Right now, the 2016 Piping Plover Census is happening and you can join in. You don’t need to be a professional to help—citizen scientists with a spotting scope or binoculars and some familiarity with shorebirds are welcome to participate. You can also conduct Piping Plover counts while you are participating in this year’s Caribbean Waterbird Census. Get all the details, instructions and census tools at eBird Caribbean.
One bird, two bird, three bird, four! Since 2010, hundreds of dedicated volunteers have been spreading out across the Caribbean’s vast wetlands, large and small, and counting birds for the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC). The goal is to learn more about the status of migratory and resident waterbirds and strengthen their conservation.
Waterbirds in the Caribbean, and the wetlands they depend on, are challenging to monitor. The Caribbean region is spread across 7,000 islands, islets, and cays and many wetlands are difficult to access. But our intrepid counters have braved gooey mud, marauding mosquitos, and sweltering heat to help us gather data of great importance to conservation.
Waterbirds are species that depend on aquatic habitats, like mangroves, salt ponds, tidal flats, lagoons, beaches, and freshwater marshes, to complete portions of their life cycle. Unfortunately, many species are in severe decline, particularly shorebirds. Semipalmated Sandpiper that once numbered over two million on Caribbean and South American wintering grounds have dropped by 80%. Another long-distance migrant shorebird, the Red Knot, is now listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act, having declined by 80% as well. The Zapata Rail, endemic to sawgrass habitat in the Zapata Swamp in southern Cuba, has not been seen with certainty in nearly 20 years.
Wetlands are important for birds and for our well being too. Not only do they provide a home for wildlife, they also provide people with clean water, protection from floods and erosion, and opportunities for recreation and wildlife viewing.
For years wetlands have been destroyed for development, damaged by pollution, or threatened by tourism, agriculture, cattle, industry, or sea level rise. Because wetlands are vital to birds and people, it’s important to know where they are, what birds are living in them, and what times of year they are being used.
BirdsCaribbean is answering these questions through the CWC, a program that aims to increase support for waterbird and wetland conservation by training a cadre of people to observe and record birds in wetlands across the Caribbean. Natural resource agency staff and citizen scientist volunteers help answer important questions while gaining an understanding and appreciation of migratory birds and the wetlands that they live in.
Since the beginning of the program in 2010, over 200 people from 21 countries have surveyed more than 700 areas! Each year, more and more people take part in the CWC. We have learned a lot of cool stuff over the last six years!
For example, several places stand out for their high numbers of birds. Sur de Los Palacios, Cuba is important to Wilson’s Plover throughout the fall, winter, and spring. This medium-sized bird is on the 2014 State of the Birds Watchlist, which lists species most in danger of extinction without significant conservation action. Knowing where they spend much of their time can lead to increased conservation for these sites in Cuba. Monte Cristi in northwestern Dominican Republic has been discovered as an incredibly important site for many shorebird species throughout the migration and winter season. Counts in the fall are especially high for Greater Yellowlegs (870 individuals), Lesser Yellowlegs (3,250 individuals) and Semipalmated Sandpiper (3,150 individuals), all being the highest overall counts for the species throughout the Caribbean!
Shorebirds like these only weigh a couple ounces; the Semipalmated Sandpiper weighs in at just a smidge more than a quarter, and flies thousands of miles from it’s breeding grounds in the Arctic to it’s wintering grounds in South America. Knowing where this bird stops along the way is important so conservationists can protect the places it needs to rest and feed for their long journey.
Another indicator of importance is the diversity—or how many different kinds of birds—are observed. Two locations in Guadeloupe (Pointe des Chateaux and Petite-Terre) and one in Cuba (Sur de Los Palacios) had over ten different shorebirds counted and seven other sites, located in Guadeloupe, Grenada, DR, Bahamas, Cuba, and Grenada recorded 9, 8 or 7 shorebird species. Some sites in the Caribbean like Sur de Los Palacios in Cuba and Monte Cristi in the Dominican Republic stand out for high numbers of all waterbirds, not just shorebirds. Of the 241 sites monitored in 2014 a total of 293 species were recorded!
What do all these numbers really mean? Knowing which birds are using what areas helps conservationists identify the most important sites to protect. Raising awareness, and showing the value of wetlands to local communities can lead to better care and protection of the wildlife using them. They become places to promote environmental education and bird and nature tourism. Enhancing key sites by installing boardwalks, viewing towers, and signs makes them attractive to visitors, which in turn increases their value for local people, livelihoods, and the economy.
While participation in the CWC has increased every year and we have already learned a great deal from the counts, there is still much work to be done! With over 7,000 islands and islets in the Caribbean, many important sites have not yet been surveyed. In addition, it’s important to continue surveying the same sites over the long term in order to document changes in waterbird numbers in relation to changing environmental conditions, for example, under climate change. Finally, we must continue to raise awareness about the importance and value of these sites to birds and people and promote protection and good management. Doing so will ensure that these critical wetlands are not lost forever; and birds and people will have a place to thrive.
To find out how to participate in the CWC, click here.
A report on the first 5 years of the CWC can be downloaded here (PDF).
Dear members and friends of BirdsCaribbean,
Welcome to the BirdsCaribbean website, where you will learn about our work on Caribbean birds, and will be inspired to join our diverse community of people working for a sustainable future for the region through preservation of birds and their habitats.
Since 1988, BirdsCaribbean has been supporting the conservation of some of the most endangered species not only of the region, but of the entire Western Hemisphere. We support innovative conservation programs for island endemics (such as globally-threatened parrots and petrels and the Grenada Dove) and for over-wintering migratory species such as Piping Plovers. Additionally, we expose stakeholders in the Caribbean and the rest of the world to science and to the beauty and value of our birds like never before – and we use all the available new media.
We have made great strides to make training about birds and their conservation accessible to local NGOs and community groups that could otherwise not afford to access formal conservation education from our region’s institutions of higher learning. Because of BirdsCaribbean, thousands more people have greater awareness about birds and their conservation and have learned about the cultural and economic benefits of resident and migratory species. Indeed, we provide more training in wildlife conservation than any other Caribbean NGO. The enthusiastic support of our board, funders, volunteers, and supporters makes these initiatives possible. Without all of you what we do would be impossible!
