, and video recordings will be taken to estimate the number of potential nesting pairs in a section of the Boven cliffs. His goal is to obtain a more accurate population estimate of nesting pairs to support further conservation efforts in Boven National Park.
Are you working on, or planning a research or conservation project with Caribbean birds?
Jennifer Mortensen, from the University of Arkansas, retrieving camera trap data with a team of conservationists from the Saint Lucia Forestry Department, including Stephen Lesmond, Therence Eugene, Jeannette Victor, and Jonathan Cornibert (from right to left).
Our next call for proposals will be advertised in the fall of 2024. Members of BirdsCaribbean conducting research and conservation work are eligible to apply. Stay informed and don’t miss our announcements by subscribing to our monthly newsletter,joining our Listserv, and following us on social media (@BirdsCaribbean on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Linked In).
BirdsCaribbean thanks our generous donors for supporting these awards, and encourages others to donate to these programs, as well as to consider endowments or other large awards to ensure that our vital grants programs can continue indefinitely. You can help us to continue supporting these invaluable projects by making a donation here.
If you prefer to donate via check, please make this out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note the fund you are donating to. If you have questions, or would like to make other arrangements for donating, feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Financial Officer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org). Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760-2076
BirdsCaribbean switched into top gear for 2023. With a lot of ground to cover, we were quickly up and running! Here are some of the highlights of the year…
Focus on one adorable but elusive waterbird…
Our Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) region-wide count, from January 14 to February 3 2023, included an ‘added’ Caribbean-wide Piping Plover survey. This species is listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN with an estimated global breeding population of just 8,400 birds. The search was enhanced by beautiful graphics and merchandise by Josmar Esteban Marquez. Sightings were tracked live and plotted on a map. During the survey, these attractive but vulnerable birds were spotted in The Bahamas (a great success!), the British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Word of our search spread far and wide and we also received sightings from the Caribbean coast of Mexico! Please continue to keep a sharp eye open for these small, round birds, which are often seen in small flocks on sand flats and might also be found in mangroves, mudflats, and other shoreline areas.
A Piping Plover in winter plumage with an all-black bill.
A Piping Plover chick. Piping Plovers breed in restricted areas of North America.
A small flock of Piping Plovers in winter plumage. (Photo by Walker Golden)
Just how do you spot those easily camouflaged, tiny plovers? Graphics from Josmar Esteban Marquez shared all the tips!
click to download as a pdf
During CWC 2023, an abundance of waterbirds were spotted across the region by diligent birders, young and old, as they kept their eyes peeled for the elusive Plover! Some of the wonderful waterbirds seen on our 2023 census included a white-morph Great Blue Heron on Bonaire (a rare sight outside Florida and Cuba); a diverse gathering of shorebirds on Cuba (including Dunlins, Sanderlings, Short-billed Dowitchers, Least and Western Sandpipers, Semipalmated and Wilson’s Plovers and many others); and and some ducks enjoying some winter sun on Jamaica (including Green-winged Teals, Ring-necked Ducks, and Lesser Scaups).
Survey team in Cuba searching for Piping Plovers during CWC2023. (Photo by Daniela Ventura)
Looking for landbirds…
After the volcanic eruption of April, 2021, St. Vincent’s landbirds, especially two vulnerable endemic species, the threatened St. Vincent Parrot, and endangered Whistling Warbler, faced new dangers—both in the short and long term. We thought it fitting to continue building the capacity of Caribbean conservationists to identify and monitor landbirds using standardized survey protocols.
Thanks to funding from theCritical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and BirdsCaribbean members, partners and donors, we organized a Landbird Monitoring Workshop on St. Vincent with 24 participants, including from neighboring islands(Grenada, St. Lucia, and Montserrat).
Participants and facilitators of the Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Workshop at Montreal Gardens, St Vincent.
Bob and Maya constructing the base frame. (Photo by Demonica Brown)
Maya and Todd checking cables. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Grand Bahama Motus Installation team: Lisa Sorenson, Todd Alleger, Bradley Pinder, Cesar Montero, Maya Wilson, Demonica Brown and, David Cooper. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Demonica and Bob Davies digging the hole for the base of the tower at the Lucayan National Park. (Photo by Maya Wilson)
Cesar and Todd attaching the antenna to the Motus tower at the Lucayan National Park. (Photo by Maya Wilson)
Demonica Brown and Maya Wilson assemble the Motus antenna. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
We were out and about again! Celebrating our beautiful endemics
Did you know we now have 180 endemic birds in the Caribbean region? And we celebrated these one-of-a-kind birds during our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) from April 22 to May 22, 2023—with a special emphasis on water conservation. What would our birds (and we humans) do without water? With the increased heat (it was a very hot summer) we may have seen our birds drinking at bird baths—they get thirsty like we do! With the climate change crisis pressing on us, this was a very important theme to emphasize, and our partners across the region took it on enthusiastically.
Information about the festival and endemic birds of Cuba was shared via radio interviews.
