Category: Resources

September 23, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 17

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.

September 22, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 16

Migratory Bird of the Day: Gray Kingbird

The Gray Kingbird is a large conspicuous species of tyrant flycatcher, a large family of birds known as energetic insectivores. It is gray above and white below and has a dark mask—a distinctive, but faint, black band extending from the base of the beak through the eye. It also has a large black beak with a slight hook at the tip, typical of this group of birds. This species is fiercely territorial during the breeding season and can often be seen chasing and fighting other individuals, employing amazing acrobatic manoeuvres in aerial dogfights. They are also known to chase and attack other birds, dogs, and humans who get too close to their nest. In The Bahamas, this species is locally called “Fighter” or “Pickereely” based on its aggressive behavior and the call it makes. Gray Kingbirds are present year-round in some islands (Hispaniola and islands east), but in others (e.g., Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica) they arrive in April, breed, and leave in September, and are hence known as “summer migrants.” Their range extends from Florida, the Caribbean, parts of Central America and northern South America. They prefer open habitats and can be seen in abundance in urban and suburban areas. Gray Kingbirds are also found in pinelands, coastal areas and mangroves. Birds that migrate have longer wings, shorter tails and larger bills than those that are resident. Gray Kingbirds feed mainly on various flying insects, including beetles, bees, moths, wasps, and dragonflies. They also eat fruits, seeds, and small vertebrates, like lizards. They may rarely eat hummingbirds, perhaps mistaking them for large insects, killing them by repeated blows on a branch before swallowing them! In The Bahamas, they have been seen eating poisonwood berries. Gray Kingbirds are often seen conspicuously perched, making their loud buzzy calls, pi-tirr-ri or pit-cherrie, repeated often. They sally out from these high perches to grab food items in mid-air. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Gray Kingbird!

Listen to the call of the Gray Kingbird

The call of the Gray Kingbird is a loud high-pitched “pipiri pipiri” trill.

Puzzle of the Day

Gray Kingbird with its wings outstretched. You can also see the red feathers this species had on the top of its head! These are revealed only when the bird is excited. (Photo by Rafy Rodriguez)

Gray Kingbird, Perched, as they so often are. You can see the faint black line that runs through the eye, and the large slightly hooked beak. (Photo by Dax Roman)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Gray Kingbirds often fly out from their perch to snatch insects from the air, with their beak, to eat. Can up help the hungry Gray Kingbird to catch a fly? Follow the right trail and get a tasty fly for the Kingbird to eat! And here is the Answer Key. FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Take a walk and see if you can spot a Gray Kingbird 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 Gray Kingbirds in the wild! The first shows a bird preening, you can also hear it making its high-pitched trilling call in this clip. The second shows a Gray Kingbird eating an insect it has just caught and then cleaning its beak.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 21, 2020

Birds Connect Out World – Day 15

Migratory Bird of the Day: Prairie Warbler

The males of this small warbler are bright yellow below and olive-green above with black streaking on the sides. They also have a black eye-line and a black semicircle under the eye, in a pattern that gives a “spectacled” appearance. Females and immature birds have a similar pattern, but it is less clearly defined and not as colourful. The underparts are paler yellow and the head may be yellow or greyish. These warblers can often be seen wagging their tails up and down.

Despite its name, the Prairie Warbler does not in fact breed in the open prairies. It breeds in forests and scrubby areas in the southeastern US. It arrives in the Caribbean from late August and will spend the winter here. Their numbers will start decreasing again in April as they head back north. They are most common in Northern parts of the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Their entire population spends the winter either in the Caribbean or Florida, making this a very important region for the species. During the winter Prairie Warblers like to live in coastal dry forests, mangroves, woodlands, orchards, and coffee farms; they may even show up in your garden! They eat insects and spiders that they pick off leaves and branches or catch out of the air. They have also been observed eating fruit.

Prairie Warbler numbers have declined in recent years due to loss of their preferred habitats. Along with many other migratory birds, they also face threats such as collisions with glass and predation from free-roaming cats. Making sure they have safe places to spend the winter, with plenty of bushy vegetation for them to forage in, can help this species. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Prairie Warbler!

Listen to the call of the Prairie Warbler

The call of the Prairie Warbler is a brief “chuck” . On its wintering grounds, you are not likely to hear the high-pitched song of rapidly ascending notes it makes when breeding.

Puzzle of the Day

Male Prairie Warbler, with his bright yellow face and belly. You can see the black spectacle-like marking around his eye. The entire population of this species spends the winter either in the Caribbean or Florida (Photo by Mark Tegges)

Female Prairie Warbler, she is similar to the male but less brightly coloured. You can help this species by making sure they have safe places to spend the winter, with plenty of bushy vegetation for them to forage in. (Photo by Stephen Buckingham)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Play ‘Habitat Bingo‘ ! Find or identify the the objects in the Habitat Bingo – put an X in each square when you do. How many of the plants, birds, animals, resources or behaviours can you spot?

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Take a walk and see if you can spot any migrant 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 Prairie Warbler feeding. You can see this bird moving amongst the vegetation, picking up insects from the leaves- this type of foraging is called ‘gleaning’.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 19, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 14

Migratory Bird of the Day: Royal Tern

Royal Terns are elegant white seabirds with a black cap. Tern identification can be tricky as there are many tern species that share the same white body, long pointed wings, and black cap. While they look similar, these species all have different field marks and behaviors that can make identification fun and easy once you get to know them! The best way to tell Royal Terns from other Caribbean terns is by their large size, long, bright, carrot-orange beak, and forked tail. During the breeding season, Royal Terns have a black cap and shaggy black crest. In the winter the top of the head turns white but they retain the black crest. Immature birds look similar to non-breeding adults but their beak is more yellow and their back may be speckled.

Royal Terns are almost always found near the coast—they don’t visit inland areas often. Royal Terns are expert hunters, hovering and then plunge-diving into the water to catch small fish. Some Royal Terns are resident in the Caribbean and can be found here year-round. They are the largest tern species that breeds in the Caribbean. During the breeding season from May to August, Royal Terns form big colonies on isolated cays and islands to raise their chicks. In the Caribbean, they often share colonies with Sandwich Terns. After chicks hatch, they form large groups called crèches that stay together while parents are off catching food. Parents can recognize their own chicks from the rest of the group by their call!

During the winter their numbers increase as the local residents are joined by migratory individuals from further north in the US. In the winter, you might see flocks of Royal Terns resting or “loafing” on sandy flats near shallow water, mudflats, beaches, docks, or pilings or buoys in the water. Royal Terns are declining in parts of the Caribbean, probably because of loss of breeding habitats and human disturbance. You can help by staying away from nesting colonies during the summer so that parents can safely raise their chicks. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Royal Tern!

Listen to the call of the Royal Tern

The call of the Royal Tern is a rasping high-pitched “Kri-i-ik.”

Puzzle of the Day

Breeding Royal Tern — Royal Terns are large terns with a bright carrot-orange beak and forked tail. During the breeding season they have a black cap and shaggy black crest. (Photo by Beth Hamel)

Nonbreeding Royal Tern in flight — Royal Tern in flight. Note the long pointy wings and large bright orange beak. This tern is in non-breeding plumage – the top of the head is white but it still has a black crest. (Photo by BN Singh)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Royal Terns hunt for small fish by sight, they scan the water looking then dive in to pick out the fish with their beak! Can you also hunt for fish and help the Tern find a meal? There are 10 fish for the hungry Tern to eat. And the locations can be found here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Take a walk at beach or wetland and see if you can spot any terns. 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 Royal Terns! The first video shows a bird with a fish at the water’s edge. The second video shows two birds engaged in pre-copulatory behavior – male standing on the female’s back – which they often do for a few minutes before copulating. Then the male is shown walking around and giving an aggressive display to nearby birds called Aggressive-Upright – the wings are held low and away from the body, and the head is held high with bill up or horizontal. This display may be given when adults are protecting young, when they are walking through or a colony, or when they are approached by other birds during courtship activities.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 18, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 13

Migratory Bird of the Day: Painted Bunting

This small passerine is an amazing rainbow coloured bird! The beautiful multi-coloured male is unmistakable with his blue head, red throat, belly and rump, and bright green back. Males also have a thin red ring around their eyes. As with other buntings these birds have a short conical bill. Females and immature birds are far less colourful—olive-green above and yellowish-green below. Despite their bright colours Painted Buntings might not always be easy to spot, with their habit of hiding amongst the vegetation and staying close to the ground.

