A Baltimore Oriole, a migrant to the Caribbean, is featured on our October Big Day 2022 promo graphic.
Get ready, get set, let’s go birding! The biggest day of birding in the fall season, October Big Day, is right around the corner! On Saturday October 8th, October Big day and World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) are celebrated in the Caribbean and around the world. This 24-hour birding opportunity lands right during some of the peak activity for bird migration. It’s also a great day to participate in educational activities about migratory birds for WMBD – the theme is Dim the Lights for Birds at Night! Check with your local organizations to see if any events are planned.
The goal for October Big Day is to get outside to watch, celebrate, and record your resident and migratory birds! You can bird in your backyard, neighborhood park, seashore or woodland. Watch birds for as little as 10 minutes in your local birding patch or plan out a route to find as many bird species as possible in 24 hours. No matter what, we hope you will get outside and go birding!
Like Global Big Day celebrated in May, it is hoped that this concerted effort will bring in a record number of bird sightings from citizen scientists around the world, contributing to our bird knowledge and a deeper understanding of conservation.
Where are the birds, and what are they doing?
The data collected will be used by birders and scientists to better understand and protect birds. This is also an opportunity for the individual birdwatcher to contemplate birds, their behavior, and the places where they may be found. For example, are there birds you are only likely to see in the late morning or early afternoon? And if so, are they at specific locations? Tanagers and bullfinches are often very active during the morning hours. As the day heats up, you may see raptors soaring above. Seagulls and shorebirds can be observed at almost any time of day. Migratory warblers generally show up in early morning or evening hours, feeding and bathing in suburban gardens and parks.
Make your birding count—submit & share your data!
Participating is easy with the essential tool, eBird, where you should record all the birds you see (and even hear) on Saturday 8th October via the eBird website or mobile app. If you’re in the Caribbean, be sure to use eBird Caribbean (and choose the eBird Caribbean portal in your eBird app settings on mobile). If you do not already have one, it’s easy to sign up for a free eBird account and here’s a quick guide on how to use eBird. Eager birders should spot as many birds as they can from midnight to midnight in their local time zone on October 8th. Or bird anytime during the weekend of Oct. 7-9 for the Global Bird Weekend. The handy mobile app allows you to keep and submit lists while you’re still out birding, perhaps exploring nearby Hotspots. It will even track how far you have walked while watching birds. Remember to submit eBird checklists before October 12, 2022 to be included in the initial results announcement!
Share your sightings with us, and join BirdsCaribbean!
We look forward to seeing your stories and photos on social media. You can find us on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram @birdscaribbean. Be sure to tag us! If you’re not on social media, consider joining our discussion group where you’ll be able to share your October Big Day experience with over 850 members.
May we remind you that BirdsCaribbean membership has so many benefits; for a reasonable membership fee you are entitled to a FREE subscription to Birds of the World ($49 value) – the most comprehensive online resource on birds. Additionally, you may receive discounts on our products, workshops and conferences; meet and network with fellow birders, scientists, educators and conservationists across the region; and keep in touch with birding trends and news through our monthly newsletters (free sign-up here). Join us today and help us save our Caribbean birds and their important habitats!
See you on October Big Day 2022 – and let’s see some birds!
Most importantly, have fun and don’t forget to tag BirdsCaribbean (@BirdsCaribbean) in your birding adventures! We can’t wait to see which of our migratory friends have arrived to the Caribbean!
Héctor Fidel Ravelo Romanguera wins first prize in the WMBD costume competition for his amazing Turkey Vulture costume. (Photo by Ines Lourdes Fernandez)
October 9th, 2021 is the official date for World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) in the Caribbean, but we celebrate throughout the fall, welcoming home our returning migratory birds. We love the extra color and activity these avian gems bring to our backyards, forests, wetlands, and beaches. This year’s theme — “Sing, Fly, Soar—Like a Bird” — provided a fantastic opportunity for learning and birding fun. Find out how we celebrated across the Caribbean!
Despite the challenges faced during the pandemic, educators and students throughout the Caribbean celebrated WMBD with a range of activities. Caribbean coastlines got busy, with young students wielding binoculars and checklists, guided by their teachers. In some countries in-person events were hosted when possible; otherwise, virtual events or “hybrid” activities – a combination of the two – took place. Islands including Anguilla, Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bonaire, Montserrat, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago participated, just to name a few. Many more islands are hosting events, activities and are still celebrating this special time for Caribbean birds.
