Every year, on Global Big Day (GBD), bird enthusiasts and nature lovers head to the great outdoors to observe and record the incredible diversity of birds in their corners of the world. The observations help scientists and researchers monitor bird populations, track migration patterns, and identify habitats that require conservation attention. This event, organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and eBird, encourages participation by individuals of all ages and skill levels.
We are thrilled to be hosting our exciting and popular teams competition this year on Saturday 11th May 2024. This year we are raising funds to provide support to Caribbean students and wildlife professionals to attend our 24th International Conference in the Dominican Republic. Having the opportunity to attend our conference can be a life-changing experience!
Rep your flag!
There will be national (individual islands) and multinational teams for birders of all backgrounds to join. We would love to have a national team for each Caribbean island so if you don’t see your island listed here, this is your opportunity to take up the mantle, create a team (we are here to help if needed), and showcase your island’s amazing birding community, ecosystems, and birdlife! You and your team have the power to make a significant impact on our understanding of Caribbean birds and their habitats!
Last year we had 17 teams compete with members spanning across 35 countries and raised over $20,000US for our Caribbean Bird Banding program. This year let’s go bigger—more islands, more vibes, more data—and show the world how passionate and serious we are about bird conservation!
24 joyous hours of watching birds, exploring new habitats, and making friends
During peak migration time in the spring, birders around the world head out to their favorite birding spots, or venture into new areas, to see, hear, and record as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr timeframe. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. The data is entered into eBird (or eBird Caribbean specifically if you’re birding in the Caribbean).
No matter where you are—at home, a botanical garden, beach, river, or nature reserve—you can contribute important data, via eBird checklists, about the birds around you. You don’t need to be an expert birder or spend the entire day looking for birds. Just 10 minutes of birding in your backyard or from your balcony will count too.
For some of us, birding is more enjoyable when done with a friend or a group. Pairs or groups can carpool, help out with tricky bird IDs, share equipment like spotting scopes …and possibly snacks!
St Vincent crew at the end of Global Big Day, tired but happy! Mike and Lisa Sorenson, Glenroy, Joanne and Maeson Gaymes, and Jeff Gerbracht.
Youth spotting birds for Global Big Day, Puerto Rico.
Flock of flamingoes at Margarita Island, Venezuela. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Birding along L’Anse Aux Epines road, Grenada. (Photo by Gaea Conservation Network)
We are calling on our community to bird together in virtual teams during Global Big Day and engage in friendly competition to see which team can:
1) collectively see the most species of birds, and
2) raise the most funds.
Funds raised by BirdsCaribbean GBD participating teams will be used to fund travel scholarships for Caribbean students and wildlife professionals to attend our conference this July!
Prizes/ bragging rights will be awarded to
the team with the most creative name!
the “country/island team” that sees the highest proportion of their birds on Global Big Day (to control for differences in the number of species on each island!)
the team with the best “find” of the day (unusual, rare, plumage aberration, etc.)
the team with the best bird photo of the day (must be posted on eBird along with your list)
Last year the Bee Hummers Dream Team from Cuba and the multinational Flying Pintails swept the competition. Will your team be the one to dethrone these champs?
Preparing for a memorable Global Big Day is easy!
Participating in our teams competition on Global Big Day involves a few simple steps we’re here to help you so you can make the most of this exciting day!
First things first, if you don’t already have one, download the eBird app and set up your account. You will need it to submit your checklist/s. It’s FREE and you can sign up here! Assemble your birdwatching gear: binoculars, field guide, pencil and notebook, camera, comfortable shoes, and a hat. Decide on the birding hotspots you want to visit during the day. Local parks, nature reserves, and wetlands are excellent locations to find a diverse range of bird species.
Click the ‘JOIN A TEAM’ button on the campaign page. You can choose to join an existing team OR create your own team.
If you choose to create a team, personalize it with a fun name, photo, and your own lingo. NOTE: if you need assistance creating your own team, email Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org and/or Christel.Mohammed@BirdsCaribbean.org and they’ll will get you set up pronto!
Once set up, you should then invite family, friends, colleagues, and members of your birding community to join your team and/or donate to your team. It helps to set your own personal fundraising goal to help your team reach its overall goal!
By inviting people to your team, you are:
(1) raising awareness for BirdsCaribbean and the critical bird research and conservation work we do in the region,
(2) helping to raise funds for travel scholarships, and
(3) promoting Global Big Day, citizen science, and the importance of conserving birds and their habitats.
and/or . . .
2. Make a donation to one of the birding and fundraising teams.
By doing so, you will have helped Caribbean students and conservationists access mentorship, knowledge building fora, and networking opportunities that nurture and advance the future of Caribbean conservation; and encouraged that team to give it their all on Global Big Day.
and/or . . .
3. Commit to spending some time (or the entire day!) birding on Global Big Day (May 11), being sure to keep track of what you see and enter that information into eBird. We hope everyone will do this, whether or not they join a team or fundraise.
This will be a fun event to fundraise for and get excited about birds! Be ready to visit lots of birding hotspots, or set yourself up in a familiar spot and bird for as much of the day as possible, knowing that all of your teammates, friends, and BirdsCaribbean community members are doing the same!
If birding from the Caribbean, you should plan to submit your observations to eBird Caribbean. Then we’ll tally them up and see how we all did! We will send out more information about this as the event draws closer.
Why we need your support
The insular Caribbean is a critical region for birds. There are 180 species that occur here and nowhere else in the world! In addition, the islands provide a winter home for numerous migrants—many stay 6 months or longer—while others rely on the islands as stopover sites to rest and refuel during their long journeys north and south.
The Jamaican Blackbird lives in the forests of Cockpit Country and the Blue and John Crow Mountains. Its feeding style is similar to woodpeckers. It is threatened by destruction of its habitat (bauxite mining, illegal cultivation, etc.). (Photo by Judd Patterson)
Lesser Yellowlegs are a common migratory shorebird in the Caribbean; they are also one of the most hunted shorebirds in the Atlantic Flyway. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
The elusive Endangered Whistling Warbler, an endemic bird to Saint Vincent. (Photo by Judd Patterson)
The development of a strong regional conservation community, through capacity-building training and career development opportunities at the island level for local people, is critical to ensure the preservation of island birds and their habitats.
How your gift will be Used
This Global Big Day fundraiser will fund travel scholarships for Caribbean students and wildlife professionals to attend our upcoming International Conference, 18th – 22nd July, 2024, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. These are dedicated persons who are on the ground, doing the working everyday to secure a future for birds and their habitats. Attending the conference is an invaluable opportunity for them to 1) build upon or gain new skills to address threats to bird conservation on their respective islands, and 2) network with the wider conservation community, share their work, and learn from others. For Caribbean students, this experience will help to kickstart their introduction into the ornithological and conservation community and they will benefit from mentorship opportunities.
Puerto Rican conservationist, Laura Fidalgo, presenting on her research on the post hurricane habitat structure of the Elfin Woods Warbler, at the BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe.
Workshop Facilitator, Elijah Sands, from the Bahamas National Trust, uses videos from his portfolio to explain key concepts to the group. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
Participants in the Landbird Monitoring Workshop engage in classroom sessions before going out into the field. (Photo by Holly Garrod)
Gabriel Diaz speaks about her work to protect the Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk in the Dominican Republic.
Participants in the Raptors of the Caribbean Workshop show off their bird of prey, a Secretary Bird, made from recycled materials. (Photo by Tahira Carter)
One group plans the activity they will teach to the rest of the workshop participants. (Photo by Gabriela Diaz)
BirdSleuth Caribbean Workshop group photo.
Participants sketch birds at the BirdSleuth workshop. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Bahamian conservationist, Dr Ancilleno Davis, explains how he converted eBird data into a dubstep track using analytical computer programmes R and Python, at the BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe.
Our plan is to raise funds to help cover travel costs that will allow deserving participants to attend—including covering registration, airfare and/or hotel costs as necessary.
As with everything in the Caribbean, we will be successful when our whole community pitches in, so let’s do it together! We need your help to do this!
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!
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
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:
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, explores the innovative methods Caribbean researchers are using to overcome the challenges of monitoring bird populations.
Long-term monitoring of bird populations would be a breeze if scientists had unlimited time and money. In the real world, however, monitoring efforts are limited by funding, access, trained personnel, and time. This is the case throughout the Caribbean, especially on the more remote islands and cays. So how do we navigate these many challenges to collect the critical information we need to manage and conserve our bird populations? In three papers recently published inVolume 36 of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, researchers across the region explore our options—from synthesizing historical data to exploring new technologies, to maximizing the power of citizen science!
The value in historical surveys
Quality bird survey data is worth its weight in gold, but surveys conducted over different periods with different objectives and priorities can be difficult to compare. Nevertheless, these comparisons are necessary to identify trends in populations. Where consistent long-term monitoring data are lacking, it is possible to compare even a single season’s worth of historical data with current surveys to approximate trends.
This is precisely what Dr. Paige Byerly and her colleagues did with seabird data from the Virgin Islands, a region which is critical for breeding seabirds in the Caribbean. In their article “Current status and 21st century population trends of breeding seabirds in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands,” the researchers focused on seven species of seabirds (boobies, terns, and pelicans) known to breed in the archipelago, and compared data from the early 2000s with their own surveys conducted in 2016-2018. Whilst the population trends they found were dismaying, they were incredibly timely and necessary for the effective management of these birds and their breeding sites. Paige and colleagues demonstrate here that it is not impossible to form a cohesive picture from various disparate surveys over time—thus highlighting one way to make the most of the limited data available in the Caribbean.
The light morph of the Red-footed Booby. (Photo by Andrew Wright)
Extent of study region in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands with locations of important seabird nesting islands.
A pair of breeding Brown pelicans and their hungry chick. (Photo by Nelson Biffar)
New technologies for monitoring
The logistical problems of access and funding for surveys are compounded on the remote cays that are preferred by seabirds. A few miles east of the Virgin Islands, in Anguilla, the National Trust has been exploring their options to increase the efficiency of their monitoring efforts. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an emerging tool that uses recording units and automated species recognition software to identify the birds present at a site. In 2020, Dr. Louise Soanes and her former colleagues at the Anguilla National Trust launched a pilot project to test the utility of this tool in the Caribbean context. By deploying recording units at several study sites and ground-truthing with regular point counts, they were able to compare the accuracy and effectiveness of PAM to more traditional point counting.
PAM is not without its kinks, of course, as species recognition software is not yet well developed for Caribbean birds (and their many dialects), which leads to many misidentifications. However, with time and additions to the database (which you can contribute to!), these automated identifications will improve. In their paper “Passive acoustic monitoring of birds in the Lesser Antilles—a useful tool for monitoring remote sites?”, Louise and colleagues describe these results and present recommendations for the best use of PAM throughout the region. With further testing and more widespread implementation, this tool has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of monitoring, especially in remote and hard-to-access areas, and can support the establishment of more long-term monitoring programs in the region.
Small wading birds that are rarely recorded on Anguilla, like the Wilson’s Plover, were detected by the ARUs but not point counts. (Photo by Andy Morffew)
A few species of birds, like the Pied-billed Grebe, were not detected by the ARUs possibly because they were too far from the unit for vocalizations to be recorded. (Photo by Becky Matsubara)
The SwiftOne Autonomous Recording Unit enhances research and conservation efforts by offering better energy efficiency, a more precise clock, greater customization for frequency settings, voice memos, and greater microphone sensitivity. (Photo by Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Some common birds on Anguilla, like the Mangrove Cuckoo, were only detected by ARUs during the survey. (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)
Dr. Soanes is also the Seabird Census Coordinator for the BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group, which recently shared preliminary results from thefirst-ever Caribbean Seabird Census in a webinar you can watchhere!
Making the most of citizen science
Citizen science data, like eBird records and community-mobilized surveys, provide a seemingly obvious solution to the various logistical and resource challenges of data collection in the Caribbean, but using these data comes with its own challenges. Because survey methods are unstandardized and user experience can vary greatly, from novice and casual birders to trained ornithologists, citizen science data must be taken—and analyzed—with a grain of salt. Some questions to consider are: how does observer experience affect detectability of birds in the field? And do observers perform differently depending on survey design (single- or double-observer) and who they are paired with? To answer these questions and more, graduate student Nicholas Bergen conducted his thesis research in Grenada using a citizen science experiment.
Detailed in their article “Effects of observer skill and survey method on forest bird abundance data: recommendations for citizen science conservation monitoring in the Caribbean,” Nicholas and colleagues involved 34 different observers (myself included!) in over 400 surveys across the island. By pairing observers of different skill levels and conducting both point-count and transect surveys, they were able to identify the most efficient survey type for citizen scientists (spoiler alert: it was point counts) and draw correlations between observer skill level and the detectability of different species. The authors provide several practical recommendations for the design and implementation of citizen science-based monitoring programs in the region including ideal timing, protocols, and observer pairings for the surveys.
However, you do not have to create your own citizen science programs from scratch! eBirdis an incredible but underutilized resource in the Caribbean. Millions of observations from around the world and thousands of checklists from the Caribbean have been verified by Cornell Lab and uploaded to the database. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, creator and maintainer of the eBird database, has produced acomprehensive guide to the use of eBird data, including accounting for its various biases. With these challenges in mind, it is a goldmine of observations that can tell us lots about understudied areas and islands in the region, from “recording” new (previously unreported) species to identifying trends of decline. A few years ago, in our Volume 33,Ruby Bagwyn et al. used eBird data from The Bahamas to identify over 40 bird populations that had not been recorded over an 8-year period, highlighting the areas and species most in need of updated surveys. They suggested that we should use eBird to harness “the observational power of birdwatchers…to provide timely notice of declining or missing populations,” and spur us into action to prevent their extinction or extirpation.
These three examples from Volume 36 are just a sample of the incredible and innovative work being done across the Caribbean by researchers invested in our birds and their wellbeing. BirdsCaribbean is continually supporting monitoring in the region by adding to the skill sets and knowledge of Caribbean researchers through our capacity building efforts, including through our Seabird Working Group,Caribbean Waterbird Census program, Landbird Monitoring Network, and Caribbean Bird Banding Network. You can support our efforts to equip Caribbean nationals with the skills and resources they need to protect the region’s endemic, resident, and migratory birds here.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is a peer-reviewed journal covering all aspects of ornithology within the Caribbean region, publishing in English, Spanish, and French. We welcome manuscripts covering the biology, ecology, behavior, life history, and conservation of Caribbean birds and their habitats. The JCO also publishes conservation reports and mentors inexperienced authors to help them develop their manuscript for publication. The JCO 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 birds and their conservation in Grenada.
Our feathered friends do not have it easy in today’s world. They face a myriad of threats from hunting, to habitat loss and land-use change, to climate change and all its related impacts. These challenges are especially felt by bird communities on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like those in the Caribbean. These small islands are subject to unique economic, social, and ecological pressures, which translate to a unique set of challenges for resident fauna, and puzzling questions for those of us involved in their conservation. 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 critically, how should this inform conservation and management measures here in the Caribbean?
Using Grenada as a case study for his master’s thesis research, Ramon Williams, a local biologist, sought to explore some of these questions. In their recently published article “Avian use of anthropogenic and natural habitats in a Small Island Developing State,” Ramon and his advisors present some of their critical findings, including habitat preferences for some of the regionally endemic and range-restricted species we know and love. Ramon recently shared his findings in a webinar hosted by Gaea Conservation Network, which you can viewhere. We wanted to learn even more about his behind-the-scenes process, so Zoya Buckmire, Lead Copy Editor of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) and fellow Grenadian, reached out to the author with the following questions (responses have been edited for flow).
How did you first conceive of this study, and what motivated you to conduct this research?
We conceived this study because Grenada was lacking a comprehensive scientific survey to shed light on how anthropogenic disturbance affects the terrestrial bird community. As Grenada is a SIDS that has been undergoing rapid developmental changes, we found it important to understand the effects of these environmental changes on birds so that adequate conservation strategies could be implemented to help conserve both avian species and their habitats.
Comprehensive surveys for Grenada are few and far between, but Ramon’s work built upon the Ellie Devenish-Nelson and Howard Nelson’s “Abundance and density estimates of landbirds on Grenada,” published just two years prior in the JCO.
Tell us about a memorable moment during field research or data analysis.
My best memory during field research was when I had an incidental observation of the endemic Grenada Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus mirus). Although we did not observe any Hook-billed Kites during our scheduled surveys, the incidental observation was spectacular! On 2 August 2017, we had to cancel our data collection due to rainy weather. At about noon, it was raining heavily, and as I stood on the balcony of my residence in La Fortune, Saint Patrick—I noticed a Hook-billed Kite up in the secondary forest canopy! I grabbed my binoculars and my phone and went out into the pouring rain to capture some low-quality photos and video of the kite.
Grenada’s endemic subspecies of the Hook-billed Kite is considered to be Endangered. (Photo by Andrea Easter-Pilcher)
A Grenada Hook-billed Kite chick. Female and male Hook-billed Kites work together to build their nests, which are shallow and cup-shaped and built from small twigs and sticks.
Male Hook-billed Kites tend to be a solid bluish-gray color on their heads and backs, while their breasts are grayish and adorned with pale streaking in horizontal bars. (Photo by Andrea Easter-Pilcher)
Tell us about a challenge you had to overcome during fieldwork or data analysis.
Our biggest challenge was navigating the unpredictable weather during fieldwork. On 1 August 2017, we went to Hog Island (one of Grenada’s many cays) to conduct one of our field surveys. While the survey was successful, the rain started pouring around 9 am and we had nowhere to shelter our field equipment on the uninhabited island. We resorted to using a trash bag to shelter our equipment from water damage.
Ramon and his team had to navigate unpredictable weather on Hog Island but they persevered and completed the bird surveys.
Run for cover! Ramon had to quickly use a trash bag to protect his equipment from the sudden rain.
Quincy Augustine, one of Ramon’s field assistants, attempting to navigate a flooded trail.
One of the key findings from Ramon’s research was that the birds in Grenada used a variety of habitats, including anthropogenic ones like agricultural and rural areas. While these human-altered landscapes supported higher densities of birds than natural cloud and secondary forests, the latter hosted more habitat specialists and species of conservation concern. Regional endemics like the Grenada Flycatcher (restricted to the Grenada Bank) rely on secondary forest and mature lowlands including mangroves. This demonstrates that while “natural” habitats are critical for birds, human-altered landscapes are also an important part of the available habitat mosaic—and they should all be maintained for our feathered friends.
What are your hopes for what your research will lead to?
We hope that our research can serve as a baseline for further research and help inform conservation decisions. As anthropogenic development continues in Grenada and other Caribbean islands with similar species and habitat requirements, further research is needed to monitor how the avian community is responding to the changing environment.
Will this work impact your own research agenda going forward?
Yes, we are continuing to conduct research on Grenada’s birds, and are currently working on research with Bananaquits—of which we have a melanistic subspecies in Grenada (Coereba flaveola aterrima).
Bananaquits are found throughout the Caribbean. They have a sharp, curved bill, black head and upperparts with a white eyestripe, gray throat, and yellow underparts. (Photo by Dominic Sherony)
The majority of Bananaquits in Grenada are of the black morph. (Photo by Paulson Des Brisay)
Is there anything else you would like to share?
We conducted a field outreach exercise on the island of Carriacou with both elementary and high school students. The primary goal of the exercise was to help the children with bird identification and hopefully inspire future ornithologists. The exercise had two phases: the first phase was a presentation on the defining identification characteristics of terrestrial birds; and the second phase involved a brief birdwatching exercise.
Ramon with primary school students in Carriacou after his bird identification presentation.
School students in Carriacou were led, by Ramon, through a short birdwatching activity around the school’s grounds.
Other recent work from Grenada
A heartening amount of important bird research has been published about Grenada’s birds in the last few years, most of which emerged from the former Koper Lab at the University of Manitoba (now at the University of Northern British Columbia). As a Koper Lab alum myself, I actually got my first exposure to the lab and their work through assisting with Nicholas Bergen’scitizen science experiment in 2016. From the lab’s bird banding activities, Alexandra Heathcote et al. publishedmorphological comparisons of a few resident landbird species, and Christopher De Ruyck did his dissertation onlandbird diets and the importance of agroecosystems as habitat. Those same banding activities led to the recognition of thesong variation of Grenada’s House Wrens and documentation of theirmorphological differences, contributing to Grenada’s population being declared its own subspecies (Troglodytes aedon grenadensis)!