Unlike some of the migratory birds we have seen Painted Buntings do not make epic long-distance migrations. They breed in the south-eastern US and then migrate in the fall to spend the winter in the northern Caribbean and Central America. They do not come very far south and start arriving, mainly in the Bahamas and Cuba, from October. They stay until spring and start to head north in April.

Painted Buntings can be found in brush, scrub and grassy areas. There they hunt for insects and spiders or pull the seeds off grasses. If you have a seed feeder you might get a visit from a Painted Bunting. Unfortunately, the beauty of the Painted Bunting has made them long popular as caged birds. Although trapping and international trade has been banned in many countries, birds are still trapped and sold as pets, particularly in Mexico and Cuba. Trapping and loss of their habitat are probably factors in the long-term decline of this species, which is now listed as a “species of concern.” You can help Painted Buntings and other migratory birds by providing various seeds and a source of freshwater in your backyard, and educating others not to keep wild birds as pets. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Painted Bunting!

Listen to the call of the Painted Bunting

The call of the Painted Bunting is a loud “chip” which it might repeat.

Puzzle of the Day

Male Painted Bunting — The brightly coloured male Painted Bunting. It is these beautiful colours that have made this species such a popular cage-bird in some places. And the illegal trade in wild birds has contributed to their decline (Photo Hemant Kishan)

Female Painted Bunting. Although not at colourful as the male she is still recognisable from her bright green colour and short conical beak (Photo by Wildpix)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Find the hidden words in our colourful Painted Bunting word search! All the words are linked to this bird, where they migrate to, where they live and the foods that they eat. How many can you find? Here is the Answer Key!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Take a walk and see if you can spot any migrant 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 Painted Buntings feeding! The first shows the beautiful males foraging on the ground for seeds. In the second an immature bird (which looks a lot like a female) is on some grass eating the grass seeds.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 17, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 12

Migratory Bird of the Day: Blackpoll Warbler

The Blackpoll Warbler is a member of the Parulidae Family, small active songbirds known as wood warblers. Breeding males have a black cap, white cheeks, black malar stripes, and black streaking on the back and sides. Breeding females are more cryptically coloured with olive-gray to olive-yellow upperparts, a dark eye-line, and some streaking. In the fall and winter males are olive above with streaks on the back, and whitish to pale yellow below with blurry streaks on the chest. Females are similar but with reduced streaking. Both sexes have yellow-orange coloured legs and distinctive white wing-bars, which are helpful for identification.

Blackpoll Warblers breed in boreal forest habitat in Alaska and Canada and winter in northern South America. These birds weigh less than 14g, but they make some epic journeys on migration. They can fly nonstop for up to 3 days! In a single flight across the ocean to South America, they can cover over 2,770 km. Not all Blackpoll Warblers make the trip in one go. Many stop over in the Caribbean both in the autumn and spring.On these refueling and resting stops they can be found in many places, such as mangroves, scrubby areas, and woodlands. The total journey made by this tiny bird, from breeding areas to their wintering areas can be over 8,000km. Find out more about their migration here.

Long journeys are tough for such small birds. Before leaving Blackpoll warblers feed until they double their body weight! They eat insects, feeding by picking them off leaves. Blackpoll Warblers migrate at night, sometimes in large numbers. Unfortunately, they are attracted to bright lights. This means they sometimes collide with lighthouses, communication towers, and tall buildings. Long-term monitoring data show that this species, like many other birds, is undergoing a widespread decline. More research is needed on the causes of the decline. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Blackpoll Warbler!

Listen to the call of the Blackpoll Warbler

The calls of the Blackpoll Warbler are a thin high-pitched “zeet-zeet-zeet.”

Puzzle of the Day

Female Blackpoll Warbler during the breeding season. She is olive-yellow and streaked which makes here harder to spot than the male. But notice the bright orange legs, which help identify her as a Blackpoll Warbler (Photo by Hemant Kishan)

Breeding Blackpoll Warbler — Breeding Male Blackpoll Warbler has a distinctive black cap and white face. He also has orange legs. (Photo by Hemant Kishan).

Fall Migration Blackpoll Warbler. Both the male and female become more uniformly olive. But the orange legs and wing bars help to identify them. These amazing little birds travel thousands of kilometres to reach their wintering grounds during the fall migration (Photo by Anthony Levesque).

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Guide the Warbler and Sandpiper safely through their migration in our Migration Maze! Watch out for dangerous hazards like power lines, tall buildings and predators and get the birds to safety in the Caribbean. And here is the Answer Key.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

If you visit a woodland, mangrove or even just a patch of scrubby bush there might be some warblers around to you to spot! They start arriving at around this time of year. 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 female Blackpoll Warbler, foraging for insects. You can see that she is looking for them on the undersides of the leaves. Note the bold white wing bars.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 16, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 11

Migratory Bird of the Day: Lesser Scaup

Moving on from shorebirds, but sticking with the watery theme, today’s migratory bird is a duck. The Lesser Scaup is medium sized for a duck and like many ducks, the male and female look quite different from each other. Males have black heads with purple/ green iridescence, a black neck and breast, white sides and greyish ‘marbled’ looking backs. They also have blue bills and bright yellow eyes. Females are warm chocolate brown, with a white patch that varies in size just behind the bill. Both sexes have a white wing-stripe, which runs half-way along the trailing edge of the upper wing and can be seen as they fly.

The Lesser Scaup is a diving duck that swims and feeds under water. Their bills are shaped like scoops, which helps them dig through soft mud looking for aquatic animals and plants. These ducks have quite a wide breeding range, across Canada and part of the US. They migrate south to spend the winter in warmer areas. They wait until there is ice on the lakes in North America before they begin migration, and they spend the winter farther south than any other diving duck in their species group (Aythya). This means that during November some will arrive in the Caribbean. They are most common in the northern Caribbean, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico, but can be found in other islands too.

When in the Caribbean Lesser Scaups can be found on large open water bodies, either fresh or coastal waters, often in groups. This species is very similar to another duck, the Greater Scaup. The best way to tell them apart is by head shape—the Lesser Scaup’s head is more narrow and egg-shaped with a peak (highest point) near the back of the head, while the head of the Greater Scaup is perfectly round. In addition, the sides and back of the Greater Scaup are lighter and it has a larger black nail on the tip of the bill. Luckily the Greater Scaup is far less common in the Caribbean so there shouldn’t be too many opportunities to mix them up! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Lesser Scaup!

Listen to the call of the Lesser Scaup

The Lesser Scaup is often silent, but the females tend to make more noise than males. You might hear their ‘barking’ calls.

Puzzle of the Day

Female Lesser Scaup are mostly dark brown but with a variable size white patch behind the bill. (photo by Matt Grube)

Male Lesser Scaup – a gorgeous bird with glossy purple-black head and breast, white sides and marbled grey back, blue bill and bright yellow eyes. Note how the narrow head is ‘peaked’ – tallest at the back of the head. This the best way to distinguish it from the Greater Scaup which has a perfectly round head. (Photo by Rick Evets)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Find out more about the Lesser Scaup by looking at this cool information sheet! It has facts about where they breed, when and where they migrate, and a map to help you see just how far they travel. And about what they like to eat!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond or wetland and see if you can find and identify any 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 Lesser Scaup in the wild! The first one shows a group of birds feeding (3 males but one is an immature). Watch them ‘vanish’ under the water to forage and the pop back up with food. In the second video you can see a group of males and females flying. The white patch at the base of the females’ bills is obvious, as is the white stripe in the wings of both the males and females.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 15, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 10

Migratory Bird of the Day: Black-necked Stilt

Unlike many shorebirds, the elegant Black-necked Stilt is instantly recognizable. It has very long stilt-like red-pink legs and is bright white with striking black on the head, neck and back. When it flies you can see its long pink legs trailing out behind. It uses its long thin beak to probe for food in mud and water. This group of shorebirds has the second-longest legs, in relation to its body size, of any bird in the word! Only the flamingos beat them.

This shorebird is resident in the Caribbean and breeds here, especially in parts of the Bahamas, the Virgin and Cayman Islands and Greater Antilles. This means you might see juvenile birds as well as adults. These are often smaller, with paler pink legs, and dark brown, rather than black on their necks and backs. Unlike some of our other migratory shorebirds, Black-necked Stilts may actually become less common in some areas of the Caribbean in the autumn and winter.

When disturbed, Black-necked Stilts are very noisy birds – they sound the alarm with a loud raucous series of notes wit-wit-wit-wit-wit-wit that they give incessantly until the disturbance goes away. Vigilant parents will also dive at predators and feign a broken wing to lead predators away from the nest.

