Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2021 is “Sing, Fly, Soar—Like a Bird!” Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Puerto Rican Tody
The Puerto Rican Tody or San Pedrito is a small chunky bird with bright green upperparts, red throat patch, white breast, and yellow sides. The bill is long and flat. It is endemic to Puerto Rico and is one of five species of Tody that are unique to the Greater Antilles islands. They have adapted to all elevations and ecosystems on Puerto Rico—from the driest to the wettest. It is easy to identify it in the forest especially when it vocalizes. Its call is similar to that of a cricket, and when it calls it bobs up and down as if doing push-ups!
To feed, the Puerto Rican Tody perches on a branch and remains still, scanning the vegetation for insects. With a short quick flight it catches insects on or under leaves with a sweeping movement of its flat bill. Sometimes it catches insects on the fly. Todies mainly eat insects, but they also hunt for lizards and frogs, and they occasionally eat small fruits (berries). During the breeding season in spring, the male usually hunts insects to give to his mate.
Puerto Rican Tody pairs build their nests in earthy banks along a slope or ravine. They dig a curved tunnel ~30cm long and ~2cm in diameter that ends in a nest chamber ~5cm x ~7cm. This excavation takes about two months. Both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing duties. The task of feeding 2-3 hungry chicks is exhausting – the parents spend the whole day coming and going with insects of all kinds to feed their fast-growing young! When it is time for the chicks to leave the nest, the adults, with food in their beaks, give calls to encourage them to come out.
Puerto Rican Todies are considered common. However, their conservation status needs review. There is evidence that terrestrial arthropods, a main food source of the tody, are declining. In addition, tody populations are threatened by invasive introduced predators like the Indian mongoose and also habitat destruction. We all need to do our part to educate about these special birds and the importance of conserving their habitats. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Puerto Rican 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 call of the Puerto Rican Tody
The calls of the Puerto Rican Tody are a loud, slightly rasping “beep” or “be-beep”.
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 Puerto Rican Tody, one way to distinguish the male from the female is by eye color. The female’s iris is bluish white and the male’s is dark gray (Photo by Guillermo Plaza)The Puerto Rican Tody perches on a branch and remains still scanning the leaves for insects. With a quick movement and a short flight it catches insects on or under the leaves. (Photo by Alberto Estefania)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Can you find the words in our Puerto Rican Tody word search? All 15 hidden words are about this colourful little bird! You can see where all the words were here.
Watch these three wonderful videos of Puerto Rican Tody behaviour in the wild! In the first you can see the adult birds excavating their nest tunnel, this will be around 30cm long and ends in a nest chamber. This excavation will take them about two months. In the second you can see adult birds feeding, how many different types of prey items can you spot? In the final video you can see a fledgling Puerto Rican Tody sitting on a branch being fed by an adult.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2021 is “Sing, Fly, Soar—Like a Bird!” Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Hispaniolan Pewee
A quick, flitting movement in the lower canopy catches your eye. And then it’s gone. No it’s not! There’s a small drab, but cute, bird sitting motionless on a low branch. It’s a Hispaniolan Pewee!
This little flycatcher is not very well known, despite being fairly widespread on the island of Hispaniola where it is endemic. It is found in lowlands, foothills and mountains, but is restricted mostly to undisturbed habitats and remote areas. It’s mostly brown and gray coloration allows it to remain unnoticed, unless it sallies out to catch an insect. Then, you have to watch closely where it goes to see if you can spot it perched. It often returns to the same perch, or one close by.
This pewee has few distinguishing field marks. It is olive-gray above, with a slightly darker head. Its underparts are pale gray with a yellow, olive, or brown wash. Its wing bars are inconspicuous (pale buff) or absent. One of only five flycatcher species on the island, it is the plainest overall in appearance, and at 16cm in length, is smaller than the others except the Greater Antillean Elaenia which is 15cm. They are similar in appearance, except that the elaenia is paler gray, has stronger wingbars, and has a much smaller bill. The other similar species, the Stolid Flycatcher, is quite a bit larger and much more strongly marked and brighter colored, especially the yellow belly.
It is not a very vocal bird either. Pewees are named for their whistling “Pee-WEEE” call, but this species makes a faint “peet-peet-peet”, and that’s about it.
In lowlands, it is found mostly along the coast in scrub forest and mangroves, and in the mountains, in forested areas, often along the edges of trails, roads and fields. Not abundant anywhere, seeing one or two on a walk may be all you’re going to get! But if you have a sharp eye for that quick fly catching bird, you will be rewarded. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Hispaniolan 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 call of the Hispaniolan Pewee
The calls of the Hispaniolan Pewee are a repeated “peet-peet-peet.”
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 Hispaniolan Pewee is found mostly along the coast in scrub forest and mangroves, and in the mountains, in forested areas, often along the edges of trails, roads and fields. (Photo by Dax Roman)The Hispaniolan Pewee is a small, drab, but cute bird. It’s mostly brown and gray coloration allows it to remain unnoticed, unless it sallies out to catch an insect. (Photo by Jose Miguel Pantaleon)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: The Hispaniolan Pewee is a type of flycatcher, but that doesn’t mean that they only catch and eat flies! Their diet will included many different types of flying insects. Moths make a delicious meal for a Hispaniolan Pewee, can you find your way through our maze and help this Pewee find some moths? You can find the correct route here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Don’t forget about our endemic Bird Zine Contest! This is a fantastic opportunity for children and adults to revisit and creatively express their understanding of birds. You will find detailed guidelines and judging criteria in these docs: Bird Zine Contest Guidelines and What is a Zine and Bird Zine Contest Instructions. Be sure to read both documents carefully. There are prizes for each age category and two awesome GRAND PRIZES of a pair of waterproof Vortex Optics Binoculars!
