Spencer Schubert’s adventures into the remote corners of the Dominican Republic Part continue, all in the name of science and conservation.
If you are reading this, I probably do not have to convince you that birds are great. The more interesting discussion to be had, of course, would be what makes them so great. We are all drawn to birds for different reasons. For some of us, the sights and sounds they provide to the ambience of our backyard or local natural area are enough to endear them to us. For many others it comes from their experience as pet owners. Even the tradition of hunting can inspire reverence for birds and a passion for their conservation. I have always liked birds, but I can hardly claim that they were any more interesting to me than lizards or turtles, for example. Indeed, on my grumpiest of days, I sometimes refer to myself as a failed herpetologist.
My gateway to birds has been a fascination with their role as seed dispersers. It may not be the first thing that you notice, but no matter where you go, as long as you’re standing on dry land and there is some green vegetation nearby, you would be hard pressed to find somewhere where there aren’t birds eating fruits and seeds. These feeding behaviors by birds are a key component to many terrestrial ecosystems. By swallowing fruits or otherwise carrying away seeds in their bill, potentially flying great distances, birds give plants a major boost in their potential to propagate in the environment.
One of the major implications of seed dispersal in a world with ever diminishing forests is the prospects for degraded ecosystems to bounce back. About two years ago, I contributed an article to this blog on up-and-coming work in the small town Jarabacoa in the central mountains of the Dominican Republic. I was studying whether constructed perches could be used to attract birds to restoration sites on abandoned parcels of farmland, with the goal of promoting natural seed dispersal and forest recovery. It all began with a simple principle: If you build it, they will come.
To some extent this was true. We found that installing perches increased the number of birds visiting restoration plots. However, some key seed dispersers such as the Palmchat, Black-crowned Palm Tanager, and Red-legged Thrush – to name a few – showed little to no interest in our perches. So, I got to thinking, maybe we need a better sales pitch.
Have you ever walked down the streets of a popular street in town looking for a place to eat or hang out? Would you rather walk into an establishment that is silent with no sign of people inside or one that is bustling with music and laughter? Atmosphere is what you’re looking for. All else being equal, you’re much more likely to walk into a restaurant that sounds like there are a lot of people inside than one that is quiet and seemingly empty. We use these social cues to inform our judgments of the quality of different businesses all the time. As it turns out, birds are not so different.
Birders will already be familiar with the magic of playback. Many bird species are readily stimulated by hearing their own call and often rush in to investigate whether the sound is from a mate, new neighbor, or a potential intruder to the territory. This is often used to draw in shy birds for us to have a closer look at them or prompt them to reply for better identification (Note: Playback may cause unnecessary stress for some species, particularly during nesting season, and is prohibited in some parks and in many cases for threatened species). Similarly, birds may be drawn to the sounds of both their own kind and other species as a signal to flock up to find high quality habitat or food.
Here is where my idea set in. One aspect of my studies over the past four years has been the community-level analysis at our sites in the central Dominican Republic in an attempt to fully document all feeding/dispersal relationships between all of the bird and plant species that occur here. Through thousands of hours of observation, we have uncovered enormous variation in the extent to which different bird species act as seed dispersers.
Some “generalist” species are responsible for dispersing the seeds of large numbers of plant species. For example, our research has revealed that the Palmchat eats fruits from 42 species. That’s nearly half of all trees and shrubs that are found, collectively, at the sites we have surveyed! Other “specialist” species, like the Antillean Euphonia, are only known to feed on fruits from just a few species. So, if you were any average Joe Bird in the mood for some tasty fruits, which of these species would you rather take a recommendation from?
This is, effectively, the question we asked with our latest experiment. By broadcasting sounds of fruit-eating generalists, specialists, and birds that do not eat fruits in separate trials, we sought to test how these sounds affect bird activity in our restoration plots. We expected, first of all, that the sounds of particular species would attract members of that same species. Additionally, we expected experimental trials with sounds from generalist birds to attract more birds in general than in trials with sounds from specialists, non-frugivores, and no sound. We used digital video cameras to record the activity of birds in the plots during these experiments. At this time, we are still reviewing the footage from this study. But we have already seen some fascinating results! Several species that we had never before recorded in the plots were confirmed as visitors responding to the sound of their own species during this experiment.
Here we see a family of Grey Kingbirds (Tyrannus dominicensis) frolicking among the perches in one of our restoration plots. Kingbirds are, nominally, insectivores. However, they supplement their diet heavily with a large variety of fruits. Their propensity to venture out into open spaces to hunt for insects makes them highly prolific seed dispersers in deforested landscapes. (Video by Spencer Schubert)
Our work demonstrates that sound and social cues are likely a key factor in birds exploring degraded landscapes. And this exploration and habitat use by birds has a direct relationship with seed dispersal. While our work is only a first glance into these relatively unexplored aspects of bird behavior, there is reason to believe that it could have key implications for environmental management and conservation. Beyond simply tricking birds into showing up to a particular site, taking various measures to promote the local abundance of birds through providing resources and habitat can extend well beyond improving the well-being of birds. Helping birds in this context has great potential for restoring the ecosystem services like seed dispersal that birds provide, which will be key in our future struggle to support biodiverse and resilient ecosystems.
In the time since the inception of our project, we have taken steps to ensure that measures will be taken to improve management practices to make landscapes more supportive of bird populations. Our biggest push in this regard has been emphasizing the importance of planting native species both in restoration areas and in backyard landscaping projects to support native birds.
Over the past year, we have collected seed and grown seedlings of more than 30 species of native plants, all of which produce fruit resources for birds. In July of this year, we donated more than two hundred of these seedlings to Plan Yaque Inc. (a local NGO working to conserve natural resources in the Rio Yaqui del Norte watershed) and the Ministry of the Environment to incorporate into routine forest restoration projects, including the plots where we have done our experiments. We hope that this will be an important first step to reforming forest restoration practices so that they may become more sustainable and effective in promoting native biodiversity.
I owe gratitude to many individuals and organizations for their roles in supporting this project over the past several years. Chiefly among these were project technicians: Joaris Samuel Gonzalez and Juan Miguel Liberata. Field assistants: Alex Lascher-Posner, Paris Werner, Kim Shoback, Tyler Glaser, Alejandra Monsiváis, Juan Carlos Cárdenas, and Lara Grevstad. Dr. Eric Walters of Old Dominion University helped advise the project and has been instrumental in the progression of my ideas and my development as a scientist. Holly Garrod has closely partnered with this project as a collaborator during the course of MS thesis on todies of Hispaniola. Local organizations Plan Yaque and Rancho Baiguate have provided key logistic support, without which this work would not have been possible. Furthermore, numerous private land owners have generously received us on their farms to conduct our field studies. This research was funded jointly by the Rufford Foundation, the Sophie Danforth Conservation Award from Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Old Dominion University Kirk Wetland Research Award, and the David S. Lee Fund from BirdsCaribbean.
By Spencer Schubert. Spencer is Ph.D. student in the ecology program at Old Dominion whose thesis focuses on the contributions of avian seed dispersal to tropical forest recovery and plant-frugivore seed dispersal networks on farmland landscapes in the Dominican Republic. Spencer is a recipient of two BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund Grants and is using his research as a platform to raise interest in the ecological importance of birds for restoration projects in the region around Jarabacoa.
On behalf of the entire Journal of Caribbean Ornithology staff, I am incredibly excited to announce that the JCO Archives are complete! And we are honored to dedicate these Archives to our deeply-valued and greatly-missed friend and colleague, the man who started this whole adventure: Dr. James W. Wiley.
THE BACKSTORY (some historians claim that we started with Messenger Pigeons)
In 1988, Dr. James (Jim) W. Wiley conceived and published the first issue of El Pitirre, a newsletter for the Society for the Study of Caribbean Ornithology (now BirdsCaribbean). He went on to serve as Editor-in-Chief for the first 17 volumes—an incredible feat—and in the process, grew the newsletter into a peer-reviewed research journal well-respected across the Caribbean.
Volume 16 (2003) marked the end of the El Pitirre name and the birth of Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. 2004 would mark Wiley’s final year, wrapping up his tenure with Volume 17. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) A. Jackson tagged in as a co-Editor-in-Chief with Dr. Floyd Hayes for Volume 18 (2005), with Floyd taking the reins from there. In 2006, Martín Acosta Cruz came aboard as co-Editor-in-Chief, overseeing manuscripts coming out of Cuba. Two years later, Floyd recruited Douglas Weidemann, a biology student out of Pacific Union College, to serve as an Editorial Assistant. Doug has been with the journal ever since and is the only member of our current staff who was there to watch JCO transition from paper to the digital world in 2014. In his 11+ year tenure, Doug has been instrumental in keeping JCO moving forward as the leading ornithological publication in the Caribbean.
Floyd and Martín would continue serving as Editors-in-Chief for the next eight volumes of JCO. In 2014 (Volume 27), Dr. Jason Townsend stepped into the Editor-in-Chief position, and shepherded JCO into a productive chapter that included transitioning the journal to open-access and onto an online academic publishing site, as well as growing the JCO team with new staff and new positions. When Jason created and advertised a Managing Editor position in 2016, I jumped at the opportunity to become involved, and have spent the last four years helping expand the journal’s publication capacity and improving timeliness of publication. We have worked hard at creating a bigger and more unified team, and that has made all the difference.
GETTING THE JOB DONE (if only you could claim blood, sweat, and tears as tax deductions)
More staff has ultimately afforded JCO more bandwidth to tackle some big, lingering side projects. One of those has been the ongoing project (3+ years) of completing the JCO Archives—a digitized, free, and open-access collection of every publication from every volume and issue dating back to Wiley’s Volume 1, Issue 1 in 1988.
The completion of the JCO Archives is owed to the hard work of MANY individuals, including Tristan Leisten, Zoya Buckmire, and Alex Sansom, to name a few. Thank you also to all of the great photographers who have allowed us to use their photographs for volume and issue covers:
Tanya Martinez, Zoya Buckmire, Charles D Peters, Eric Hynes, Juliana Coffey, Richard Briones, Amonie Holas, Gloria Achilla, Susan Jacobson, Jessie Pitt, Dave Irving, Rafy Rodriguez, Adam Toussaint, David Hollie, Pedro G. Rodriguez, Kenneth Butler, Jose M. Panteleon, Dax Roman, Aslam Ibrahim Castellon, Anthony Levesque, Claude Fletcher, Aaron Budgor, Pericles Brea, Adam Stinton. Ray Robles, Raphael Kopan, George Armistead, Wilfred Marissen, Ernesto Burgos, Gary Graves, Engie, Jonathan Liddell, Leticia Soares, Eladio Fernandez, Justin Proctor, Bruce Hallett, Carel P. de Haseth, Miguel A. Landestoy, Andre/Keila Dhondt, Kim Novino, Rafy Rodriguez, Rafael Arvelo, M. R. Paice, David Jones, Jamie Adams, Hubert Askanas, Pascal Villard, Matthew Johnson, Wolde Kristos, Sean Rune, Greg Homel, D. Belasco, and Michael J. Good.
So with open arms and big smiles on our faces, all of us at JCO welcome you to come and take a look through the new Archives. I may be a bit biased, but I think they look pretty darn good!
DIGGING INTO THE ARCHIVES (sit back, relax, and stay awhile!)
Readers be advised—you’ll notice that there are some differences between our cataloging of newer versus older volumes. Although we tried to keep the presentation of articles and their metadata consistent across all 32 volumes, as we worked our way back in time, older publications introduced new challenges. Early volumes of El Pitirre were organized much differently and contained different types of content. Parsing out each bulletin or announcement was essentially impossible, and so in those cases we have “lumped” some entries together into one downloadable PDF. But we still wanted you to be able to clearly see every major entry within a volume, and so we have conveniently displayed all titles and authors at the top of the page. We’ve also included downloadable PDFs for each of the El Pitirre volumes and issues so that you can have them in their entirety should you wish.
We hope you’ll enjoy strolling down memory lane as much as we have. Please take your time and enjoy reading back through 31 years of priceless contributions to Caribbean ornithology. And don’t forget to swing by the Archives whenever you’re working on a new manuscript. They contain decades of great science that might help shape your own!
Sincerely,
Justin Proctor
JCO Managing Editor
P.S. We’ve done our best to ensure accuracy across everything you’ll find in the Archives, but there is always the possibility that we missed something. If you find an error that needs correcting, please reach out and let me know (justin.proctor@birdscaribbean.org). However, there’s one thing that we definitely didn’t miss, and that’s the “winking” Gray Kingbird in the logo of El Pitirre’s third issue. Interestingly enough, it only winked for that one issue…
P.P.S. The JCO is proud to continue fulfilling our mission of commitment to giving a voice to Caribbean ornithologists and their hard work. Our journal has some great momentum underway right now, but we do need help to cover our operating costs as we grow our team, offer more development resources to our authors, keep the journal free and open-access, and continue to improve our submission to publication time. Please consider supporting Caribbean science and the dissemination of that knowledge through a donation to the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. From all of us at JCO, we thank you for your support.
The Avalon is setting sail again this May for important shorebird and seabird conservation and research – join us! The mission is a continuation of on-the-ground protective and restorative measures to limit human-caused disturbance and control invasive Australian pine at key shorebird and seabird sites in The Bahamas with support from Conservian, BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, and partners.
Volunteers Needed!
We need your help to protect beach-nesting birds, nests and young. Conservian is seeking a weekly crew of 10 enthusiastic volunteers for our Bahamas shorebird habitat conservation project in May 2020 aboard our 75ft research schooner. Crews fly to the Bahamas each week to designated airports for shuttle transport to schooner. All trips include bunk, onboard meals, water, & ground transportation associated with project. Trip cost is is $1,750 per person/per week. Please see website for more information at Coastalbird.org A valid passport is required. Airfare & insurance are not included.
This is a wonderful opportunity to gain field experience and shorebird ID skills or simply a once in a lifetime experience! In 2018, BirdsCaribbean’s own Jennifer Wheeler joined the trip. Read all about her amazing adventures here. And check out an article by Margo about one of the past expeditions.
May 2020 Expedition Dates & Locations:
Please note our ports of call were not impacted by Hurricane Dorian. All islands on the 2020 itinerary were unaffected.
Choose one week or more! Each week includes 7 nights aboard the schooner
Week 1: May 3-10 – Ambergris Cay, Joulter Cays & S. Andros (Nassau Int Apt)
Week 2: May 10-17 – Exumas & Great Exuma (Nassau Int Apt/Exuma Int. Apt)
Week 3: May 17-24 – Cat Island, Little San Salvador, Eleuthera (Exuma Int. Apt/Nassau Int. Apt)
Project Crew Activities:
Protect, post & sign shorebird & seabird sites
Collect new data on nesting shorebirds, seabirds & habitat
Locate & protect shorebird & seabird nests & downy young
Control invasive Australian pine on beach habitats (select trips)
Work with local volunteers to accomplish the above goals
Snorkel reefs in gin clear waters
Learn sailing crew skills
Fish for dinner-catch of the day!
To join our conservation pirate crew please contact Margo Zdravkovic at MargoZ@Coastalbird.org Go to Coastalbird.org for more information on our 2020 expedition and Conservian’s coastal bird conservation work.
IMPORTANT: Applicants must be responsible, adventurous, in good physical condition, enjoy working in teams, and be capable of walking several miles during warm weather on Bahamas beaches. Applicants must be comfortable living communally onboard a schooner for a week and riding in small boats to access survey sites.
David S. Lee was a pioneering naturalist and conservation biologist who helped get BirdsCaribbean started nearly 30 years ago, and inspired many naturalists with his work and his writing. He was a man of many interests, and with respect to the Caribbean, published numerous papers and articles in the popular press on seabirds, Bahamian fish, turtles, snakes, bats, and orchids.
Donations from Dave’s wife, Mary Kay Clark and his mother, June Bash, allowed the establishment of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds that will award money to conservation projects in his honor. The money is being held in a trust and will be used to award an annual grant for innovative projects that protect Caribbean birds and their habitats.
Goal of the Fund: The David S. Lee Fund for Conservation seeks to continue David’s passion for protecting wildlife. The fund will support direct, innovative conservation work in the Caribbean Region for birds and their habitats. The fund will be managed by BirdsCaribbean and used for annual small grants.
Eligibility: Scientists/naturalists working in the Caribbean, in conservation organizations or academic programs, may apply. Applicants should be students or early career ornithologists, conservationists, or wildlife professionals (i.e., not established faculty or senior staff of a conservation organization, less than 7 years post-graduation). A student must be enrolled in accredited Masters or PhD program in ecology, biology, conservation, or related field to be eligible. Applicants must be paid or sponsored members of BirdsCaribbean at the time of application.
Use of Funds: The funds can cover travel to field sites, living expenses in the field, or costs for equipment and supplies to conduct conservation projects. Examples of equipment and supplies include traps, cameras, automated recording units, nest boxes, etc. Ineligible costs include salary or other wages, overhead fees, etc. Projects that foster collaboration between scientists/naturalists in different island groups of the Caribbean, such as joint projects to test conservation techniques for similar species, will be favored.
Application Guidelines:
Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. All should have an English version of the abstract
Applications should be emailed as a Microsoft Word document.
The application should include a cover page, proposal (download guidelines below), and a curriculum vitae for the applicant.
Separately, by email, three individuals who can attest to your effectiveness in previous work should submit letters of recommendation. For students, this would include your academic advisor.
Evaluation:
A committee appointed by BirdsCaribbean will review the proposals and award the grants.
The awardee will be required to submit a report one year from the day of the award explaining how the award money was spent and the results of the project to that point. The awardee is also asked to write an article for BirdsCaribbean’s blog about their work (informal article for a lay audience).
But wait! What if you are not eligible to apply for funds, you ask? You can still support this worthy cause by being a sponsor!
This fund will be for the conservation of any bird in the Caribbean as a reflection of Dave’s diverse interests. He was an important part of many projects, ranging from those of the Black-capped Petrel and Seabird Working Groups to the scholarly debate leading to the elevation of the Bahama Yellow-throated Warbler to a full species.
At the moment the fund contains $12,000. Our initial goal is to raise $25,000 so that we can award $1,000 every year to a worthy student or early career ornithologist, conservationist or wildlife professional. Not only will this fund encourage creative field work for projects that make a difference, but it will also help build the knowledge and skills of young conservationists that are urgently needed to make sure that the Caribbean birds and habitats that Dave treasured are still around for future generations to enjoy.
At the 2015 BirdsCaribbean meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, a round of beers was purchased in Dave’s honor, since he always seemed to have a cooler full when people wanted one (and even when they didn’t). Think of this fund like a cooler full of refreshing beverages that Dave would have around if he were here. We owe it to Dave to stock that cooler—to vitalize naturalists and empower them in their work to help wildlife.
Please give a tax deductible donation to the David S. Lee Fund. Give generously. The more we put into the fund, the more we can give out each year. Thanks to all those that have contributed to the fund!
If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for the David S. Lee Fund. If you have questions or to make other arrangements for donating, please 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 is excited to announce the release of The Complete Checklist of the Birds of the West Indies! Jeff Gerbracht and Anthony Levesque, in consultation with experts across the region, have compiled important details for all of the bird species observed in the West Indies, including abundance, seasonality, breeding status, endemism and establishment.
The goal of The Checklist is to provide consistent, accurate and up-to-date information for use by researchers, conservationists and policy makers. The taxonomy of species follows the current version of the Clements Checklist of birds of the world. The most recent version of the checklist can be downloaded here and consists of two different documents:
The first document includes the introduction and explanatory text, definitions used and a summarized version of the species list as a pdf.
The second is a more detailed checklist in an excel spreadsheet. Providing the checklist as a spreadsheet enables you to easily sort and summarize the checklist by the columns you are most interested in, such as ‘Endemic Region’ or ‘Abundance’.
The Caribbean is home to over 700 species of bird, including 171 species that are endemic to the region and found nowhere else in the world. You can use the checklist to explore the many birds that are endemic to the Greater Antilles (109 species), to learn about the migrants and visitors that rely on the Caribbean habitats (334 species), or to check just how rare it is to see a Common Ringed Plover (very rare).
The excel spreadsheet is an invaluable resource, allowing you to manipulate the checklist and extract important information for your research, grant proposals, or personal interest. For example, how many endangered bird species are there in the Dominican Republic? Using the sort functions in excel, we see that there are six, with five of them endemic to Hispaniola: Ridgway’s Hawk, White-fronted Quail-Dove, Bay-breasted Cuckoo, La Selle Thrush, Hispaniolan Crossbill, and Black-capped Petrel.
At the BirdsCaribbean 21st International Conference in Guadeloupe, Jeff and Anthony facilitated a West Indies Checklist Working Group meeting. During the meeting we announced the release of the first checklist and quickly reviewed the format and types of information contained in the checklist. There was great interest in this initial release and we had several lively discussions about the future direction and expansion of the checklist. Creating country and island versions of the checklist is our next step in expanding the checklist coverage and a number of representatives agreed to begin work on country lists. Additionally, there was strong interest in expanding the checklist to cover subspecies (the current version of the checklist covers birds at the species level only). Everyone agreed that this checklist fills a much-needed void in open access to information on birds in the region and the enthusiasm around moving it forward was exciting and bodes well for the future of this working group.
When you are birding, remember to record all your observations in eBird Caribbean as those records will be used to keep this checklist up to date.