Yet, much more needs to be done to secure the future of native birds and their habitats. In the next 50 years climate change will become the most important threat to birds in the region, compounding existing threats from increasing human populations, inappropriate development, over-exploitation and invasive species. Important year-round, over-wintering and stop-over habitats for birds will be lost. This will affect Caribbean endemics as well as migratory birds such as American Redstarts and wetland-restricted regionally endemic West Indian Whistling-Ducks.
Faced with these threats we cannot afford to be complacent in the least. Together, we must continue to implement programs, effectively advocate for conservation locally, nationally and regionally, and build the region’s capacity to use sound science, in support of politically and culturally persuasive approaches to promote effective conservation.
As a membership organization that has devoted itself for nearly 30 years to protecting the Caribbean’s wild birds and places, we are proud to represent you and have your support. Whoever you are—whether a student, scientist, member of an environmental, religious or community group or a concerned citizen—birds and nature conservation needs your support and participation. Everyone has something to contribute.
With your input, our work to build a future where the Caribbean’s unique natural heritage can flourish and form the basis for a future rooted in sustainable relationships between people and the environment. I encourage you to become a member of BirdsCaribbean today. If you are already a member, please consider donating your time, efforts and support to our cause, contact us about volunteer opportunities, come to one of our meetings or training sessions, go on one of our trips, participate in one of our programmes, and encourage others to join in our efforts. I promise you will find it one of the most rewarding experiences in your life.
Sincerely,
Leo Douglas, Ph.D.
President, BirdsCaribbean
Listening along the hillsides of the Mt. Hartman Estate, you can hear the mournful call of the Grenada Dove, one of the world’s most critically endangered birds. It is a shy and elusive bird, staying well within the forested hills and valleys of the estate, and very rarely seen outside of the forest canopy. The Mt. Hartman Estate, one of only two locations in the world where this bird lives, has been transformed over the last few years into one of the region’s premiere education and outreach centers, focused on the Grenada Dove.
The Grenada Dove is brown with a white belly, a light pinkish brown upper chest and neck, and a grayish forehead that extends up from the bill. Its legs, feet and bare skin around the eyes are a bright crimson red. The adults show a white belly, no markings on wings, outer tail feathers tipped with white, and a strip of white feathers that extends from its side up around the bend of the wing.
Though rarely seen, male Grenada Doves call for long periods during the breeding season with a single, descending note about a second in duration that is repeated every seven to eight seconds and can be heard up to 100 metres away. Because of the topography of the Grenada Dove’s habitat, calling males from the hillsides can be heard in valleys outside of dove habitat.
Habitat loss and predation by introduced invasive species such as mongoose, rats and cats are the primary threats facing the dove. Not having evolved with these introduced ground predators and sensitive to direct disturbance, a dove flushed from a perch will fly to the ground and attempt to run away, making them easy prey. Like most doves, the Grenada Dove spends most of its time scouring the ground for seeds. Although nests are located in trees, these are easily preyed on by rats. Nestlings shift to the ground at about 14 days old, making them as well as adults easy prey on the ground.
These habits continue to place the dove at risk. With funding from American Bird Conservancy and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Forestry and National Parks Department began to implement predator control programs at both the Mt. Hartman National Park and Perseverance Protected Area and Dove Sanctuary in 2013. Very high numbers of predators were caught at both sites—more mongoose at Mt. Hartman than Perseverance, but more rats at Perseverance—and it is well understood that continued predator control is urgently needed. Due to limited funding, control has been limited to key breeding areas. A predator-proof fence would provide the best protection, but financing for this endeavor has not yet been secured.
Starting late in 2013, the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Forestry and National Parks Department have been working to make it easier to hear, see, learn about, and appreciate Grenada’s unique endemic National Bird and its habitat, the dry coastal forests of Grenada and the Mt. Hartman National Park. Through a generous grant from the Sandals Foundation, and with additional help from BirdsCaribbean, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, they have created new interpretative displays at the Mt. Hartman National Park and Visitor Center, developed outreach materials targeting the broader public, and carried out a school programme for elementary students in the Parish of St. George’s about Grenada’s unique species, the Mt. Hartman National park.
Initial activities in this project began with the pro-bono assistance of wildlife photographer, Greg Homel. He captured gorgeous photos of the dove that enabled us to include enlarged images on our outreach materials, including billboards at all parish boundaries island-wide. Though easily heard with a distinct call, the Grenada Dove is difficult to see in the forest. The idea was to bring the dove to Grenadians, residents and visitors alike on their daily commutes.
After Hurricane Ivan in 2004, funds allocated for interpretation at the Mt. Hartman Visitor Center from the GEF/World Bank funded Grenada Dry Forest Biodiversity Conservation Programme needed to be reallocated for the complete rebuilding of the Visitor Center at Mt. Hartman. The activities carried out by the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, with the Forestry and National Parks Department, enabled us to supplement existing interpretation at the site, including building a 20ft viewing tower surrounded by dry forests, at the edge of Grenada Dove habitat. Being still and with patience, one may see this elusive bird! The tower’s location enabled visitors to hear calling doves, and experience the dry forest and its wildlife, including anoles, birds and lizards. At the entrance to the short trail leading to the tower, an outdoor bird identification display featuring Grenada’s bird species has been erected that identifies endemic, resident and migratory birds. BirdsCaribbean provided the template.
Multiple 8-foot tall indoor wall displays in the Mt. Hartman Visitor Center tell the Grenada Dove story in a larger than life fashion. With numerous descriptive photos and information, both youth and adults are targeted. These displays cover the dry forests, the dove itself, its habitat and threats. At child height, the 8 sq. ft. tabletop 3D relief map shows visitors the hills and peninsula that make up the Mt. Hartman National Park.
Posters, stickers and a brochure full of pictures on the Mt. Hartman National Park and its wildlife were designed and printed, both for display island-wide in government buildings, schools and tourist establishments as well as for distribution to students in our school outreach programme. Having developed an elementary school presentation, Forestry and National Department staff visited over 20 schools, and are continually getting called to present to more grades and schools island-wide.
The Project’s goal is to bring more students and visitors to the Mt. Hartman National Park to experience Grenada’s forests and unique biodiversity first hand.
