We are pleased to share with you the new edition of the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba, number 4, 2021, by Nils Navarro Pacheco.
The Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba is an annual publication that constitutes the most complete and updated official list of Cuban avifauna. It is the result of a deep and thorough bibliographic review and updating from the field. It serves as a basis for generating regional and global listings and is standardized for use with eBird.
In this new issue Nils urges us to pay special attention to the final comments he always include, with the aim of clarifying important information, taxonomic status, as well as other information of interest.
This year the cover is rich with a beautiful photo of the Cuban Tody, aka Cartacuba, taken by Karlos Ross. The beautiful cover design by Scott Schiller. From 2021 on, each edition will be published in both Spanish and English, and available in PDF for free download from the BirdsCaribbean website (see below). The printed version is available on Amazon at a good price.
The 2021 edition includes details of the status of 398 recognized species on the main list, and for the first time, a list of the late Quaternary extinct birds of Cuba. It is not intended to be a field identification guide. It is a checklist, updated in accordance with the 60th supplement of AOS. Nils and the publisher, Ediciones Nuevos Mundos, hope this publication fulfills its role and is useful to all persons interested in Cuban birds and ornithology. Nils welcomes questions or suggestions about the checklist (Nils Navarro)
If you are looking for a Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba, you can purchase it here or on Amazon.Read about the first checklist published in 2017 here:
With this year’s Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) in full swing BirdsCaribbean recently held some webinars to help out those who want to get involved. One attendee, Emma Lewis, shares her thoughts with us on why counting birds matters so much, and the trials and tribulations (sometimes humorous) of learning to identify shorebirds and waterbirds.
The devil is in the details, they say, and as birders across the region gird themselves up and go out to muddy, sandy, wet places to spot birds, figuring out what is what is no joke. The birds are – what’s the word, indefinable? – at times.
As I may have mentioned before, it’s always important to find birds, but it’s also very important to count them. This helps scientists figure out populations – what, when, where, and how many – and to map them to see how these populations are moving around the planet. What has become apparent in recent years is that waterbirds, especially shorebirds, have been declining in numbers around the world for decades now. In the UK, for example, waterbird numbers have declined by 25 per cent in just the past ten years, according to one survey. There are many reasons for the global decline (some 40 per cent since the 1970s in our hemisphere), with climate change and coastal development high on the list in the Caribbean.
Population trends of different species groups since 1970. Shorebirds have declined by 40%. (Screen shot from BirdsCaribbean Shorebird ID webinar).
Bearing in mind that we need to understand more about our waterbirds, by observing and recording them, in order to conserve them, BirdsCaribbean has organized the Caribbean Waterbirds Census (CWC), now in its twelfth year (January 14 to February 3; including World Wetlands Day on February 2). This year, three webinars were organized to help confused birders identify those delightful birds, of all shapes and sizes, that potter around on our beaches, salt flats, marshes, mangroves, mudflats,and riversides at this time of year.
In descending order… Big, little and…smaller still, like the Least Sandpiper. Last, but not least. Full guide and other resources available here (Screenshot from BirdsCaribbean shorebird ID webinar)
Ducks a-dabbling. These are Blue-winged Teals, which are the most common migratory duck to visit us in the Caribbean. The male has a distinctive white crescent on his face & both sexes have a large blue-wing patch. (Photo by Sharon Cardin)
The thing is, you see, there are ~185 species of waterbirds around the Caribbean. These include dabbling ducks and diving ducks, tall stately herons and small crouching herons, egrets with various colored legs and bills, and a baffling (and disconcertingly large) group of sandpipers and plovers – breeding, non-breeding, and in between (sometimes they are molting in or out of their breeding plumage). Males, females, and immature ones. Most of them actually are super-migrants, breeding way up in the Arctic and making their way all the way down to the Caribbean in winter to just hang out, rest, feed, and prepare to migrate back again.
I took this photo in Portland Bight, Clarendon, in 2019. Could it be…? Is it…a Lesser Yellowlegs? **see end of post
I had some little chuckles to myself during the webinars. It was harder than the most difficult New York Times crossword at times – the Sunday one. We had regular quizzes throughout to “test our knowledge,” during which I felt increasingly desperate and took wild guesses. Is A or B a Semipalmated Sandpiper? Or could it be a Spotted Sandpiper? Is it “front heavy” (it could be a Western Sandpiper)? Is its back the color of wet sand, or dry sand? What is the difference between a Greater Yellowlegs and a Lesser Yellowlegs (if you saw just one of them)?
Look for clues, our presenters urged. Sometimes the differences can be “very subtle.” Indeed.
So, next weekend, all being well, I will be taking the “Waterbird Challenge.” Why don’t you try it too? If you need some inspiration, go to BirdsCaribbean’s YouTube page (see links below). The webinars were all streamed live on Facebook, so you can find them there, too. I would also recommend downloading the free Merlin bird ID app from the Cornell Lab on your phone! And of course, don’t forget to enter your birding checklists on eBird Caribbean (be sure to choose one of the Caribbean Waterbird Census protocols – see instructions here) – your data are invaluable to science and conservation.
Ultimately, as for so many things in life, the best advice is “practice makes perfect.” In other words, the more you get out there and tackle those waterbirds, the better. Spend hours with them!
And, as Jeff Gerbracht from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who gave us those finer points, reminded us: “Waterbirds need the Caribbean.”
We learned the finer points of waterbird and shorebird ID – many valuable tips were provided. Now I just need to study! (image from Waterbirds ID Webinar Part II: Shorebirds; photo by Ray Robles)
If you would like to become a member of BirdsCaribbean, you do not have to be an expert at all! What unites us is our love of birds. For students and Caribbean nationals, the membership is only US$25 annually. If you are a Caribbean institution, the membership is US$60. Your membership helps BirdsCaribbean’s efforts to raise awareness, train and mentor conservation professionals, support research and monitoring, advocate for birds and their habitats, and engage people in citizen science and conservation actions. One big plus is that as a member you get free access to Birds of the World, a fabulous online resource which costs more than your membership fee to subscribe to!
**This shorebird does have yellow legs but it is in fact a Spotted Sandpiper. It has shorter legs than a Lesser Yellowlegs and a heavier bill. Note the white “smudge” or wedge at the shoulder, another good field mark. It also shows the typical ’tilted forward’ posture of a Spotted Sandpiper and lacks the speckled plumage on the back, you would expect on a Lesser Yellowlegs.
Many thanks to Emma Lewis for this inspiring and fun article. Emma is a blogger, social and environmental activist, and avid birder based in Jamaica. She also recently joined the board of BirdsCaribbean. Thank you to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, and our members and donors for supporting our Caribbean Waterbird Census and Waterbird-Shorebird Education, Monitoring and Conservation Projects!
Size of Award: Several grants up to $1,000 each Application Deadline: February 19th, 2021 at 5 p.m. EST. Address Questions and Send Application to: Will Mackin, BirdsCaribbean, willmackin@gmail.com with copy to info@birdscaribbean.orgAnnouncement of Awards: March 15th, 2021 Donations to the Fund: Tax-deductible (U.S.) at this link. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dave Lee holding a White-tailed Tropicbird in the Bahamas. (photo by Mary Kay Clark)
David S. Lee (1943-2014) was a pioneering naturalist and conservation biologist who helped get BirdsCaribbean started nearly 30 years ago. He 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 annual grants 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. Applicants should demonstrate how their project will work with conservation groups and local communities in the Caribbean.
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 10 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).
Eligible applicants can download the application here. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Help support the Dave Lee Fund by being a sponsor!
Reddish Egrets (dark morph). (photo by Tania Thomson, Shutterstock)
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 Group 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.
Cuban Parrot surveying his domain. (photo by Elliotte Rusty-Harold, Shutterstock)
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
Thank you for your participation and support!
Reports from Projects Supported with Dave Lee Fund Scholarships:
Despite the challenges of the year 2020, JCO’s Volume 33 includes 16 publications, 3 book reviews, and a review of the recent ornithological literature from the Caribbean. The volume includes articles on a diversity of topics and taxa from 11 island territories and one Caribbean basin continental site. The content is a credit to all of the authors, reviewers, and JCO staff who overcame the pandemic challenges to contribute to the publication effort in a timely fashion. We thank all involved in this effort for their contributions, which have advanced our knowledge of Caribbean birds in 2020.
Please take some time to enjoy all of Volume 33. We should all take pride in this work and make the time to congratulate each other on all of these accomplishments, especially during this challenging year. If you enjoyed reading a publication, please send the authors a quick email letting them know. That is what makes Caribbean ornithology special—a sense of community and comradery unlike anywhere else.
— Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., JCO Editor-in-Chief, and Justin Proctor, JCO Managing Editor
P.S. More good news: we have a lot of great manuscripts at various stages in the pipeline right now, which means that V34 is already off to a strong start!
Map depicting research locations of the studies published in Volume 33.
Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Jhonathan Miranda, and Miguel Lentino
In Henri Pittier National Park, Venezuela, the low-lying Portachuelo Pass provides essential habitat for both resident and migratory bird species. Despite this, information about the composition of the bird community is scarce. In this study, Sainz-Borgo et al. survey and describe the species inhabiting Portachuelo Pass, highlighting key characteristics of the avifauna in this important ecosystem.
On 13 October, 2016, Hurricane Nicole made landfall over Bermuda. Mejias and Meijas acted quickly, utilizing the hurricane as an opportunity to document a species fallout event. Here, they present the results of their post-hurricane songbird surveys, documenting a significant fallout of Blackpoll Warblers and underscoring the importance of remote oceanic island refuges for fallout migrants.
While historically, Bermuda was home to lush, native, evergreen forests, human colonization in 1612 led to progressive habitat fragmentation and introduction of exotic trees. In this study, Mejías and Nol explore the impact of woodland size and vegetation features on species richness and bird abundance, specifically emphasizing the effects on White-eyed Vireos. Critically, they show that larger, less-fragmented woodlands are essential for supporting abundant and diverse bird communities.
Early accounts from the Bermuda Islands suggest the presence of myriad nesting tern species on the islands; however, only the Common Tern survived into the 20th century. Here, Wingate and Nisbet review both the historic and recent records of terns on Bermuda, shedding light on the prospect of restoration and species recolonization using modern conservation techniques.