BirdsCaribbean recognized WMBD by hosting several activities with a focus on the region’s endangered migratory shorebirds. At a webinar entitled “A Year in the Life of the Lesser Yellowlegs” Laura McDuffie, a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Management Program revealed the amazing journeys made by a shorebird species that is facing particular challenges at this time. The webinar and accompanying video (in English, Spanish, and French) can be viewed on BirdsCaribbean’s YouTube channel and below.
A series of four short videos, boosted by social media posts, aimed to raise awareness of the importance of the Caribbean region to migratory shorebirds and the threats, they face, including hunting. These can be viewed on our YouTube channel in English, Spanish and French. BirdsCaribbean partners also shared short, inspiring and amusing videos on what the theme meant to them. October Big Day was an opportunity to go out and see some migratory birds – with excellent results, despite the lingering effects of COVID-19 limitations on some islands.
Highlights from this year’s WMBD activities!
Puerto Rico
Staff at the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources educated participants on migratory birds and plastic pollution. They also donated native trees as gifts at the Service Fair organized by Senator Marissita Jiménez in the Cueva María de la Cruz de Loíza Historical Park.
The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources staff sharing information and giving out trees from their booth. (Photo by Ingrid M. Flores/ DRNA)
Roots and Shoots, celebrate WMBD on a bird watching trip, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Carla Montalvo Martinez)
Dominican Republic
In the second week of October, Babeque Secondary School organized some activities to celebrate the enthusiasm for birds with international institutions. This year they visited the Museum of Natural History Professor Eugenio de Js. Marcano, where the volunteer students learned about the birds that visit the island and participated in lively activities based on the knowledge they had absorbed. Grupo Acción Ecológica (GAE) carried out a variety of activities in the Dominican Republic to celebrate WMBD. They organized a talk and walk, in the National Botanical Garden with Dr. Rafael M. Moscoso. They also held workshops and outreach events with schools and community groups, including with the Doulus de Jarabacoa School. Celebrating with talks, walks and bird watching with the 5th graders. Of course, they also went out to look for migratory birds and caught a female (Black-throated Blue Warbler) as part of their monitoring!
Celebrating migratory birds with Secundaria Babeque, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Monika Gomez)
Kids bird watching during WMBD activities with Doulos school, Jarabocoa, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE).
Learning all about bird banding on WMBD, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE).
Montserrat
The Department of Environment made an early start to WMBD events in September! They hosted a riveting presentation focused on shorebirds with a church group. Two site visits to observe shorebirds followed.
Later on, in October, the staff made a presentation on bird migration to 4th form biology students at the Montserrat Secondary School, highlighting a few of the bird species that traverse the island during the migratory season. This was followed by a word search race, which included the names of twenty-two migratory species that can be found on Montserrat.
Local radio also played a role, with a spot aired on the national radio station on October 8th and 9th.
A church group in Montserrat enjoyed a shorebird watching trip to celebrate WMBD. (Photo by Ajhermae White)
Bonaire
For WMBD Monique Grol and her colleagues at STINAPA visited all the primary schools on the island! They taught grade 7 classes all about migratory birds, talking to children in the classroom and taking them out on bird watching trips to local Salinas. With 100s of school kids getting involved.
The children of Bonaire learned all about what migratory birds feed on and how bird beaks are different depending on what each type of food each bird eats. All the classes got poster of migratory birds to hang up in their classrooms. Out in the field the intrepid birding groups had great fun using binoculars and ID cards find and identify any birds they could spot!
Grade 7 children looking for birds on a bird watching outing on Bonaire. (Photo by Monique Grol/ STINAPA)
Grade 7 students enjoy birdwatching at a nearby wetland after a classroom session on migratory birds. (Photo by Monique Grol/ STIMAPA)
Bird Costume Party Winners!
Winner of the WMBD bird costume competition, collect their prizes and certificates. (Photo by Ines Lourdes Fernandez).
Congratulations to our Bird Costume Party winners from Cuba! Dayami Ravelo Romanguera was runner up in a gorgeous Yellow Warbler costume. Héctor Fidel Ravelo Romanguera won first prize in his dramatic Turkey Vulture costume.
The contest encouraged young Caribbean citizens to take migratory birds seriously, and to consider celebrating and protecting them in the future. The competition was open to children up to 12 years old, who were asked to depict one of the featured eleven species selected by Environment for the Americas this year. Costumes used only recyclable or reusable materials, encouraging the children to think about environmental sustainability.
Thank you to all of the amazing people and organizations in the Caribbean that celebrate WMBD every year and especially during this challenging year! We look forward to celebrating WMBD 2022 with you all!
If you are interested in celebrating WMBD in your country, we encourage you to visit the WMBD website for more information or contact the Caribbean Regional Coordinator, Laura Baboolal, at lbaboolal@environmentamericas.org. If you have an event planned, you can register it and put the Caribbean on the global events map.
WMBD 2021 digital materials from EFTA are available in English and Spanish, at this link.
Information on migratory birds in the Caribbean, including colouring pages, activity sheets , photos, videos, and puzzles are available from BirdsCaribbean at this link.
Last, but not least, don’t forget to share your WMBD events and experiences on social media with EFTA and BirdsCaribbean. You can find us on all major platforms. If pandemic restrictions allow on your island, go out and enjoy the birds. Most of all, have fun!
Enjoy these photos from WMBD celebrations across the Caribbean!
Celebrating WMBD in Trinidad and Tobago. (Photo by Noor ud din Mohammed)
Roots and Shoots, bird watching on WMBD, Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Carla Montalvo Martinez)
Roots and Shoots, bird watching on WMBD, Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Carla Montalvo Martinez)
Roots and Shoots, bird watching on WMBD, Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Carla Montalvo Martinez)
Roots and Shoots, bird watching on WMBD, Ponce, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Carla Montalvo Martinez)
Roots and Shoots, celebrate WMBD on a bird watching trip, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Carla Montalvo Martinez)
Flyer adverting a Webinar about migratory birds of Puerto Rico, organized as part of the WMBD celebrations in Puerto Rico.
Celebrating WMBD at the Natural History Museum, Dominican Republic. (Photos by Monika Gomez)
Social media post about WMBD activities by Secundaria Babeque. (Photo by Monika Gomez).
Social media post about WMBD activities by Secundaria Babeque. (Photo by Monika Gomez).
Flyer advertising a birding walk in the National Botanic Gardens, Dominican Republic. (Photo by GAE)
WMBD activities with Doulos school, Jarabocoa, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE).
Learning all about bird banding on WMBD, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE).
Celebrating migratory birds with students from the ABC school, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE)
Holding a workshop about migratory birds, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE)
Celebrating global big day with students from the ABC school, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE)
Celebrating migratory birds with local communities in the Dominican Republic. (Photo Maria Paulino/ GAE).
Looking for birds on WMBD in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE)
Bird watching walk to celebrate WMBD in the Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE)
Birding with the local communities for WMBD, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/ GAE)
Watching in the Botanic Gardens for WMBD, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/GAE)
A Bird watching walk in the Botanic Gardens for WMBD, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Maria Paulino/GAE)
A bird costume party celebrating WMBD on Cuba. (Photo by Ines Lourdes Fernandez)
Celebrating WMBD on Cuba with a bird-themed costume party . (Photo by Ines Lourdes Fernandez)
Dayami Ravelo Romanguera’s Yellow Warber was the runner up in the WMBD costume competition. (Photo by Ines Lourdes Fernandez)
Celebrating migratory birds with bird-themed cakes at the costume party, Cuba. (Photo by Ines Lourdes Fernandez)
School kids on a bird watching outing at a Salina in Bonaire. (Photo by Monique Grol/ STINAPA)
STINAPA flyer all about migratory birds.
Looking for birds on a watching outing at a Salina in Bonaire. (Photo by Monique Grol/ STINAPA)
We used the same theme, “Sing, Fly, Soar—Like a Bird,” for our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) in spring 2021. Check out the highlights from CEBF 2021 here. And here are the fabulous webinars we held, including talks by David Sibley on bird flight, Marta Curti on the Ridgway’s Hawk, and many more.
Cuban birders ready for October Big Day. (Photo by Maikel Canizares-Morera)
October Big Day is a chance for people around the world a get out and count, enjoy, and celebrate birds! In this 24-hour period enthusiastic participants add their bird-sightings to eBird contributing to our knowledge of birds and our ability to help conserve them. Find out how October Big Day 2021 went and how people in the Caribbean contributed to this amazing citizen science project!
October Big Day is always special, happening during the peak of Fall migration, it is an exciting time to be out looking for birds! This year, October 9, 2021 broke records globally. Much larger numbers of birders across the Planet turned out – in total, 33,658 participants spotted 7,293 species, according to ebird.org. In the global rankings, Colombians came in first, spotting a stunning 1,347 species. There was hot competition in South and Central America, with Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Bolivia racing to catch up. Argentina, Costa Rica, and Mexico were also among the “Bird Species Top Ten.”
How did the Caribbean do?
In total, Caribbean ebirders reported 353 species and submitted 1,093 checklists. This was an improvement from 2020, when fewer checklists (866) and slightly fewer species (344) were reported. This was likely due to restrictions related to the COVID pandemic in 2020, which have since been eased somewhat on some islands.
We always want to know who beat the competition! Well, in terms of participation Puerto Rico topped the list, with 364 checklists containing 161 species (94 species were recorded in the Cabo Rojo area). Bahamas came in second place with 131 species coming up on 192 checklists. The Cayman Islands came third, just ahead of Cuba (although the Caymans saw fewer species, the number of checklists was an impressive 114).
Caribbean regions on October Big Day ranked by number of checklists
Caribbean regions on October Big Day ranked by number of species seen
Cuban birders spotted an amazing 189 species on the day and rolled in at #52 in the overall global ranking, followed by Puerto Rico at #61. Trinidad and Tobago registered 136 species; Dominican Republic and Caribbean Netherlands did well with 129 and 78 species recorded, respectively.
Who was the top Caribbean eBirder? Well, Cuba’s Rodolfo Castro Alvarez spotted 148 species, while Julio Salgado and Eric Torres-Rivera, two birders from Puerto Rico were extremely busy. Congratulations to all and good work Caribbean eBirders!
What about the birds?
Now, a postscript on the birds. Which species do you think had the highest count? Well, our top Caribbean eBirder in Cuba logged three species of waterbird in the thousands in Pinar del Rio: the Blue-winged Teal, Double-crested Cormorant, and Short-billed Dowitcher. In New Providence, the Bahamas, 400 White-cheeked Pintail were spotted; and in North Side, Cayman Islands, over 300 Snowy Egrets were counted.
Barbados Bullfinch, one of the Caribbean Island endemics spotted. (Photo by Julian Moore)
Red-breasted Merganser, Cuba. One of the less common species spotted during October Big Day (Photo by Maikel Canizares-Morera)
Some migratory visitors. Hudsonian Godwits at Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge, Barbados. (Photo by Julian Moore)
As would be expected at this time of year migratory shorebirds and warblers featured in many of the eBird lists from the Caribbean. Many of the ‘usual suspects’ were present, such as Semipalmated Sandpipers, Hudsonian Godwits and Yellow Warblers. A few far less common visitors were spotted, such as the Red-breasted Merganser seen at Pinar del Rio in Cuba. On the Cayman Islands, Cayman Birding was 1 of 201 teams that celebrated October Big Day by participating in the Global Bird Weekend with global birding. Their 7 members, who were spread across all three islands, recorded at total of 79 species and submitted 27 checklists! Overall Caribbean Big Day birders spotted a fantastic mixture of migratory birds, residents and of course some of their island endemics! With many birders sharing their birds and birding trips on social media.
October Big Day is a milestone in the year, when migratory birds spread out across the region. The date “sticks a pin” in the calendar. We look forward to another record-breaking year in 2022 – for the Caribbean!
Thank you to all the birders across the Caribbean who took part this year whether exploring across their islands or doing some ‘back-yard’ birding you all contributed to the amazing success of October Big Day 2021! Enjoy some more of the photos and social media posts shared from across the Caribbean during October Big Day below.
Flock of flamingoes at Margarita Island, Venezuela. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Children celebrating World Migratory Bird Day on October Big Day Venezuela (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Children bird watching Margarita Island, Venezuela. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Black-necked Stilts Anguilla. (Photo by Anguilla National Trust)
Birding by the roadside, Anguilla. (Photo by Anguilla National Trust)
Birders in action, Anguilla. (Photo by Anguilla National Trust)
Bird banding workshop being held in Venezuela. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Bird banding workshop being held in Venezuela. (Photo by Josmar Marquez)
Western Spindalis, spotted in Cuba during October Big Day. (Photo by Maikel Canizares)
Ruddy Turnstones, Barbados. (Photo by Julian Moore)
Red-breasted Merganser, Cuba. (Photo by Maikel Canizares-Morera)
Puerto Rican birders. (Photo by Adrianne Tossas)
Prairie Warbler, Cuba (Photo by Jorge-Uria)
Early Moring Birding at NorthSound Golf Club, Cayman Islands (Photo by Cayman Birding)
Early Moring Birding at NorthSound Golf Club, Cayman Islands (Photo by Cayman Birding)
Northern Parula, Cuba. (Photo by Jorge Uria)
Maybel Rodriguez-and Daniela Ventura at del Puerto Crocodile Lagoon Peninsula de-Guanahacabibes, Cuba
Juvenile Laughing Gull, Barbados. (Photo by Julian Moore)
Cuban birders in action. (Photo by Maikel Canizares-Morera)
Cayman Parrots. (Photo by Cayman Birding)
American Avocet, Cuba. (photo by Maikel Canizares-Morera)
All set for October Big Day in Cuba. (Photo by Maybel Maria Rogriguez-Perez)
Adrianne Tossas birding at Hacienda La Esperanza, Puerto Rico
Birders around the world are polishing up their binoculars and scopes as they prepare for one of their busiest weekends of the year. This 24-hour opportunity called October Big Day – Saturday, October 9, 2021 – has been extended for the second time into a Global Bird Weekend (October 8, 9 and 10). The goal is to watch, record, and celebrate birds, whether it is in your backyard, neighborhood park, seashore or woodland. October Big Day coincides with World Migratory Bird Day (October 9). It is hoped that this concerted effort will bring in a record number of bird sightings from citizen scientists around the world, contributing to bird knowledge and a deeper understanding of conservation.
Where are the birds, and what are they doing?
The data collected will be used by birders and scientists to better understand and protect birds. This is also an opportunity for the individual birdwatcher to contemplate birds, their behavior, and the places where they may be found. For example, are there birds you are only likely to see in the late morning or early afternoon? And if so, are they at specific locations? Tanagers and bullfinches are often very active during the morning hours. As the day heats up, you may see raptors soaring above. Seagulls and shorebirds can be observed at almost any time of day. Migratory warblers generally show up in early morning or evening hours, feeding and bathing in suburban gardens and parks.
Make your birding count—submit & share your data!
Participating is easy with the essential tool, eBird, where you should record all the birds you see (and even hear) on Saturday 9th October via the eBird website or mobile app. If you’re in the Caribbean, be sure to use eBird Caribbean (and choose the eBird Caribbean portal in your eBird app settings on mobile). If you do not already have one, it’s easy to sign up for a free eBird account and here’s a quick guide on how to use eBird. Eager birders should spot as many birds as they can from midnight to midnight in their local time zone on October 9th. Or bird anytime during the weekend of Oct. 8-10 for the Global Bird Weekend. The handy mobile app allows you to keep and submit lists while you’re still out birding, perhaps exploring nearby Hotspots. It will even track how far you have walked while watching birds. Remember to submit eBird checklists before October 13, 2021 to be included in the initial results announcement!
In the past year, many Caribbean islands have restricted movements and gatherings in public spaces, due to the pandemic. Since many of these are still in place and vary from country to country, please keep local regulations in mind and observe all protocols. Remember, too, that there is always the option of birding at home.
Share your sightings with us, and join BirdsCaribbean!
We look forward to seeing your stories and photos on social media. You can find us on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram @birdscaribbean. Be sure to tag us! If you’re not on social media, consider joining our discussion group where you’ll be able to share your October Big Day experience with over 850 members.
May we remind you that BirdsCaribbean membership has so many benefits; for a reasonable membership fee you are entitled to a FREE subscription to Birds of the World ($49 value) – the most comprehensive online resource on birds. Additionally, you may receive discounts on our products, workshops and conferences; meet and network with fellow birders, scientists, educators and conservationists across the region; and keep in touch with birding trends and news through our monthly newsletters (free sign-up here). Join us today and help us save our Caribbean birds and their important habitats!
See you on October Big Day 2021 – and let’s see some birds!