Black-necked Stilts can be found in all sorts of wetlands, inland or by the coast. They use wetland areas to nest as well as to spend the winter. They are very adaptable and will use man-made wetlands such as sewage ponds and rice-fields. They feed by wading through the water, catching aquatic insects, crustaceans and even small frogs and fish! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Black-necked Stilt!

Listen to the call of the Black-necked Stilt

When disturbed, Black-necked Stilt sound the alarm with a loud raucous series of notes wit-wit-wit-wit-wit-wit that they give incessantly until the disturbance goes away.

Puzzle of the Day

Black-necked Stilt and chicks — Black-necked Stilt parent and 4 fluffy chicks – the chicks leave the nest within a day and can feed themselves, but the parents brood them and guard them until they older. (Photo by Rick Evets)

Black-necked Stilts in flight — Black-necked Stilts are impressive in flight with their long pink legs trailing behind and calling loudly as they fly. (Photo by Ray Robles)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Today we have reached the end of our celebration of shorebirds in the Caribbean! We have told you about 10 different species of shorebirds. How many do you know? Remind yourself of each on of these amazing birds by playing our Shorebirds Memory Matching Game. Each time you make a match there will be a short paragraph on the species main ID tips. Don’t forget that some of these birds look different in their breeding plumage compared to their winter plumage! Having trouble seeing all 10 pairs on your screen? Just use the drop-down box in the top right of the screen to reduce the number of pairs. FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the videos below of Black-necked Stilts. In the first one you can see a Black-necked Stilt using it’s long legs to wade into deep water, and plunging in its head to look for food. In the second video a flock of Black-necked Stilts take flight; notice their striking black and white plumage and their long legs trailing behind them!
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 14, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 9

Migratory Bird of the Day: Greater Yellowlegs

There is no mystery as to where this elegant, fairly large shorebird got its name. The long, bright yellow legs are a real give-away when identifying this bird. But take care not to mix it up with its smaller cousin the Lesser Yellowlegs! To pick out the Greater Yellowlegs, as well as the larger size, look for the relatively longer beak, sometimes slightly upturned. Also overall look Greater Yellowlegs look a bit chunkier. Greater Yellowlegs are mottled grey above and white on the belly. You will often hear their three to four ringing note “Kiu-Kiu-Kiu” calls, which are another great way to be sure you got the right species ID. (Lesser Yellowlegs usually give only 2 notes and the call is sharper and more clipped.) Greater Yellowlegs breed in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, in bogs and marshes. They start arriving in the Caribbean from August. Greater Yellowlegs are most commonly seen on their southward migration through until October. Some will continue on to South America, but others will spend the winter here. Greater Yellowlegs can be found in wetlands, both freshwater and on the coast. They show up in rice-fields, mud flats and on mangrove edges. They love to wade into the water, searching for small fish, crustaceans and snails. Sometimes this means you cannot see their yellow legs! In some parts of the Caribbean, hunters shoot Greater Yellowlegs and other shorebirds. But, one of the main threats to Greater Yellowlegs is the ongoing loss of wetland habitats, in the places it spends the winter. Making sure that wetlands in the Caribbean are preserved will help this species and many others find safe, food-rich places either to refuel on migration or to spend the winter. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Greater Yellowlegs!

Listen to the call of the Greater Yellowlegs

The Greater Yellowlegs call is a strident three or four-note “Kiu-Kiu-Kiu.“

Puzzle of the Day

Greater Yellowlegs with tiny fish — Greater Yellowlegs. One of the main threats to Greater Yellowlegs is the ongoing loss of wetland habitats, in the places it spends the winter (Photo by Jeff Gerbracht)

Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. The difference in size is apparent if you see them side by side, but when they are alone, it is difficult to judge the bird’s size! In this case, the best ID tip is to use the length of the bill relative to the head size. If it is about equal (1:1), then it is a Lesser Yellowlegs. If it is clearly longer than the head width (about 1.5 to 1), then it is likely a Greater Yellowlegs. (Photo by Anthony VanSchoor)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Migrating shorebirds spend lots of their time flying. Remember that Whimbrels can fly for up to 6 days without stopping! You can make your own flying shorebird, with this flight animator. Just follow the instructions to get your shorebird flying! FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the videos below of feeding Greater Yellowlegs. The first video show a bird feeding, as this species often does, in shallow and sometimes deep water, probing and swishing its long beak from side to side to stir up the water and feel for its prey. The second video is longer and shows a useful comparison of Greater Yellowlegs with Lesser Yellowlegs. You can also hear the 3-4 note call tew tew tew that the Greater Yellowlegs often gives when alarmed or taking flight.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 12, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 8

Migratory Bird of the Day: Piping Plover

This small, plump, sand-colored shorebird has orange legs and a short stubby beak. In the spring and summer this beak has an orange base and birds have a black band all or part of the way around their neck and breast. In the autumn and winter the beak is usually all black and some birds completely lose the band on their breast. They make a high-pitched whistling call. Piping Plovers do not go as far south as some shorebirds and mainly spend the winter in the Northern Caribbean. The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Cuba are important wintering grounds. During the autumn and winter Piping Plovers can be found in sandy places at the water’s edge. Here they look for worms, insects and mollusks to eat. They can be seen quickly running in search of food and suddenly stopping when they find something. Piping Plovers breed in North America. Developments on beaches and lake shores mean Piping Plovers have lost some of their breeding habitat. This means Piping Plovers are now far less common than they used to be. Nesting areas on beaches are now often protected from disturbance to try to help the population increase. Making sure they also have safe places to feed and rest in the Caribbean during the winter is also important. You can find out more about a year in the life of Piping Plover including an important discovery in the Bahamas. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Piping Plover!

Listen to the call of the Piping Plover

The Piping Plover’s call is rather soft whistling “peep”

Puzzle of the Day

Breeding Piping Plover. Piping Plovers breed in North America. Developments on beaches and lake shores mean Piping Plovers have lost some of their breeding habitat (Photo by BN Singh)

Non-breeding Piping Plover. . During the autumn and winter Piping Plovers can be found in sandy places at the water’s edge. Here they look for worms, insects and mollusks to eat. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Over the last week we have met a few different types of Plovers. Can you remember what each one looked like? Test you knowledge by trying the match pictures of each Plover species to their names. Try looking back at previous days for tips on what each Plover looked like! And find the Answer Key here. FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the videos below of Piping Plovers in different types of plumage. The first show a Piping Plover spending the winter in the Caribbean (Cuba). The second video was filmed in April and you can see what Piping Plovers look like in breeding plumage. In both you can see how ’round’ and plump looking these birds are!
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 11, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 7

Migratory Bird of the Day: Wilson’s Plover

The Wilson’s Plover is a high spirited, medium-sized shorebird, with a distinctive thick black beak. In fact, this species is sometimes called the “Thick-billed Plover.”

This plover has pale legs and large eyes. Breeding adults are medium brown coloured on the back, and white on the belly, with a single breast band that is blackish in males and brownish in females. During the winter the male’s black breast band turns brown and they start to look more like females.

Wilson’s Plovers will give loud, sharp, “wheep” and “whip” alarm calls, especially during the breeding season. And they perform convincing “broken-wing” displays in an attempt to lure potential predators away from their nests.

Wilson’s Plovers live on the coast and can be found on beaches and at the edges of lagoons and ponds. They breed across a wide area, from the U.S. south Atlantic coast into South America. Wilson’s Plovers can be found in the northern part of the Caribbean during most months of the year and across the Caribbean during the winter months.

Many Wilson’s Plovers live in places with year-round warm weather. This means they are only medium-distance migrants, with only those birds breeding furthest North in the range moving South in winter. Many of the Wilson’s Plovers in the Caribbean are resident and breed here.

One of the Wilson’s Plover’s favourite foods is the fiddler crab. They watch for them, and then run and lunge, capturing them with their large, strong beaks. With their large eyes and amazing eyesight, they can hunt during both day and night. They teach their chicks to hunt for fiddler crabs at about three weeks old.

The Wilson’s Plover is listed in the U.S. as a Species of High Concern, as it is in apparent decline. Loss of habitat and human disturbance to nesting areas are the primary threats to this species. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Wilson’s Plover!

Listen to the call of the Wilson’s Plover

The Wilson’s Plover’s call is sharp “Whit” whistle, which it often repeats.