“There’s really no way to gauge how valuable this experience was for me…As I sat with my new mentor at lunch, the lessons that he was passing on to me had been gained over forty, maybe fifty years of a career. So now it’s my responsibility to take the baton and carry it forward.”
Bradley Watson, a new staff member at the Bahamas National Trust who is working on the Kirtland’s Warbler, was speaking enthusiastically from the recent BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe. At the conference in July, a new Mentorship Program was launched. Bradley’s mentor is Dr. Herbert Raffaele, former chief of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of International Conservation, and author of Birds of the West Indies, among other books.
BirdsCaribbean Directors-at-Large Dr. Adrianne Tossas and Dr. Ancilleno Davis had developed the concept of a mentorship program, which they were able to debut at a workshop in Guadeloupe. Its purpose is to further BirdsCaribbean’s goal of building competence in education, conservation, and research in the region. Mentorship is one way of deliberately engaging and supporting the career development of young conservationists and professionals who were born, live, and work in the region. The exchange of information and guidance provided by mentors also helps to spur regional leadership in conservation and avian science.
A few weeks before the conference, delegates were offered a survey to participate in the new program, with 75 responding favorably. Due to the differing backgrounds of respondents, it was challenging to organize them into mentor-mentee pairs, but four main areas were determined to be most useful, based on the responses: conservation management, research, outreach and education, and ecotourism.
A Mentorship Workshop was held on the second day of the Conference to introduce and explain the purpose of the program. Participants spoke up about the needs of mentees in general, and considered ways in which mentoring would be most effective and beneficial. Afterwards, newly-paired mentees and mentors had dinner together. It was a lively meal where they got to know each other and shared information that was of value for both sides of the relationship. What was most exciting to watch was how so many of the pairs remained talking after dinner, late into the night, excited about their new friendships and eager to take advantage of the time they had together in person.
Josmar Marquez, a younger conservationist who works with the group AveZona in Venezuela, was paired with Simon Guerrero, a well-known professor and researcher from the Dominican Republic. “This program has been very enriching for me because it allowed me to discuss my work, specifically my research methodology, with an ornithologist with a different background than mine.” Josmar goes on to highlight how this mentorship program is fitting for a BirdsCaribbean conference; “I was given great advice not only by my mentor, but by so many other Caribbean colleagues surrounding me throughout the week we shared together. Now, together, we will be trying to implement and achieve results by the time we all see each other again at the next BirdsCaribbean conference!”
“It is really exciting that BirdsCaribbean has started a mentorship program,” exclaimed Cartographer and Caribbean Birding Trail Project Coordinator, Aly DeGraff Ollivierre. “It’s such a great way to share our collective knowledge and experiences with each other, and an excellent opportunity to form deeper relationships with our colleagues.””
Jane Håkonsson, a young ornithologist from the Cayman Islands, commented: “BC’s mentorship programme has provided me with a type of personal and professional support I would have otherwise not had access to. The programme has helped me narrow my focus and identify and prioritize developmental steps.”
BirdsCaribbean is extremely grateful to the group of 41 mentors who generously came forward to serve as role models for the new, younger members—offering their time, their valuable insights, and experience. We also thank the 34 mentees that took the initiative to reach out and get involved. These individuals are eager to learn and grow in their role as the new generation of science and conservation professionals.
Bradley Watson says being a mentee has given him a sense of purpose and direction. “I feel a bit of a responsibility,” he emphasizes. “When I look at what everybody else has done [for conservation, as reported at this conference], I know what I need to do, and how important it is.”
In these new-found partnerships, mentors and mentees will be moving forward together with the important mission of Keeping Caribbean birds aloft!
*If you would like to be a mentor or want to be connected with one, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Email Mentorship Program leaders Adrianne Tossas (agtossas@gmail.com) and Ancilleno Davis (ancillenodavis@gmail.com).
Video of Bradley Watson by Ancilleno Davis.
Special thanks for the conference are due to our major sponsor, Parc National de la Guadeloupe, as well as the Karibea Beach Hotel, Environment Canada, the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Para la Naturaleza, The David Webster Charitable Trust, Benjamin Olewine IV, American Bird Conservancy, Caribaea Initiative, Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wildside Nature Tours, Optics for the Tropics, Inc., Holbrook Travel, Environment for the Americas, NuStar, the Bermuda Audubon Society, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Vortex Optics, Carefree Birding, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Levesque Birding Enterprise, Amazona, The Friendship Association, Hideaways of Ti Heights, and many private donors and supporters.
These are two names sometimes given to the elegant Ridgway’s Hawk, a Critically Endangered bird of prey which lives only on the island of Hispaniola. This hawk has an estimated population of just 450 individuals in the Dominican Republic, and is believed to be extirpated in Haiti. Since 2000, The Peregrine Fund – a non-profit organization working for the conservation of threatened and endangered birds of prey worldwide – has been in the Dominican Republic, fighting to save this species. The program consists of four major components: scientific research and monitoring, assisted dispersal, environmental education and community development.
I came on board this project in 2011 and have been amazed at the incredible strides our great team has made for the conservation of this species. As I write this, we are right in the middle of the busiest time of year – Ridgway’s Hawk nesting season! As many of our local field crew are busy nest monitoring, banding chicks and treating young for botfly infestations, I have had the privilege to spend some time at our new release site in Aniana Vargas National Park.
The Community is Key
Part of our long-term goals for the conservation of this species include creating 3 additional populations outside of Los Haitises National Park – the location of the last known population of this species. Last year, our team leader, Thomas Hayes, spent a lot of time searching for potential new release sites that would provide the hawks with sufficient prey and nesting habitat as well as relative protection from human threats. In fact, one of the main reasons we chose this park was because of the communities that surround it. Most of them make their living selling organic cacao and are already committed to environmental protection!
But before we could begin releases in this area, we had to do much more than pick a spot and set up a release site. We had to make sure we had the support from the local community members. After all, the success of the project and the survival of the hawks very much depends on the residents’ reactions to these efforts.
So, over the past several months our team has made many visits to Los Brazos, the nearest community to the release site. We held town meetings to discuss the possibility of releasing hawks in the area. We also brought a few individuals from the town of Los Limones (outside of Los Haitises National Park) where we have been working for close to two decades. The residents learned from them first-hand what benefits the project could bring to their own community. After receiving the go-ahead and full support of the people of Los Brazos, in March we constructed two towers to house the young hawks prior to release. We hired several community members to help with transporting materials through the forest to the site (about a 30-minute walk) and construction.
How Are the New Releases Doing?
As of the writing of this report, 14 Ridgway’s Hawks have been released into the park. They continue to do well. Nine more are currently in the hack boxes* and will be released within the next two weeks. We hope to bring at least two more hawks to the site, to be able to release a total of 25 individuals this year. All the hawks have been fitted with transmitters which help us locate them during this critical stage of their development.
In order to benefit the community as well as the hawks, we built and provided one free chicken coop to each household in Los Brazos. This will help prevent any conflicts between Ridgway’s Hawks, other raptors and domestic fowl. We also hired and are in the process of training three full-time, seasonal employees and three seasonal, paid volunteers. These young community members are responsible for monitoring and caring for the released hawks, under the supervision of Julio and Sete Gañan. Some have even taken the initiative to give presentations in nearby communities and schools. Our presence in Los Brazos also provides other sources of income for individuals as we pay for additional services such as cooking, laundry, house rental and transportation, among others. We have been overjoyed by the enthusiasm shown by the people of Los Brazos and surrounding communities in support of this project and the Ridgway’s Hawk.
Over the next few months, the released hawks will naturally develop their hunting and survival skills and in no time – they will become completely independent. When that happens, the young hawks will disperse to other areas within and outside the park.
Learning More About the Guaraguaíto
In order to keep the hawks as protected as possible once this happens, we have to make sure our education program reaches other surrounding communities before the hawks do. To that end, we expanded our education program to the region. To date we have visited 10 other communities that surround the park, going door-to-door, and giving presentations in local schools. We have also engaged local teachers to help us spread this important conservation message.
To date, we have conducted two workshops for a total of 38teachers working in schools around Aniana Vargas National Park. These two-day workshops are designed to provide teachers with the tools necessary to be able to talk about conservation issues one-on-one within their communities and in the classroom. The training also showed how to utilize whatever materials are on hand to create fun and dynamic learning experiences for their students. Our goal is for the educators to duplicate what they learned and help spread the word about the hawk and conservation far and wide.
Workshop activities include creating artistic sculptures of Ridgway’s Hawks out of recyclable materials; putting on a play – complete with actors, costumes and scenery; a bird watching excursion; playing a food-chain game; and participating in “Raptor Olympics.” During these exercises, the teachers are learning about the Ridgway’s Hawk’s biology, food chains, birds of prey, and conservation issues and actions. We have since received word from some participants, who are already putting what they learned into action. Some teachers have begun giving presentations at their schools about the hawks, and one hosted a mini-workshop with the other teachers at her school. We have also conducted art activities in several schools around the area, focused on birds of prey and the Ridgway’s Hawk.
The Future Looks Brighter, Thanks to Support!
Additionally, we have printed our first children’s brochure (in Spanish and Haitian Creole) and poster, and we are making progress on several other educational materials! We still have a lot of work to do in order to conserve this species and to reduce the human threat to its survival. However, we have made great strides and will continue to work hard for a better future for this beautiful raptor and for all wildlife and wild places, besides the human communities in Dominican Republic that live alongside them. I can’t wait!
We are grateful to our in-country partners Fundación Grupo Puntacana, Fundación Propagas, ZooDom, Cooperativa Vega Real, and Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales: and to our generous donors: BirdsCaribbean and the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund, and Premios Brugal Cree en Su Gente. And very importantly, we thank all of our local employees and volunteers, and all the community members for ensuring the success of this project. We could not do it without your support!
Hover over each photo to see the caption or click on the photo to see a slide show.
Morning meeting in the field. (Photo by Eladio Fernandez)
Bos Brazos community members giving a presentation on the Ridgeway’s Hawk in a local school. (photo by Marta Curti)
Hack box for the Ridgeway’s Hawk (photo by Marta Curti)
Newly released Ridgeway’s Hawks spending time near the release tower. (photo by Marta Curti)
Learning to identify birds seen on our walk at a Teacher Training Workshop (photo by Marta Curti)
Banding the chicks is important for identification and research. (Photo by Eladio Fernandez)
Youth showing her Ridgeway’s Hawk artwork. (photo by Marta Curti)
Local volunteers and community members tracking the hawks using radio telemetry. (photo by Marta Curti)
Locals monitoring the released hawks. (photo by Marta Curti)
Art activity – learning to draw Ridgeway’s Hawk. (photo by Marta Curti)
Teacher Training Workshop: Playing a food chain race game to learn about the importance of food chains. (photo by Marta Curti)
Art activity using new children’s brochure on the Ridgeway’s Hawk. (photo by Marta Curti)
Community members come to see the released hawks. (photo by Marta Curti)
By Marta Curti, The Peregrine Fund. Marta Curti began working as a field biologist with The Peregrine Fund (TPF) in 2000 when she worked as a hack site attendant on the Aplomado Falcon project in southern Texas. She has since worked as a biologist and environmental educator on several TPF projects from California Condors in Arizona to Harpy Eagles and Orange-breasted Falcons in Belize and Panama. She has been working with the Ridgway’s Hawk Project since 2011.
* A hack box is a specially designed aviary that serves as a temporary nest for young hawks awaiting release into a new area. The hawks are places in the hack box at a young age (before they are naturally able to fly). They remain in the hack box for about 7-10 days, until they are at the age of fledging. During their time in the hack box they are fed daily and become accustomed to their new home so that when the doors are open, they will naturally want to return to the site for food. Over time they will develop their hunting skills and once independent they will disperse naturally from the release area and no longer show up for the food we provision.
March 28th, 2019: A year and a half after Category 5 Hurricane Irma smashed into the beautiful island of Barbuda. A survey team is on the local ferry, returning to conduct follow-up population assessments of the endemic Barbuda Warbler and the Magnificent Frigatebird colony. The Barbuda Warbler was last evaluated by the IUCN in October, 2016 and was classified as Near Threatened; the Magnificent Frigatebird colony is the largest breeding colony in the western hemisphere. As an endemic, the Barbuda Warbler is completely restricted to the 62 square mile island and with its relatively small population, is at a higher risk from extreme weather events and habitat loss. The frigatebird colony as the largest breeding colony in the region is critical to the continued success of this species in the Atlantic. When Hurricane Irma swept over the island, we feared for the safety of both the Barbuda Warbler and the frigatebird breeding colony. An assessment team was quickly gathered and sent to assess both species in October 2017. We found that the Barbuda Warbler seemed to have survived the hurricane well and the Magnificent Frigatebirds were already started to return in numbers. But, we were returning to investigate: how were these populations both doing 18 months later?
Of Tents, Tarps, and Old Friends
Immediately upon landing at the ferry docks, we were greeted by the faces of friends we had made on the previous visit. Kelly Burton, Codrington Lagoon National Park Manager (Dept of Environment), was there making sure that the arrangements for transportation, food and lodging were taken care of and that our sometimes ‘unusual’ needs were met. Once we settled into our lodgings, we had a quick look around the town of Codrington, which had been nearly destroyed by the hurricane. Many homes now have electricity and roofs, but many were still without the basic needs of a simple roof. Tents and tarps are still being used by many Barbudans. Before we even left Codrington for an initial training session on methods, we encountered several Barbuda Warblers and the local subspecies of Yellow Warbler. A good sign for the first day.
We then headed north towards Two Foot Bay, where Jeff Gerbracht and Fernando Simal from BirdsCaribbean oriented the rest of the team with the survey methodology and what to expect for the following week: early mornings, late evenings and lots of walking, counting birds and good company!! Natalya Lawrence (Environmental Awareness Group – EAG), Sophia Steele (Flora & Fauna International) and Joseph (Junior) Prosper (EAG) enthusiastically dove right into the methods, asking great questions about the survey forms and practicing the count protocol. Sophia was part of the field team just after Irma and her prior experience with the methods was an added bonus. Of the eight point counts made that first afternoon, only one didn’t include a Barbuda Warbler, again a great start to a great week.
Revisiting Old Haunts, Meeting the Barbudans, and Lobster Wraps for Lunch
The next day started with sunrise, with two teams visiting the points we had sampled a year and a half earlier. Generally, each team was able to cover 8-15 points before the sun drove both us and the warblers into hiding. We looked forward to the lunch breaks with fantastic lobster wraps provided by Claudette and the occasional visits by her lovely granddaughter. After a relaxing lunch and brief rest, we were back in the field by 3pm, covering as many points as possible before sunset. Evenings were a group dinner, followed by a few Wadadlis (local beer!) and strategizing for the following day.
One of the biggest differences from my prior visit was the number of people that were back on the island. During our first visit, Codrington was almost deserted, and this time it was a vibrant community. This also meant we could meet with the community members, discuss what we were doing and why, and also begin to understand their lives and challenges post-Irma. We met with the principals of both schools, gave presentations on the Barbuda Warbler and the monitoring efforts to several of the classes, and had many enlightening discussions with Barbudans we would meet in and around town. Several times during the week we met children returning home from school, which often resulted in some impromptu birding classes.
The Frigatebird Revival
Partway through the week, Natalya and Sophia had to return to Antigua and Shanna Challenger (Flora and Fauna International), also an alum from the first season, joined the field crew and quickly showed her talent for spotting hard to find birds. With the help of Shanna and Joseph (who walked more miles than any of us), we were able to complete the necessary point counts, which gave us some extra time to conduct a rapid count of the Magnificent Frigatebird colony in the Codrington Lagoon NP. An afternoon boat trip to the colony was spectacular. We were joined by additional EAG staff (Nathan Wilson) and we counted as much of the colony as possible. One person counted adults, a second counted downy chicks and a third counted the ‘white-headed’ birds (mostly birds hatched either last year or very early this year). We counted a whopping 7,451 frigatebirds. The mangroves appear to be recovering slowly but that didn’t seem to bother the frigatebirds too much.
Connecting with Barbudans of All Ages
One of the very important aspects of our trip, besides counting the birds of course, was interacting with the Barbudans. During the second half of the trip, a team from EAG traveled from Antigua to do just that. In addition to the visits that we had already made to both schools, Arica Hill, EAG’s Executive Director, led the charge to host Barbuda Warbler presentations at the elementary school, complete with Shanna dressed as a Barbuda Warbler! Arica and EAG Director, Tahambay Smith, also organized a town hall meeting that was held with Barbudans, to gauge their interest in establishing an arm of the EAG over there. And let’s not forget filming! Lawson Lewis captured moments in the field, in the schools and in the meeting. These will be made into a short documentary that should become available very soon.
A New Airport Raises Concerns
Back to the field work! During the first few days, we kicked up clouds of red dust as we walked from point to point to count the Barbuda Warbler. Then, there were a few unexpected challenges, some caused by the much-needed heavy rains we encountered (Antigua and Barbuda have been in a drought for several years). But folks were happy to pull us out of the resulting mud when we got stuck and we were able to complete our surveys despite several rain delays. The construction of the new airport meant that several points we had previously counted were now either on the runway or in the middle of the rock quarry supporting the new construction. Habitat loss and concerns about the impact the airport will have on the surrounding warblers are something that should be closely monitored into the future.
There was also good news. We observed warblers throughout the island in numbers roughly similar to the previous counts shortly after the hurricane. 71 of the 105 random points counted during the week included at least one Barbuda Warbler. Certainly, one of the reasons the Barbuda Warbler population is doing this well, following a direct hit by Irma, is simply the amount of habitat available on Barbuda. The small human population and communal land ownership laws on Barbuda have resulted in most of the island remaining in a wild state, providing the warbler and other life with ample habitat. This likely provides significant buffers to the impacts of natural disasters such as droughts and hurricanes. As that habitat decreases, however, with the developments that are sure to follow the opening of a new airport, the risks to the warbler and its long term survival will also increase.
While the warbler appears to be doing fairly well, the data are still being analyzed and any conjecture about the true population status at this time is based on our observations and not statistics. We will follow up this blog post with the population estimates once the numbers have been crunched (and we will also present our work at BirdsCaribbean’s 22nd International Conference in Guadeloupe). The data are now off to Dr. Frank Rivera-Milan (who led the team during the first visit) – he will be running the various models to produce a current population estimate.
All in all, it was a very busy week but we had a wonderful time. Counting birds, meeting new friends, and spending time on such a beautiful, mostly wild island is a special experience—I’m ready to go back !!!
Thank you to our Partners!
We thank our donors and supporters who made this trip a successful one. Firstly, many thanks are expressed to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund), Global Wildlife Conservation, and Mr. Lamont Brown for providing funding for these important surveys and also for the educational outreach in Barbuda. Sincere thanks to the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) for assisting with the logistics, especially Ms. Arica Hill and Mr. Kelly Burton (Dept of Environment). Thanks to Fernando Simal (WILDCONSCIENCE), Joseph (Junior) Prosper, Natalya Lawrence, Shanna Challenger, and Sophie Punnett-Steele for tireless help with the field work. Thank you to Mr. John Mussington and Ms. Charlene Harris, principals at both the secondary and elementary schools in Barbuda, for affording us the opportunity to visit and speak with the students. Finally, we wish to thank the Barbuda Council and the Barbudan people who provided us with their assistance and support.
By Jeff Gerbracht, Lead Application Developer, eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. For many years, Jeff has served as a volunteer facilitator at our BirdsCaribbean training workshops and assisted with a number of field survey and monitoring efforts.
Hover over each photo to see the caption or click on the first photo to see a slide show.
Jeff showing Barbudan child how to use binoculars and catch a glimpse of local birds. (Photo by Joseph Prosper)
Jefff and Fernando planning logistics with Kelly Burton. (Photo by Natalya Lawrence)
Natalya and Jeff in the field. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Natalya Lawrence recording birds and vegetation cover. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Impromptu bird monitoring class. Fernando showing some school children how to use binoculars. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
The quarry, which is the source for the new airport foundation. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Sunset at the Codrington wharf. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Counting Magnificent Frigatebirds, white-headed immatures and downy chicks in abundance. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Clearing surrounding new runaway and road to quarry. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, seen and heard on many of our points. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Roofs yet to be repaired and some businesses still aren’t open. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Magnificent Frigatebird chicks. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
With the recent completion of The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology’s 31st volume, I would like to recognize the outstanding new team that has come together at the journal. Managing Editor Justin Proctor has done a tremendous job organizing a copy editing team that has helped us move manuscripts much more quickly and efficiently into production than ever before. This team includes Simon Campo, Holly Garrod, Dr. Alfredo Huerta, and Seth Inman. Their dedicated work made a major contribution to the diversity of articles published in Volume 31 and will ensure an increasingly timely publication model for JCO as we look forward to 2019’s Volume 32. Thanks to all!
On the production end, Doug Weidemann continues to do a painstaking job ensuring that all errors and formatting glitches are corrected before publication. Assisting Doug are two new Assistant Production Editors, Kyle Burnham and Jenifer Morgan-Davie. Special thanks to Doug for taking the time to work with Kyle and Jenifer as they learn the JCO production system! We also had the wonderful production assistance of Alice McBride on Volume 31. Although Alice is moving on to new career responsibilities that will not leave time for JCO work, we wanted to recognize all the hard work she put in to Volume 31, and wish her all the best! Please enjoy the Roundup of articles that follows, and know that this new team of JCO editors is looking forward to growing the journal, increasing our publication efficiency, and continuing to provide this valuable resource to the greater Caribbean community.