The Grenada Dove, IUCN listed as Critically Endangered, is found only on the island of Grenada. With a total population of around 160 individuals*, it is one of the rarest birds in the world. Found only on 2 locations on Grenada, its population is declining primarily due to loss and degradation of its specialized habitat and predation by invasive predators such as mongoose and rats. The Grenada Dove Conservation Programme, in collaboration with the Forestry and National Parks and international collaborators for the last 20 years, is working to keep this unique species from extinction through habitat protection, research, species management, stakeholder participation, and education.
By Bonnie Rusk, Founding Director, Senior Biologist at Grenada Dove Conservation Programme
Visit this page to learn more about the Grenada Dove and download free educational resources:
From April 20 to July 15, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon tragedy spewed millions of barrels of oil and coated hundreds of thousands of square miles of the Gulf of Mexico with toxins. Naturalists and scientists who work in the Bahamas began preparing for the possibility that oil would round the tip of Florida and enter Bahamian waters. The Cay Sal Bank, one of the most remote and wild places in the Caribbean Region, was in harm’s way. This 5,000 square kilometer atoll is north of Cuba, Southeast of Florida, and Southwest of Andros, The Bahamas. It is a day-cruise from everywhere, lacks safe harbors, is exposed to rolling seas from all sides. We had very little data about the status of the birds, fisheries, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and small islands. It was known to hold thousands of breeding seabirds, but the most recent scientific visits were in 2000, and no one had ever actually surveyed the colonies. If the oil did coat the Bank, we would not even know what we had lost.
The Bahamas National Trust, The Nature Conservancy, The Royal Bahamian Defence Force, and numerous volunteers quickly organized three trips in May, June, and July of 2010 to document the wildlife on the bank and to determine whether oil was reaching the islands. As a volunteer on the first and third trips, I was astounded by the wilderness that we found. There were hundreds of uninhabited islands with little sign of humans except the occasional grave marker, ruined buildings from abandoned outposts, and plastic and aluminum flotsam from the Anthropocene. These islands are still dominated by birds, sea turtles, and anoles. A quick survey at Elbow Cay showed it was the largest Audubon’s Shearwater colony in the world, and a career’s worth of islands remained to explore and describe for posterity.
Thankfully, unusually strong easterly winds kept the oil in the Gulf of Mexico that year until the well was finally shut off. While tens of thousands of seabirds died from the effects of the spill, likely including individuals that commuted to the spill site from Cay Sal Bank, the oil never reached the Bank in amounts that we detected. We had dodged a bullet, but we don’t want to be caught without data again.
In 2012, we mounted an expedition just to study the birds of Cay Sal Bank. With support and funding from Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), Defenders of Wildlife, the South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, BirdsCaribbean, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, we explored the bank again from May 25-31, 2012. Bruce Purdy, expert birder and owner of Blackbeard’s Cruises, captained Sea Explorer, a 65’ sailboat. We recruited an all-star team of nineteen naturalists and seabird experts to spend a full week studying seabirds. Six ecotourists helped fund the trip by purchasing berths on the ship. Our team included well-known Caribbean Ornithologists Ann Haynes-Sutton, Lisa Sorenson, David Wingate, Sonny Bass, and David Lee. In addition, we had the developer of eBird software and knowledgeable birder, Jeff Gerbracht, Boston University Professor and Ornithologist Mike Sorenson and the fantastic mammologist Mary Kay Clark. Deb McKew, a marketing specialist from BRI helped promote and document the trip. Bahamian naturalists Predensa Moore and David Clare of the Bahamas National Trust rounded out our team of volunteer scientists. The ecotourists included Samantha Plencer, Caitlin Howard, Helge Wingate, Kathy Carpenter, David Pais, and Kathryn Sieving, a professor and fantastic ornithologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville who heard about the trip from our advertisement, called up, and signed up on the spot. Lisa Ferguson and myself, Will Mackin, organized the trip and lead the analysis of the data.
What we found was astounding. Every sandy beach on the bank was covered with crawls from nesting sea turtles. Tens of thousands of seabirds nested on Elbow Cay but thousands of others use the small cays we have yet to land on. The four biggest islands on the Bank have introduced rats and fewer seabirds, but we documented about 80 nesting pairs of Roseate Terns at Cotton Cay on the Southeast Corner of the Bank. And the waters of the bank team with life. Perhaps the most spectacular sight was a feeding frenzy including several thousand Brown Noddies and hundreds of Roseate Terns that stretched from the South End of the Elbow Cay to the eastern horizon. They were feeding on larval fish in shallow water with multiple species of jacks pushing bait to the surface.
On the second night of the trip, Lisa Ferguson, David Clare, Samantha Plencer, and I encountered a snake on the surface of Anguilla Cay, an 8-km long, thin island that hosts hundreds of Audubon’s Shearwaters and Bridled Terns. I had never seen a similar snake, so we brought it back to the boat. It turned out to be a Cuban Racer (Cubophis cantherigerus cantherigerus), the first specimen ever caught outside of Cuba. You can read the scientific highlights of the trip in our paper, including a full survey of the birds at Elbow Cay and explorations of wildlife at the other 4 large islands. A paper describing the results of these trips has just been published in the December issue of Waterbirds, the academic journal of the Waterbirds Society. Some people have argued that there is no such thing as wilderness anymore. Those people have never been to the Cay Sal Bank. It is true that no place on earth is untouched by man, but truly wild places do exist where humans are only visitors and wildlife runs the show. When we find one, something inside compels us to work to make sure it stays that way.
By Will Mackin, Conservation Biologist,Seabird Working Group Co-chair, BirdsCaribbean
BirdsCaribbean dedicates this post to our dear friend and colleague, seabird biologist, David Lee, who passed away in 2014.
The mission of BirdsCaribbean—the region’s largest conservation organization—is to advance the conservation of over 560 species of birds and their habitats in the Caribbean. It’s a huge responsibility for the organization’s 300+ members and partners, and includes a wide variety of activities, from groundbreaking research to engaging education. At the heart of all of these efforts is the fundamental task of connecting communities and conservation.
The two flagship bird festivals coordinated by BirdsCaribbean each year are one of the organization’s most powerful tools to connect communities and conservation. The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival and International Migratory Bird Day activities reach over 100,000 people each year at events across the Caribbean. To showcase this year’s theme, Restore Habitat, Restore Birds, BirdsCaribbean developed a free ebook, Heritage Plants, that showcased native, bird-friendly plants that beautify backyards and neighborhoods while creating habitat and food for birds.