Puzzle of the Day

Female Wilson's Plover — Female Wilson’s Plover. The Wilson’s Plover is listed in the U.S. as a Species of High Concern, as it is in apparent decline. Loss of habitat and human disturbance to nesting areas are the primary threats to this species. (Photo by Margo Zdravkovic)

Male Wilson's Plover — Male Wilson’s Plover. During the winter the male’s black breast band turns brown and they start to look more like females. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Fiddler Crabs are one of the Wilson’s Plovers favourite foods. They learn how to hunt for them from their parents when they are just three weeks old! Join up the dots and help the Wilson’s Plover find a tasty crab to eat. FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the videos below of Wilson’s Plovers at the beach! In the first you can see the difference between the male (with it’s black breast band) and female (the breast band it brown). The second shows a Wilson’s Plover eating a crab- it’s favourite food.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 10, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 6

Migratory Bird of the Day: Whimbrel

Whimbrels are shorebirds that are easy to identify from their large size and long down-curved bills. They are mottled brown in colour, with long legs and a longish neck. The name ‘Whimbrel’ in English is probably an interpretation of the distinctive rippling whistling calls they give.

Whimbrels like most types of wetlands, from ponds, to swamps, marshes, mudflats and sometimes beaches. They love to eat crabs, digging them out of their burrows with that long curved bill. They also eat fish, aquatic worms, insects, and berries.

The Whimbrels that we see on migration in the Caribbean will have travelled all the way from breeding areas in Alaska and Canada. They can fly non-stop for up to 6 days! The best time to see Whimbrels in the Caribbean is during September. They can show up anywhere in the region but you might only see one or two at a time. They can be more numerous in some places in Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Like so many shorebirds, sadly Whimbrels numbers are in decline. They are threatened by hunting and habitat loss, meaning conserving Caribbean wetlands is so important for helping birds like Whimbrels. Especially because some Whimbrels will spend the whole winter in the Caribbean. A satellite tagged Whimbrel, named ‘Hope’ did just that, spending several winters on Great Pond on St. Croix. Hope’s migration story helped to ensure the future of her winter home on St. Croix. You can find out about Hope in the children’s story she inspired called “Hope is Here!” by Cristina Kessler and Marcos Castillo. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Whimbrel!

Listen to the call of the Whimbrel

The Whimbrel’s call is a rapid series of piping notes “whee-whee-whee-whee” that sound slurred and merge together.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

For KIDS: Find the hidden words in our shorebird themed word search! All the words are names for types of shorebirds, words linked to their migration, where they live and the foods that they eat. How many can you find? Here is the Answer Key.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the video below of a Whimbrel looking for food on a sandy beach in December. You can see it using it’s long beak to find and pull a crab out of the sand! You will also notice how large the Whimbrel is compared to the smaller shorebirds running past it. These pale-coloured birds are Sanderlings who also turn up in the Caribbean in the winter.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 9, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 5

Migratory Bird of the Day: Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Plovers are small, stocky shorebirds with medium brown upperparts, white underparts, short stubby bills, and a dark band around their neck and breast. Their legs are orange, and so is the base of their beak; although this fades to black by winter. They look very similar to Piping Plovers, but are a warmer brown colour. The name ‘Semipalmated’ comes from the fact they have slightly webbed toes that they can use to swim short distances.

Semipalmated Plovers breed in the arctic and the far north of the US and Canada. They arrive in the Caribbean in the autumn. Some will venture further south, but many of them will spend the winter here, in tidal areas, salt ponds, beaches, and mudflats. They feed on marine worms, crustaceans, and small mollusks.

Scientists in Brazil noticed that Semipalmated Plovers use something called ‘foot-trembling’ to get food. They stand still on one leg, and shake the other leg very fast, with their foot in the mud. This makes any worms of crustaceans move, which means the Plover can spot them more easily and gobble them up.

Semipalmated Plovers like to flock together for safety and you might spot large groups of them feeding together. As well as their own kind, Semipalmated Plovers are also happy to mix with other shorebird species out on the mud or sand. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Semipalmated Plover!

Listen to the call of the Semipalmated Plover

The Semipalmated Plover’s call is a piping two-note “tu-ee.”

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

For KIDS: Make your own shorebirds! Download the pieces and then cut out and assemble these two cute shorebirds. You can use them to imagine the long journeys shorebirds like these make and the adventures they might have on the way!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the videos below of Semipalmated Plovers feeding. In the first, filmed in April, the bird is starting to get it’s breeding plumage. This video shows well the ‘run and stop” feeding method of plovers – will see it looking for food items running and then stopping to feed. In the second video (with Spanish commentary) the bird is in it’s winter plumage and can be seen using ‘foot-trembling’ to find food.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 8, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 4

Migratory Bird of the Day: Red Knot

Depending on the time of year you see this shorebird its name will either make perfect sense or leave you confused. During the spring and summer it is bright rusty red on the chest and belly. But, in the autumn it gradually replaces its feathers. By winter it becomes white underneath and pale grey above. This medium size shorebird, is chunky looking with a mid-length beak (for a shorebird).

Red Knots are most likely to be in the Caribbean during the autumn and are more common on some islands, like Barbados. They stop on their way to wintering areas much further south. You are most likely to find Red knots on the coast, in tidal sandy or muddy areas. They like to hang out in groups together and with other species of shorebird. They feed mainly on small mollusks in the winter, but also eat marine worms and small crabs.

Red Knots breed in the far north, in the Arctic. They can spend the winter as far south as the southern most tip of South America.This means they make some amazing migratory journeys of tens of thousands of miles overall! Red Knots gather in large groups in some places during autumn and winter; this makes them vulnerable to threats like sea-level rise and hunting. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Red Knot!

Listen to the call of the Red Knot

The Red Knot is often silent but sometimes makes a soft “chunt chunt” call

Puzzle of the Day

Red Knot in Winter Plumage. Red Knots breed in the far north, in the Arctic. They can spend the winter as far south as the southern most tip of South America. This means they make some amazing migratory journeys of tens of thousands of miles overall! (Photo by Beth Hamel)

Breeding Red Knot n the autumn it gradually replaces its feathers to become gray all over. (Photo by Rick Evets)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Shorebirds are one of the most difficult groups of birds to learn to ID, but with a little practice and time in the field, you will soon be able to ID the most common species. We’ve put together some helpful tips of things to look for. You can download a PDF of this file here for printing. For long-term use in the field, print on card stock and laminate.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the videos below of Red Knots feeding on the beach. In the first you will notice traces on the red plumage that give this birds its name, this bird is still in between breeding and winter plumage. In the second video the birds look grey above and pale below, they are in full winter plumage.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

September 7, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 3

Migratory Bird of the Day: Spotted Sandpiper

The name of this medium-sized shorebird comes from its breeding plumage, when it has dark brown spots scattered across it’s white chest and belly. Even during the winter when this bird loses its spots and is brown above and white below it is still easy to recognize. Look for the orange at the base of its mid-length beak and shortish yellow legs. Spotted Sandpipers also give us other clues as to who they are in the way they behave. They constantly ‘bob’ their tails up and down, and often look like they are teetering forward. They also have a distinctive rapid ‘flap, flap, glide’ flight, holding their wings out stiffly as they go.

Spotted Sandpipers breed in a wide area of Canada and the US and start arriving across the Caribbean from August. They will spend the winter here and can be found at the water’s edge. This might be on a beach, at a mangrove, by a stream, or even in farmland like rice fields. Here they are likely to be alone and will be looking for insects, crustaceans or worms to eat.

For most migratory birds the male arrives first in the breeding area and claims a territory. But for Spotted Sandpipers it is the females that do this. Males then do most of the care for the eggs and the chicks. Some females might even lay several clutches of eggs, each with a different male! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Spotted Sandpiper!

Listen to the call of the Spotted Sandpiper

The Spotted Sandpiper‘s call is a piping “we-weet” which it might repeat several times.

Puzzle of the Day

Spotted Sandpiper in Winter Plumage. This species They constantly ‘bobs’ its tail up and down, and often looks like it is teetering forward. (Photo by Darlene Friedman)

Breeding Spotted Sandpiper — Breeding plumage Spotted Sandpiper. You can see the when dark brown spots scattered across it’s white chest and belly that give the bird its name. (Photo by Paul Reeves)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Help us celebrate World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9) with our new Snowy Plover colouring book, Color and Protect the Snowy Plover! Colour in each page and learn all about Snowy Plovers in the Caribbean, the threats they face, and how you can protect them.
Download the English version here
Download the Spanish version here

To see more images from the colouring book and learn more about the artist, click here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the video below of a Spotted Sandpiper characteristically ‘bobbing’ its tail up and down! You can also see some of the spots which give this bird its name.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats, and conservation actions you can take.

September 5, 2020

New Coloring Book: Color and Protect the Snowy Plover – English and Spanish!