– Jason Townsend, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Caribbean Ornithology
Daniel C. Stonko, Lehron E. Rolle, Latia S. Smith, Alexis L. Scarselletta, Jennifer L. Christhilf, Michael G. Rowley, Shanna S. Yates, Shelley Cant-Woodside, Leslie Brace, Scott B. Johnson, Kevin E. Omland
Currently restricted to just Andros, the Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi) is of critical conservation concern. In this article, Stonko et al. present evidence that Bahama Orioles breed in and use pine forest extensively, altering the current approach to population estimates and conservation strategies.
Utilizing surveys of a man-made freshwater habitat, Bräger assesses the environmental factors influencing waterbird species abundance and composition in Jamaica. Additionally, he draws on four decades worth of observations to identify long-term trends in the waterbird population.
Neil A. Gilbert, Michelle R.A. Eshleman, Amy E. Janik, Kiera L. Kauffman, Joshua B. LaPergola
With little known about the breeding status of White-collared Swifts (Streptoprocne zonaris) on Hispaniola, Gilbert et al. describe breeding behavior at a previously undocumented nesting site. Moreover, they urge the discovery and monitoring of additional nesting sites on the island to better understand behavior and population trends.
Marta Curti, Christine D. Hayes, Thomas I. Hayes, Misael Calcaño Silven
Little is known about the life history of the Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops), a Hispaniolan endemic. In this article, Curti et al. provide the first detailed description of an Ashy-faced Owl nest, providing vital information about the biology of this secretive species.
Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata) populations have experienced drastic decline and are currently considered endangered, though a small breeding population has been identified on Dominica. In this article, Levesque and Yésou present evidence of this population utilizing waters off the coast of Guadeloupe and call attention to the importance of these waters in conserving marine biodiversity.
Nickolas S. Goodman, Jack C. Eitniear, James T. Anderson
Though West Indian Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna arborea) have been declining in recent decades, Goodman et al. present promising survey data suggesting that the population size on Puerto Rico is larger than previously estimated.
San Salvador Island is home to a small population of West Indian Woodpeckers (Melanerpes superciliaris nyeanus), however little is known about this population. In this paper, Miller et al. confirm the presence of a single population of West Indian Woodpeckers and describe in detail their distribution, population estimate, nesting phenology, and habitat use.
As resources for bird-watching in Hispaniola have expanded, many new and vagrant species have been recorded. Here, Latta and Rodriguez provide detailed, formal observations of four previously unrecorded species and six vagrant species on Hispaniola and associated islands.
Jacob R. Drucker, Ruth E. Bennett, Lila K. Fried, Mona L. Kazour, Darin J. McNeil
Color variation in Green Herons (Burorides virescens) has been poorly documented in the recent literature. Drucker et al. begin to fill this void by describing a melanistic morph and by discussing spatial color variation and polymorphism among erythristic individuals.
In this article, Shepherdson analyzes observations of Antillean Crested Hummingbirds (Orthorhyncus cristatus) in three locations on St. Eustatius. Drawing on these observations, Shepherdson characterizes territoriality in the species and speculates on behavior differences between the sexes.
Susan Zaluski, Atoya George, Clive Petrivic, Judy Pierce, Nancy Woodfield-Pascoe, Louise Soanes
Zaluski et al. use survey data of Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) and Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) in the British Virgin Islands to assess current breeding populations. As a result of their data, they call attention to the importance of these surveys as well as conservation management practices for these species.
With the last comprehensive species records for the island of Saba published in 1983, Boeken documents 31 new species on the island. Additionally, he provides updated breeding statuses of many avifaunal species.
Scott Johnson, Pamela Loring, David Jones, Shannan Yates
Though Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) typically forage and roost in sand and mud flats, Johnson et al. document these shorebirds foraging amongst mangroves. As Piping Plovers are either Threatened or Endangered in the United States, this work sheds light on the importance of wetland habitats in conserving this species.
After conducting point-count surveys in the John Crow and Blue Mountains, Judy presents population density and abundance estimates for the Black-billed Streamertail. Her data suggests reassuring news about the current population trends, but encourages further monitoring to better understand the species’ status.
In this article, Schubert thoroughly describes the reproductive biology of the Puerto Rican Emerald (Chlorostilbon maugaeus) after monitoring a nest for 29 days. Interestingly, he provides photographic evidence of botfly (Philornis sp.) parasitism of Puerto Rican Emerald nestlings, highlighting the threat of ectoparasitism to Caribbean birds.
Here, Latta reviews the Bird Checklist Guánica Biosphere Reserve Puerto Rico, evaluating the utility and layout of the checklist as well as praising the rich biodiversity of the Guánica Biosphere Reserve.
Article by Simon Campo – Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and a Researcher at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. Connect with Simon via LinkedIn or email.
Join Justin Proctor on his adventure to Puerto Rico where he was invited to help launch an exciting new book on one of the Caribbean’s most unique birds.
Everybody in Puerto Rico knows José (Pepe) González Díaz and Felisa (Fela) Collazo Torres in the same way: as a husband-wife team just as inseparable from each other as they are from their island’s natural landscapes. They wake up every day just as in love as when they met decades ago, and just as ready as they were the day before (and the day before that) to go out amidst their mountains, valleys, and rivers to discover something new…together. I’ve never met another couple like them. They are, like Puerto Rico, something beautifully special.
It is no hyperbole when I make the claim that Pepe and Fela have collectively spent tens of thousands of hours researching, photographing, filming, and producing educational materials about their island’s flora and fauna. It isn’t difficult to find their Aves Puerto Rico FelPe (Fela + Pepe) insignia on dozens of full length documentaries covering everything from endemic butterflies to birds. Their extensive YouTube channel is a good place to start your way down the rabbit hole. Keep in mind as you look through their material how much “behind the scenes” time and effort it takes to capture some of the high-quality, rare footage of many of the species that are featured. A 20-second shot of never before seen behaviors was likely the product of days, if not weeks, of time spent waiting and watching from within a cramped little blind.
But beyond these invaluable pieces of work, Pepe and Fela are probably even better known for something else.
Todies.
For more than 15 years, they have consumed themselves with unravelling the story of the Todidae family. And the more they dug, the more they found. The Todidae family is unique for so many reasons, but perhaps the most obvious is that it is a small family of only five species, all of which are collectively endemic to the Greater Antilles. You’ll find one species in Cuba, one in Jamaica, two in Hispaniola, and one in Puerto Rico.
That’s it. They belong to the Caribbean and nowhere else.
Todies are also unlike any other birds that you’ll ever see, guaranteed, which makes them a major attraction for birders and photographers from all over the world. But don’t just take my word on it. Pick up a copy of Pepe and Fela’s coauthored book, La Raíz de las Antillas: La Historia de la Familia Todidae, which has certainly proven itself to be the most comprehensive historical account of these birds ever published. The book is now available on Amazon, and should find its way into the hands of any birder that has ever had the pleasure of spending (or longed to spend) a few moments with a tody.
The book does an excellent job of navigating readers through the last three-hundred years of documentation of the todies, and how so many people struggled to describe these birds for what they really were. Consistently confused with hummingbirds and oftentimes inaccurately illustrated, the todies weaved their way in and out of ornithological accounts as different birds almost every time. And so readers will quickly come to appreciate the detective work that Pepe and Fela have undertaken so as to guide us efficiently and accurately through the convoluted timeline of the todies. The late James W. Wiley summarized it well:
“The book is an important contribution to our knowledge of the family Todidae as well as a major contribution to Antillean ornithology in general. The authors’ exhaustive investigation and compelling presentation are an exceptional model for others to follow.”
Readers will also be quick to notice that the authors have interlaced an important message throughout their book: that their island’s tody species—the Puerto Rican Tody, or locally the San Pedrito—rightfully deserves a change of its scientific name, Todus mexicanus. Through their historical account of the species, Pepe and Fela make a clear case for changing T. mexicanus to T. portoricensis or T. borinquensis (the latter derived from “Borinquén”, the original Taíno name for Puerto Rico). Geographically speaking, this makes sense, because the Puerto Rican Tody has never touched foot in Mexico. And the reason for the misleading mexicanus species name has likely stemmed from just a quick moment of confusion that occurred in the late 1830s, when two tody specimens collected at two different localities were later misidentified and subsequently documented incorrectly.
However, the process of procuring a formal scientific name change through the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) can be a challenging one. Unfortunately, current taxonomy is rife with species that have geographically-misleading scientific names, and the ICZN does not usually address these cases. However, Pepe and Fela’s case has additional ground to stand on (read the book to find out!), and so they are continuing to push forward. For them, the name is important; the San Pedrito is as unique and beautiful as the island of Puerto Rico itself, and because of that, has limitless potential to grow into an icon of pride and stewardship for Puerto Ricans over their island’s rich biological diversity. But the tody and what it can signify loses power and influence when its name does not match the people that should care about it the most.
Over the last couple of years, La Raíz de las Antillas (for short) has been enhanced and amplified through a series of revisions and new editions. It was in early 2018 that Pepe and Fela reached out to BirdsCaribbean, and ultimately our Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) editorial team, to see if we’d be willing to help proofread and copy-edit the first full-length English edition, appropriately titled, The Root of the Antilles: A History of the Todidae Family. One of the JCO’s best editors, Alice McBride, decided to take it on. She did such an outstanding job of cleaning the grammar that Pepe was compelled to go back to the original Spanish edition and make some changes. As the Managing Editor of the JCO, I was excited to see us involved with the future of the book, while equally interested in seeing how the collaboration could grow over time. A few months later, the opportunity came in the form of an invite from Pepe and Fela for us to attend the much-awaited, public release of their book scheduled for the 8th of December in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico.
One of the perks of being employed by a non-profit are the (sometimes) flexible hours. With the rest of the BirdsCaribbean and JCO crew tied up with “work,” I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to fly down and represent us. It was a chance to see Puerto Rico for the first time, be hosted personally by Pepe and Fela, and see my fifth and final tody species. Done deal, sign me up! The hospitality I received and the fun I had over just a short five days on the island is worthy of its own full-length account. But in short, it was spectacular, and one of those trips where the puzzle pieces all just come together perfectly, over and over again. From spending afternoons with the Puerto Rican Parrots in El Yunque and the shorebirds in Cabo Rojo, to sipping a fresh cup of mountain coffee while seeing my first San Pedrito at La Mocha, to squeezing in a grand-finale sunset from the Arecibo Observatory (eat your hearts out James Bond fans), I had no choice but to fall in love with Puerto Rico (it would have been easy despite).
Through all of that, it was the day of Pepe and Fela’s book release that took me most by surprise. Looking back, I’m not sure what I originally expected to unfold, but it was definitely second-rate to the magnitude of what greeted me. The event was hosted by Casa Pueblo. My best attempt at describing this organization is by saying that they’re engaged with absolutely every initiative that a community needs and wants, and they’re doing it right. An hour before the ceremony was going to take place, the venue’s auditorium that could comfortably seat 75 people was overflowing into every open space available. Among the crowd were members of the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña (SOPI), passionate birders, wildlife photographers, professors, school groups, and a myriad of community members. Everyone was excited about Pepe, Fela, the todies, and the great success story surrounding all three. Bands played, beautiful presentations and speeches were made, handmade gifts were given, and food and drink were shared—it was a true celebration, filled with friendship and pride.
The invitation we all received was for a book release, but anyone attending would agree that what actually transpired was an opportunity for Puerto Rico to show its gratitude to Pepe and Fela for all they had done, and continue to do, for the people and wildlife of the island they love. I consider myself lucky and fortunate to have been a part of that truly special day.
The story of the Puerto Rican Tody can no longer be told without the addition of Pepe and Fela, nor can their personal story be told without the tody. I hope that everyone reading this gets a chance to meet all three of them. In the meantime, while the winter days are short and cold, brush up on your tody history by picking up a copy of The Root of the Antilles: A History of the Todidae Family. And by doing so, you’ll be supporting all of the great work and forward progress that it stands for.
BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce the first recipients of grants from the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund. Three excellent projects focusing on endangered birds endemic to the Caribbean were selected among many deserving proposals. Projects in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and St. Lucia were granted over $132,000 through the fund, with commitments of an additional $114,000 for the second year of these projects.
The organizations to receive 2019 Betty Petersen Conservation Fund grants from BirdsCaribbean are:
Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) for “Black-capped Petrel Conservation Through Poverty Alleviation in a Haitian Community”
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust for “Engaging Local Communities in Reversing the Decline of the Endangered White-breasted Thrasher by Restoring Key Nesting Sites and Reducing the Impacts of Invasive Species”
The Peregrine Fund for “A Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk in Dominican Republic”
The “Betty Fund” was created to support conservation projects in the Caribbean that engage and empower communities and stakeholders to both protect and sustainably benefit from their birds. This approach was used successfully by the woman in whose memory the Betty Fund is named.
Difficult decisions after a tremendous response to call for proposals
“We received 24 pre-proposals representing extremely important conservation work in 16 island nations. We invited full proposals from six organizations, and while virtually all of these were deserving, we had to narrow these down to three projects,” said Andrew Dobson, Chair of BirdsCaribbean’s board and a member of the Betty Fund’s review committee. “It was a very difficult choice.”
BirdsCaribbean commends all the other applicants on their proposals and encourages re-application to the Betty Fund in the future as well as continued engagement in the BirdsCaribbean network as an aid to finding other sources of funding.
The 2019 Betty Fund projects all exemplify the principle that conservation is a social undertaking, and in each human empowerment and benefits are explicitly addressed. Project approaches include establishing tree nurseries with local schools in St. Lucia to help the White-breasted Thrasher, training in sustainable agricultural practices and sponsoring a soccer team in Haiti with the local name, Diablotin, of the Black-capped Petrel in Haiti, and providing hawk-proof chicken coops to farmers in the Dominican Republic to reduce shooting of the Ridgway’s Hawk.
Additionally, all three of the selected projects focus on an Endangered or Critically Endangered species endemic to the Caribbean. “Species endemism is not a requirement for support from the Betty Fund” explained Dr. Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, “but it’s gratifying to be able to direct these inaugural funds towards birds that are uniquely Caribbean.”
2019 Betty Fund Grant Recipients
Black-capped Petrel Conservation Through Poverty Alleviation in a Haitian Community Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC)
The stories of the petrel and the people of Haiti run parallel – stories of hanging on in the face of hardship and a tenuous future in the face of great challenge; but stories also of resilience and hope based on local and international commitment to improving the environment and lives of people. The short film, “Haiti, Our Love, Our Home” portrays these stories. With dedicated funding for two years, EPIC will be able to continue and enhance activities to alleviate poverty and increase the ecological sustainability of agricultural practices, increase awareness, and foster stewardship of the Black-capped Petrel through education and outreach events. To assess the connections between their conservation efforts and local petrel populations they will map and monitor local petrel breeding habitat as well as track petrel breeding success in petrel nesting colonies adjacent to the project site.
Engaging Local Communities in Reversing the Decline of the Endangered White-breasted Thrasher by Restoring Key Nesting Sites and Reducing the Impacts of Invasive Species Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
The goal of this project is to reverse the decline of the endangered White-breasted Thrasher found in Saint Lucia. Degradation of the thrasher’s dry-forest habitat, caused by unsustainable land use by local communities, and predation from invasive species are having negative impacts on the reproductive success of this small population. The team aims to increase the area of suitable habitat by working with local communities and land owners to develop a cooperative land management system promoting the protection of key nesting sites and sustainable land use practices as well as restoring the habitat through a program of planting. To reduce the impacts of invasive species, a control program will be designed and implemented across key nesting sites and the effects on nesting success will be monitored using a network of camera traps. They will also engage local school children to aid with the analysis of the camera trap footage through a local outreach campaign.
A Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk in Dominican Republic The Peregrine Fund
Ridgway’s Hawk is a critically endangered island endemic limited to one small, isolated population in the Dominican Republic, making it particularly vulnerable to extinction if human and natural pressures continue. The main threats are human persecution, infestation of botflies (Philornis pici) in nestlings, and habitat loss. Though the situation is dire, it is also hopeful. The Peregrine Fund has proven that most anthropogenic threats can be mitigated through environmental education and community engagement. They have developed an effective treatment protocol for Philornis infestations which has increased nestling survival by over 170%. Additionally, they have had great success with reintroductions in Punta Cana, where they released young hawks to create an additional population, which now numbers 18 pairs. The current goal is to create 1-2 more populations in Dominican Republic. Future successes will be measured by the number of hawks in each population, reduction of human-caused hawk mortality, and the advancement of local biologists to take on higher responsibilities.
About Betty Petersen and The Betty Fund
Betty Petersen (1943-2013), a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, was for many years director of a program called Birders Exchange (run by the American Birding Association), enabling birders in the US and Canada to provide resources to Latin American and Caribbean groups and individuals. In doing so, she created a network of friends and partners across all of the Americas, who loved and admired her deeply, as is evidenced by their generosity in supporting this project in her memory. The Betty Petersen Conservation Fund has been established, under BirdsCaribbean’s administration, by friends and family to keep her vision and dreams alive.
The Betty Fund was officially launched in 2018 from the generous donations of individuals who knew Betty Petersen personally or were inspired by her work. “I knew Betty for almost 30 years,” said BirdsCaribbean Board member, Charles Duncan. “She was, in her own way, a wizard. With nothing more than donated birding equipment, books, and a bit of cash, She turned local communities and school kids into committed conservationists, struggling NGOs into recognized players on the inter-American scene, and “paper parks” into real protected areas. And in the process she reminded us how rewarding it is to lend a hand when none is expected.”
Betty’s husband, Wayne Petersen, spoke on behalf of the family stating, ““Betty was neither a trained scientist nor an ornithologist. However she was a deeply caring, kind, and gentle soul who understood people, their needs, and their feelings. It was these attributes that made her sustained efforts on behalf of bird conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean so successful and what eventually made her a beloved, admired, and respected figure. I know that Betty would have been modestly overwhelmed by the way BirdsCaribbean is carrying forward her legacy – a legacy of which I am deeply proud.”
BirdsCaribbean will continue to fundraise for the Betty Fund, especially given the commitment for year two funding for the three inaugural projects. Dr. Sorenson said, “The recipients have committed to raise almost $275,000 in matching funds for their projects so, in just the first two years of its existence, the Betty Petersen Fund will have enabled more than a half-million dollars for conservation of endemic birds in the Caribbean. We are off to a great start, and we can’t wait to see what other projects we can fund in the ensuing years.”
“What wonderful news!” commented Adam Brown of EPIC, a recipient of funding for his work on the endangered Black-capped Petrel in Haiti. “Thank you to you and the Committee for allowing us this opportunity. We look forward to promoting petrel conservation the way Betty would have been happy to support.”
For information on how to contribute to the Betty Fund and/or how to apply for funding please visit our page here. Thank you to all the generous donors for making this work possible!
The Avalon is setting sail again this May for important shorebird and seabird conservation and research. The mission is a continuation of on-the-ground protective and restorative measures to limit human-caused disturbance and control invasive Australian pine at key shorebird and seabird sites in The Bahamas with support from Conservian, BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, and partners.
Volunteers Needed!
We need your help to protect beach-nesting birds, nests & young. Conservian is seeking a weekly crew of 10 enthusiastic volunteers for our Bahamas shorebird habitat conservation project in May 2019 aboard our 75ft research schooner. Crews fly to the Bahamas each week to designated airports for shuttle transport to schooner. All trips include bunk, onboard meals, water, & ground transportation associated with project. Cost for week 1 or 2 trips is $1,750 per week. Week 3 patron trip cost includes “student sponsorship” and additional itinerary of cultural and historic site visits on Great Exuma. Please see website for more information at Coastalbird.org A valid passport is required. Airfare & insurance are not included.
This is a wonderful opportunity to gain field experience and shorebird ID skills or simply a once in a lifetime experience! Last year, BirdsCaribbean’s own Jennifer Wheeler joined the trip. Read all about her amazing adventures here.
May 2019 Expedition Dates & Locations:
Choose one week or more! Each week includes 7 nights aboard the schooner
Week 1: Joulter Cays & S. Andros- May 5-12 (Nassau Int Apt)
Week 2: Northern Exumas – May 12-19 (Nassau Int Apt/Exuma Int. Apt)
Week 3: All Exumas (including Great Exuma) – May 19-26 (Exuma Int. Apt/Nassau Int. Apt)
Project Crew Activities:
Protect, post & sign shorebird & seabird sites
Collect new data on nesting shorebirds, seabirds & habitat
Locate & protect shorebird & seabird nests & downy young
Control invasive Australian pine on beach habitats (select trips)
Work with local volunteers to accomplish the above goals
Snorkel reefs in gin clear waters
Learn sailing crew skills
Fish for dinner-catch of the day!
To join our conservation pirate crew please contact Margo Zdravkovic at MargoZ@Coastalbird.org Go to Coastalbird.org for more information on our 2019 expedition and Conservian’s coastal bird conservation work.
IMPORTANT: Applicants must be responsible, adventurous, in good physical condition, enjoy working in teams & be capable of walking several miles during warm weather on Bahamas beaches. Applicants must be comfortable living communally onboard a schooner for a week & riding in small boats to access survey sites.