Youth are often the best gateway to reach a community. For a twelve-year-old child, there is nothing like holding a wild bird gently in your hand, then releasing it into the wild. This year, BirdsCaribbean President Dr. Leo Douglas moved his research project in thirteen rural high schools in his native Jamaica forward, into Year Two. Funded and supported by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, the University of the West Indies and BirdsCaribbean, the project is the first long-term study in the Western Hemisphere of the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of youth towards bird conservation and how that that can be changed through bird education. After only a year the students rejected the idea of the capture, killing and trade in native birds, considering birds to be “very important” for Jamaica and Jamaicans. Many of them indeed experienced an “awakening” to birds and nature, check out what the students had to say in this video.
Young people were again the focus at BirdsCaribbean’s first-ever Bird Camp for children at Kingston’s Hope Zoo in July, using the BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum and with local support from the Sandals Foundation. Thirty youngsters – many from disadvantaged urban communities – were at first shy and lacking in confidence, but transformed within a day or two into eager, enthusiastic kids on a fast learning curve. Their first excursions with a pair of binoculars in their hands, their participation in art workshops, quizzes and even bird yoga, were all “eye-openers” for the children. They were reluctant to leave the lush, green environment, but eager to share what they had learned with friends and neighbors. It is hoped that, funding permitting, this could be a regular summer event and replicated elsewhere in the region.
BirdsCaribbean’s 20th International Meeting, held in Kingston in July, carried the theme Birds – Connecting Communities and Conservation. The meeting was abuzz and bursting at the seams with over 220 participants, themselves a community connected by both birds and BirdsCaribbean. The meeting showcased the latest in Caribbean bird research, education and conservation. Artist and naturalist Nils Navarro launched his groundbreaking Endemic Birds of Cuba field guide. It was announced that, on the island of Dominica, a breeding population of Black-capped Petrels was confirmed for the first time in over 150 years. Members of the public were invited to a special “Jamaica Day” program that featured exciting guest speakers, an introduction to Jamaica’s 29 endemic birds and a history of Jamaican ornithology.
The Caribbean Birding Trail, a program promoting birding tourism in the Caribbean made great strides in 2016. Guide training sessions were held in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. By promoting birding, showcasing the best birding sites and training guides, the program aims to integrate birds and birding into the Caribbean tourism portfolio, creating jobs and an incentive to preserve habitats. What a great way to connect communities, local culture and conservation!
How we connect communities and conservation in the Caribbean is more important than ever. These islands, like the birds that live on them, are beautiful and unique, but also vulnerable. Birds and their habitat are the heritage of the Caribbean people, and a resource that has the potential to bring sustainable growth and prosperity. Although threats are abundant, by sharing the wonder of Caribbean birds and teaching their value, BirdsCaribbean is creating and nurturing the connection to conservation, one community at a time.
Last week 430 high school students from the parishes of Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland participated in the second year of the first ever long-term study of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards birds, and indeed the natural environment in the Western Hemisphere on the island of Jamaica.
A majority of these students had spent two days with four of the leading Ph.Ds. specializing in Caribbean bird and environmental conservation one year before, including Leo Douglas, Herlitz Davis, Luke Powell and Lisa Sorenson. These 2014 activities included both workshops and field-based programs using BirdSleuth Caribbean curriculum. Field activities focused on the Font Hill Nature Reserve (St. Elizabeth) an area threatened because of natural gas/peat fuel development and exploitation. On the field day students experienced first-hand scientists catching and studying migratory and native wild Jamaican birds with specially manufactured “mist-nets.” Students also witnessed forest destruction and marine turtle nests ravaged by invasive mongoose, and discussed the visible evidence of the rapid coastal-beach erosion within the context of climate change in the Caribbean.
This BirdsCaribbean project is funded and supported by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, University of the West Indies and the Government of Jamaica to work in 13 randomly selected rural high schools. The multi-year program has been collecting data on the mechanisms through which Caribbean youth learn about the natural world, their beliefs about the positives or negatives of wildlife conservation, and how such beliefs might be improved through culturally-sensitive engaging programs and first-hand nature experiences.
The lead organization, BirdsCaribbean, is the largest single organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean now in its 27th year of operation to promote Caribbean nature conservation. The Caribbean is ranked among the top five areas on the planet for biodiversity conservation – primarily because of the region’s unique native plants and birds and the many threats they face. Thirty-one birds are found on the island of Jamaica and nowhere else on the planet – a significant number more than any other of the region’s islands. A central part of the intervention will document knowledge and attitudes towards native Jamaican wild birds.
Dr. Leo Douglas, President of BirdsCaribbean and researcher in the Department of Geography/Geology at the University of the West Indies, Mona, describes the initiative as ground-breaking in its purpose and findings. Douglas said that while students were relatively well informed about the threat of rodent diseases, such as Leptospirosis, they were almost entirely unaware of the uniqueness or value of native plants and animals. “Almost all students entering the program had no idea that there were birds found only on Jamaica, or that birds were able to fly across the sea to get to Jamaica to spend the winter.” Douglas noted that he was pleased to learn that after one year many participating students had taken the initiative to bird-watch, conduct projects, or speak with family and friends about birds and their conservation, all on their own initiative.
Participating students described the program’s experiences as nothing but life altering in what they now knew and understood about the uniqueness, threats to, and values of plants and animals that were around them, especially birds.
One student from DeCarterate College described her experience this way:
“Hearing about what was happening to the birds and their habitats made me upset. Things like illegal trafficking – it reminded me of slavery; deforestation – imagine how beautiful it used to look; pollution – terrible! I hate it! In general I never knew much about birds. I can’t help thinking of all I have learnt and will learn.”
Post intervention in-depth interviews revealed that students generally bemoaned the lack of awareness about wildlife and nature conservation within the broader society and lauded the fact that they had been privileged to learn through the BirdsCaribbean bird-science experience program.
Douglas will follow the students for another two years to determine whether the observed changes in knowledge and attitudes are longer-term and what effects they may have on their personal and school-education choices, if any.