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2021 is “Sing, Fly, Soar—Like a Bird!” Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: Cuban Solitaire
What’s that magical sound? Is there a flutist nearby? No, it’s the Cuban Solitaire! This bird, endemic to Cuba, is a member of the thrush family. It is medium size and wears inconspicuous colors. Its upper parts and tail are olive-brown in color and the lower parts are pale gray. On the wings there is a diffuse patch of reddish-brown color. It has a white eye ring, small bill, and a fine dark mustache stripe.The most remarkable thing about this bird is its beautiful, haunting, flute-like song. It is melodious and varied—some say it resembles the sound produced when a wet finger is rubbed against the rim of a wine glass! This excellent songster is considered relatively common but very local. Its distribution is limited to mountainous forest areas on the eastern and western ends of the island. The Cuban Solitaire lives in humid and shady forests: semi-deciduous woodlands and pine forests, preferably close to cliffs of limestone rock. It is difficult to detect unless it sings because it remains very still while perching high up in the trees. Sometimes it flies down to bushes close to the ground in search of food. Its diet consists of fruits and small insects that it catches on the fly, sallying out from a perch like a flycatcher. Nesting occurs between the months of May and July. The solitaire builds a cup-shaped nest, composed of fine fibers of plant material, rootlets, and animal hair, usually covered with lichens and mosses. Nests are located at heights greater than 5 meters, in crevices of rocky cliffs and tree cavities. Females lay 2-3 whitish or light green eggs stained brown or gray.The solitaire previously inhabited Isle of Youth (formerly the Isle of Pines), a Cuban island located south of Pinar del Rio province and Havana. It was extirpated from that island in the 1930s.The Cuban Solitaire is very sensitive to changes in its habitat. Its current status is Near Threatened, however, local experts suggest it should be classified as Vulnerable, mainly due to its restricted distribution, deforestation of its habitat, and the fact that it is persecuted as a cage bird due to its beautiful song. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Cuban Solitaire
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 Cuban Solitaire
The Cuban Solitaire has a remarkable song, with a combination of loud trills and flutelike notes on different pitches.
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 Cuban Solitaire lives in humid and shady forests: semi-deciduous woodlands and pine forests. It can be difficult to see unless it sings because it remains very still while perching high up in the trees (Photo by Max Schwenne)The Cuban Solitaire is very sensitive to changes in its habitat and is listed as is Near Threatened, mainly due to its restricted distribution, deforestation of its habitat, and the fact that it is persecuted as a cage bird due to its beautiful song (Photo by Bill Hebner)
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. Then test your knowledge by filling in the parts on this sheet. You can colour in the drawings on these pages too! FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy the videos below of the Cuban Solitaire in its natural habitat. Although these are not the most colourful birds, they have an amazing high-pitched melodic and varied song. You can hear the birds calling and singing in both videos – what does the sound of their song remind you of?
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2021 is “Sing, Fly, Soar—Like a Bird!” Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Endemic Bird of the Day: West Indian Woodpecker
Rowdy and feisty, but resourceful and a master carpenter – that’s the West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris). It is a resident bird in Cuba, Grand Cayman, and The Bahamas. Like many other birds across the Caribbean, it has many local names, for example in English the Bahaman Woodpecker, Cayman Woodpecker, and often simply Red-head.
At 26-30 cm long this is quite a large, impressive woodpecker, with a big black bill, crimson eye, and boldly marked with black-and-white barring and chevrons on the back, wings, and tail. Both sexes have bright red on the head, males with a complete red cap, females only at the nape. In flight its white wing patches are especially striking. There are regional differences: Cuban birds (subspecies superciliaris) have a big black eye-mask, which those on Grand Cayman (caymanensis) lack. In The Bahamas, 3 subspecies occur – on Abaco (blakei), San Salvador (nyeaus) and Grand Bahama (bahamensis). The Abaco and Grand Bahama population have more black behind the eye than the San Salvador population. Bahamas birds are also smaller than the nominate subspecies.
West Indian Woodpeckers are frequently heard before they are seen, constantly chattering loudly, some might say they are noisy! When breeding they also communicate with each other by knocking out drumming rolls on branches and snags. All in all, West Indian Woodpeckers are hard to miss.
Typically found in open, dry or damp, scrubby woodlands, they have moved into man-made environments like palm groves, plantations, parks, and even gardens. Thankfully, this is one woodpecker that is generally doing well, being widespread in Cuba and Grand Cayman. The Grand Bahama subspecies is in trouble, however. It was thought to be extirpated after hurricanes devastated woodland habitats in 2004-2005, but then individuals were heard calling on the eastern part of the island in 2019. We don’t know yet if the population survived after Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
West Indian Woodpeckers will hack into trees to find insects, but like some other Caribbean woodpeckers they are omnivorous and opportunistic, eating lizards, frogs, berries, and fruit, and feeding these to their young. These resourceful birds forage at all levels, from tree-tops to the ground. Finally, and fascinatingly, West Indian Woodpeckers have shown how intelligent they are by using so-called ‘anvils’—cracks in trees where they wedge and work on large or hard items of food. This is regarded as a form of tool-use. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Contributed by Gerard Gorman. Gerard is author of Woodpeckers of the World (Helm/Bloomsbury 2014) which includes all the woodpecker species found in the Caribbean.