The last time we met them, Yvan Satgé and his colleagues from Grupo Jaragua and USGS – South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit were hiking up and down the high slopes of Loma del Toro, in the Dominican Republic. They were in search of active Black-capped Petrel burrows in which to set traps for adults returning to feed their chick. Read Part I of the story here.
“Hay uno!” – There is one!
Excited by the prospect of capturing Black-capped Petrels for the first time, I am awake well before sunrise. Even the local rooster is surprised by the beam of my headlamp emerging from the tent. I knock on the door of the caseta where the rest of the team sleeps and, within a few minutes, our group heads into the forest, a flock of LED lights floating in the night mist. When we reach the ridge that marks the edge of the petrel colony, there is just enough light to sense the tall presence of Hispaniolan pines, their bark beaded with water droplets caught in lichen and moss. We catch our breath while listening to the muted sounds of dawn: a few birds warming up in the distance, insects starting to chirp in the bushes, and Pirrín…who never stops talking.
To avoid unnecessary disturbance, we decide that only Ivan, the youngest and fittest of the group, will check on the traps. If he finds a trapped petrel, he will call us by radio to join him. Ivan scrambles down the slope of loose soil and rocks and disappears into the dense understory vegetation. Up on the ridge, as we solemnly listen to the radio, even Pirrín is quiet. In the momentary silence, I review the steps in the tagging process myself: record the time; remove the bird from the trap; check it over for condition or injury; place it in the cloth bag; weigh it; attach a metal band to its right leg. If the petrel is heavy enough, glue the GPS tracker to the base of the tail feathers with epoxy, and secure it with strips of waterproof cloth tape and a small zip-tie. Take measurements: tarsus, wing cord, bill (culmen) length and depth; take a picture of the bird’s profile; place it back in the nest; record the time. Collect any poop samples. Breathe.
The radio screeches: “Hay uno!” – There is one. My heart races as we enter the ravine, single-file. Despite our excitement, we need to move slowly through the branches and vines that block our path at knee and chest height. In front of the burrow, we review the procedure once again and assign roles. Ivan removes the trap from the tunnel’s entrance, revealing a small but handsome black and white bird with a black mask over its eyes and a shiny thick black beak: Diablotín, the Black-capped Petrel. Patrick places the petrel into the cloth bag and weighs it as José Luis takes notes. Meanwhile I begin to prepare the GPS tracking equipment, but Patrick stops me halfway through: “370g: it’s a light bird…” I won’t need the tracking equipment this morning after all.
The Seabird Biologist Receives Two Gifts from the Diablotin
An implicit standard in the tracking of birds’ movements is to keep the mass of the tracking equipment below 3% of the mass of the bird to avoid undue burden. Counting the waterproofing, epoxy, tape and zip-tie, the mass of our GPS loggers adds up to a bit less than 9g, meaning we could equip petrels weighing as little as 300g. The night before, however, we had decided to raise the weight limit in case the stress of tagging a smaller petrel might cause it to abandon its chick. As important as our research can be for the conservation of Black-capped Petrels, we do not want to jeopardize the health or reproductive success of the already-endangered birds we study. It is tempting to bend our own rule in our excitement – but it’s always best, in any expedition, to follow decisions made with a clear head.
The petrel rewards us with a gift of sorts: a fresh fecal sample for my diet study lands on my legs. Will this poop contain DNA from squid, or from some unknown prey? We hope to find out soon. Now, we band the petrel and, after quick measurements and a photo, it’s time to place it back in its burrow. Too happy to release my first Black-capped petrel, I am not careful enough of its beak and receive the mark of the seabird biologist: a bleeding gash into the flesh of my finger.
Over the next ten days, we capture eleven more Black-capped petrels, nine of which we equip with a GPS tracker. We also set up three “base-stations” near their burrows: powered by solar panels, the base-stations will download the data stored in a tracker whenever a petrel comes back to feed its chick. Ernst and his team will retrieve the base-stations and data when they come back in June for their monthly check of the colony.
A Patient Ball of Fluff
During our discussions, while, bathing in the sun after afternoon rains, huddled around the cooking fire, or preparing GPS trackers in the caseta at night, I have realized that spending so much time at Loma del Toro is challenging for the team. My companions have families and other responsibilities in town (Ivan will leave early to take tests for his high school certificate – we all thought he was finished with school for the year!). Although cellphones and WhatsApp make it easier for José Luis to chat with his wife and young kids or for Ernst to keep working on a multitude of other projects, their monthly monitoring visits to the colony usually last only a few days. Hence, we use these two weeks on the mountain as fully as possible.
One afternoon, Patrick, an expert rock-climber, refreshes the team’s climbing skills with two duffel bags full of safety equipment donated by Ted Simons, the leader of a 2001 expedition to locate Black-capped Petrel nests in this area. We use the ropes, harnesses and helmets to practice rappelling down petrel escarpments and climbing up trees where Hispaniola Amazons, a vulnerable endemic parrot also monitored by Grupo Jaragua, build their nests.
On other days, we search for petrel burrows. After many hours of bushwhacking in dense underbrush, we find two new burrows near the monitoring area. One of them houses a grey ball of down feathers: a 2-week old Black-capped Petrel chick patiently waiting for its parents to bring it food. The other nest contains only a cold egg. This is the fifth abandoned egg that we have found in the area; in the 8 years that Grupo Jaragua has been monitoring the species, Ernst has only found a few such cases. The reason for these abandonments is difficult to pinpoint, but may include the presence of feral cats (which can kill or disturb incubating adult petrels) or the lack of available prey in the petrels’ foraging areas (which means the parents must spend more time searching for food and less time incubating their egg). We hope that our research will help us better understand how these threats affect the petrel population. I collect the egg for the Dominican Museum of Natural History while Gerson builds a new roof of branches, rocks and soil to protect the petrel chick.
The First Annual Diablotin Festival Takes Off In the Rain
When doing fieldwork, it is easy to lose track of the “normal” world and to forget which day it is. During this expedition, though, there is an important date on our calendar: April 19th, the day of the first annual Diablotin Festival organized by our colleagues Anderson Jean (Société Ecologique d’Haïti) and Adam Brown (Environmental Protection in the Caribbean). That day, we put on our best field clothes, clean our muddy shoes, pack some supplies for the hike and for our friends, and head down the mountain into Haiti.
We enter the village of Boucan Chat, where students from two local schools line both sides of the road, wearing bird masks or tree costumes over their school uniforms. The students have spent weeks learning about Black-capped Petrels and the importance of protecting their habitat in the surrounding mountains. Protecting habitats benefits not only the birds but also the whole forest. Preserved from illegal logging, forests can store more water during the rainy season, preventing farmed fields from flooding and keeping natural springs flowing during the dry season.
The buzz of a drone raises a few heads amongst the children but most of them seem accustomed to its presence. After three years of on-and-off filming in the area, the “Save the Devil” filming crew has almost finished its documentary on Black-capped Petrel conservation in Boucan Chat. The next day, they will screen a short version of the film in front of the Boucan Chat villagers, who will ask to see the film three times in a row!
A band arrives on a convoy of motorcycles, and the parade begins. Villagers hurry to the roadside to watch and the puzzled looks quickly give way to smiles. The parade doubles in size before reaching the football pitch in the center of the village, surrounded by vegetable fields and a few majestic Hispaniola pine trees, a reminder of the forests that once covered these foothills. The local Diablotins team, sponsored by Black-capped Petrel conservation work as a way to raise awareness and pride for the species, wear new uniforms emblazoned with an image of the petrel. A female team is now also supported to provide gender balance.
The dark clouds that have enveloped the mountains in mist since morning soon burst into torrential downpour. The audience runs for shelter under crowded house awnings while the dedicated players run and slide in the mud, keeping their eyes on the ball despite the violent rain. The game ends amid shouts of joy, with a victory for the Diablotins: the spirit of the tough little seabird may have given them an advantage. After soaked, shivering goodbyes and an hour-long hike in the rain, we are delighted to find that the heater of our pickup truck is working. While we drive back to the top of the mountain, however, we can’t help thinking of the football players who, after a passionate game in torrential rain, returned to cold, damp houses with only the pride in their communities to keep them warm.
Back at the caseta, we huddle around the cooking fire to enjoy the pot of soup that Ivan has prepared. The clouds have lifted and we can see the first stars between the crowns of the Hispaniolan pines. Soon, a Black-capped Petrel wearing a small GPS will swoop down into the forest and hurry into its burrow. When it comes out again and flies away for another fishing trip, invisible radio waves will have transported the secrets of its travels to our base-stations, patiently waiting for Ernst and his team to return to the mountain.
Next time, in Yvan’s last blog post, we will learn about the travels of the GPS-tagged Black-capped Petrels and of the fish they catch, from Colombia to the United States.
Yvan Satgé is a Research Associate in the Lab of Dr. Pat Jodice, at the South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University (Email: ysatge@clemson.edu). He has been studying various aspects of seabird ecology for the last few years.
David S. Lee was a pioneering naturalist and conservation biologist who helped get BirdsCaribbean started nearly 30 years ago, and inspired many naturalists with his work and his writing. He was a man of many interests, and with respect to the Caribbean, published numerous papers and articles in the popular press on seabirds, Bahamian fish, turtles, snakes, bats, and orchids.
Donations from Dave’s wife, Mary Kay Clark and his mother, June Bash, allowed the establishment of the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds that will award money to conservation projects in his honor. The money is being held in a trust and will be used to award an annual grant for innovative projects that protect Caribbean birds and their habitats.
Goal of the Fund: The David S. Lee Fund for Conservation seeks to continue David’s passion for protecting wildlife. The fund will support direct, innovative conservation work in the Caribbean Region for birds and their habitats. The fund will be managed by BirdsCaribbean and used for annual small grants.
Eligibility: Scientists/naturalists working in the Caribbean, in conservation organizations or academic programs, may apply. Applicants should be students or early career ornithologists, conservationists, or wildlife professionals (i.e., not established faculty or senior staff of a conservation organization, less than 7 years post-graduation). A student must be enrolled in accredited Masters or PhD program in ecology, biology, conservation, or related field to be eligible. Applicants must be paid or sponsored members of BirdsCaribbean at the time of application.
Use of Funds: The funds can cover travel to field sites, living expenses in the field, or costs for equipment and supplies to conduct conservation projects. Examples of equipment and supplies include traps, cameras, automated recording units, nest boxes, etc. Ineligible costs include salary or other wages, overhead fees, etc. Projects that foster collaboration between scientists/naturalists in different island groups of the Caribbean, such as joint projects to test conservation techniques for similar species, will be favored.
Application Guidelines:
Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. All should have an English version of the abstract
Applications should be emailed as a Microsoft Word document.
The application should include a cover page, proposal (download guidelines below), and a curriculum vitae for the applicant.
Separately, by email, three individuals who can attest to your effectiveness in previous work should submit letters of recommendation. For students, this would include your academic advisor.
Evaluation:
A committee appointed by BirdsCaribbean will review the proposals and award the grants.
The awardee will be required to submit a report one year from the day of the award explaining how the award money was spent and the results of the project to that point. The awardee is also asked to write an article for BirdsCaribbean’s blog about their work (informal article for a lay audience).
But wait! What if you are not eligible to apply for funds, you ask? You can still support this worthy cause by being a sponsor!
This fund will be for the conservation of any bird in the Caribbean as a reflection of Dave’s diverse interests. He was an important part of many projects, ranging from those of the Black-capped Petrel and Seabird Working Groups to the scholarly debate leading to the elevation of the Bahama Yellow-throated Warbler to a full species.
At the moment the fund contains $12,000. Our initial goal is to raise $25,000 so that we can award $1,000 every year to a worthy student or early career ornithologist, conservationist or wildlife professional. Not only will this fund encourage creative field work for projects that make a difference, but it will also help build the knowledge and skills of young conservationists that are urgently needed to make sure that the Caribbean birds and habitats that Dave treasured are still around for future generations to enjoy.
At the 2015 BirdsCaribbean meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, a round of beers was purchased in Dave’s honor, since he always seemed to have a cooler full when people wanted one (and even when they didn’t). Think of this fund like a cooler full of refreshing beverages that Dave would have around if he were here. We owe it to Dave to stock that cooler—to vitalize naturalists and empower them in their work to help wildlife.
Please give a tax deductible donation to the David S. Lee Fund. Give generously. The more we put into the fund, the more we can give out each year. Thanks to all those that have contributed to the fund!
If you prefer to donate with a check, please make the check out to “BirdsCaribbean” and in the memo section, note that it is for the David S. Lee Fund. If you have questions or to make other arrangements for donating, please feel free to contact Jennifer Wheeler, BirdsCaribbean Treasurer (jennifer.wheeler@birdscaribbean.org)
Checks can be mailed to: BirdsCaribbean, 841 Worcester St. #130, Natick, MA 01760-2076
BirdsCaribbean’s Seabird Monitoring Manual, released in English in 2015, has undergone final copy-editing and has been translated to Spanish and French. All three versions, now dated 2018, are downloadable in PDF format [EnglishSpanishFrench].
Yvan Satgé of the South Carolina Cooperative Unit of the USGS and Clemson translated the manual to French with help from Régis Gomès (Association pour la Sauvegarde et la réhabilitation de la Faune des Antilles), coordinated the translation to Spanish by J.C. Fernandez-Ordonez (Fundación Científica ARA MACAO), and laid out the final productions. The manual covers the underpinnings of a seabird monitoring program, provides protocols of varying levels of sophistication to survey seabirds at breeding sites, and provides life history information for the region’s seabirds. The manual serves as a training and planning tool for staff and volunteers and is meant to encourage an increase in knowledge of seabirds and their conservation needs across the region. The creation of the manuals was spearheaded by Ann Sutton, the co-chair of the Seabird Working Group of BirdsCaribbean.
Brown Noddy nesting in Bay Marigold, San Salvador, Bahamas (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
A reminder that BirdsCaribbean now holds the inventory of Bradley and Norton’s (2009) An Inventory of Breeding Seabirds in the Caribbean, currently out-of-print. This book provides a comprehensive look at the Caribbean region’s seabird populations, and is a resource that every seabird enthusiast should have in their library. The book is available for purchaseat a bargain price, with proceeds of the sale going to BirdsCaribbean. An excellent companion book is the Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles (2012), available through its publisher, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC).
With the manual now widely available, and the years passing since the seabird inventories noted above, the Seabird Working Group is faced with the challenge of undertaking surveys to update our state of knowledge. Let’s keep that conversation going, especially at the upcoming International Conference in Guadeloupe, July 2019.
A vibrant new look, a larger-than-ever staff, and a blast from the past in our growing Archives collection – we’re excited to let our community know that good things are happening all around the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology!
New Website
First and foremost, we have been moving forward with much-needed software upgrades that will allow us to create and better manipulate a new website interface. Our goals include a much more user-friendly interface, where reviewers, authors, and readers can more easily find the information they need, submit manuscripts, and receive communications from us. And so we are excited to show you our new website. While we are still working out a few small kinks and improving some aesthetics, we’re proud of the new look and feel, and hope you enjoy it as well!
Archives
We are also excited to announce that 15 years (Volume 16 in 2003 to Volume 30 in 2017) of publications from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology have been archived as free, downloadable pdfs with accompanying metadata on our Archives Page. Some of our more “seasoned” readers and authors might remember that prior to 2003, the journal was known as El Pitirre, which officially began with Volume 1 in 1988. We are now setting out to archive Volumes 1 through 15.
Archiving entire volumes of publications requires considerable time and patience, and none of this archival work could have been possible without a steady stream of people volunteering their time to bring this to fruition. Thank you for all that you’ve done!
More Staff
Next, in an effort to accelerate our publication pace, we have hired four additional staff members split between our Copy Editing and Production teams. Authors and reviewers should now expect quicker turn-around time, better communication from our end, and an even higher quality final product. Thank you to everyone for your patience of late as we train our new staff and continue to build greater momentum.
Page charges: While we continue to offer free, open access to all of our publications, we are pushing hard to take the JCO to the next level, but doing so requires a greater cost on our end that we hope to mediate with reasonable, low-cost page charges. As of January 1st, 2019, we will be instituting these charges. Please note that if you do not have the funds to pay, you will be given the opportunity to waive the fee during the manuscript submission process. We do not want fees to prevent the publication of worthy work.
With new staff and systems in place, we are anticipating a considerable number of completed publications to be added to our current Volume 31 between now and the New Year. Please check back often to read all of the great work coming out of the Caribbean!
Hannah Madden, an ecologist with the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute, provides an update on the status of the Bridled Quail-Dove one year after the tiny island of St. Eustatius was ravaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Surveys just after the storms indicated the population was smaller, but similar to pre-hurricane levels. However, the extensive vegetation loss combined with an upcoming dry season and invasive predators meant that the battle for survival for this West Indian endemic had just begun.
Eight months after hurricanes Irma and Maria passed through the Caribbean, many aspects of daily life have returned to normal or have reached a new balance. While the dramatic effects of the storms are no longer international news, in some cases their consequences remain just as severe or are only just now revealing their impact. The population trend of the Bridled Quail-Dove on St. Eustatius (also knows as “Statia”) is one example of the latent and long-lasting effects of major climatic events.
Our team conducted population assessments for this shy ground-dwelling species before the hurricanes in May 2017 and two months after in November 2017. At that time, there was no reason to be alarmed. Our most recent assessment this year in May 2018, eight months after the storms devastated the island, yielded extremely low population estimates. The results were disheartening.
Bridled Quail-Dove Biology
The Bridled Quail-Dove (Geotrygon mystacea) is a regionally endemic species in the family Columbidae. On Statia, they only found in upper elevations (above ~150m) of the Quill, a dormant volcano, and inside the crater. It is easily distinguished from other dove species by the turquoise patch on its neck and white stripe (bridle) under the eye. Observant hikers are likely to spot this bird wandering the forest floor during daylight hours in search of food (seeds, fruits and the occasional gecko or snail).
This species is extremely sensitive to weather conditions. Activity and breeding are very much dependent on rainfall, and the dove is vulnerable to hurricanes and extended periods of drought. Similar to other Columbids, the Bridled Quail-Dove lays clutches of two eggs in a flimsy nest made of twigs up to six meters above the forest floor. They do not fare well in areas of human activity. Numbers have declined across the species’ range, presumably due to habitat loss. Hunting and predation by invasive mammals such as the black rat (Rattus rattus) are also perennial problems.
Statia’s Forests Hard Hit by Hurricanes
Irma and Maria were the first recorded category five hurricanes to hit the Windward Islands. While Statia was spared extensive infrastructural damage in urban areas, its forest ecosystems did not fare so well. A recent publication by Eppinga and Pucko (2018) notes that an average of 93% of tree stems on Statia and Saba lost their leaves; 83% lost primary/secondary branches; 36% suffered substantial structural stem damage; and an average of 18% of trees died (mortality was almost twice as high on Statia than on the nearby island of Saba).
Our pre-hurricane assessment in May 2017 was encouraging. We found an estimated 1,030 (min. 561- max. 1,621) quail-doves across their local habitat, possibly the highest known density in the region. We were pleased and felt safe in the knowledge that the doves enjoyed some level of protection in the Quill National Park, which is also a designated Important Bird Area.
Following the hurricanes in November, however, we repeated the surveys and recorded a decrease in the population of around 22% to 803 (min. 451 – max. 1,229). Moreover, we were worried about a continuing decline in the population, as a direct result of the hurricanes. Also, since rat populations are known to spike dramatically following hurricanes, we feared that this problem might worsen.
We conducted surveys again in May 2018, hoping to coincide with the quail-dove’s peak breeding season. However, instead of the usual ~70 transects, we had to walk an exhausting 255 transects in order to find enough doves for analysis. No doves were heard calling, most likely as a result of delayed breeding, and only 32 were detected during 2018 surveys compared with ~92 in previous years. Our fears were realized when we ran the analysis: in May 2018, the Bridled Quail-Dove population had declined by 76% compared with the previous year. It is currently very small at around 253 individuals (min. 83 – max.486).
Will the Bridled Quail-Dove Disappear from Statia?
With such a small population, there is a very real risk that Bridled Quail-Doves could become extirpated on St. Eustatius. Conservation efforts are now urgently required. We do not know a great deal about the Bridled Quail-dove’s survival and reproduction rates. However, black rats live in all vegetation types within the dove’s entire range. It is critical that we control these invasive mammalian predators, as a first step towards boosting the species’ breeding levels and survival rates, in order to bring back the population of this highly vulnerable species to pre-hurricane levels.
Thanks to funding by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs under their Nature Fund initiative, a rodent control project, facilitated through the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI), is running on St. Eustatius. The authors are grateful to St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation for granting permission to conduct surveys in the Quill National Park. We also wish to thank the many generous donors who contributed to BirdsCaribbean’s post-hurricane fundraising appeal, which covered Dr. Frank Rivera’s costs to conduct surveys in November 2017.
By Hannah Madden (CNSI), Frank Rivera-Milan (USFWS) and Kevin Verdel (Utrecht University). Hannah is a Terrestrial Ecologist in St. Eustatius with the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute. She also works as a bird and nature guide in her spare time, sharing the beauty and diversity of Statia with visitors. Hannah is an active member of BirdsCaribbean and has participated in several training workshops and conferences. She has published papers on different taxonomic groups, but especially enjoys working on birds.