Louise M. Soanes, Judy Pierce, Daniel Nellis, Susan Zaluski, and Lewis G. Halsey
Due to a severe decline in the North Atlantic Roseate Tern populations in the 1900s, countries worldwide initiated conservation plans. However, few studies have focused on the Caribbean population of Roseate Terns. Using three decades of survey data, Soanes et al. detail the abundance and distribution of Roseate Terns in the Virgin Islands, identifying key breeding sites, reporting a gradual population decline, and calling for further conservation and research efforts.
Though the Antillean Nighthawk is a relatively common species in the Caribbean, its migration routes and non-breeding location remain a mystery. In an effort to identify these locations, Perlut and Levesque attach a geolocator to a female Antillean Nighthawk, tracking and documenting her movements throughout a one-year period.
Antonio García-Quintas, Laritza González Leiva, and Ariandy González González
The second breeding record of Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri) and the fourth breeding record of Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), were detected in the Felipe de Sotavento and Barlovento cays of northern Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. These seabirds are uncommon in the country; so, new records of nests with eggs and chicks indicate the need for increased sampling in northern cays of the country. The studied cays are among the most important nesting sites for seabird colonies in Cuba in terms of number of species and breeding pairs.
An error was found in the García-Quintas et al. manuscript published earlier in this volume, in which the photographs of an egg and chick in Figure 2 represent Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii), not Common Tern (S. hirundo).
Adrianne G. Tossas, Osvaldo Rullán, Robert J. Mayer, and Jean P. González
Throughout the 20th century, Finca Nolla, a wetland on the northwestern coast of Puerto Rico, was severely disturbed by agricultural and industrial practices. However, in 2011, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources purchased the land, designated it as a protected area, and began restoration activities. By thoroughly documenting the avifauna within Finca Nolla, Tossas et al. establish a baseline for future avian assessments and propose an upgrade of the conservation status to nature reserve.
Wayne A. Smart, Natalia Collier, and Virginie Rolland
Historically, overexploitation has contributed significantly to seabird population declines. Though protective laws have since been enacted, the extent of continued, illegal seabird harvest is unclear. Through their survey of the fishers and recreationists at the Fisheries Division office in Sauters, Grenada, Smart et al. shine a light on the persistence of seabird harvest in Grenada, highlight the sociodemographic factors that are associated with seabird harvest, and propose a possible community-based monitoring program. Photo
Fernando Simal, Adriana Vallarino, Elsmarie Beukenboom, Rutsel Paula, Henry Beaumont, George Zaragoza, Esther Wolfs, Patrick Holian, and Elisabeth Albers
After anecdotal reports suggested that the seabirds roosting on the northwestern coast of Bonaire had been reduced to less than 60 individuals, Simal et al. began to investigate. From 2008–2010, they conducted roost counts at seven sites in Washington-Slagbaai National Park. Here, they document substantially higher seabird counts than previously suggested, with a maximum of 240 Brown Boobies in July 2009.
Juliana Coffey, Natalia Collier, Vaughn Thomas, and Romould Compton
Though historically considered very rare in the West Indies, Lesser Black-backed Gulls have become fairly common non-breeding visitors to many Carribean islands, including most of the larger Lesser Antilles. Continuing this trend, here, Coffey et al. document the first records of Lesser Black-backed Gulls on both Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
Despite the rarity of Burrowing Owls on Abaco, The Bahamas, today, many Pleistocene Burrowing Owl fossils have been recovered from the island. Using skeletal measurements, Patel and Steadman compare these fossils to modern specimens from western North America, South America, and Florida. Their results shed light on possible morphological adaptations of the Abaco owls to the island’s biogeography.
Briana M. Yancy, Janine M. Antalffy, Michael G. Rowley, Cierra N. McKoy, Daniel C. Stonko, Lebron E. Rolle, Jennifer L. Christhilf, Scott B. Johnson, Shelley Cant-Woodside, and Kevin E. Omland
Building on the first documentation of Bahama Orioles nesting in pine forests on Abaco, The Bahamas, in this study, Yancy et al. further characterize these nest sites. By identifying specific habitat characteristics that are important for pine forest nests, this work not only enhances our understanding of Bahama Oriole nesting ecology, but also helps inform critical conservation efforts.
Ruby Bagwyn, Kylen Bao, Zuzana Burivalova, and David S. Wilcove
The widespread use of the citizen-science database eBird offers a unique opportunity to analyze trends in bird populations. Here, Bagwyn et al. use eight years of eBird sightings toidentify Bahamian bird populations that have recently gone unrecorded. Through this, they find 43 populations, representing 25 species, that are potentially declining or extinct, suggesting areas that should be of key conservation concern.
Qwahn D. Kent, Maia Edwards, Tim Wu, and André A. Dhondt
While other communal-nesting species show clear nest tree preferences, little is known about whether Palmchats prefer to nest in certain palm species over others. To investigate this gap, Kent et al. characterized Palmchat nest trees in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Overall, Palmchats nested more frequently in royal palms and Hispaniolan silver thatch palms compared with cana and coconut palms and in taller, thicker trees, regardless of tree species.
The author sets out to bring attention to an ongoing misidentification problem between Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) and Common Terns (S. hirundo) on their breeding grounds in the West Indies and Bahamas. Observers should pay special attention to: adult bill color and breeding plumage, clutch size, and characteristics of nestling down feathers as well as leg color.
Article by (1) Simon Campo – Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and a Graduate Student at the University of California, Berkeley; Connect with Simon via LinkedIn or email; (2) Justin Proctor – Managing Editor for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology; and (3) Joe Wunderle –Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology.
Journal of Caribbean Ornithology relies on donations to keep all of our publications free and open-access. If you’re interested in supporting our mission and the broader goal of giving a voice to Caribbean ornithologists and their work, please consider becoming a supporter of JCO. Thank you in advance!
The 12th annual Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) starts on Thursday January 14th and we need your help surveying all types of waterbirds on your island! Anyone can participate in the CWC. Grab your binoculars and your mask, head out to your nearest wetland or beach, and record the birds you see. Detailed information about how to conduct surveys can be found here.
Starting in 2010, dedicated bird enthusiasts have ventured into wetlands across the Caribbean to systematically survey all types of waterbirds (shorebirds, seabirds, wading birds, marshbirds, and waterfowl) each January 14th to February 3rd. The Caribbean is home to over 185 species of waterbirds, including a number of endemic and globally threatened species and many migrants. A structured, ongoing survey is essential for understanding how to best conserve this exceptional group of birds and manage their habitats.
Good luck, stay safe, and we look forward to hearing about your findings. If you have any exciting observations to report or photos to share, or need help with bird ID, please post to our Waterbird Group Listserve (everyone is welcome to join) and/or on our BirdsCaribbean Facebook page. For sharing on social media, use hashtags: #CaribbeanWaterbirdCensus and #WaterbirdsCount AND please tag us: @BirdsCaribbean
Count Birds & Stay Healthy
In these extraordinary times, many of our friends and partners are still trying to navigate their new normal and safely participate in outdoor activities. However, in many countries, we understand it is still not possible to do so. Participants of the Caribbean Waterbird Census should check their national guidelines to make sure their activities are in compliance with local health recommendations. Please take all the necessary precautions and stay safe, wherever you are!
The CWC Provides Critical Information about Wetlands & the Birds that Rely on Them
Wetlands are unique ecosystems that provide critical habitat to many specialist species. They are also one of the most threatened habitats in the world. Since 1900, 64% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared, and the Caribbean region is no exception to this crisis. In order to properly manage habitat for waterbirds in the Caribbean, we need to understand waterbird population trends. In addition, monitoring the health of waterbird populations and their habitats is beneficial to both birds and people, since we rely on the same habitats for our health and well-being.
Survey Team for North and Middle Caicos, Sarah Neima, Caleb Spiegel, Junel Blaise, B Naqqi Manco, Elise Elliott-Smith, Dodley Prosper, Craig Watson (Photo by Jen Rock)
Recent survey work in Turks and Caicos has revealed important sites for many shorebird species, including birds of conservation concern such as the Piping Plover and rufa Red Knot. In fact, teams surveying there recently documented record-breaking numbers of wintering Piping Plover in some areas and recording new Piping Plover sites altogether. This information is so important for conservation as just a few decades ago it was not well-understood where these endangered birds spent the winter. Now, we know the Caribbean plays a major role for the species and we are learning more with every survey effort.
Survey data can also be used as a tool to designate habitats that are essential for birds. For example, The Cargill Salt Ponds in Bonaire were designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) site of Regional Importance as a direct result of survey efforts. With the survey data we collected, our team was able to provide evidence that the site met the criteria for listing. Now, Cargill is dedicated to managing habitat for shorebirds on their property. It’s amazing what birding can achieve!
The CWC is also important for monitoring how hurricanes effect bird abundance and distribution. In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria wreaked havoc in the Caribbean, damaging fragile wetland ecosystems. Results from the CWC in 2018 several months later were concerning, with our counters reporting dramatic declines in common bird species. The CWC in 2019 revealed encouraging numbers, especially for shorebird populations. It is important to continue monitoring the response of birds to hurricanes in the years that follow and we look forward to what the 2021 CWC will reveal.
Banded Birds
Be sure to be on the lookout for banded birds! Especially Piping Plovers, Red Knots, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings. You may report your sightings to BandedBirds.org and the USGS Bird Banding Lab which oversee all banding in the United States.
Need Help?
Find a tricky shorebird in winter plumage that you can’t identify? Need help setting up an eBird account? Want to participate in the CWC but you’re not sure how to get started? Please contact BirdsCaribbean’s Executive Director Lisa Sorenson at lisa.sorenson@birdscaribbean.org.
Shorebird ID Resources
You can find all our free, downloadable shorebird resources by clicking “Resources” –> “Shorebird Resources” at the top of the page. You can download the pdf of our Quick ID Guide to Common Shorebirds of the Caribbeanhere. For use in the field, print on cardstock and laminate.
Also, check out our Common Shorebirds of the Caribbean poster, which is available in English, Spanish, and French. Download them from this page.
We also have available a two-page Common Shorebirds of the Caribbean ID Guide – you can download it here. All these ID resources work well in the entire Atlantic Flyway, not just the Caribbean islands.
Entering CWC Data in eBird
CWC data is stored on eBird Caribbean. If you participate in the CWC, it’s very important that you enter your data through this website using the correct CWC protocol, because this is where we collate all the data used for analyses. We don’t want to miss a single bird or site! Simply making an eBird list during these dates is not enough- the protocol is required for it to be CWC data.