Colour in the West Indian Woodpecker!
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 West Indian Woodpecker
The distinctive calls of the West Indian Woodpecker are a high-pitched harsh, often repeating trilling “Krrruuuuu-krrruuuu-kruu….”
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!
West Indian Woodpecker- These are impressive birds, with a big black bill, crimson eye, and boldly marked with black-and-white barring and chevrons on the back, wings, and tail. (Photo by Gabriel Lugo)West Indian Woodpeckers will dig into trees and under the bark to find insects, but but they also eat lizards, frogs and berries . (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Remind yourself of some our interesting endemic bird facts by searching out all the clues in our West Indian Woodpecker word search. Can you find all the words? You can find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: With lots more Caribbean endemic birds to enjoy and colour in during the coming weeks take a look at our colouring-in guide. This will give you some hints and tips on how to make your endemic birds look even more beautiful! Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Enjoy the videos below of West Indian Woodpeckers in the Wild! The first shows a male excavating a nest hole in Cuba. In the second you can see a female in Cuba, search for termites to eat. The final clip, also from Cuba, show a juvenile female preening on top of a tree stump.
The first powerful eruption of La Soufriére Volcano on the morning of April 9th, 2021. (photo by Richard Robertson-UWI Seismic Research Centre)
At 8:41 a.m. on Friday, April 9, 2021, La Soufrière volcano, located in the north of the island of St. Vincent, erupted for the first time in 42 years. There have been many additional and more explosive eruptions since then, including a collapse of the volcano’s dome and pyroclastic flows starting on April 12th, decimating villages, farms, and housing. St. Vincent and neighboring islands are now covered in ash, in particular Barbados. The ash plume is also affecting St. Lucia, Grenada, and the Grenadines Islands of Grenada and St. Vincent via surface or sea level winds.
Our hearts go out to our dear friends and colleagues and the people of St. Vincent, as they continue to cope with the devastation caused by the continuing eruptions and dangerous falling rock and ash. Thankfully, many people in the danger (red) zone have been evacuated, but the entire country is impacted by ash fall, power outages, and water shortages. Humanitarian efforts are well underway, but the wildlife also needs our help! Together with our international partners we are organizing funding support to help with the rescue and recovery of the threatened St. Vincent Parrot. (see updated link to donate below under “Jan 2022 Update”).
Please donate generously if you can so that we can provide emergency funding for on-the-ground partners and volunteers to rescue and provide care to injured parrots facing a loss of habitat and food. note: our gofundme page was taken down when their system was changed, so please donate here.
St. Vincent landscape covered in ash, view from Belmont Observatory in St. Vincent, 11 April 2021. (photo by UWI Seismic Research Centre)
Impacts on the St. Vincent Parrot and Other Wildlife
The St. Vincent Parrot, locally known as Vincie, is the National Bird of St. Vincent. It is listed as Threatened. (photo by Nandani Bridglal)
The normally lush green landscape of this beautiful country is now blanketed in gray ash. It’s possible that the eruptions and ash fall could go on for weeks, devastating an island already suffering from the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. We are very concerned about the impacts to many regional and endemic birds on St. Vincent, particularly the threatened St. Vincent Parrot (Amazona guildingii), listed as Vulnerable, and the Whistling Warbler, listed as Endangered. Other restricted-range endemic species (12) include the Grenada Flycatcher, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Purple-throated Carib, Brown Trembler, Lesser Antillean Tanager, Antillean Euphonia, and others. The St. Vincent Parrot is a gorgeous, vibrant symbol of national pride, which bears the country’s national colors. It stands apart from many other Caribbean parrots with the typical green body feathers instead showing iridescent bronze feathers, edged in sunset orange. These striking parrots were once common, but destruction of their forest habitat, illegal trade, hunting, and hurricanes all led to the parrot’s decline to only 370-470 birds in the 1980s. Thankfully, the parrot and its habitat are now protected by law and the population is slowly increasing. It is now listed as Vulnerable with a wild population of about 750 birds. Parrots are generally resilient, but they need our help to make it through this devastating natural disaster.
The Threatened St. Vincent Parrot Needs our Help
Impacts on the wildlife from the eruptions: This St. Vincent Parrot was found in a weakened state. It’s eye were crusted with ash and its crop was empty. Unfortunately, it did not make it. (photo by St Vincent Forestry Department).
Our colleague in St. Vincent, Lystra Culzac, is optimistic that any parrots in the area of the volcano would have moved to safer zones (their main population area is in the west and east slopes of the central mountain range south of the Soufriére Volcano). However, with continuing eruptions many birds have and will continue to perish as ecosystems are devastated from the atmospheric gases and heavy ash fall blanketing the country, as well as pyroclastic flows. We’re very concerned about the impacts on the health and survival of the St. Vincent Parrot, Whistling Warbler, and other birds and wildlife. Breathing volcanic ash and dust is extremely harmful; Radio Grenadines reported Scaly-naped Pigeons falling dead out of the sky on nearby Union Island the day after the first eruption. One adult St. Vincent Parrot in the Jennings area has been rescued so far. The bird was found in the Jennings area on Thursday 15th. Bradford Latham (Acting Forest Supervisor for Wildlife Conservation) reported that the bird was very weak when found—its eyes were swollen and crusty with ash and its crop was empty. Sadly the veterinarian worked to save it, but was not able to.