The study builds on the observance of a month-long region-wide festival focussed on endemic birds called the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), celebrated for one month in spring by volunteer coordinators throughout the Caribbean. The theme for 2014 was “Why Birds Matter.” The purpose of the month-long festival is to increase public awareness of the region’s exceptionally rich and threatened bird life. After humble beginnings, the festival has grown consistently over the last 13 years and now attracts almost 100,000 Caribbean participants annually from 20+ island-nations. The CEBF has been described as an unprecedented initiative of regional unification about biodiversity, bird conservation and awareness by leading international conservation organizations, such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Three new species for Aruba, with notes on other significant sightings by Steven Mlodinow was the first research note, and includes the first documented sightings of the Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), Swainson’s Flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni), and Veery (Catharus fuscescens), as well as sightings of seven other birds with fewer than five records for Aruba. This type of research underscores the value of observing and documenting bird life in the Caribbean, where our knowledge is increasing every year.
Reproductive biology of Polioptila lembeyei (Aves: Polioptilidae) in the Siboney-Juticí Ecological Reserve, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba is a research article about the Cuban Gnatcatcher, a species endemic to the island of Cuba. The team studied nests for two years to record data like the incubation and nestling periods, the number of eggs in each nest and the success rate. Although data like this has been known for many years for common species in North America and Europe, basic life history information for Caribbean endemics is often still unknown. The text of the article is in Spanish, but an abstract is available in English.
History of the Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maculatus) in Jamaica with first photographic documentation of breeding is another research note, this one following the history of a single species. After a sighting in the 19th century, the trail ran cold until the late 1970s, when a run of intermittent sightings began in a single area. Photographic documentation of breeding was finally obtained last year, while the size of the population and its relationship to other mainland and island populations of this species are still unknown.
All of these articles, and back issues to 2011 are currently available for free download at the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, with more archives on their way in the coming months.
Say “Dominican Republic” and almost instantly the image that appears in one’s head is that of a long, straight and blinding white-sand beach on which an infinite stream of foamy crests come to end their journey across the blue-green Caribbean canvas. This mental picture has been implanted in our brains by thousands of magazine articles and television ads, and though beautiful, there is nothing particularly unique about it.
The setting of the most recent Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Training in the Dominican Republic was the virtual opposite of this cookie cutter image of a sandy beach. This time the training was high up in the mountains—a scene like no other on the planet—in a valley surrounded by high ridges everywhere, and all around a tapestry of produce fields that extend as far as the eye can see. Rows of carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and strawberries carefully divide the land into small and big parcels. The air is chilled by the mountain breeze, enough to make us don our jackets and blow warm air into our cold hands. This, too, is the Dominican Republic, or La Española as the first Spaniards named it the last days of the 15th Century when they first arrived in these realms:
The land there is elevated, with many mountains and peaks incomparably higher than in the center isle. They are most beautiful, of a thousand varied forms, accessible, and full of trees of endless varieties, so high that they seem to touch the sky, and I have been told that they never lose their foliage. I saw them as green and lovely as trees are in Spain in the month of May. Some of them were covered with blossoms, some with fruit, and some in other conditions, according to their kind. The nightingale and other small birds of a thousand kinds were singing in the month of November when I was there.
After reading this paragraph from a letter sent by Christopher Columbus to Luis De Santangel in which he announced the discovery of new land, we are convinced that Columbus did in fact visit the area of Constanza and Valle Nuevo, or at least he visited a very similar mountain area not far from here, because this is exactly the feeling we had when we arrived for the third Caribbean Birding Trail Interpretive Guide Training program.
Anyone who attended BirdsCaribbean’s 20th International Meeting in Jamaica will surely recognize Steven Shunk, one of the keynote speakers at the event and owner of Paradise Birding. We have partnered together to offer a special discount of $500 off on the upcoming Paradise Birding tour of Jamaica for any BirdsCaribbean members. Plus, Paradise Birding will also support our conservation work by making a $100 donation to BirdsCaribbean for each member who signs up.
What’s in it for you? The best possible birding tour of Jamaica, highlighting the 29 endemic bird species that are found only on Jamaica. The tour is February 8-15, 2016 and you can get all the info on the Paradise Birding website: Caribbean Endemics of Jamaica Birding Tour. The lead guide will be Steve Shunk, fresh from his visit this summer, and the full itinerary includes the Blue Mountains, Port Antonio, Ecclesdown Road and more. Former President of BirdLife Jamaica, and perhaps the best birding guide on the island, Ricardo Miller of Arrowhead Birding, will be our local guide in Jamaica.
If you are interested, visit the Paradise Birding site for more information about the tour, including a detailed itinerary. The $500 discount on the Jamaica trip is valid until November 22nd.
The first International Census was conducted in 1991 but in the early years the winter census was focused in the southern U.S. and we were missing a lot of birds. It was a mystery whether birds were just harder to count in the winter, or migrating to sites not being surveyed. However, during the 2011 Census we discovered over 1,000 birds wintering in the Bahamas which likely represents about one-third of the Atlantic Coast breeding population.
We are just beginning to understand how important the Caribbean is to the Piping Plover and we hope to learn a lot more during the 2016 census. Fortuitously, the Piping Plover census coincides with the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) region-wide count period in winter (January 14th to February 3rd). By surveying coastal habitats that are favored by this species—including beaches, tidal flats, mangroves and mud flats—you can contribute to our understanding of the distribution and abundance of this species in the Caribbean.
Please mark your calendars, think about potential habitat in your area, and brush up on your plover identification skills.
Instructions for submitting data online will be provided closer to the survey dates. However, if you would like to participate in the International Piping Plover Census or have any questions about the census please contact Elise Elliott-Smith (eelliott-smith@usgs.gov).
With future climate change potentially threatening Tropical Dry Forests (TDFs) in Grenada and throughout the Caribbean with increased storm intensity, changes in rainfall patterns, increased drought intensity and fire risk, this CEPF-supported project is helping to improve planning and policy frameworks for managing TDFs in Grenada. The project seeks to develop policy and planning guidelines for adaptation to climate change’s impacts on Grenada’s TDFs. To identify the key policy challenges associated with management of these forests in the face of global climate change, the project team has developed computer simulations of TDF response to different climate change scenarios, and considered the implications in the context of current and management practices. The goal is to develop policy recommendations under different climate change scenarios, which local stakeholders can consider as they plan for the future of these dry forests in Grenada.
The webinar will be hosted by the University of Chester in collaboration with the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme and the Grenada Forestry and National Parks Department with technical assistance from a research team led by Dr. Howard P. Nelson of University of Chester. Although Grenada is the primary focus of the webinar, the subject matter is equally applicable to dry forests throughout the region.