A young girl plays a bird game during the CEBF festivities as a member of the Luis-Munos Marin Foundation looks on. (Photo by Eliezer Nieves Rodriguez)
A Conservation Opportunity member sensitises participants about the threats posed by marine pollution. (Photo by Conservation Opportunity)
Birding along L’Anse Aux Epines road, Grenada. (Photo by Gaea Conservation Network)
Yaritza Bobonis with Lola the Puerto Rican Parrot mascot. (Photo by Fundación Amigos De El Yunque)
Students help plant native trees for birds and other wildlife at the National Botanical Garden.
Ashy-faced Owl, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Jay McGowan- Macaulay Library-ML162362421)
Jamaican Mango, perched. (Photo by Clive Daelman)
Children and ARC Conservation members wear their hand crafted masks.
Felix Raul Figueroa, photographer and member of Grupo Ecología de Aves, looks on as students from Ciénaga de Zapata color the Cuban Parrot. (Photo by Grupo de Ecología de Aves)
In 2023, the CEBF once again hosted in-person events and the response was tremendous—over 10,000 persons participated from The Bahamas down to Trinidad and Tobago! Our citizen scientists of all ages were out in numbers, with mangrove explorations, BirdSleuth Caribbean’s learning activities, school visits, habitat cleanups, art workshops, a birding for kids excursion, and even a floating classroom field trip!
On the Caribbean Birding Trail in Turks and Caicos
As the year-end drew closer, discovery, learning, and empowerment were words that came to mind during the Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) Interpretive Guide Training Workshop in Turks and Caicos Islands, which took place from October 23 to 27, 2023. Twenty-four participants were trained in the Islands’ beautifully unique environment during an intensive five-day workshop. The trail now includes 138 birding sites and ten hotels and eco-lodges in 24 countries—all combining amazing birding experiences with learning and information on ecosystems, cultural and natural heritage, and more.
Beny leads the group along the Bird Rock Point Trail. Several field trips throughout the week allowed participants to get acquainted with TCI’s best birding sites! (Photo by Christel Mohammed)
Tangles of red mangrove prop roots at Wheeland Pond. This extensive wetland is a haven for birdlife and a true shorebirder’s delight!
Flamingo Pond is a must-visit spot for American Flamingo lovers! Depending on the time of the year, flocks at this wetland on North Caicos can number in the thousands!
Class is in session! 24 participants from a range of backgrounds formed our CBT TCI cohort.
Ecotour guide and participant Geneile Robinson thumbs through her Birds of the West Indies field guide while distinguishing between waterbirds!
Lisa gives the class one of the toughest pop quizzes of all! How many different species of shorebirds are in the picture?
Participant and Biology teacher Amanda Brittain consults her Seabirds of the Caribbean card for gull ID support.
Rick’s demonstration of an interpretive talk where he played the role of a hammock salesman was so transportive that the class was convinced that he really was trying to hawk them hammocks for a while!
This was our seventh CBT training. We are deeply thankful to our Turks and Caicos sponsors—the Sandals Foundation, the Turks and Caicos National Trust, Darwin Plus Initiative, the Turks and Caicos Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Marshall Reynolds Foundation, Shika Shika, and Vortex Optics.
Bonding over Bird Banding! Workshop #2 in the Dominican Republic
Bird banding is an essential component of birding science worldwide. It is a complex and technical issue that requires longer training sessions. We returned to the Dominican Republic again in March of last year (the location of this year’s International Conference), continuing our work of nurturing a committed community of trained banders. The response from our highly intelligent group of trainees was enthusiastic.
Participants learned to set up and close mist nets during the workshop. (Photo by Josh Covill)
Participants at the banding workshop, earlier this year, in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Joshua Covill)
Daniela Ventura del Puerto (Cuba) provides instruction on bird molt to workshop participants Giselle Raganoonan (Trinidad) and Elvin Manual Vargas Estevez (Dominican Republic).
Caribbean bird banders have gone abroad!
We sent some of our bird banders off to the United States and Brazil for immersive banding experiences. The interns reported back to us (Grenadian Zoya Buckmire at Klamath Bird Observatory in Oregon, Puerto Rican Dayamiris Candelario at Willistown Conservation Trust in Pennsylvania) on their exploration of new landscapes, new ecosystems—and, of course, new birds! We would like to thank all our partner organizations and generous donors who supported these internships. Once again, we were happy to add new dimensions to our young trainees’ experiences, so they may return to their countries to establish new programs and projects. Empowerment is key!
Seabirds under pressure
Despite a range of challenges, our dynamic Seabird Working Group has been addressing the critical state of Caribbean seabirds for some time now. The first-ever Caribbean-wide Seabird Census is ongoing, for 2023 and 2024. Over 300,000 pairs of breeding seabirds have already been counted at over 58 sites! Caribbean seabirds, like those in other areas of the world, are threatened by human activities—including pollution (especially plastics), climate change, invasive species, and unsustainable fishing practices. The Census continues! Please contribute your thoughts and findings, watch the webinar updates, and follow the admirable work of our Seabird Working Group this year!