How Your Gift Will be Used
We are working closely with other concerned conservation organizations that want to help, such as the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, Caribaea Initiative, and Fauna and Flora International, in partnership with the Forestry Department in St. Vincent, who is directing the recovery effort. Plans are being formulated for the rescue and rehabilitation of St. Vincent Parrots that are impacted by the volcano. However, carrying them out will be complicated and take time, due to the pandemic and also the understandable need to deal with the humanitarian crisis first. Birds that are rescued will be cared for in the Botanical Gardens of St. Vincent, set up as a rehab and breeding facility. Aviary building supplies are needed to expand aviaries and holding enclosures for rescued birds. Survey equipment, parrot feed, and veterinary supplies are needed to provide care, food, and shelter to rescued birds.
Ensuring the long-term health and recovery of the St. Vincent Parrot will require sustained support and effort as the eruptions may continue for weeks or months (Univ of West Indies Seismic Research Centre). The immediate priorities are field expeditions to search for injured and weakened parrots, put out ripe fruit, nuts and parrot feed on platforms in forest areas with high concentrations of parrots, and expanding accommodations for rescued birds. Down the line, habitats and park infrastructure may need restoration and repair. In addition, surveys to assess the damage to habitats and the parrots’ overall population size will be critical. We will keep our community informed about these plans and our progress in the coming days and weeks. Keeping the parrots within SVG territory is a conservation priority. Rescued birds will be cared for until is safe for them to return to their mountain forest habitat.
Please help us to provide the financial resources that our on-the-ground partners need to carry out the rescue and rehab work and save as many St. Vincent Parrots as possible.
Jan 2022 Update
Our crowdfunding platform for this appeal, GoFundMe Charity, a separate arm of GoFundMe, unfortunately closed down this site, thus our crowdfunding page for this fundraiser is no longer available. However, you can donate here and designate your donation to go towards “St Vincent Volcano Recovery” to help with our continued recovery of the St Vincent Parrot, Whistling Warbler, and other wildlife in St Vincent. We owe it to the gorgeous St. Vincent Parrots and their beautiful island home!
Any donation that you can make at this time will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!!!
Enjoy the photo gallery below – click on first photo to see a slide show with captions.
Dead Scaly-naped Pigeon found in Union Island, one of the Grenadines Islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Eruption of La Soufriére Volcano, as seen from Kingston. (photo by Lystra Culzac)
Eruption of La Soufriére Volcano, as seen from Kingston. (photo by Lystra Culzac)
Ash plume on April 9th at 4 PM, the first day of eruptions (photo by Richard Robertson, UWI Seismic Research Centre)
Roof collapsing under the weight of the volcanic ash. (photo by UWI Seismic Research Centre)
Purple-throated Carib, endemic to the Lesser Antilles. (photo by Alistair Homer)
Palm trees giving way to the weight of volcanic ash. (photo by UWI Seismic Research Centre).
Antillean Euphonia, endemic to the Lesser Antilles (photo by Anthony Levesque)
Parrot Lookout on the Vermont Nature Trail (photo by Amos Glasgow)
Measuring the thickness of the ash fall in St. Vincent. (Photo by UWI Seismic Research Centre).
Grenada Flycatcher, endemic to Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (photo by Ted Eubanks)
Whistling Warbler, endemic to St Vincent, classified as Endangered.
Rufous-throated Solitaire, endemic subspecies in the Lesser Antilles. (photo by Frantz Delcroix)
St Vincent Parrot portrait (photo by St. Vincent Parrot Project)
Vermont Natural Trail (photo by Amos Glasgow)
Brown Trembler, restricted range species. (photo by James Scriber Daley)
Warning sign up put in December when La Soufriére began to show signs of increased activity. The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre has been monitoring the volcano closely and warned of imminent eruption.
We have a new activity for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) and we think you’re going to love it! This year’s CEBF theme is “Sing, Fly, Soar — Like A Bird!” And BirdsCaribbean has lots of fun events and activities planned around this theme, including a zine (pronounced zeen) making contest!
We are very excited to invite you to participate in our first Bird Zine Contest. This is a fantastic opportunity for children and adults to revisit and creatively express their understanding of birds. You will find detailed guidelines and judging criteria in these docs: Bird Zine Contest Guidelines and What is a Zine and Bird Zine Contest Instructions. Be sure to read both documents carefully. There are prizes for each age category and two awesome GRAND PRIZES of a pair of waterproof Vortex Optics Binoculars!
What is a Zine?
A zine is a self-published booklet. Zines tend to be a collage of different images, text, and messages put together by writing, drawing, and/or cutting and gluing content into a booklet. The booklet can be reproduced through photocopying and hand-binding, or shared online via a PDF or flip booklet. Because they are informal and colorful, they are an engaging way to learn and accessible to different types of learners. Need more information? We’ve put together this document that explains how it works, and how you can make your very own!
The Bird Zine Contest was created to allow people in all walks of life, children and adults, to creatively explore the fascinating world of birds. Entries could be from researchers, educators, photographers, students, tour guides, storytellers, artists, advocates – even the ‘I saw my first bird in the wild yesterday’ people! We hope that these zines will also illuminate the intimate relationship between birds and people. It can also be an enjoyable way to further connect our community, so that zine creators will communicate with each other, find opportunities, or even collaborate on future projects.