It is unclear how many nuthatches may be left. Observations of two birds together and other single birds (including a juvenile) scattered across miles of forest indicate that five or more birds could survive.
The Bahama Nuthatch is an Endangered species, only known from native pine forest on Grand Bahama Island, which lies approximately 100 miles off Palm Beach, Florida. Closely related to the Brown-headed Nuthatch of the southeastern United States, the Bahama Nuthatch is considered by some authorities to be a distinct species (Sitta insularis) while others regard it as a subspecies (Sitta pusilla insularis) of the Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla).
Common on Grand Bahama in the 1960s, the species declined drastically. Extensive population surveys in the mid-2000s by Hayes et al (2004) and Lloyd and Slater (2009) confirmed that the birds had become very rare; it was estimated that 1,000 to 2,000 individuals remained, all within the “Lucaya Estates” area. It had not been seen since Hurricane Matthew hit Grand Bahama in October 2016.
Two search teams worked in coordination with Bahamas National Trust (BNT) to rediscover the bird during the breeding season, starting in April of this year. One team was led by Zeko McKenzie and his students at the University of The Bahamas-North, supported by American Bird Conservancy, and another by University of East Anglia (UEA) masters students Matthew Gardner and David Pereira, in conjunction with BirdLife International.
Both teams first observed nuthatches in May 2018, documenting their observations with photographs. McKenzie’s team observed five birds in all, starting with a sighting of two individual Bahama Nuthatches together on May 1. The next sighting was on May 23, over a mile from the first observation, and included a juvenile bird accompanying a Bahama Warbler. The juvenile was distinguished from adults by the lack of distinctive brown plumage on the crown of the bird’s head. A video recording of this juvenile Bahama Nuthatch by McKenzie was the earliest documentation of the species’ continued survival in 2018, and was followed by additional photographs of adult birds by both research teams later in May and in subsequent months.
Dr. Diana Bell, from UEA’s School of Biological Sciences, said, “The Bahama Nuthatch is a critically endangered species, threatened by habitat destruction and degradation, invasive species, tourist developments, fires and hurricane damage.”
Regarding the moment when he saw the Bahama Nuthatch, Matthew Gardner recalled, “We had been scouring the forest for about six weeks, and had almost lost hope. At that point we’d walked about 400km (250 miles). Then, I suddenly heard its distinctive call and saw the unmistakable shape of a nuthatch descending towards me. I shouted with joy, I was ecstatic!”
“The photographs clearly show this distinctive species and cannot be anything else,” said Michael Parr, President of American Bird Conservancy. “Fortunately this is not a hard bird to identify, but it was certainly a hard bird to find.”
Parr continued, “Despite the critical situation for this species, other birds—such as the New Zealand Black Robin—have recovered from tiny populations. We are optimistic that conservation can also save the Bahama Nuthatch.”
All of the Bahama Nuthatches was observed within the Lucaya Estates, an area previously logged during the mid-1900s and since developed with many miles of roads for residential development.
A last sighting and photographs of a pair of Bahama Nuthatches was made by Erika Gates, well-known Grand Bahama birder and guide and BirdsCaribbean Director, on June 28, 2016, prior to Hurricane Matthew on October 6, 2016. She is elated at the recent sightings of the bird. “This will hopefully generate sufficient excitement in the scientific community to begin aggressive research and map a much needed conservation strategy,” she commented.
Bahamian researcher Zeko McKenzie said, “Although the Bahama Nuthatch has declined precipitously, we are encouraged by the engagement of conservation scientists who are now looking for ways to save the species.” Zero had previously set up nest boxes for the Bahama Nuthatch, but they were not used.
“The Bahamas National Trust feels that research on endangered species, such as the Bahama Nuthatch, is really important,” said Shelley Cant-Woodside, Director of Science and Policy of the Bahamas National Trust, “especially in the face of a changing climate.”
“These recent observations confirm that the Bahama Nuthatch is not extinct; it is critical that we raise awareness about the precarious status of this unique species and do all we can to make sure it survives,” declared Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director, BirdsCaribbean.
Its local name is “Little Devil.” But not much is known about this elusive bird, either on land or at sea. An intrepid group of conservationists go on an expedition in the mountains of the Dominican Republic to find out more about the Black-capped Petrel.
A Seabird in the Mountains
We park the pickup trucks at the park ranger’s hut and unload our gear and supplies. I climb the flimsy wooden stairs of the nearby fire tower, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sunset. We have arrived on the ridge of the Sierra de Bahoruco, the Dominican Republic’s southernmost relief and the eastern end of the De la Selle mountain range. This is the backbone of Hispaniola’s southern peninsula. Below me, the forest of Occidental pines unfurls in a deep green velvet. To the north, I can see the dark plains surrounding Lago Enriquillo, already in the shadow of the mountains. To the southwest, the glistening waters of the Caribbean Sea. Further to the west, below the setting sun, Haiti is already disappearing in the fog that has started to accumulate against the escarpment. From atop the fire tower, I try to imagine what might happen in a few hours. Not far from our camp, a small silhouette will pierce the night clouds, crashing through the trees before rushing to its burrow. It’s a Black-capped Petrel – the region’s only endemic seabird and one of the most endangered seabird species in the Atlantic Basin. The petrel is returning to feed its single chick after a week at sea.
For the next two weeks, we will stay in the mountains of the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park to try and gather more information about how this elusive bird behaves at sea. Our team consists of Ernst Rupp, senior researcher and project manager at Grupo Jaragua, the Dominican conservation NGO monitoring the petrel’s nesting sites in the country; Pirrín Jairo Matos, Gerson Feliz, José Luis Castillo and Ivan Terrero, indispensable field technicians with Grupo Jaragua; Patrick Jodice, lead scientist at USGS – South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit (SC CRU); and myself, Yvan Satgé, early career biologist at the SC CRU – Clemson University. As the temperatures drop with dusk and the wind picks up, I join my colleagues huddled around the cooking fire. At 2,000m above sea level, even a mid-April evening in the Caribbean can get cold.
The Mysterious “Little Devil” – What We Know
Black-capped Petrels (Pterodroma hasitata), like most gadfly petrels of the Pterodroma genus, are famously hard to study on land. As pelagic seabirds, they spend most of their lives at sea, only coming to land to nest from mid-January to mid-June. They were once more common in the Greater Antilles. They are locally known as Diablotin, the little devil. They are night birds and their eerie calls during the mating season give them their name. The bird’s breeding sites have been especially hard to find. They were only re-discovered in the 1960s in Haiti, and the 1980s in the Dominican Republic. As recently as last year, Ernst and his team found a new nesting area in the central mountain range of the Dominican Republic. There is hope that Black-capped Petrels might also be nesting in the Sierra Madre of Cuba (where they are known as brujas, the witches) and Dominica, but none have yet been found there.
Although better-studied than breeding sites, the marine habits of Black-capped Petrels also remain vague. Until recently, they were thought to fish the waters off the southeastern United States year-round. However, our 2014 satellite tracking study of three adults showed that they might in fact forage off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela while raising chicks. During this expedition, we plan to track a dozen nesting petrels with lightweight GPS loggers and to study their diet. Once we know where they go and what they eat, we will better understand the secrets of their travels and the threats they face at sea.
“Como una aguja en un pajar” – The Proverbial Needle in a Haystack
Before we can study the petrels though, we need to catch them. This is where the knowledge of Grupo Jaragua’s field technicians comes into play. The expression “a needle in a haystack” translates well in Spanish, and applies particularly well to their mission. In a haystack of dense mountainous vegetation, they are experts in finding the petrels’ burrows—underground “needles” hidden among rocky screes or under thick layers of leaf litter. Pirrín’s skill is in locating the nest entrances among the rocks and vegetation. He confirms his findings with the presence of a fly that seems to favor active nest sites: “Pirrín’s fly”. José Luis is in charge of the borescope. Maneuvering the thick cable of optical fibers as far as 2 meters underground, he inspects every corner of the burrow for signs of recent activity: a well-defined nest cup, an adult incubating the pair’s single egg, or a sleeping chick. Gerson, the team’s memory, can remember every burrow Grupo Jaragua has ever monitored. Knowing how to use rock-climbing equipment, he is also the group’s de facto safety officer, were the terrain to become too abrupt and exposed. Ivan is still a trainee; but if he learns as fast as he walks through the thick vegetation or climbs up and down the steep ravines, he will be finding new nesting sites very soon.
Small but Helpful Gems Found in a Burrow
At each active burrow, I collect as many samples as I can. The first nest brings me beginner’s luck: just in front of the entrance a petrel dropping awaits. It is shiny and fresh from the previous night. My colleagues joke as I collect the dark part of the poop as if it were a golden nugget (the white part, urea, is useless for our testing). As insignificant as it looks, this little sample can tell us a lot. Thanks to my fellowship with the Dave Lee Fund, I will use DNA found in the sample and others like it to identify the species of prey eaten by Black-capped Petrels. Dave Lee himself had studied the petrel’s diet off the coast of North Carolina and showed that they favored squid. The technique available at the time, however, tended to put heavier focus on prey species that took a long time to digest (such as squid, whose beak fragments tend to build up in the digestive tract). With the molecular analysis of fecal DNA, I’m hoping to refine our knowledge of the diet of Black-capped petrels. This will help us better understand their life at sea.
José Luis hands me a few breast feathers left behind by adult petrels when they enter or exit the tunnel. Feathers can tell us about the broad diet of the bird through an analysis of stable isotopes. We can also use them to measure the bird’s exposure to mercury, which Black-capped Petrels are prone to bio-accumulate. Finally, if we are lucky, DNA left in the quill will inform us on the genetics of the local population. We are also interested in collecting remnants of eggs. If the egg has hatched, the remaining shell can be tested for contaminants. It can also provide clues to the diet of the female when she produced the egg. If the egg proved infertile, we will collect it with great care to bring it back to the Dominican National Museum of Natural History for their specimen collection.
More Finds for the Test Tube
In an active burrow, I find an insect that seems to use the discarded feathers to make its cocoon, a black tube with protruding white barbs of the petrel’s feather. Could it be Pirrín’s fly? I plop the fly into a test tube; each sample joins our growing collection in a freezer, until we have enough funding to analyze them. Then Ivan comes back to me with good news. The team found a group of four nearby nests, with a chick in each burrow. To limit disturbance, we will be using GPS loggers that remotely send their tracking data to a base-station. Due to the dense vegetation and the steep surroundings, the range of the base-station is limited to a radius of about 300m. It is therefore crucial that we choose nest sites close to each other. Under Pirrín’s supervision, we set chicken-wire traps at the entrance of each tunnel to capture the adults as they return at night. After carefully concealing the traps’ openings under the rocks, sod, or pine needles surrounding the burrow, we take a deep breath and hike up to the nearest ridge. We are hoping for success when we come back at sunrise.
By Yvan Satge. Yvan is a Research Associate in the Lab of Dr. Pat Jodice, at the South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University. He has been studying various aspects of seabird ecology for the last few years.
The most recent, comprehensive look at Caribbean breeding seabirds is now available at an extremely reduced cost!
This island-by-island inventory of Caribbean seabirds includes colony locations and estimates of the numbers of breeding pairs, the severe threats that seabirds face, and proposals for research and conservation measures.
In the past two decades, global populations of seabirds have declined faster than any other group of birds, yet few conservation resources are expended to counteract this trend, especially among tropical seabirds. This volume includes twenty-five national accounts, written by professional and amateur ornithologists, and illustrated by maps specially prepared by William Mackin and The Nature Conservancy. This inventory brings together the best and most complete set of data on breeding seabirds that nest on the islands throughout the Caribbean, making it invaluable for anyone interested in sustaining seabird populations.
“Represents a major undertaking that is indeed original, significant, and an important contribution toward better understanding and ultimately conserving this extraordinary resource”. – Herbert A. Raffaele, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
“The Caribbean is biologically rich and varied. This book on seabirds ably demonstrates that the Caribbean is much more than just a holiday destination of sun, sea, and sand. I highly recommend it.” – John Chardine, Canadian Wildlife Service”
Originally distributed by University Press of Florida (for US$75), this book is now out of print. BirdsCaribbean has purchased remaining inventory, and is making this valuable book available for US$24.95 (members), $US29.95 (non-members) plus shipping ($4.00 US, $35.00 International).
Patricia E. Bradley, author of Birds of the Cayman Islands, The British Ornithologists’ Union Checklist and contributor to Birdlife’s Caribbean Important Birds Areas, is involved in bird conservation in the Cayman Islands.
Robert L. Norton, a contributor to Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Migrant Landbirds, and The Birds of North America No. 649, has written about and studied seabirds in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands for the past 35 years.
Jennifer Wheeler shares “postcards” from her recent volunteer vacation in the Bahamas, where she sailed the ocean blue with a crew of dedicated conservationists. She shares stories from a week spent in the beautiful northern Exumas, surveying and banding shorebirds and seabirds, and removing invasive plants.
Dear folks,
I’m recently back from my “volunteer vacation” in the Bahamas. I’m a bit burned, battered and bruised, but that’s the nature of the work we were doing to find and protect some special birds! Similar to last year, Conservian, a non-profit in Florida, invited BirdsCaribbean to share in the chartering of a sleep-aboard sailboat to take us from island to island. This photo was taken on a sunny afternoon, but much of the trip was overcast … too bad clouds don’t keep you from getting sunburned! (Photo by Dawn Rasmussen)
As you know, the Bahamas is made up of a lot of islands (about 700!) and during my week on the boat, the route focused on the Exuma Cays, which begin about 35 miles east-southeast of Nassau and stretch southeast in a gently curving arc for about 90 miles. Over a week, we visited the stretch between Allen Cay and Warderick Wells cay, which includes the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park.
So what were we looking for? Our primary targets were breeding populations of Wilson’s Plover, White-tailed Tropicbird and Audubon’s Shearwater. We deployed in teams to various cays to search the beaches and cliffs, walking many hours during the day (and sometimes night). We took note of other birds, as well, including American Oystercatchers, Laughing Gulls, and Least Terns. (Photo by Dawn Rasmussen)
Wilson’s Plover is a medium size (about 8” tall) shorebird that forages on the sand and wrack; pairs of plovers set up breeding territories widely separated along beach habitats. To find Wilson’s Plover, teams visited cays with suitable habitat and carefully walked the beach looking for adult birds to call out in warning. One or two adults chirping and/or pretending injury was a good sign that a nest was nearby. (Photo Bella Rooney)
Actually finding the plovers’ simple nest is not easy. The spotted eggs blend perfectly into their surroundings. Careful where you walk! (Photo by Dawn Rasmussen)
The White-tailed Tropicbird is a striking white bird, 14-16” long, not counting its long streaming tail feathers. To find these birds, one must do a lot of stooping and peering, as these beautiful birds nest in the holes and crevices formed in the wind and wave-carved limestone made of ancient corals (very, very sharp, by the way). We found most tropicbirds on a single egg or new chick; the males and females take turns in the burrow, waiting on average nine days until their turn to fly far out to sea to forage for squid, flying fish, and other prey. (Photo by Dawn Rasmussen)
In all, we found about 150 tropicbird nests on three different islands in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. We banded 60 new birds and recaptured more than 10 that were banded in previous years. Though graceful in the air, in the hand these birds are fighters. The White-tailed Tropicbirds were none too pleased to be pulled from their nest holes and each came out screaming and biting. We took care to minimize the stress on the birds when handling and worked quickly to band them. (Photo by Lisa Ferguson)
Audubon’s Shearwater is another bird of the open ocean, which returns to land only in darkness and nests in natural cavities, under rocks, or in burrows it creates; it is a stocky, black and white bird, 12” from bill to tail. Surveying for shearwaters requires working at night. Being smaller, drabber, and more deeply tucked in than tropicbirds, shearwaters usually can’t be seen from the surface. Instead, a recording of courtship calls (or rather, screeches- listen below!) is played to prompt the birds to call out, sometimes from right beneath your feet. (Photo by Lisa Ferguson)
With a sleeping mat to cushion against sharp rock and vegetation, one can reach in to pull out struggling shearwaters, which fortunately are not able to bite nearly as hard as tropicbirds. We banded several, but it seemed as if shearwaters were taking a year off from breeding, something that is not uncommon when spring weather is bad (as it was this year). The good news is that the rodent traps that we set out for a week on Allen Cay yielded no mice! It would appear that the mouse eradication conducted in 2012 was successful. Mice did not directly harm the Audubon’s Shearwaters there, but their presence encouraged Barn Owls to settle on the island, which indiscriminately killed shearwaters. Also, a careful survey in daylight hours revealed very few fresh bird corpses – yay! (Photo by Jennifer Wheeler)
Keeping an eye on bird populations is important to conservation, but our project also involved taking action to help the birds. Caribbean bird populations today are just a remnant of the masses that once called the region home – historically reduced by human harvest, introduction of predators, and development and conversion of habitat to human uses. The small, uninhabitable cays and those in the Park are protected from development, but still threatened by alien species, and some cays are inhabited. In addition to bird sightings, teams recorded the state of the habitat and signs of threats, such as tire prints and footprints indicating human disturbance or predators. (Photo by Dawn Rasmussen)
Introduced mammals are a big problem for island birds. The Warderick Wells tropicbird colony is still recovering from its decimation by dogs several years ago. On this trip, we encountered dogs on Shroud Cay. They were very friendly, and you know I love dogs, but it was definitely not good to see them there! Dogs running free pose a threat to the birds, not to mention iguanas, hutias (native rodents), and other native species. (Photo by Dawn Rasmussen)
Introduced plants can also be a big problem. A prime example is Casuarina, or Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia). The plant was originally brought to the region for landscaping and is now a scourge. Its fast growth and prolific seeding has distributed it to almost every island in the Bahamas, where its thick litter smothers native vegetation and increases beach erosion. We spent a full day killing casuarina on Shroud Cay, using axes to hack girdles and spraying an herbicide into the cuts. The “hack and squirt” method is quite effective, but hundreds of trees in, gets very tiring. Plus, the necessary gloves, glasses, long sleeves and pants makes for very hot work! (Photo by Lisa Ferguson)
All and all a great trip for me – the birds were awesome, my team members were great, the sailboat crew superb, the weather decent and no sea-sickness! It felt good to contribute to our knowledge of Bahamas birdlife and conservation efforts. I’m grateful to Margo Zdravkovic, Director of Conservian, for organizing the trip, Will Mackin, Co-chair of BirdsCaribbean’s Seabird Working Group, for leading the seabird monitoring work, the many volunteers who assisted with the work, and the fantastic captain and crew of the sailboat Avalon (charter them at Lost Island Voyages)! (Photo by Lisa Ferguson)
Love,
Jennifer
Jennifer Wheeler is an avid adventurer and loves volunteering her time to help conservation causes. She was the coordinator of the Waterbird Council for 10 years and is currently a member of the Board and Treasurer of BirdsCaribbean.
This trip was supported by BirdsCaribbean, Conservian, and many partners and donors. For more information about multi-week excursions that Conservian organizes to the Bahamas and the trip sponsors and partners, see the full trip description and visit Conservian’s Facebook page
Scott Johnson shares with us his recent experience conducting surveys of Bahama Parrots in the wilds of Great Abaco with Dr. Frank Rivera-Milan— read on to find out more about the challenges these birds face and the results of their work.
The chilly 52 degree breeze stung my face as I headed to our champagne coloured SUV. As the vehicle started and warmed up, I waited patiently for Frank to leave our residence and jump into the jeep. We were staying at the Research Center of Friends of the Environment, a non-governmental organization in Marsh Harbour on the island of Great Abaco, The Bahamas. Once Frank got settled in the vehicle, we began our hour-long drive south to the home of the Bahama Parrots.
The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) is a non-governmental organization that manages the national park system of The Bahamas. It currently protects over 2 million acres of marine and terrestrial ecosystems in its 32 national parks across the Bahamian Archipelago. Great Abaco is the second largest island in The Bahamas, with no less than six national parks. Abaco National Park is the southernmost, consisting of a 22,500 acre terrestrial park and including the habitat of the second largest population of Bahama Parrots.
The Bahama Parrot, which is currently listed as a sub-species of the Cuban Parrot, has three populations on three islands in The Bahamas: Great Abaco, Great Inagua and New Providence. Population monitoring and assessments are important for the management and conservation of these charismatic birds.
Irma’s Impact
In the destructive fall of 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the southern Bahamas. devastating the Ragged Island chain. Irma also severely impacted the island of Great Inagua, home of the largest population of Bahama Parrots. After Irma had passed, there was great concern for both the parrot and the American Flamingo populations. How were they doing, and how had they been affected? The BNT decided to conduct post-hurricane assessments. Based on information from BNT park wardens on Great Inagua, most of the flamingos flew to other islands prior to the storm. The status of the parrots remained unknown. Because of logistical challenges, the BNT had to postpone the Bahama Parrot surveys on Great Inagua to late summer. They were anxious, however, to determine the status of the Great Abaco parrots, last surveyed in 2016. The BNT enlisted the help of population ecologist Frank Rivera-Milán, who helped me with the search for these lively birds. With financial support from Birds Caribbean and BNT, we travelled to Abaco on March 23rdand spent 10 days surveying the parrot population in the central and southern parts of the island.
