Category: Education

May 11, 2023

From the Nest – Day 113

Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life,” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. 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: Puerto Rican Flycatcher

The Puerto Rican Flycatcher (Myiarchus antillarum) is a medium-sized tyrant flycatcher, endemic to the island of Puerto Rico. It can be inconspicuous, due to its dull brown plumage on its back and mostly grayish-white underparts, but the voice of this elegant bird can be heard from a distance. The Spanish name “Juí” is derived from its characteristic whistled “wheeeeee” call. It also produces other distinctive calls throughout the day, like the quick “tsee-ick” whistle and longer dawn song “whee-a-wit-whee.”

Flycatchers can glean for insects from a substrate, but they mainly catch them in the air, flying out from a perch. This hunting strategy, known as “sallying,” requires acute vision and rapid movements! Its preferred diet consists of insects, like wasps, crickets, and beetles. But it also consumes a small amount of vertebrate prey, including snails and small lizards, and a few seeds and fruits.

The reproductive season extends from February to July. It nests in natural tree cavities, some previously built by Puerto Rican Woodpeckers (Melanerpes portoricensis). They are also known to use artificial nest boxes. Breeding biology studies have found that Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitize the nests of the Puerto Rican Flycatcher, thus decreasing their breeding success.

The species inhabits wooded areas, from coastal woodlands and mangroves at sea level to coffee plantations and mid-elevations montane forests. The species is not limited to the island of Puerto Rico; it is also found in the dry forests of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, including St. John, Anegada, and Beef Island, although uncommon.

A long-term mist-netting study in Guánica State Forest in southern Puerto Rico, found a sharp decline in the flycatcher capture rate between 1989 and 2010. However, it is unknown if this trend extends island wide. For the moment, it is considered a species of Least Concern. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Thanks to Adrianne Tossas for the text!

Colour in the Puerto Rican Flycatcher

Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. 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 #CEBFfromthenest

Listen to the calls of the Puerto Rican Flycatcher

The calls of the Puerto Rican Flycatcher are a short “tsee-ick” and a plaintive whistle “wheeeeee.” It also has longer dawn song “whee-a-wit-whee.”

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!

Puerto Rican Flycatcher perched, showing off its crest. (Photo by Matt Grube)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Puerto Rican Flycatchers can be found in many different habitats including mangrove forests. Mangroves are important for so many of our endemic, resident and migratory birds. They are also home to many other animals and plants. On top of all this mangrove provide protection against storm damage and floods! Do you know where the mangroves are on your island? Why not find out and complete our Where Are My Mangroves? activity.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Puerto Rican Flycatcher carrying nesting material to its nest, in an old pipe!

May 8, 2023

From the Nest – Day 112

Endemic Bird of the Day: Red-necked Parrot

Looking over the rainforests of Dominica, one may think that trees have learned to fly as large green objects take to the sky. But as if they have read our curious minds, the birds begin to speak, letting out loud, shrill “chur-lu-weeek” calls to let everyone know that it is indeed the Red-necked Parrot (Amazona arausiaca) moving over the island’s sweeping valleys.

Locally called the Jaco Parrot, these birds are one of two endemic parrot species found on the island of Dominica (Waitukubuli) with the only other Caribbean Island hosting two endemic parrots being Jamaica. What sets the Jaco apart from its cousin – the Imperial Parrot (Amazona imperialis) or Sisserou – is its bluish head, yellow tail band, and bright green body with a dash of orange-red on its upper chest and wings. When they take flight though, their blue underwing is revealed, almost as if to blend into the blue sky like they do when perched in the green rainforest.

Jaco Parrots feed mainly on seeds, nuts, and fruits of various forest and cultivated species, but are occasionally seen foraging on the young shoots of certain plants. They are as messy of an eater as they are loud with the forest floor littered with half-eaten fruits. It’s almost as if they are leaving a trail of breadcrumbs behind for the avid birder! One thing they certainly share with the Dominican people is their love for seeded fruits like citrus, guava, and passion fruit.

While the parrots are said to have an exceptional palate, their desire to forage on cultivated crops has created human-wildlife conflicts as they sometimes damage crops and thus a farmer’s harvest and income. However, the Jaco Parrot is listed as a specially protected bird in Dominica due to its cultural, economic, and ecological significance and its Vulnerable status on the IUCN Red List.

Despite the numerous disasters that have plagued Dominica’s forests and parrots in recent history, including hurricanes and poaching, the Jaco’s ability to lay four eggs and adapt to coastal and inland vegetation types have allowed their numbers to bounce back each time. Thanks to this, they can still be seen in flocks of up to 15 birds loudly calling over Dominica’s mountains as if to issue a daily reminder to their wildlife neighbors saying, “Hello, hello, I am still here!”

We are very glad they are still here. It is up to all of us to look out for and protect this beautiful endemic parrot as well as Dominica’s forests, to ensure its survival long into the future. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Thanks to Jeanelle Brisbane and Stephen Durand for the text!

Colour in the Red-necked Parrot

Listen to the calls of the Red-necked Parrot

The calls of the Red-necked Parrot include a shrill “chur-lu-weeek” with the final note louder and high-pitched, as well as “cureeek” call.

Puzzle of the Day

Red-necked Parrot feeding — A Red-necked Parrot enjoys a tasty meal. (Photo by Stephen Durand)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Red-necked Parrots love to eat fruits and seeds! Why not try making this passion fruit cup feeder? You can can fill it with seeds or pieces of fruit, and hang in your garden to keep the parrots well fed. Not in Dominica – the home of these beautiful endemic parrots? No problem, any parrots that live near you and many other types of wild birds, will love this feeder! Hang it up, fill it with food, and see who comes to visit for lunch.

Remember that this activity involves using scissors and knife, you will need an adult to help with making this.

Even if you don’t get any parrot visitors to you feeder you can enjoy this video of Red-necked Parrots in the wild! The video shows these beautiful parrots feeding on flowers.

Sadly the charismatic endemic parrots of Dominica have been subject to the controversial export of several individual birds after the 2017 hurricane season and the highly damaging passage of Hurricane Maria. You can read more details of what happened below, including links to a detailed investigation carried out by ‘The Guardian’ newspaper (UK).

UK’s Guardian Exposes Problematic History of the Organization Behind Controversial Export of Dominica’s Parrots

May 5, 2023

From the Nest – Day 111

Endemic Bird of the Day: Ashy-faced Owl

The Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic). It is a close relative of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba), but it is much darker and smaller. Its adorable heart-shaped face is ash gray which gives rise to its common name.

It is easy to distinguish a night owl from a daytime owl by the color of its eyes. The Snowy Owl, the owl featured in “Harry Potter,” has yellow eyes and is a good example of a daytime owl. The Ashy-faced Owl has black eyes and is a night owl or nocturnal hunter. It feeds mostly on small mammals (rodents and bats), but its diet includes more than thirty species of birds, plus reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.

Although the Ashy-faced Owl is considered abundant on the island, and is not threatened (Least Concern) its population is considered to have declined since 1930. This is due to the destruction of its habitats and the scarcity of nesting cavities. It is also suspected that its close relative, the Barn Owl, may be competing with it for nesting sites. Unfortunately, owls are also persecuted and often killed because they are believed to be omens of death. This is a quite common, but unfounded superstitious belief in the Caribbean.