Remember, birds are super clever and resourceful. They freely express themselves everyday. So should YOU!
We look forward to receiving your bird zines. This collection is meant to reflect our incredibly diverse species of birds and culture and your creativity.
Help us spread the word! Tell your friends and family about the contest and the cool prizes.
Be sure to read these 2 documents and follow instructions carefully:
St Lucia Parrot Zine cover, created by Aliya Hosein, Trinidad and Tobago. You can view the full zine booklet below.
Bird Zine Contest Guidelines – information on who is eligible to participate in the contest, how to submit your zine, prizes, judging, and more.
The deadline for submission is 11:59 PM EDT on Sunday, May 30th, 2021.
Learn More About Zines
A quick online search for ‘Zines’ can provide you with endless examples and tutorials. Here are some zines, many environmental, to look at to get your creative juices flowing.
The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), now in its 21st year, announces its return for a month-long celebration of the region’s endemic birds! This year’s theme is “Sing, Fly, Soar — Like a Bird!” We will learn about our feathered friends, exploring their beautiful songs and astounding power of flight. Their flight expresses pure freedom and their songs reach out to us, as we connect with them and reflect on their amazing journeys with mixed feelings of envy and admiration. Who hasn’t wished they were able to slip “the surly bonds of Earth” and “danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings”?* These emotions stir us as we embrace this evocative theme.
CEBF creativity – online
How are we reflecting the theme in our CEBF 2021 activities? The #HumansofBirdsCaribbean have been busy behind the scenes preparing webinars, e-books, art classes, colouring pages, videos, origami, puzzles, activity sheets and so much more. A fan favourite, the ‘Endemic Bird of the Day’ series is back with a line-up of 30 new endemic bird species. Be sure to follow BirdsCaribbean on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see if your favourite bird made the cut. BirdsCaribbean is also excited to host our first ever Bird Zine Contest (pronounced zeen) and a virtual social event, Bird Jeopardy, this year to the festival!
Last spring the event kicked off with a discussion on the Bahamas’ mysterious “Chickcharney” led by the Bahamas National Trust’s Scott Johnson. Dr Ancilleno Davis led a wonderful story time session about mangroves and gave us a virtual tour of his backyard, which happened to be a thriving mangrove habitat! Christine Elder and Josmar Esteban Marquez helped us to realize our potential as artists by inviting us to follow along as they sketched Caribbean birds. New birders were treated to a six-session course “Birding for Beginners,” organized and hosted by Antigua’ Environmental Awareness Group (EAG). The BirdsCaribbean flock has expanded considerably and we hope to continue to build interest and enthusiasm for the region’s rich bird diversity.
An interactive festival experience
This year, during April and May, we have another astonishing line-up of talks. We will dive into a range of topics, including how to record and use birdsongs to understand bird behavior; endemic hummingbirds in the Bahamas; the role of wildlife rehabilitators in nurturing the next generation of champion conservationists; and new discoveries in regional bird research.
However, CEBF participants will not only be sitting and watching; we have also worked on making the CEBF even more interactive. For the past 18 months we have collected stories, myths, and beliefs about birds from our members, which are currently being compiled into an e-book. We have also launched a zine-making contest called the Bird Zine Contest: you will find more details here. And throughout the festival we will be accepting short videos of our members, explaining what this year’s theme means to them – more details on this coming shortly!
Meanwhile, stay safe…
The well-being of our partners and supporters remains the highest priority for BirdsCaribbean. Following the model of our hugely successful virtual “From the Nest” edition of CEBF in 2020 we will provide activities that can be done from the safety of your homes. Some countries are still experiencing serious COVID challenges, while others are doing better. Do follow your local public health guidelines and mask up, socially distance, and stay home if this is called for. With vaccinations now being administered, there is a light at the end of the tunnel—hopefully we will be able to up meet at birding hotspots across the region in the coming months!
The CEBF is a great opportunity for people of all ages to learn about and connect with the Caribbean’s 171 endemic bird species. These birds inspire us to rise above our challenges. In spite of the threats they face; from loss of their habitats to hurricanes to invasive species, they continue to sing, fly and soar!
Visit birdscaribbean.org or follow @BirdsCaribbean on social media for fun and free activities this spring.
Welcome to our first ever Bird Zine Contest, being held as part of our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival 2021 activities! We hope to inspire you to get creative and join the contest. We have some awesome prizes for winners in each age category plus 2 overall grand prize winners – see below! Please read the Contest Guidelines and Rules carefully and be sure to follow them. Read more about the CEBF theme for 2021 (Sing, Fly, Soar — Like a Bird) and the contest here.Detailed Instructions for making a Zine and the contest categories/ topics for your zine are in the ‘What is a Zine and Bird Zine Contest Instructions‘ document.
Contest Guidelines and Rules
Eligibility
Participants must belong to one of the following four age categories:
7 – 9 years old
10 – 12 years old
13 – 15 years old
16+ (Adult)
We welcome submissions to the contest* from all the insular West Indies including: the Bahamas, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Islands, Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands), Lesser Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. *Children and adults from other countries are most welcome to create a zine and share it with us, for inclusion in our Bird Zine Library online, but only folks from the countries/ islands listed above are eligible to be part of the contest.
Language
We will accept zines in English, Spanish and French.
What to enter: you may create a physical zine or digital zine – details on each are below. Zines must be created using one of the four topics identified and described in the What is a Zine and Bird Zine Contest Instructions.