Parrots Disturbing the Peace
As we approached Abaco National Park, the cool, calm morning was interrupted by the vociferous squawking of dozens of parrots conversing with each other in the pine trees. I was super excited to see them, particularly because I had never seen Bahama Parrots on Abaco, let alone in the pinelands. As my mind began drift away from reality due to the sheer joy of hearing the birds, the survey point was just 200 meters away.
We stopped and parked the car at the point. We quickly got out, binoculars, range finders, and datasheets in hand (and around our necks) and listened and observed attentively. We were conducting point count surveys. Once a parrot was seen or heard, the information (such as the number of birds heard and seen, the distance from the point, food availability and habitat type) was recorded in our datasheet. We counted parrots at each point for 6 minutes.
Parrots – in Holes?
As we were continued counting, a pair of parrots flew into our survey area. “This pair is looking for a nest site,” Frank said. “The female is on the ground inspecting holes and the male keeps watch.” We watched as the female disappeared in the scrubby understory vegetation as the male remained perched on a pine branch just a few feet above her. Bahama Parrots are devoted couples; they tend to mate for life.
There is something very special about the Bahama Parrots on Abaco. They are the only parrots that habitually nest in solution holes underground – that is, holes or crevices created by rainwater dissolving limestone rock. This is an adaptation to the fire-dependent pineland ecosystem. In their holes, the birds can avoid the heat. No other New World parrot engages in such behaviour. Bahama Parrots feed on a variety of plants, such as West Indian Mahogany, Lignum Vitae, Cinnecord, White Torch, Gum-elemi aka Gumbo Limbo, and False-Mastic.
Dangers Lurk
As we were driving to a survey point, we saw some rustling in the vegetation on the side of the road. It was a feral cat. These creatures are the biggest threats to parrots. Hurricanes are seasonal and of course, do not always hit Abaco. Cats present a different kind of danger – an everyday threat. They kill both chicks and incubating females. During the survey, we saw seven cats – three in areas where Bahama Parrots were known to nest. These cats gone wild have been a major conservation problem for the Bahama Parrot on Abaco. However, BNT Park Warden Marcus Davis and colleagues have been making tremendous efforts to remove this invasive species from the park. As a result, the numbers of parrots have increased from an estimated average of about 5,100 in 2008 to about 8,800 in 2016 – an impressive gain of nearly 60% .
Another regular threat is fire. One morning, as we were driving south to our study site, we noticed smoke in the distance, near the area where we had survey points. As we continued driving, the smoke increased and we saw fire in the pinelands and near the road. This fire had just been lit that morning. People often light fires to clear the understory so that they can hunt wild hogs, another invasive animal found in the pinelands.
Although fire plays its part in rejuvenating the pinelands, too many fires can cause great harm to the pine forest ecosystem. Frequent blazes can kill young pine trees and change the composition of the understory vegetation. Often, after pine fires, invasive bracken ferns move into the newly vacant space, blanketing the entire area. These invasive plants can quickly turn a once diverse understory, teeming with fruit-bearing shrubs that the parrots love, into a monoculture of ferns. Bahama Parrots will avoid these fern-dominated areas, which means that there is less suitable breeding and foraging habitat for them. For the Bahama Parrots, this is not good news.
A Healthy Population
One evening, as we were driving along an old logging road in the pinelands, a flock of parrots flew into view and settled in the canopy of pine trees. Being the “somewhat” impulsive person that I am, I quickly jumped out of the vehicle and ran to the location where I saw the parrots. There they were, dozens of them squawking, their green plumage blending perfectly with the green vegetation, their white faces betraying their presence. The parrots then flew off in unison and headed to what appeared to be their roosting site. As I was observing and thoroughly enjoying the sight of these spectacular birds flying by in a huge flock, the ever-astute Frank was diligently counting. Ninety-three parrots!
After eight days of surveys, we analysed the data, using the program DISTANCE and other statistical software. Based on the survey data collected, we estimated that approximately 8,832 parrots dwell in central and southern Abaco. This suggests that the population appears to be stable and doing well – thanks to the management efforts of BNT’s park wardens. I take my hat off to them!
Conservation Partnerships Are Key
The Bahamas National Trust, BirdsCaribbean and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service continue their partnership to accomplish the mission of managing and conserving wildlife and ecosystems in The Bahamian Archipelago and the Caribbean region. The Caribbean is home to a variety of important species, from endangered Rock Iguanas to American Flamingos. Wildlife management and conservation can be very challenging. It is not just about the animals and birds. It involves people, policy and laws, and the search for the right balance between the needs of humans and the needs of wildlife. As wildlife conservationists, we understand that our work illustrates the importance of biodiversity. We recognize that weare the active voices speaking up for the native and endemic plants and animals that may go extinct if no conservation action is taken.
It is always a joy to see our beautiful parrots flying wild and free. Let’s continue to work together to ensure that our future includes the amazing creatures that also call the Caribbean…home.
By Scott Johnson (Bahamas National Trust) and Frank F. Rivera-Milán (United States Fish and Wildlife Service). Scott is a Science Officer with the BNT; his work focuses on terrestrial fauna in the national parks and he loves Bahamian birds and reptiles. Frank is a Population Ecologist with US Fish and Wildlife Service. He frequently conducts field studies of doves and pigeons. He especially enjoys studying parrots.
Click on the photos below to see a larger version and slide show.
Devoted couple – Bahama Parrots pair up for life. (photo by Frank Rivera)
Lookout! Only in Abaco do you find a parrot crossing sign! (photo by Scott Johnson)
Bahama Parrot surveying his domain. (photo by Scott Johnson)
93 is the count for a huge flock of parrots that flew by. (photo by Frank Rivera)
Scott Johnson getting ready for the next count. (photo by Frank Rivera)
Bahama Parrots perched on a bare tree. (photo by Frank Rivera)
Pine Forest habitat with bracken form understory following fire passing through the area. (photo by Frank Rivera)
Imagine a vast expanse of rectangular saline ponds in surreal colors – pinks, turquoises, greens – that reach out towards the horizon, flanked by a collection of enormous, immaculately white pyramids of salt. It’s an extraordinary landscape, with an eerie beauty.
Now, there is something even more remarkable about Bonaire’s Cargill Salt Ponds. BirdsCaribbean is excited to share the fantastic news that this important stopover and wintering site for migratory birds has been designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) site of Regional Importance. This is the second WHSRN site in the Caribbean, joining the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats in southwestern Puerto Rico. This designation will ensure the protection and management of the site for shorebirds. It’s excellent news for the Red Knot, in particular. In addition to this threatened migratory bird, more than 20,000 shorebirds, representing 17 species, have been recorded at the location.
What is the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network?
The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network is dedicated to protecting key habitats throughout the Americas, helping sustain healthy populations of shorebirds. With the addition of Cargill Salt Ponds Bonaire, there are now 103 WHSRN sites covering nearly 15 million hectares (38 million acres) in 17 countries. Sites are categorized as having Regional, International or Hemispheric Importance based on the total number of shorebirds they support annually; or if the sites support a substantial percentage of the population of a single species. The new site, the first for the Dutch Caribbean, also lies within BirdLife International’s Important Bird Area (IBA) Pekelmeer Saltworks, Bonaire. This area includes the 400-hectare Pekelmeer Ramsar site (a designation given to Wetlands of International Importance.
The Big Attraction for Shorebirds at Cargill Salt Ponds
Why do shorebirds thrive at the Salt Ponds? What on Earth could possibly survive in this alien landscape? The answer: brine shrimp and brine flies. These small invertebrates lay the foundation that support thousands of shorebirds annually. Most of them are hungry migrants, taking a much-needed break before continuing on their journey, or spending the winter at this food-rich site. A privately-owned salt production facility at the southern end of Bonaire, owned by Cargill Salt Bonaire B.V., the site comprises 3,700 hectares: 2,700 hectares are artificial wetlands – primarily solar evaporation ponds for salt extraction. Brine shrimp fill the ponds. The dike roads running between the ponds are covered with brine flies. For shorebirds, the shrimp and flies are a delicious food source, right amongst the mountains of salt.
Many are familiar with the extraordinary migratory cycle of the Red Knot: every year, this shorebird flies a roundtrip of close to 19,000 miles, from the Arctic to southern Chile and Argentina. If that wasn’t impressive enough, this bird’s journey includes multi-day stretches (even up to one week!) of continuous flight between stopover sites. These sites that allow the birds to rest and refuel are critically important to the success of the Red Knot’s migration. Without them, this fascinating shorebird would not survive.
Cargill’s Invaluable Support for Shorebird Surveys
Daniel DeAnda Jr., Cargill’s Production Manager, collaborated with Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, on the nomination of the salt ponds for WHSRN status. With Cargill’s support, BirdsCaribbean led surveys, beginning in 2015, to learn more about the species and numbers of birds using the site. Survey results revealed that more than 20,000 shorebirds visit the wetlands annually, qualifying it as a WHSRN site at the “Regional” level of importance. This large concentration of shorebirds includes at least 1% of the biogeographic population of the threatened rufa (American) subspecies of Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) and Short-billed Dowitcher.
Unfortunately, shorebird numbers are declining. Some species have seen dramatic and worrying decreases in numbers. The rufa subspecies of the Red Knot has declined 80% over the last 20 years. The population of Semipalmated Sandpiper, which winters on the northern coast of South America, has shown similar declines over 30 years. This is a global problem: The Spoon-billed Sandpiper, which breeds in Russia and winters in Southeast Asia, may have just 100 breeding pairs left. The greatest threats to shorebirds are habitat loss, predators, hunting, and climate change. Areas such as WHSRN sites, which are preserved and protected for shorebirds, are crucial for successful breeding and migration.
BirdsCaribbean and partners recorded 15 other species during the salt pond surveys, including: Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, and Sanderling. Significant numbers of Snowy Plovers are also found regularly at the location. These are probably a combination of migrants (nominate Charadriusnivosus) and resident birds belonging to the Caribbean breeding subspecies (C. n. tenuirostris). The area is the only known nesting area on Bonaire for the Royal Tern. It also supports one of the most important American Flamingo nesting colonies in the Caribbean.
The Power of Partnerships
BirdsCaribbean was very fortunate to have motivated and passionate international and local partners, who were essential during the survey periods. The partnership included staff and volunteers from STINAPA Bonaire, WILDSCONSCIENCE, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance. Survey teams led by Fernando Simal (WILDCONSCIENCE) counted birds at 110 points, over five counting periods. Their findings informed the site’s WHSRN designation.
Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean commented, “We are very grateful for the support we received from Cargill and our partners and volunteers, who enabled us to complete this work. We are especially thankful to Environment and Climate Change Canada for its principal funding support for the surveys, as well as the contribution of the U.S. Forest Service’s Department of International Programs. We also deeply appreciate the encouragement and support we received from Manomet for our nomination.” BirdsCaribbean looks forward to continuing to work together with Cargill and all the partners to monitor and manage the site for shorebirds.
What can we do to help our shorebirds?
What can we do to help our shorebirds and their habitats? The Caribbean is a key link on the Atlantic Flyway. Its beaches, lagoons, marshes, swamps, rice fields, and other wetlands support enormous numbers of shorebirds annually. In order to ensure shorebird survival and mitigate against ongoing population declines, it is critical to identify and protect important sites in the region. One way you can help is by taking part in the Caribbean Waterbird Census, when professionals as well as citizen scientists count waterbirds during a 3-week period from January 14th to February 3rd as well as other times of year. Read more about shorebirds and the efforts to conserve them through the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative.
Acknowledgments
BirdsCaribbean thanks Fernando Simal (WILDCONSCIENCE), Jeff Gerbracht (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), Frank Rivera-Milan (US Fish and Wildlife Service) and Lisa Sorenson (BirdsCaribbean) for many hours in the field to survey shorebirds. We also thank the following individuals for field assistance: Paulo Bertoul, Caren Eckrich, Herman Sieben, Elise Lara Galitzki, Diana Sint Jago and Luigi Eybrecht from STINAPA Bonaire, Elly Albers from Bonaire Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center, and Jilly Sarpong (Biology student at HAS University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands). Dr. Frank Rivera-Milan carried out the data analysis needed to support our nomination of Cargill Salt Ponds as a WHSRN site. Funding support was provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada with additional assistance from the US Forest Service and in-kind support from STINAPA Bonaire, Cargill Salt, STINAPA and Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance.
Red Knots foraging. (Photo by Jeff Gerbacht)
Fernando Simal taking part in the shorebird survey. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Shorebirds in flight over the water at Cargill Salt Ponds. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
The Cargill Salt Ponds site also supports other habitat types, like these mangroves. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Lesser Yellowlegs and a Semipalmated Sandpiper feeding in the salt ponds. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Our first visit to the Cargill Salt Ponds in 2015 with Daniel Deanda, when we discovered the wealth of shorebirds using the site. L to R: Fernando Simal, Michele Kading and Daniel Deanda (Cargill Production Manager). (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Snowy Plover standing on rock salt at Cargill Salt Ponds, Bonaire. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Lisa Sorenson surveying shorebirds in the salt ponds. (Photo by Fernando Simal)
Shorebirds on a dike at Cargill Salt Ponds.
Red Knots and Short-billed Dowitchers at the Cargill Salt Ponds. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Least Tern nest with 3 eggs at Cargill Salt Ponds. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
On the hunt for invertebrates: Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers wading through the salt ponds. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
Fernando Simal counting shorebirds with salt mountains looming in the distance. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
More than just shorebirds use the Cargill Salt Ponds- flamingos also feed on brine shrimp. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
Two Red Knots at the salt ponds. (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)
American Flamingos are a common sight on the salt ponds. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)
A Snowy Plover with its chick. (Photo by Lisa Sorenson)
BirdsCaribbean is excited to announce 2018 awards for the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds. Five young scholars will carry out important research that will increase our knowledge of Caribbean birds and the actions needed to conserve them. The 2018 award recipients are Yvan Satge, Janine Antalffy, Juan Carlos Fernandez-Odoñez, Eduardo Manuel Llegus-Santiago, and Holly Garrod.
The David S. Lee Fund was established in 2016 to recognize the scientific and conservation efforts of David S. Lee, a biologist and naturalist dedicated to Caribbean biodiversity. The award funds innovative avian conservation research in the Caribbean. All projects demonstrate a commitment to engaging with local scientists, government officials, organizations and communities, as appropriate, to involve them in the research, share results, and build interest in local birds and their conservation. The projects are described below.
Thanks to support for the fund from a number of generous donors, BirdsCaribbean is able to provide a grant of $1,000 to each of the 2018 recipients. Congratulations to these dedicated and hard-working scholars, who we are confident will make important discoveries that will lead to enhanced conservation efforts and awareness of our amazing birds. Several students (Holly Garrod, Spencer Shubert, Maya Wilson, Paige Byerly) that received support last year have written blog articles sharing their exciting findings. We wish this new flock of Dave Lee award recipients all the best in their upcoming field seasons and look forward to hearing about their results in future articles and publications.
Foraging choices of the Diablotin Black-capped Petrel: using spatial ecology and diet to inform conservation
Yvan Satge, Clemson University
The Diablotin (Black-capped petrel; Pterodroma hasitata) is one of the most endangered seabirds in the western north Atlantic and one of only two extant seabird species endemic to the Caribbean. Although loss of terrestrial breeding habitat is a primary threat to the species, disturbances affecting the marine environment, which have been under-studied, are also likely to impact the survival of the population. Yvan Satge will study the diets of adult and juvenile Diablotin through novel DNA analysis of fecal samples collected at nest sites in the Dominican Republic. Data will inform conservation efforts by the Black-capped Petrel Working Group regarding use of marine resources by breeding Diablotin. The success of this project will be measured by evaluating diet composition and comparing those results to at-sea habitat use by tracked birds to assess the distribution of prey in the marine environment.
Conservation biology of the Bahama Oriole, a critically endangered island endemic
Janine Antalffy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The Bahama Oriole (Icterus northrop) is a critically endangered songbird restricted to the Andros island complex in The Bahamas. Having disappeared from the neighboring island of Abaco in the 1990s, a 2011 study suggested that fewer than 300 individuals remained on Andros. Little is known about life history traits and causes of population decline of this species. Janine’s research will contribute knowledge to inform conservation strategies for the species through addressing three questions about the Oriole, including assessing genetic diversity and connectivity between populations in the Andros Islands, assessing the response of this species to logging (to estimate population size during wholesale clearcutting in the mid 1900s), and distribution modelling to look at past populations on Andros and for the extinct Abaco population. These data will be useful for The Bahamas government to determine if the species should be managed as one or several populations, and to guide the reintroduction of the Bahama Oriole to Abaco.
Updating information about Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri loyemilleri) at Los Roques archipelago (Venezuela)
Juan-Carlos Fernandez Ordoñez, Fundación Científica ARA MACAO
Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri) is a small seabird that inhabits warm waters, mostly in the tropics. It breeds in colonies on islands and offshore cays. Once common, it’s status is now vulnerable due to disturbance and loss of breeding habitats. Audubon’s Shearwater is known to breed in the islands of the Los Roques archipelago off the Caribbean coast of Venezuela. Thanks to its strategic geographical location, the 314 islands, cays and islets of this archipelago provide important stopover and breeding sites for migratory and endemic birds. Juan-Carlos will revisit the remote and unspoiled Los Roques Archipelago to locate and survey nesting populations of Audubon’s Shearwater. JC will also identify and describe threats at the breeding sites. These colonies have not been visited in many decades, thus JC’s work will fill in major gaps in our understanding of of the status of these nesting populations. In his analysis, JC will test occupancy models as a much faster way of monitoring remote populations. He will share his results with local managers to aid conservation efforts in the archipelago.
Restoration and Monitoring of Nesting Areas of Shorebirds in the Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Eduardo Manuel Llegus-Santiago, University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Eduardo will work to restore and monitor beach-nesting bird habitat in Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve, an estuary ecosystem located at southern Puerto Rico, in the City of Ponce . This community-centered project will rebuild fences that were created to protect birds from invasive dogs, cats, and vehicles during their nesting. The project includes the restoration of the fence and monitoring of the birds with volunteers and an educational program to teach local communities about shorebirds with the production of a bird guide for the area to stimulate bird-friendly tourism. Eduardo will also monitor survival rates of shorebirds in the restored area and compare them with other colonies within the natural reserve.
A tale of two todies: understanding how vocalizations mediate hybridization between two sympatric species
Holly Garrod, Villanova University
Climate change and other human disturbances are causing range shifts in bird populations around the world. In some cases, species that were previously separated may come into contact and hybridize, which ultimately can result in long-term losses of biodiversity. In the Dominican Republic, Broad-billed and Narrow-billed Todies separate on an elevational gradient, with the Broad-billed Tody (Todus subulatus) in lowland wet forests and the Narrow-billed Tody (Todus angustirostris) in montane cloud forest. Climate change may push Broad-billed Todies upslope, increasing the overlap (sympatry) in the two species’ ranges at mid-elevation. Increased competition and hybridization could disproportionately harm one of the species, most likely the Narrow-billed Tody, because the high-elevation tody has “nowhere to go.” Holly will use playback experiments to investigate the extent to which the two species recognize and respond to each as competitive threats (e.g., for males defending territories) and as potential mates. If species recognition mechanisms are imperfect, this could lead to hybridization. To date, one such hybrid has been documented. Holly’s research will likely yield important insights about different ways in which behavior mechanisms influence hybridization. Holly’s research in 2017 (supported with David Lee funds) examined nesting success of todies in different habitats – read about her exciting results here.
To learn more about the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds, click here. If you would like to contribute to the fund and help support future projects, click here. You can choose to designate your gift to the David S. Lee Fund.
BirdsCaribbean thanks the scientists that provided thoughtful and constructive reviews of the proposals. We are very grateful to all that have donated to the David S. Lee Fund. We are pleased and proud to honor Dave’s legacy with the funding of these exciting projects that will advance the development of young Caribbean scientists and contribute to the conservation of Caribbean birds.
BirdsCaribbean, its members and partners note the controversy surrounding the export of two Sisserou (Imperial Parrots Amazona imperialis) and ten Jaco (Red-necked Parrots Amazona arausiaca) from Dominica to a facility in Germany on March 17th, 2018. Both species are endemic to Dominica, both are globally threatened, and the habitats of both were badly damaged by the passage of Hurricane Maria in September 2017. The Sisserou is Dominica’s iconic national bird, appearing on its flag, coat-of-arms, Parliamentary Mace and other national symbols and instruments. The Sisserou has long represented a unique flagship of national pride for Dominicans.
While there is no doubt that disastrous events like hurricanes pose a serious threat to the persistence of endangered species, there is evidence that both species are resilient and recovery in the wild is possible. Dominica’s parrot populations were greatly affected but recovered after Hurricane David in 1979. Their survival has been aided by multiple conservation measures taken in Dominica including parks and protective legislation, community outreach and education events, programs to reduce agricultural conflicts, complemented by research and monitoring.
Despite the confidence of local and international experts (who have been working in Dominica with the parrots since 1981) that on-island efforts to support the recovery of local populations would be successful, some politically-appointed individuals within the Government of Dominica, apparently decided to facilitate the export of these parrots as an “emergency measure” to support the establishment of a captive breeding population in Germany by the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP).
Conservation Issues for Threatened Bird Species
This action raises many issues concerning the conservation of threatened bird species. BirdsCaribbean has engaged with local partners in the region for 30 years, and we support the position of most threatened species specialists that:
Conservation programmes for threatened species should be guided by recovery action planning based on sound science, engagement by all stakeholders, and international laws and guidance.
Conservation programmes for threatened species should focus firstly on recovery of wild populations in the wild, with captive breeding as a last resort.
There are many risks associated with captive breeding, including risks in transport, transmission or exposure to new diseases, acclimation to a new environment, and loss of genetic diversity and natural behaviors. These programs must be carried out in an extremely careful manner and risks increase if the program is in another country.
Captive breeding programs can be an effective and important conservation tool (e.g., as shown for the Puerto Rican Parrot), but they must be based on sound science, be proposed and vetted transparently to the conservation community, and wherever possible, be in the country of origin.
Threatened species programs must involve and empower to the maximum extent possible the local organizations and communities who are ultimately the stewards for the species.
BirdsCaribbean suggests that there are legal, scientific and ethical reasons to question the export of Sisserou and Jaco parrots from Dominica.
The export of globally threatened species is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to which Dominica and Germany are both signatories. Export permits are granted through the local CITES management authority, which may only license export of threatened (Appendix 1) species under very strict conditions. In Dominica, this is the Environmental Coordinating Unit (ECU). BirdsCaribbean has been reliably informed that the permit for the export of these parrots to Germany was not granted by the ECU and the ECU was not consulted. (see https://goo.gl/dB9SF2). Additionally, Dominica was under suspension of all trade under CITES since January 2018 for failure to file annual reports for three consecutive years. Therefore, no CITES Appendix I species should have been permitted for export.
The Situation Was Not an “Emergency”
Any argument that the export was justified as an “emergency” action is contradicted by the following:
All of the exported animals survived the hurricane;
The female Sisserou at the aviary had lived there for 18 years and successfully reproduced at the aviary in 2010;
Ongoing parrot surveys reveal that both species’ wild populations also survived the hurricane, with the ecologically common Jaco parrot now widely distributed and some sightings of wild Sisserous; known to be shy and difficult to survey in the wild;
The aviaries were in the process of being refurbished, with new enclosures, wire and supplies already sent to Forestry;
The aviary birds were examined and attended to with multiple animal-care teams from IFAW;
The exported Jaco parrots were being prepared for release into the wild;
No proposal for emergency action was presented to Forestry, the personnel responsible for animal-care at the aviary, nor ECU.
BirdCaribbean is surprised that a permit would be granted by any authority, because it would appear that the export is detrimental to on-going local conservation efforts. We are especially concerned about the export of the Sisserou, partly because their local breeding populations are smaller, and partly because two individuals are not sufficient to establish a breeding programme. This calls into question the scientific justification for this export and whether there may be additional requests for exports in the future.
BirdsCaribbean Supports Dominican Experts, Local Partners
In addition, the scientific authority for CITES in Dominica, the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, was also not consulted about the export—no proposal, conservation plan or agreement was shared with the team in charge of parrot conservation on the island. Instead the arrangements were apparently made in secret and the birds taken without the knowledge or permission of either CITES authority on the island.
Our Dominican partners remain committed to the on-island conservation programs and the protective measures it has developed for its parrots over many years. Thanks to generous donors, BirdsCaribbean has assisted in Hurricane Maria recovery by shipping more than US$12,000 worth of supplies to aid recovery of Dominica’s parrots, including bird feeders, bird seed, tools and field equipment. We have long supported outreach, education and surveys conducted by Dominica’s own experts, who have decades of experience and knowledge. We believe that the conservation of Dominica’s parrots is best done in Dominica by Dominicans, – supported, but not undercut, by foreign entities.
We know that the people of Dominica are resilient and proud of their beautiful birds and in particular, their National Bird, the Sisserou. For this reason alone, the recent removal of these birds from the island calls for far more explanation and justification than has been made public.
BirdsCaribbean is one of thirteen signatory organizations expressing concern over the recent export of endemic parrots from Dominica to Germany. We include here a joint communication shared today, April 5, 2018, with the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as well as representatives within CITES, the government of Dominica, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the European Union. Read the UNEP letter.
We have heard the painful stories of the 2017 hurricanes, which had devastating effects on humans and birds on some islands. How did our shorebirds weather the storm—especially those we are most concerned about from a conservation viewpoint? Elise Elliott-Smith shares her story of post-hurricane surveys in the Turks and Caicos Islands in February 2018.
For the past three years, I have been privileged to work with an international team of scientists led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center. Working with local partners and other international partners we have conducted surveys for Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) and other shorebird species of conservation concern in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Charming Piping Plover
The Piping Plover is a small, round-bodied shorebird, with a charming, big-eyed look. It breeds on beaches in the interior and Atlantic Coast of the U.S. and Canada, migrating to beaches in the southern Atlantic U.S., the northern West Indies, and across the Gulf Coast into northern Mexico. There are three discrete breeding populations, all of which are listed as endangered in Canada, and threatened or endangered in the U.S.
Fifteen years ago, no one knew that large numbers of Piping Plover winter in the Bahamas and northern Caribbean. But there was a surprise in store. During the 2011 International Piping Plover Census, it was discovered that around 1,000 birds wintered in the Bahamas. So, searching the Turks and Caicos Islands became a priority for the next Census in 2016 (read about 2016 International Piping Plover Census here). Our 2016 search yielded almost 100 Piping Plover and we counted 174 during an expanded search in January 2017. During this search, we also tallied about 20 other shorebird species, many of which are declining in numbers, or are focal species of the Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative. These species included the Red Knot (Calidris canutus), which is also listed as threatened/special concern in the U.S. and Canada.
The Onslaught of Hurricanes Irma and Maria
On September 7, 2017, Hurricane Irma hit the Turks and Caicos Islands as a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 175 miles per hour. Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria arrived, packing 125 mph winds and torrential rain. My thoughts were with my colleagues and friends in the Turks and Caicos Islands as the storms passed. Despite extensive damage, and a heavy blow to the islands’ infrastructure, everyone was safe; miraculously, there were no deaths in the Turks and Caicos Islands. And after hearing this, I started wondering about the birds.
Far from the storm, I saw images on my computer screen of the destruction to human property and then the video of injured and dead flamingos in Cuba. I reasoned that given the small size of the Piping Plover, they could likely hunker down in strong winds. Perhaps some were still on their southerly migration and had not yet arrived. But a Piping Plover is not large, nor is it pink. The plovers’ small sand-colored carcasses would surely wash away unnoticed. The truth was, I really did not know how the storms had affected shorebirds or their habitat. But we had collected comprehensive survey data on all shorebird species for two prior winters at many remote sites in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I was eager get back there and see what had changed.
Post-hurricane Surveys Show Drop in Piping Plover Populations
Planning and preparing for these excursions is always exciting and a bit stressful. Our colleagues at the Turks and Caicos Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) wanted to conduct surveys but they needed assistance. Partners at the USFWS and Canadian Wildlife Service – Environment and Climate Change Canada (CWS-ECCC) were also interested in helping but there were a lot of details to work out and questions to answer. Would we get funding? Would we get government permissions? Would we have enough cash to pay for the boats? Would the weather cooperate during the surveys? And would the birds themselves cooperate? This year, however, there was one very big question constantly looming in my mind as I was trying to secure funding for surveys and plan for the trip. How had the hurricanes affected the birds and their habitat? Would they even be there this year?
Post-hurricane surveys finally became possible with the support of BirdsCaribbean, the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, DECR, SWA Environmental, USFWS, CWS-ECCC and USGS. We had an excellent International team of surveyors, with the support needed for surveying remote cays. So I found myself flying into Providenciales, TCI on the evening of 30 January 2018. Under the cover of night, I did not get to see the turquoise waters or the tarped and patched roofs of houses damaged by the storms. But looking out the window the next morning I saw evidence of the hurricanes that reminded me the Turks and Caicos Islands are still recovering.
Over the next 10 days our teams conducted surveys on over 15 islands and cays in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We revisited every site where Piping Plover had been seen the prior year and surveyed a few new sites. In total, we saw just 62 Piping Plover. This was a far lower total than had been seen in 2017 or 2016. Counts of Piping Plovers were actually down at all of the sites surveyed in prior years, and they were completely absent from several sites.
Landscapes and Habitats Reshaped by the Storms
The extent of damage to human structures varied from island to island. Similarly, some Piping Plover sites appeared largely unaffected by the storms, while other sites had been substantially altered. Little Ambergris Cay was one of the sites hardest hit by the storms. The habitat had changed drastically. Multiple sandbars were breached or washed away entirely, interior mudflats were flooded, beaches were over-washed, and the island was literally split in two. Piping Plover had been seen at multiple locations on this island in 2016 and 2017. Despite the habitat changes, there appeared to be quite a bit of suitable habitat remaining in 2018. However, when we conducted a very thorough survey, no Piping Plover were seen. Shorebird numbers in general were down.
Some of the most important sites seemed relatively unchanged. However, storm erosion can be insidious, leaving sites looking deceptively undamaged at first glance. One of the most important shorebird sites in the Turks and Caicos Islands consists of a handful of very remote, tidally exposed sand flats and a tiny island, south of Middle Caicos. At this site, there is only a single small rocky area exposed during high tides. Birds tend to roost in this spot until neighboring sand flats are exposed for feeding. In 2017 we had seen about 3,000 shorebirds of at least 12 species at this site, including about 400 Red Knot. It is hard to identify and count 3,000 shorebirds, especially when they are spread out and moving around, so we planned our surveys for high tide, when birds concentrate. The area appeared to be largely unchanged. However, there were only about 1,000 shorebirds, far fewer than the prior year. We stayed in the area for nearly an entire tide cycle, but much of the sandflats remained shallowly flooded, even at low tide, indicating sand was likely lost during the hurricanes.
The Fate of Missing Birds Largely Unknown
Our early observations add to mounting evidence that there may be immediate negative effects of hurricanes on local wintering Piping Plover and other shorebird populations. However, questions remain. As in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Piping Plover numbers were greatly reduced in the Bahamas after Hurricane Matthew, particularly in areas hardest hit by the storm (Matt Jeffrey and Walker Golder (National Audubon), pers. comm). However, it is not known if shorebirds are dying in hurricanes or leaving in advance of the storm and wintering elsewhere. Spotting marked birds again may be the key to understanding this question of mortality. During our surveys in the Turks and Caicos Islands we observed Piping Plover that had been marked on their Atlantic Coast breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada. Piping Plover tend to be faithful to their winter sites. However, some marked birds seen in the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2017 were “missing” on 2018 surveys. We will be looking for these individuals on migration and breeding grounds this summer. Re-sighting them would indicate they survived the storm. We also hope to return to the Turks and Caicos again in early 2019 to see if these missing birds have returned.
So what of the birds’ uncertain future? How resilient are Piping Plovers to hurricanes over the long term? And how resilient are the ecosystems on which they depend? Will sand be deposited again where it was lost? And how are the invertebrates (aka shorebird food) affected by hurricanes? These questions need further study, especially considering that with changing climates, storms may become more frequent and intense. In addition to searching for marked birds, the next step in answering these question is seeing shorebirds return to their favorite haunts in the Turks and Caicos Islands in higher numbers next winter. If birds survived the storm, we might expect to see a rebound in numbers next year.
Caribbean Waterbird Census – An Important Tool
We were fortunate to have baseline data before the storm from our previous surveys to assess how well Piping Plovers had survived the 2017 devastating hurricane season. Our results highlight the importance of the Caribbean Waterbird Census (which we have contributed to during our surveys of the Turks and Caicos) and other surveys that provide critical information on bird species abundance and distribution. This helps us gauge avian response to hurricanes and our changing climate and suggests actions that we can take to help birds survive. We cannot prevent the hurricanes from coming. But there is a lot that can be done to protect the birds remote habitats from development and minimize human disturbance.
As I returned home, I felt relief that at least some birds survived the storm and very encouraged by the incredible international support for our work. As an international species of concern, the Piping Plover requires collaboration to conserve their habitats across the different phases of their life cycle. I am optimistic that with the help of many, we can come together again to answer remaining questions and take steps to protect this beautiful little bird.
You can help too! We are still learning about this species’ distribution throughout the Caribbean – so learn how to distinguish them from similar species (like Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Wilson’s Plover, and Snowy Plovers) and help conduct surveys. Be on the lookout on sandy beaches and tidal mudflats, look for bands and flags, take pictures of the birds you see, and report all your observations on eBird Caribbean (and any Piping Plovers to me as well please! Contact Elise Elliott-Smith).
Notes from the Field
Day 1: A very rainy adventure to cays between Providenciales and North Caicos with Caleb Spiegel (USFWS), Eric Salamanca and an intrepid boat crew from the Turks and Caicos Department of the Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR). Few birds are seen and no Piping Plover are seen on either of the cays where they were documented in 2016 and 2017. This could be due to tour boat disturbance seen at one of the sites, but it is easy to miss birds when it is windy and wet. Need to return for a re-survey in better conditions.
Day 2: After a morning flight to South Caicos, Caleb, Eric and I kayak to what had been the most important Piping Plover site during our surveys the prior two years, a small uninhabited unnamed cay that we’ve affectionately dubbed “Piping Plover Cay”. Looking out the window while the plane landed and driving to the end of the road to put our boats in the water, it appears that South Caicos was hit harder than Providenciales by Hurricane Irma, and lacks the resources of the more popular tourist destinations to make a speedy recovery. Many houses are still missing roofs, some are missing walls, and at least a couple have been leveled by the storm.
More power lines are askew or knocked down than remain upright. And the salt ponds are too deeply flooded to support small shorebirds. Surprisingly, “Piping Plover Cay” looks good and largely unchanged. However, conditions are windy with some rain and although we see some shorebirds, there are no Piping Plovers in the flocks.
Day 3: Jen Rock and Beth MacDonald, our Canadian colleagues (ECCC), arrived last night. The weather has cleared, and we finally find some Piping Plover!! Seven birds are seen on Dickish Cay, a small uninhabited cay where we had seen them during both of the prior survey years. In 2016, we had accessed the site by swimming across a channel from the end of the road in Middle Caicos and had found 11 Piping Plover on interior mud flats. In 2017 we accessed the island by boat, surveying it twice, and the high count had been 24 Piping Plover, including two marked birds seen on the sandy beach. Piping Plover tend to be loyal to their winter sites, so we look for the marked birds seen in 2017. They are not in our small flock but we do see two newly marked Piping Plover: one marked as a chick in Newfoundland the prior summer and the other marked a few weeks before Hurricane Irma while on a migration stop-over in North Carolina. Although the number of birds is lower than prior years, if anything the hurricanes seems to have had a positive effect on the Piping Plover habitat. Invasive Casuarina has been uprooted and sand has been deposited on the east side of the island, widening the beach.
Day 4: Our team is joined by Kathleen Wood (SWA Environmental) and we head out in the DECR boat to survey Little Ambergris. We split into three teams of two and are dropped off at different locations on the islands so that we can efficiently cover all the habitat. Two sandbars on the south side of the island have been entirely washed away, creating inflows and flooding. We realize that the inflow on the southwest side has broken all the way through to the north side of the island, splitting the island into two. One beach was totally over-washed, widening it by leveling the short vegetation. Twenty-five Piping Plover were seen on this island in 2016 and 29 were seen in 2017. None are seen on this survey and overall shorebird numbers are lower than previous counts. There still appears to be a lot of reasonable shorebird habitat, but much of the habitat is greatly changed. On our way back we stop at Big Ambergris Cay. It is our first Piping Plover survey on this island; we did not survey it previously because the habitat on aerial images did not look ideal. Hurricane damage is very apparent here as well as erosion of beach habitat and cliffs backing the beach. Many structures are seriously damaged. We see no plovers and few shorebirds on the mostly exposed, windswept beaches.
Day 5: Jen, Beth and Kathleen return to “Piping Plover Cay”. The conditions are good and they see 45 Piping Plover – including two birds that Beth banded in Nova Scotia the previous summer! Caleb, Eric and I do not have as much luck. We return to Dickish Cay but do not see any Piping Plover (they also may use neighboring Joe Grant Cay or Wild Cow Run beach but we do not have time to check there). Our expert boat operator, Tim Hamilton, shows us some habitat in Lorrimer’s channels on Middle Caicos that we had not explored in prior years. It looks like good shorebird habitat but we see few birds.
Day 6: Sandbars south of Middle Caicos. This is the site where we saw about 3,000 shorebirds last year, including Red Knot. We arrive close to high tide and go to the roost spot. The area around the roost is very shallow so we need to get off the boat and wade in waist-deep water a few hundred meters to survey. Caleb and Jen start surveying while Beth, Eric and I stay in the boat to check the other sandbars, which are all inundated. We return to the roost spot and help count. There are only about 1,000 shorebirds this year and around 40 Red Knot. We discuss why we are seeing such reduced numbers and whether some birds could be roosting in an unknown location. We decide to wait for the tide to fall and see if more birds arrive. The sun is setting with the falling tide so we leave just before low tide. Although it is a pretty extreme low tide, the multiple finger-like sand flats all seem to still be inundated. The habitat looked unchanged when we first arrived at the site that morning but it is likely that some of the sand has eroded. As we return to South Caicos the sun is setting with a squall in the distance and a rainbow over the turquoise waters.
Days 7-10: Caleb, Jen and Eric return to Providenciales and then to North Caicos where they survey with Naqqi and Flash (DECR). No Piping Plover are seen at the Northwest Point National Marine Park, where one Piping Plover was seen in 2017. Later, they return to re-survey islands between Provo and North Caicos in better weather than day 1, but still do not see any Piping Plover, and few shorebirds. However, they have luck on East Bay Island, seeing 10 Piping Plover where 16 were seen in 2017, including four tagged birds: two that were marked on breeding grounds in Canada and two at breeding sites in the U.S.
Beth and I split off from the rest of the group and travel to Grand Turk where we explore habitat and survey with Katharine Hart (DECR). I had not been to Grand Turk previously and while we see many waterbirds on this island, the habitat is not ideal for Piping Plover. On our second day, we take a very rough and wet boat ride to explore two nearby uninhabited islands, Cotton and Gibb’s Cay. Gibb’s Cay has some good habitat but it is frequented by cruise ships and we only see a couple shorebirds. The next day we take a bigger boat to Big Sand Cay. Katharine has been to the island before for turtle work (it is a National Sanctuary and the most important hawksbill turtle nesting site in the islands) and reports that it has been affected by the hurricane. A tidal surge likely washed out vegetation so that now the east and west side of the island are connected by sand flats in a couple of spots. The habitat looks very good on this island. We do see turtle nests but we don’t see any Piping Plover.
Many thanks to Caleb Spiegel, Beth MacDonald, Naqqi Manco, Kathleen Wood, Emma Lewis, and Lisa Sorenson for input on this article. And special thanks to DECR, BirdsCaribbean, American Bird Conservancy, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, SWA Environmental, USFWS, CWS-EEEC, USGS, and Big Blue Unlimited for providing financial and other support for this research.
Your help is needed to protect beach-nesting birds, nests, and young. Conservian is planning for Year 3 of their shorebird and habitat conservation program in the Bahamas. Come join them for the adventure of a lifetime!
BirdsCaribbean, the Bahamas National Trust and Conservian are seeking a weekly crew of 8 to 10 enthusiastic volunteers for our Bahamas shorebird and seabird habitat conservation project in May 2018 aboard our 75ft schooner research schooner. This is an excellent opportunity to gain field experience and shorebird ID skills. Trip cost for one week is $1,350 and includes your bunk, onboard meals, water, and ground transportation associated with project. Participants will fly to the Bahamas each week to designated airports for shuttle transport to schooner. A valid passport is required. Airfare and insurance are not included.
Project Summary
We need volunteers to help count birds and remove invasive plants from coastal habitats. This year we are visiting the Exuma Cays including two of the world’s largest Audubon’s Shearwater colonies and the world’s first and most beautiful Land and Sea Park. We are also going to the Joulter Cays and Andros for a week to some of the most important Piping Plover winter habitat. Both trips have ample opportunities to enjoy the beaches, islands, reefs, and marine life of the Bahamas while helping conserve the birds and other wildlife.
Our days will be filled with much adventure. The focus of the work is surveying for beach-nesting bird breeding pairs, nests and young, and working with local volunteers to implement protective measures in the field. Focal species include Wilson’s Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns, Audubon Shearwaters and other colonial nesting species. We will work in both populated and remote areas, sail blue Caribbean waters, visit white sandy beaches, boat to little islands, conduct ground surveys for beach and cay nesting birds, nests, and downy chicks, and meet new people. We will work with local volunteers to post and sign shorebird sites and control invasive Australian pine. Field crew will assistant with collecting data on breeding pairs, habitat assessment and human-created disturbance. Field crew will also assist with shipboard duties; sailing, cooking and cleaning. There will be time to fish, snorkel, enjoy the breath-taking beaches, and visit local island towns.
Project Activities:
Protect, post & sign shorebird & seabird sites
Collect new data on nesting shorebirds, seabirds & habitat
Locate and protect shorebird & seabird nests and downy young
Observe/assist with bird banding (conditions permitting)
Control invasive Australian pine on beach habitats
Work with local volunteers to accomplish the above goals
Snorkel reefs in gin clear waters
Learn saying crew skills
Fish for dinner-catch of the day!
Qualifications: Applicants must be responsible, adventurous, in good physical condition, enjoy working in teams and be capable of walking several miles during warm weather in the Caribbean. Applicants must be comfortable living communally onboard a schooner and riding in small boats to access survey sites.
May 2018 Expedition Schedule and Locations:
Choose one week or more:
Week 1: Joulter Cays & North Andros – May 6-13 (Nassau Int. Airport) – shorebird focus
Week 2: Northern Exumas – May 13-20 (Nassau Int. Airport) – seabirds and shorebirds
Each week includes 7 nights aboard the schooner. If you have a special interest in seabirds, then participate in week 2.
The trip is being led by Margo Zdravkovic (Conservian) and Will Mackin (BirdsCaribbean Seabird Working Group co-chair) with assistance from Jennifer Wheeler, Lisa Sorenson, and The Bahamas National Trust. If you would like to join our conservation crew for a week or more, please contact Will Mackin, Margo Zdravkovic or fill out the short form here. The review of applicants is ongoing and will continue until positions are filled.
If you can’t go, we can accept donations of any amount to sponsor the trip. If you know of someone who would want to come, please send us their contact information.
Project partners include: BirdsCaribbean, Bahamas National Trust, International Conservation Fund of Canada, USFWS/NMBCA, LightHawk, Dow AgroSciences, Grand Bahama Nature Tours, Optics for the Tropics, Grand Bahama Port Authority, Bahamas Public Parks & Beaches Authority, Bahamas Environment, Science & Technology Commission, Rand Nature Center, Abaco Friends of the Environment, Treasure Cay Community Center, Royal Bahamas Police Force/Marine Support.
Invasive mammals are known to be a problem on many islands. Holly Garrod shows first-hand how some of these pesky species are causing nest failure for one of the Caribbean’s most well known and best loved birds—the tody.
It was a muggy afternoon, typical for the summers in Jarabacoa, the central region of the Dominican Republic. Rubber boots on and camera in hand I was making my way through the creek system of a local farm. The goal was to check Broad-billed Tody nests. I was in the first field season for my master’s research, studying the breeding biology and behavioral interactions of Hispaniola’s two tody species: the Broad-billed Tody (Todus subulatus) and the Narrow-billed Tody (Todus angustirostris). One aspect of my research included how non-native mammals were affecting their breeding success. I had dubbed the creek I walked through as “tody neighborhood” (or barrio de barrancolis in Spanish), due to the high volume of nests I had found, totaling up to 15 in that one creek alone. I anticipated it would be one of my most productive sites this year, little did I know I was to be wrong.
But before I get into the mystery at tody neighborhood, let me explain some basic tody facts. Todies, while appearing to look like our pollinating hummingbird friends, are actually more closely related to kingfishers. Interestingly enough, todies are one of only two families of birds that are endemic to the Caribbean (the other being Dominican Republic’s national bird – the Palmchat). Within their Family Todidae, there are 5 species distributed throughout the islands of the Greater Antilles, most of which are named for the island they’re found on, excepting the aforementioned Hispaniolan todies. This interesting phenomenon, where Hispaniola is the only island to have two tody species, is the baseline for my master’s research, and the reason I was walking through creeks searching and monitoring for tody nests.
Now when most people hear “bird nest,” they think of an assemblage of twigs and moss carefully placed among the branches. But todies are different. For their nests, the pair chooses a dirt bank, then takes turns digging a burrow using their beaks. Typically, the burrows end up being about 10-15 cm deep, with some of them curving and all of them having an enlarged chamber at the end. With their preference for dirt banks, the best place to look for these burrows ends up being creeks.
Which brings us back to tody neighborhood. Walking through the creeks, notebook in hand, I stopped at the first nest. It was still early in the season, late May, and from my last check I knew all the nests had eggs. Now it was just a matter of seeing when they would hatch. I used an endoscope camera to check the nests, a long bendable tube with a camera and light on one end, where the other end hooked up to a monitor, providing live-stream tody footage. I slid the camera into the first nest, seeing nothing. Knowing that this nest had a tricky curve, I tried for several more minutes until something appeared, a cricket. Oftentimes when the todies finish breeding, other animals will move into the unoccupied cavities; typically large cave crickets are the most common. For this reason, todies almost always construct a new burrow every year. Presence of the cricket meant the nest had failed.
I continued to the other nests, hoping to have better luck. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw the next nest still had the three eggs noted from several days earlier. But that’s where my luck ended. The next 5 nests had failed. I was baffled, from all outward appearances the nests appeared fine: the holes were still the same size and there were no signs of forced entry or tracks around the banks. When I returned several days later, it was more bad news. More failed nests and still mostly no signs of the culprits. Several nests appeared as though they may have been enlarged, but most others maintained the same outward appearance. Who could be predating these tody nests?
I started putting up camera traps (part of my funding from the David Lee Grant), hoping to get footage of what was happening at these nests. The idea being, the camera traps are motion activated and start recording with the presence of movement. I set one up at one of the few remaining active nests in tody neighborhood, scattering the others at nests in other creeks. One week later, I returned to glean the videos. Sitting back at the field house, going through the videos I was disappointed with the first two cameras. Most of the videos showed twigs moving or people walking by, the angle looking slightly off to catch the curprit.
Then I came to a night picture. I was about to pass by when I saw the outline of a cat walking by. Suspect number 1. Yet when I checked the records that nest had fledged successfully when I retrieved the camera. Plus a cat would have to have caused some external damage to the nest hole to access the tody. Ruled out as the common culprit, but still a potential predator.
The next set of videos I pulled up began with a night shot. I waited several seconds and then suspect number 2 appeared: a rat. I watched several videos of what I can only assume to be the same rat climbing on logs and scurrying around. Video after video I watched the rat run around, but appear oblivious to the nest entrance. Finally, watching the rat take its usual stroll around the log, I saw it. The flicker of interest in the nearby nest hole. I watched as the rat approached, holding my breath. There was no way the rat could fit, it would have to dig out the nest at least a little bit, leave some trace of evidence behind. But lo and behold, the mammal contracted in its side and squeezed into the hole, no damage and no evidence. Then out it came, baby tody in its mouth. I finally understood why the nests were failing!
Video: During the night, a rat enters the tody cavity and predates one of the two tody chicks inside. The other was presumably trampled based on appearance the next day. This rat was caught on camera for several nights before entering the cavity. (Video by Holly Garrod)
As I continued watching the videos for another nest that had failed, I saw a third culprit appear, one I was surprised I hadn’t seen earlier. Let me introduce you to culprit number three, the mongoose. I watched as the weasel-like mammal appeared and begin excitedly digging at the base of the hole until it managed to disappear inside, and return with a single tody chick in its mouth.
Video: A mongoose digs out the nest from below and enters from the bottom, leaving with a tody chick at the end of the video. No todies were present after checking, suggesting the mongoose likely returned for the second chick. (Video by Holly Garrod)
Mystery solved. Or is it? From the videos and what evidence I could find, it appears that rats are the most wanted, followed by mongoose, and leaving room for both feral cats and dogs. What is clear is that the majority of these predations are from introduced mammals. Even though these mammals have likely been present on the island for several hundred years, it may not have been enough time for the tody to adapt in some way. Throughout these videos I saw no evidence of nest defense behavior, or evidence the parents were even present. Additional behavioral experiments I conducted using a mammal decoy showed the same result—no interest or concern in the “mammal” present at the nest. Do we really know the impact these non-native mammals are having on bird populations? Out of 42 Broad-billed Tody nests I was monitoring, nearly half (20) of them failed, while 6 of 20 Narrow-billed Tody nests failed. All of them appeared to fail from non-native mammalian predators.
While these mammals may not be putting a huge dent on the tody populations, it’s clear they are having an impact. Continued predation could cause a decline in population sizes, especially since the todies show little to no defensive behavior and are therefore highly vulnerable. My research highlights the importance of understanding breeding ecology and the factors that influence nest success in Caribbean endemics like the tody. It’s important to monitor populations so that we can undertake management actions if needed to ensure long-term survival of these amazing birds.
By Holly Garrod. Holly is a MsC student in the Biology Dept at Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania. One of the goals of her thesis research in the Dominican Republic is to better understand how Caribbean endemic birds respond to changing landscapes and invasive predators. Holly was a recipient of the 2016-2017 BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund Grant.
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) is excited to announce the release of a Special Issue on the Status of Caribbean Forest Endemics (Volume 30, Issue 1). Inside you’ll find a total of 10 publications, 9 of which focus on different forest endemic birds from central Cuba down to Grenada. The tenth publication provides statistical evidence of the JCO’s invaluable role as a multi-lingual, regional scientific journal that outshines other ornithological journals through its distinct subject strengths, especially in terms of papers published on the distribution and abundance of forest endemic species.
In this Special Issue, we highlight those strengths with a collection of publications specific to forest endemic birds, many of which have become icons and flagship species for their specific island communities. In some cases, there is good news to report, whether it be population growth or range expansion, while in other cases, there are greater causes for concern and subsequent action on our part. The extirpation of the Golden Swallow from Jamaica, for example, is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of some of our forest endemics, and a prime example of the complexities of the problems that island birds face.
As stewards of island bird communities, we know that we must often be two steps ahead when it comes to making informed decisions with local conservation management practices. Islands are filled with diverse fauna and flora that interact in ways that can’t be seen anywhere on the mainland, but simultaneously their populations can often suffer the most from even the smallest disturbances. Our resilience must make up for those species that have such little of it. And here at the JCO we firmly believe that making the most current and impactful research available to our Caribbean community is one of the many critical steps towards doing exactly that.
The following are brief synopses of each publication you’ll find in our Special Issue, which we hope will quickly spark your interest in reading through each in more detail.
Our Special Issue starts off in the forests of Montserrat, a habitat heavily impacted by volcanic activity over the last twenty years. In Bambini et al.’s Current population status of four endemic Caribbean forest birds in Montserrat, current populations of four endemic forest birds are surveyed for, including the Bridled Quail-Dove (Geotrygon mystacea), Forest Thrush (Turdus lherminieri), Brown Trembler (Cinclocerthia ruficauda), and Montserrat Oriole (Icterus oberi).
To the east, on the island of Puerto Rico, Anadón-Irizarry et al. provide us an invaluable update on the Status and recommendations for the recovery of the Elfin-woods Warbler (Setophaga angelae) in Puerto Rico. In light of devastating impacts to forest habitats by recent hurricanes, this work will be pivotal in helping post-hurricane conservation efforts understand the species’ vulnerability and most pressing needs.
Lastly, we set sail back up towards the Greater Antilles, finding our way to the beautiful island of Jamaica, and in particular its Cockpit Country – a region known for its seemingly impenetrable (yet still vulnerable) geography of karst-limestone hills. Herlitz Davis’ publication on Forest disturbance has negative consequences for the persistence of Jamaica’s threatened and endangered bird species in Cockpit Country brings forth evidence of an association between forest disturbance and bird distribution patterns in a globally important area for bird species that is under pressure from all sides by various types of habitat disturbance.
Pulling back to an island-wide view, Proctor et al.’s time censusing the remote corners of Jamaica for aerial insectivores completes an ongoing effort to determine whether any Jamaican Golden Swallows persist on the island in light of there having been no individuals reported since the 1980’s. The Last search for the Jamaican Golden Swallow (Tachycineta e. euchrysea) confirms the local extinction and highlights the importance of using new knowledge to strengthen conservation plans for the subspecies that persists on the island of Hispaniola to the northeast.
Follow Spencer Schubert on his adventures into remote corners of the Dominican Republic and learn how birds (and their poop!) naturally restore forests. And they do this for free!
Bird enthusiasts have long struggled with the challenge of attracting birds to their backyards, often employing the use of feeders, bird baths, or populating their gardens with plants that birds like. There’s something about birds that really captures our attention, whether it’s their impressive bright plumage or the cheery music they produce.
But birds have a lot more to offer beyond aesthetics. With an estimated 10,000 species of birds inhabiting our planet, it is perhaps unsurprising that they have adapted to eat just about any type of food found in nature. As it turns out, birds’ choice in cuisine often turns out to be beneficial to environments where humans live. Scavenging vultures limit the spread of pathogens by consuming dead animals. Birds of prey control rodent pests. And many birds feed on insects that can be damaging to farmers’ crops.
Another ecosystem service that fewer people are aware of is the dispersal of seeds in bird feces. That’s right! I am talking about bird poop. But before we all get too excited about bird poop, I need to take a few steps back to properly explain what I mean by this…
Many different kinds of birds have a sweet tooth for the juicy, nutritious fruits of the forest. But do yourself a favor and resist the temptation to try strange fruits that you see birds eating. Many of these are unpleasant and even toxic to people. Our palates are very different from those of birds, and that is no coincidence. Birds have evolved over time in native ecosystems with their plant neighbors, and many plants have adapted to take advantage of birds in a remarkably clever way.
You see, plants are faced with a different set of problems than those facing animals. Most importantly, they can’t really move around. For example, a tree cannot choose where it ends up and where it takes root. Long-lived trees might produce thousands, if not millions of seeds over their lifetime. Most of these fall to the ground directly below their parent, where they either get snatched by insect or rodent predators, fail to germinate, or eventually succumb to the overbearing shadow of their parent. (And you thought your parents were oppressive!).
Some lucky seeds manage to venture away, taking a ride with the wind, through the water, or undamaged in an animal’s gut. Some of these lucky seeds get even luckier still, by landing safely in a nice patch of fertile soil and substrate with moderate lighting from a gap in the forest canopy above.
Birds’ ability to fly long distances and visit a variety of habitats in a relatively short period of time makes them great seed dispersers from the perspective of the plant, and these two groups have evolved a mutualism for which they depend on the other. In exchange for their seed-dispersing services, birds are rewarded with a food supply.
Can a seed, dispersed, create a forest?
For my current research, I am working in the Dominican Republic, where I am trying to collect data to understand how seed dispersal by birds in cattle farms might be important for future forest restoration efforts in the region. Human populations all over the world are ravenous for beef and dairy. And in the tropics, by many estimates, the clearing of forests for livestock grazing lands has historically been the leading cause of deforestation. As a result, many experts see forest restoration in abandoned pastures as a key conservation strategy both in the present and in the future.
Having said that, restoration projects are expensive. The costs associated with growing trees in a nursery, transporting them, and caring for them after transplantation are high. It can conceivably cost thousands of dollars to manually reforest an area the size of a basketball court. In regions such as our work site in the Dominican Republic, where economic conditions are such that most working class jobs only pay $10 to $20 dollars per day, it is very difficult to convince organizations to take on these expensive projects.
The first step to my research project began about 18 months ago, when I secured permission to conduct my studies on a single large cattle farm near Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. The land owner agreed to let me fence off small sections of existing pastures to study seed dispersal and forest regeneration in the absence of human management and grazing, simulating abandoned conditions.
Señor Jose Brache is quite the character. An older gentleman on the verge of retirement, Sr. Brache much prefers his peaceful farm over the hustle and bustle of urban Santo Domingo. Like many older Dominican men, he has a lot to say about just about everything. It has become a frequent occurrence that Sr. Brache will encounter us on the main farm road in his truck and “kidnap” us for a ride to a part of the farm where he will tell a story about what the area looked like when he bought the property more than 20 years ago.
The first part of my project has been to study how certain isolated trees can attract birds to venture away from the forests out into the open pasture and how this might result in increased seed dispersal by birds and forest regrowth. Some of these selected trees included colony nest trees of Hispaniolan Woodpeckers and Palmchats, large mango trees, and control plots with no tree.
Perhaps the more interesting finding has been that relatively little forest regeneration has occurred during the study, so far. Below colony trees with many birds attending the tree, for example, both seeds and tiny seedlings are everywhere, but most of them do not survive. While it is still too early in the study to draw major conclusions, there is plenty of evidence to suggest from this and other similar studies that most seedlings end up losing their battle for survival when facing thick, tall grasses that are typical of these pastures. Furthermore, my findings suggest that it’s not so important how many seeds arrive as how good the habitat is when they get there.
While isolated trees in pastures are not the miracle cure for deforestation that I would have hoped for, even a small effect is potentially valuable, especially when it’s FREE. These findings rattled my brain… the presence of trees as perches for birds potentially begets more trees and biodiversity. So rather than waiting decades to grow a nice tree that birds will use and disperse seeds around, I thought of a shortcut… Artificial perches.
An artificial perch is exactly what it sounds like: any man made object or structure that birds can perch on. From my reviews of scientific literature, I soon learned that this is not a new idea. A handful of studies dating back to the late 90s have attempted various designs for artificial perches to study how birds use them and contribute to seed dispersal and forest regrowth. Results have been mixed with some more successful than others. There is still not a clear consensus on the subject, but I knew it was worth a shot. I began looking for larger scale restoration projects that would provide an appropriate context to carry out this work.
A New Collaboration with Plan Yaque
I did not have to wait long for an opportunity. It was June of 2016. Through a local colleague, I learned about a budding wetland restoration project in the town of Jarabacoa where I was working that was to be taken on by the NGO known as Plan Yaque. This organization is responsible for the conservation of natural resources in the Rio Yaque del Norte watershed, working mostly in rural farm communities.
After a few probing emails to the director, I was invited to attend an event with this organization. From the way they described it to me, it was meant to be something of a ceremony or convocation of a new community project they were undertaking. Put simply, Plan Yaque had convinced one of the community leaders in a rural neighborhood called Piedra Blanca to let them install a small dam structure in a stream running through the farm of one of the community leaders. They called this dam “trampa de agua” (water trap), and the premise of this project was to create a small reservoir in a headwater, spring-fed stream to maintain human-usable water sources from going completely dry during droughts.
Another major focus of this project is planting native tree species alongside this stream to help establish riparian forests with the aim of preventing soil erosion and mitigating the contaminants in the environment. They labelled the whole project with a clever title: “Litro de Agua” (Liter of Water) to communicate their objective of providing a consistent source of clean water to keep their farms going.
I met up with the director of Plan Yaque and several technicians on a hot June day, and we made our way out to the site riding in flatbed of their pick-up truck along a rural highway through the foothills of the Cordillera Central. Only a day prior, the technicians had finished their makeshift dam, made from a combination of sandbags and old recycled car tires—a clever and low-cost approach for this function. On the near side of the creek, they had enclosed part of the pasture field with a barbed wire fence about 25 meters wide and 60 meters long to keep cattle from disturbing the upper stretch of the stream and their improvised dam construction.
Plan Yaque’s technicians held a short public forum with the family and neighbors explaining the goals of the project and inviting a discussion on how they could improve the project and monitor its success in more meaningful ways. Beforehand, the director had asked that I share my experiences with the farmers and talk about the importance of birds for healthy forests. My Spanish is pretty good. By this point, I had spent a collective eight academic years studying the language and nearly a year’s worth of time working in various Spanish-speaking countries. Dominican farmers don’t see a lot of foreigners, and I could see a lot of curious stares in my direction as I somewhat awkwardly presented, as I now present to you, this idea that birds (and their poop) are protagonists of natural reforestation. If you found my proposition to be a little eccentric, you can imagine how crazy I must have seemed to these people. Nevertheless, I got my message across and it has given my project an opportunity to greatly expand our research efforts.
One of the most remarkable discoveries during these adventures, from my point of view, concerns the Dominican people. Some of the most outspoken conservationists I have met in the country come from its most remote corners of the country. I have spoken to dozens of farmers over the age of 70 who tell me stories of lush green forests covering the hills and how so many birds have practically disappeared since their childhood. Fortunately for me, these individuals have graciously received me and my research project into their community. Together with our partner organization Plan Yaque, we are now incorporating both of our agendas into a single project. While they struggle to improve water availably and quality for farmers, I am recruiting the birds to bring the forest back and restore at least a piece of the glory that was once the tropical forests of Jarabacoa.
With the support of my university, funders, my partner organizations, and local farmers, we have started up a new project to study this untapped potential of fruit-eating birds. Currently our team is halfway complete in our goal of constructing eight plots for the calendar year. We will continue to study these plots over the course of two years with the goal of turning the project over to our local partners and arming them with new cost-effective, bird-friendly techniques for forest restoration.
I owe thanks to a handful of individuals and organizations for their role in making my project so successful. Devoted efforts from project technician Joaris Samuel Gonzalez and field assistants Alex Lascher-Posner, Paris Werner, Kim Shoback, and Tyler Glaser helped get this study off the ground and were invaluable for data collection. Dr. Eric L. Walters of Old Dominion University helped advise the project and has been instrumental in the progression of my ideas and my development as a scientist. My fiancé, Holly Garrod, has helped me hold my life together during graduate school and has also contributed substantially to my research project as she pursues her own graduate research in the Dominican Republic. Local organizations Plan Yaque and Rancho Baiguate have provided key logistic support, without which this work would not have been possible. Furthermore, numerous private land owners have generously received us on their farms to conduct our field studies. This research was funded jointly by the Rufford Small Grant (II) Program, the Sophie Danforth Conservation Award from Roger Williams Park Zoo, and the David S. Lee Fund Grant from BirdsCaribbean.
By Spencer Schubert. Spencer is PhD student in the ecology program at Old Dominion whose thesis focuses on the contributions of avian seed dispersal to tropical forest recovery and plant-frugivore seed dispersal networks on farmland landscapes in the Dominican Republic. Spencer was a recipient of the 2016-2017 BirdsCaribbean David S. Lee Fund Grant and is using his research as a platform to raise interest in the ecological importance of birds for restoration projects in the region around Jarabacoa.