Ezra Campbell, another local biologist and Koper Lab alum, researched native raptors for her thesis, and her findings on theBroad-winged Hawk population were also published in the JCO in 2022. That same year, Arnaud Lenoble and colleagues published their research on theHook-billed Kite’s diet on the island. Ezra’s study found that Broad-winged Hawks are doing well in Grenada, where they are widely distributed and adapting well to changing environments, possibly to the detriment of the more specialized Hook-billed Kites. The hawks were even observed using old kite nesting trees and exhibiting aggressive behavior towards them, possibly pushing the endemic raptor out of its optimal habitat. A case of mistaken identity—where kites are often prosecuted for the chicken-stealing activities of the hawk (aptly nicknamed “chicken hawk” on the island)—further puts the kites at risk. Combined with Arnaud’s findings of the kite’s preference for medium-sized snails, which vary with the seasons and site and restrict the availability of suitable habitat, this endemic subspecies seems to have the odds stacked against it. Both of these studies emphasize the importance of further research to identify and protect suitable habitat for both species.
And a lot remains yet unpublished. For instance,eBird records indicate the presence/occurrence of 171 species in Grenada, a significant increase over the last record of 153 species from the 2019Complete Checklist of the Birds of the West Indies. Many of these “new” species have been recorded in the last 5 years by avid birders on the island, and if/when these records get published, they will contribute to our knowledge of the biodiversity, species distributions and population statuses across the region. Grenada is also part of the Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Network, with several local biologists being trained over the last few years in bird banding and landbird surveys using the PROALAS protocol. In fact, our next Bird Banding Workshop is being hosted in Grenada in early March, so stay tuned for updates on this! Together, these advances reassure me that for Grenada, the future of ornithology—and of the birds we are working to preserve—is bright.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is a peer-reviewed journal covering all aspects of ornithology within the Caribbean region. We welcome manuscripts covering the biology, ecology, behavior, life history, and conservation of Caribbean birds and their habitats. The JCO also publishes conservation reports and mentors inexperienced authors to help them develop their manuscript for publication. The JCO 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.
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.
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!
Cuban subspecies of the bird grasshopper. (Photo by geosesarma)
Ladybirds provide a natural way to control insect pests like aphids. (Photo by Charlotte Descamps)
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)
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.
Birding along L’Anse Aux Epines road, Grenada. (Photo by Gaea Conservation Network)
Student bird poster on display at the Botanical Gardens, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Grupo Acción Ecológica)
The Conservation Opportunity cleanup crew. (Photo by Conservation Opportunity)
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.
We did it! Students display the results of their BirdSleuth Caribbean Scavenger Hunt in Salt River, Jamaica. (photo by Emma Lewis)
Yaritza Bobonis with Lola the Puerto Rican Parrot mascot. (Photo by Fundación Amigos De El Yunque)
Winning submission by Scarlett Evans for the Kids Art Contest (8-12 years) titled “Yellow Belly.” (Image courtesy Cayman Birding)
Justin Saunders of Birdlife Jamaica helps with bird identification at Hope Gardens. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Bird nests on display at CEBF event at El Yunque Forest. (Photo by Fundación Amigos De El Yunque)
Students from St. Martin Primary School in Dominica planted native plants for CEBF 2018.
Cadets plant bird-friendly trees at Battle of Las Carreras Military Academy in the Dominican Republic.
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.
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?
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.
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).
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).
Grand Bahama Motus Installation team: Lisa Sorenson, Todd Alleger, Bradley Pinder, Cesar Montero, Maya Wilson, Demonica Brown and, David Cooper. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Cesar and Todd attaching the antenna to the Motus tower at the Lucayan National Park. (Photo by Maya Wilson)
Maya and Todd checking cables. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Bob and Maya constructing the base frame. (Photo by Demonica Brown)
Demonica Brown and Maya Wilson assemble the Motus antenna. (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)
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.
Yaritza Bobonis with Lola the Puerto Rican Parrot mascot. (Photo by Fundación Amigos De El Yunque)
Ashy-faced Owl, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Jay McGowan- Macaulay Library-ML162362421)
Jamaican Mango, perched. (Photo by Clive Daelman)
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)
Birding along L’Anse Aux Epines road, Grenada. (Photo by Gaea Conservation Network)
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)
Students help plant native trees for birds and other wildlife at the National Botanical Garden.
A Conservation Opportunity member sensitises participants about the threats posed by marine pollution. (Photo by Conservation Opportunity)
Children and ARC Conservation members wear their hand crafted masks.
Information about the festival and endemic birds of Cuba was shared via radio interviews.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”
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.
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.
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!
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.”
“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. (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).
For as long as we have been here, human activity has fundamentally altered our environment. In this blog, forensic scientist and ornithologist, Dr Jessica Oswald, and archaeologist and curator, Dr Michelle LeFebvre, discuss their latest research into changes in parrot diversity after human arrival to the Caribbean. Their study analyzed ancient DNA from fossils and archaeological specimens to show how even cultures and peoples that are largely lost, have shaped the diversity and distributions of species, and changed ecosystems.
Dr LeFebvre elaborates, “As we enter what many are calling the “Age of Humans” (or the Anthropocene), it is more and more apparent that conservation must consider how species can survive in a human-dominated world. In the Caribbean, parrot conservation is exemplary of this need! This study provides a long-term blueprint, or baseline, of past human impacts on parrots from which to think about the future of extant parrot species distribution, vulnerability to loss, and hopefully persistence across Caribbean landscapes increasingly impacted by people.” Dr Oswald adds, “Only through deep time perspectives of diversity with paleontological (pre-human), archaeological (human associated) and modern samples from museum specimens, can we begin to reveal the complexity of our role in shaping our natural world.”
Understanding the long-term impact of humans on biodiversity is critical for sound conservation. Parrots are one of the most enigmatic and beloved animals worldwide. For thousands of years, they have been valued as pets, for their feathers, and as a source of food. They are also among some of the most endangered birds today as they face extinction due to habitat loss and the pet trade. Parrot conservation efforts include reintroduction to places previously occupied by parrots and breeding programs. However, knowing the natural (pre- human) distributions of parrots is nearly impossible with modern day distributions because of thousands of years of trade and habitat loss. The conservation of parrot species thus greatly benefits from knowledge about past parrot diversity and distributions prior to encountering people for the first time. We can obtain this information through fossils and bones from paleontological (pre-human) and archaeological (human associated) sites.
Humans have been altering the natural world for longer than we thought
The Caribbean is a well-known biodiversity hotspot. Yet, the region has lost more than half of its native parrot diversity since the arrival of humans around 6,000 years ago, including macaws, parakeets, and even a tiny sparrow-sized parrot called a parrotlet that once inhabited the islands. Today, there are only 12 remaining parrots native to the Caribbean, which compete for space and resources with 12 non-native parrot species that have been recently introduced to the islands. Fossil and archaeological records and historical documents, all suggest that the remaining species were once far more abundant than they are today. For example, while exploring The Bahamas over 500 years ago, Columbus wrote that flocks of parrots were so abundant that they “obscure[d] the sun.”
All species of Amazona parrots are in decline and their pre-human, native distributions are not well understood. Through our work recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we aimed to understand how diversity and distribution of Amazona parrots changed before and after humans arrived in the Caribbean. Our primary focus was on the Cuban Parrot (A. leucocephala) and the Hispaniolan Parrot (A. ventralis), which have excellent archaeological and paleontological records. These records allowed us to reconstruct historical distributions and diversity over ~10,000 years—a period called the Holocene—through the ancient DNA found in these remains. Through this effort we also investigated the genetic relationships of living or recently lost (in the 20th century) Cuban Parrot populations and the relationships of all Amazona species using modern specimens curated in natural history museum collections. We combined this molecular data with carbon dating and evolutionary analysis to produce a comprehensive baseline of Caribbean parrot diversity through time.
The endemic Hispaniolan Parrot was once native . . . to The Bahamas!
In our study, we found that Caribbean parrots were much more diverse earlier in the Holocene and prior to human arrival to the region. Parrot extinctions started upon the arrival of Indigenous peoples ~6,000 years ago, accelerated through colonization by European settlers at the end of the 15th century, and they continue today. Within Amazona parrots, we found evidence that a population of Cuban Parrots in the Turks and Caicos was genetically distinct and is now extinct. The Hispaniolan Parrot, now endemic to Hispaniola, was once also native to The Bahamas prior to human settlement. Our results also suggest that the Hispaniolan Parrot was transported to islands beyond their native ranges, including Montserrat in the Lesser Antilles. From the perspective of Caribbean parrot conservation, our results suggest that many species have been lost due to human impacts and there is evidence of long-term human introductions of species beyond their native ranges.
The findings from our study provide the most detailed view of Caribbean parrot diversity and distribution across the Holocene and show that the shifts in parrot diversity and distributions were strongly influenced by people across millennia. The results clarify that notions about whether a species is native or restricted to a region or island requires data across long time scales, rather than relying purely on the lens of the present. Deep-time historical sciences and perspectives are key to conservation as we navigate biodiversity loss and conservation in the present and future.
Jessica A. Oswald is a Michigan native who earned her PhD from the University of Florida. She has spent her career building a research program that uses a variety of data, like fossils and genomic data, to understand the diversity and distributions of birds. Her hope is that these data can be used for conservation applications and will provide insight into the importance of paleontological data in biogeographic, phylogenetic, and ecological studies.
Michelle J. LeFebvre is an archaeologist and a curator of archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. With a focus on how interactions between people and animals in the past have impacted animal diversity and distribution in the present, she collaborates with paleontologists, biologists, Indigenous peoples, and local resource managers to support the conservation of biological and cultural diversity in the Anthropocene. Her passion lies in exploring the ways in which human culture and nature are linked and shape the world around us.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in 2023! This year’s theme is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life”. Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have coloring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Wilson’s Warbler
This spritely migratory bird with the bad toupée is the Wilson’s Warbler. It is one of the smallest warblers at around 10-12cm long and weighing 5-10g.
Its plumage is mainly yellowish-olive, with a golden yellow throat and belly. It has beady black eyes and a small, thin beak. Adult males have a glossy black cap on their heads; the cap on females and juvenile males is highly variable but usually duller and more olive colored. These little birds are insectivorous, feeding on various arthropods on tree leaves and branches. They often hover in front of leaves as they try to capture a tasty insect morsel!
Wilson’s Warblers breed in the western United States, across Canada, and also in Alaska. It is a ground-nesting species that loves scrubby habitats and thickets near streams. Their clutch size ranges from 2-7 eggs and they are capable of breeding twice in a season. Only females incubate the eggs and brood nestlings (chicks), but males help feed nestlings and fledglings (chicks that have grown feathers and are learning to fly).
By August they leave their breeding grounds and begin their fall migration to Central America and islands in the northern Caribbean—The Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. During migration they use many types of habitats, from lowland thickets near streams to high-elevation cloud forests. On their wintering grounds they supplement their diet of squirmy, slimy, crunchy insects with “honeydew”—a sugary liquid secreted by some insects as they feed on plant sap.
The Wilson’s Warbler is not threatened but is listed as a “Common bird in steep decline” by the Partners in Flight organization. This is because of habitat loss on both their breeding and wintering grounds, predation from invasive species like domesticated cats, and nest parasitism. Helping Wilson’s Warblers, and other birds, can be as simple as keeping pet cats indoors and using a leash and harness when outdoors; and supporting the efforts of bird advocacy groups and NGOs that are working to restore and protect habitats across the Wilson’s Warbler’s range.Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
The Wilson’s Warbler
‘I’m a tiny warbler,
With beady black eyes,
A black cap on my head,
And energetic for my size,
I breed in mountain meadows,
And thickets near streams,
I winter in Central America,
A vagrant in the West Indies,
Because of habitat loss,
My species is in decline,
Please protect my forest home,
Before I run out of time”
Thanks to Scott Johnson for the text and poem, and Christine Elder for the lovely illustration!
Color in the Wilson’s Warbler
Download the Migratory Birds of the Day Coloring Page! Use the picture above and the photos on this page as your guide, or look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your colored-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2023Carib
Listen to the calls of the Wilson’s Warbler
The call of the Wilson’s Warbler is a husky chip. You may also hear the male as they start to sing on their wintering grounds. The song is a rapid string of similar notes, dropping in pitch toward the end.
Puzzles of the Day
Click on the images 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!
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: This year the theme for World Migratory Bird Day is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life.” We want to highlight the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds.
We often see birds flying, preening, bathing and feeding. You might not have ever seen a bird taking a drink of water but they do!
Birds need water just as much as we do. Drinking water helps them regulate bodily processes like digestion. Water also keeps birds clean and cool on hot days when they take a splish-splash in a puddle, gutter, or backyard bird bath. Many birds also rely on wetland habitats, such as our ponds, salinas, marshes, mangroves, rivers, and coastal waters.
In our activity you can create your own poster to show how important water is to birds. Draw in the various ways birds use water!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy these videos of Wilson’s Warblers in the wild! In the first, you can see a lovely, brightly colored male. In the second, a Wilson’s Warbler takes a bath—one of the many things birds need water for as they migrate!
Read all about a bird banding adventure in Oregon! Caribbean biologist Zoya travelled all the way from Grenada to the US to learn more about studying birds using bird banding. Wilson’s Warbler was one of many bird species that Zoya was able to get up close to on her way to passing her NABC (North American Banding Council) exam and becoming a certified Bander. Find out all about her experiences in the blog below.
At almost 500 hectares, the National Botanical Garden of Cuba offers a green oasis to birds, other wildlife, and people, in the capital city of Havana. It is well known for its extensive collection of palm trees, ethno-botanical displays, greenhouses, and serene Japanese Garden. From November to February it is an ideal place to see migratory birds, while some of Cuba’s iconic endemic and native birds can be seen year-round.
The new field guide “Birds of the National Botanical Garden of Cuba” (Aves del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba) is the most comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date work of its kind. We speak with the dedicated authors Dr. Martin Acosta, Dr. Lourdes Mugica, and MSc. Karen Aguilar, about the field guide. They share the extensive research that went into its creation, how the team persevered through numerous setbacks, their surprising finds and fond memories at the garden, and advice for aspiring field guide authors.
What inspired you to create a field guide to Birds of the National Botanical Garden of Cuba?
It is a long love story between our group and the birds of the National Botanical Garden. In 1982, Dr. Martin Acosta began tutoring an undergraduate’s thesis on the garden’s birds. Since then, he realized that, with its almost 500 hectares and varied vegetation, it was a privileged place, despite the fact that at that time less than 40 species were detected. From there we carried out and published several studies on the ecology of the species that inhabited the different areas that make up the garden.
Later, in 1990, we published a short rustic guide to identify the 41 birds we had recorded at the garden. As we had no camera or way to obtain the illustrations, Dr. Vicente Berovides, Professor at the University of Havana, drew each of the birds by hand with pencil. Incredibly, his drawings were good enough to identify the birds! That simple guide sold out quickly, so very early we could appreciate that the public was eager to get this kind of information.
From the year 1990, the well-known Special Period arrived in Cuba, with a deep economic crisis that did not allow us to travel to the field and investigate the waterfowl of the rice fields and natural wetlands that were the main focus of our research in that period. That fact resulted in all our energy and time being focused on the birds of the garden, where we traveled by bicycle from before dawn to monitor their bird populations and assemblages, to do several ecological studies, and to assist our students in their undergraduate theses.
Over time our knowledge of the place and commitment to sharing our results were increasing. Both Martin and Lourdes thought that we were going to retire without fulfilling the dream of having a book for the general public. At the time we did not have any funds to guarantee writing, editing, design, and printing. Even without the funds, but with all the accumulated knowledge of more than 30 years, in 2019 we got the final push when Dr. Banessa Falcón, Director of Teaching and Research of the National Botanical Garden, insisted on the importance of achieving this book. Karen joined the authors to contribute voluntarily with the design, photography, and anything else that was needed.
Similarly, Neyda Izquierdo, winner of the National Publishing Award in Cuba, edited the book free of charge. Additionally, Dr. Banessa Falcón, supported us in working on the book from its inception and was our scientific editor for the botanical topics.
In this way, we managed to assemble a fantastic team, with whom the work became a constant exchange of ideas between wonderful people, who dedicated many hours to ensure the quality of the text in the pandemic times. In the end, it was a collective work, full of love, commitment, science, and fun!
Today, within 55 years, the garden has an assemblage of birds that has tripled in diversity in response to the vegetation development. So far 128 species, (three of them after publishing the book) have been registered, so this group of vertebrates is among its greatest attractions.
Undoubtedly, this was the great moment to bring to light the work that seemed to be just a dream for so long. Our research shows the importance that a well-managed anthropogenic (man-made) site can have for the conservation of birds. In addition, we hope that this field guide may be a useful model to other botanical gardens in Cuba and the world.
How is this field guide different from other Cuban bird guides?
It differs in several aspects:
It is the first Cuban bird guide made entirely with photographs of birds; the guides that currently exist in Cuba are based on illustrations.
The biggest difference is that it includes closeup images of the heads of most bird species (85%), which allow you to appreciate important details that are not visible in general photos or drawings.
In Chapter Four of the field guide, each family has a general picture with the main characteristics of the family and then, all the species within the family are presented. Each species has between two to six pictures; icons and text complete the descriptions.
It is the first guide that dedicates a chapter to the interdependence between the development of plant communities and the assemblages of birds that use them, in addition to revealing different aspects of the ecology of some notable populations. The guide also includes a chapter that encourages bird watching in Cuban society and offers strategies for its development.
It is a field guide based on the original scientific results obtained by the authors from more than 30 years of research, not on a bibliographic compilation, and it includes a chapter where many of these results are shared.
The incorporation of informational boxes within the text of the general chapters is also new in Cuban bird guides. They offer a deeper understanding of the scientific elements, and were obtained by the authors in this botanical garden.
The book focuses on an ex situ conservation institution, dedicated primarily to the conservation of plants, which now joins a small group of botanical gardens around the world that have their own bird guide.
In the Field Guide chapter, 125 species are presented with 473 photos. Although the authors provided 70% of the pictures, the rest are from the selfless collaboration of 52 Cuban and foreign photographers, so this guide is a result of solidarity for the good of conservation.
Soon after the guide was published, we received a national award from the Cuban Book Institute (First Prize for Technical Scientific Criticism 2022) and the Prize for Best Scientific Book of Natural Sciences from the University of Havana. It is the first Cuban bird guide to achieve these recognitions within the country.
Tell us about your team of authors—how did each contribute?
Martin and Lourdes had the general idea of writing a bird guide since 1990, when we first published a much simpler version. Both of us contributed with our long experience, field data, and results from published studies. We wrote most of the text, and did the exhaustive revision of each version. Martin also contributed numerous photographs that are used in the field guide.
But it was Karen who designed the book and supplied most of the photos. She spent many hours doing fieldwork during the book’s development, and processed the images for the guide. She also wrote some informational boxes.
The three authors worked closely and intensively during the two and a half years it took to complete the book. We also actively participated in the final revision of the text, together with the general and scientific editors.
How much research did you need to do for this field guide?
That’s a good question, because we never worked to make a field guide, we worked to contribute to the knowledge of the natural history of the birds that live in the garden, and the more we learned, the more questions arose. So we carried out research on reproduction, territoriality, feeding, seed dispersal, and composition and structure of the assembly of birds associated with some types of vegetation. The findings have all been very useful in writing the book.
The birds used the water from the garden to maintain their feathers and meet daily demands, as well as the annual molting behavior in different bird species.
After extensive research, the authors found that the garden can meet the birds’ diverse needs: food, shelter and security.
What we can say is that it is not enough to know the list of birds that have been recorded in a site. It takes years of observations, and countless hours of fieldwork, to study essential aspects of the ecology of the species of birds that live there to contribute to their knowledge more effectively.