Ashy-faced Owls live in many types of habitats: open fields, both dry and wet forests, scrub, cave areas, agricultural plantations, palm plantations, and abandoned buildings, but they prefer dense wooded areas. Their calls consist of a harsh “shaaaaaa” sound that looks like a whistle and rapid clicks like those of insects.

They breed from January to June, nesting in natural cavities such as hollows in trees, in caves, in limestone cliffs, and in artificial places. They lay 3 to 4 white eggs. The eggs of birds nesting in dark cavities are almost always white, perhaps because in the dark they cannot be seen by predators. Only females incubate the eggs. Incubation lasts from 30 to 32 days.

Females are much larger and stronger than males—they weigh more than 500 grams, while males weigh between 300 and 350 grams. Therefore, in cases of “domestic disputes” between a nesting pair, the male is the most vulnerable. But there is an advantage to being smaller. Males, being smaller and more agile, hunt different prey from females. Their diet is more varied and this helps reduce competition for food between the sexes.

In captivity a pair with three chicks consumes on average a dozen mice per night, which proves their importance as biological controls. Perhaps whoever kills an owl should be condemned to eat twelve mice a day for several weeks! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Thanks to Simón Guerrero for the text!

Colour in the Ashy-faced Owl

Listen to the calls of the Ashy-faced Owl

The calls Ashy-faced Owl are include a harsh and hissing “shaaaaaa” call as well as rapid, high-pitched clicks.

Puzzle of the Day

Ashy-faced Owl with prey — An Ashy-faced Owl with it’s small mammal prey, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Ross Gallardy- Macaulay Library-ML26038361)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: How much do you know about the life-cycle of our featured bird the Ashy-face Owl? Why not test your knowledge and complete our “Life Cycle of an Owl” activity?

First spend some time learning about owls on the internet or at your school library. Then carefully cut the ‘missing’ images and paste in the correct order to complete this owl’s life cycle! Don’t forget to label each stage.

You can check your completed life cycle against the correct one, which can be found here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of an Ashy-faced Owl in the wild!

Find out more about the Ashy-faced Owl in the article from the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, published in 2018. In this article, Curti et al. provide the first detailed description of an Ashy-faced Owl nest, providing vital information about the biology of this secretive species.

**First description of Ashy-faced Owl (Tyto glaucops) nest and first record of Ashy-faced Owl nesting in Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) nest on Hispaniola**

Marta Curti, Christine D. Hayes, Thomas I. Hayes, Misael Calcaño Silven

Ashy-faced Owl chicks at a nest. (Photo by Thomas Hayes). Click to open a PDF of the paper.

May 3, 2023

From the Nest – Day 110

Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life” highlighting the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. 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: Fernandina’s Flicker

Walking in the Cuban countryside you may find an extraordinary bird, busy among the grass and leaves of the ground—the Fernandina’s Flicker! You may be wondering “on the ground?!” And rightly so! When we think about woodpeckers, we don’t expect to find them on the ground, but this is one of many ways that this woodpecker is unique.

Endemic to Cuba, the Fernandina’s Flicker (Colaptes fernandinae) is the largest woodpecker in the country, with an impressive size of 33-35cm (the Ivory Billed Woodpecker is larger, but sadly it may be extinct). Its plumage is mustard yellow with fine black barring that becomes thicker on the upperparts. Its head is cinnamon tan with fine barring from forehead to nape; the eye is dark brown, and it has a strong black beak. The male has a solid black stripe of feathers in the malar (cheek) region, this is absent in the female. It is the only woodpecker on the island that lacks red color.

Specially adapted to open vegetation ecosystems with few trees, the Fernandina’s Flicker prefers savannas with palms and open forest. The soil offers the main source of food, and our flicker does not hesitate to get some dirt on its beak! It excavates the ground or searches through the leaf litter for insects, larvae, ants, and any other juicy delicacies. It will also examine trunks and bark of trees for food.

As with all woodpeckers, they have very long tongues that they keep rolled around their skull. The tongue has a special tip, serrated, sharp, and really sticky, which they use to probe under bark and in holes to reach their meals. Locally they are called Ground or Dirty Woodpecker, and Ant-eater.

In the mornings and during the breeding season the Fernandina’s Flicker constantly repeats its unmistakable call “kía-kía-kía-kía-kía” and a long sputtering “kirrrrrrrrr.” They become very active and it is common to see them defending their territories and chasing each other. Sometimes pairs will perch on branches and trunks, raising their heads up and down in courtship while making their typical sound “flíck-flíck-flick.”

The breeding season is from February to June. They excavate cavities almost exclusively in palm trees and lay 4 to 5 white eggs. Sometimes they form loose colonies of a few pairs on palmettos, and even share palms with other cavity nesting birds like the Cuban Parakeet or Cuban endemic owls.

The Fernandina’s Flicker is one of the rarest woodpeckers in Cuba. Classified as Endangered by the IUCN, it is restricted to small areas and its population size is declining. Its presence strongly depends on the native Cuban palm savanna ecosystem, which has been reduced or lost due to causes such as cattle ranching, invasive species, and logging.

In addition, due to a scarcity of palm trees and consequently nesting sites, the flicker faces strong competition from the West Indian Woodpecker. The woodpecker is very territorial and will harass flicker parents, destroy their eggs, and take over their territories and nest sites. Thus, it is very important to preserve Cuba’s palm savanna habitats. This is the best way we can help this majestic woodpecker to continue soaring through the skies of the Cuban countryside. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Fernandina’s Flicker

Listen to the call of the Fernandina’s Flicker

The calls of the Fernandina’s Flicker include a loud and rhythmic “flick, flick, flick, flick…”and “kía-kía-kía-kía-kía” and a long sputtering “kirrrrrrrrr.”

Puzzle of the Day

Male Fernandina's Flicker — A male Fernandina’s Flicker – note the black “malar” (cheek) stripe, which is unique to the male. (Photo by Aslam Ibrahim Castellon)

Female Fernandina's Flicker — A female Fernandina’s Flicker, the black malar (cheek) area is heavily streaked with white. (Photo Dubi Shapiro-Macaulay Library-ML205141591)

A Fernandina's Flicker pair engaged in a head-weaving courtship in Matanzas, Cuba. — A Fernandina’s Flicker pair engaged in a head-weaving courtship in Matanzas, Cuba.(photo by Robert-Lockett, ML439669801)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Our Caribbean Endemic birds are beautiful and fascinating – why not take inspiration from these birds and make you own ‘Zine’ to be included in our BirdsCaribbean Zine library?

What is a Zine? Zines (pronounced zeen) are simple, self-published booklets. They are an easy and fun way to share your ideas with the world. If you are passionate about something and want to make your voice heard, zines are a great way to do this!

For this year’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival why not create a zine based on our 2023 theme? Water: Sustaining Bird Life. We encourage you to do some research on your topic through online searches, reading books in the library, your own personal experience with the bird, and speaking with local experts. BirdsCaribbean will also feature an endemic bird each day on its website and social media accounts. You can find more information, suggested topics, a list of the materials you will need and ideas for the best way to create your Zine in our downloadable, detailed instruction sheet.