Map 1: Countries participating in the Caribbean Seabird Census. Note that for large countries, the whole country is colored even though only a few localized sites may be censused.
Juliana Coffey identifying seabirds with seabird patrol volunteers, Union Island. (Alison DeGraff Ollivierre)
Grenadines Guardians seabird survey. (Photo by Juliana Coffey)
Magnificent Frigatebird nesting colony. (Photo: Jeff Gerbracht)
Masked Booby adult and chick. (Photo by Ann Sutton)
More direct funding for research and conservation work!
From combating the illegal bird trade in Cuba, to surveys of our most endangered endemic Caribbean hawk in Haiti, thanks to our grant awards, 10 innovative new projects are helping us to protect and learn more about the region’s understudied birds and habitats! Stay tuned for our upcoming blogs sharing exciting project results and accomplishments.
The 2023 cohort of grantees under our three named awards, the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds, the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, and the new James A. Kushlan Research and Conservation Fund.
Have we forgotten something? Oh, yes…
Last but by no means least, Global Big Day 2023 was another huge success, with increased numbers of Caribbean birders participating. Our region saw more birds (a total of 515 species) and more humans (511 posting on eBird) than on any other Global Big Day. Once again, competition among our teams was heated—and once again, our Executive Director Lisa Sorenson’s multinational “Flying Pintails” dominated! Hmmm…
NOTE: Please remember to record ALL your bird sightings, whether in your backyard or out on a birding excursion, on eBird Caribbeanvia their website or phone app. Your bird notes make a difference in helping scientists identify the “what, when, how many, and where” of our region’s birds!
Networking is key…
As you can see, building and strengthening networks across the region has always been a significant part of our work, and it was the same in 2023. Our network of scientists (including citizen scientists), students, educators, non-governmental and community organizations, as well as nature-friendly companies and government entities, continues to grow.
Talking birds: Justin Saunders lends a listening ear to a young birder. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Daniela and Elvin take a closer look at a bird’s wing while another participant John Holas looks on. (Photo by Josh Covill)
Yvan Satge discusses birds at sea with fishermen. (Photo by Jacob Gonzalez-Solis)
María Paulino hosts a group discussion with students at the National Botanical Garden.
Levardo, Estefania, and Junel discuss the finer points of binocular adjustment.
In addition to the Caribbean Bird Banding Network, the Caribbean Motus Collaboration, and the Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Network, we are also building a vibrant group of trained interpretive guides through the Caribbean Birding Trail. This person-to-person aspect of our work is important for knowledge-sharing, interaction, and “comparing notes” with each other. A great deal of teamwork goes into all these endeavors, as you can see from our reports. All of this creates a positive and nurturing environment. We have great faith in our newly-trained Caribbean citizens, who are both enthusiastic and action-oriented. They want to see progress and improvements for our wonderful birds and their habitats.
We look forward to keeping in touch with you all! Here’s to 2024!
A huge thank you to all of our members, partners, and donors. This work would not be possible without your dedication, passion, hard work, and financial support.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology publishes peer-reviewed science on Caribbean birds and their environment that is critical to informing conservation work. In this annual blog feature, JCO’s staff is proud to show off the amazing research from scientific teams around the Caribbean. Volume 36 demonstrates the wide range of research conducted by our authors; from population and habitat use studies, to documentations of behavior, to methods-centered papers on bird monitoring. About ten articles focus on land birds, while three concentrate on waterbirds.
The JCO is immensely grateful for its dedicated team of editors, reviewers, copyeditors, translators, proofreaders, and production specialists that have worked together so well again this past year to produce high-quality publications. We also thank the 57 authors behind the 16 Research Articles and Notes for their trust in the JCO to publish their open-source work in the best form. The JCO and our non-profit publisher, BirdsCaribbean, continue to emphasize support for early-career researchers, trilingual content, open access, and a comprehensive archive going back to the very first volume from 1988.
Map depicting research locations of studies published in Volume 36.
A few glimpses behind the scenes of JCO’s operations in 2023:
JCO has welcomed Dr. Susana Aguilar, our Birds of the World (BOW) Coordinator for Cuba. Susana has an intimate knowledge of Cuban ornithology and we are very happy that we could recruit her to facilitate the revision of BOW accounts from the largest Caribbean island. Our Production Assistant and Designer since 2019, Diane Tessaglia-Hymes is pursuing another professional opportunity. She has tremendously helped with typesetting and, being an Adobe InDesign wizard, has optimized several “under the hood” features. Our Associate Editor team expanded with Yvan Satgé of Clemson University and Dr. Kathryn Peiman, from Ontario, Canada joining the team. Sadly, we learned that one of our Associate Editors, Dr. Virginia Sanz D’Angelo (Centro de Ecología, IVIC, Caracas, Venezuela) has passed away. Her dedication to JCO leaves a big gap.