Click this link to register for the webinar.
BirdsCaribbean, the regional coordinator of International Migratory Bird Day activities for the Caribbean, kicked of the season by providing habitat restoration resources. A free ebook, Heritage Plants, featured dozens of native Caribbean plants that are of particular value to local birds as well as techniques for creating a great backyard bird habitat. A free webinar, Native Plants for a Bird-Friendly Backyard, featured Caribbean bird, plant and habitat restoration experts.
In Puerto Rico, students had the chance to see the results of habitat restoration firsthand at the Pterocarpus Forest at Palmas del Mar, a rare example of freshwater swamp forest. Abandoned and overgrown with invasive plants, this 50-acre habitat has been rehabilitated over the last four years into a nature preserve with a three-quarter mile elevated boardwalk and 40 foot bird observation platform. Ingrid Flores, Regional Coordinator of IMBD Caribbean explained that “the students learned how habitat restoration helps migratory birds, and how it creates valuable public space for recreation and education.”
BirdsCaribbean has been the regional coordinator for International Migratory Bird Day activities for eight years. Centered around the month of October—peak season for migratory birds in the Caribbean—approximately 40,000 people participate in these events each year. Learn more, download the Heritage Plants ebook and watch the native plants webinar, right here at birdscaribbean.org. IMBD activities across the Western Hemisphere are coordinated by Environment for the Americas (EFTA).
A long-awaited moment of renewed hope came for the people of Union Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines last month with the launch of the Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project. The largest bay in the Grenadines, Ashton Lagoon included the largest mangrove habitat on the island and had long been a popular fishing and recreational area for local families. Seriously damaged by a failed marina development 20 years ago, on-the-ground work has now begun to restore the lagoon.
The launch event, organized by the Sustainable Grenadines Inc. (SusGren), a local non-profit conservation organization, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries and Industry saw more than 100 people in attendance representing various sectors of the island community and government departments and ministries.
The launch ceremony featured brief remarks from supporting agencies and a large billboard showing the vision for the restored Ashton area. The road to this new beginning was rocky and challenging, but amidst the many obstacles encountered along the way SusGren remained optimistic. They have been the driving force behind this initiative with support from BirdsCaribbean, championing the cause for restoration efforts for over 10 years.
“The process, which involved lobbying with government for permission to proceed and holding talks with various government agencies and donors, was long but we never gave up, and we are happy to have received permission from Cabinet earlier this year,” said Mr. Martin Barriteau, Special Advisor to SusGren.
The Ashton Lagoon Restoration Project was initiated as a result of the negative environmental impacts caused by a failed marina development in 1994. The Marina Project proposed to join Frigate Rock to Union Island, construct a 300-berth marina, a golf course in the mangrove area, and large condominiums, but was abandoned in 1995. Not all local people were in favor of the project, which destroyed pristine marine habitats, vital to the livelihoods of local fishers and enjoyed by tourists and locals alike.
Ashton Lagoon, located on the south coast of Union Island in the Grenadines, is the largest bay in the Grenadines and was unique in that it contained all the primary components of a mangrove/seagrass/coral reef ecosystem, including a long stretch of outer reefs, a shallow protected inner lagoon, abundant seagrass beds within the lagoon, tidal mud flats, salt ponds, and the largest continuous mangrove habitat in the region. Because of its rich biological diversity and ecological importance for the entire coast of Union Island, the lagoon was designated a Marine Conservation Area and protected under The Fisheries Act of 1986. The area was also designated an Important Birding Area (IBA), supporting a large variety of resident and migratory herons, egrets, shorebirds, seabirds and landbirds.
Despite its protected status, a foreign developer was given permission to proceed with the project. An environmental assessment pointed out that the development would cut off water circulation to the bay, causing catastrophic damage to reefs, seagrasses and fisheries. Nevertheless the project proceeded, with exactly the predicted results. After dredging the lagoon and building the causeways and marina berths, the developer went bankrupt and disappeared, leaving behind the damaged bay.
Impacts from the failed development included stagnant polluted water in the lagoon and marked declines in marine life and the health of the mangrove. It was not just the news of a failed marina that troubled the islanders but the glaring sight of, “the worst environmental disaster in all of St.Vincent and the Grenadines” said Director of Grenadines Affairs, Mr. Edwin Snagg.
The once fishing haven was no more, the family fun areas for picnicking and swimming were gone also, the passage way to ease fishers journey to their fishing grounds was cut off, and the calm turquoise waters of the lagoon where coconut and gum boats once sailed were now murky and stagnant.
A revolutionary new field guide, Endemic Birds of Cuba – A Comprehensive Field Guide is now available for purchase. This ground-breaking guide, authored by Nils Navarro, extraordinarily talented wildlife artist, illustrator and scientist, was over ten years in the making. It promises to set a new standard for field guides.
This is the first field guide focused on Cuban endemic birds. The book is worth owning for the artwork alone. The first thing to note are the large, stunningly beautiful illustrations. Each bird comes to life on the page, thanks to Nils’ intimate knowledge of each species from countless hours of careful observation in the field. The author also photographed and studied museum specimens to ensure that all details were accurately captured.
BirdsCaribbean was honored to launch this one-of-a-kind field guide in July 2015 at their 20th International Conference in Jamaica with a keynote address by Nils. Copies sold out immediately with rave reviews by members, avid bird watchers, ornithologists, and conservationists. The guide is praised not only for its gorgeous artwork and comprehensive information, but also for its innovative concept. Unlike other guides, this one combines the best of both the British birding style of writing detailed notes while in the field together with the North American preference of using a field guide and checklists while birding. Read more
Released as part of the Migratory Bird Festival that the group has hosted on St. Martin for the past three years, the photo essay, Shadow of a Drought, is available online and can be downloaded as a free ebook from their website. Selections from the photo essay were also exhibited at the event. Although all the pictures were taken on St. Martin, the images resonate with islanders throughout the region who have seen so many of the same scenes.
According to the photographer, Mark Yokoyama, the photo essay was a multi-purpose endeavor: “We wanted to create something that was timely and topical, but also something worth revisiting even after the current drought is over. It was an opportunity to explore seasonal and cyclical weather patterns, the impact of human activity on different scales, and the resilience of natural systems. This year’s habitat restoration theme, and the fact that wetlands are both an important migratory bird habitat and profoundly impacted by drought, made this a great tool for both promoting and enhancing our Migratory Bird Festival.”