You can also take inspiration from this beautiful Zine all about today’s Endemic bird created by Arnaldo Toledo from Cuba. This was the winner of our Grand Prize for adults (ages 16 and older) of our 2021 Zine competition. “Apuntes de campo Carpintero Churroso” (Field Notes Fernandina’s Flicker).

See all the winners from 2021 and find links to more Caribbean endemic bird Zine here:

And the Winners Are…The BirdsCaribbean Zine Contest Produces Beautiful Work!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy these videos of a Fernandina’s Flickers in the wild! You can see a female foraging on the ground; A male calling at a nest-hole and a male and female together at a nest-hole.

May 1, 2023

From the Nest – Day 109

Endemic Bird of the Day: Scaly-breasted Thrasher

Some birders have a really hard time trying to find today’s bird, especially novice birders! The Scaly-breasted Thrasher is built like a thrush and looks a lot like it’s cousins, the Spectacled Thrush and Pearly-eyed Thrasher. This handsome bird belongs to the family “Mimidae” – which includes mockingbirds and thrashers.

Scaly-breasted Thashers might be considered by some to be a bit on the drab side. They have a dark gray-brown head, tail, and upper parts. This lack of “field marks” could put even an experienced birder in a frenzy. But look closely and you will see the scaly breast that give this bird its name really stands out, distinguishing it from other similar species! Scaly-breasted Thrashers also have a short dark bill, thin white wing bars, a hint of scarlet on the rump, and a yellow iris.

These thrashers can be found in the Lesser Antilles, from Anguilla all the way down to Grenada. They use a wide variety of habitats, from mangroves and coastal scrub to semi-open woodlands and humid forests. Scaly-breasted Thrashers are also commonly seen in and around human habitations on some islands. They love to forage high in the canopy in Dominica and Guadeloupe, but will be seen feeding much lower in Montserrat and St. Kitts.

These birds are not fussy and eat a wide variety of foods, including insects, fruits and berries, although they are thought to favour fruits. Their breeding season is in May to June, when they raise 2 to 3 chicks.

Scaly-breasted Thrashers sound similar to mockingbirds, but their voice is softer and slower…be sure to take a listen to for their beautiful warbling song. And listen out for the “dew-quip!” given often when foraging.

Scaly-breasted Thrashers are listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN, but with habitat loss and land-use change they could become less common in the future. For example, birders in Grenada already find it hard to spot Scaly-breasted Thrashers. There is still a lot to learn about this Caribbean endemic and it’s important to make sure we protect its habitats to ensure its future is secure. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Thanks to Quincy Augustine for the text!

Colour in the Scaly-breasted Thrasher

Listen to the song of the Scaly-breasted Thrasher

The song of the Scaly-breasted Thrasher is a series of high-pitched squeaks and lower-pitched whistles.

Puzzle of the Day

A Scaly-breasted Thrasher perched on an African Tulip, Saint-Kitts. (Photo by Steven Mlodinow)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Do you know what the different parts of a bird are called? Knowing them can help you to learn how to describe and identify birds, as well as colour them in. Learn the names for the parts of a bird by checking out the diagram in this page.

Then test your knowledge on today’s endemic bird by matching the correct names to the correct ‘parts of a Scaly-breasted Thrasher’ and completing this sheet.

Want to check your answers? You can see where all the words matched up to here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Scaly-breasted Thrasher in the wild!

The Scaly-breasted Thrasher is endemic to much of the Lesser Antilles. If you want to find out more about the birds to be found across this group of islands we have good news for you, there is an amazing guide to birds of the Lesser Antilles now available! This field guide allows readers to easily identify all the birds they could possibly find, from Anguilla in the north of the chain down to Grenada in the south. Find out more here:

One of a Kind: The First Field Guide to Birds of the Lesser Antilles is Released!

April 28, 2023

From the Nest – Day 108

Endemic Bird of the Day: Martinique Oriole

Orioles in the Lesser Antilles have black heads and necks, but not the Martinique Oriole! It stands out from the others by having a dark cinnamon hood. Its underparts, rump, and epaulets (shoulders) are a burnt-orange, and wings, back, and tail are black. Looking at the base of the lower bill you will notice that it is actually pale bluish-gray in color. Sexes are alike but the female is a bit duller.

Even though it is brightly colored the Martinique Oriole is still easy to miss. This is because it spends its time foraging in the canopy above for insects, flowers, and fruits. Additionally it has a restricted distribution on the island. Its main habitats include mangroves, dry forest on limestone soils, humid forest, gardens and tree plantations below 700m. Listen out for its song of clear whistles and soft warbles as well as harsh, scolding calls “cheeu.”

Breeding generally occurs from February to July, but has been reported in December too. They weave palm fibers into a shallow pendant basket nest usually 2–4 m above the ground. The nest is attached or stitched to the underside of a large leaf of tree, e.g., seagrape or trumpet tree, to a palm frond, or to the leaf of banana or Heliconia plant. Clutch size is 2–3 eggs that are white to pale bluish with brown spots and blotches. The incubation period lasts a minimum of 14 days. Both male and female feed the chicks and defend the nest.

Its restricted distribution, as well as population decline, have been attributed to brood parasitism by the Shiny Cowbird and deforestation. The Shiny Cowbird will lay her eggs in the nests of other birds and let the other mother bird, in this case the Martinique Oriole, do all of the hard work of incubating and rearing the young cowbirds.

The Martinique Oriole is considered Vulnerable with a decreasing trend in population size and small global range. However, a recent decrease in cowbird numbers has allowed a slight recovery. The species will also benefit from the protection of its preferred habitats from being destroyed and replaced by agriculture, housing, resorts and other businesses. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Martinique Oriole

Listen to the song of the Martinique Oriole

The song of the Martinique Oriole is a series of clear whistles.

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Can you find the words in our Martinique Oriole word search? Remind yourself of some of the interesting facts about this endemic bird as you look for all 15 hidden words! Remember the words appear forwards and backwards, as well as horizontal, vertical and diagonal! Need some help? Or want to check your answers? You can see where all the words were here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Martinique Oriole in the wild!

April 25, 2023

American Ornithological Society to Present Prestigious Award to BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Lisa Sorenson

The BirdsCaribbean family is once again beaming with pride!

The American Ornithological Society (AOS) has announced that Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean, Dr. Lisa Sorenson, is one of two recipients of the prestigious Ralph W. Schreiber Award, which honors extraordinary conservation-related scientific contributions by an individual or small team. Dr. Sorenson will receive her Award at this year’s AOS Joint Conference with the SOC (Society of Canadian Ornithologists–Société des ornithologistes du Canada) in London, Ontario, to take place from August 8-12, 2023.

“I am extremely impressed not only by the quality but also by the breadth and depth of this year’s AOS award winners,” commented AOS President Colleen Handel. “These scientists are being honored for their stellar accomplishments in research, conservation, publications, and service, but they also each exemplify the utmost in dedication to fostering the next generation of ornithologists. They embody the value of a true community.”