It took a little longer than hoped, but our (all part-time!) staff finally pulled together a voluminous (94 pages) Special Issue with Caribbean-themed conference contributions from the AOS-BC conference in San Juan in 2022. Because it sometimes takes authors a while to fully publish research, these conference presentations and poster abstracts provide a more timely glimpse into what’s happening in Caribbean bird research and conservation.
We hope to see many of our readers, authors, editors, and team members in July at the BirdsCaribbean 2024 Conference in the Dominican Republic!
— Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., JCO Editor-in-Chief,
— Stefan Gleissberg, JCO Managing Editor
— Zoya Buckmire, JCO Lead Copyeditor
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology relies on donations to keep all of our publications free and open-access. Support our non-profit mission and give a voice to Caribbean ornithologists and their work by becoming a supporter of JCO. Consider being a sustainer with a monthly contribution of $5 or more!
Like humans, birds are susceptible to parasitic infections, including avian malaria, and similarly, variations in hemoglobin structure may influence their susceptibility to these infections. Using one of the most widespread West Indian species, the Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), Humphries and Ricklefs aimed to relate variation in hemoglobin structure and avian malaria infection across several islands. In this paper, they present the results of this fascinating study, with suggestions for appropriate markers for further biogeographic analyses.
In the midst of the central Bahamas archipelago lies the tiny Conception Island National Park. This multi-island park is designated as an Important Bird Area, but until now, its bird diversity was poorly documented. In this paper, Reynolds and Buckner present the first avifaunal list for this park in over a century, with a whopping 68 species, 3 of which are Bahamian endemics.
As human influence over the environment increases, so too does the distribution of artificial materials in natural spaces. More and more birds are encountering human debris in their habitat and interacting with these materials in various ways—whether mistaking them for food or becoming entangled in them. In this research note, Madden and Danielson-Owczynsky document landbirds in St. Eustatius using human debris in an interesting but dangerous way, a fascinating discovery that hints at the pervasiveness of our impact on the world around us.
Anderson Jean, Maxon Fildor, Marta Curti, Eladio Fernandez, Christine D. Hayes, and Thomas I. Hayes
Few things are more exciting than the rediscovery of a once-extirpated species, and the case of the Ridgway’s Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi) is no exception. This Hispaniolan endemic was once well-distributed across the island, but had not been recorded in Haiti since 1962. A chance encounter in 2019 prompted hope and follow-up studies in subsequent years as the authors sought to confirm sightings of the species. In this research note, Jean et al. document their rediscovery of this unique hawk in Haiti.
Joshua LaPergola, C. Justin Proctor, Hodali Almonte, and Kate J. Wallace
Birds eat bugs—or at least, that is how it’s supposed to go. The roles are sometimes reversed in the natural world, with one noteworthy example being parasitism. Philornis sp. larvae are a well-known parasite for birds, but we are still figuring out which species are affected by these parasites. In this paper, LaPergola et al. document the first record of Philornis sp. larvae parasitizing a swift, in this case an Antillean Palm-Swift (Tachornis phoenicobia) in the Dominican Republic. This expands our understanding of parasitism by this genus and adds to the ever-growing list of threats to Caribbean birds, especially aerial insectivores like swifts.
Nicholas Bergen, Christopher C. De Ruyck, and Nicola Koper
Citizen science provides a seemingly obvious solution to the various logistical and resource challenges of data collection in the Caribbean, but it is not without its own challenges. How does observer experience affect detectability of birds in the field? And do observers perform differently depending on who they are paired with? Bergen et al. conducted an experiment in Grenada to answer these questions and more, involving 34 different observers in over 400 surveys across the island. In this paper, the authors present the results of their study, along with several practical recommendations for the design and implementation of citizen science-based monitoring programs in the region.
Louise M. Soanes, Devon Carter, Laurel B. Symes, Jennifer C. Daltry, Holger Klinck, Clarissa Lloyd, and Farah Mukhida
If we as scientists had unlimited time and money, then long-term monitoring of bird populations would be a breeze. In the real world, however, monitoring efforts are limited by funding, access, and personnel, especially on remote islands and cays. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an emerging tool with the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of monitoring efforts, and a recent pilot project in Anguilla aimed to test the utility of this tool in the Caribbean context. In this paper, Soanes et al. describe the results of their pilot, with recommendations for the best use of PAM throughout the region.
Samantha J. Hagler, Kara Abbott, Christine D. Hayes, Thomas I. Hayes, and André A. Dhondt
The Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi) is a charismatic species that has received lots of conservation attention in recent years, but there still remain major gaps in knowledge about this species’ life history and behavior, especially pre-breeding. In this research article, Hagler et al. present their results from tracking 3 established breeding pairs of Ridgway’s Hawks in the Dominican Republic, adding critical information to the body of knowledge about this endangered and endemic species.
Yaroddys Rodríguez Castaneda y Nils Navarro Pacheco
The wild bird trade is a growing threat to Caribbean birds, with species targeted for their bright plumages and/or beautiful songs. This industry is especially prevalent in Cuba, with over 3,000 birds trapped in one month (October 2021). Dozens of species are trapped and sold, including species that may not have been previously recorded for the island. In this Spanish-language paper, Rodríguez Castaneda and Navarro Pacheco document a new species for Cuba, discovered through the ongoing bird trade, suggesting that Cuba’s true avian diversity may be even higher than estimated.