What part of creating this field guide—writing, photographing, designing and editing—did you have the hardest time with or find most challenging?
Photography and design were the biggest challenges of this book. Photography, because we set out to create a guide based entirely on photos, and getting good-quality photos of 125 species, many of which are rare or difficult to photograph because of their behavior, such as aerial insectivores, was really a major challenge. At the end all species have photos and each species identification page has between 2 to 6 photos.
Martin and Karen taking photos in the garden.
Martin and Karen talk about camera models and techniques to get the best photos.
The design was challenging because it was Karen’s first design job, so taking on that task involved long hours of intense work. Both challenges were successfully overcome.
In general, it was challenging to achieve our goal that both the writing and the design were attractive to a very wide audience, including children, young people, adults, birdwatchers, and specialists in the subject.
What helped you to stay focused on such a large project?
First of all, the love of birds. Knowing that a book like this can have a great impact on Cubans and contribute to bird conservation also motivated us. Little by little, we realized that the garden can contribute a lot to local knowledge and the appreciation of birds, helping people to value not only their beauty, but also all the ecological services they provide.
Secondly, it is not easy to visit our protected areas because they are located in isolated areas that are difficult to access and transportation is scarce. However, the National Botanical Garden is situated close to Havana (only about 30 km or 18 miles) and can be easily visited by the population of the city.
Finally the teamwork, which was fabulous and exhilarating. It kept us together and working hard from start to finish. Every photo achieved, every chapter completed, every species completed, was an achievement we thoroughly enjoyed and it kept us excited to reach the next goal.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating this field guide?
We learned important things related both to the birds, as well as to perseverance and the strength we have to achieve our goals.
As for the birds, we were impressed by the beauty and complexity of the birds’ heads—the close-up photos highlighted details that are not captured with binoculars or full-body photography.
Another thing that surprised us was the important role played by the Red Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba) in the early months of the year, when very few plants bloom in the garden. In January and February, this tree is covered with beautiful red flowers and numerous birds are attracted to them, but not only in search of insects, nectar and pollen. The most surprising thing is that the flowers accumulate a lot of water, and the birds use them as natural sources, to quench their thirst, in these months of intense dryness.
For Martin and Lourdes, it was not difficult to write the text, they knew the site and the birds well and already had the experience of working on other books. But for Karen the challenge was immense, she did not know about design, nor photography, nor was she able to recognize the bird species. All this knowledge was necessary to complete the book.
That involved numerous hours of self-study to learn how to work CorelDraw, Photoshop, and InDesign programs. So Karen took photography courses, studied the content of the main bird guides that have been published in America, and learned the particular style of providing the information in the field guides. At the same time, she made frequent visits to the field to take photographs, and learn to recognize the birds, and she kept working on the book every single day during those years.
Any fun stories to share during the process of writing, photographing, design, and editing?
There were many stories. At first Karen said she wanted the guide to be with photos, so that it would bring something different from other Cuban guides. When she tried to take her first photos, a mockingbird and a sparrow, after much effort, she did not achieve anything with her lens—at that moment she realized that the road was going to be long, difficult, and that she had a lot to learn.
I remember when we went to the zoo to take close-up pictures of the herons. They were asleep with their heads lowered and eyes closed. Yelling at them was the only way to wake them up. We shouted wildly and the moment they woke up Karen took the photo very fast. People passing by looked at us as we were screaming at the herons and by the looks on their faces, they thought we were crazy. We really laughed a lot.
Another day, Karen went alone on a motorcycle to the garden to take photos. When entering the garden, she saw a group of puppies crossing the fence and stopped the motorcycle to play with them. But the puppies ran after her which gave her a good scare. She had to run so they wouldn’t bite her.
How long did it take to complete the field guide?
We started in June 2019, the book was ready to print in January 2022. During Covid we had an interruption of about six months in which we were totally isolated without communication, (not all in the team had a good cellular phone to use the internet), and without the possibility to visit each other as we were not able to meet. So we would say that it took approximately two intense years to complete the book.
When the lockdown restrictions were lifted, we established a method of working that allowed us to advance relatively quickly, because at the same time that we were advancing in the text, we worked on the design. We made constant visits to the garden, looking for photographs that helped us explain the text, and with those visits we were constantly updating the information.
In fact, up to 2019, when we started working, 105 species had been registered; in 2022 that number had already risen to 125.
How did you celebrate when the field guide was completed?
The five of us, three authors and two editors, were so happy, we could not believe that we had finished the book. When we saw the first print proof the emotion was immense! We celebrated it by spending time together and sharing each of our experiences.
How many endemic birds live in the garden?
Of the 27 living endemic species in Cuba, 10 are found in the garden; and also 12 of the 20 species reported as endemic for the West Indies—making a total of 22 species in this category.
In the book we report on nine Cuban endemics, but recently the Cuban Trogon was recorded for the first time at the garden!
What is one of your fondest memories of birding in the Botanical Garden?
Every time we visit the garden we enjoy it so much and we learn something new about the behavior of the birds so it is difficult to say. For example, seeing the sunrise and the awakening of the birds, seeing for the first time the Cuban Tody, a typical bird of our well-preserved forests, seemed incredible to us, and recently, we just observed the Cuban Trogon for the first time!
I remember one time when it started to rain, and we had to place the camera under the umbrella to take the photos. That day we registered two new species and got several quality photos for the book, it was unforgettable!
Recording a new species and getting a quality photo that we needed, of a bird doing an activity that we mentioned in the text, was always exciting to us. I can say that the three of us thoroughly enjoyed each visit, which in those last two years amounted to more than 60.
Where in Cuba can someone purchase this field guide?
Right now it is not for sale. We have a small first batch of just 300 printed books and very high demand. The first copies have been used to promote the book and they have been given as a prizes in competitions and festivals, as well as gifted to outstanding nature photographers, decision-makers, and some libraries.
The second printing will be made this year, thanks to a grant from the Betty Peterson Conservation Fund from BirdsCaribbean. We are thinking of selling copies from this second batch at the National Botanical Garden or in the Library of the University of Havana, Alma Mater, in the City of Havana.
How can someone outside of Cuba get their own copy?
We hope to eventually sell the book through BirdsCaribbean’s website.
Do you plan on providing an English translated version of this field guide?
We would love to have an English version and the idea is to seek funding in the future for translation, design, and proofreading.
What would you say to a birder who is thinking of publishing his own field guide?
Keep going, never stop, work hard, visit the site as many times as you can, and record species, behaviors, dates and places. When you gather enough information, find a good team and work together. A good field guide is a collective work, which can help birds and people.
We have always lived in a poor country under a strong blockade, with few resources, little transportation, lots of communication problems, and high migration of young personnel. If we could succeed, then anyone who proposes a project like this and puts in the effort, perseverance, and love will succeed too.
Our small Caribbean countries need to know their natural heritage, and be aware first of what we have, so that later they become aware of the responsibility of each one in taking care of it. We all can contribute in some way to conservation. Books like this are the first step to take—knowledge brings appreciation, appreciation is an important step for conservation.
You can, you should.
Drs. Lourdes Mugica Valdés and Martin Acosta Cruz are Professors at the University of Havana’s Faculty of Biology in Cuba. They teach both formal ecology courses and in the faculty’s research and environmental education programs. They, along with Karen Aguilar Mugica, are members of the University of Havana’s award-winning Bird Ecology Group (BEG). The BEG is widely recognised for its contribution to our knowledge of Cuban waterbird ecology. They are, moreover, long-standing members and friends of BirdsCaribbean.
Get out your binoculars and plan a Caribbean birding adventure because we’ve got five new species of birds for you!
The American Ornithological Society has just announced their 64th Supplement to the Checklist of North American Birds. Every year, ornithologists and birders alike eagerly peruse their current bird lists and wait for the announcement of new bird species! Usually, these new species don’t arise from a remote jungle expedition, but by re-examining the differences and similarities within our current species lists.
Species can either be “lumped” or “split.” Lumps occur when two similar species are lumped back together and considered one species again. This is usually the case for very similar birds that have overlapping ranges. “Splits” are when one species is divided into two or more different species. These splits usually include birds that may look alike but evidence suggests have diverged sufficiently that their populations would no longer interbreed.
We are very excited to welcome these new bird species to the Caribbean—bringing us now to a total of 180 endemic bird species. Our Caribbean birding hotspot just got even hotter, giving you all the more reason to plan your next Caribbean birding adventure!
The joys of isolation…
Within the Caribbean, we have many species that occur across multiple islands, but don’t island hop–making these isolated populations. Over time, as these bird populations continue to breed in isolation from one another, they can develop differences, and even evolve into distinct species! By reviewing evidence, including genetics, morphology, plumage, vocalizations, and behaviors; ornithologists can determine if the populations are in fact distinct enough to be considered different species.
This year we are very excited to announce that we have five new species for the Caribbean! These species all fall under the category of splits (there were 4), meaning they were formerly considered one species and are now considered two or more! Let’s review the newest members of the flock.
*Drum roll*…welcoming five new Caribbean species!
Grand Cayman Bullfinch and Cuban Bullfinch
Let’s give a warm welcome to a new bullfinch species in the Caribbean, the Grand Cayman Bullfinch (Melopyrrha taylori)! This species was split from the Cuban Bullfinch(Melopyrrha nigra) due to vocal and morphological differences. The Cuban Bullfinch can now proudly boast that it is a true Cuban endemic, and the Grand Cayman islands have their second endemic bird species. Interestingly, the research supporting the split came from a birdwatcher’s observations of song differences between birds on Cuba and Grand Cayman! This show the value of citizen scientist birders being observant and uploading their information to apps like eBird (sightings, photos, and recordings of songs and calls).
Cuban Bullfinch, female. Females and juveniles are duller black and have a less prominent wing patch (Photo by Mario Olteanu)
Grand Cayman Bullfinch, female. Her color is dull slate-black tinged with olive. (Photo by Ray Robles)
The male Cuban Bullfinch is glossy black with white wing patches. It’s bill is a little smaller than the Grand Cayman Bullfinch. (Photo by Greg Lavaty)
The male Grand Cayman Bullfinch is black with a greenish gloss and has white wing patches on shoulders; its bill is slightly larger and heavier than the Cuban Bullfinch. (Photo by Aaron-Boone, ML151327701)
Hispaniolan Nightjar and Cuban Nightjar
Let’s give a warm welcome to two new species of nightjar! The bird formerly known as the Greater Antillean Nightjar (Antrostomus cubanensis) has now been split into the Hispaniolan Nightjar(Antrostomus ekmani) and Cuban Nightjar (Antrostomus cubanensis), based on convincing vocal differences between the two populations. The Hispaniolan Nightjar is found in the western third of the Dominican Republic and the western part of the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti. The Cuban Nightjar is found throughout the island of Cuba.
Hispaniolan Nightjar. (Photo by Dax Román)
Cuban Nightjar. (Photo by Greg Griffith, ML204321841)
Listen to the difference in the songs of the Hispaniolan Nightjar and Cuban Nightjar!
From one to three new Euphonias! Puerto Rican, Hispaniolan, and Lesser Antillean
Let’s give a warm welcome to not two but three new Euphonia species! 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). This long awaited split is based on considerable plumage differences between the three new species.
Males of the Hispaniolan Euphonia and Puerto Rican Euphonia have a turquoise blue crown and nape, blackish-violet face, back and wings, a small band of tawny-yellow to orange on the forehead. However, the male Puerto Rican Euphonia boasts a sunny yellow throat, underside, and rump, while the male Hispaniolan Euphonia has a dark blue throat and orange underside and rump. The male Lesser Antillean Euphonia has an olive-green body, sky-blue crown and nape, and yellow forehead; his plumage is fairly similar to the females of all three species but he is a little brighter.
The females of all three species are lighter overall, with yellow-greenish body and wings, turquoise crown and nape, and the forehead nicely adorned with a spot of gold.
The male Puerto Rican Euphonia has a yellow throat, underside, and rump. (Photo by Alfred Irizarry)
The male Hispaniolan Euphonia has a dark blue throat and an orange underside and rump. (Photo by Joshua Covill, ML548852851)
Female Hispaniolan Euphonia; yellow-greenish body and wings, turqoise cfrown and nape and yellow-orange spot on the forehead. The plumage of females of all three Euphonia species is similar. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
The male Lesser Antillean Euphonia has an olive-green body, blue head cap, and yellow forehead. (Photo by Anthony Levesque)
Hispaniolan Palm-Crow and Cuban Palm-Crow
Let’s give a warm welcome to two new species of palm crow! The bird formerly known as the Palm Crow (Corvus palmarum) is now recognized as the Hispaniolan Palm-Crow (Corvus palmarum) and the Cuban Palm-Crow (Corvus minutus). The vocalizations between the two are quite distinct, enough that ornithologists can tell the two apart, so it’s likely that the crows can too! They also show genetic and behavioral differences, including a curious tail-flicking behavior exhibited only by the Hispaniolan Palm-Crow!
A Cuban Palm-Crow. (Photo by Arturo Kirkconnell Jr.)
Hispaniolan Palm-Crow. (Photo by Jay McGowan, ML162378241)
Listen to the differences between the calls of the Hispaniolan Palm-Crow and Cuban Palm-Crow.
We are very excited to welcome these new bird species to the Caribbean—bringing us now to a total of 180 endemic bird species. Our Caribbean birding hotspot just got even hotter, giving you all the more reason to plan your next Caribbean birding adventure!
We’re curious: Did you get an “armchair lifer” or two? (i.e., a new bird on your life list without actually having seen a new bird due to splits like this) Which of these new species would you like to see the most? Comment below!
In April 2021, La Soufrière Volcano, on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, erupted for the first time in 42 years. Explosive eruptions and heavy ash fall devastated ecosystems, leaving many species without homes and unable to forage in the wild. St. Vincent’s wildlife, especially endemic landbird species like the threatened St. Vincent Parrot and endangered Whistling Warbler, faced grave peril. The conservation community swiftly formed an emergency group, raising funds and providing much-needed assistance to the Forestry Department working on-the-ground in St. Vincent.
As St. Vincent’s forest regenerates, there is still work to be done to assess the impact of the volcanic eruptions on wildlife populations. A historic lack of research and funding means that there is limited baseline knowledge about the ecology and population status for most of the forest birds on the island. Thanks to funding from theCritical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and BirdsCaribbean members, partners and donors, we have launched a project to build capacity and provide the data needed for long-term landbird species protection. Read on for a second update on this vital work to study and conserve St. Vincent’s unique birds!
Human activities are a threat to the landbirds—and then came the volcano…
Landbirds, as their name implies, spend the majority of their lives on land, and include birds like hummingbirds, raptors, doves, flycatchers, and songbirds. They forage and breed in a variety of habitats in the Caribbean, from gardens, parks, open savannas, and cultivated areas, to scrub and many different types of forests at varying elevations. Many habitats have already been lost, and those remaining are constantly threatened by destruction and degradation from land-based development, cutting of trees for charcoal and timber, and also pollution, invasive species, and climate change. These factors mean that landbird populations, already at risk, experienced another blow to their survival with the eruption of La Soufriére in 2021.
How are the landbirds doing now? Enter the CLM Network!
Assessing the status and recovery of endangered wildlife populations is now an urgent priority. In collaboration with the St. Vincent Forestry Department and other partners, we launched the “Conservation of the Endangered Whistling Warbler Project” in April 2022 to monitor the Whistling Warbler and other forest birds, build local landbird monitoring capacity, prepare a Conservation Action Plan for the Whistling Warbler, and raise awareness for landbird species. In January 2023, we held a Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop to 1) build local capacity to monitor forest birds using standardized protocols, and 2) establish a long-term monitoring program on St Vincent.
This project is held under the banner of the Caribbean Landbird Monitoring (CLM) Network, through which BirdsCaribbean has been building the capacity of Caribbean conservationists to identify and monitor landbirds. Using these data, we can expand our knowledge of how birds use different habitats in space and time, and enable researchers to assess the status and trends of their populations in relation to habitat, climate, and natural and anthropogenic activities and threats.
Post-eruption clean-up exercise in Hermitage, St. Vincent, on April 2, 2021. (Photo by the SVG Forestry Department)
The elusive and endangered Whistling Warbler. (Photo by Mike Akresh)
The vulnerable St Vincent Parrot. (Photo by Mike Akresh)
Ash plume on April 9th at 4 PM, the first day of eruptions (photo by Richard Robertson, UWI Seismic Research Centre)
Valley on the Leeward side of St. Vincent showing severe damage to trees and vegetation. (photo by Richard Robertson, UWI Seismic Research Centre)
Under the Caribbean Landbird Monitoring (CLM) Network, BirdsCaribbean has been building the capacity of Caribbean conservationists to identify and monitor landbirds using standardized survey protocols. Using these data, we can expand our knowledge of how birds use different habitats in space and time, and enable researchers to assess the status and trends of their populations in relation to habitat and climate variables. The first CLM Training Workshop was held in the Dominican Republic in February 2022, followed by an introductory workshop in Puerto Rico in July 2022 in conjunction with the AOS-BC meeting. For this workshop, we head to another enchanting Caribbean island, this time in the Lesser Antilles.
Landbird Monitoring takes wing in the Lesser Antilles
St. Vincent (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) is brimming with bird life and is home to legendary species found nowhere else in the world like the St. Vincent Parrot, Whistling Warbler, and the Grenada Flycatcher (also endemic to Grenada). Other beautiful regional endemics include the Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Purple-throated Carib, Lesser Antillean Tanager, Lesser Antillean Euphonia, Brown Trembler, and Rufous-throated Solitaire.
The workshop’s content and sessions were facilitated by: Jeff Gerbracht and Ingrid Molina (both from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology), Lystra Culzac-Wilson (Science Initiative for Environmental Conservation and Education – SCIENCE), Glenroy Gaymes (Wildlife Unit, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Forestry Department), Dr. Mike Akresh (Antioch University), Dr. Maya Wilson (BirdsCaribbean), and Dr. Lisa Sorenson (BirdsCaribbean).
During the workshop, 24 Caribbean wildlife professionals representing NGOs and government agencies in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Montserrat, and Grenada learned how to use the Programa de América Latina para las Aves Silvestres (PROALAS) landbird monitoring protocols. These protocols were originally developed in Latin America to survey birds in tropical habitats. We have adopted the methodology (PROALAS Manual, Caribbean version) for our Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Program and are training our local partners in its use.
Bountiful Birds at the Botanical Gardens
The workshop was held in the Curator’s House at the Botanical Gardens, just outside the capital city of Kingstown. At over 250 years old, it is the oldest botanical garden in the Western Hemisphere, and an important conservation site. This is also the location of the Nicholas Wildlife Aviary Complex, which maintains a captive population of the vulnerable St. Vincent Parrot.
This location was perfect for learning, discovery, and practice. The Botanical Gardens and nearby Anglican Pastoral Centre’s small forest patch support a variety of bird species, allowing participants to quickly step out of the classroom to practice carrying out PROALAS point counts and transect surveys. The lessons entailed estimating distance using both stride lengths and range finders, marking survey areas, and recording count data in the eBird app (Caribbean pack). But perhaps the most intense and highly rewarding process for participants was learning to identify the birds around them.
Landbirds are often small busy birds that perch briefly, usually hidden by leaves, before darting off to another tree. Fortunately, participants were guided by local birding veterans Lystra Culzac (Director of local NGO SCIENCE) and Glenroy Gaymes (Chief Wildlife Officer, St Vincent Forestry Department) for these bird identification sessions. They reiterated the importance of using field marks, with help from the Merlin app and the Birds of the West Indies field guide, as well as songs and calls, to correctly identify the birds they spotted.
Ingrid Molina explaining monitoring methods to participants.
Forestry Officers (St Vincent and the Grenadines) conducting transect surveys behind Anglican Pastoral Centre.
Dr Maya Wilson presenting on the importance of monitoring landbirds.
Kayroy Baptiste (Union Island Environmental Alliance) entering data into PROALAS survey sheet during transect survey behind Anglican-Pastoral Centre.