This year’s contest featured three distinct categories as well as an overall Grand Prize Winner. The Endemics category showcased the bird species found only on Jamaica. Fun with Birds and People highlighted both human-bird interaction and the International Meeting itself. Birds and Nature explored birds as well as their habitats and the other animals and plants that make up island ecosystems.
There was much to consider in the birds photographed including composition, focus, colour and overall interest. The judges were unanimous in their decisions for the following prize winners.
Red-billed Streamertail – Rafy Rodriguez
First Prize – Jamaican Mango in flight – Rafy Rodriguez
Second Prize – Black-billed Streamertail – Stephen Shunk
Third Prize – Yellow-faced Grassquit – Antoine Chabrolle
First Prize – Fun with Hummingbirds at Rocklands – Wendy Lee
Second Prize – Spice Girl Power – John Webster
Third Prize – Learning the Tools – Doris Gross
First Prize – Loggerhead Kingbird attacking Northern Mockingbird – John Webster
Second Prize – Caribbean Dove – Frantz Delcroix
Third Prize – Butterfly – Frantz Delcroix
Thanks also to our three wonderful judges, Andrew Dobson, Claude Fletcher and Stokely Saddler, for their time, expertise, and careful consideration of all the photos.
Finally, thanks to all the photographers who participated in the contest! Many excellent shots were submitted, making the decision on the winning photos a real challenge for the judges. To see the entries in each category, follow these links: Endemics, Fun with Birds and People, and Birds and Nature.
The book emphasizes the importance of native plants to Caribbean birds and other animals. While many islands are heavily developed, bird-friendly gardening and native tree plantings in neighborhoods can help people and wildlife co-exist. The trees and plants featured in the book were selected specifically for their value to birds. The book also includes general advice about creating bird-friendly backyards and habitat renewal as well as links to resources with additional information.
According to Blackbaud, most money is raised in the last quarter of the year. Around the holidays, people tend to give more, both online and offline. This means that your year-end appeal letter is a critical element of your fundraising success. How can you take advantage of this most wonderful time of the year? Even if you’ve written an appeal letter or two before, why not get some new tactics to raise even more this December?
In this event, you’ll learn:
Whether you’re creating your first year-end appeal or you simply want to improve your results you got last year, this presentation will help you!
If you are a BirdsCaribbean member, you can register for this free webinar now. If you’re not a BirdsCaribbean member or need to renew your membership you can do that quickly and easily online. The normal cost of this webinar is $97/person and individual membership to BirdsCaribbean is only $25. Learn more about Mazarine on her website.
In preparation for the International Migratory Bird Day celebrations of 2015, BirdsCaribbean and the Bahamas National Trust co-hosted a special webinar about bird-friendly gardening: Native Plants for a Bird-Friendly Yard. Designed to tie into this year’s Restore Habitats, Restore Birds theme, this webinar focused on the native plants that are most beneficial to native Caribbean birds.
Scott Johnson kicked things off in style and was joined for this webinar by guest panelists and native plant experts, Dr. Joe Wunderle and Mr. Pericles Maillis. The first part of the presentation gives an introduction to bird migration and the many challenges and threats that birds face on migration.
The second part of the presentation talks about what birds need to survive—food, water and shelter (habitat)— and how we can help birds by planting plants that are valuable to birds, providing a source of water, restoring habitats in our communities, and more. The third part of the presentation gives information on 10 plants that are great for both migrant and resident birds and gives you some tips on how to get started with planting a bird-friendly yard. View the one-hour webinar right here:
The PowerPoint version of this presentation is also available for educators or anyone interested in learning more. (Download in English, PowerPoint, 15.7MB – Download in Spanish, PowerPoint, 15.1MB)
Check out also the plants listed in our eBook: Heritage Plants—Native Trees and Plants for Birds and People in the Caribbean.
The prizes this year are fantastic if you are a bird lover, an art lover or need a new pair of binoculars: an original painting of Bananaquits on Banana Flower by acclaimed Grenadian wildlife artist Freddy Paul, generously donated by the artist, a pair of Vortex Viper HD 8×24 roof prism binoculars, and a framed, ceramic relief artwork by outstanding Jamaican artist, Everard Powell, also donated by the artist.
Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Contact us to let you know how many tickets you would like. You can pay for the tickets online, or request other payment options when you contact us. Remember to get your tickets before October 24th, and good luck!
This thoughtfully-designed app lets you identify birds, browsing alphabetically or taxonomically. Beginning birders looking to ID the species in their backyards can filter results to show only common species. Users can also use the app to record their bird sightings and even export this information. If you just want to see birds, there is a slideshow mode featuring highlights from the 3,000 gorgeous photos in the app.
Listings for each bird include detailed species accounts, and advanced birders will love the audio that is included for almost every species. Over 360 audio recordings are just a touch away. The resources section includes information about Caribbean birds and introductions to key topics like biogeography, conservation and migratory birds.
Available for $9.99 from the App Store, it is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It is optimized for the iPhone, so if you are using an iPad, be sure to view iPhone apps when searching in the store. More information about the app is available at: http://puertoricobirds.com/prandvibirdsapp.html
IMBD is coordinated across the Western Hemisphere by Environment for the Americas (EFTA), and events are held in over 700 locations from Canada to Argentina. BirdsCaribbean, the largest organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean, will coordinate activities throughout the region beginning in October, a time when migratory activity is at its peak in the Caribbean. BirdsCaribbean has been the regional coordinator for the past eight years.
The theme of IMBD this year is “Restore Habitat, Restore Birds.” This theme is particularly relevant in the Caribbean, where natural habitats share limited island real estate with dense human populations and intensive development. The migratory pathways and overwintering grounds of the Caribbean are an indispensable part of the life cycle of about 350 bird species, from egrets and ducks to hawks and songbirds.
Scott Johnson, Science Officer at the Bahamas National Trust will give a presentation. Two outstanding guest speakers will join us to share their expertise and knowledge, including botanist/ naturalist, Mr. Pericles Maillis (Bahamas National Trust Past President, Nassau, Bahamas), and ornithologist/ ecologist, Dr. Joe Wunderle (US Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Puerto Rico). This webinar will help us to prepare for and kick off our fall celebration of the International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) Festival in the Caribbean, October 2015.