El tráfico de aves silvestres es una amenaza creciente a las aves del Caribe, con las aves elegidas para sus plumajes brillantes y/o sus bonitos cantos. Esta industria es especialmente frecuente en Cuba, con más que 3000 aves capturadas en un mes (octubre 2021). Docenas de especies son capturadas y vendidas, incluyendo unas especies que quizás no eran reportadas para la isla. En este artículo español, Rodríguez Castaneda y Navarro Pacheco documentan una especie nueva para Cuba, descubierta por el tráfico continuado de aves, sugiriendo que la verdadera diversidad de aves de Cuba puede ser aún más alta que la estimada anteriormente.
Ramon J.T. Williams, Miyako H. Warrington, and Nicola Koper
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are subject to unique ecological pressures, and the bird populations on these islands are no different. How are birds using and responding to natural and anthropogenic habitats on these islands? In what ways does this use differ from the well-studied continental regions? And importantly, how does this inform conservation and management measures here, in the Caribbean? In this paper, Williams et al. explore all these questions and more using resident landbird species in Grenada.
Kara L. Lefevre, Elizabeth Forys, Adam DiNuovo, and Adam D. Smith
Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) are a charismatic—and admittedly odd-looking—colonial seabird distributed throughout the coastal Americas. Populations in Florida (R. niger niger) are under threat, and to inform conservation measures, Lefevre et al. set out to track the dispersal and movements of skimmer chicks from breeding colonies in Florida. In this paper, the authors describe their use of various tracking methods, some more successful than others, and present important recommendations on how to design future studies.
Parrots and parakeets (Psittaciformes) are some of the most widely introduced species in the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico is no exception. There, the White-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus) was introduced in the late 1960s and has since become “the most successful invasive psittacine species on the island”. However, until now, not much was known about their life history or population status in Puerto Rico. In this article, Falcón and Tremblay report on the status of two breeding populations with estimates of their growth rates, as well as other critical information including the species’ diet and nesting habits on the island.
Paige A. Byerly, Susan Zaluski, Daniel Nellis, Judy Pierce, and Paul L. Leberg
Effective management of bird populations requires quality data, but quality data is often difficult to come by. Where studies do exist, methods may vary greatly based on differing research questions, objectives, and priorities, but as Byerly et al. demonstrate here, it is not impossible to form a cohesive picture from various disparate surveys. Comparing data from surveys in the early 2000s with their own in 2016-2018, the authors produce up-to-date trends on the populations of 7 seabirds in the Virgin Islands—and none of them are good. In this paper, Byerly et al. present these timely population status updates, a call for action, and a great example of how to make the best of the limited data we have in the Caribbean to conserve and manage our birds.
Nils Navarro Pacheco, Roberto Jovel Lara, Wisdenilde Navarro Méndez, Juan Carlos Lobaina Montero, Noel Coutín Lobaina, and Carlos Hernández
The Cuban subspecies of the Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus fringilloides) is relatively understudied, with no documented nesting records for Cuba—until now. In this Spanish-language article, Navarro Pacheco et al. present the first record of a nest found in Guantanamo, Cuba, with detailed descriptions of the nest, eggs, breeding behavior, and other aspects of the reproductive biology of this endemic subspecies.
El Gavilancito Cubano (Accipiter striatus fringilloides) es relativamente poco estudiado, con ningunos registros de nidificación documentados para Cuba—hasta ahora. En este artículo español, Navarro Pacheco y otros presentan el primer registro de un nido encontrado en Guantánamo, Cuba, con descripciones detalladas del nido, los huevos, el comportamiento de reproducción, y otros aspectos de la biología reproductiva de esta subespecie endémica.
Avery Young, David Aborn, Steven C. Latta, and Jennifer Nagel Boyd
The way wildlife interacts with food systems is an increasingly important topic as food production expands and encroaches upon habitat. In the Dominican Republic, a major driver of habitat loss is the conversion of forests to avocado farms to meet demand. How does habitat differ between the natural forests and these farm systems? How are birds responding to these differences? And does avian response vary depending on whether the birds are endemic, resident, or migratory? In this research article, Young et al. answer these questions and more, and offer recommendations to balance habitat preservation with our food production needs.
Malo Braquier, Anthony Levesque, Jérémy Delolme, and Charlotte Francesiaz
How long do birds live in the wild? Lifespan of course differs by family and species, and even within species as birds face varying threats within their habitats, migration routes, and from the humans they encounter. Shorebirds like plovers can live into their teens, and for the Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia), the previous longevity record was 10 years. In this research note, Braquier et al. report a new longevity record for this species from their resightings of a previously banded Wilson’s Plover in Guadeloupe.
The annual compilation of the most important articles that appeared elsewhere, annotated by Steve Latta.