Dr. Joseph M. Wunderle, Jr., involved with BirdsCaribbean since its first year (1988) and currently serving as a Board Member and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO), praised Dr. Sorenson’s extraordinary energy and dedication: “As a founding member and early officer of the Society for Caribbean Ornithology (SCO) and now BirdsCaribbean (BC), I could never have imagined in the 1980s the breadth of bird conservation activities initiated and instituted by BC under the tireless leadership of Lisa Sorenson.”

Natalya Lawrence receiving an Educators' Award from Lisa Sorenson and Sheylda Diaz-Mendez, and Natalya's son Jordan, already an avid birder! (BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe, July 2019) — Natalya Lawrence receiving an Educators’ Award from Lisa Sorenson and Sheylda Diaz-Mendez, and Natalya’s son Jordan, already an avid birder! (BirdsCaribbean Conference in Guadeloupe, July 2019)

“As Executive Director of BC, Lisa has expanded the diversity of activities and opportunities in support of Caribbean bird conservation and ornithology to strengthen the region’s bird conservation capacity. The Caribbean’s unique birdlife and those who appreciate this birdlife have greatly benefited from Lisa’s dedicated efforts and we congratulate her for her justly deserved Ralph Schreiber Conservation Award.”

From the country of Antigua and Barbuda, BirdsCaribbean Board Secretary Ms. Natalya Lawrence confirmed Dr. Sorenson’s influence on her life when she wrote to Lisa: “Everything said about you in the award is true. You were the one that got me hooked on birds, and you are one of the greatest educators I have ever been honored to know. And your calm and passionate spirit, your diligence and patience make everyone you interact with want to learn more and do more. Congratulations to you on an honor that is well-deserved!”

Lisa Sorenson, who is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Boston University, conducted research on the behavioral ecology of White-cheeked Pintails in the Bahamas for her Ph.D. She served as Vice President and President of the Society for Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (now BirdsCaribbean) from 2005 – 2012, and as its Executive Director since 2012. Through her pioneering work, she has greatly increased awareness, appreciation, and conservation of the Caribbean region’s remarkable avifauna among Caribbean island residents – and beyond.

More on our Executive Director’s work and achievements

Lisa’s work over 35 years includes capacity building; outreach and education; fostering an active network of Caribbean conservationists; and reaching Caribbean audiences through community and youth education, science and the teaching of conservation methods. She is an inspiration to many young Caribbean conservationists, providing guidance and encouragement.

She is particularly focused on the need to train Caribbean nationals and empower local partners, educators, and communities to conduct their own research and conservation. Since 1997, she has initiated 150 international and local training workshops, reaching more than 5,000 people. This is of critical importance, as hitherto most bird research on the islands had been conducted by visiting scientists from overseas, often with little local involvement. Moreover, she has nurtured an appreciation of nature and of the joy of birding, working with and supporting numerous Caribbean partners on almost every island.

Lisa has received five awards for her work in the region, including a Partners in Flight Leadership Award. She has also authored or co-authored numerous bird education resources, including school curricula and monitoring manuals for the region, as well as publications in peer-reviewed journals. She has been an AOS Elective Member since 1998 and an AOS Fellow since 2011. She helped to organize the 2022 joint American Ornithological Society & BirdsCaribbean Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, serving on numerous committees.

Lisa and Lourdes in the field together in Cuba. (photo by Martin Acosta)

Dr. Lourdes Mujica Valdes, Auxiliary Professor in the Faculty of Biology at the University of Havana, Cuba, described the impact of Dr. Sorenson’s work on the people (and birds) of the Caribbean: “Lisa is the kind of person that makes the world a better place. She has really made a difference in the Caribbean. People in the region have received and shared her passion, commitment, and love for birds and nature during the last 25+ years. She has developed many conservation and education projects, gathered together many people from different cultures, and provided training, encouragement, and tools to those that needed them most.

“Lisa has been the heart and soul of BirdsCaribbean, and with her leadership, we have become, all of us, a huge and committed Caribbean family working together for bird conservation. We need more Lisas to save our biodiversity and our planet!”

Our deepest thanks and appreciation to you, Lisa, for doing so much to create a truly Caribbean family of bird conservationists across the islands!

Lisa Sorenson birding with youth at Ashton Lagoon, Union Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Lisa Sorenson and guide Ernesto Reyes showing a young boy some birds in Cuba. (photo by Tania Pineiro)

Lisa and Caribbean colleagues at the AOS-BC Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 2022.

Lisa and fellow educators at a Wetlands Education Training Workshop in Dominica.

Lisa with Eric Carey (BNT Executive Director, retired), Martin Acosta, Lourdes Mugica and other colleagues at the BirdsCaribbean Conference, Jamaica 2015.

Comments from lisa’s Colleagues:

“It is an awesome experience to be part of a team with someone with such a high work ethic. Lisa’s commitment, passion, and dedication extend to all projects and programs of the organization. And, she is not only an advocate of Caribbean birds, but of our people too, since she makes sure to provide everyone with opportunities for learning and engaging. Under her leadership, BirdsCaribbean has grown to higher levels. Lisa is an inspiration to all of us!” – Adrianne Tossas (BirdsCaribbean President)

Lisa Sorenson is an amazing, passionate, conservation professional. Lisa looked beyond the borders of her home country and embraced our many island nations of the Caribbean as her platform to effect conservation. And she did so, stretching every dollar and through synergies, increased many-fold the impact of her work. This is a well-deserved award and I feel so fortunate and honoured to call her my friend. Congratulations, Lisa! – Eric Carey (Bahama National Trust, retired Executive Director)

“Well deserved my friend! Congratulations on this distinguished recognition of all you do for birds!” – Jane Alexander (Actress and Conservationist)

“The American Ornithological Society selected Lisa to receive its highest conservation honor for her BirdsCaribbean leadership. We all know without a doubt how deserving she is!” – Franci Cuthbert (Ornithologist)

“Perfect award for the perfect awardee. No one has done more for conservation in the insular Caribbean, especially during the past decade when it has been so hard to maintain focus in the face of accelerating effects of social and climate change.” – Bruce Potter (Island Resources Foundation)

Read the complete award citation on the AOS website or below:

Dr. Sorenson has increased awareness, appreciation, and conservation of the Caribbean region’s unique avifauna through targeting research, conservation, and public engagement programs for Caribbean island residents and beyond. Building from her PhD research on the behavioral ecology of White-cheeked Pintails in the Bahamas, Lisa’s efforts over 35 years include capacity building, outreach and education, fostering an active network of Caribbean conservationists, and teaching of conservation methods, community and youth education, and science to Caribbean audiences. Her leadership while Vice-President and President of the Society for Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (2005-2012) (now BirdsCaribbean), and more recently as Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean (2012-present), has inspired, motivated, and energized island residents as well as others to contribute to island conservation efforts.

Lisa has demonstrated tremendous skill bringing people together from different island cultures, seeking funding (raised > $3 million since 1997), and personally encouraging and mentoring so many to become involved in and support bird conservation. To advance conservation in the region, she has had to overcome many of the realities and challenges for island conservation including: limited or no conservation funding within the region; diverse cultures; poor communications among islands; and a lack of conservation ethic and trained conservation professionals on many islands.