Space is limited so register early! Here is the link to register:
By applying machine learning algorithms to large sets of radar data, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology—a BirdsCaribbean partner—is developing the ability to track bird migrations as they happen. It sounds a bit like science fiction, and would have been a few years ago, but you can read all about it in Nautilus: Big Data Is for the Birds. Welcome to the future!
The official IMBD date is the second Saturday in May for the U.S. and Canada and the second Saturday in October for Latin America and the Caribbean. Because birds don’t migrate on a single day, Bird Day activities take place year-round, and events are best offered when migratory birds are present.
We are delighted to share information about the 2015 IMBD conservation theme: Restore Habitat, Restore Birds. Loss and degradation of habitat are primary threats to bird populations. The 2015 IMBD theme considers threats, such as urbanization and climate change, and suggests ways to get involved in habitat restoration projects at home, in communities, and further afield. Each habitat illustrated on the 2015 poster provides a colorful view of a few of the places migratory birds seek for nesting, wintering, or as stopover sites during migration using the beautiful work of artist Amelia Hansen.
IMBD is celebrated in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean at protected areas, refuges, parks, museums, schools, zoos, botanical gardens and more. More than 700 events and programs are hosted annually, introducing the public to migratory birds and ways to conserve them.
For coverage of IMBD 2015 in the Caribbean, follow along here on the BirdsCaribbean blog and on the Caribbean Bird Festivals Facebook page. If you are interested in hosting an event contact us and be sure to check out the amazing collection of IMBD resources available online.
Recently released by BirdsCaribbean’s Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, Birds of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico: Status, Abundance, and Conservation is a special issue that threatens to set an impossibly high bar for the term special. Written by Daphne deJersey Gemmill, the volume draws on her three decades of surveys and exploration, painting the picture of the small island’s bird life in exquisite detail. Like all of the JCO’s publications, it is available for free online.
According to the abstract: Vieques Island is a satellite island 8 miles east of the main Island of Puerto Rico. Status, abundance, and habitat use of the birds of Vieques Island are presented based on the author’s extensive avian surveys, literature review, surveys of museum speciments, and the banding efforts of numerous other ornithologists. Species accounts are provided for each of the known birds of Vieques, along with color photos for many species and a review of the conservation challenges facing the island.
As is appropriate for a peer-reviewed journal, the abstract significantly undersells this remarkable volume. The species accounts are beautifully illustrated with dozens of photos. Thoughtful, comprehensive sections detail habitats, conservation threats, and even an ornithological history of the island. At 273 pages, this special issue is essentially a book—and an excellent one at that, recommended to anyone with an interest in Caribbean birds and ecology. A PDF of the issue is available for free on the JCO website and is guaranteed to be the most rewarding 45MB you’ve downloaded all week.
The book can purchased on Amazon here.
The conference opened with “Jamaica Day — A Celebration of Jamaica’s Unique and Wonderful Birds” which included a dozen presentations about Jamaica’s birds, from the latest research in tracking Jamaican seabird populations to the role of birds in pest control on Blue Mountain coffee farms. The extended look at Jamaica’s birds also included reports on the arrival of the Caribbean Birding Trail program to Jamaica and Jamaica’s historical contribution to ornithology.
The meeting continued with a series of outstanding presentations from famous conservationists, who spoke on a wide range of topics including the importance of involving the community in bird conservation, why it is important to conserve birds, how photography can be used to influence hearts and minds and the importance of habitat restoration for birds and people. Workshop topics focused on capacity building and included fundraising, advocacy and the use of social media.
Other highlights of the meeting included the announcement of the rediscovery of the Black-capped Petrel on the island of Dominica and the launch of a new book: The Endemic Birds of Cuba by Nils Navarro. The week before the conference, 30 children enjoyed a summer camp all about birds at the Hope Zoo, and two dozen Jamaicans were trained as birding guides during the Caribbean Birding Trail’s Jamaica launch.
In addition to over 120 presentations, workshops and panel discussions, the delegates enjoyed a variety of field trips to explore Jamaica’s natural areas first-hand. Conference trips visited Hope Gardens, Goat Islands, Cockpit Country, western Portland Bight, Portland, and the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, amongst other destinations. Many meeting participants were particularly eager to catch a glimpse of some of the 29 bird species endemic to Jamaica that can be seen nowhere else in the world and all expressed their amazement at the richness of Jamaica’s biodiversity and landscape and the warm welcome they received.
Local support was crucial to the success of the meeting, with sponsorships and media support coming from the National Environment and Planning Agency, Knutsford Court Hotel, Sandals Foundation, Carib Cement, Island Car Rental, Jamaica National Building Society, Hope Gardens, Hope Zoo, Jamaica Conservation Development Trust, The Gleaner, BirdLife Jamaica, AV Concepts and LIME. International sponsors included the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service International Programs, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Dutch Conservation Nature Alliance, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and Anguilla Nature Explorers/Birds in Paradise Tour. The meeting concluded with a banquet and awards ceremony featuring renowned dancehall artist and environmentalist Roshaun “Bay-C” Clarke of the band T.O.K., ending the conference on a musical high note.
A team of scientists from EPIC and Dominica’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have recorded 968 Diablotin, also known as the Black-capped Petrel, over the mountains of Dominica, a Lesser Antilles island for which the last confirmed date of nesting of that species is 1862. This rare seabird was once abundant on Dominica, but thought to be extirpated in the late 1800s due to overhunting and the introduction of mammalian species. Observations made with radar and supplemented by detection of vocalizations showed large numbers of petrels flying between the sea and potential nest areas in the island’s highest peaks. Details of the expedition are being released at the 20th International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean, taking place now in Kingston, Jamaica.
Adam Brown, Co-Founder and Lead Scientist at EPIC states, “Finding this colony of petrels on Dominica is a real game-changer for Black-capped Petrel conservation. For years we thought the only remaining colonies of petrels were on Hispaniola, where nesting habitat is diminishing at an alarming rate and pressures of human activity are significant. Dominica is an island-nation where nature conservation is a high priority and forests needed by petrels are well protected, so we now have a huge new opportunity to undertake conservation efforts to preserve this imperiled species.”