Article by
Zoya Buckmire – Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology;
Stefan Gleissberg – Managing Editor JCO
TheJournal of Caribbean Ornithology relies on donations to keep all of our publications free and open-access. Support our non-profit mission and give a voice to Caribbean ornithologists and their work by becoming a supporter of JCO.
BirdsCaribbean brings you highlights from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in our feature “Just Published in JCO”. Here, Zoya Buckmire, the Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at various research on the Critically Endangered and endemic Ridgway’s Hawk.
The Ridgway’s Hawk is one of the most critically endangered raptors in the world with fewer than 400 individuals remaining. It is endemic to Hispaniola. (Photo by Dax Román)
Few things are more exciting than the rediscovery of a once-extirpated species, and the case of the Ridgway’s Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi) is no exception! This Critically Endangered raptor is endemic to Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), but despite its historically widespread distribution, it had not been spotted in Haiti since 1962. A chance encounter on one of Haiti’s satellite islands prompted hope and a follow-up study as Anderson Jean and colleagues sought to confirm their suspected sighting of the species. Thus began an epic scavenger hunt to rediscover this unique hawk on the Haitian side of Hispaniola! The authors shared a behind-the-scenes look at their discovery and their ongoing work to conserve the Ridgway’s Hawk.
Map showing current known Ridgway’s Hawk distribution on Hispaniola. (Map by Leah Dunn of The Peregrine Fund)
The first sighting in 2019 was entirely by chance—or rather, by fate. Anderson Jean andMaxon Fildorwere conducting a rapid ornithological assessment of Les Cayemites, two islands off the southwestern coast of Haiti, as part of a baseline study for the recently declared Baradères-Cayemites protected area. They were compiling information on the terrestrial vertebrates present to inform the management plan for the region. It was then that they spotted two raptors in flight—rushing to document what they could, they speedily took pictures, videos, and audio recordings to aid in identification. One of those two birds was later identified as a juvenile Ridgway’s Hawk, the first sighting of the species in Haiti in over 50 years, and the first sighting for Les Cayemites in over a century.
Juvenile Ridgway’s Hawk spotted by Anderson Jean and colleagues on Petite Cayemite. (Photo by Anderson Jean)
Adult female Ridgway’s Hawk with a green vine snake on Petite Cayemite. (Photo by Thomas Hayes)
With this confirmation, the authors returned the following year with a purpose, partnering with The Peregrine Fund to conduct systematic surveys on the Baradères Peninsula and both Petite and Grande Cayemite. Between 2020 and 2021, the group detected as many as 19 Ridgway’s Hawks in the region—a veritable population! And not only is a population present, it also has the potential to persist as the birds are breeding.
The authors describe their most memorable moment as the instance, in 2021, when they found two nests on Grande Cayemite for the first time. Whilst the nest was located high in a tree on a weak branch too high and risky to climb, the evidence of breeding was enough. On the smaller cay, Petite Cayemite, they have only observed one breeding pair to date, but that pair has nested every single year since they were spotted in 2019. Another exciting development is that the authors banded their first Ridgway’s Hawk chick in 2023, which will surely provide more insights to this ongoing research.
Ridgway’s Hawk nest in a gumbo limbo tree with a juvenile hawk perched above. (Photo by Anderson Jean)
Ultimately, Jean and colleagues hope that their research will contribute to the body of knowledge on this charismatic species, and help conservationists understand the causes of population decline and to increase the population size in Les Cayemites. They are continuing their search in nearby areas like Pestel, Grand Boukan, and Gonâve Island. Although White et al. did not find any sign of the species in their 2012 raptor survey of Gonave Island, it is possible that Ridgway’s Hawk have recolonized the island in the decade that has since passed. Anderson Jean and his colleagues hope to eventually witness the reintroduction of the species throughout its historical range.
La Gonâve Island, Haiti. (Photo by Justin White)
Amidst this exciting rediscovery in Haiti, on the other side of the island of Hispaniola, another fascinating investigation was underway! Samantha Hagler and colleagues studied the breeding behavior of the species—looking particularly at pre-breeding behavior—observing and recording the birds to gain insights into how they form and strengthen pair bonds. This research supports ongoing conservation efforts to restore the Ridgway’s Hawk population, including a past project by The Peregrine Fund that translocated hawks to create a new population in Punta Cana. Translocating the hawks was a challenge within itself, with initial successes limited by high mortality rates due to power poles near the sites. Dwyer et al. document the creative solutions that had to be used to minimize hawk mortality, leading to eventual success of the program.
Ridgway’s Hawks hatched in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic thanks to The Peregrine Fund’s Assisted Dispersal Program. (Photo by The Peregrine Fund)
Ridgway’s Hawk parent feeding its chick in the nest. (Photo by Dax Román)
At the newly established population in Punta Cana, Hagler et al. tracked three established breeding pairs to compare them (and their behaviors) to the source population in the Los Haitises National Park. Interestingly, pre-breeding behaviors actually differed between the two groups. This could be a function of the populations’ size, density, or different levels of development—and raises even more questions that will be critical to better understanding and conserving the species.