Practice makes perfect
Following several preparatory sessions, including “Bird ID 101,” “Landbirds of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” and “How to Use Binoculars,” the participants headed out to the Botanical Gardens to practice identifying birds. The group’s concentration and determination were palpable! Those working in small groups whispered to each other about the nuances of colors, bill shapes, tail lengths, and other field marks. Others pointed out the different bird calls, another important means to ID forest birds. Some of the more experienced birders in the group even used the opportunity to take their bird knowledge and identification skills to the next level, mentoring less experienced birders and adding “lifer birds” to their personal lists!
Lystra Culzac-Wilson introduces participants to the landbirds found in St Vincent.
Dr Mike Akresh helping participants identify birds at the Botanical Gardens.
Jeff explaining binocular specs to participants.
Participants practicing using their Vortex binoculars. (Photo by Mike Akresh)
Lystra Culzac-Wilson highlighting the differences among species of doves found in St Vincent.
Lystra and participants practice identifying birds in the Botanical Gardens.
Conquering wild terrain and rough weather to master PROALAS in the field
Botanical gardens and reserves in urban landscapes provide refuge for birds and other wildlife. But realistically, most of our poorly studied and threatened species, including the Whistling Warbler, inhabit rugged forested areas. All of the participants are normally tasked in their jobs with traversing rivers and climbing steep hills—often in unpredictable weather. The workshop’s trajectory naturally shifted from practice to on-the-ground application.
Fieldwork over the next several days began with 5 am wake-up calls to catch the bus to the Vermont Nature Trail or Montreal (part of the Central Mountain Range Forest Reserve). Early risers were rewarded with “gram worthy” views of pristine moist forests and lush undulating ridges. At Vermont Nature Trail we were delighted to see and hear St. Vincent Parrots! Here, on narrow slippery trails with dense vegetation on either side, participants had to rely upon their knowledge of the PROALAS protocols and bird identification by sound to yield the best data for their surveys. Participants displayed sheer professionalism and dedication, working together to improve their skills while braving the less than ideal environmental conditions (yes, we had some downpours!). The team discussed survey methods, assigned tasks, and helped each other with bird identification and equipment use.
Stream along the Vermont Nature Trail. (Photo by Mike Akresh)
Amonie Holas (Gaea Conservation Network) using a rangefinder to calculate distance during the survey on Vermont Nature Trail.
Ansaki Roberts (SVD Forestry Department) marking a point count station with flagging tape on the Vermont Nature Trail.
Participants conducting a point count survey at Vermont Nature Trail. (Photo by Maya-Wilson)
View from the parrot observation deck at Vermont Nature Trail. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Participants identifying and recording birds along the Vermont Nature Trail.
St Vincent Parrot quietly perched on a tree, Vermont Nature Trail. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Briefing before start of surveys at Montreal Gardens.
Participants identifying birds with Lystra Culzac-Wilson at Montreal Gardens.
A Purple-throated Carib sitting in her nest was spotted by Lisa at Montreal Gardens. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson).
On the last day we headed to the dry forest on the leeward side of the island at Zion Hill. Along the way we stopped at Buccament and Layou to survey waterbirds for the annual, regional Caribbean Waterbird Census, which was ongoing at the time. Bird identification reached a crescendo when Jeff set up the spotting scope for everyone to get a closer look at the shorebirds. The most popular among the group was an American Oystercatcher! We were all jumping back in line to catch a second look at this snazzy bird with its carrot-like beak.
Buccament Bay, St Vincent.
Jeanette (St Lucia National Trust) and Aloysius (St Lucia Forestry Department) looking for waterbirds at Buccament Bay.
Identifying waterbirds for CWC2023, St-Vincent. (Photo by Maya Wilson)
The Layou River in St. Vincent is an important freshwater site. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Caribbean Waterbird Survey at Layou Bay. (Photo by Maya Wilson)
American Oystercatcher using its unmistakeable red-orange beak to forage.
And the CLM Network grows
After a non-stop week of birding and learning, participants returned to their home countries to start the next phase—designing and implementing their own landbird monitoring programs, educating their communities about local landbirds, and contributing information to an accessible online Caribbean landbird monitoring database. This mass Caribbean capacity building is ultimately what these workshops are about. This type of training enables participants to develop sustainable and homegrown programs in their own countries, laying the groundwork for a future where our endemics can be known and protected through deeper appreciation, ongoing monitoring, comprehensive Conservation Action Plans and policy interventions.
In particular, we are excited to see the St. Vincent Forestry Department lead their own landbird monitoring programs to understand and conserve the St. Vincent Parrot, Whistling Warbler, and other forest birds. In addition, both Forestry and SCIENCE are raising awareness with children and communities about St Vincent’s special endemic birds and how important it is to protect their forest habitats. Stay tuned for further updates reporting on the results of our monitoring and education programs!
Participants shared how their workshop experience would support their own conservation work:
“I am now able to organize a [landbird] monitoring program for my island and use the eBird app.”
“The workshop deepened my understanding of landbird ecology and how to efficiently monitor these birds.”
“I really appreciated being able to connect with other Caribbean conservationists and build my network.”
“The workshop gave us the tools, equipment and knowledge to collect data about landbirds.”
The workshop “provided me with the necessary skills to properly survey a [bird] population.”
“It has increased my understanding of what should and should not be done when monitoring landbirds.”
Acknowledgements: BirdsCaribbean is grateful to the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for funding this Caribbean Landbird Monitoring Training Workshop. We also want to express our deepest appreciation to Mr. Fitzgerald Providence and his staff at the St. Vincent Forestry Department for their help and support, and to Vortex Optics for assistance with binoculars for all participants. Special thanks to our workshop trainers and to all of the participants for an incredible workshop. Finally, we thank BirdsCaribbean members, partners, and donors for your support, which made this work possible.
Behind-the-scenes
BirdsCaribbean has years of experience organizing and executing workshops and each one comes with its own unique challenges and opportunities. Here are some of the behind-the-scenes preparations for this CLM Training Workshop.
Getting there
Even though in some cases islands are miles apart, inter-Caribbean travel is rough. Economy flights are expensive between islands because airlines have to pay high taxes at each airport and each airline has fixed flight schedules. This meant some participants had to overnight on another island before flying to St. Vincent or leave St. Vincent a day later. Maya had to be methodical in selecting flights so that everyone got to St. Vincent on time for the start of the workshop. We suggest that Maya add ‘travel agent’ to her CV.
Field Reconnaissance
Workshop facilitators also have to scout for suitable locations for the field sessions. This entails selecting the site, visiting the site, collecting sample data and vetting for safety. During the recon mission at the Anglican Pastoral Centre, our very own member of the Media Working Group, Aliya, slipped and fell down one especially steep part of the trail. Although Glenroy told us “what happens in the forest stays in the forest,” we think it’s too funny not to share. Aliya admits that she is prone to falling but that this event stood out to her because it was “not an abrupt fall I am used to. I slowly slid down the trail and it felt like I was never going to stop!” We hope that Aliya and her legs have since worked out their differences.
Workshop and outreach materials
Flights are expensive and so is shipping to the Caribbean! Every opportunity to meet in-person is an opportunity to share printed materials and equipment. It really would not be a gathering of Caribbean people if suitcases of goods other than clothes were not brought to the event! We used this opportunity to share field guides, binoculars (again, massive thanks to our donors), rolls of flagging tapes, stacks of waterproof notebooks, nest cameras, Endemic Birds of the West Indies coloring books, and stickers.
Rolls of stickers of birds endemic to the Lesser Antilles. Each roll contains 1000 stickers. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Close-up of the Whistling Warbler sticker with the call to “Protect & Love Our Endemic Birds.”
The beautiful stickers were designed by Josmar Esteban Márquez featuring 11 Lesser Antillean gems; Green-throated Carib, Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Bananaquit, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Whistling Warbler, Scaly-breasted Thrasher, Lesser Antillean Tanager, Grenada Flycatcher, Mangrove Cuckoo, and St Vincent Parrot. They were custom-made for use by the various NGOs and government agencies partners during their conservation outreach and education activities at schools and thus bear the name of the bird with a call to “Protect & Love (heart symbol) our endemic birds.”
We underestimated the time it would take to divide and distribute stickers (1000 per roll per species). Since the workshop was coming to an end, we needed all hands-on-deck to cut and package the stickers for each of the NGOs and government agency representatives. Indeed, teamwork makes the dream work! But next time we’ll get a head start.
Workshop facilitators sorting, tearing and packaging stickers for our partners during the workshop.
Stephon and Antwone (Montserrat National Trust) receiving outreach materials from Lisa.
Kristy Shortte (Sustainable Grenadines) receiving outreach materials from Lisa.
Forestry staff receiving outreach materials from Lisa.
Aloysius Charles St. Lucia Forestry Department receiving outreach materials from Lisa.
Ajhermae White Montserrat Department of Environment receiving outreach materials from Lisa.
Kayroy Baptiste and Roxanne Froget (Union-Island Environmental Alliance) receive outreach materials from Lisa.
Children are natural explorers – some of whom are curious about birds. And why wouldn’t they be? Birds come in all colors, shapes and sizes. They sing sweet melodies, give funny chirps and whistles, and even make eerie sounds. But perhaps best of all, like superheroes and fairies, they can fly!
Birdwatching is a great way to nurture children’s innate scientific interests through the study of nature. This is what BirdLife Jamaica set out to achieve with their “Bring A Child Birding” event in May, which coincided with Jamaica’s observation of Child Month and the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. Emma Lewis, our Media Working Group Chair and member of BirdLife Jamaica, shared this lively retelling of the young birders’ first experience birdwatching at Hope Gardens, Jamaica.
One small girl found the binoculars weighed her down too much, so her father took them over.
Another girl (pre-teen age) was convinced that there were woodpeckers in the clump of bamboo; in fact, bamboo often makes all kinds of knocking and rattling noises when the wind blows. But we did see a real endemic Jamaican Woodpecker, with his blazing red head, a little later.
Several Common Moorhens tripped as fast as they could along the pond side to avoid the children’s cries–but were duly admired, anyway.
Two boys, guided by their father (a brilliant bird photographer), were busy counting Greater Antillean Grackles, who were making their usual “cling cling clii-ing” racket in a bush.
BirdLife Jamaica’s concept of staging a children’s birding session in Kingston’s beloved Hope Gardens was an absolute winner, straight out of the starting block. Since it was the first attempt, perhaps we could call it a “pilot project.”
The gardens themselves were remarkably busy, with what seemed to be a major picnic going on. Literally hundreds of children were spread across the grass, with the occasional lady and gentleman dressed up in wedding attire, for photo-ops. The noise level was terrific. I was disturbed to see how many cars were allowed in the gardens, however. There is quite a large parking lot. It should be a place to walk (or run).
We gathered in the shadiest spot we could find in the Chinese Garden, which was a little more sedate. We handed out binoculars and signed adults and children up. I think we had a total count of around fifty. The parents were protective, supportive and seemed to enjoy themselves. The children were kept so busy that only one or two had “meltdowns” towards the end of two hours or so of hard birding–quite understandable!
Splitting up into groups, each with an adult leader, we walked off in different directions, with our necks adjusted at different angles, to find birds. The children’s necks needed adjusting, too; it is not just about spotting a bird, but also training one’s binoculars in the right direction–the right tree, the right branch–to see it in spectacular detail. Also, one usually needs to fiddle with the binoculars so that it’s not all a blur, but actually matches your eyesight and fits your eyes comfortably.
The children soon became adept at spotting the birds when they weren’t too busy interacting with each other in various ways. Spotting them wasn’t a problem. Several children shouted, pointed, and jumped up and down each time they saw a bird! The objects of their interest were not very impressed with this behavior, often flying away from the shouting, gesticulating young humans. We had to explain to them that when birding you have to speak quietly, step lightly, and refrain from sudden movements. This is something, of course, that children are not naturally prone to do. We had to remind them to use their binoculars, too. This brings the whole birding experience to life.
Frequently heard comments were:
“I see it!”
“Where?”
“Oh, it’s gone!”
“Give me your binoculars!”
“I don’t see it.”
“Look, look, look!” (crescendo)
“My binoculars aren’t working!”
And more.
Below are some more photos, courtesy of Stuart Reeves, Kahlil Francis, and myself. We did not photograph the birds this time since we were focused on the kids watching the birds! However, apart from the more common residents such as Greater Antillean Grackle, White-winged Dove, Smooth-billed Anis and Zenaida Dove (plus a whole host of Cattle Egrets, pecking away at some freshly watered grass), we did spot some endemic species that live nowhere else in the world but Jamaica–the children found this fact surprising. There was the aforementioned Jamaican Woodpecker, Jamaican Parakeet, Yellow-billed Parrots, Jamaican Oriole (endemic sub-species), and the Red-billed Streamertail. A pair of much less common Black-billed Parrots (conservation status: Vulnerable) posed for a while on a bare branch.
Birdwatching in the Chinese Garden at Hope Gardens. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Practicing the birding on one knee technique. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Some participants could not contain their excitement. (Photo by Keisha-Miller)
Pop quiz time with Keisha Miller. (Photo by Stuart Reeves)
Winding down in the warm late afternoon sun, we handed out posters of Jamaican endemic birds to each young participant. Copies of my personal little “Bible,” A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica, by Ann Haynes-Sutton, Audrey Downer, and Robert Downer, were on sale. All went home quite satisfied as there was just no time to be bored. I think we have “converted” a few children to birding (and perhaps one or two adults, too). Moreover, I believe that the children enjoyed themselves, being away from their tablets, iPads and phones and appreciating nature.
I think it’s safe to say that BirdLife Jamaica pulled off a coup (the non-violent kind, of course). Many congratulations to Justin, Michelle, Keisha, Damany, Treya, Kahlil, Stuart and all the others that got involved to make it a roaring success! With special, special thanks to Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) and the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM) for their support.
BirdsCaribbean is proud to work alongside BirdLife Jamaica and we salute their efforts to protect the birds of Jamaica and their habitats. We were thrilled to learn of the positive experiences and hope that other NGOs in the region will also be inspired to make bird watching more accessible and enjoyable to the youth.
Hope Gardens, formally known as the Royal Botanical Gardens, comprises 200 acres of endemic and exotic botanical collections located in Kingston. It is the largest public green space in the capital and is often used for picnics, weddings, band concerts, poetry readings and birdwatching! The Gardens offer a variety of habitats for birds and other wildlife. Among the habitats are the Cassia Cassia siamea grove by the main entrance; a Palm Avenue, where sago palms are among the oldest living trees in the garden; a cacti garden with rare varieties; the annual gardens with numerous species of exotic flowers; a bougainvillea walk; an orchid house; a maze; a forest; the sunken gardens; and the lily pond.
BirdsCaribbean’s Caribbean Bird Banding Network recently held their second bird banding training workshop in the beautiful Dominican Republic. Read on for a delightful personal account of this workshop from local high-school teacher and dedicated Dominican biologist Elvin Manuel Vargas Estévez.
On the fresh morning of March 8th, 2023, in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life as a biologist would begin. I was participating in a Bird Banding Workshop organized by BirdsCaribbean. It sounds beautiful just to say it, but the true beauty lies in how and what happened there to consider it so valuable.
I must admit—I have always been a wildlife lover since I was a child. But my four-year-old self could never have imagined that I would have a bird in my hands, measuring its anatomical proportions, carefully observing the arrangement of its feathers, and eagerly looking for molt limits. However, today I feel immense excitement knowing that it is now part of my life, allowing me to continue to educate myself and contribute knowledge to avian conservation and society.
Setting up mist nets and sowing euphoria
On the first day of the workshop, my colleague Gerónimo Abreu and I were so excited to start the activities. We talked about what we wanted to do that day from the moment we woke up until we left our room. Once everything was ready, we headed to the main hall and dining room of the Ranch, where lead banding trainer Holly Garrod explained to us with great enthusiasm what we were going to do that day. With clear instructions, we took the necessary equipment and set off to explore the area that would be our morning workplace for the next four days.
The process of setting up mist nets is an art that is not as boring as it may seem. Well, it’s true that it’s probably not the most exciting part of a bird bander’s day, but there is a certain magic in the process. The first time I saw a mist net was during a bird banding demonstration that Holly did at the Botanical Garden in Santiago. There I learned that setting up and taking down nets is like a climbing sport. We drive stakes firmly or look for a stable attachment, and “climb with the net” to maintain tension at all times. How interesting! Something as methodical and procedural as setting up a mist net can become fun if you look at it with different eyes.
I remember how the other participants were attentive to everything that moved, what the trainers said, and what more experienced banders did. Throughout that first day, I kept learning about the nets, observing how the more experienced bird banders worked, and learned how to enter banding data while eagerly waiting to hold and band a bird for the first time.
“Don’t be afraid, you are in control, not the bird”
As a child, I used to watch many programs on channels like Animal Planet and Discovery Channel with deep curiosity, as I have always found wildlife fascinating. However, animals did not captivate me solely for their majesty, such as lions and other big cats, or for their incredible sizes, like hippos and rhinos. For me, the greatest treasure in observing an animal is being able to understand its unique behavior and social interactions, at both inter- and intraspecific levels. That’s why I was so amazed when I started focusing more on birds as my birdwatching hobby developed. As fellow ornithologists and birders know, there is nothing more unique than a bird’s behavior.
The first time I held a bird in the context of bird banding was at the Santiago Botanical Garden. I was given the opportunity to release a freshly banded bird and it was a beautiful experience. However, it pales in comparison to the moment when I released a bird from its bag, held it properly, and took the necessary measurements before banding it and then releasing it. This whole process was so exciting for me that it came with a mix of nervousness.
When I was about to process my first bird, Juan Carlos (JC) Hernández Ordoñez was the one supervising my work. I am infinitely grateful to JC as he helped me learn the proper technique and gain confidence to safely handle a bird. I remember very clearly how at the beginning my nervousness caused my hands to shake a little when taking measurements and analyzing the bird. It was then that I heard JC say, “Don’t be afraid, you are in control, not the bird.”
That is when I realized that my nervousness, perhaps driven by the fear of hurting the bird, was only adding stress that was being transmitted to the animal. If you are nervous and stressed, the bird you are holding will be too. But if you control the situation and remain calm, the bird you are processing will eventually calm down as well.
By the end of the course, about five birds had passed through my hands, and all but one showed no signs of stress that would warrant a premature release. It is amazing to have an animal in your hands for the right purpose, and then release it knowing that someone, another bird bander or even a birdwatcher, may encounter it some day in the future. The banded bird connects us to a shared conservation goal and binds us to it in an intimate way.
Molt, molt, molt!
Wait, who said that it was only about knowing how to handle a bird, taking it out of the net, and banding it for release? That’s excellent, but I’m sure you’ll be interested in knowing the age of the individual you’re holding, or at least an approximation. Why is it useful for us to know the age of the bird we’re banding? Well, among many things, it allows us to understand the ecological role that the individual is playing, or will play in the near future. If it has already gone through a reproductive stage, if it will seek to reproduce soon, if it has recently left the nest. Or if it is simply a fully mature individual that has been interacting with the surrounding ecosystem for more than two years. Of course, in addition to age, there are other things we can learn with greater accuracy with a bird in the hand, such as its sex or health status, which, of course, will help us quantify and infer more aspects of the bird’s life cycle.
Molt, also known in birds as the replacement of feathers, is key to bird banders. These patterns of feather replacement, or molt patterns, can help us determine the age of a bird. When I first learned about molt, I was amazed by the beauty of this natural process in all birds. I admit that at first my “operating system” almost failed due to so much information to process. At that moment, I realized how we were all connected by another common interest throughout the workshop: molt! It was incredible. If we were at the banding table, we talked about molt. During and after lunch: more conversation about molt. Before sleeping: a study session on molt. We were obsessed with learning more and more about molt, practicing the Wolfe-Ryder-Pyle (WRP) method (a system for aging birds based on their different plumages) countless times, and even immersing ourselves in Peter Pyle’s book “The Identification Guide to North American Birds” as if it were our “bible.” How much I enjoyed all of that! As my friend Daniela Ventura said, we were becoming “molt nerds” and we were enjoying it.