Physical Zines:
Participants must select ONE topic from the list below.
Choose between a four (4) page zine, i.e. one letter sized page folded in half OR an eight (8) page zine i.e. two letter sized pages folded in half and binded in the middle .
The first page of the zine must be used as the cover with a title.
Participants may use images (photos & artwork) only or images and text. Text-only zines will be disqualified.
Participants may draw/trace or cut & paste images into your zine.
At least one full body photo or drawing of an endemic bird must be included in the zine (see list of endemic birds here).
The common name/s of the endemic bird/s featured in your zine must be included. You may include local bird names too.
The information must be written in your own words, not copied from a source.
Pages must be numbered (bottom left); excluding the cover page
ONE SUBMISSION PER PERSON.
Digital Zines:
St Lucia Parrot Zine cover, created by Aliya Hosein, Trinidad and Tobago. You can view the full zine booklet below.
Same as the above with the following additional guidelines:
The zine can be created using Microsoft Word (blank template provided) or any other online design software.
Zine must be created from scratch.
Participants must obtain permission to use photos and credit the photographer.
No videos may be embedded and no links may be shared in the digital zine.
See example of St. Lucia Parrot digital zine booklet below.
Winners from each age category will receive the following:
7-9 year old – coloring books, colored pencil set, BirdsCaribbean hat & buff
10-12 year old- coloring books, coloured pencil set, BirdsCaribbean hat & buff
13-15 year old – coloured pencil set, copy of ‘Birds of the West Indies Field Guide’ (Herbert A. Raffaele et al.), BirdsCaribbean hat & buff
16+ year- coloured pencil set, copy of ‘Birds of the West Indies Field Guide’ (Herbert A. Raffaele et al.), BirdsCaribbean hat & buff
There will also be a Grand Prize for children (overall) and adults (overall). Each grand prize winner will receive a brand new pair of binoculars, outstanding for birding: Vortex Diamondback HD 8 x 42 waterproof binoculars which come with an Unlimited Unconditional Lifetime Warranty.
How to Enter your Zine
You or an adult can email completed zines to info@birdscaribbean.org with copy to aliya.hosein@birdscaribbean.org. Include your full name, age, country, selected topic, title of zine. Email subject: Bird Zine Contest
Physical zines: Scan and save as a PDF. Name PDF as follows [first name-last name-age-topic]
Digital zines: Save as PDF. Name PDF as above.
Submissions Deadline
By 11:59PM (EDT) on Sunday, May 30th, 2021
By submitting your zine to BirdsCaribbean as part of this contest, you agree that your zine may be shared on our website, social media, and BirdsCaribbean Zine Library online. All authors retain copyright and all zines will be credited with your name.
Judging
Zines will be reviewed by a panel of judges with points awarded for each of the following criteria:
Originality
Creativity and visual appeal
Details clearly seen in art and images i.e. not blurry/ too large/ too small
Correct bird photos or drawings used
Correct information given; use of technical terms for e.g., endangered, dimorphic, nocturnal
Easy to read and understand
Interesting and correct details about bird/s included relevant to selected topic
Handwriting is legible/ Font is legible (digital zines)
BirdsCaribbean is very excited to announce that we are launching a new bird monitoring initiative — the Caribbean Motus Collaboration. And we need your help and involvement! Read on to learn more about this program and how you can help.
What is Motus?
Kirtland’s Warbler fitted with a lightweight nano-tag. These tiny transmitters, which weigh as little as 0.2 g, allow researchers to track the movements of small animals with precision across thousands of miles. (photo by Scott Weidensaul)
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a powerful collaborative research network developed by Birds Canada. Named after the Latin word for movement, Motus uses automated radio telemetry arrays to study the movements and behavior of flying animals (birds, bats, and insects) that are nano-tagged and tracked by Motus receivers.
Motus’ main objective is to enable conservation and ecological research by tracking the movement of animals. The system consists of hundreds of receiver stations and thousands of deployed nanotags on 236+ species, mostly birds. Data from this network have already expanded our understanding of bird movements, including pinpointing migration routes and key stopover sites, as well as movements, habitat use, and behavior during breeding and non-breeding seasons. We are only just beginning to tap into the enormous potential of this new technology and growing network of partnerships and data sharing for conservation.
Motus technology is also a valuable educational tool that can advance conservation education both in and out of the classroom. Birds Canada and the Northeast Motus Collaboration have developed a curriculum that combines interactive classroom activities with Motus tracking tools that can be used to teach local children about birds, migration, and conservation.
Expanding the Motus Network in the Caribbean
Motus is widely established in Canada and the US, and beginning to spread throughout Central and South America; however, there are currently no active receiver stations in the Caribbean. The more Motus stations we can put up, the more we can increase our understanding of where tagged birds are moving. In addition, many species of conservation concern that live in or migrate through/ to the region have not yet been tagged. We want to fill this critical geographical gap.
Yellow dots represent the active Motus receiver stations. The white box outlines the insular Caribbean. A few Motus stations that were put up in several islands have been damaged by storms and hurricanes, and need repair.
The Caribbean Motus Collaboration (CMC) is developing a multi-pronged strategy to expand the Motus network by installing and maintaining receiver stations in strategic locations throughout the islands, deploying nanotags on priority bird species, and implementing a specially adapted Caribbean educational curriculum.
Why is this Important?