If you are using the mobile eBird app to enter your data:
First, make sure the portal is set to eBird Caribbean (“Settings” –> “Portal”)
After you are done birding and press stop “Stop Track”
On the next page under the Date/Location and above Observers, click on “Incidental”
Select the appropriate CWC protocol under Observation Type
If you are using a desktopcomputer to enter your data:
Sign into your account on ebird.org/Caribbean
Enter location information
Select the appropriate CWC protocol under Observation Type
If you recorded your CWC data using the mobile eBird app and didn’t use the eBird Caribbean portal/input the correct CWC protocol :
After you have submitted your checklist on your smartphone:
Log into eBird on a desktop computer
Click on “My eBird” at the top of the screen
Click on “Manage My Checklists” on the right menu
For your CWC checklist, click on “View or Edit”
Click on “Edit Date and Effort”
For Observation Type, select “Other” and then choose the appropriate CWC protocol
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Black-and-white Warbler
Our final ‘migratory bird of the day’ is the distinctive Black-and-white Warbler. These active little birds are easily recognised by the bold black-and-white stripes over their entire body and head. Look closely and you’ll see that some birds have black ear patches while others have gray. The ones with black are adult males. Females and immature birds are also paler and have a white throat.
Black-and-white Warblers creep up and down the trunks and branches of trees, probing in the bark with their slightly down-curved bill for insects and spiders. They can even hang upside down as they feed—an extra-long hind claw helps them hold onto and move around on bark. Their local name in Jamaica is ‘Ants Bird’ or ‘Ants Picker,’ reflecting their fondness for picking ants off of tree bark.
Black-and-white Warblers breed in forests across eastern parts of the US and Canada. Starting in late August, this long distance migrant heads south to winter in Florida, Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. During winter these warblers can be found across the Caribbean, although they are more common in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Cayman Islands, and Virgin Islands. This species clearly enjoys the Caribbean, as June is the only month of the year when it has not been recorded in the region!
Black-and-white Warblers can be found in a wide range of habitats. As well as forests and woodlands, they can be seen in gardens, shade-coffee plantations, wetlands, and mangroves. These warblers are very territorial, even during winter! They will chase away any other Black-and-white Warblers who come into their ‘patch,’ even if they are feeding with a group of other species. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Black-and-white Warbler!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Black-and-white Warbler
The calls of the Black-and-white Warbler are a sharp “chit” or “pit.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Black-and-white Warbler on Tree. Like nuthatches, Black-and-white Warblers creep up and down the trunks and branches of trees, probing in the bark with their slightly down-curved bill for insects and spiders (Photo by Hemant Kishan)Female Black-and-white Warbler Foraging on Tree. She has gray ear-patches rather than black, and a paler chest. In winter they can be found in forests and woodlands, gardens, shade-coffee plantations, wetlands, and mangroves (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: We have met many migratory birds during this series. You can see all of them here in this colourful graphic! Use this as a reminder and test your memory with our Migratory Bird Memory Game . Can you match up all the pictures of the different migratory birds to their names? Each correct match will reveal an interesting fact.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory warblers, look up in the trees to look for any Black-and-white Warblers creeping along the trunk or branches. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Black-and-White Warblers in the wild! The first shows a bird feeding on a tree – do you think it’s a male or a female? You can see the typical ‘creeping’ behaviour of this Warbler, as it moves across the bark looking for food. The second video shows a male perched up in a tree, you can hear him singing. They mainly sing only during the breeding season, in winter you might hear their “chit” calls.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Ovenbird
Ovenbirds are olive-brown above and have bold dark streaks on a white breast. Their coloration might make you think you’re looking at a small thrush, but these birds are actually warblers! They also have an orange crown stripe bordered by black on both sides and a white eyering. Ovenbirds also behave like thrushes. They are often seen on the ground, with their tail up in the air, searching through leaf litter for food. If you look carefully you’ll notice they walk, rather than hop like a thrush.
You might wonder how this bird got its curious name. Ovenbirds are named after the shape of the nest. These are made on the ground and have a woven dome above them, which looks like an outdoor bread-oven. Ovenbirds breed in forests across the northeastern US and Canada. Although they are not the most colourful birds they do make their presence known during the breeding season with their very loud tea-cher, tea-cher, tea-cher calls.
Ovenbirds are long distance migrants and head south in fall to spend the winter in Mexico, Central America, Florida and the Caribbean. They are most commonly seen in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles, from August through to May. They also winter in the Virgin and Cayman Islands, and can sometimes be seen in the Lesser Antilles. Our winter visitors will be birds that nested on the Eastern Side of the Appalachian mountains.
During winter Ovenbirds can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, scrub, mangroves, and shade coffee plantations, often near streams or pools. Ovenbirds search for ants, beetles, and other insects on the forest floor. They bob their heads and flick their tails when walking, but their dull colours make them difficult to see. Ovenbirds often migrate with storm fronts, which affect the route they take. If these fronts pass by cities large numbers of Ovenbirds can be victims of collisions with tall buildings. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Ovenbird!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Ovenbird
During the winter Ovenbirds do not tend to sing, but do make a sharp “tsuk” call which they repeat.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Ovenbird Singing . Ovenbirds breed in forests across the northeastern US and Canada they have a loud their very loud tea-cher, tea-cher, tea-cher song during the breeding season. (Photo by BN Singh)Ovenbird on ground. Ovenbirds search for ants, beetles, and other insects on the forest floor. They bob their heads and flick their tails when walking, but their dull colours make them difficult to see. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: We have met many migratory birds during this series. Download this poster showing some of them! On the poster you can see some routes of the amazing migratory journeys that these birds make- twice every year! The poster is also available to download here in French. There are also version in Spanish for CubaPuerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory warblers, look up in the trees to look for any American Redstarts flitting about amongst the leaves. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Ovenbirds in the Wild! The first shows a bird on the ground, searching for food. This is typical behaviour for Ovenbirds, notice it walks rather than hops! The second video shows a bird perched up in a tree and singing during the breeding season. You will hear the distinctive and loud “Tea-cher, Tea-cher Tea-chear” refrain.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Black-throated Blue Warbler
A striking, bold colored Warbler that you will be able to recognize and identify even as a beginning birder! Just looking at the male’s colors will give you his name: predominantly slate-blue head and back, black throat, face and sides, and snow-white underparts – and here is your Black-throated Blue Warbler! Now it becomes difficult as he and his mate have almost nothing in common. As a matter of fact, this pair looks so different from each other that they were originally described as two separate species! She is greenish-gray above, light tan below, sports a white stripe above the eye, and a white arc below. The only fieldmark they share is a white little “handkerchief” tucked into their wings!
Black-throated Blue Warblers do not spend much time in the treetops so you will not get a case of “warbler neck” observing this bird! They prefer foraging for insects, small berries, and even sips of nectar from blossoms in the understory of the forest.
Black-throated Blue Warblers raise their families in the boreal forest of the Eastern Canadian Provinces, around the Great Lakes and the northeastern US down to the Carolinas and Tennessee. In September their migratory journey takes them south to the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. There they remain until family responsibilities awaken within them and they begin their return trip north in April. Unlike other warblers that molt into “confusing” fall plumage, male Black-throated Blue Warblers keep their distinctive plumage year around.
Listen for their call during their visit to our region – a distinct “tick, tick, tick” coming from the thick understory. And don’t forget to get your bird bath or the soft spray of an upside down hose nozzle ready if you want to attract this little warbler jewel to your backyard!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Black-throated Blue Warbler
The calls of the Black-throated Blue Warbler are a sharp repeated ‘tick’
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Black-throated Blue Warbler with his striking easily recognised colours. Unlike other warblers that molt into “confusing” fall plumage, male Black-throated Blue Warblers keep their distinctive plumage year around (Photo by Paul Chung)Female Black-throated Blue Warbler . She looks so different from the male that they were originally described as two separate species! Look out for the small white patch on her wing to help identify her (Photo by Linda Petersen).
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: During migration we see many different warblers arriving in the Caribbean. They can be tricky to identify! For some warblers, if you look carefully at their colours, it can really help you to narrow down which species you are seeing. Help to hone your knowledge of warbler colour with our colour matching game. Look carefully at the pictures of each species and match to the correct colour palette. You can find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory warblers, you might see a Black-throated Blue Warbler. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Black-throated Blue Warblers spending the winter in Cuba! The first shows a male perched on the ground, you can see his beautiful blue plumage and black throat, which give this warbler its name. In the second you can see a female, she is not a colourful as the male but she has the small white patch in her wing, which gives away which species she is!
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: American Redstart
These small, active warblers flit around in trees and bushes giving flashes of their colourful plumage. Males are a striking mix of glossy-black upperparts, head and breast, with large, bright orange patches on the wings, tail and sides. Females and immature males have gray heads, olive-green backs, and yellow patches instead of orange. These lively birds frequently fan and flick their long, colourful tails and wings as they hop about in the foliage.
American Redstarts breed across northern parts of the US and Canada. They are long distance migrants, flying south to winter in Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and throughout the Caribbean. The birds that winter here are most likely to have come from breeding areas in eastern North American. They start arriving in late August and stay until early May.
American Redstarts eat insects, which they glean from leaves, or sally out to catch mid-air. The bright flashes of colour seen as these birds flick and droop their wings and fan their tail flushes insects out into the open, making them easier to catch. The flicking and fanning behavior is also used for communication between individuals.
During the winter American Redstarts can be found in all habitat types—swamps, gardens, mangroves, shade coffee plantations, scrub, woodland, and forests. In coffee plantations, they are known to feast on the borer beetle, the world’s most serious coffee pest, just when the beetles are attempting to invade maturing coffee berries. Research has shown that by helping to control this pest, redstarts increase the profits of coffee farmers in Jamaica by about 12%. American Redstarts are mainly migratory visitors in the Caribbean, but there are a few records of pairs breeding in Cuba! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the American Redstart!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the American Redstart
American Redstart calls are an emphatic sharp ‘chip’ which they often repeat.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male American Redstart, with his striking mix of orange and black plumage. The bright flashes of colour seen as these birds flick and droop their wings and fan their tail flushes insects out into the open, making them easier to catch (Photo by Hank Halsey)Female American Redstart, fanning her tail, showing the large yellow patches. The flicking and tail-fanning behavior is also used for communication between individuals. (Photo by Linda Petersen)
American Redstart pair at their nest. American Redstarts breed across northern parts of the US and Canada. They are long distance migrants, flying south to winter in Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and throughout the Caribbean. (Photo by BN Singh)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: So far we have met quite a few different types of warblers. How much can you remember about each one? Test your knowledge with our crossword puzzle all about warblers and their migration. If you are not sure of an answer you can check back to previous posts to find the warbler facts . And you can find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory warblers, look up in the trees to look for any American Redstarts flitting about amongst the leaves. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of American Redstarts in the Wild! The first shows the male in his striking orange and black plumage. This video features his sweet song that he sings in spring and during the breeding season. In the second you can see a female American Redstart hopping through a mangrove in search of food. Finally the last video shows a Male flicking is tail as he feeds on small insects.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Belted Kingfisher
The Belted Kingfisher is easy to spot, sitting on a branch or wire overlooking water. It has a big head with a shaggy crest, stout pointed bill, and short legs. Both males and female birds have a slate-blue head and back, white collar and underparts with a blue breast band. Unlike many birds the female is more colorful than the male! They have an orange-brown lower band and sides. Juveniles are similar to adults, but with a browner chest band.