Historically, much of the research on island birds was conducted by visitors from North America, often with little local involvement, thus limiting the opportunity for growth of indigenous conservation and capacity. Dr. Sorenson’s leadership has helped to overcome these challenges by addressing the need to train Caribbean nationals and empower local partners, teachers, and communities to carry out their own science, education, monitoring, and conservation. Since 1997, she has facilitated the delivery of over 150 international and local training workshops, reaching over 5,000 people.

In all of BirdsCaribbean’s programs, Lisa has been a champion of increasing appreciation of the region’s endemic and migratory birds and the value of nature through experiencing the joy and fun of birding and bird education programs. This has, in turn, resulted in greater engagement in and successful NGO and community-led actions to monitor, restore, and conserve threatened species and habitats, as well as more young people pursuing careers in conservation. Without Lisa’s sustained dedication, Caribbean bird conservation would be far less advanced.

Lisa has received 5 awards for her work in the region, including a Partners in Flight Leadership Award. She has also authored or co-authored numerous bird education resources, including school curricula and monitoring manuals for the region, as well as publications in peer-reviewed journals. The multiple diverse Caribbean conservation initiatives, programs, and activities initiated, inspired, and/or facilitated by Dr. Sorenson’s leadership can be found on BirdsCaribbean’s website: https://www.birdscaribbean.org/our-work/about-us/ These include the West Indian Whistling-Duck and Wetlands Conservation Project, BirdSleuth Caribbean, Caribbean Waterbird Census, Caribbean Birding Trail, Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, Caribbean Seabird Conservation, and Caribbean Landbird Monitoring, among others. Lisa is an Elected Fellow (2011) of the American Ornithological Society and helped organize the joint American Ornithological Society & BirdsCaribbean Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico in June 2022, serving on numerous committees.

April 24, 2023

From the Nest – Day 107

Endemic Bird of the Day: Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo

Old Man Bird, as the local admirers call it, is a stunning bird endemic to Jamaica. This large cuckoo stands at 48cm (19in) and is distinguished by its thick, dark gray decurved bill, creamy white throat fading into pale gray on the breast, and contrasting chestnut belly and underparts. Its broad, long, dark gray tail is tipped with large white spots, while its legs are gray.

The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo (Coccyzus pluvialis) is found in moist woodland, wooded cultivation, or open thickets in the hills and mountains of Jamaica. During the winter, it descends to lower elevations but is only found near the coast in the wettest places. It runs along branches like a large rat or sails silently on extended wings from one tree to another.

The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo feeds on lizards, mice, insects, caterpillars, nestlings, and eggs.

Even though the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is known for its hoarse quak-quak-quak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak call, which is most frequently heard from April to June, it makes a very quiet landing in trees. Its nesting period is from March to June, and the nest is an untidy platform made of sticks in the middle or upper canopy of tall mature trees.

While the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is fairly common and widespread in Jamaica, it is still important to conserve this species due to threats such as habitat loss, predation by non-native invasive animals, and climate change. To help conserve this bird, individuals can support organizations that protect and restore bird habitats, advocate for conservation policies, and participate in citizen science programs that monitor bird populations.

Overall, the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is a unique and fascinating bird that adds to Jamaica’s rich biodiversity. Its distinctive appearance, behavior, and call make it a remarkable species worth observing and protecting.

Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Thanks to Michelle Roberts for the text!

Colour in the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo

Listen to the call of the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo

The call of the Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is a low, growling “aahhhh” or long “quah-quah-aahh-aahh-aahh-aahh-aahh.”

Puzzle of the Day

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: This year our theme for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life.” We want to highlight the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds.

We often see birds flying, preening, and feeding, but rarely do we see them drinking water. This does not mean that water is not important to birds.

Birds need water just as much as we do. Drinking water helps them regulate body processes like digestion. Water also keeps birds clean and cool on hot days when they take a splish-splash in a puddle, gutter, or backyard bird bath. Many birds also rely on wetland habitats, such as our ponds, salinas, marshes, mangroves, rivers, and coastal waters.

In our activity you can create your own poster to show how important water is to birds. Draw in the various ways birds use water!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo up high in a tree.

The Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo is endemic to Jamaica – it is one of many birds that can only be found on this Caribbean island and nowhere else in the world! Discover more about the endemic birds of Jamaica in our blog article about the launching of a new poster featuring beautiful illustrations of all these special birds. You will also find a link to download a pdf of this lovely poster.

“31 More Reasons to be Proud of Jamaica” – BirdLife Jamaica Launches its New Endemic Birds Poster and a Lovely New Logo

April 21, 2023

From the Nest – Day 106

Endemic Bird of the Day: Bahama Mockingbird

In The Bahamas, when we hear the “trashers” singing, we know spring is upon us. Their rich soulful song is very pleasing to the ears of birders and nature lovers alike. But, there is more to love about these amazing birds than just their song! Here are some fascinating facts about the Bahama Mockingbird.

The Bahama Mockingbird is slightly larger than its Northern Mockingbird cousin and lacks the large white patches on the wings. It has grayish brown plumage with streaks on its sides and a thin white band on the base of its tail feathers. Females are slightly smaller and have a shorter tail. Juveniles have more densely spotted underparts. Their song is rich and melodious, though not as varied as the Northern Mockingbird. Bahamians locally refer to both species as “Trashers.”

The Bahama Mockingbird, Mimus gundlachii, was named after the German Ornithologist Johannes Christoph Gundlach who spent most of his working life in Cuba (1810-1896). If you’re wondering why the Bahama Mockingbird was named after a German ornithologist living in Cuba, that’s because this bird is not just endemic to The Bahamas.

Their current distribution is mainly in the Lucayan Archipelago (The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands), the Camagüey Archipelago of Cuba (Cayo Coco Cays) and a small area in Southern Jamaica. Historically, this species was also found in Puerto Rico. Genetically, the Bahama Mockingbird is more closely related to Galapagos Mockingbirds than the Northern Mockingbird. But, Bahama and Northern Mockingbirds do sometimes inter-breed!

In The Bahamas, the Bahama Mockingbird is found throughout the archipelago but appears to have its highest concentration in the central Bahamas, especially on Cat Island. Throughout its range, it prefers arid areas and is found in dry forests and scrub habitats. Unlike its northern cousin, it is mainly found in intact native habitats and tends to avoid urban areas.

Bahama Mockingbirds are omnivorous; this means they feed on arthropods, small vertebrates, and fruit. They forage mostly on the ground, sifting through leaf litter and turning small stones with their bills.

Like the Northern Mockingbird, the Bahama Mockingbird builds a cup-shaped nest out of twigs and plant fibers. Both male and female participate in nest building. Clutch size is between 2-3 creamy to pinkish-white eggs with reddish brown speckles. Both parents raise the chicks. Nests are usually located between 0.5m and 4.5m off the ground but they will sometimes even build their nest on the ground.

Whilst not a threatened species, the Bahama Mockingbird has a restricted range, making it highly susceptible to habitat loss caused by climate change and unsustainable development. In The Bahamas the population may be declining due to competition with the Northern Mockingbird for resources like food and nesting sites. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Thanks to Scott Johnson for the text!