Our birds are declining at alarming rates.
The Painted Bunting is a declining songbird that winters in FL, Cuba, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Central America. (photo by Ray Robles)
The insular Caribbean is a global biodiversity conservation “hotspot” that is home to over 700 species of birds. Roughly half of these bird species are residents in the Caribbean, including 171 that are endemic – meaning they are found nowhere else in the world! The other half are migratory, splitting their time between temperate and tropical habitats in the Americas, and shared among multiple countries along the way.
For some migratory birds, the Caribbean islands are the perfect winter retreat — they arrive in early fall and stay until spring. Others use one or more islands as stopover sites to rest and refuel as they fly between their breeding and wintering grounds further south. Whether they stay or move on, they are much-loved visitors, reflecting the seasons and inspiring our cultural expressions.
Unfortunately, bird populations are declining. Fifty-nine Caribbean species are at risk of extinction, listed as Vulnerable (30), Endangered (24), or Critically Endangered (5) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A recent study found that nearly 30% of the bird populations in North America since 1970 have been lost, and Caribbean species are among the many that are in trouble.
Birds in the Caribbean face an entire suite of threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, and invasive species. In addition, climate change has become a constant danger to the region, not only to people, but also to wildlife. The Caribbean is experiencing increasingly intense hurricanes, long droughts, and dramatic changes to the marine environment. The threats are growing for our vulnerable birds, and we can’t afford to lose any more.
Needed now: An effective bird monitoring system in the Caribbean
Research on our birds has progressed considerably in recent decades, but we still lack basic information on many species. We need to understand them better if we are to save them.
We need to identify the most critical sites and habitats for our migratory, resident, and endemic birds, and we need to assess the threats they face. Importantly, we need to raise awareness about why all of this matters.
At BirdsCaribbean we partner with international, regional, and local partners to develop long-term monitoring programs, e.g. our Caribbean Waterbird Census program. We are using several strategic tools for doing so, and we are confident that the Motus Wildlife Tracking System will become an invaluable resource for strengthening our efforts.
Motus receiving stations function similar to automated toll booths on a highway – every time a bird passes over the station it’s recorded, just as automated toll booths record license plates. The stations have a range of about 9 miles or 15 km. (Ruddy Turnstone photo by Maikel Cañizares)
The Caribbean Motus Collaboration (CMC) can inform and promote bird conservation
Colleagues from the Northeast Motus Collaboration stand by a newly installed Motus station in Pennsylvania. (photo credit: Northeast Motus Collaboration)
Our partners are eager to build the Motus network in the Caribbean. The initiative is gaining momentum quickly and the time to act is now! As a regional organization, BirdsCaribbean is keen to facilitate this effort and assist our partners.
Our collaboration will enhance the efforts of those working to grow the network in other regions of the Americas. And it will shed light on the movements and habitat use of bird species of conservation concern. This knowledge is essential to safeguarding birds throughout their full life cycles and reversing population declines.
Caribbean natural resource managers, including many of our partner organizations throughout the region, will be able to use information from the Motus network to identify the most important sites and habitats for our resident and migratory birds. Once identified, those in the Caribbean network and beyond will be able to focus our work on these most critical areas, alleviating threats and protecting these sites. By building the capacity to use this powerful tool, we will also be contributing to the development of local research and environmental education programs. The knowledge, skills, and appreciation for birds will multiply. It’s a “win-win” for the birds, and for those who work to conserve them in the region.
We Need Your Help!
To grow the CMC, we are seeking funding from granting agencies and private donors, and looking to establish partnerships with international and regional organizations, landowners, and businesses in the Caribbean.
Can you suggest a good site for a Motus receiver station? Stations should be located in secure areas that are optimal for detecting movements of birds (e.g., migration flyways, prime habitat for resident and migratory birds). Receivers can be installed as independent structures that are powered by solar panels. However, installing a station on existing structures (e.g., building roofs, fire towers, abandoned telephone towers, radio towers, etc.), especially those with access to electricity, can significantly reduce costs.
Would you or your organization be willing to maintain Motus receiver stations on your island? Motus stations should require minimal maintenance. However, depending on the station setup, data might need to be downloaded a few times each year. It is also important to regularly check that the stations are in working order, particularly following a storm or other disturbance.
Are you interested in sponsoring a Motus receiver station or nanotags, or know of an individual, organization, or business who would be? The components of receiver stations cost approximately ~$4,800, and the total cost of a station (including installation, maintenance, personnel, etc.) is ~$10k. Nanotags, which will be deployed on priority species to track their movements, cost ~$225 each. But any amount is helpful! This is a highly tangible way to get involved in the conservation of Caribbean species.
*NOTE: This year, our fundraiser for Global Big Day (May 8th, 2021) will raise funds for the Caribbean Motus Collaboration. We hope that you will participate – stay tuned!
If you are interested in contributing to the CMC in any capacity, we want to hear from you! Please fill out this short survey so that we can gather information and follow up with you.
Special thanks to the Northeast Motus Collaboration for their generous help, advice, and encouragement in developing this project!
The Grenada Dove, one of the world’s rarest birds. (Photo by Greg Homel)
Listening along the hillsides of the Mt. Hartman Estate, you can hear the mournful call of the Grenada Dove, one of the world’s most critically endangered birds. It is a shy and elusive bird, staying well within the forested hills and valleys of the estate, and very rarely seen outside of the forest canopy. The Mt. Hartman Estate, one of only two locations in the world where this bird lives, has been transformed over the last few years into one of the region’s premiere education and outreach centers, focused on the Grenada Dove.