The best part is realizing that we never really stop learning, because Pyle’s book does not have all data about all birds. In fact there are birds for which we have little or no data. Those occasions when we encountered individuals with unique molting strategies, challenging molt limits, and deceptive alternate (breeding) plumages were the perfect setting for creating a session where trainers discussed what the correct code would be to describe the age of the bird, and the rest of us watched attentively as these interesting analyses unfolded. The fact that you can always come across these unique and challenging situations is, for me, part of the magic that birds hold in their molt strategies.
Birds Connecting the Americas
Undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful things about the workshop is the opportunity to meet people with similar interests and visions. Since we arrived at Rancho Baiguate in Jarabacoa on the afternoon of March 7th (a day before the official start of the workshop), we realized this benefit. After dropping off our luggage in the assigned room, we immediately went to dinner and sat at a table with Holly, Maya, Steve, and Zoya. From that moment on, we got to know each other and had many conversations about various topics, and it was very enjoyable. But if there’s one thing that stands out above all else, it’s how birds were the center of many of those conversations. Yes, I understand it may seem obvious, but even though we knew we would meet people who shared the same love for birds and conservation as we do, it’s always an indescribable pleasure to be able to talk and connect in person. Throughout the workshop, we met and interacted with incredible people, and we expressed our desire to work together on different approaches, always revolving around birds.
Coming together to learn. Holly teaches the group about molt. (Photo by Maya Wilson)
Making lasting connections at the bird banding training workshop. From left to right: Daniela, Gerónimo, Elvin and Zoya.
Participants at the banding workshop, earlier this year, in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Joshua Covill)
Examining a Hispaniolan Woodpecker wing for signs of molt. (photo by Josh Covill)
Elvin banding a Black-throated Blue Warbler (photo by Maya-Wilson)
Finding common ground with people who share similar research and conservation interests is great because valuable knowledge is shared in those encounters. However, this would not amount to much if genuine connections are not formed—concrete connections that allow for efficient and organized collaboration. That’s why we were all very excited with the presentation of the BirdsCaribbean Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) network and the Institute of Bird Population’s monitoring program for overwintering migratory birds, otherwise known as MoSI (monitoreo sobrevivencia invernal). It’s fascinating!
I want to express how thrilled and engaged we all were when the CBB network was introduced. The fact that we are being presented with a way to stay connected is more valuable than it may seem because it encourages more organized efforts: joint research proposals, shared databases, and fundraising for future projects. Similarly, I find the MoSI program incredible as it specifically focuses on connecting different bird banding stations where data on molt and plumage condition of banded species are provided. What does this do for us? It helps us primarily to understand how birds are changing their molt strategies, which, in addition to updating our records, helps us understand how species are being affected by various factors such as habitat loss and climate change.
My Plus/Delta
The Plus/Delta dynamic was key to the performance and experience we had in the workshop. Every afternoon, we took a moment to discuss the positives of the day (the “Plus”) and what we wanted to improve on in the next day’s work session (the “Delta”). It was very productive, as we listened to each other’s daily experiences, had the opportunity to share our achievements, and set goals for the next day. It is very gratifying to remember how, thanks to Plus/Delta, Gerónimo and I reflected on something that filled me with particular joy and satisfaction.
At the beginning of the article, I mentioned how after each morning’s banding session, we would casually talk about the things we were able to accomplish and say, “But tomorrow I want to be able to do this.” And that’s how, thanks to our trainers and fellow workshop participants, we were able to accomplish each and every one of those things we said we wanted to do.
My Plus, as some of us would say at the end, was the entire workshop. I am infinitely grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many incredible people through birds, and at the same time, learn so much alongside them. My experience was invaluable, and I am satisfied with everything I was able to achieve in those five days. The fact that I was able to band birds for the first time and know that I had the opportunity to contribute useful knowledge through it is amazing. The mini-courses on molt were amazing, our shared obsession made us connect so much that there was not a moment during the workshop when we were not making references to WRP codes or molt limits. Even during the farewell dinner, while we talked about everything, references to aspects of molt in birds would occasionally arise, and it was fascinating.
And what about my Delta? My Delta is a collection of things. It is clear that I want to continue to educate myself to grow this newly created wonderful network of bird banders in the Caribbean. In addition to that, I want to fight to make my country, the Dominican Republic, a place where ornithology, conservation, and science in general receive their deserved recognition and support from society and authorities. The love or curiosity for nature is in some way part of all human beings, but it is clear that not everyone can be expected to understand the complex ecological processes behind the beauty of the natural world.
Beyond that, I understand that in every nation, there must be a solid system where anyone willing to serve through scientific knowledge can find support and guidance. For this reason, one of my long-term goals (a goal that is shared by many of us attending the workshop) is to advocate for the reinforcement of the importance of avian conservation and government support for research related to it, both in the Dominican Republic and throughout the entire Caribbean.
About Elvin:Elvin Manuel Vargas Estévez, is biologist interested in bird behavior and avian conservation, from the Dominican Republic. He is a high-school science teacher at O&M Hostos School in Santiago and also volunteers with the Santiago Botanical Garden to survey and monitor the bird population in the Garden. Elvin is incredibly passionate about inspiring and educating the next generation of nature enthusiasts. He hopes to continue learning about birds and acquiring new skills that will help him make a positive impact in bird and wildlife conservation.
Acknowledgements: BirdsCaribbean thanks the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service International Programs, and all of our members and donors whose support helped make this workshop and our Caribbean Bird Banding Network possible.
To learn more about our Banding Workshops and Caribbean Bird Banding Network, check out the links below:
In 2022, Cuba held its first ever bird banding workshop, part of BirdsCaribbean’s ongoing efforts to build a banding community in the Caribbean. Find out more about bird banding in Cuba and about how the workshop went from Cuban bird bander and ornithologist Daniela Ventura.
The year 2022 was pivotal for bird banding in the Caribbean. Earlier in March, the first Caribbean Bird Banding Workshop was held in The Bahamas. Bird researchers and conservationists from several islands, attended with the goal of learning about ethical and scientific banding protocols and acquiring the skills to successfully run their own banding stations. The long-term dream is to develop a network of collaborators, spread across the region, that can contribute with insights into bird movements and population status of migratory and resident species. This event alone would have sufficed to call the year a landmark. But we Caribbeans like to think BIG.
Therefore, the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) partnered with BirdsCaribbean to host the first ever Banding Workshop in Cuba, which took place from November 4th to the 18th in Santiago de Cuba. Cuba being the largest island in the region with the longest banding tradition, is an essential part of this network. The goal of this workshop was ambitious: gather people and institutions with current banding protocols in the island to organize them into a National and Regional Banding Network and host a North America Banding Council (NABC) certification. NABC certification is widely accepted as the banding standard throughout the Americas. This is the certification that BirdsCaribbean is aiming to use as part of the Caribbean Bird Banding Network.
This workshop represented a milestone in my bird banding career. Back in March, I would not have imagined that my banding skills were going to be tested that soon. The NABC certification is a rigorous process of theoretic and practical exams that evaluates your abilities and knowledge in bird banding, according to the standards and practice of that institution. I accepted the challenge. It meant a great incentive to boost my skills, and if I became certified, I would be confident enough to pursue my long-cherished dream of starting my own banding station in Havana. With those motivational thoughts in mind, and the prospects of seeing some eastern endemic birds that I don’t get to see often, I embarked on the wearisome 12-hours bus trip to Santiago. It would prove to be worth it.
A very long and thin island
Havana, the capital city and my hometown, is 868 km away from Santiago de Cuba, the second most important city in the country, which is famous for its carnival and its scorching sun all year round. The tiresome road trip was endurable thanks to the best company I could possibly have: my friends Esteban Márquez and Juan Carlos Fernández (JC). Their good humor guaranteed the trip was joyful. Actually, sometimes I was just about to doze off and JC interrupted it with a joke. During the long journey to Santiago, we were picking up participants from other provinces.
The ride took us all night and so we arrived at our destination at the same time the first dawn chorus of birds began singing. The Ecological Reserve Siboney Juticí is a karstic landscape of marine terraces—ancient ocean floor now elevated gazing at the Caribbean Sea. The typical coastal shrubby and thorny vegetation is a paradise for migratory warblers and plenty of Cuban endemics, like the Oriente Warbler, Cuban Gnatcatcher, and Cuban Bullfinch. It was a perfect location for the longest running banding station in Cuba, named after the German scientist that was a pioneer of Cuban ornithology: Juan Cristóbal Gundlach. The first four days of the workshop were scheduled to be spent here, coinciding with the monthly period of banding sessions occurring at the station.
We arrived yawning and with sleepy eyes, only to meet an incredible welcoming committee. Freddy Rodríguez Santana, the leader of the station and the most dedicated and diligent workshop organizer, received us with a beaming smile. The station and protected area staff were also cheerful and active, almost as if it wasn’t 5 am in the morning! They seemed ready to start working and I, honestly, was only longing for a bed.
We didn’t have to wait for long for coffee and breakfast. Behind that magic brew that stirred us all a little, was the heart and soul of the banding station: Emelina. She is the keystone that holds the station and everyone together. Eme (as colleagues called her lovingly) is more than the excellent cook that prepares the delicious food and drinks that keeps you sane in the melting hot weather. She is also a kind and caring woman so all of us, workers and visitors alike, become instantly her spoiled children.
When the introductions were over, Freddy quickly rushed us to the rooms, so we could settle in and rest a few hours before the work started. The objective of the day was setting up the mist nests for the upcoming banding session, and to officially inaugurate the workshop.
Learning about Cuba’s longest running banding station
The workflow of a constant-effort banding station has a unique flavor. For twelve years, researchers of BIOECO and the staff of the protected area (some of whom have banding training and certification from Germany) have conducted monthly banding sessions at the reserve. Not even hurricanes nor a pandemic have stopped their committed work. We witnessed its smooth organization from the moment we arrived. Each person plays an invaluable role, from the field technicians that know the exact location of every single net, to the researchers that band the birds and take the data. Setting up the nets is an essential process of every banding protocol. A total of 22 nets are placed along three different trails. The park’s staff kindly took their time to show us and guide us through the process step by step. Left alone they would have done the job in less than half an hour. That is how well they do their job!
With the nets ready to start banding the next day, we headed to the classroom to receive the official welcoming. Thirteen participants from all around Cuba, and my friend Esteban from Venezuela, were going to receive training in the nitty-gritties of banding birds for scientific endeavors. Esteban’s main motivation, along with another three of us, was taking the NABC exam that would allow us to be the first Caribbean certified banders. Even though the stakes were high, we had the best teachers: Holly Garrod and JC Fernández, NABC trainers, and of course, the staff at the JCG station with their gathered experience of 12 years of nonstop field work.
A season of Blackpoll Warblers
I was expecting to meet and get a closer look at birds that I can’t find so easily at mist-nets in western Cuba. But Blackpoll Warblers were a treat beyond my wildest daydreams. I had the privilege to band a few of the dozens of individuals we caught during these three days. Blackpolls are world champions in the bird migration contest. Some individuals are known to fly up to 8,000 km from their breeding grounds in Alaska to their wintering areas in Brazil. They also take a route that leads them to fly out over the Atlantic Ocean sometimes three-days long without making any stop. That easterly path is the reason why they are more commonly found in places like Santiago, and very rare in the western side of Cuba.
Uncommon birds for me, but the daily bread for our banding colleagues in Santiago, were Cape May Warblers and Black-throated Blue Warblers. Cape-Mays can be very tricky to age and sex, because there are a lot of individual variability and overlap, but Black-throated proved easier for me. These challenges of new species were just exactly what we needed to get ready for the NABC exam. A bander must also be prepared to deal with species that he or she has never encountered before. That is why learning the theory behind molt strategies and molt extents in bird families in general is a requirement for getting a better understanding on the topic. And why we not only had the morning sessions at the banding table, but presentations about these subjects in the afternoons. Luckily, we had Emelina´s miraculous coffee to keep our brains working!!
Butter butts in the cloud mountains
Packing jackets and scarves are not something you would expect for a banding trip to Santiago, which is known as the “tierra caliente” or “hot land” to Cubans. But precisely because I am a daughter of the tropics, temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius already make me shiver. The second part of our banding training was going to take place in the cloud evergreen forest of Santiago’s mountains. From the melting sun and heat of Siboney, we moved to the chilly weather of Gran Piedra biological station. The landscape was surreal. We got up before dawn every day, only to walk into a never-ending cloud. We felt the moisture dampening our clothes and boots, and chilling our bones to the core… Ok ok, you might think I am exaggerating. But if you do not believe me, ask Holly, who knows the winter in cold Montana and was as frozen as me. Luckily, even the sun warms up there, so as the day grew old, the temperature got mildly cozy, neither too cold nor too hot—the perfect weather for banding.
And the perfect weather too for some northern warblers that do not usually migrate far south, it seemed. I had never seen a Yellow-rumped Warbler before, and for that week at Gran Piedra, I must confess I almost got tired of them. There were just too many, an incredible and rare event not only in Santiago, but in Cuba. These birds are known to be facultative migrants, which means there are years when most of the population ventures farther south, and there are others when they mostly stay close to their breeding areas. Scientists do not yet understand well the mechanisms regulating these cycles, but they believe it has something to do with their favorite food, caterpillars, which also have complicated population cycles. Imagine our bewilderment when during one net check there were 15 “butter butts” in just a single net, waiting for us to band them. They proved a “hard pill to swallow” because of the variation in their winter plumage.
Esteban and I were actually quite worried we that we might end up with a somewhat tricky Yellow-rumped during our NABC exam. And if you know Murphy´s Law, well as a matter of fact, that was just what happened. But it allowed us to practice our skills before the exam. An important lesson we learned during that week was that in this banding business, accuracy is better than precision. If we are not certain of a bird’s age or sex, it is better to be less precise by saying “I honestly don’t know”. Bander’s ethics are important not only regarding bird safety, but also to ensure the quality of the data we are gathering.
Uncovering the mysteries of Cuba’s iconic endemics
We also had the chance to band some of the more stunning and iconic endemics, like the Cuban Tody, Cuban Pygmy-Owl, and Cuban Trogon. The study of our resident birds has for a long-time been a pending subject of Caribbean ornithology. There are mysteries waiting to be unraveled and bird banding can allow us to unearth some of them. For example, it can help us decipher the reason behind todies having both blue and brown eyes. Or if there might be size or plumage differences among the sexes in trogons where males and females appear to look identical. I was lucky to band one of the two Cuban Trogons we caught at the nets. These were also the first Trogons ever banded in the Gran Piedra station!! This was a great opportunity for me to practice the cone-shape or “ice cream” grip, the handling method used for birds with short tarsus (the lower part of a bird’s leg) like trogons. Using the appropriate handling technique for each bird is one of the first lessons for a bander to master. Our aim is to always improve and update our knowledge and practice to ensure bird safety.
Testing Times
The days passed in a blur of banding practice in the morning, molt theory during the afternoons, and night outings to marvel at the pair of Stygian Owls that lived in the pine trees surrounding the banding station. But for the four of us who had a rapidly approaching and demanding exam, our days also included a lot of study of Pyle, the bird bander’s “bible,” looking through wing pictures, and reading of the bander’s study guide. Eventually, the first day of the certification arrived. The examiners put to test our abilities at extracting birds from the nets, and also our handling and banding skills. The practical exam also included the setting up of mist nets.
That afternoon, we had the most dreaded and unnerving part of the certification: the four-hour long written exam that comprised questions ranging from bird safety to molt theory. We needed a minimum of 80% of correct answers to be qualified as banders. I remember the feeling of relief when I handed my exam sheet to Holly. Evaluations were not finished yet, so I went to bed tired but at least more relaxed knowing that the toughest part was over. During the remaining sessions we were going to be examined in the use and understanding of the Pyle guide, and a test where we were expected to accurately identify species, age, and sex from 10 bird photos.
Supporting Success
As we were drawing near the end of the certification, exhaustion and tension were high. I must acknowledge the supportive spirit of the workshop participants, the station’s staff, and our examiners alike. They all put up their best smiles, and constantly cheered us on. Emelina almost fed us too much and made us drink nearly too much coffee. But I don’t have enough “thank you” words for every person that tolerated my stressful humor or made me laugh those days. I know that I owe them a huge debt that I can now call myself a NABC certified bander!!
For in the end, thanks to our trainers and all the support I received, I achieved my goal – I left the workshop as a NABC certified bander, as did Josmar! Later, two of my Cuban colleagues Carmen Plasencia Leon and Arnaldo Toledo, would finish the final portion of the exam and leave the second BirdsCaribbean Banding Workshop in the Dominican Republic (February 2023) as NABC banders. Back in Fall 2022, Zoya Buckmire from Grenada received her NABC certification whilst interning at Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) in Oregon. This means that in the last year the Caribbean Bird Banding Network has now helped the first five Caribbean banders get their NABC bander certification. This lays the foundation for the future growth of the network.
I said earlier that the Cuba Banding Workshop was a milestone. But it wasn´t because I proved myself in a challenging exam. It was the invaluable lesson that if we as a country want to have a broad understanding of our bird population dynamics, we have to work with a team spirit. We have to go for independence and self-sufficiency and develop our own research objectives, and training opportunities. This workshop was the first step towards that ambitious goal.
About Daniela:I have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and I am part of the Bird Ecology Group of the University of Havana. As a professor trainee I give lectures and seminars in Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology. I am also a graduate student. My research interests include bird population dynamics, movements, and migration. I am a passionate bird bander and molt nerd, and recently created a banding station at the National Botanical Garden in Havana, a dream project of mine. I believe that long-term monitoring of bird populations will greatly increase our knowledge about the ecology of our resident and understudied species, and will highlight the importance of Cuba and the Caribbean as a wintering and stopover site for Neotropical migrants.
Science communication and public outreach are also very close to my heart. Organizing activities for the Caribbean Bird Endemic Festival and World Migratory Bird Day, and managing the social media accounts of the Bird Ecology Group on Instagram and Facebook, perfectly combine my interests in bird conservation and public outreach. I am a fervent advocate of the idea that research needs to be shared in every step of the process, and that science must be taken out of the ivory tower of academia and be made by and for all people. Empowering locals and creating community alongside building conservation networks should be the goal of all Caribbean islands. As a proud member of BirdsCaribbean, my dream is to keep contributing to the development and success of bird research projects in the region, as well as educating the next generation of conservationists.
Acknowledgements: BirdsCaribbean thanks all of our members and donors whose support helped make this workshop and our Caribbean Bird Banding network possible.
Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. 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: Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo
Old Man Bird, as the local admirers call it, is a stunning bird endemic to Jamaica. This large cuckoo stands at 48cm (19in) and is distinguished by its thick, dark gray decurved bill, creamy white throat fading into pale gray on the breast, and contrasting chestnut belly and underparts. Its broad, long, dark gray tail is tipped with large white spots, while its legs are gray.
The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (Coccyzus pluvialis) is found in moist woodland, wooded cultivation, or open thickets in the hills and mountains of Jamaica. During the winter, it descends to lower elevations but is only found near the coast in the wettest places. It runs along branches like a large rat or sails silently on extended wings from one tree to another.
The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo feeds on lizards, mice, insects, caterpillars, nestlings, and eggs.
Even though the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is known for its hoarse quak-quak-quak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak call, which is most frequently heard from April to June, it makes a very quiet landing in trees. Its nesting period is from March to June, and the nest is an untidy platform made of sticks in the middle or upper canopy of tall mature trees.
While the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is fairly common and widespread in Jamaica, it is still important to conserve this species due to threats such as habitat loss, predation by non-native invasive animals, and climate change. To help conserve this bird, individuals can support organizations that protect and restore bird habitats, advocate for conservation policies, and participate in citizen science programs that monitor bird populations.
Overall, the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is a unique and fascinating bird that adds to Jamaica’s rich biodiversity. Its distinctive appearance, behavior, and call make it a remarkable species worth observing and protecting.
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 Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo
The call of the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is a low, growling “aahhhh” or long “quah-quah-aahh-aahh-aahh-aahh-aahh.”
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!
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: This year our theme for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life.” We want to highlight the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds.
We often see birds flying, preening, and feeding, but rarely do we see them drinking water. This does not mean that water is not important to birds.
Birds need water just as much as we do. Drinking water helps them regulate body processes like digestion. Water also keeps birds clean and cool on hot days when they take a splish-splash in a puddle, gutter, or backyard bird bath. Many birds also rely on wetland habitats, such as our ponds, salinas, marshes, mangroves, rivers, and coastal waters.
In our activity you can create your own poster to show how important water is to birds. Draw in the various ways birds use water!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo up high in a tree.
The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is endemic to Jamaica – it is one of many birds that can only be found on this Caribbean island and nowhere else in the world! Discover more about the endemic birds of Jamaica in our blog article about the launching of a new poster featuring beautiful illustrations of all these special birds. You will also find a link to download a pdf of this lovely poster.
We’ll be participating in this year’s Global Big Day (GBD)—the biggest birding day of the year—on Saturday, May 13, 2023, and raising funds to grow our Caribbean Bird Banding Network.
We are bringing back our popular teams competition, and celebrating together the bird diversity, excitement, and camaraderie that’s associated with Global Big Day.
Last year, Global Big Day virtually brought together more than 51,000 birders from 201 countries and submitted 132,000 checklists with eBird. This is the current world record for a single day of birding.
For BirdsCaribbean, the event was also successful—15 teams with members from 29 countries reported a total of 1,078 species and raised $13 734. We had so much fun doing this. Together we can make this year even better! Learn more below and on our Global Big Day GiveButter Teams page – join the fun here!
24 hours of learning, counting and sharing
During peak migration time in the spring, birders around the world head out to their favorite birding spots, or venture into new areas, to see, hear and record as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr period of time. This event helps scientists understand global bird populations and raises awareness of issues affecting them—and we need your help to do it!
No matter where you are, you can submit important data, via eBird checklists, about the birds around you. You don’t need to be an expert birder or spend the entire day looking for birds. Just 10 minutes of birding in your backyard or from your balcony will count too.
But birding is more enjoyable when done with a friend or a group. We are again calling on our community to bird together in virtual teams (you can decide if you want to join your national team or not) during Global Big Day. And engage in friendly competition to see which team can:
1) collectively see the most species of birds, and
2) raise the most funds.
Funds raised by BirdsCaribbean GBD participating teams will be used to grow our Caribbean Bird Banding Network by providing bands and other resources to Caribbean banders, providing more training opportunities and supporting bird banding projects across the islands.
If you choose to create a team, personalize it with a fun name, photos and your own lingo. NOTE: if you are outside the US or Canada, we will need to assist you with the first step of creating your own team; after this you will be able to manage the team (email Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org and she will get you set up pronto!)
All team leaders and members should then invite family, friends, colleagues, and members of your birding community to join your team and/or donate to your team. It helps to set your own personal fundraising goal to help your team reach its overall goal!
By inviting people to your team, you are
(1) raising awareness for BirdsCaribbean and the Caribbean Bird Banding Network,
(2) helping to raise funds for Caribbean bird research and conservation, and
(3) promoting Global Big Day, citizen science, and the importance of conserving birds and their habitats.
By doing so, you will have (1) helped advance knowledge of Caribbean birds through bird banding which gives us a more detailed look at birds’ life histories, and (2) encouraged that team to give it their all on Global Big Day.
and/or . . .
3. Committing to spending some time (or the entire day!) birding on Global Big Day (May 13), being sure to keep track of what you see and then entering that information into eBird. We hope everyone will do this, whether or not they join a team or fundraise.
This will be a fun event to fundraise for and get excited about birds! Be ready to visit birding hotspots or set yourself up in a safe place* and bird for as much of the day as possible, knowing that all of your teammates, friends, and BirdsCaribbean community members are doing the same!
If birding from the Caribbean, you should plan to submit your observations to eBird Caribbean. Then we’ll tally them up and see how we all did! We will send out more information about this as the event draws closer.
Why this is Important
The insular Caribbean is a critical region for birds. There are 176 species that occur here and nowhere else in the world! In addition, the islands provide a winter home for numerous migrants—many stay 6 months or longer while others rely on the islands as stopover sites to rest and refuel during their long journeys north and south.
The development of a strong regional conservation community, through capacity-building training and career development opportunities at the island level for local people, is critical to ensure the sustainable preservation of island birds and their habitats.
How your Donation Will be Used
This Global Big Day fundraiser will support the Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network, allowing us to continue providing bands and other resources to Caribbean banders, host more international training workshops , support Caribbean banders to attend internships (read about Zoya’s incredible internship at Klamath Bird Observatory) or other opportunities to practice and develop their skills, and grow and expand this network to more Caribbean islands.
The first webinar, ‘Banding Together – Creating the Caribbean Bird Banding Network, Part 1’ will be held on Friday, April 21 at 2 PM EDT. Join the BirdsCaribbean Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network live and learn what bird banding is, its applications and how it can change the future of Caribbean bird conservation.
The second webinar “Banding Together—Creating the Caribbean Bird Banding Network, Part 2” will be held on Thursday, May 4th at 4 pm EDT. Several Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network members, including Daniela Ventura del Puerto (Cuba), Zoya Buckmire (Grenada), Hector Andujar (Dominican Republic), and Dayamiris Candelario (Puerto Rico), will share what they have gained from being part of this initiative, and exciting plans for expanding bird banding in the Caribbean.
As with everything in the Caribbean, we will be successful when our whole community pitches in, so let’s do this together! We need your help to do this!
Team Up to WIN
Prizes will be awarded to
the team that raises the most funds
the team with the most creative name and stylish fundraising page
the team that sees the most bird species on Global Big Day
the “country/island team” that sees the highest proportion of their birds on Global Big Day (to control for differences in the number of species on each island!)
the team with the best “find” of the day (unusual, rare, plumage aberration, etc.)
the team with the best bird photo of the day (must be posted on eBird along with your list)
BirdsCaribbean is bringing you some highlights from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in our new feature “Just Published in JCO.” Here Zoya Buckmire, the Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, tells us all about a research note documenting the use of manmade materials by birds to build their nests.
As human influence over the environment increases, so too does the distribution of man-made materials in natural spaces. More and more birds are encountering human debris in their habitat and interacting with these materials in various, often life-threatening, ways, such as mistaking them for food or becoming entangled in them. In this research note, Hannah Madden and Hailley Danielson-Owczynsky document landbirds in St. Eustatius using human debris in an interesting but potentially dangerous way. Their observations shows how pervasive our impact is on the world around us.
But how did this study come about? Our authors found the first nest almost by accident. As they were doing some yard work at Hannah’s property, the two came across a Black-faced Grassquit nest with plastic woven through it. Though they didn’t think much of it at first, a few days later they regrouped and decided to intentionally search the surrounding areas for more nests to see how common the phenomenon was.
They found a total of 19 nests, two which contained man-made debris, including linen, cotton, and polyester fibers and twine and pieces of white and clear plastic bags.
The second nest (shown in the photo below), belonging to a Bananaquit, wasn’t even found by the authors! Hannah’s daughter Lalia takes the credit for that, as she tagged along to the field visit. “She has a very sharp eye,” commented Hannah. “She helped us find the second nest, located along a fairly busy road, that I had overlooked entirely.”
The biggest challenge to this research was the vegetation—acacia and other thorny plants provided many a hazard in the field. The authors were also discouraged by the “depressing amount of garbage in the vicinity, which of course, only makes this study that much more important.
The authors noted that the light-colored man-made materials may increase their visibility to predators leading to higher predation rates, but this needs further study. Their hopes are that their work “will encourage more people in the Caribbean to look out for man-made materials in landbird nests and conduct their own simple study,” said Hannah. “There is so little published literature about this phenomenon, yet it is likely a pervasive issue in the region.” Indeed, plastic pollution is severe throughout the Caribbean. Only through studying its many impacts on bird populations can we begin to understand – and address – this issue.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology is a peer-reviewed journal covering all aspects of ornithology within the Caribbean region. We welcome manuscripts covering the biology, ecology, behavior, life history, and conservation of Caribbean birds and their habitats. This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
BirdsCaribbean are bringing you some highlights from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in our new feature “Just Published in JCO”. Here Zoya Buckmire, the Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, tells us all about an article exploring the topic of Avian Malaria using data from Bananaquits.
Like humans, birds are susceptible to parasitic infections, including avian malaria. Similarly, they show variations in hemoglobin structure (a protein contained in red blood cells that is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to tissues) that 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 to 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.
This study came about from Humphries’ general interest in the varying distribution of avian malaria parasites and infections across the Caribbean. Bananaquits were a great focal species for this study, being so widespread throughout the region and with documented variability in their parasites among populations, even on the same islands!
The existence of a long-term dataset of Bananaquit blood samples, collected from 2004 to 2017 by Ricklefs and numerous former students of his graduate lab, perfectly set the scene for Humphries to dig into her questions. As the samples were already collected, Humphries was able to skip the field work and jump straight into data analysis. Humphries comments “Although I prefer being in the field in general, data analysis for this project was an adventure!”
She was able to design and optimize the protocols to analyze the blood samples, looking for a link between the structure of specific blood markers and infection by avian malaria parasites.
While the authors intended to study the structure of both alpha and beta globin (two key components of hemoglobin), they could not isolate the beta globin, they say “This is especially unfortunate because in humans, it is the beta globin that enables malaria resistance”. This important link may have had implications for human health and further studies of the disease in birds. For the alpha globin, the results were still not ‘significant’, as they did not find any relation between it and susceptibility to avian malaria.
Even though the study results were not as expected, there is always an opportunity to learn. Humphries still felt it was important to publish their results, and we agree. “Publishing null results is a good thing to do! This will save the next researcher the effort of asking the same questions I did and may stimulate someone else to track down that beta globin after all!” Plus, the alpha globin has potential as a genetic marker for further biogeographic studies, and this sets the foundation for a better understanding of population variation, avian malaria, and by extension, malaria in humans.
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”
BirdsCaribbean are bringing you some highlights from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology in our new feature “Just Published in JCO”. Here Zoya Buckmire, the Lead Copy Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, tells us all about an article characterizing the birdlife of Conception Island National Park in The Bahamas, read on to find out more about this paper, including an exciting story from the field.
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 100 years, with a whopping 68 species, three of which are Bahamian endemics.
Although this is a much-needed update to the bird list of the park, it was not birds that first drew the authors to Conception Island. Reynold and Buckner’s numerous visits to the area, between 1994 and 2017, focused rather on lizards and snakes. But they made the most of each visit by recording everything else they observed, including the birds.
Years later, as Reynolds compiled their collective data from over the decades, the team decided to collate and publish the bird list as they noticed a glaring knowledge gap. “All the other islands surrounding Conception Island had published bird lists, but Conception did not. Conception Island is one of the most important National Parks in the Bahamas, so we felt that we needed to characterize the bird fauna there.” And what an important characterization it is! The last bird lists for the area were published in the late 1800s and did not exceed 13 species; the new estimate of 68 species is a fivefold increase and a testament to the ecological value of the National Park.
As is often the case with nature, nothing can be studied in isolation, and in 2015, the authors’ herpetological (reptile-based) and ornithological (bird-based) interests collided. Reynolds gives the following anecdote: “My favorite moment was in 2015 when I found an endemic Critically Endangered silver boa stalking a sleeping Cape May Warbler in the middle of the night. The boa stalked it for about 10 minutes, then lunged to grab it and missed! The boa ended up with a mouth full of primary feathers, and the bird escaped.The boas were only discovered in 2015, so before that we had no idea that a large predator might be hunting the birds on the island. It turns out that the boas hunt the migratory birds as they rest on the island!”
It is always fascinating to witness nature in action, and we only wish that he had gotten a video of that moment!
This study was not without its challenges, of course. The difficulties of conducting research in the Caribbean are only amplified on remote islands. Expenses were a major limitation for Reynolds and Buckner. Trips to and stays on Conception Island were limited by their budget, so they had to maximize each visit. They did this by spreading their efforts over as many locations and at as many different times of day as possible. This produced bird data that was not systematically collected nor suitable for in-depth analyses, but perfect for the inventory presented here.
As for main takeaways, Reynolds and Buckner want to emphasize that “Conception Island is a tremendously important island for Bahamas wildlife, [and] it is hard to overstate how important it is,” both for seabird breeding colonies and as a stopover for migratory birds.
They are hopeful that this research highlights the value of the Conception Island National Park and the need to both study and protect it. The authors themselves have not been back to the area since 2018 due to changes in The Bahamas’ scientific permitting process, but hope that this paper serves as a step in the right direction. Conception Island National Park is a treasure, and further research will be critical for its continued management and conservation.
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.
Dayamiris Candelario and her husband Omar traveled from their home island of Puerto Rico to the Willistown Conservation Trust in Pennsylvania for a one-month bird banding internship. As someone new to bird banding it was a steep but rewarding learning curve for Dayamiris. Find out more about her experiences in her blog post below.
“In my hand I held the most remarkable of all living things, a creature of astounding abilities that eludes our understanding, of extraordinary, even bizarre senses, of stamina and endurance far surpassing anything else in the animal world. Yet my captive measured a mere five inches in length and weighed less than half of an ounce, about the weight of a fifty-cent piece. I held that truly awesome enigma, a bird.” (A. C. Fisher Jr.)
My work as an environmental educator at Centro Ambiental Santa Ana, a nature center located in an urban forest in Puerto Rico, involves many activities in bird education. As a member of staff for more than twelve years, I have presented many Endemic and Migratory Birds Festivals and birdwatching workshops for urban residents of the island.
It is here, while preparing for these activities, that my interest in birds peaked. I was often in awe at how these tiny and fragile beings could face so many perils throughout their lives. My daily tasks as an interpretive guide emphasize birds as a key to get my audiences hooked in our Puerto Rican nature. But before the experience that I’m about to narrate, a question always lingered in my mind: “How many secrets do birds hold to overcome their life’s obstacles and still live amazing lives?”
A beautiful setting for bird banding
It was a serendipitous invitation that brought me closer to getting answers to my questions about birds. I was invited to release a live Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) on September 1st of 2022, just after arriving at the Rushton Woods Preserve Bird Banding Station in beautiful Pennsylvania, a natural protected area managed by the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT).
I was beginning my one-month bird banding training internship with my husband, Omar, hosted by the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT), in collaboration with BirdsCaribbean, the Powdermill Avian Research Center of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and the Northeast Motus Collaboration.
We stayed at the beautiful historic house located next to the Rushton Farm, part of the Preserve. We felt the chilly autumnal breeze in the grasslands, bushes, and meadows. I let the sweet scent of the goldenrod flowers fill my lungs, while listening to the soft rocking of tree branches as the wind commanded their movement. Whenever we walked towards the bird banding station at dawn, we heard the lively chirping and tweeting of the birds. We wanted to learn as much as we could. After participating in the bird banding training activities, which started very early in the morning until almost midday, we would work remotely in our respective jobs. And in the evenings, we would devour all the literature that the Bird Band Station uses for their activities.
From a beloved pet bird to a wild bird
I still remember what I felt when Blake from WCT put the bird in my hand to let me release it after it was banded. I have held a live bird before: my dear Chuqui, a Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) that taught me that her dearest person EVER was my husband. He died at fifteen years of age in the hands of her beloved. I learned about Chuqui’s juvenile and preformative plumage; how to correctly sex her (we thought she was a male until she started laying eggs!); her molt once per year (and the mess of feathers that would follow); and how to not expose her to artificial light to avoid her laying eggs. I remember feeling her tiny bones and observing carefully the differences of her body feathers from the wings and tail.
Our experience at WCT was different, however, because I was touching for the first time a bird that faces the daily challenges of being wild and free—the “Green Fire,” as described by Aldo Leopold in the film, “A Land Ethic Of Our Time.” I remember feeling the vibration of the Gray Catbird’s body, the warmth of its belly, and how it grabbed my fingers tightly with its toes. That was my first encounter with the daily work of education, research and conservation of this bird banding station, which has been operating for 14 years, as part of the WCT’s Bird Conservation Program.
How (or how not) to extract a bird
In the following weeks, Lisa Kiziuk, Director of the Bird Conservation Program, and her staff introduced me to the station’s inner workings as well. I learned the proper timing and setting up of mists nets and their location; how to extract birds from nets ;the different bird banders’ grips to ensure birds are handled safely ;the most common species banded; species that are selected for radio tags to detect migration patterns; and the different sizes of bands used. Measurements were taken to determine population health, habitat preferences, and to detect changes that could signal a threat. Some of these measurements are: the wing chord, weight, fat deposits, molt, and aging, which was the most challenging for a novice like me.
I remember how frustrated I was the first time I tried to extract birds because I was fearful that I might hurt them. I later realized that bird extraction is a puzzle with a time limit—you need to figure out in a short time how to free wings, head, legs, and feet from the thin and entangled fibers of the nets. In particular, I had some delightful moments of laughter from my encounters with the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). After several failed attempts at the net to extract them, they escaped and looked at me triumphantly from a nearby branch! In the end I did extract one, but it still got away when I was about to band it! Thanks to the patient training, supervision, and guidance of Lisa and her staff, my final bird banding tally was 41 birds from at least eleven different species – most en route to their southern journey, and some not commonly seen wintering in Puerto Rico.
The meow of the Gray Catbird and the blue of the Blue Jay…
One of the most common species at the station, the Gray Catbird, was very memorable because it is not as common in Puerto Rico. Therefore, whenever this bird is spotted in the island, a generalized buzz from birders would follow in order to watch and hopefully listen to this bird’s peculiar “meowing” while wintering in the Caribbean. I proudly banded 16 of them (comprising 40% of my first bird banding training batch) – which created envy among my local fellow birders!
The Northern Cardinal also left a memory and some bite marks in my fingers too!! I was told this species was a “biter” and I can proudly declare that I survived its powerful beak. Also, I was in awe when I had the pleasure of banding a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) – a beautiful and HUGE bird that stayed calmly in my grip while I banded it. I did observe its exceptionally long feathers (resembling silky hair) as I blew on its head, breast and belly looking for molt and fat deposits. I have never seen a blue so magnificently blue!!
…And a very special bird
But I have a special place in my “bird bander’s” heart for the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). I will never forget how I often peeked at the bird bag to take hold of it. I always found a beautiful large eye looking at me. Next, I would feel the warmth of its round belly, while its bright brown and streaked plumage seemed as if it was painted on the bird. Some other species that I banded included: Swainson’s Thrush (Catahrus ustulatus), Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus), American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus), and Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens).
Motus installations and wild apples: A great learning opportunity in Vermont
We also learned from WTC about efforts through the Northeast Motus Collaboration to promote bird conservation through research, especially by installing antennas to track the movements of birds in the northeast of the U.S. We accompanied the antenna installation team in their task of installing three antennas in the beautiful state of Vermont: one at Bennington College, another at Wolcott Research Station at the University of Vermont, and the last one in Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Jeffersonville. Assisting them in installing these antennas with their metal tubes, cables and bolts served as a reminder of the amount of background work involved in installing all this infrastructure, all to aid ornithologists and researchers as they seek to understand bird movements.
On a funny note, I also discovered that you could easily find wild apples to eat in many places in Vermont!
Thanks to WTC, we had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay for a few days at the Powdermill Nature Reserve to learn about the operation of its Avian Research Center, part of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History of Pittsburgh (CMNH). We observed a major bird banding operation at one of the oldest bird banding stations in the U.S., 60 years in operation. We were amazed at the number of mist nests they could operate with a small staff. We also learned about the research being carried out onsite to determine the best glass window materials to prevent bird collisions. We got to know many of the staff from the station and some other personnel from the Museum, who invited us to visit their avian specimen collection. We took a good look, and asked a million questions.
Kindness and support for a “newbie” bird bander
For me, a newcomer in bird banding, I have to say that I was very fortunate to be able to answer my existential question about birds because of all the kind, patient, and warm people that offered us their best skills, knowledge, guidance, food, coats, places to stay, opportunities to meet new people, jokes and laughter, making us feel at home and ready to learn while being away from Puerto Rico. From the WTC there was Lisa, Fred, Allison, Blake, Aaron, Shelly, Kirsten, Todd, Phyllis, and Holly; and at CNMNH Cheyenne, Cullen, Annie, Lucas, Loren, Mallory, Rose, and Serina.
Birds inspired me, and brought us together
As I write this article, I am in the middle of my second opportunity to train in bird banding – this time in my home island, learning with resident species and Holly Garrod, Project Manager of BirdsCaribbean’s Bird Banding Program, which is working hard to build capacity for banding in the region through workshops, providing bird bands, and banding internship opportunities, like this one.
I thank all of the people who inspired me to want to become better at this new skill. Fingers crossed that in the near future I will become a certified bander. This will help me amplify my capabilities and skills as an Environmental Scientist and Educator, furthering the conservation of birds as a gateway to the conservation of all Nature.
The birds’ wings, molts, beaks, songs and amazing journeys did much more than just existing. The birds succeeded in uniting people from different backgrounds, languages and cultures, who continue to work, in awe of their amazing superpowers.
Dayamiris Candelario is an Environmental Manager that works currently as an Environmental Educator for Centro Ambiental Santa Ana, a nature center located in an urban forest in the island of Puerto Rico; and as a Coordinator for the Blue Flag Program for Organización Pro Ambiente Sustentable. Daymi is also a Certified Interpretive Guide from the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), and uses these skills to provide meaningful experiences to Puerto Rican children about their local nature. Her experience involves environmental education initiatives, many focusing on endemic and migratory birds, in outdoor informal settings, community projects, and research on air pollution and karst ecosystems. In her free time, she enjoys birdwatching, drawing and painting nature, traveling, writing, and hiking in natural areas.
What would entice a small-island girl from Grenada to fly all the way to southern Oregon to live in a cabin in the woods for 3 months? Birds, of course! Seeing birds, hearing birds, and the coolest opportunity of all: getting up close and personal and banding birds. Here is how it all went down:
Last summer, at the end of July, I ventured out to Oregon to join the Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) for a 3-month long bird banding internship. This internship was a follow-up to BirdsCaribbean’s Bird Banding Workshop in The Bahamas, which I was fortunate to attend.
This was where I finally—after years of being interested in banding and having witnessed several banding operations—finally began to understand the fundamentals of molt (the process by which birds replace their feathers in a predictable pattern). The Bahamas was great, but needless to say, one does not become a proficient bird bander in 5 days. At the end of that workshop, molt was only just beginning to click for me, and I was eager to learn more and get more hands-on practice with birds.
From Tropical Heat to…Oregon Heat!
So off I went. After a 24-hour-long journey, of which about 12 hours were spent in the air, I arrived in Medford, Oregon, in the midst of a massive heatwave. I definitely did not expect it to be hotter in high-elevation, high-latitude Medford than it was in my tropical home I’d left the day before, but temperatures were indeed over 40°C. The drive to my home for the next few months—a literal cabin in the Upper Klamath woods—was scenic, with sprawling ranches and beautiful forests along the mountain roads. Along the way, I also got glimpses of the Klamath Lake, a small aquatic consolation for this island girl. I settled in quickly, getting to know my housemates and new colleagues over the weekend as we prepared for banding in the coming week.
Banding, Day One: A Quiet Start
August 2nd was my very first day of banding, and we were off to a busy start. In some ways, I was thrown into the deep end—immediately incorporated into the crew and put to work as we set up nets and ran the station each morning. However, in other ways, it was a slow burn before I started to get the hands-on practice I craved. My first few weeks consisted of mostly scribing as others banded, observing the operation and flow of the station carefully, and assisting with tasks like set-up and takedown. I flipped a lot of pages looking for reference material in Pyle, the “Bird Bander’s Bible”, and was always ready to shine the spotlight when needed to skull a bird (“skulling” is the process of checking how well-grown a bird’s skull is to figure out its age).
Hands on banding! Holding is Believing…
On August 17th, I banded my first bird at KBO, a Nashville Warbler, and from then, the pace certainly picked up. By October 14th, our last official day of banding, I had been privileged to handle just under 280 birds, whether I extracted them from the net or banded them myself. These 280 birds were of 45 different species, many of which I had never even seen before going to Oregon. I had previously visited the west coast when I briefly lived in Vancouver, B.C., during the pandemic (summer 2020) and did some socially-distanced birding where I saw the usual suspects like Bushtits, Steller’s Jays, and House Finches.
But still, observing the strange behavior of a Northern Flicker on a lawn is very different from holding one in the hand and noticing amazing details like their heart-shaped belly pattern. Nor does seeing a majestic Cooper’s Hawk soar overhead compare to holding it like an ice-cream cone and launching it (safely) into the air after banding it. I feel truly honored to have been so “up close and personal” with so many different birds – and to learn something new and interesting about each of them during my time there.
The many skills I learned
Before going to KBO, I had handled and processed a few dozen birds (< 50 total), of tropical species like the Bananaquit, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, Spectacled Thrush, and Caribbean Dove. These opportunities were primarily in Grenada with the Koper Lab of the University of Manitoba, and more recently, in the Bahamas at the March 2022 workshop. However, I had applied bands to very few of those birds (less than 10) and was only vaguely familiar with proper application technique and the process of aging and sexing.
Throughout my 3-month internship, I learned so much about mist net setup, extraction, proper handling technique and modifications for various sizes of birds, band sizing and application, assessment of molt limits, aging and sexing of birds in the hand, and data management. Since I plan to establish my own banding station in Grenada, these skills are invaluable for me to have as primary bander. KBO also filled the knowledge gaps I had about aging birds, particularly molt, molt limits, and the use of WRP—an updated system of terminology for aging birds based on cycles. The most valuable skill I learned, in my opinion, is skulling, which will be incredibly useful in aging my resident birds in Grenada that potentially have year-round breeding seasons. I am very excited to put that skill into practice at home.
A wooden canoe, and nerdy indoor games
The internship was not all work, thankfully. My crew mates and I had a few opportunities for fun, including making the most of our grocery runs to the nearest town 30 minutes away by thrifting to our hearts’ content—my field wardrobe has nearly doubled, and everything was secondhand! We were granted the use of a nearby cabin on the Klamath Lake, affectionately called “Boathouse,” where we could go kayaking and canoeing through the marsh. Regrettably we only went once before the weather got too cold for unnecessary outdoor adventures, but my first time in a real-life wooden canoe was magical, even though I failed in my quest to see beavers. More often, we huddled up at home in the cabin and played games; one of my crew mates brought quite the collection with him, and nearly every week we had a new board or card game to try out.
“Wingspan” was an instant favorite, to no one’s surprise, and we adapted the game to double as study time. Each time we drew a bird card of a species that we caught at KBO, we went around the table giving “fun facts” about the species including its band size, molt strategy, and aging/sexing criteria (nerdy, I know!). All of these moments of downtime went a long way in helping the crew to bond and breaking up the monotony of fieldwork with a bit of fun.
An International Flavor, and Some Language Learning
Our crew was also quite diverse. The three Americans—from Illinois, Texas, and South Carolina—were joined by Colombian, Mexican, British, and Grenadian interns, making us one, big, happy international family. For me, the coolest part was hearing all about everyone’s banding adventures in their home countries and states, and all the other places they had worked, from Alaska to Ontario to New York to Costa Rica. It was amazing to know that, even with these varied backgrounds, we had all come to KBO with the common purpose of learning more about birds and banding, and hopefully, getting certified to do what we love.
I grew especially close to the two Latin American interns, who taught me not only about molt in tropical birds—which differs in important and fascinating ways from temperate, migratory birds—but also, so much Spanish. We spoke often as we tried to learn each other’s languages, and while I would not claim to be fluent in Spanish (yet), I do definitely know a lot more about “la muda y la vida ahora.”
Smoke, Bears, Rattlesnakes, Oh My!
Of course, the internship was not without its challenges. Southern Oregon is fire country, and we often had to adjust our plans around fires in the area, and sometimes, work through some degree of smoke. One of the sites is located atop a mountain, and the mile-long hike to get there did not always agree with my arthritic knees. We had to be mindful of bears everywhere—and the crew did have a few close encounters—and keep an eye out for rattlesnakes at one site. I took more than one fall in the field and I have the scars to show for it.
The hours were long, mornings were often cold (sometimes with 0°C starts), and the work was exhausting at times, but the good always outweighed the bad. Not only did we get to work with birds and collect important data for their conservation, but we also got to share that with the public. We had several outreach opportunities, most of which were at the Crater Lake National Park in partnership with the National Park Service, and people of all ages were excited to see us in action and especially excited to help release a bird. I remember my own first time releasing a bird in 2017 with the Koper Lab, and that obviously sparked an interest in me that has brought me here all these years later..
Plus-Delta-Plus: Assessing Our Day
One KBO tradition that I grew quite fond of was our daily check-in of Plus-Delta-Plus (or High-Low-High as our British crewmate sometimes called it). At the end of each banding day, after summarizing our effort and captures, each of us had to identify two things that went well (our pluses); and one thing that maybe did not go so well or an area for improvement(our delta).
Pluses often included progressing in or mastering a certain technique (skulling, anyone?), noteworthy team dynamics and communication, good banding flow and keeping up with the pace of the day. Extra-cool captures of birds, such as the one day we caught and banded a Pileated Woodpecker, were definitely Pluses! Deltas were equally varied, from breakdowns in communication or teamwork to physical stresses or injuries. Deltas often included areas for improvement, such as realizing that we didn’t understand an aspect of molt quite as well as we thought we did. Having a space to reflect on the day, and sandwiching the “bad” with the “good”, was a great way to not only check in with ourselves but also with our teammates. This is definitely a ritual that I would like to incorporate into my own banding station going forward.
Testing, Testing…Certification!
I gained so much knowledge over my 3 months in Oregon, but knowledge is often intangible. One of the few tangible and recognized measures of banding competency (in this Hemisphere) is a certification from the North American Banding Council (NABC). At the end of October, our entire crew got certified as either Banders or Trainers! In full transparency, I did not expect to be able to pass the certification when I started my internship in July, as the big end-of-season evaluation was daunting. I thought I would be at a disadvantage since I was the least familiar with the birds in the area.
The NABC certification process typically includes a written exam, specimen exam, and an intense field session, where you are observed banding-in-action. This system has worked for years, but is prone to inducing nerves and failure, as a lot of pressure rests on just one day in the field. Thankfully, KBO recently implemented a programmatic certification process, which changes the traditional model of testing everything at the end to testing bits and pieces as you go. We used the “Bander’s merit badge checklist” to evaluate important knowledge and skills throughout the fall. Individual skills—like ability to measure a wing formula or correct application of a band—were checked off by demonstrating competence in the field.
These practical tests were spaced over several weeks, and allowed us time to improve and incorporate feedback if we did not succeed on the first try. We still had to complete the written exam, but having continuous evaluation rather than one field test really took the pressure off. Our performance was then independently reviewed by Trainers at the Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory during our visit, and voila, everyone passed! I am very proud to be one of the first NABC-certified Banders from Grenada, and also one of the first under this BirdsCaribbean Landbird Monitoring Program – which is sure to build a lot of capacity throughout the region.
A Weekend in Humboldt Bay
The weekend at Humboldt Bay was the perfect end to the season. It is the banding station of field ornithology legend Dr. CJ Ralph, and our visit coincided with his famed end-of-year party. We arrived on Thursday 20th October after a five-hour drive from southern Oregon to northern California. We spent the day on Friday banding at their station, followed by a bonfire barbeque. The next day there was a mini-conference, where we all presented on various topics related to banding; the keynote was a fascinating presentation on the results of a long-term banding dataset in Brazil. We ended the day with an award ceremony of sorts, and the much-anticipated end-of-year party where we mingled with banders from both observatories.
On Sunday, we drove back to the Upper Klamath, but not before stopping to sightsee along the way. Several stops at the redwood forests and the Pacific Ocean later, we got back home to several inches of snow on the ground. Our last week at the cabin was cozy; we kept the fire roaring out of necessity, but were also incredibly busy as we scrambled to pack up our things, pack up the cabin, complete data entry, and overall wrap up the banding season.
Goodbyes…And Appreciation
We began saying goodbye to various crew members, starting in California and ending at the airport where I bid adios to my Colombian friend and started the equally long journey home. All in all, my time at KBO was an incredible learning experience where I learned about myself as much as I did about banding; made lasting bonds with people I may have never encountered otherwise; and gained amazing insight into the world of banding and bird conservation.
KBO was so welcoming, both the place and the people, and I look forward to going back someday; as they say, we are all KBO “famigos” now. Our trainer, Claire, was exactly the tough but compassionate teacher I needed. She has really helped me to be the best bander I can be. I’m especially excited to be home and to start applying everything I’ve learned to the study and conservation of my local birds. I have BirdsCaribbean to thank for this opportunity. Words can hardly express how grateful I am for the chance to intern at KBO last year, and I am so excited to see what comes next with this evolving Caribbean Bird Banding Network. Thank you, BirdsCaribbean and KBO!
Zoya is a conservation biologist with varied passions, including birds, the beach, and writing/editing. She recently completed her Master’s in natural resource management and has a love for coastal ecosystems, especially mangroves. Zoya is excited to use her bird banding experiences at KBO and elsewhere in the Caribbean to learn more about the understudied resident and endemic species in her home country, Grenada.
We are very proud of Zoya for successfully passing the rigorous NABC (North American Banding Council) exam and becoming a certified Bander. She is just one of three persons in the Caribbean who are now certified. All three received certification in 2022, as part of our new Landbird Monitoring Program which aims to build capacity for bird monitoring, banding, and MOTUS in the Caribbean. We thank the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund for support for this project.
On the island of St. Martin, the Les Fruits de Mer association recently released the book Suddenly, Sargassum! The book digs into the sudden arrival of this floating seaweed, which is a threat to ecosystems and livelihoods. But sargassum is also a resource and habitat for many kinds of life both in the sea and on the land. The book, full of beautiful photos and informative text, is available in English and French on the association’s website as a free download – check it out and feel free to share with others.
Birds and Sargassum
Wherever there’s sargassum, you will probably find birds. Many different kinds of birds look for food in and near sargassum. The sargassum can help them find food in several ways.
When sargassum is floating in the water, schools of small fish hide underneath it. Birds like the Royal Tern and Brown Pelican dive into the water near sargassum patches to catch these fish.
When sargassum collects in shallow bays, long-legged birds like the Great Egret stand in the water and pick food out of the sargassum. Sargassum Swimming Crabs are probably one of the things they hunt this way.
When sargassum is on the shore, shorebirds are often picking through it to find amphipods and other small animals to eat. Most of the shorebirds in the Caribbean are long-distance travelers that spend the fall and winter months here, and the summers in North America.
There are even a few land birds that use sargassum. Barn Swallows are small birds that eat flying insects. When sargassum is rotting on the beach, it often has clouds of flies above it. Barn Swallows will fly just above the sargassum to catch them. The Gray Kingbird, which usually isn’t near the beach, will sometimes catch flying insects by sargassum, too.
A Feast for Guests
Migratory birds spend their summers up in North America, sometimes as far north as the Arctic Circle. That’s where they nest and raise their chicks. When it gets colder up there, they fly south to the Caribbean and South America. Most begin to arrive between August and October.
Shorebirds usually live near beaches and ponds. They mainly eat little animals living in water, mud or sand. They often have long legs for standing in mud or water. They have long bills for digging around to find insects, crabs, snails and other foods. After the long flight to the Caribbean, they must rest and eat. They seek out coastal areas and shallow ponds where they can live and find food until they fly back north in the spring.
Spring is usually our hottest and driest time of the year, and it usually gets rainier over the summer. This makes the ponds healthy and full of food by the time these birds arrive. However, in recent years summers have been very dry. Some ponds have been drying out completely and don’t refill until rain comes in the fall. When the shorebirds arrive, they are empty.
Over these same years, sargassum has been arriving in the spring and summer. It piles up on the beach and is full of tiny creatures these shorebirds can eat. If the ponds are dry, these birds go to the beach to find food in the sargassum.
Migratory shorebirds have found amazing ways to live their lives. They travel thousands of kilometers north each year to find a safe place to raise their chicks. They cross seas and avoid hurricanes to travel back south. They know which places make the best stops in between. As climate change has made the summer drier, they have adapted again, finding food in the sargassum when the ponds are dry.
Sargassum Bird Guide
Wherever you see sargassum, you will probably see birds. There are more than 30 kinds of birds that hunt for food in sargassum. Many of them are birds we normally see at sea or on the beach. Others are usually found inland or on ponds. In just a few years, all of these birds have learned to use the sargassum.
In this guide there are sixteen kinds of birds that are commonly seen around sargassum on the island of St. Martin. Scientists are still learning which birds use sargassum and how. If you write down your observations of birds using sargassum, you can contribute to this research.
A mixed group of shorebirds forages for food on a sargassum-covered beach. In this photo there are dowitchers, plovers, sandpipers and turnstones.
Seabirds
Some seabirds hunt for fish near sargassum in the open ocean like the Sargasso Sea. The sargassum attracts fish because it provides food and shelter for them.
The Royal Tern and the Laughing Gull are birds that hunt near sargassum in the open ocean. The Brown Pelican is a bird that stays near land. It learned to fish near sargassum when the seaweed started arriving.
Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) – This tern (below) hunts near sargassum in the open ocean and near the shore. It dives for fish around the edges of sargassum mats in the water. It catches one fish at a time in its bill, so it doesn’t accidentally eat sargassum.
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) – Diving into the sea, Brown Pelicans catch fish in their giant throat pouch. They drain water from the pouch before swallowing, but they may also eat a lot of sargassum. We don’t know if this is bad for them.
Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) – These gulls migrate. They live here from April to October. They feed in sargassum on shore and in the water. On land, they stomp on sargassum, perhaps to expose small animals that they can eat.
Herons
Herons are birds with long legs and pointed bills. White-colored herons are often called egrets. Most herons live near water. On St. Martin, they are usually found by ponds and mangroves.
Herons are very smart and quick to adapt. When fish are trapped in a drying pond, they will gather to eat them all. If their pond dries up, they will hunt for lizards and insects.
Herons and egrets hunt in the sargassum in the water and on shore. It can be an important place for them to find food when ponds are dry.
Great Egret (Ardea alba) – With its very long legs, this egret often wades out to hunt for fish and crabs in the sargassum mats floating near the shore.
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) – Flocks of Snowy Egrets (below) are common around beached sargassum. They pick through fresh sargassum to find crabs and shrimp that have washed up with the seaweed.
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) – Normally seen around ponds or streams, the Green Heron will go to the beach to forage around sargassum.
Land Birds
Most land birds are not attracted to sargassum. For birds that eat seeds, nectar or fruits, sargassum has nothing to offer.
A few insect-eating birds can be found around sargassum. They don’t spend most of their time there, but it is a reliable place to find insects.
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) – Barn Swallows fly around catching tiny insects. When there are piles of sargassum on shore, swallows fly low over them to catch the flies and midges that are there.
Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis) – The Gray Kingbird usually sits on a high branch, flitting off to snap up insects that fly nearby. One with a broken upper bill (photo below) was seen catching insects in sargassum, perhaps because it couldn’t do it the normal way.
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) – House Sparrows mostly eat seeds, but they are also very adaptable. These House Sparrows were probably eating insects or sand fleas in the sargassum.
Shorebirds
There are many kinds of shorebirds. They usually live around ponds, wetlands or beaches. They often have long legs and long bills. They eat foods like crabs, snails, fish and insects.
They have flown hundreds of kilometers or more and they are hungry! When they arrive, the beaches are often covered with sargassum, and full of small animals for them to eat.
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) – The Black-necked Stilt lives on many islands in the Caribbean all year. Usually it is found on ponds, but when there is a lot of sargassum, it will go to the beach to look for food.
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) – The Killdeer lives on many Caribbean islands year-round. It is most common on sandy areas near ponds, but it also lives on beaches.
Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) – This plover is a migrant. Unlike many shorebirds, it has a short bill. It picks insects and amphipods off the surface of the sargassum.
Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) – This small sandpiper picks through sargassum on shore. It is also light enough to land on sargassum mats in the sea and hunt through them for shrimp and crabs.
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) – This migratory shorebird is usually seen picking through sargassum on the beach. It will also walk on floating mats of nearshore sargassum and feed.
Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) – The Short-billed Dowitcher has a long bill designed for probing into the mud. It can also use this bill to dip into sargassum mounds and remove small animals to eat.
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) – This bird flips stones to find insects and other food underneath. It does something similar in sargassum. It sticks its bill in, flips a clump of sargassum over, and then eats what it has uncovered.
Les Fruits de Mer is a non-profit French association based in Grand Case, Saint Martin co-founded by Mark Yokoyama and Jenn Yerkes. Their mission is to promote awareness of ecology and culture through discovery, inspiration and education.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology publishes the peer-reviewed science on Caribbean birds and their environment that is so important to inform conservation work. In this annual blog feature, JCO’s staff is proud to show off the amazing research from scientific teams around the Caribbean. Let your curiosity lure you into exploring:
Warblers eat lizards and fish? What is the preferred snail diet of the Grenada Hook-billed Kite? How can nesting success of terns be improved? There was once a Giant Barn Owl roaming Guadeloupe?
Look back and discover how James Bond, a pioneer of Caribbean ornithology, relied on the expertise of little-known Caribbean experts. Or look forward and reflect on the future prospects for bird conservation in our age of unprecedented human impact on Caribbean nature.
As JCO’s Managing Editor, I am immensely grateful for a dedicated team of editors, reviewers, copyeditors, proofreaders, and production specialists that have worked together so well this past year to produce high-quality publications. And of course, our fabulous authors that do the work on the ground to help us better understand the biodiverse Caribbean and the challenges it faces. With the non-profit BirdsCaribbean as our publisher, JCO emphasizes access: trilingual content, support for early-career researchers, and open access–from the latest article to the very first volume from 1988.
While our 100% open-access publication policy is the most prominent and public-facing feature of our work at the journal, there has been a lot going on “behind the scenes” as well.
In 2022, JCO welcomed Caroline Pott, our new Birds of the World (BOW) Coordinator, and huge thanks to our outgoing first BOW coordinator, Maya Wilson! Caroline works with authors and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to produce BOW accounts of Caribbean bird species. Zoya Buckmire took the reins as the new JCO Lead Copy Editor, and helped to recruit Laura Baboolal and Kathryn Peiman to the copyediting team. Dr. Fred Schaffner will join us for editorial help with English manuscripts from authors for which English is not their first language. Joining our Associate Editor board were Dr. Virginia Sanz D’Angelo, Caracas, Venezuela, Dr. Jaime Collazo, North Carolina, and Dr. Chris Rimmer, Norwich, Vermont. We are looking forward to hearing from you, our readers and supporters, and working with the JCO team in 2023!
With Volume 35, JCO introduced the assignment of a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to each article, making it easier fo the scientific community to locate an author’s work in the published literature.
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 monthly contributions of $5 or more!
The Cueva Martín Infierno protected area in Cuba is well-known for its cave and stalagmite formations, but what about its bird community? Located in the Guamuhaya Mountains, one of Cuba’s biodiversity hotspots, this protected area is sure to support a thriving bird community, but this aspect is previously undocumented. In this paper, Montes and Sánchez-Llull present the first comprehensive record of birds in Cueva Martín Infierno, including several endemics and species of conservation concern.
Monica Gala, Véronique Laroulandie, and Arnaud Lenoble
What has two talons, feeds on large rodents, and used to roam the Caribbean night sky? Giant owls! Giant barn owls (Tytonidae) once inhabited the Caribbean in precolonial times, as evidenced by recent palaeontological research. In this paper, Gala et al. describe a bone fragment of an unspecified giant barn owl found on Guadeloupe, the second such record for the Lesser Antilles.
Plastic waste is an increasing source of pollution worldwide, especially in marine environments. Seabirds are particularly vulnerable to marine litter, as they can ingest, become entangled in, or incorporate this waste into their colonies and nests. In this research note, Coffey reports on two Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) interactions with marine litter in the Grenadines, one instance of nest incorporation and another of entanglement and mortality.
Fernando Simal, Adriana Vallarino, and Elisabeth Albers
The hypersaline lagoons of northern Bonaire are home to several populations of seabirds, making it a regionally significant nesting site in the southern Caribbean. Among the species that breed there are the Eastern Least Tern (Sternula antillarum antillarum), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus), and Cayenne Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis eurygnathus). In this paper, Simal et al. quantify breeding success for the terns at these sites in Bonaire, and provide timely recommendations for increasing tern populations, such as island creation and predator exclusion.
Andrew Fairbairn, Ian Thornhill, Thomas Edward Martin, Robin Hayward, Rebecca Ive, Josh Hammond, Sacha Newman, Priya Pollard, and Charlotte Anne Palmer
How are hurricanes affecting Caribbean landbirds? Like other native species in the region, birds likely evolved under the threat of hurricanes, but as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of storms, this question becomes increasingly important. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Fairbairn et al. sought to compare the bird community on Dominica to that pre-hurricane. In this paper, they present those results, including the disproportionate effects on some functional groups that may predict which species fare better long-term.
Arnaud Lenoble, Laurent Charles, and Nathalie Serrand
It’s a well-known fact that Hook-billed Kites eat snails- their wonderfully adapted bills tell us that much. But, will any old snail do, or do these high-flying molluscivores have a preference? In this paper, Lenoble et al. present their observations on the diet of the Grenada Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus mirus), with prey availability and distribution having the potential to inform conservation planning for this endemic subspecies.
Ezra Angella Campbell, Jody Daniel, Andrea Easter-Pilcher, and Nicola Koper
How is the Antillean Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus antillarum) faring habitat loss and degradation across its small-island ranges? Campbell et al. aim to investigate the status and distribution of this species in Grenada, comparing its distribution by habitat, elevation, and season. In this paper, they present their results as well as recommendations for the conservation of this species that are applicable both to Grenada and across its Caribbean range.
Michael E. Akresh, Steven Lamonde, Lillian Stokes, Cody M. Kent, Frank Kahoun, and Janet M. Clarke Storr
Wood warbler (Parulidae) diets are varied and interesting, from arthropods to fruits and sometimes even nectar. Occasionally, wood warblers may also consume vertebrate species, primarily Anolis lizards, but these instances are not well documented and have not previously been compiled. In this paper, Akresh et al. present a comprehensive literature review on wood warbler vertebrate consumption throughout the Caribbean and USA, and also describe three new observations from The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Florida.
Jeffrey V. Wells, Elly Albers, Michiel Oversteegen, Sven Oversteegen, Henriette de Vries, and Rob Wellens
The Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) is a stunningly charismatic seabird without many documented or published records in the southern Caribbean until recently. To shed light on this species’ distribution and trends over the decades, Wells et al. sought to compile records from near the islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. This review accompanies an erratum note in this issue, and details all previous sightings of the species, with records as far back as 1939.
James Bond, renowned ornithologist of the 20th century and the namesake of 007, contributed dozens of publications to the field of Caribbean ornithology. Throughout his decades of work, he established a network of scientists and laypeople alike, without whom his work would not have been possible. In this Perspectives and Opinions piece, Aubrecht compiles the biographies of Bond’s most important contributors, highlighting the importance of collaboration and networking in advancing scientific study across the region.
The Caribbean Biodiversity Hotspot is well-known for its avian diversity, with over 700 species! Of which more than 180 are endemic. Unfortunately, the wellbeing of these avian populations is often constrained by the inherent challenges of small island developing states, increasing effects of climate change, and colonial histories. In this piece, Nelson and Devenish-Nelson explore these challenges, with concrete examples of endemic birds across the region, and describe a possible way forward for regional conservation of our species as we navigate the Anthropocene.
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 and Production Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology
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.
In 2022 BirdsCaribbean ran its first Caribbean Bird Banding workshop in the Bahamas. Get a first-hand account of the highlights of this workshop from Cuban participant Daniela Ventura. Want to know what a ‘Molt Nerd’ is? Read on to find out!
No, surely not! Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that in 2022 I was going to have the good fortune to visit not one, but two Caribbean other islands. As if that wasn’t unbelievable enough, the trips were scheduled with less than a month apart. But that’s exactly how things went: from learning to monitor landbirds using PROALAS point counts in the rainforest of the Dominican Republic’s misty mountains, I moved to the sunny beaches of Nassau in The Bahamas.
No need to tell you that birds were again the main driver and motivation. This time, I would receive training on banding techniques during the first Caribbean Bird Banding Workshop organized by BirdsCaribbean. The Retreat Garden of the Bahamas National Trust was our training oasis from 8 to 12 March.
Jewelry for birds?
Putting bracelets on birds? Have ornithologists gone mad? No, ornithologists are not crazy; and we do this for very specific and important reasons. It’s not about bird fashion either, though for me they look pretty fashionable.
Scientific banding has been a powerful tool for assessing bird populations for centuries. Nonetheless, I must admit that the first time I heard about banding I also was a bit lost. That happened at the 2017 BirdsCaribbean conference in Cuba. I was a sophomore student of Biology during the first and largest scientific event so far in my career. My mind was swirling! I wanted to absorb everything.
One day I entered the conference room and met Alina Pérez. She was giving a talk about her project monitoring migration in the Guanahacabibes Peninsula. I was amazed that such fabulous research was done in Cuba. At that time, I only knew they captured birds with mist nets, put tiny metal rings on their legs and let them go unharmed afterwards. I could not think of anything but the privilege it must be to hold a bird in your hand – and that I wanted to have that experience. After the conference I looked for Alina, introduced myself as an eager and inexperienced bird enthusiast, and told her I would love to volunteer with her project and learn from her. Alina gave me the warmest of her smiles and said “yes” right away.
I cannot thank Alina enough for the mentorship I received. Not only did she give me the opportunity to start learning the skills required to band birds safely and for scientific purposes, but she taught me so much more. During the three seasons I have spent volunteering on her project I still haven’t got used to the wonder of holding a bird in my hands. Most importantly, though, I discovered my obsession. Soon, I knew that I wanted to become a trained bander and to design research that incorporated this technique.
And so it was that, five years after the conference that changed my life, I was in a plane heading to Nassau, with my banding mentor sitting by my side, ready to walk the next steps of my path to become a certified bander. As I expected, the reality would surpass my expectations by far.
Breaking the bias
The first day of the workshop coincided with the celebrations of International Women’s Day. We had plenty of reasons to be joyful. This year’s theme, Break the Bias, highlighted the importance of addressing how our own social and cultural biases influence gender inequalities. The conservation industry in particular has a long history of being mainly male-driven. BirdsCaribbean is proudly breaking the bias as an organization led and carried by strong, committed, enthusiastic, and proficient women in science.
The main workshop organizers and trainers were women: Maya Wilson, Holly Garrod, and Claire Stuyck. Besides, among the participants we had the pleasure of having Anne Haynes-Sutton, one of the most influential conservationists in the Caribbean for her work with seabirds, and one of the pioneers of bird banding in the region. Nearly half of the attendees were also female, many of them young but already with important leadership positions and success stories in conservation to share. Alina Pérez, Adrianne Tossas, Shana Challenger, Zoya Buckmire, Johnella Bradshaw, and Giselle Deane were there to prove that women’s contribution to science and conservation should not be neglected and overlooked anymore.
Eating apples, admiring doves, and tying knots on Day One
Sessions were held at The Retreat Garden, a former private botanical garden and currently a National Park managed by The Bahamas National Trust. The park’s staff are world-class event organizers. They took good care of us by having a steady supply of coffee and snacks. This helped us to keep focus during the intense classroom and field sessions. If it wasn’t for the apples, I wouldn’t have made it! I must acknowledge that I have a serious addiction to apples and I was nicknamed the “Apple Terror” by my Puerto Rican friends. They had no choice but to head first thing in the morning to the snacks table, to grab and put aside an apple if they wanted to have a chance of eating one – before I went to the table and magically made them disappear. Sorry, pals!
The first lesson hadn’t started yet and I already had a lifer to add to my list. A pair of Caribbean Doves, walking unaware of our presence around the classroom facilities made such a pleasant view. Aside from the Cuban endemics, they are the most beautiful doves I have ever seen.
I was lucky to get good views of other notable Bahamian birds, like the stunning male Bahama Woodstar, the Bahama Mockingbird, and of course the ubiquitous White-crowned Pigeon. Definitely, the doves were the dearest to my heart.
Activities began when the trainers, Claire Stuyck and John Alexander from Klamath Bird Observatory, Steve Albert from the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), and Holly Garrod from BirdsCaribbean, greeted and welcomed us to the five-day intense banding schedule. They had barely finished introductions when we were already getting hands-on learning about setting up mist nets, security guidelines, and tying knots. Making knots can be fun as well as stressful, at least for a person like me who doesn’t have a good spatial memory. But it speaks highly of our instructors’ teaching skills that I soon forgot my insecurities and became immersed in tying knots – and even had a lot of fun!
Getting to know (and love) the Birder’s Bible
Lessons comprised a blend of field practice in the mornings and theory talks in the afternoon. These sessions covered the nitty-gritty of setting up an organized and well-planned banding table, with all the tools and the equipment properly set up to meet our needs. There were talks about the Bander’s Code of Ethics; bird and human safety at banding operations; the use of molt strategies to identify ages; education and public outreach; the use of banding for scientific research; and other related topics.
We split our time between banding demonstrations given by the experts Claire and Holly and conducting regular net runs. We had the luck of getting a closer look at resident birds like the Red-legged Thrush, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Bananaquit, Thick-billed Vireo, Caribbean Doves, and Common Ground Doves, but also common winter migrants like Cape May Warblers, Black-and-White Warblers, and the American Redstart. Although the birds we captured were never enough to please us, everyone had their chance to learn how to extract birds safely out of the nets, and even handle and band them.
During the low-activity periods, time was well spent learning how to use the Bander’s Bible: The Identification Guide to North American Birds, known simply as “the Pyle”. Diving through the Pyle can be a hard pill to swallow for every amateur bander, but once you realize you can’t have a stronger ally at your banding operations, it becomes as dear to you as an old friend. Helping to make that connection even stronger was the fact that we knew the actual Pyle (yes, Pyle – the “Bander’s God”) knew about us, through his colleague from the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), Steve Albert. We could feel his presence while we struggled to study molt patterns.
The molt obsession
Now – talking about molt. You can’t be a skilled bander without being a molt nerd. No doubt about that. In the beginning, we thought Holly was nuts when she started talking in a weird fashion about three-letter codes. Wolfe-Ryder-Pyle (WPR) codes for aging birds are another jaw-dropper for anyone new to the secrets of bird identification.
But of course, Holly is far from being nuts. She infused us with so much excitement while talking about molt strategies, that we all got enthusiastic about it. Pretty soon, our days became molt-centered – not only during the sessions, but at dinners, night gatherings at the hotel terrace, and even during the short but necessary break at the Orange Hill Beach. Everyone was truly proud at the end to be called a molt nerd.
I know some of you may already be asking, what’s all this for? Are we actually helping birds by showing off our knowledge of fancy letters and metal and colored rings? In fact, we are helping both birds and humans alike. You probably already know that birds are powerful sentinels of change. Studying how their populations respond to and cope with changes to their habitats, and other threats such as climate change, are useful tools for planning conservation strategies. The Caribbean region is home to more than 700 species, 176 are unique to these islands. The region is also one of those places on Earth that are suffering from rapid transformation by humans.
Banding connects us with nature
But we have another problem, and it is that plenty of our birds’ natural history is still unknown, or at least inadequately studied. Banding can be a powerful tool to begin filling those gaps. Birds in the hand provide us with loads of data about population estimates and trends, survival rates, movement routes and timing, disease prevalence, overall health and condition, molt strategies, physiology, breeding phenology, and much more basic data for ornithological studies. Besides, holding banding demonstrations for the public offers a gateway that helps humans connect with nature, an invaluable resource to educate people about wildlife and conservation. I believe that holding a bird in the hand and then watching it fly away can have a profound effect on someone’s life. And I say this from my personal experience! Banding not only helped me discover my passions, but connected me with nature and conservation like nothing else had before.
The whole aim of the workshop was to create a network of banders across the Caribbean that could employ a series of standardized protocols to begin answering questions still unaddressed about our birds’ basic ecology. The Caribbean is a crucial stopover and wintering area for many declining North American songbirds. For this reason, the workshop also included talks about the collaboration with the MoSI (Spanish for monitoring winter survival) program from IBP and the installation of MOTUS towers. By combining traditional banding and modern tracking technologies we could boost our understanding of the movements of Neotropical birds throughout the Caribbean region and beyond.
But the main step, besides establishing these connections, is training and capacity-building. We need to end the traditional model of “parachute science” and train our next Caribbean generation of banders and trainers. I am so happy that I can brag about being a friend of the brand-new certified North American Banding Council (NABC) trainer: Juan Carlos (JC) Fernández Ordóñez (yes, the humorous Latin team “influencer”). You can tell when JC is talking about bird stuff because it is the only time you will see him with a serious look on his face. And that does not necessarily mean he is not making jokes. JC has been banding for 25 years. He is knowledgeable about molt strategies and bird ID, not only of Neotropical but also European, African, and Asian species. Most importantly, he enjoys teaching and sharing all he knows with everybody. I am sure that with JC’s example and Holly’s magnetism, most of the participants left with the ingrained desire to continue mastering our banding skills and obtain NABC certification in the near future. That will help lift the banding movement in the Caribbean.
Real Bahamian hospitality!
“Welcome to The Bahamas” are not only the letters of a beautiful mural painted on Bay Street, but the greeting me and my friends received everywhere we went: at the hotel, restaurants, and from people driving a car late at night through the Downtown area. If nothing else, I will never forget from this trip the beautiful aquamarine, gold, and black Bahamian flags waving from almost every building, and the kind hospitality of the people. The Bahamians I met during that week were courteous, smiling, spicy-food lovers, and proud of their history and traditions. Our Bahamas National Trust colleague and fellow trainee, Giselle Dean’s organizational skills made the workshop run smoothly, and she would humbly say it was nothing. Bahamian Scott Johnson not only was kind enough to give us a ride every day from the hotel to The Retreat in his car, but entertained and amazed us with his tremendous knowledge of Bahamian natural history and culture. Chris Johnson was quiet much of the time, but surprised us by generously giving each of us a beautiful calendar with his bird photos! Many of the species are shared by Cuba and the Bahamas, so it is nice to flip through the months of the year and recollect the memories from the trip. Ancilleno Davis was a model host, giving us a tour around Downtown Nassau during the last day of our stay, and providing us with a taste of Bahamian arts, architecture, and history.
The “Plus/Delta” of it all
The “Plus/Delta” was a daily exercise for us at the end of the sessions. We highlighted the most significant aspect of the day for each of us and reflected on the areas where we needed more study or practice. It’s really difficult for me to decide on the overall Plus/Delta of my Bahamian experience. I have many of them. My Plus was the chance to bond with old and new friends; strengthen collaboration networks that will aid in my future professional development; improve my banding and molt ID skills; and widen my understanding and appreciation for other cultures.
And the Deltas? I also have plenty: I am determined to continue growing my expertise in all subjects regarding banding, bird ID, molt strategies, and overall bird ecology. A key step for achieving that goal is to become a certified NABC trainer. With this qualification, I do not want to only band and contribute to the understanding of Cuban resident species. I would also like to share and hopefully instill enthusiasm for these studies in the new generations of Cuban ornithologists. In the long run they will accomplish the visions we dreamed of on the beaches of the Bahamas. My biggest Delta is the hope that soon a large and powerful network of Caribbean banders will be the authors of a new round of success stories in regional bird conservation.
BirdsCaribbean Acknowledgments
This workshop would not have been possible without our dedicated trainers, enthusiastic participants, and funders, including the US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Forest Service and BirdsCaribbean generous donors and members.