Between these two populations in the Dominican Republic and the newly found population in southwestern Haiti, the future of the Ridgway’s Hawk looks brighter than in previous years. Thanks to the award of a BirdsCaribbean Betty Petersen Conservation Fund grant, Anderson Jean is continuing his urgent work to map and protect Ridgway’s Hawk populations in Haiti. His surveys will be further extended to the larger island of Grand Cayemite. To additionally address anthropogenic threats, the team will initiate an educational campaign directed at local communities, especially schoolchildren and farmers. Outreach materials will be distributed in the communities and a special curriculum will be presented in local schools.
We look forward to further research and reports on this important endangered and endemic raptor, as it provides hope for the conservation of other raptors throughout the Caribbean.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology publishes the peer-reviewed science on Caribbean birds and their environment that is so important to inform conservation work. All of the publications are free and open-access.
MORE FEATURED ARTICLES FROM “JUST PUBLISHED IN THE JCO”
The Purple-throated Carib is endemic to a handful of islands in the Lesser Antilles. (Photo by Barbara and Frank Lilievre)
Being one of only two Eulampis species (a genus endemic to the Caribbean), the Purple-throated Carib adds endemic sparkle to the rainforest and cloud forest habitats of the Lesser Antilles. This large (it’s the largest hummingbird in the Caribbean!), brilliantly plumaged hummingbird is also closely associated with two species of native heliconia.
The Purple-throated Carib will visit feeders and cultivated landscape plants for a sweet drink of nectar, making it a familiar and quite spectacular sight for many in the Lesser Antilles. However, the Carib’s Birds of the World (BOW) account, which was previously just a short article last revised in 2018, provided only basic information which did not reflect the present state of scholarship and knowledge of the species.
Enter Dr. Ethan Temeles
A biology professor at Amherst College (MA, USA), Dr. Temeles has spent 8 field seasons in St. Lucia, and 17 field seasons in Dominica researching the Purple-throated Carib, making him the perfect candidate to revise and update its species account for Birds of the World. He connected with BirdsCaribbean staff at the American Ornithological Society/BirdsCaribbean conference held in Puerto Rico in 2022, and learned of the opportunity to contribute as an author for Birds of the World.
Purple-throated Carib drinking nectar from a banana flower in Guadeloupe. (Photo by Brian Sullivan ML 89366011)
Professor Temeles measures the length of a hummingbird’s beak using a caliper. (Photo by Amherst College)
Female Purple-throated Carib. (Photo by Tadas Jucys)
Dr Temeles eagerly took on the work of updating the species account with the latest science—including much of his own original research from 20 years of field work! He used the opportunity of lighter academic duties in the summer to synthesize his own and others’ work on the species.
Plumage Particulars, Population Data…and Partitioning of Flower Resources!
Thanks to the passionate work of Dr Temeles and his collaborators, the account has been greatly enriched in this 2024 update. It now includes detailed information about plumages, diet, and intriguingly, the sexual partitioning of flower resources. Dr Temeles also discusses the impact of Hurricane Maria (a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated 17 Caribbean islands in 2017) and other conservation concerns for the species. If you are from the Caribbean, learn how you can access all the scholarly resources on Birds of the World for FREE here.
The Birds of the World species account for the Purple-throated Carib has been significantly expanded in this update.
Editors at Birds of the World worked with Dr. Temeles and Macaulay Library resources to add a wide variety of photographs to the account—including many that will help with field identification. Even at a sizable five inches long, without perfect lighting the species often appears completely black except for its dazzling emerald green wings. Photographs of the Carib’s microhabitats, as well as videos and photographs showing its foraging behavior, are now also newly linked to the species account, demonstrating the powerful nature of integrating the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s online resources.
Dr. Temeles is still teaching biology and environmental studies classes at Amherst, and took a break from grading Intro Biology exams to finalize the publication. He enthused, ”I’m delighted to share my 20+ years of field work on this species with readers of Birds of the World, and hope that others will be inspired to study and answer some of the questions for future research presented in this account of a truly spectacular hummingbird.”
Of his experience as an author he added, “Working with the Birds of the World and BirdsCaribbean staff was great and their editorial expertise was amazing.”
Visit this page to access our free Purple-throated Carib coloring page and other educational activities.
Do you work with a Caribbean bird species, or are you interested in contributing to a Caribbean species account? We are always on the lookout for authors! Find out more or contact Caroline Pott (carolinepott@birdscaribbean.org) for more information regarding a species of interest.
The BirdsCaribbean-Cornell Lab of Ornithology partnership that produced this updated account also provides Birds of the World access for FREE to Caribbean-based IP addresses!
One of the issues that the birding community has been working on for the last several years is how we can be more welcoming and inclusive of all birders—beginner birders and future potential birders—to join us and share the joy of birding. It’s an issue to which passionate birders, Hannah Buschert, and her husband Erik, have given a great deal of thought, and which led to the creation of Women Birders (Happy Hour) podcast.