Colour in the Bahama Mockingbird

Listen to the song of the Bahama Mockingbird

The song of the Bahama Mocking bird is a series of phrases, each repeated several times.

Puzzle of the Day

Bahama Mockingbird in a tree — Bahama Mockingbird spotted on South Eleuthera, the Bahamas. (Photo by Noam Markus -Macaulay Library-ML188561091)

A Bahama Mockingbird on Cuba. (Photo by Arturo-Kirkconnell Jr- Macaulay Lirbrary-ML93392851)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: With lots more Caribbean endemic birds to enjoy and colour in during the coming weeks take a look at our colouring-in guide. This will give you some hints and tips on how to make your endemic birds look even more beautiful! Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest

Enjoy this video of a Bahama Mockingbird foraging in the wild!

If you want to find out more about our conservation work and BirdsCaribbean’s bird banding program you an read all about our bird banding workshop – which was held in the Bahamas in 2022.

Becoming a ‘Molt Nerd’ on a Bahamian Beach

April 16, 2023

On Global Big Day 2023 We Band Together for Caribbean Birds and their Conservation

We’ll be participating in this year’s Global Big Day (GBD)—the biggest birding day of the year—on Saturday, May 13, 2023, and raising funds to grow our Caribbean Bird Banding Network.

We are bringing back our popular teams competition, and celebrating together the bird diversity, excitement, and camaraderie that’s associated with Global Big Day.

Last year, Global Big Day virtually brought together more than 51,000 birders from 201 countries and submitted 132,000 checklists with eBird. This is the current world record for a single day of birding.

For BirdsCaribbean, the event was also successful—15 teams with members from 29 countries reported a total of 1,078 species and raised $13 734. We had so much fun doing this. Together we can make this year even better! Learn more below and on our Global Big Day GiveButter Teams page – join the fun here!

24 hours of learning, counting and sharing

During peak migration time in the spring, birders around the world head out to their favorite birding spots, or venture into new areas, to see, hear and record as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr period of time. This event helps scientists understand global bird populations and raises awareness of issues affecting them—and we need your help to do it!

No matter where you are, you can submit important data, via eBird checklists, about the birds around you. You don’t need to be an expert birder or spend the entire day looking for birds. Just 10 minutes of birding in your backyard or from your balcony will count too.

But birding is more enjoyable when done with a friend or a group. We are again calling on our community to bird together in virtual teams (you can decide if you want to join your national team or not) during Global Big Day. And engage in friendly competition to see which team can:

1) collectively see the most species of birds, and

2) raise the most funds.

Funds raised by BirdsCaribbean GBD participating teams will be used to grow our Caribbean Bird Banding Network by providing bands and other resources to Caribbean banders, providing more training opportunities and supporting bird banding projects across the islands.

You can join/re-join one of the 15 teams from last year or create a new team! Last year the Bee Hummers Dream Team from Cuba swept the competition. Will your team be the one to end their reign?

Participating in GBD is Simple

Clicking the JOIN button on the campaign page. You can choose to join an existing team OR create your own team.
The ‘Join a Team’ button is located just below the header graphic.

If you choose to create a team, personalize it with a fun name, photos and your own lingo. NOTE: if you are outside the US or Canada, we will need to assist you with the first step of creating your own team; after this you will be able to manage the team (email Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org and she will get you set up pronto!)

All team leaders and members should then invite family, friends, colleagues, and members of your birding community to join your team and/or donate to your team. It helps to set your own personal fundraising goal to help your team reach its overall goal!

By inviting people to your team, you are

(1) raising awareness for BirdsCaribbean and the Caribbean Bird Banding Network,

(2) helping to raise funds for Caribbean bird research and conservation, and

(3) promoting Global Big Day, citizen science, and the importance of conserving birds and their habitats.

and/or . . .

2. Making a donation to one of the birding and fundraising teams.

By doing so, you will have (1) helped advance knowledge of Caribbean birds through bird banding which gives us a more detailed look at birds’ life histories, and (2) encouraged that team to give it their all on Global Big Day.

and/or . . .

3. Committing to spending some time (or the entire day!) birding on Global Big Day (May 13), being sure to keep track of what you see and then entering that information into eBird. We hope everyone will do this, whether or not they join a team or fundraise.

Group of birders in the Dominican Republic. Photo by Zara Palmer.

This will be a fun event to fundraise for and get excited about birds! Be ready to visit birding hotspots or set yourself up in a safe place* and bird for as much of the day as possible, knowing that all of your teammates, friends, and BirdsCaribbean community members are doing the same!

If birding from the Caribbean, you should plan to submit your observations to eBird Caribbean. Then we’ll tally them up and see how we all did! We will send out more information about this as the event draws closer.

Why this is Important

The insular Caribbean is a critical region for birds. There are 176 species that occur here and nowhere else in the world! In addition, the islands provide a winter home for numerous migrants—many stay 6 months or longer while others rely on the islands as stopover sites to rest and refuel during their long journeys north and south.

The development of a strong regional conservation community, through capacity-building training and career development opportunities at the island level for local people, is critical to ensure the sustainable preservation of island birds and their habitats.

How your Donation Will be Used

This Global Big Day fundraiser will support the Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network, allowing us to continue providing bands and other resources to Caribbean banders, host more international training workshops , support Caribbean banders to attend internships (read about Zoya’s incredible internship at Klamath Bird Observatory) or other opportunities to practice and develop their skills, and grow and expand this network to more Caribbean islands.

Bird Banding Training Workshop participant David Walters placing a band on the leg of a Palm Warbler. Photo by Josh Covill.

You can learn more about the CBB Network on our website. Please also join us for our upcoming CBB Network webinar series:

The first webinar, ‘Banding Together – Creating the Caribbean Bird Banding Network, Part 1’ will be held on Friday, April 21 at 2 PM EDT. Join the BirdsCaribbean Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network live and learn what bird banding is, its applications and how it can change the future of Caribbean bird conservation.

Register and save your spot here: bit.ly/Carib-Bird-Banding1

The second webinar “Banding Together—Creating the Caribbean Bird Banding Network, Part 2” will be held on Thursday, May 4th at 4 pm EDT. Several Caribbean Bird Banding (CBB) Network members, including Daniela Ventura del Puerto (Cuba), Zoya Buckmire (Grenada), Hector Andujar (Dominican Republic), and Dayamiris Candelario (Puerto Rico), will share what they have gained from being part of this initiative, and exciting plans for expanding bird banding in the Caribbean.

Register and save your spot here: bit.ly/Carib-Bird-Banding2

As with everything in the Caribbean, we will be successful when our whole community pitches in, so let’s do this together! We need your help to do this!

Team Up to WIN

Prizes will be awarded to

the team that raises the most funds
the team with the most creative name and stylish fundraising page
the team that sees the most bird species on Global Big Day
the “country/island team” that sees the highest proportion of their birds on Global Big Day (to control for differences in the number of species on each island!)
the team with the best “find” of the day (unusual, rare, plumage aberration, etc.)
the team with the best bird photo of the day (must be posted on eBird along with your list)

And others, TBD!

https://www.birdscaribbean.org/2022/06/global-big-day-2022-birdscaribbean-continues-record-breaking-streak/

https://www.birdscaribbean.org/2021/05/birdscaribbeans-global-big-day-essential-checklist-for-all-birders/

March 28, 2023

Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival Addresses Importance of Water Conservation for Birds

Get ready to embrace the color of springtime and honor the Caribbean’s finest and most unique birds with us during the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) 2023!

The festival begins on April 22nd (Earth Day) and runs through to May 22nd (International Biodiversity Day).

This regional event happens across the Caribbean every year and highlights and celebrates the amazing birds that live only in the Caribbean—their natural history, threats, and how we can help reduce these threats.

This year the theme for the festival is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life.”

We are using the same “water” theme as World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) for our CEBF to unify our messages about the importance of water conservation to both humans and birds. (note: we will celebrate WMBD in the Caribbean with this theme in the fall).

Birds need water too!

We often see birds flying, preening, and feeding, but rarely do we see them drinking water. This does not mean that water is not important to birds.

In fact, birds need water just as much as we do. Drinking water helps them regulate body processes like digestion. Water also keeps birds clean and cool on hot days when they take a splish-splash in a puddle, gutter, or backyard bird bath.

Many birds also rely on wetland habitats, such as our ponds, salinas, marshes, mangroves, rivers, and coastal waters. With growing human populations and relentless development, there are growing demands for water and continued destruction of our remaining wetlands.

Pollution, erosion, and prolonged droughts are also directly impacting the quantity and quality of water resources and habitats available for our birds.

Greater Antillean Grackles enjoyingfountains Hope Gardens Jamaica

This CEBF join us in spreading the message that water conservation is vital for all life on earth, including birds!

More iconic endemic birds to be featured for Endemic Bird of the Day!

The CEBF team has been busy preparing for another stellar line-up for Endemic Bird of the Day! Follow this page during the festival as we share 25 new species! It’s a bit of a struggle for us to not reveal this year’s selected species just yet, but we can tell you this: expect beautiful bird artwork by the talented Josmar Marquez who will once again create our coloring pages. These will be accompanied by natural history information, range maps, puzzles, photos, videos, and activities, all designed to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and enjoyment for both adults and children.

Don’t forget that we have a wealth of educational resources from our past Endemic Birds of the Day!

Key West Quail Dove at a bird bath drinking — A Key West Quail Dove enjoys a drink. Bird Baths can be a great place for birds!

Be sure to follow BirdsCaribbean on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep up to date with our ‘birds of the day’ and to find out about webinars and activities during the festival.

In addition to these online activities our amazing CEBF island coordinators and educators will be celebrating with festivities on their respective islands through in-person events. Birdwatching trips, presentations, arts and crafts, bird fairs, habitat clean-ups, and “birdscaping” of home gardens, schools and parks with native plants are just a handful of the events that will take place across the region this year.

We encourage you to get in touch with your local conservation organizations to find out what events are taking place near you, this includes forestry departments too! You can also get together with your friends and family, or community groups and plan your own event. We have lots of activities on our website and YouTube: quizzes, ‘Learn to Sketch’ and origami tutorials, bug hunts, upcycled crafts, outdoor games, and many more that you can do in small or large groups.

Don’t forget to tag us in your photos and videos @birdscaribbean with #CEBF #FromTheNest #WaterSustainingBirdlife

CEBF Small Grants – Apply Now

BirdsCaribbean will once again offer small grants to help cover some CEBF expenses. To apply, send a short proposal via this form, no later than 10 April, 2023. Remember to include in your budget any in-kind funding you can offer: such as volunteer staff time, other materials, etc. You may also send your proposal to CEBF Co-Coordinators: Eduardo Llegus (CEBF@BirdsCaribbean.org) & Aliya Hosein (Aliya.Hosein@BirdsCaribbean.org), and Lisa Sorenson (Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean.org) with the subject line: CEBF Small Grant Proposal 2023. Please contact Eduardo Llegus if you have any questions or doubts about this. We are looking forward to hearing about the many exciting activities you will be organizing this year.

We call on people of all ages to join us for this year’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival as we celebrate the diversity and endemism of bird species in the region and come together to raise awareness and nurture environmental stewardship.

You can use our beautiful graphics to promote your events for the CEBF – use them as they are (click in each image then right click and choose ‘save as’) or follow the links to use access a Canva template and add you own logos and information!

square canva template

Rectangular Canva template

Banner Canva Template

March 15, 2023

Cuba’s BIG YEAR of Birding!

Big Year Cuba 2022 was a year-long birdwatching extravaganza, with birders—old, new, and in-between—across the largest island in the Caribbean competing to observe and record the highest number of species. Our Executive Director, Dr Lisa Sorenson, attended the Awards Ceremony in January. Here we share the amazing results of the competition and its likely impact upon the Cuban population and bird conservation.

The Big Year Cuba 2022 poster featured the charismatic and endemic Cuban Tody.

Together, Cuba’s pandemic crisis and the rise in the access to and use of social media, escalated the local tradition of keeping wild migratory and endemic birds in cages into a likely harmful and unsustainable illegal bird trade. Songbird capture and sales increased dramatically in Cuba over the period 2020-2022 and traffickers smuggling birds from Cuba have been seized at airports in Miami. Both Cuban and international conservation NGOs were alarmed by this dramatic increase. In response, they organized a ‘Big Year Cuba’ in 2022.

The year-long competition encouraged Cubans to don their Citizen Scientist caps and explore their island, while enjoying the birds in their natural habitats rather than in cages. Cuban birder and conservationist, Yaro Rodriguez, came up with the idea for Big Year Cuba. It was his hope that this competition would increase the number of birdwatchers in Cuba and birding hotspots on the island. Most importantly, however, Yaro’s goal was to strengthen and unify the position of the Cuban community of birdwatchers in their role as conservationists.

A small organizing committee was formed in Fall 2021 to plan the rules and guidelines for the competition. This included Yaro, Nils Navarro (Cuban artist, ornithologist and bird guide), Vladimir Mirabel (editor, The Cuban Birder magazine), Jeff Gerbracht (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and Lisa Sorenson (BirdsCaribbean). Generous sponsors (BirdsCaribbean, Optics for the Tropics, Environment for the Americas, and Caribbean Conservation Trust) kindly stepped up to offer cash and other prizes for the winners as well additional prizes for all who competed.

The contest was shared widely via social media on active and growing Cuban Birding Facebook pages and through The Cuban Birder magazine. Competing birdwatchers were required to submit their observations, via checklists, to eBird.

It was an intense year of fraternal competition among the Cuban birdwatchers to register the highest number of species, and the results were amazing. A total of 79 birders from 13 provinces (out of 15) were registered for the competition; 13 were women. Five birdwatchers recorded more than 200 species during the year and more than half of the competitors reported 100 species or more. Today almost the entire island is covered by active observers, contributing to eBird checklists daily.!