Belted Kingfisher breed across North America, from the southern US all the way up to Canada and Alaska. They nest in burrows in earth banks close to water. During the fall and winter some Belted Kingfishers will stay put, as long as there is plenty of unfrozen water for them to continue to feed in. Many others head south and spend the winter in Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean, where they can be seen from September to April. In most islands they are the only Kingfisher species present. But be careful not to confuse the Belted Kingfisher with the resident Ringed Kingfisher in Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe. This species is larger, has a heavier bill and more extensive reddish-brown underparts.
Belted Kingfishers live up to their name by catching and eating fish. They also eat crayfish, other crustaceans and insects. This diet means you are most likely to spot them close to water. They watch for fish perched on branches over water and telephone wires, then dive head-first to grab prey with their hefty bills. They also sometimes hover over water when fishing. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Belted Kingfisher!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Belted Kingfisher
Belted Kingfishers make distinctive loud ‘rattling’ calls – you might hear one before seeing it!
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Belted Kingfisher, with a fish. These birds will plunge into the water head-first, from a perch to catch fish; or sometimes they can be seen hovering above the water as they search for fish. (Photo by Chuck Hantis)Juvenile Male Belted Kingfisher. During the fall and winter some Belted Kingfishers will stay put, as long as there is plenty of unfrozen water for them to continue to feed in. Many others head south and spend the winter in Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean (Photo by Daniel W Glenn)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Find out more about Belted Kingfishers with this colourful Information sheet. With more facts about their natural history, Including their breeding behaviour and what they eat. Also find out how they can be affected by plastic pollution.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Belted Kingfishers at the waters edge! The first is an amazing ‘perch eye’ view of a female hunting for, catching, and eating a fish! In the second you can see a male Belted Kingfisher calling from his perch.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Antillean Nighthawk
Querebebé! Querebebé! That is the Spanish name for the Antillean Nighthawk, and it is the sound you’ll hear at dusk when these birds take to the sky. (Local names in English-speaking countries are pid-i-mi-dix or gimme-me-bit). Look up and enjoy the show, because there’s nothing that isn’t awesome about Antillean Nighthawks.
Take for example their flight. You might at first think you’re seeing some sort of falcon because of their long, dark, pointed wings and their fast, agile flight. But an obvious white patch on the underside of the outer wing feathers will be the give-away that you’re seeing a nighthawk. And the somewhat erratic flight behavior you observe is the result of this large bird being in constant pursuit of airborne insects—from ballooning spiders to mayflies to mosquitos. To help them catch their aerial prey, Antillean Nighthawks have evolved wide mouths with a specialized jaw that can open both vertically and horizontally, creating a bigger “net.” They also have large and specially modified eyes that allow them to see acutely and in low-light conditions.
Antillean Nighthawks can be found throughout the northern Caribbean islands during their summer breeding season. Outside of that time, however, their whereabouts have remained mysterious. A few years ago in Guadeloupe, however, researchers caught a female Antillean Nighthawk on her summer nest, and tagged her with a solar-powered geolocator. A year later, she returned, and they were able to recapture her. When they downloaded the data of where she’d been during the rest of the year, they discovered that she had headed to South America, where she spent much of the time in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest! Read more about this incredible journey here.
During the day Antillean Nighthawks rest on limbs or on the ground where their mottled brown and gray plumage make them very difficult to see. Your best chance to see them is by taking a walk at dusk, listening for their characteristic call, “Querebebé!”. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Antillean Nighthawk!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Antillean Nighthawk
The calls of the Antillean Nighthawk are a distinctive “pid-i-mi-dix” or “querebebé”, often repeated.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Antillean Nighthawk, the coloration of these birds can make them perfectly camouflaged in their environment. This makes them hard to see- so listen out for their characteristic ‘Querebebé!’ calls (Photo by Dax Roman).Antillean Nighthawk takes flight. When you see them fly you might at first think you’re seeing some sort of falcon because of their long, dark, pointed wings and their fast, agile flight. But an obvious white patch on the underside of the outer wing feathers will be the give-away that you’re seeing a nighthawk. (Photo by Dax Roman)Antillean Nighthawk Chicks. Antillean Nighthawks breed in the Northern Islands of the Caribbean. They migrate south outside the breeding season. Until recently their destination was a mystery, but recent tracking has shown at least one bird headed to Brazilian rainforest! (Photo by Dax Roman)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: The colours of the Antillean Nighthawk can make them blend in with their surroundings. Especially when they are sitting on the ground! This make then very hard to see. Can you spot all 7 hiding Antillean Nighthawks? Find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of the Antillean Nighthawks in the Caribbean! The first shows a bird perched on the branch of a tree, keeping perfectly still, to maintain its camouflage. In the second you can see an Antillean Nighthawk calling from the ground. In the final video you can see what Antillean Nighthawks look like when they are flying.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
As their name suggests, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are woodpeckers that eat sap from trees. They feed by drilling rows of small holes into tree bark with their stout, sharply pointed bills. This creates sap ‘wells’ from which to drink or ‘suck’ the oozing sap. They maintain these holes to keep the sap flowing and even defend them from other birds.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have a bright red crown, black-and-white striped face and back, and a large white wing patch. Their underparts are buffy or yellowish and they have a broad black breast band. Adult males have a red throat and females have a white throat. Juveniles are brownish-gray all over.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers breed in eastern North America and Canada, mainly in boreal forest. It is the only woodpecker in eastern North America that is completely migratory. Some individuals travel only a short distance. Others travel as far south as Mexico, Central America and the West Indies. From October to April Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers can be found in the northern Caribbean. They are most common in the Bahamas and Cuba, but also occur in Jamaica, Hispaniola, Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Females tend to migrate further south than males. In Central America three females for each male have been counted! If you see a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, look at its throat color to check if it is male or female. Do you see more females than males here in the Caribbean?
In addition to eating sap from trees Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers also eat fruit, seeds, and insects, including those attracted by the sticky sweet sap. During the winter they can be found in many places, as long as there are trees. Including forests, gardens, woodlands, and coastal areas. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
In winter, you might hear this soft mew call which they often repeat. But you are more likely to find them by their drumming, which they use to communicate with each other as well as feed.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, these woodpeckers make ‘wells’ in tree bark and drink sap. They also eat insects that are attracted to the sweet sap. They will return to the same trees many times. (Photo by Stephen Buckingham)Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker , you can tell the difference between males and females from the color of their throats. Males have red throats, in females throats are white (Photo by C Hantis)Female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, these birds arrive in the Caribbean in Fall. Some individuals only travel a short distances within North American on migration. However, others travel as far south as Mexico, Central America and the West Indies (Photo by Scott Hecker)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Hone your observation skills and go on a Nature Scavenger Hunt! Print the cards on sturdy paper and use a clipboard or piece of cardboard as a writing surface outside. Younger children can do side 1 of the card, older children side 2. English, Spanish and French versions are available for free download here!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds, listen out for any drumming woodpeckers. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in the wild! The first show a male (notice his red throat) drinking saps from ‘well’s he has made in a tree. The second shows a female (with a white throat), on her wintering grounds in Cuba.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Northern Waterthrush
Although its name and plumage suggest this bird is a thrush, the Northern Waterthrush is in fact a warbler. This large, long-legged, long-tailed warbler spends much of its time on the ground. It has dark olive-brown upperparts, and buffy or yellowish underparts. The underparts are marked with dark brown streaks that become finer on the throat. It has a prominent, buffy stripe above the eye, usually narrowing towards the nape. The sexes are identical.
The Northern Waterthrush is sparsely distributed across a vast breeding range from Alaska eastward across Canada, with some birds breeding in the northern US. They are long-distance migrants and travel to the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America in fall. In winter, Northern Waterthrushes can be found throughout the Caribbean. Some birds will stay for the whole winter, but many more will pass through the islands for wintering grounds further south.
As their name suggests, Northern Waterthrushes occur in wet habitats. On the breeding grounds, these include wooded swamps, bogs, or other wetlands bordered by shrubs or thickets. On the wintering grounds, Northern Waterthrush are most often found in or near mangroves or other wetlands.
In the Caribbean, Northern Waterthrushes are solitary and hold territories. They frequently advertise their presence with loud, metallic, chink calls. If you hear one, look for it walking along the water’s edge. It bobs and teeters, jumps over obstacles, and rhythmically pumps its tail. Northern Waterthrushes feed mainly on aquatic insects, but they may also take snails, small clams, and crabs. The Northern Waterthrush is not currently threatened, but the loss of mangroves through development and climate change may be impacting this species. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Northern Waterthrush!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Northern Waterthrush
The calls of the Northern Waterthrush are a loud sharp “tchip”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Northern Waterthrush, although its name and coloration suggest that this bird is a thrush, it is actually a warbler. These birds migrate from Canada and the Norther US to spend the winter in the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America (Photo by David S Hall)Northern Waterthrush. Often seen close to water, listen for their loud repeated ‘chinking’ calls and look from them as the walk along the water’s edge bobbing their tails. (Photo by Jesse Gordon)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Some warblers give you a big clue to the group of birds they belong to in their names, like ‘Hooded Warbler’ or ‘Yellow-rumped Warbler’. But some other warblers do not! Do you remember which of our migratory birds are warblers? Test your knowledge in our “Warbler or Not a Warbler” game. You can find the answers by looking at previous blog posts. You can find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory warblers. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Northern Waterthrushes in the wild! The first show a bird foraging on the ground in a mangrove, bobbing its tail up and down. The second shows a bird repeatedly giving its loud distinctive call, hearing this call is often a first clue that a Northern Waterthrush is around.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Indigo Bunting
Indigo Buntings are well named. Males in breeding plumage are bright blue all over, with a purple-blue hue on the head. Females are cinnamon brown above, and paler below with faint streaking on the breast, and a blue tinge on the wings and tail. During fall and winter, males are a ‘patchy’ mix of brown and blue. Immature males resemble females. These stocky birds have finch-like conical bills and short tails.
Indigo Buntings breed across eastern North America. Most migrate in flocks to their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central America, southern Florida, and the northern Caribbean. You can follow their movements throughout the year on this ebird science page. These birds migrate at night, and use the stars to find their way. Unfortunately, Indigo Buntings are popular birds for the pet trade and are the target of illegal bird trappers in many countries, including Cuba, where they are prized for their beautiful songs.
Indigo Buntings are in the Caribbean from October through to early May. They are most commonly seen in the Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. They can also be found on other islands, such as Jamaica, Hispaniola, northern Less Antilles, but are less common there. In the Caribbean you might spot a bright blue male Indigo Bunting during spring, just before they head back to their breeding areas.
Indigo Buntings often feed in groups, and can be quite vocal as they flock together. Listen for their sharp twit calls. These shy birds can be found in grassy areas, rice-fields, woodlands, pasture edges, and dry scrub. They feed on small seeds, berries and a variety of insects. Indigo Buntings will also come to seed-feeders, so if you have one, keep an eye out for this lovely bird in your garden.Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Indigo Bunting!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls and song of the Indigo Bunting
The calls of the Indigo Bunting are repeated emphatic “chip” sounds
The song of the Indigo Bunting sound like, “Sweet, sweet–where, where–here, here—see it, see it.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Female Indigo Bunting. Indigo Buntings arrive in the Caribbean from October and stay until early May. They migrate at night, from North America, using the stars to navigate. (Photo by Karen Gallo)Male Indigo Bunting , in breeding plumage they are bright blue all over. During fall and winter, males are a ‘patchy’ mix of brown and blue. (Photo by Stephen Buckingham)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: How much do you know about Indigo Buntings? Test your knowledge with this Indigo Bunting Word Scramble. You can find the answers by reading the text in this blog post, and by looking at the pictures of Indigo Buntings. You can find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds, perhaps you might spot and Indigo Bunting. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Indigo Buntings in the wild! The first shows a male Indigo Bunting feeding on seeds at a bird feeder. He is moulting so has patches of blue and brown feathers. The second shows the all-brown female foraging on the ground. In the third video a completely blue male, in breeding plumage, is feeding on seeds from a plant.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Common Yellowthroat
Common Yellowthroats are small active warblers, olive colored above with a bright yellow throat and upper breast. Males have a striking black ‘bandit’ mask, edged above with whitish gray. Females are plainer but show a contrast between a yellow throat and olive-brown face.
This warbler tends to skulk and hide in thick vegetation, often staying near to the ground. In fact, ‘Geothlypis’ the name of the genus (group of birds) this warbler is in, means ‘earth finch.’ It’s ground-dwelling foraging habits also give this bird its local name ‘Reinita Pica Tierra’ in Puerto Rico. Although often out of sight, you can find this warbler by listening for its call—a distinctive loud tchuck.
Common Yellowthroats breed across a huge area of the US and Canada. After breeding their behaviour varies, some birds stay put while others migrate. Some make long journeys, travelling from Canada to Central America. Others spend the winter in the Caribbean. They are most common in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles and Cayman Islands. In the Bahamas take care not to confuse Common Yellowthroats with the Bahama Yellowthroat! This endemic bird looks very similar but is larger, slow moving, has a longer heavier looking bill, and more uniformly yellow underparts.
During the winter you can find Common Yellowthroats in a variety of habitats, including pine, dry and montane forests, pastures, shade coffee, mangroves, and bushy areas often close to wetlands. They eat insects, which they often search for on the ground. Their diet includes flies, beetles, ants, termites, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, dragonflies, damselflies, moths, butterflies, and caterpillars! Like many warblers Common Yellowthroats migrate at night, making them vulnerable to collisions with buildings and other man-made structures. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Common Yellowthroat!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Common Yellowthroat
The calls of the Common Yellowthroat are a strong “chuck” sound.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Breeding Male Common Yellowthroat with his striking black ‘bandit’ mask, edged above with whitish gray. During the winter you can find Common Yellowthroats in a variety of habitats, including pine, dry and montane forests, pastures, shade coffee, mangroves, and bushy areas often close to wetlands. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)Female Common Yellowthroat, she doesn’t have a mask but still has a yellowthroat. This warbler tends to skulk and hide in thick vegetation, often staying near to the ground. (Photo by Linda Petersen)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Watching a birds behaviour can be a really great way to helping to identify which species you are seeing. Especially with tricky birds like warblers that can look similar to each other. Practice your bird behaviour watching skills with our bird behaviour bingo game. Spend some time watching birds and tick off behaviours as you spot them.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory warblers. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Common Yellowthroats in the wild! The first shows a male in breeding pluming, singing his characteristic “whichity-whichity-whichity” song; in the Caribbean you might hear this in spring before males migrate northwards. The second video shows a female Common Yellowthroat perched, you can see the difference in plumage between her and the male. Finally there is a Common Yellowthroat in winter plumage feeding on the ground, where this species can often be found!
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Rose-breasted Grosbeak
These stocky looking birds have whitish, heavy cone-shaped bills, perfect for cracking open seeds and eating berries. Male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are very eye-catching. They have a bright rosy-red triangle on their breast, a black head and back, white belly and rump, and broad white wing-bars. Females are striped olive brown above, and buffy underneath with brown streaking on the breast and flanks. They have a broad white eyebrow bordered by a dark crown and whitish wing bars. The large pale bill and strong face pattern helps to identify females.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks breed in deciduous woods across most of Canada and North Eastern parts of the US. This species is a long-distance migrant, travelling south in the fall to spend the winter in Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. They often migrate in small groups, sometimes joining other types of birds like tanagers and thrushes.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are most commonly seen in the Caribbean during migration, in October or April, as individuals stopover on their journeys south or back north. Others will spend the whole winter here. They are most commonly seen in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Cayman Islands. They are less common in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the rest of the Lesser Antilles.
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have a varied diet. During migration they mostly eat fruits, but on the breeding and wintering grounds, they also eat seeds, flowers, and insects. They glean insects from leaves or fly out to catch them in mid-air. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks can be found in woodlands, coffee plantations, at forest edges and sometimes in gardens. They will visit feeders so be sure to keep them stocked with their favorite foods, including sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, and raw peanuts. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Rose-breasted Grosbeak!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak
The calls of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak a high-pitched metallic sounding “Chink”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, the large pale bill and strong face pattern helps to identify females (Photo by Linda Petersen)Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, in the Caribbean they are most commonly seen in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Cayman Islands. They will visit feeders so be sure to keep them stocked with their favorite foods, including sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, and raw peanuts (Photo by Jesse Gordon)
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds, maybe you will see a Rose-breasted Grosbeak or another colorful migratory species. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks feeding! The first video shows a male bird feeding on seeds, you can see him breaking them open with his heavy bill. The second shows some females, that are brown colored and steaked looking, eating fruits; this species will also eat insects. In spring male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have a beautiful fluting song, you can hear it in the final video.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warblers are small warblers with a thin, slightly down-curved bill. Breeding males have a bright yellow breast streaked with black, a greenish back, and a yellow rump. They have a distinctive reddish brown cheek patch surrounded by yellow, a black eyeline and crown, yellow collar, and a white wing patch. Females are less brightly colored, with a grayish-olive cheek and a white wing-bar. In fall and winter, males are duller with a reduced cheek patch.
Over 80% of the population of Cape May Warblers breed in the boreal forests of Canada. Here they specialise in eating insects, especially spruce budworms. During fall birds migrate south to the Caribbean. The West Indies supports nearly the entire population of this species during the winter. Cape May Warblers are most common in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and Cayman Islands.
You might see this species congregating around flowering plants. This is because nectar is one of their main food sources during the winter. In fact they are the only warbler that has a curled straw-like tongue which they use to drink nectar. Cape May Warblers can be found in almost any habitat with flowering plants in the Caribbean. This includes mountain forests, pine and broadleaf forests, dry scrub, pasture, shade coffee, mangroves, coastal thickets, gardens, and backyards.
Populations of Cape May Warblers have been declining over the last few decades; with a range-wide decline over a 45-year period (1970–2014) of 76%. This is partly due to deforestation and loss of its breeding habitat. In addition, like many other warblers, they migrate at night and are vulnerable to collisions with buildings and other man-made structures. Birds are also vulnerable to predation by cats. Let’s make sure Cape May Warblers have safe places to spend their winter in the Caribbean. You can help them survive by providing a bird-friendly habitat in your backyard, including bushy vegetation for cover, a source of fresh water, and native flowering plants that will provide plenty of nectar and fruits. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Cape May Warbler!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the calls of the Cape May Warbler
The calls of the Cape May Warbler are a short very high-pitched “tseet” which they tend to repeat.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Breeding Cape May Warbler, you can see his distinctive reddish-brown cheek patch, yellow neck collar and breast streaked with black, and white wing-patch. This species is declining and is threatened by breeding habitat loss. As almost the whole population spend winter in the Caribbean we can help them survive by providing a bird-friendly habitat in our backyards. (Photo by Linda Petersen)Female Cape May Warbler. They are the only warbler that has a curled straw-like tongue which they use to drink nectar. You might see them congregating around flowering plants (Photo by Linda Petersen)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Warblers can sometimes be tricky to identify. They can look bit like other types of birds you might be seeing. Knowing about the size, shape and posture of birds can help. Can you find the warbler using its silhouette? Match the bird type to the correct silhouette. There are some hints to help you. Find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory warblers. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Cape May Warblers in the wild! The first video shows a male feeding on nectar from flowers in Cuba. In the second video you can see a male perched; his reddish-brown cheeks, yellow neck and underparts, streaked breast, and white wing patch are easy to see. As a comparison the final clip show a male Cape May Warbler in winter plumage, you can see him picking flies out the air to eat.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Blue-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal are small dabbling ducks. This means they feed near the surface of the water, rather than diving down into the water for food. Males in breeding plumage have blue-gray heads with a striking white crescent in front of their eye. Their underparts and sides are cinnamon-buffy colored with dense black spots, and they have a white patch near their black tails. Females are mottled brown all over with a whitish patch at the base of their bills and a dark eye line. In flight, both sexes show large pale-blue wing patches, which gives this species its name.
Blue-winged Teals breed across a wide swathe of the northern US and Canada. They winter in large flocks in the southern US, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and northern South America. They are the most common wintering ducks in the Caribbean. Some Blue-winged Teals have had their journeys tracked from the breeding grounds to their wintering areas, using satellite tags. You can see a map showing the migration route to Cuba of one of the tagged birds. Zoom in and you can see exactly where this Blue-winged Teal was during the winter.
As a long-distance migrant Blue-winged Teals are one of the first ducks to leave their breeding grounds. Males arrive on their wintering areas in drab ‘eclipse’ or hiding plumage, which looks very similar to the female. This plumage provides protection from predators when they are going through the wing moult in late summer and are flightless for about a month. Males gradually moult into their breeding plumage over the winter. Courtship and pair formation takes place on the wintering grounds and males follow their mates back to their natal area to breed.
Blue-winged Teals eat aquatic insects, molluscs, crustaceans and vegetation. You can find them in shallow fresh or saltwater habitats. They depend on these wetlands during the many months they spend in the Caribbean. It is therefore vital that we protect all our remaining wetlands to provide a winter home for Blue-winged Teals and so many other species. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Blue-winged Teal!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Blue-winged Teal
The calls of the Blue-winged Teal can vary, males give a nasal “chuck chuck chuck” females might make soft quacking sounds.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Blue-winged Teal in flight, you can see the white crescent on his face and blue wing patches, that have a white border on the male. Blue-winged Teals also have a green speculum (bright in the male and duller in the female). Males arrive on their wintering areas in drab ‘eclipse’ or hiding plumage, which looks very similar to the female. Then moult into this breeding plumage over the winter (Photo by Kinan Echtay)Female Blue-winged Teals are mainly mottled brown, as are ‘eclipse’ males; but in flight you can see that they also have blue on the wing (Photo by Ray Robles)Blue-winged Teal pair. Courtship and pair formation takes place on the wintering grounds and males follow their mates back to their natal area to breed. (Photo by Sharon Cardin)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Can you find the real Teal? Work out which one of the Blue-winged Teals is NOT an imposter! Look at the pictures of the Teal and read the description above to help you spot the bird will all the correct features. And you can find the answer here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds, if you are visiting a wetland look out for Blue-winged Teals or any other migratory ducks. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of of Blue-winged Teal using wetlands! The first video shows a small group of 2 males and a female swimming and dabbling for food. You can see the differences in color and plumage. In the second video some Blue-winged Teals are with other ducks and shorebirds in a wetland. When they make a brief flight you can catch a glimpse of their blue shoulder patches.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Merlin
Merlins are a small falcon and a powerful, fast flier. Their upperparts are blackish gray to pale blue-gray in the male, and dark brown in the larger female. The darkness of the plumage varies geographically. The underparts are pale with heavy brown streaking and the tail is barred with black stripes. When perched look for the pale tan stripe above the eye. In flight, their pointed wings, long tail, and rapid powerful wing-beats help with identification.
Merlins have a wide distribution globally, through North and Central America and across Europe and Asia. In North America, this species breeds in the northern-most parts of the US and throughout most of Canada. Some Merlins winter in the south-central US and northern Mexico. Others undertake much longer migrations to the Caribbean, Central and South America, spending the winter as far south as Ecuador.
Merlins start arriving in the Caribbean in September. Some pass through the islands on their journey to points further south. Others stay for the whole winter, departing in April or early May. Merlins are winter residents in The Bahamas, Greater Antilles, US and British Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands. They are not as common in the Lesser Antilles.
An agile and skillful hunter, Merlins specialize in catching and eating other birds. They also eat large insects like dragonflies and small rodents. Merlins often hunt by flying fast and low and using sudden bursts of speed to take their prey by surprise in mid-air. During migration you might spot them by coastal lagoons or salt ponds, where there are plenty of shorebirds for them to hunt. They might also be in woodlands and forests hunting for other small birds. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Merlin!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Merlin
Merlins give high-pitched chattering calls, which they repeat.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Female Merlin eating a dragonfly. These birds specialise on hunting small birds; but also eat large insects and rodents (Photo by Hank Halsey)Male Merlin perched, notice the blue-grey upper parts, with heavy steaking on the breast, and a pale eye-stripe (Photo by Beth Hamel)Male Merlin in Flight – these birds are agile and skilful hunters, using sudden bursts of speed to take their prey by surprise in mid-air. (Photo by BN Singh)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Use our template to write a poem about a Merlin. Each line of your poem should start with the letters of this birds name. This type of poem is called an ‘acrostic’. You can use words from the description and information about Merlins above. Think about how this bird looks, the way it flies, where is lives and how it finds food.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds, if you are visiting a wetland or woodland area keep an eye out for a Merlin, which might be hunting for shorebirds or songbirds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Merlin in the wild! The first video shows a female perched on a post eating, after catching a small bird Merlins find somewhere safe to perch and have their meal. In the second video you can see a Merlin in flight, look for the barring on the long tail, its sharp pointed wings and the characteristic fast wing-beats.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Black-whiskered Vireo
The Black-whiskered Vireo is a small bird with a big voice. In fact, it is best identified by its song because it is elusive and difficult to see! It is olive greenish-brown above and pale below with a long, hooked gray bill. It’s pale eyebrow stripe contrasts with a dark cap and eye stripe. The vireo’s name comes from the fine dark ‘whiskers’ or moustache stripe edging the throat. The whiskers and the absence of wing-bars help distinguish this vireo from other birds. Adults have a reddish iris. Juveniles are duller with faint whiskers.
Black-whiskered Vireos live in mangroves, woodlands, forests and gardens, feeding on insects and berries which it gleans from leaves. They often stay very still, up in the canopy of a tree. It can be hard to know they are there – unless they are singing!
The monotonous song of this Black-whiskered Vireo can be heard all day long. It consists of short 2-4 syllable phrases that differ slightly with a pause in between: John-chew-it!—Sweet-John!—Chew-it-John! Or the full Sweet-John-Chew-it! Many of the local names of this bird are renditions of the song, for example, ‘Julián Chiví’ and ‘Bien-te-veo’ in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic and ‘John-Chew-it’ in Jamaica. They also have a thin high-pitched tsit call and a sharp, nasal note yeeea.
In parts of the West Indies Black-whiskered Vireos are resident all year round; including on Hispaniola and in the Lesser Antilles. In other areas, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, they are ‘summer migrants’. They spend the fall and winter in northern South America and migrate north in late winter or spring to breed in the Caribbean. Breeding birds prefer to nest in open areas of woodland or farmland areas with trees. They build a cup nest in a forked tree branch. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Black-whiskered Vireo!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the song of the Black-whiskered Vireo
The song of the Black-whiskered Vireo is an emphatic repeat of 2 or 3 notes.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Black-whiskered Vireo, you can see the fine dark ‘whiskers’ or moustache stripe edging the throat that give this bird its name (Photo by David S Hall)Black-whiskered Vireo perched. They often stay very still & it can be hard to know they are there – unless they are singing (Photo by Hank Halsey)Black-whiskered Vireo on Nest. In the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, these birds are ‘summer migrants’. They spend the fall and winter in northern South America and migrate north in late winter or spring to breed in the Caribbean. (Photo by Dax Roman)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Whilst you are looking out for migratory birds, why not play our ‘bird spy bingo’ game. Keep an eye out for what the birds you see are doing, any signs that birds have been around, or the numbers of birds you see together in a group. There are 4 cards so you can either play on your own or with some friends!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Black-whiskered Vireos in the wild! The first video shows a bird singing loudly in Cuba. In the second video you can see a Black-whiskered Vireo giving it’s high-pitched tsit call as it searches for food. In both look out for the characteristic black ‘moustache’ lines on the throat.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Baltimore Oriole
Male Baltimore Orioles are stunning birds, with fiery orange underparts and black on the head, mantle, tail, and wings. They also have orange rumps and tail patches, and white wing-bars. Females range in colour from yellow to brownish with a mottled brownish-olive head and mantle. Immature birds resemble females. All birds are medium sized and sturdy looking, with sharply pointed blue-gray bills.
Baltimore Oriole breed across the mid-US and up through central Canada. These birds weave amazing gourd-shaped, hanging nests from hair, human-made fibers such as string or wool, and plant fibers such as grasses, plant stems, and Spanish moss. They are known for their rich, beautiful, flute-like songs.
Baltimore Orioles are mid to long distance migrants. They spend the winter in Florida, the northern Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America. In the Caribbean they are most commonly seen in the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Baltimore Orioles migrate in large flocks, and even during the winter you might spot them together in a group. They can be found in gardens, open woodlands, scrub, swamps, and at forest edges.
Baltimore Orioles eat insects (especially caterpillars), spiders, fruit, and nectar. Before and during migration they prefer nectar and ripe fruits. The sugars in these foods are easily converted into fat, which supplies energy for migration. You might spot them eating any fruits in your garden, or you could put some out from them. Baltimore Orioles sometimes use their slender beaks to feed in an unusual way, called “gaping.” They stab their sharp closed bill into a soft fruit. As they open their beaks inside the fruit they make a cut from which they drink the juice with their tongues. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Baltimore Oriole!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Baltimore Oriole
Baltimore Orioles are often silent when spending the winter in the Caribbean, but you might hear this rattling alarm call.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Female Baltimore Oriole, she is brownish yellow. Notice the sharp blue-grey bill, which she can use to cut into fruits and drink the juices. (Photo by Linda Petersen)Beautiful male Baltimore Oriole, with contrasting fiery orange and black plumage. (Photo by Daniel W Glenn)
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds or maybe some have arrived in your garden? Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Baltimore Orioles. In the first you can see the stunning plumage of the male Oriole. In the second a Female Oriole is feeding on some fruit somebody have left out for her.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Bicknell’s Thrush
Bicknell’s Thrushes can be a challenge to encounter at any time of year because they live in remote mountain forest habitats and are shy. They are brownish-olive above with whitish underparts that are heavily spotted on the breast and sides. Their distinctive song, most often heard at dawn and dusk on the breeding grounds, descends in a nasal, gyrating spiral. Their call, given year-round, is a penetrating, downward slurred whistle peeert or beeer.