The Grenada Dove is brown with a white belly, a light pinkish brown upper chest and neck, and a grayish forehead that extends up from the bill. Its legs, feet and bare skin around the eyes are a bright crimson red. The adults show a white belly, no markings on wings, outer tail feathers tipped with white, and a strip of white feathers that extends from its side up around the bend of the wing.
Though rarely seen, male Grenada Doves call for long periods during the breeding season with a single, descending note about a second in duration that is repeated every seven to eight seconds and can be heard up to 100 metres away. Because of the topography of the Grenada Dove’s habitat, calling males from the hillsides can be heard in valleys outside of dove habitat.
A viewing tower was erected in the park.
Habitat loss and predation by introduced invasive species such as mongoose, rats and cats are the primary threats facing the dove. Not having evolved with these introduced ground predators and sensitive to direct disturbance, a dove flushed from a perch will fly to the ground and attempt to run away, making them easy prey. Like most doves, the Grenada Dove spends most of its time scouring the ground for seeds. Although nests are located in trees, these are easily preyed on by rats. Nestlings shift to the ground at about 14 days old, making them as well as adults easy prey on the ground.
These habits continue to place the dove at risk. With funding from American Bird Conservancy and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Forestry and National Parks Department began to implement predator control programs at both the Mt. Hartman National Park and Perseverance Protected Area and Dove Sanctuary in 2013. Very high numbers of predators were caught at both sites—more mongoose at Mt. Hartman than Perseverance, but more rats at Perseverance—and it is well understood that continued predator control is urgently needed. Due to limited funding, control has been limited to key breeding areas. A predator-proof fence would provide the best protection, but financing for this endeavor has not yet been secured.
The visitor center is now a popular attraction for school groups.
Starting late in 2013, the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Forestry and National Parks Department have been working to make it easier to hear, see, learn about, and appreciate Grenada’s unique endemic National Bird and its habitat, the dry coastal forests of Grenada and the Mt. Hartman National Park. Through a generous grant from the Sandals Foundation, and with additional help from BirdsCaribbean, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, they have created new interpretative displays at the Mt. Hartman National Park and Visitor Center, developed outreach materials targeting the broader public, and carried out a school programme for elementary students in the Parish of St. George’s about Grenada’s unique species, the Mt. Hartman National park.
Billboards were placed at parish boundaries. (Billboard design by Madeleine Smith, photo by Greg Homel/Natural Encounters)
Initial activities in this project began with the pro-bono assistance of wildlife photographer, Greg Homel. He captured gorgeous photos of the dove that enabled us to include enlarged images on our outreach materials, including billboards at all parish boundaries island-wide. Though easily heard with a distinct call, the Grenada Dove is difficult to see in the forest. The idea was to bring the dove to Grenadians, residents and visitors alike on their daily commutes.
After Hurricane Ivan in 2004, funds allocated for interpretation at the Mt. Hartman Visitor Center from the GEF/World Bank funded Grenada Dry Forest Biodiversity Conservation Programme needed to be reallocated for the complete rebuilding of the Visitor Center at Mt. Hartman. The activities carried out by the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, with the Forestry and National Parks Department, enabled us to supplement existing interpretation at the site, including building a 20ft viewing tower surrounded by dry forests, at the edge of Grenada Dove habitat. Being still and with patience, one may see this elusive bird! The tower’s location enabled visitors to hear calling doves, and experience the dry forest and its wildlife, including anoles, birds and lizards. At the entrance to the short trail leading to the tower, an outdoor bird identification display featuring Grenada’s bird species has been erected that identifies endemic, resident and migratory birds. BirdsCaribbean provided the template.
Interpretive signage in the visitor center showcases the dove and its dry forest habitat.
Multiple 8-foot tall indoor wall displays in the Mt. Hartman Visitor Center tell the Grenada Dove story in a larger than life fashion. With numerous descriptive photos and information, both youth and adults are targeted. These displays cover the dry forests, the dove itself, its habitat and threats. At child height, the 8 sq. ft. tabletop 3D relief map shows visitors the hills and peninsula that make up the Mt. Hartman National Park.
Posters, stickers and a brochure full of pictures on the Mt. Hartman National Park and its wildlife were designed and printed, both for display island-wide in government buildings, schools and tourist establishments as well as for distribution to students in our school outreach programme. Having developed an elementary school presentation, Forestry and National Department staff visited over 20 schools, and are continually getting called to present to more grades and schools island-wide.
The Project’s goal is to bring more students and visitors to the Mt. Hartman National Park to experience Grenada’s forests and unique biodiversity first hand.
Vistitors can learn about many of the area’s native birds.
The Grenada Dove, IUCN listed as Critically Endangered, is found only on the island of Grenada. With a total population of around 160 individuals*, it is one of the rarest birds in the world. Found only on 2 locations on Grenada, its population is declining primarily due to loss and degradation of its specialized habitat and predation by invasive predators such as mongoose and rats. The Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, in collaboration with the Forestry and National Parks and international collaborators for the last 20 years, is working to keep this unique species from extinction through habitat protection, research, species management, stakeholder participation, and education.
By Bonnie Rusk, Founding Director, Senior Biologist at Grenada Dove Conservation Programme
Visit this page to learn more about the Grenada Dove and download free educational resources:
