Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival
BirdsCaribbean is working to increase awareness and appreciation of the region’s unique bird life through an annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF). The theme of the 2023 festival is “Water: Sustaining Birdlife.” We are sharing the same theme as World Migratory Bird Day and highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds.
Click here to learn more about our plans for this spring. We hope you will join us in our month-long celebration of the festival with your own activities, such as birding, planting trees, and learning about the importance of water conservation. Similar to our previous 3 CEBFs, we will be featuring a new Endemic Bird of the Day, puzzles, coloring pages, activities, webinars, and much more! You can find a library of our past Endemic Birds of the Day here. Be sure to follow us on social media, @BirdsCaribbean (Instagram, Facebook and twitter), and share how you are participating at home!
An impressive 31% of the ~565 species of birds within the region are found nowhere else in the world! See the list of 171 endemic birds in the region (the Bermuda Petrel is also listed although not technically a West Indies endemic, and note that the list recently increased to 176!). At dozens of events throughout the region, participants of all ages will learn about actions they can take to help the unique birds found only in the Caribbean. Activities are organized by local organizations in each Caribbean island/country and include presentations, bird walks, art competitions, tree plantings, clean ups, and more.
BirdsCaribbean has hosted this festival for more than 20 years. The month-long celebration includes Caribbean-wide activities beginning on Earth Day (April 22), through to International Biodiversity Day (May 22), in more than twenty countries. The event celebrates the 176 bird species that are found only in the Caribbean, known as endemics. The highly successful program attracts over 100,000 participants and volunteers each year. Learn more about our endemic birds here. To find out how you can participate in CEBF activities, contact our Co-Regional Coordinators, Aliya Hosein and Eduardo Llegus.
World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)
The long journeys that migratory birds take each year are truly fantastic. These birds, like our endemics and residents, are part of our natural heritage and it is up to us to conserve the habitats they need to feed and rest during winter or their long migrations. We encourage all of you to celebrate WMBD in your own country, as you have celebrated the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival with great success for many years now. WMBD is officially celebrate on the second Saturday in October in the Caribbean (this year October 8th), but you can celebrate anytime in the fall that is convenient for you.
In 2023, the theme is ““Water: Sustaining Bird Life.“ Most birds migrate at night. Unfortunately, they become disoriented at night from artificial light, which is increasing by 2% per year, and often collide with buildings as a result. We will learn about the steps that individuals, communities, and governments can take to reduce the impact of light pollution on our shared birds. We will also learn about the long migrations some species take between their breeding and wintering ranges and how important the Caribbean is to migrants.
In the fall, we will share a Migratory Bird of the Day with colouring pages, online puzzles, natural history information, photos, videos, activities for kids, webinars, and more! Follow along on our website and social media (look for BirdsCaribbean on Facebook, twitter and Instagram). We are also hosting webinars – check out what’s available here on BirdsCaribbean Live. Thanks to assistance from Environment for the Americas, we have a new poster, education kits, and other materials to help you celebrate. Great resources for celebrating WMBD can be found at Environment for the Americas website (home of WMBD in the Americas) and MigratoryBirdDay.org, and also the global website of World Migratory Bird Day.