Cover of the New Coloring Book: Color and Protect the Snowy Plover, illustrations by Josmar Marquez, text by Josmar et al. Produced by BirdsCaribbean for World Shorebirds Day, September 3 to 9, 2020

We’re excited to share with you a new coloring book: Color and Protect the Snowy Plover. The coloring book was created by talented artist and naturalist, Josmar Esteban-Márquez, in honor of this year’s World Shorebirds Day celebration (3 to 9 September).

Josmar created this coloring book to provide a fun resource for kids to learn about Snowy Plovers—small gray-brown and white shorebirds that live on Caribbean beaches and salt flats. The coloring book highlights how vulnerable these birds are to disturbance and predation, and how each of us must take care not to step on or trample their nests or disturb them when they are breeding.

Josmar studies and monitors shorebirds on offshore islands and cays of Venezuela. He bands migratory and resident shorebirds to learn more about their movements, habitat use, survival, and population size.

Josmar is also a passionate conservationist. He is well aware of the many threats to shorebirds and is doing all he can to raise awareness about how special these birds are and how everyone can help to protect them. Josmar takes youth of all ages birding, creates amazing bird art murals with kids, and holds community festivals to celebrate shorebirds.

A newly marked Snowy Plover. (Photo by Antonio Ros)

The Coloring book is available for free download in English and Spanish. We anticipate having a French version available soon. Enjoy the coloring book story and illustrations with your kids and download pages or the whole book for your child to color in. Learn more about Snowy Plovers here.

Snowy Plover Coloring Book in English
Snowy Plover Coloring Book in Spanish

A young Snowy Plover chick and egg on the beach of Coche Island. (Photo by Antonio Ros)

September 4, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 2

Migratory Bird of the Day: Ruddy Turnstone

It is easy to see how this shorebird got its name, with its rufous-brown feathers and a habit of turning rocks and stones over with its beak to find food. These charismatic birds can be found feeding in groups in rocky areas of shoreline, mudflats and on beaches. Turnstones are quite striking. In addition to those rufous feathers, they have black or brown patches on their chest and head, a short pointed black beak and rather short bright orange legs. In winter the ‘ruddy’ feathers become duller brown. When Turnstones take flight you can see their brown and white stripey backs. You might also hear their cackling ‘katakak’ call as they take off. Ruddy Turnstones breed mainly in the arctic and fly south for the winter. Like many other shorebirds, they can fly thousands of miles in only a few days when on migration. They normally turn up in the Caribbean in August and can stay until May. During this time, they can be found throughout the Caribbean. As well as beaches they are sometimes found on man-made structures like jetties and piers. Some Turnstones will travel through the Caribbean and go even further, to spend the winter as far south as Argentina. Turnstones feed mainly on snails, crustaceans and insects, but they are not fussy and are even known to sometimes eat fallen fruit. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Ruddy Turnstone!

Download the page from Endemic 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 @WorldShorebirdsDay #WMBD2020Carib #WorldShoreBirdsDay

Listen to the call of the Ruddy Turnstone

The Ruddy Turnstone’s call is a cackling “katakak” often given as they take flight.

Puzzle of the Day

Ruddy Turnstone in flight, showing the stripes on its back (Photo by Maikel Cañizares)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Complete our Crossword Puzzle: All about Migratory Birds! How many words can you fill in? Be sure to read the introduction pages from our Migratory Birds of the West Indies colouring book, to help find the clues to the puzzle. And here is a the Answer Key to the puzzle. FOR KIDS & ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the videos below of Ruddy Turnstones! The birds in the first video are in their winter plumage, looking for food amongst the seaweed on a beach in Cuba, in January. The second video shows the feeding method that these birds use and for which they are named—turning over stones, shells, and other items on the beach in search of invertebrate foods in the sand.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats, and conservation actions you can take.

August 31, 2020

Birds Connect Our World – Day 1

Migratory Bird of the Day: Black-bellied Plover

This stocky looking shorebird gets its name from its breeding plumage, when it has a striking black chest, face and belly. When we see it on its journey south there might still be traces of this black, but by winter it has all gone, and birds look a bit plain and grey. In fact, in some parts of its wide range this species is called a ‘Grey Plover’, but look out for their black ‘wingpits’ when they fly – this will help you clinch the ID. Black-bellied Plovers breed mainly in the Arctic but come south for the winter. They pass through the Caribbean on their way to their wintering areas even further south, although some stay for the winter on our beaches. Scientists have tracked their migration south, and found plovers can fly incredibly long distances over water. One bird made its way all the way from Newfoundland, Canada to the coast of Brazil in a single flight! As birds make their way south in autumn they can mainly be found on mudflats and beaches. Black-bellied Plovers tend to feed ‘alone’ and not in a flock with other Black-bellied Plovers. They feed by sight and can be seen making short runs across the mud, then stopping to pick up a tasty worm, snail, or perhaps a crustacean. Listen for their loud mournful sounding whistling calls. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Black-bellied Plover!

Listen to the call of the Black-bellied Plover

The Black-bellied Plover’s call is a single plaintive klee and also a klee-a-lee.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: When you know the parts of of a bird, you can draw it and describe it. Learning the parts can also help you colour them in. Each part has a different name. Study this sheet first with the names of the bird parts filled in on the page. Then try your hand at filling in the parts on this sheet – how many can you remember? FOR KIDS AND ADULTS:

Visit a pond, wetland or nearby beach and see how many different shorebirds and waterbirds you can find and identify. Use a bird field guide or the FREE Merlin bird ID app to help you identify the birds you are seeing.
If you’re able, do a count of the species that you see – learn more about counting waterbirds and the Caribbean waterbird Census at this link. Learn more about World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count (September 3 to 9, 2020) at this link.
Enjoy the two videos below of a Black-bellied Plover in the wild! In the first video, the bird is in its grey winter plumage, feeding on some mud and finding a juicy worm to eat. The second video shows a Black-bellied Plover in the autumn, showing some patches of the black which give it its name. This bird is moulting into winter plumage, when it will become completely pale on its chest and belly by winter.
Visit MigratoryBirdDay.org for many more free activities and resources to learn about migratory birds, their threats and conservation actions you can take.

August 20, 2020

Announcing a New Book: Birds of the UK Overseas Territories

Birds of the UK Overseas Territories has just been published! The book explores the birds and other wildlife of each of the 14 UKOTs with a particular focus on environmental threats and conservation issues. Six Overseas Territories are within our region: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos. Many BirdsCaribbean members have helped produce the detailed accounts.

The recently (July 2020) published Birds of the UK Overseas Territories includes detailed accounts of the biodiversity of 14 of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) with an emphasis on their avifauna. Although the UKOTs are spread around the globe, of great interest to BirdsCaribbean members will be the chapters on Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

In terms of global biodiversity, these territories are remarkably significant. Among landscapes that range from coral atolls, through mangroves and dry forests to the ice sheets of Antarctica, the UKOTs support no fewer than 45 species of birds currently considered to be globally threatened. They are also home to a third of all the world’s breeding albatrosses, and nine of the world’s 17 species of penguin.

In a rapidly changing world, the UKOTs symbolise global crises in climate and biodiversity. Threats faced by their wildlife range from mortality of seabirds at sea through industrial fisheries, and on land as a result of introduced ground predators to the utter devastation of hurricanes in the Caribbean—which provide a stark reminder of our changing climate. The human impact on the wildlife of our planet has been increasing for centuries, but the next few decades promise to be critical.

This book explores the birds and other wildlife of each of the 14 UKOTs, with a particular focus on environmental threats and conservation priorities. Written by authors with a deep connection to the sites, this book represents an important stocktake of the biological richness of these special places in the early 21st century.

Lavishly illustrated with photos and maps it is well worth purchasing especially as all profits go to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ (RSPB) conservation work throughout the UKOTs.

White-tailed Tropicbird by Andrew Dobson — A beautiful White-tailed Tropicbird – a common site on some Caribbean rocky coast lines. (photo by Andrew Dobson)

Birds of the UK Overseas Territories – edited by Roger Riddington.

Published by T & AD Poyser

ISBN: 9781472977267 (Paperback)

ISBN: 9781472977250 (Hardback)

For purchase from the following vendors:

Amazon Smile: Remember to use smile.amazon.com and designate BirdsCaribbean as your charity to support when making purchases from Amazon (a portion of your purchases comes to us – every little bit helps!).

Barnes & Noble: Available here in Paperback and Nook

NHBS (Natural History Book Service): If you’re in the UK or Europe, shop here.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron in Bermuda by Andrew Dobson — Yellow-crowned Night Heron in Bermuda (photo by Andrew Dobson)

Authors of Caribbean UKOT chapters – you may recognize some familiar names. Congrats to our colleagues on this great achievement!

Anguilla – Steve Holliday, Karim Hodge, Farah Mukhida, Clarissa Lloyd, James Millett, Louise Soanes

Bermuda – Andrew Dobson, Jeremy Madeiros

British Virgin Islands – Clive Petrovic, Louise Soanes, Nancy Woodfield Pascoe, Susan Zaluski

Cayman Islands – Patricia Bradley

Montserrat – Steffan Oppel, Gerard Gray, James Daly, Stephen Mendes, Calvin Fenton, Gemma Galbraith, Shawn Daniel, James Millett.

Turks and Caicos islands – Kathleen Wood

August 8, 2020

From the Nest – Day 50

Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us in our virtual “From the Nest” edition! Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.

Endemic Bird of the Day: White-chinned Thrush

Walk along any wooded road or trail in Jamaica and you will probably spot a medium-sized dark bird hopping along, with its tail cocked up. This will be a White-chinned Thrush, one of the most common Jamaican endemic birds. It is found in the lowlands, mountains, gardens, and woodlands.

Look again to confirm your identification and you will note a dark grey-black body, bright orange legs and bill, and tiny white epaulettes on the wings. Do not expect to see the white chin; it is so small that you can barely make it out even if you are using binoculars. There are similar looking endemic thrushes in similar habitats in the forests of several other islands, including the Red-legged Thrushes of the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Dominica. Most of them have much more obvious white or spotted patches below their bills.

The local name – Hopping Dick – is much more descriptive. Hopping is what this bird does! Look for it bouncing over grasses and twigs on the margins of forest patches or along the larger branches of trees as it forages for insects, worms, snails, lizards, berries and seeds. As it hops along, it frequently pauses, looking around to check for predators.

Hopping is supposedly more energy efficient for small birds, such as grassquits and warblers that feed in grasses or fine twigs. Larger birds, such as doves and crows, usually walk as they feed on the forest floor or on large branches. Some thrushes feed mostly on the ground, others mainly in trees. Some hop, some walk and others do both. The White-eyed Thrush, Jamaica’s other endemic thrush, is rarely seen on the ground.

Why is the White-chinned Thrush known as Hopping Dick? It comes from the name “Dicky Bird” – the collective name for common garden birds in the seventeenth century, when many small birds in Jamaica were first named by the British. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the White-chinned Thrush!

Download the page from Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the drawing above or photo below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest

Listen to the song of the White-chinned Thrush

The White-chinned Thrush has a variable musical song in the breeding season, also a shrill whistle p’lice, p’lice and a repeated chicken-like clucking.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Check out the two short videos of the White-chinned Thrush in Jamaica. The first one shows a bird with a small lizard in its beak. In the second video, a parent is feeding its tiny naked chick with insects. Videos by AvesPuertoRico Felpe.

July 28, 2020

Birds of the West Indies – Second Edition now available!

July 27, 2020

From the Nest – Day 49

Endemic Bird of the Day: Hispaniolan Parrot

Are those treetops extra loud or is it just us? No, it’s the Hispaniolan Parrot! Known as the Cotorra in Spanish and the Jako or Jacquot in Haiti, these birds often travel in large groups squawking and screeching as they hunt for ripe fruits. Their bright green plumage works well as camouflage as they forage in tropical treetops. The Hispaniolan Parrot is one of the smallest parrots in the genus, Amazona, measuring in at only 28-31 cm. These charismatic birds are brilliant green with a maroon belly, white forehead, light blue headband, pale beak, dark blue cheek patches, and red in the tail. Their bright blue flight feathers help to distinguish them from the similar Hispaniolan Parakeet in flight.

Hispaniolan Parrots are endemic to the island of Hispaniola and are currently listed as Vulnerable. They live in a variety of wooded habitats, from arid palm-savanna to pine and montane humid forest. They typically nest in tree cavities, laying 2 to 4 eggs during the February to June breeding season. Formerly common throughout the island, Hispaniolan Parrots are now much reduced in numbers and locally common only in major forest reserves. Their population decline is due to loss of habitat from deforestation and illegal capture for the local and international pet trade. In addition, these birds forage in cultivated crops and are shot as crop pests.

In the Dominican Republic it is illegal to keep these birds as pets, but the presence of parrots in Dominican households is not uncommon. The government has made a strong effort to seize illegal birds and rehabilitate them in the Santo Domingo Zoo. NGOs and community groups have carried out education campaigns. Some poaching still continues, however, with chicks robbed from nests at a young age and sold as pets. This activity also destroys nest sites because nesting trees are often cut down to reach the chicks.

Fortunately, Dominican conservation groups have led the way in efforts to involve local communities in helping to protect wild populations. Farmers and people living in rural areas often have the best knowledge of the local flora and fauna, including where birds like parrots are known to nest. These people are hired as park rangers and provided monetary incentives to ensure breeding parrots in the area fledge chicks. This not only protects parrots when they are most vulnerable, but also gives communities more ownership and pride in hosting these unique parrots on their farms. You can do your part to help conserve parrots by educating others and supporting conservation of their forest habitat. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Hispaniolan Parrot!

Listen to the call of the Hispaniolan Parrot

The Hispaniolan Parrot‘s has a wide variety of loud squawks and screeches and 2-syllable bugling flight calls. Dominicans will commonly refer to Hispaniolan Parrots as “cú-ca”, in reference to one of the their most common sounds and calls.

Puzzle of the Day

Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!

Hispaniolan Parrot eating seeds. — Hispaniolan Parrots eat a wide variety of fruits and seeds, especially palms, cacti, Caesalpinia, and guava. They help to regenerate forests by dispersing seeds. (Photo by Dax Roman)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Don’t miss this excellent short video about the Hispaniolan Parrot featuring Dr. Yolanda Leon, Executive Director of Grupo Jaragua. This conservation group is working hard to save the parrot and other invaluable biodiversity in the Dominican Republic.

The Caribbean is home to 9 species of endemic parrots – how many do you know? Test your knowledge and learn more about these special birds with our fun Caribbean Parrot Memory Match Game.

July 15, 2020

From the Nest – Day 48

Endemic Bird of the Day: Scaly-naped Pigeon

The Scaly-Naped Pigeon is a large, forest-dwelling pigeon that occurs throughout the Caribbean, except for Jamaica and the Bahamas. It feeds on seeds, fruits, leaf buds, and snails. It is arboreal, feeding in forest canopies. But it will feed opportunistically on the ground, such as on farms or following forest destruction by hurricanes. It is 14 to 16 inches in height. This pigeon, like others, are important seed dispersers, which means that they help us by spreading seeds around to plant trees.

The Scaly-naped Pigeon is commonly found perched high in trees, that is, if you can find it! In many islands, they are skittish, probably due to hunting pressures. They can be detected by their distinctive, melodic, and maybe even wary, Who Are You? call as they peer down from the safety and cover of tall, forest trees. Sometimes, you may only hear the flapping sounds of their wings as they flee the scene to a different, undisturbed location. In other islands though, Scaly-naped Pigeons are at ease with the human population and in built-up areas. For example, they are easily seen on the Grenadine islands shared between Saint Vincent and Grenada, and are affectionately known by the locals as Ramier.

At a distance, Scaly-Naped Pigeons appear entirely slate gray in colour. At closer range you can see that the head, neck and breast are purple-red, with gorgeous iridescence on the hind neck when the sun hits just right. The neck feathers also grow in a scaly-looking pattern thus giving rise to that description in both its common and scientific name (squamosa means scaly). Scaly-Naped Pigeons can also be identified by their red legs, red eyes, and red at the base of their light-coloured beaks. Their red eyes are surrounded by a patch of bare yellow skin.

The Scaly-naped Pigeon is common on some islands, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and some islands of the Lesser Antilles. It is less common on others due to lack of habitat or hunting pressure. It calls from January to July, with peak calls occurring with the fruiting of preferred tree species. The nest is a loose, stick platform constructed on a tree limb, epiphyte, or occasionally on the ground. The female lays 1 or 2 glossy, white eggs and incubates for about two weeks. The young fledge in 18 to 22 days. Local Names: Red-necked Pigeon, Red Head, Blue Pigeon, Mountain Pigeon, Paloma Turca, Torcaza Cuellimorada, Ramier, Ranmye Koa Wouj, Pigeon a Cou Rouge, Ramier Cou Rouge, Grote Blauwe Duif. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Scaly-naped Pigeon!

Listen to the song of the Scaly-naped Pigeon

The Scaly-naped Pigeon‘s song is a an emphatic cruu. . . cruu-cru-cruuuu…cruu. . . cruu-cru-cruuuu … with the heaviest accent on the fourth syllable. The first syllable is soft and separated by a pause. The last three syllables are repeated and sound like Who are you! It also gives a low-pitched rolling call rhurrrrrrrrrr.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: The Caribbean has many species of pigeons and doves – how many do you know? Become more familiar with these beautiful birds with our fun Caribbean Pigeons and Doves Memory Match Game.

Play free online here.

Enjoy this short video of two Scaly-naped Pigeons in Christchurch, Barbados, feeding on palm fruits.

July 7, 2020

From the Nest – Day 47

Endemic Bird of the Day: La Selle Thrush

The La Selle Thrush is close cousins with the American Robin. Both belong to the genus Turdus – the true thrushes. The genus has 84 species worldwide, including five in the Caribbean: White-eyed, White-chinned, Red-legged, Forest, and the extinct Grand Cayman Thrush. The handsome La Selle Thrush, found only on the island of Hispaniola, is one of the most secretive. This bird is so elusive that scientists didn’t even know it existed until 1927. An expedition to southeast Haiti first found it atop the 2,000m high La Selle ridge, from which it takes its name.

To see this rare bird, you will need to climb up to the dense wet broadleaf forests high in the mountains above 1,300 m (~4000 ft). With an early start and a bit of luck, at first light you will hear the slow, well-spaced phrases of the La Selle Thrush’s wistful song. As it perches on a mossy branch or hops into view, you will see how its jet black head, back, and wings contrast with its bright orange bill and yellow eye ring. Its black upper parts fade to slaty gray on its upper breast and a rich reddish-rufous on its lower breast and sides. Despite its well-earned reputation as a shy skulker, this bird will sometimes come out in a forest opening. Like other thrushes, it forages on the ground, eating insects, earthworms, and fruit.

The La Selle Thrush lives in wet and cloud forest habitats in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It is listed as Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN because its population size is small, fragmented and declining. The main threat is loss of habitat from cutting of trees for agriculture and charcoal production. More frequent and severe droughts from climate change is another challenge for the long-term survival of these ancient forests and their wildlife.

Society and decision makers must recognize the immense value of mountain forests and protect them to save the La Selle Thrush. You can help by educating yourself and others and advocating for the conservation of nature. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the La Selle Thrush!

Listen to the song of the La Selle Thrush

The La Selle Thrush‘s song is a series of deliberate and spaced out notes tu-re-oo and cho-ho-cho. Also heard singing in the distance is a Rufous-throated Solitaire and a calling Hispaniolan Woodpecker.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Here’s a short video of the handsome La Selle Thrush hopping on the ground in Pedernales, Dominican Republic.

July 2, 2020

From the Nest – Day 46

Endemic Bird of the Day: Cuban Grassquit

The Cuban Grassquit, called Tomeguin del Pinar in Cuba, is a very small (11.5 cm) seed-eating bird with a conical bill. The male has a black face ringed with a bright yellow collar. He is olive green above and grayish below with a black patch on the breast. The female is similar but duller with a chestnut and gray face and no black breast patch.

The Cuban Grassquit is endemic to Cuba and widespread across the island in coastal scrub, woodlands, pine forests, and thickets near cultivated fields. Because of their bright colors and beautiful song, many people want to keep these birds as pets. Sadly, this has led to a tremendous decline in numbers of this species due to illegal trapping for the caged bird trade, including much international trade. In areas where they were abundant 20 years ago, they have completely disappeared. Conservation partners in Cuba are working on education campaigns to discourage trapping and keeping these birds as pets. Loss of habitat from deforestation is also a problem.

During the non-breeding season, Cuban Grassquits are usually in flocks with Yellow-faced Grassquits, feeding on seeds, small fruits, and plant shoots. In the breeding season, from March to October, flocks divide into pairs. The nest is a large globular mass of woven dried grass built near the ground, with a side entrance. Females lay 2-3 eggs that are white with brown spots. Both parents feed the nestlings.

The Cuban Grassquit is also found on the island of New Providence, in the Bahamas, where it was introduced in 1963. An airplane carrying a cage of Cuban Grassquits from Cuba to Europe landed in Nassau with mechanical problems. Before the plan could continue on its route, the birds were beginning to die so the cage was opened to release the birds. Cuban Grassquits are now common on New Providence. Because they are non-migratory they have not spread to other islands. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Cuban Grassquit!

Listen to the song of the Cuban Grassquit

The Cuban Grassquit‘s song is a shrill tsit-tsit-tilloi, or chiri wichiwichi, chiri wichiwichi, chibiri wichi wichi. Pairs also sing in duet as courtship and against territorial rivals. The call is a soft chip or high tsit, often repeated.

Puzzle of the Day

Female Cuban Grassquit — Cuban Grassquit female – she is similar to the male but duller. Her face is mostly chestnut brown instead of black and she does not have a black patch on the breast. (Photo by Rick Evets)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Enjoy the videos of a Cuban Grassquit below. The first two videos show a male and female perched on a branch in Cuba by Cuban bird guide and author of the Birds of Cuba, Arturo Kirkconnell. The third video shows lovely close-up footage of a male foraging for seeds on the ground.

June 26, 2020

From the Nest – Day 45

Endemic Bird of the Day: Sad Flycatcher

Sometimes one can get a bad name through no fault of one’s own. In this respect the Sad Flycatcher must be one of the unluckiest birds in Jamaica and perhaps the world. Rufous-tailed Flycatchers have Rufous-tails. Ring-tailed Pigeons have rings on their tails. But there is nothing sad about a Sad Flycatcher. It doesn’t sound sad or look sad. It is a pretty, perky little bird, one of the most common sights in the wooded pastures of central Jamaica. So where did it get its name?

The Sad Flycatcher was first described by P.H. Gosse in the mid-nineteenth century. He called it the Black-billed Flat-Bill, and gave it the scientific name Mylobius tristis. Tristis means sad in Latin. This appears to be the origin of the name. In his description, Gosse wrote that the song of this bird was, “A single wailing note, somewhat protracted, particularly sad to hear, but sometimes followed by one or two short notes in another tone.” While almost everything in his book, “The Birds of Jamaica” is correct – an astonishing feat, considering the how little time he spent in Jamaica – he was wrong about this sound. The call of the Sad Flycatcher is not sad at all. Instead it is a cheery pip, pip-pip pereeee!

The Jamaican Pewee, on the other hand, does indeed have a mournful, single-noted call. This species was also first described by Gosse. The two species are often found in the same habitat. Perhaps Gosse confused the two, and so one of the happiest little birds in Jamaica got a bad name.

The Sad Flycatcher is endemic to Jamaica. It’s local name is Little Tom Fool. It feeds on small insects by sallying from high perches to capture its prey, often returning to the same perch. It also eat small fruits. It has a dark brown crown, brown upperparts, a white throat and upper breast, and a yellow belly. The Sad Flycatcher can be found in forests, woodlands, and pasture edges at all elevations across Jamaica. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Sad Flycatcher!

Listen to the call and song of the Sad Flycatcher

The Sad Flycatcher‘s call is a frequent pip or pip-pip. It’s song is a rising, cheery pip-pip pereeee.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Enjoy these two short video of the Sad Flycatcher. The first one is by Aves Puerto Rico Felpe – the bird is perched, looking around and it gives its cheerful call pip, pip-pip pereee several times. This video was filmed in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The second video is lovely clear footage of a perched bird, filmed in Kew Park, Westmorland Parish, Jamaica. The bird flies out and lands back on the branch to give us a nice view of its colors from behind.

June 25, 2020

From the Nest – Day 44

Endemic Bird of the Day: Forest Thrush

The Forest Thrush is a shy forest dweller endemic to the Lesser Antilles, where it occurs only on four islands: Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica and Saint Lucia. It is locally called the Yellow-legged Thrush – it’s name in French, Grive à Pattes Jaunes, means just that. The legs, bill, and bare skin around the eye of this bird are bright yellow. Its upperparts are brown while its underparts have white feathers edged in brown, giving it a scaled effect. Males and females have the same plumage.

The preferred habitat of the Forest Thrush is mountain forests, but it also occurs in swamp forests in Guadeloupe. Like other thrushes, it sings a soft musical song, but it mainly sings at night. This forces ornithologists to get up very early to go and count them! In Guadeloupe, the French Biodiversity Office has been monitoring the species for 6 years. The results of the 2020 census are very encouraging with record numbers of birds in some areas. This is good news because the population had suffered a decline from Hurricane Maria in 2017. Moreover, thanks to a successful campaign, including a petition to the French government and letter-writing campaign by BirdsCaribbean, the species will not be hunted in 2020 in Guadeloupe!

The Forest Thrush was previously classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Its population had declined throughout its range from deforestation, introduced predators, hunting, and severe habitat loss from the Soufrière Hills volcanic eruptions on Montserrat in 1995-1997. Surveys show it has been gradually increasing in remaining habitat in Montserrat and numbers are up in Guadeloupe as well. This led to a downgrading from Vulnerable to Near Threatened in 2019. Unfortunately, however, the Forest Thrush has declined drastically in St. Lucia and it is now extremely rare, if not extirpated. Ornithologists do not know why.

Each of the four islands where the Forest Thrush lives host a different subspecies, which all look a little different. The thrush feeds on insects and berries from ground level up into the tree canopy. Breeding takes place from April to July. A bulky cup-shaped nest is built, usually not far from the ground, in a bush or tree. Two to three greenish-blue eggs are laid. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Forest Thrush!

Listen to the song of the Forest Thrush

The Forest Thrush‘s song is a musical pattern of clear notes, fairly loud and far-reaching. Calls include sharp chuk or chuk-chuk.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Enjoy this short video of a Forest Thrush in Guadeloupe hopping along the ground and tossing aside leaf litter as it forages for insects and berries to eat.

June 22, 2020

From the Nest – Day 43

Endemic Bird of the Day: Adelaide’s Warbler

This striking little bird has a sunny yellow belly and sings a sweet trilling song. It can be identified by its gray upperparts, yellow underparts, and two white wingbars. It has a yellow eyebrow stripe that may be edged by black above, and a yellow or white patch under the eye. The tail is gray with white outer feathers. Females differ from males by having less white in the tail, and less pronounced black edging in the eyebrow stripe.

The Adelaide’s Warbler (Setophaga adelaidae), along with the Elfin Woods Warbler (Setophaga angelae), is one of two endemic Parulid warblers on the island of Puerto Rico. The two species have different habitat preferences, however, and only coexist in Maricao Commonwealth Forest, in the western part of the island. The Adelaide’s Warbler is abundant in dry coastal scrubland and thickets, moist forests of middle elevation and haystack hills. It is an active bird, moving constantly as it gleans insects and spiders from leaves and twigs. The local name for this species is Reinita Mariposera which means “butterfly-eating warbler,” due to its fondness for eating caterpillars.

Adelaide’s Warblers typically breed from March to June but the season can be variable with the timing and nest success depending on rainfall. They build cup-shaped nests at heights of 1 to 7 in dense cover. Females lay 2 to 4 white or greenish-white eggs, flecked with small small brown spots. Although currently listed as a species of Least Concern by IUCN, the long-term survival of the Adelade’s Warbler could be threatened by loss of its forest habitat and global climate change. As the planet warms, summer drought is expected to increase in many Caribbean islands, and this could reduce survival of the young.

Previously, the Adelaide’s Warbler population in Puerto Rico was considered a single species with races from Barbuda and Saint Lucia. However, in 2000 the species was split into three distinct species. The other two species were named Barbuda Warbler (Setophaga subita) and St. Lucia Warbler (Setophaga delicata). The Puerto Rican species has the name of the daughter of Robert Swift, who captured the first specimen. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Adelaide’s Warbler!

Listen to the song of the Adelaide’s Warbler

The Adelaide’s Warbler‘s typical song is described as a variable and loud trill that may increase or decrease in pitch and speed. They have a very large song repertoire and individuals have been recorded as having an average of 23 song types per individual! They also have a pip and a chick call.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Enjoy the two short videos of Adelaide’s Warbler below by AvesPuertoRico FelPe. The first video is lovely footage of a bird singing it’s trilly sweet song. The second video shows how active these birds are—hopping along quickly as they forage for insects on twigs and branches, stopping only to sing.

June 19, 2020

From the Nest – Day 42

Endemic Bird of the Day: Cuban Trogon

Cuban Trogon (Priotelus temnurus), Tocororo

This beautiful bird, of resplendent plumage, is the National Bird of Cuba. It’s colors match the colors of the nation’s flag. It is iridescent dark blue-green above, with a violet-blue crown and nape, grayish white throat and breast, and brilliant red belly and eyes. The wings and tail are patterned in blue, black, green and white. The underside of the tail appears mostly white and the tips of the tail feathers are prominently flared. When perched, its size, bright colors, distinctive voice, and posture make this bird unmistakable.

Cuban Trogons are rather inactive birds and are easily approached. They are usually seen alone or in pairs. Their most common call is a repeated toco-toco-tocoro-tocoro,from which it’s local name Tocororo is derived. They are common in wet and dry forests at all altitudes, and are widespread all over Cuba, the Isle of Youth and some cays. These birds do not build a nest. Instead, they use abandoned woodpecker holes or other natural cavities, where they lay 3-4 white eggs from April to July. Their diet is flowers, fruits, insects, and reptiles, including Anolis lizards, which they also feed to their young. It hovers while feeding, much like a flycatcher.

There are 43 species of trogons in 6 genera in the Family Trogonidae (6 quetzals and 37 trogons), that live in tropical and subtropical forests of the Americas, Africa and Asia. The Cuban trogon is one of two species restricted to the islands of the Caribbean; the other species is the Hispaniolan Trogon. Undisputedly Cuba’s national bird is one of the most beautiful representatives of its family. Trogons are colorful and beautiful birds, but the particular shape of the Tocororo’s tail makes it unique. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Cuban Trogon!

Listen to the call of the Cuban Trogon

The Cuban Trogon‘s call is a repeated toco-toco-tocoro-tocoro, from which it’s local name Tocororo is derived. The throat and tail vibrates as the bird calls (see videos below).

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Enjoy these short videos of Cuban Trogons calling. The video is by Cuban ornithologist, Arturo Kirkconnell, the bird perched out in the open and calling (turn up the volume). Note its upright posture and red, white and blue colors. Its throat and tail vibrate as it calls. You can hear another trogon calling in the distance. The second video shows a closer view of a calling trogon.

June 17, 2020

From the Nest – Day 41

Endemic Bird of the Day: Hispaniolan Parakeet

Meet the charming face of Hispaniola – the Hispaniolan Parakeet, known as the Perico in the Dominican Republic, or the Perruche in Haiti. These gregarious, green goofballs are most easily seen chattering noisily from the rooftops of Santo Domingo. They are extremely social and often hang out in large groups with as many as several dozen individuals.

This parakeet is bright green overall, with a long and pointed tail, white eye-ring, pale beak and legs, and red patch on the wing’s wrist area that shows up well in flight. The sexes are identical. The Hispaniolan Parakeet is best distinguished from the similar green Hispaniolan Parrot by its much longer tail and higher pitched squawk-like vocalizations. While they are the only native and endemic parakeet on the island, the Olive-throated Parakeet has been introduced to some of the more urbanized parts of Hispaniola. Similar in size, these parrots can be distinguished by their blue wing patches, instead of the red boasted by the Hispaniolan Parakeet. Interestingly, Hispaniolan Parakeets also used to also exist in Puerto Rico, though they were declared extinct on the island in 1882. Yet one other introduced population persists on the island of Guadeloupe.

The Hispaniolan Parakeet’s natural habitats are forested mountains and lowlands, but there are populations that live in urban areas like the ever-increasing one in Santo Domingo. They feed mostly on fruits and seeds, but sometimes also on corn and other crops and therefore regarded as a pest by farmers. They travel and forage in flocks.

Like many other parrots in Latin America and the Caribbean, Hispaniolan Parakeets are threatened with extinction, currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Their biggest current threat is poaching, where young parakeets are taken from nests and sold into the pet trade. Deforestation is also a problem— the parrot has been disappearing in areas where forests have been cut down for agriculture. Their current population is estimated at several thousand individuals, with trends showing continuing declines. It is illegal to keep these and the Hispaniolan Parrots as pets. Let’s continue to educate about keeping these magnificent birds free and wild to decrease their presence in captivity and help them survive for future generations to enjoy. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Hispaniolan Parakeet!

Listen to the call of the Hispaniolan Parakeet

The Hispaniolan Parakeet has a noisy screeching flight and perch call kree, higher pitched that than the Hispaniolan Parrot.

Puzzle of the Day

Hispaniolan Parakeet Eating (Photo by Dax Roman)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Read more about the laws that protect Hispaniolan Parakeets, Parrots and other birds that are captured for the illegal pet trade. What can you do to help?

Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival Highlights Laws that Protect Birds