Their ‘happy hour’ podcast is dedicated to broadcasting the lived experiences of women, from diverse backgrounds, who love birds. And of course, it’s not happy hour without cocktails! For each episode, Hannah delights us with a unique, bird-inspired alcoholic concoction based on a species mentioned in the interview!
Last month’s guest was our very own BirdsCaribbean President—Dr Adrianne Tossas! Adrianne has a Ph.D. degree in ecology from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. She currently teaches biology at the university level, leading undergraduate students in avian ecology research and conservation work. Along with her students, she monitors landbird and waterbird populations in northwestern Puerto Rico. In addition to her role as President of BirdsCaribbean, she serves as the Co-Chair of the organization’s Mentorship Program and Chair of the Grant Awards Committee. She 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.
Dr Tossas with her students in field.
Dr Tossas leads a birding tour for girls during the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival.
Adjusting a spotting scope for participants during a Bird Guide Training workshop in Turks and Caicos. (Photo by Christel Mohammed)
Grab yourself a drink (might we suggest Hannah’s Puerto Rican Vireo cocktail below?), kick back, and settle into happy hour with Hannah and Adrianne! It’s an inspiring podchat about how Adrianne started birding, her experience being a woman in a male-dominated field, her research, the mentors that helped to guide and shape her into the conservationist that she is today, and her efforts to transform the local birding community in Puerto Rico to include more women and young birders.
Enjoy!
Listen
Choose your preferred podcast platform to listen to Adrianne’s interview by clicking this Buzzsprout link.
The Peregrine Falcon is famously known as the fastest animal on Earth, reaching speeds of up to 240mph when in a dive. (Beth Hamel)
Birds of prey are magnificent, powerful creatures, with a mystique all their own. They play an essential role in Caribbean ecosystems. Sadly, however, their significance as the only native terrestrial predators in the region is often underestimated and misunderstood.
Hispaniola Program Director at The Peregrine Fund, Marta Curti, is one of those conservationists who believe that raptors don’t get the attention they deserve. To inspire others with her own personal passion for the birds, she has written a remarkable new 200-page publication entitled “Raptors of the Caribbean: Education and Conservation Resource Guide.” It is available in Haitian Creole, Spanish and English, and divided into four chapters, each including fun and enlightening educational activities and a learning evaluation. The guide covers identification of raptor species, conservation techniques, and—most importantly—explains “Why Raptors Matter.”
Cover of the new Raptors of the Caribbean Education & Conservation Resource Guide.
“I believe the completion of this guide is a major milestone for raptor conservation throughout the Caribbean,” says Marta. “I hope this guide will help in fostering passion and compassion for the region’s birds of prey and will inspire students, teachers, biologists, and others to work to conserve these amazing birds.”
The workshop includes hands-on, dynamic activities including constructing life-sized hawks using recyclable materials, participating in “raptor Olympics,” a “food chain relay race,” and putting on a play. Marta’s goal is to extend these workshops across the region—while at the same time “training the trainers” to continue teaching students, community members, and educators about the importance of our amazing hawks, falcons, and kites.
Nature sketching and bird observation. (Marta Curti)
Training Workshop practicing bird observation skills. (Marta Curti)
Building a life sized Ridgway’s Hawk out of recyclable materials (Marta Curti)
Caribbean birds of prey vary greatly in size, behavior, and their preferred habitats. Some are migratory or passage migrants, transiting through the region, such as the Peregrine Falcon itself, which may be becoming more common in urban areas. Another speedy and powerful hawk, the Merlin, also migrates from north to south in the winter. Others such as the American Kestrel and the Red-tailed Hawk are seen more often. While some raptors are quite adaptable to new environments, several endemic species and subspecies are in need of help: for example, the Ridgway’s Hawk, Cuban Kite, Grenada Hook-billed Kite, and Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk. Climate change, deforestation, hunting, and persecution are among the dangers they face.
The Ridgway’s Hawk is one of the most critically endangered raptors in the world, with fewer than 500 individuals remaining. (Dax Roman)
Merlin Female taking off. (Phoo Chan)
The American Kestrel is a more frequently seen migrant to the region. (Photo by Imran Ashraf)
Since the printing of the new guide, Marta has completed two training workshops for a total of 39 people, including teachers, field technicians with the Ministry of the Environment, biology students, and women from rural communities who she hopes to involve more in our conservation efforts through a Women’s Conservation Fellowship. One of the best comments we received from participants were: “These activities really show how much we know about the Ridgway’s Hawk,” and “I am so surprised about how much we have learned in just two days.” Another great comment was short and sweet, “I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time as I have during this workshop.”
If you’re interested in learning more about the workshops and/or how to access a copy of the Raptor Education Guide, please contact: Marta Curti
BirdsCaribbean is proud to support this groundbreaking initiative, through the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund; along with the VanTienhoven Foundation, ACSEH, and National Aviary and partners in the Dominican Republic: Fundación Propagas, Fundación Grupo Puntacana, the Dominican Republic Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, and ZOODOM (National Zoo of Santo Domingo).