Bicknell’s Thrush breeds only in a few high-elevation coniferous forests of the northeastern US and southeastern Canada. They spend the winter on only four Greater Antillean islands – Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. Here they inhabit dense, moist broadleaf forests from sea level to over 2,000m. Most birds are restricted to remote mountainous areas. About 80-90% of the total population winters on Hispaniola, especially in the Dominican Republic. This makes Bicknell’s Thrush a range-restricted habitat specialist at both ends of its migration.
The Bicknell’s Thrush population is small and numbers are declining. Classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, it is considered one of North America’s most at-risk breeding songbirds. Its forest breeding habitat is under siege from pollution, ski development, telecommunications tower and wind turbine construction, and global climate change. In the Caribbean, loss of the species’ preferred dense, humid broadleaf forests is occurring at unsustainable rates.
Habitat conservation is the key to ensuring the long-term survival of the Bicknell’s Thrush. In the Caribbean, especially on Hispaniola, this means conservation of moist forest habitats. We need to stop cutting down forests and restore them instead. We also need to strengthen enforcement of Protected Areas and employ sustainable agricultural practices. Despite daunting challenges, local conservation efforts are making progress. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Bicknell’s Thrush!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Bicknell’s Thrush
The calls of the Bicknell’s Thrush their wintering grounds is a downward slurred “peeert” whistle
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Bicknell’s Thrush calling or singing in the Dominican Republic, its main wintering grounds. (Photo by Dax Roman)Bicknell’s Thrush perched in its montane wintering habitat in the Dominican Republic. . (Photo by Dax Roman)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: How much do you know about Bicknell’s Thrush? Test your knowledge with our crossword puzzle. You can find the information to answer the clues the text above, in the coloring book page or by looking at the pictures of Bicknell’s Thrush. And you can see the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of a Bicknell’s Thrush in the wild! In the first video, shot in Blackcap Mountain in Maine, the bird is perched in a tree and you will hear it making its down-slurred peeeert whistle call. In the second video, shot in Vermont, a parent is returning to its nest to deliver insect food items to young chicks.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Osprey
The Osprey is a big, powerful fish-eating bird, with a hooked black beak. It has a white head with dark eye stripe, chocolate brown upperparts, and white underparts, with variable brown speckling on the breast. These birds fly with a slight bend at the ‘wrist’. This distinctive ‘M’ shaped silhouette, when seen from below, means Ospreys can be identified from far away or when light conditions are not good enough to see their colouring. You might also hear their shrill high-pitched whistling call before you spot them.
In some parts of the Caribbean, including the Bahamas and parts of Cuba, Ospreys are present year-round and breed. During the autumn these resident birds are joined by migratory individuals from North America. Ospreys make long journeys from their breeding areas, sometimestravelling thousands of miles. Some birds pass through the Caribbean to areas further south,such as this individual called Edwin, whose migration was one of many tracked with satellite tags. Others remain in the Caribbean during the winter.
The Ospreys that breed in the Caribbean are a different sub-species than the migratory birds. These birds, with the sub-species name ridgwayi, look quite different. The brown eye stripe tends to be very faint (in some birds it is almost absent), and they do not show brown markings on their breast. This gives birds the appearance of having overwhelmingly white heads and chests.
This species was endangered by the effects of pesticides in the mid-20th century. After such pesticides were banned in the US in 1972, Ospreys have made a comeback. Ospreys specialize on catching and eating fish and so are most commonly seen in coastal areas and around wetlands and ponds. If you watch for long enough you might spot one carrying a fish in its talons. If you are lucky you may even, see an Osprey plunge feet first into the water and pluck out a fish! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Osprey!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Osprey
The calls of the Osprey are high-pitched whistles, often repeated.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Osprey in flight. Ospreys make long journeys, sometimes thousands of miles, from their breeding areas in North America to wintering areas . (Photo by Hemant Kishan)Osprey with Fish. Ospreys specialise on eating fish, they hunt by plunging feet-first into the water. (Photo by Bernie Duhamel)An Osprey of the Caribbean resident ridgwayi sub-species, taken in the Bahamas. You can see that this bird lacks the bold dark brown eye-stripe seen in the migratory birds. (Photo by Tom Sheley)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Take a look at this interesting infographic! In it you can find out more about Ospreys, where they breed in the US and how they are being affected by plastic pollution.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk along the coast or at a wetland and see if you can spot an Osprey or any other migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Ospreys. The first shows the Ospreys’ amazing hunting method, with the bird grabbing a fish from the water! The second shows a Osprey, having made a successful catch, eating a fish.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Magnolia Warbler
The handsome Magnolia Warbler is an active warbler that often stays low in trees, flitting about and showing off its distinctive tail pattern—white near the base and black at the tip. Breeding males have bright yellow underparts with heavy black streaking, sometimes forming a necklace band on its upper breast. They also have a black mask and back, gray crown, white eyebrow behind the eye, and a wide white patch on their wings. Females are paler in colour with gray upper parts and mask, olive back, and two white wing-bars. Non-breeding birds have a gray head, much less streaking, 2 wing bars, and a hint of a pale gray breast band.
Magnolia Warblers breed mainly in northern parts of Canada, preferring to nest in young conifer trees. They spend the winter in Central America, including south-eastern Mexico to Panama, and in parts of the Caribbean. They are most common in the Bahamas and Cuba, and are also found in the rest of the Greater Antilles.
During the winter the Magnolia Warbler can be found in nearly all habitat types, including swamp edges, woodlands, cocoa plantations, orchards, and gardens, from sea-level all the way up into the mountains. Here they will be looking for insects and occasionally fruit to eat.
Magnolia Warblers do not in fact have a strong preference for magnolia trees. They got their name because the scientist who first documented them found them in a magnolia tree. These warblers, like many others, migrate at night in large mixed species flocks. All birds migrating at night are vulnerable to collisions with tall structures such as buildings, communications towers, and energy infrastructure. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Magnolia Warbler!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Magnolia Warbler
The calls of the Magnolia Warbler are a slightly rasping “zeep”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
A Magnolia Warbler with an insect in its bill. During the winter Magnolia Warblers can be found in nearly all habitat types and from sea-level all the way up into the mountains. (Photo by Linda Petersen)A male Magnolia Warbler in breeding plumage, with his bright yellow underparts and heavy black streaking, forming a necklace band on its upper breast (Photo by BN Singh)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: We have met quite a few migratory warblers so far & will be meeting a few more! Some of these birds can look similar to each other. Take a look at this helpful guide, from wildlife artist Christine Elder, for identifying warblers. Add colors of the bird you see, look at its behavior and add some notes to help you identify and remember it.
Take a walk and see if you can spot any migratory Warblers. Try using the identification guide above, and a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Magnolia Warblers feeding. In the first video there is a female foraging on the ground, there is a male, in breeding plumage visible in the background near to the end, so you can compare plumages. In the second video a male is feeding, picking insects from the leaves. You can also see the male fan his tail, showing the unique black and white tail pattern of this species.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is an impressively large wading bird, with a 6ft wing-span! With their long lanky legs and neck they stand at 4 ft or more. This is in fact the largest heron in North America and the Caribbean. Overall this bird is grayish-blue with a massive, sharp yellow bill. They also have black stripes running from above the eye to the back of the head leading to short black plumes. Adults have white crowns, whereas juveniles have gray or a mix of white and gray on the crown.
Great Blue Herons fly with deep slow wing beats. Often their long necks will be tucked in, but their long legs trail behind. In flight, you can also see that their black flight feathers contrast with the gray plumage on the rest of the wing and back. There is also a white form or race of the Great Blue Heron, called the ‘Great White Heron.’ This looks similar to a Great Egret, but is larger, has a more massive bill, and pale legs.
The Great Blue Heron has a very wide range. It can be found across most of North America, and lives year-round in many places, including a few Caribbean islands (e.g., Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands). Great Blue Herons are mainly a Winter visitor in the region, however, and can be found on most islands from October to April .
Great Blue Herons are found in both fresh and saltwater wetlands. They eat mostly fish, but also amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, crabs, and other birds. They grab smaller prey using their bill like tweezers. They use their dagger-like bills to impale larger prey such as large fish or frogs, and swallow their prey whole. This handsome bird is usually solitary. It can be seen standing motionless, in shallow water, waiting for an opportunity to grab an unsuspecting meal. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Great Blue Heron!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Great Blue Heron
The calls of the Great Blue Heron are a deep croaking frog like “guarr” repeated several times.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Great Blue Heron having just caught a fish. This species will stand very still in the water, waiting for fish or other prey to pass near to them. Then the strike out with their large, sharp yellow bills (Photo by Gary McHale)Great Blue Heron, here you can see just how massive and power their bills are. Also note the black eye-stripe and white crown to the head (Photo by David Rayner)Great Blue Heron in flight, with it’s long neck and legs extended. You can see the contrast between the grey and black feathers in the wing (Photo by Dax Roman)
Take a walk to a wetland, look out for a Great Blue Heron, or maybe a migratory duck. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of Great Blue Herons in the wild. In the first watch as the Heron grapples with & then eats a water snake! The second shows a Great Blue Heron flying, with its characteristic deep wing-beats.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Kirtland’s Warbler
The Kirtland’s Warbler is a very rare warbler that almost became extinct 50 years ago. It is blue-gray above, lemon-yellow below, has black streaks on its sides, and white crescents above and below the eye. Males have black from the base of the bill to the eye. Females are similar but with no black on the face, and less brightly colored than males. Kirtland’s Warblers can be seen ‘pumping’ their tails as they look for food.
Kirtland’s Warblers breed only in a very small area in the US. They nest in Jack Pine forests in Michigan, Wisconsin and lower Ontario. This species winters mainly in the Bahamas, on the islands of Eleuthera, Cat Island, Long Island and San Salvador. Its migration has been tracked using tiny light sensitive tags called geolocators. Learn more here.
The Kirtland’s Warbler feeds on insects and fruit. In the winter, they are microhabitat specialists. They can be found in coppice and scrub habitats with large amounts of Black Torch, Wild Sage and Snowberry shrubs. These are some of their favorite fruits to eat. Kirkland’s Warblers can be hard to spot during the winter, they tend to hide in dense vegetation.
Kirtland’s Warbler was one of the first species to be placed on the North American Endangered Species list. In 1974 there were only 170 pairs. The decline of this bird was caused by loss of breeding habitat and nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds. Extensive conservation work is ongoing to provide nesting habitat and control cowbird numbers. Thanks to this effort there are now over 2,300 pairs, and in 2019, the species was delisted. Research on Kirkland’s Warbler in The Bahamas has helped boost both local and international conservation. The Kirtland’s Warbler Research and Training Project trained Bahamian students in field research, ecology, and conservation. Many of these students have gone on to become conservationists in The Bahamas. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Kirtland’s Warbler!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Kirtland’s Warbler
The calls of the Kirtland’s Warbler are a repeated short “Chip”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Kirtland’s Warbler. He is blue-gray above, lemon-yellow below, with some black in front of his eye. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)Female Kirtland’s Warbler, she is very similar to the male but less brightly colored. Both males and females have a white ‘broken’ eye-ring. These Warblers specialise in breeding in jack pines. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
Take a walk and see if you can spot a migratory warblers. Unless you are in the Bahamas you might not see a Kirtland’s Warbler but see what other migratory birds you can find. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the video of the handsome male Kirtland’s Warbler. He is in his jack pine habitat on the breeding grounds. In the video you can hear him singing!
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Barn Swallow
The medium-sized Barn Swallow gets its name from its nesting habits. Although they originally used caves, they have shifted to nesting mostly in barns and other human-made structures. Groups of swallows will all use the same building. Birds build mud nests attached to walls. This strong connection with humans has made it one of the most familiar and well-studied swallows.
Barn Swallows have glossy steel-blue upperparts and crown, chestnut to white underparts, and a chestnut forehead and throat. The long tail is deeply forked with white spots. Males and females have similar plumage, but females and immature birds are duller and have shorter tail streamers. They often line up in large flocks on overhead wires with their long forked tails sticking out.
Barn Swallows have the widest distribution of any swallow in the world. They are long-distance migrants, traveling in huge flocks and covering up to 11,000 km (6,800 mi) on migration. In the Americas, they breed in North America and spend the winter in Central and South America. Some birds pass through the Caribbean on fall and spring migration. Thus, you are most likely to spot them here during migration, but a few birds overwinter.
Like many swifts and swallows, these striking birds are masters of flight! The swoop and turn, flying fast over wetlands and fields, catching mosquitoes and other tiny flying insects. This flight pattern can make them difficult to identify, especially since they are often seen in mixed-species flocks with other swallows during migration. Just keep an eye out for that deep fork in the tail!Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Barn Swallow!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Barn Swallow
The calls of the Barn Swallow can be a loud “cheep” and a thin mechanical sounding “chit”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Barn Swallow perched. You can see the glossy steel-blue upperparts and crown, and reddish chestnut forehead and throat. You might see many together, perched in a line, on a fence or on overhead wires (Photo by Daniel W. Glenn)Barn Swallow in flight. You can see the chestnut tint to the underpart and white spots on the tail. Barn Swallows are masters of flight and catch their food on the wing, as this bird is doing! (Photo by Ray Robles)Barn Swallow, with deeply forked tail. This Swallow has caught a bee to eat. (Photo by Bernie Duhamel)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Barn Swallows cover a huge area of the Americas over the course of a year. They spend the summer breeding in the north and winter further south. Find out more about this wide-ranging bird in this fascinating fact-sheet! FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk, remember to look up! And see if you can spot a Barn Swallow or any of our other migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the video below of a Barn Swallow perched on a fence. When they are not hunting for food on the wing this species can often be seen perched on twigs, fences and overheard wires.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Hooded Warbler
This is another Warbler where the name gives us a clue to what the bird looks like! Males of this species can be recognized by the striking black ‘hood’ surrounding it’s bright yellow face. They also have bright yellow underparts and an olive-green back. Females may show a faint hood but these vary depending in part on age. First year birds lack a hood. Another great ‘clue’ to identify this warbler is the way it flicks and fans its tail, revealing white outer tail feathers, as ‘flashes’ of white.
Hooded Warblers breed across Midwestern and eastern parts of the US. They are long-distance migrants and head south to Central America, South Mexico and the Caribbean in Fall. They will spend the winter here. During this time they are most commonly found in the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles. On their migration they may stopover in Jamaica. These little birds like to use understory vegetation in forests and mangroves. This ‘lower level’ living makes them a bit easier to spot compared to the many warblers who prefer the tree-tops! Here they will be looking for insects and spiders to eat. You might spot them looking for food on the ground.
Both male and female Hooded Warblers defend territories during the winter. This means you’re unlikely to see them together (unless they are fighting over a territory!). The way that Hooded Warbler’s flick their tail, flashing white patches, seems to help them catch insects. It could be that it causes insects to take flight, making them easier to see or catch. As with many other warblers, Hooded Warblers migrate at night and are vulnerable to collisions with made-made structures. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Hooded Warbler!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Hooded Warbler
The call of the Hooded Warbler is a loud and metallic-sounding “chip” . Males and females make this call when defending their territories.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Male Hooded Warbler, with his black hood contrasting strikingly with his bright yellow face. Another way to help identify this warbler is the way it flicks and fans its tail, revealing white outer tail feathers (Photo by BN Singh)Female Hooded Warbler, she is a bit less striking but you can see that she still has a trace of a ‘hood’ and a yellow face. Both male and female Hooded Warblers will defend territories during the winter (Photo by BN Singh)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: So far we have met five different Warblers that migrate to the Caribbean. How much can you remember about each one? Test your knowledge and be reminded of some facts and ID features with our Match the Fact to the Warbler game!
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot a migratory warbler or any of our other migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of both male and female Hooded Warbler. You can see the differences in their plumage. In both videos the birds are flicking their tails, and revealing flashes of their white outer tail feathers.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Northern Parula
This tiny colourful bird is one of the smallest warblers, and weighs only ~8.6g! Northern Parulas are a smart shade of blue-gray above, with a greenish-yellow patch on the back. They have a yellow throat and breast and a white belly. Also look out for two white wing-bars and their distinctive white eye crescents. Breeding males have a black and chestnut coloured breast band. There might be some faint remains of this still visible during fall migration. Females are similar to males but duller and usually lack the breast bands.
Northern Parulas breed in the eastern North America, from Florida up to the boreal forests of Canada. Interestingly they have a strange gap in their breeding range, missing from large parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, and some states in the Northeast. Northern Parulas rely on Spanish moss to nest. This ‘gap’ could be linked to a lack of this vital resource due to habitat loss and increasing air pollution. Northern Parulas migrate south in the fall and arrive to spend the winter in the Caribbean from August onwards. It is one of the most common migrant warblers in the region. When they get ready to head north again from March you might even hear their ascending buzzy song!
This dainty and active warbler feeds on insects, and can be found during the winter in dry forest and scrub. They will pick insects from the undersides of leaves, as well as catch them in the air. They can also be found in many human-modified landscapes including, pastures, coffee, cacao, and citrus plantations. Northern Parulas mainly migrate at night and may join mixed-species flocks with other types of wood warblers. Night migrations leave wood warblers, like the Northern Parula, vulnerable to collisions with made-made structures such as tall buildings or communication towers. Hundreds to thousands are killed annually from collisions during migration throughout their range. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Northern Parula!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call and song of the Northern Parula
The call of the Northern Parula is a sharp “chip” sound.
In Spring you might also hear the song of the Northern Parula, an ascending buzzy trill.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Northern Parula male – this tiny colorful warbler has bluish upper-parts, yellow throat and breast, white belly, two white wing bars and white eye-arcs. Note that males have black and reddish chest bands. (Photo by Steve Buckingham)Female Northern Parulas are similar to males but less colorful; chest bands are paler or absent. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Can you match the insect names to the photos? Insects are a very important food source for migratory birds, many head south on migration in search of insects to help them survive the winter. Warblers in particular often specialise in eating mainly insects. Find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot a migratory warbler or any of our other migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of the Northern Parulas, where you can see the differences between the males and females. The first video shows a male bird, wintering in Cuba, foraging for insects on leaves. The second shows a female Northern Parula sunning herself.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in our virtual “Birds Connect Our World” edition! Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.
Migratory Bird of the Day: Yellow-rumped Warbler
There is no mystery as to where the Yellow-rumped Warbler got its name, you are likely to see a flash of its trademark yellow rump patch as it flits around in a tree. In fact its nick-name is “butter-butt”! This bird also has bright yellow patches on the sides of its breast and a distinctive white throat. Breeding Males are vividly coloured and have a black mask across their eye. They also have black and white streaking on the chest. Females and younger birds look similar but are duller and brownish on the back and head. Males will look also look brownish during the winter. All birds at all times of year still have the distinctive white-ish throat and yellow rump.
There are two subspecies of this warbler, known as “Audubon’s” and “Myrtle.” It is the “Myrtle” subspecies which is most likely to be in the Caribbean (and which is described above). The “Audubon’s” subspecies has a yellow throat and no black eye-mask.
Yellow-rumped Warblers are one of the most common and wide-spread warblers. They breed across a wide area of Canada and the Northern US and in the autumn migrate south to the southern US, Central America, and the Caribbean. They are one of the last migrants to arrive, typically not turning up until November. They spend the winter here, and are most commonly found in the Bahamas and islands of the Greater Antilles.
Unlike many of the migratory warblers Yellow-rumped Warblers like to hang out together and are often seen in small groups. In the Caribbean, they live in woodlands, gardens, scrubby areas, coffee plantations, mangroves, and the edges of swamps. They eat insects and can sometimes be spotted making looping flights from perches to snatch insects out of the air. Unlike many warblers they also eat berries of many different plants. The fact that they can digest the wax berry coating means that Yellow-rumped Warblers can survive colder temperatures when there are no insects by eating bayberries and wax myrtle berries. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Yellow-rumped Warbler!
Download the page from Migratory Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2020Carib
Listen to the call of the Yellow-rumped Warbler
The call of the Yellow-rumped Warbler is an abrupt “check”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the images below to do the puzzles. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Female Yellow-rumped Warbler. She is browner in colour than the male but you can still see her yellow sides, and streaking in the chest. (Photo by Linda Peterson)Male Yellow-rumped Warbler in his breeding plumage. He will look duller during Fall and winter. But would still have the yellow rump and sides you can see in this picture. (Photo by Karen Gallo)
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS: Read the text above to find out facts about the Yellow-rumped Warbler. Then use the clues to rearrange the letters and reveal the words in our Yellow-rumped Warbler word scramble! Find the answers here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:
Take a walk and see if you can spot a migratory warbler or any of our other migratory birds. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
Enjoy the videos below of both male and female Yellow-rumped Warblers. The female in the first video is eating myrtle berries. In the second video you can see a male in breeding plumage.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.
We are pleased to share with you the new edition of the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Cuba, number 4, 2021, by Nils Navarro Pacheco.