Awards Ceremony of the Big Year Cuba 2022

The Awards Ceremony was held at the ranch of the Monte Barreto Ecological Park on January 28, 2023, and attended by Cuban birdwatchers, ornithologists, and conservationists, along with colleagues from Optics for the Tropics, Environment for the Americas, and the Caribbean Conservation Trust. BirdsCaribbean’s Executive Director, Dr Lisa Sorenson, was also present at the ceremony to celebrate this historic achievement and help with awarding of prizes.

Photo of two women on stage facing forward and standing side by side. One woman is holding papers while the other makes a speech. The backdrop reads "Gran Ano Cuba" with a photo of a birder watching birds with binoculars to the left and birds flying on the right. — BirdsCaribbean Executive Director Dr. Lisa Sorenson congratulating the Organizing Committee and all birdwatchers for making it a highly successful event.

Renowned Cuban artist and ornithologist Nils Navarro opened the ceremony, sharing some of the challenges and rewards of organizing a competition of this magnitude. He highlighted the importance of joining other conservation projects in Cuba to make it a success. He also expressed his pleasure in seeing the genuine enthusiasm among Cuban birdwatchers. As a result of this initiative, areas that no one had observed before can now be explored, as in the case of Media Luna, in the south of Granma. Nils said that his colleague Ricel Polán was able to document, for the first time in the history of Cuban ornithology, the presence of the Caribbean Swallow (Progne dominicensis) nesting in that area!

Photo of group of people-one woman and four men- standing on stage. — Members of the organizing committee with winners of the Big Year Cuba competition.

Following this introduction, the highly anticipated winners of the Big Year Cuba 2022 were announced. Alejandro Llanes Sosa won 1st Place with a record of 261 species observed, Carlos Hernández Peraza came in 2nd Place with 242 species, and Sergio Luis del Castillo took home 3rd Place with 223 species. Their full testimonies can be found in the February 2023 issue of The Cuban Birder. Special Mentions were given to other birders who observed and recorded over 100 species. Lastly, Muhammed Halim Machado was recognized for having registered the 400th species in Cuban avifauna: the Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus).

First Place winner Alejandro Sosa.

Second Place winner Carlos Peraza.

Third Place winner Sergio del Castillo.

The ceremony ended with old and new friends mingling over delicious Cuban food and drink, including mojitos.

Photo of groups of people standing and talking to each other. s — Invited guests mingle over mojitos at the Awards Ceremony.

The truth is in the eBird data

First place winner Alejandro Llanes in the field making sure he does not miss a bird.

According to eBird statistics, during 2022 Cuba showed a sustained growth in the number of uploaded checklists – placing it, for several months, among the most dynamic countries in the world. For example, in November 2022 the number of checklists grew by 145% compared to November of the previous year; in August, by 126%; in April, by 338% and in March, by 185%.

Between 2015 and 2018, only 30 Cubans signed up for eBird. This number rose to 161 between 2019 and 2022. There has been a significant increase in the number of active Cubans on the platform in the last 4 years!

With respect to participation in Global Big Day, from 2018 to 2020 only 43 observers participated. However, between 2021 and 2022 the participation was significantly higher with a total of 193 birdwatchers.

The number of birding hot spots also increased in Cuba from 237 in June 2021 to 361 at the end of December 2022. The number of reported species also grew in the same period from 361 to 375.

The future of birdwatching and conservation in Cuba

Big Year Cuba 2022 was met with great enthusiasm and commitment by Cubans to expand their knowledge of the incredible bird diversity on the island. The Organizing Committee is already thinking about the next Big Year Cuba competition in 2024, but until then they will continue to foster respect for wild birds and their habitats, across the island.

As a result of Big Year Cuba, many new birding clubs have launched in a number of individual provinces, encouraging more Cubans to enjoy watching and studying wild birds rather than trapping and keeping them in cages. Cuban Birding Facebook pages, including Club de Observadores de Aves Cuba and Aves de Cuba and others, have also seen a dramatic increase in their membership during the last 3 years, with many people sharing their sightings and actively following the pages. BirdsCaribbean and our partners will continue to support these efforts, such as recent grants to our Cuban colleagues through our ongoing grant programs.

Ultimately this effort has helped spark a passion for birding and bird conservation and is helping to raise awareness of threats birds face and the irreversible damage the illegal bird trade can have on wild populations. The Committee is hopeful that, through these initiatives, Cuban society will become well informed to make pro-bird conservation choices, including reporting of illegal wild bird sales and refusing to buy wild birds. We shall keep you updated on our collective efforts!

Big Year Cuba winners, after receiving their awards, took photos with their fellow birders. From left to right: Alejandro Llanes Sosa, Carlos Peraz, Vladimir Mirabel and Sergio del Castillo.

Thank you to the Organizing Committee for your hard work on this initiative and congrats on the overwhelming success of your first Big Year Cuba! Many thanks to our partners who sponsored cash and other prizes and donations of educational materials to Cuban birders. And huge thanks to our members and donors, whose generous support helped to make the Cuba Big Year and our other programs to support Cuban bird research and conservation, possible.

Read more about about the results of Cuba Big Year 2022 in The Cuban Birder magazine.

February 21, 2023

From Grenada to Oregon: A Bird Banding Adventure

What would entice a small-island girl from Grenada to fly all the way to southern Oregon to live in a cabin in the woods for 3 months? Birds, of course! Seeing birds, hearing birds, and the coolest opportunity of all: getting up close and personal and banding birds. Here is how it all went down:

Last summer, at the end of July, I ventured out to Oregon to join the Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) for a 3-month long bird banding internship. This internship was a follow-up to BirdsCaribbean’s Bird Banding Workshop in The Bahamas, which I was fortunate to attend.

Two young women look at the tail of a Townsend's Warbler. One is standing and holding the bird in her hand while the other is seated. On the data are record sheets, text book with illustrations of feathers and other stationary and bird banding tools. — Zoya checking the tail pattern of a Townsend’s Warbler. (Photo by Claire Stuyck)

This was where I finally—after years of being interested in banding and having witnessed several banding operations—finally began to understand the fundamentals of molt (the process by which birds replace their feathers in a predictable pattern). The Bahamas was great, but needless to say, one does not become a proficient bird bander in 5 days. At the end of that workshop, molt was only just beginning to click for me, and I was eager to learn more and get more hands-on practice with birds.

From Tropical Heat to…Oregon Heat!

So off I went. After a 24-hour-long journey, of which about 12 hours were spent in the air, I arrived in Medford, Oregon, in the midst of a massive heatwave. I definitely did not expect it to be hotter in high-elevation, high-latitude Medford than it was in my tropical home I’d left the day before, but temperatures were indeed over 40°C. The drive to my home for the next few months—a literal cabin in the Upper Klamath woods—was scenic, with sprawling ranches and beautiful forests along the mountain roads. Along the way, I also got glimpses of the Klamath Lake, a small aquatic consolation for this island girl. I settled in quickly, getting to know my housemates and new colleagues over the weekend as we prepared for banding in the coming week.

photo of lake as seen behind trees. — Views of the Upper Klamath Lake.

Banding, Day One: A Quiet Start

August 2^nd was my very first day of banding, and we were off to a busy start. In some ways, I was thrown into the deep end—immediately incorporated into the crew and put to work as we set up nets and ran the station each morning. However, in other ways, it was a slow burn before I started to get the hands-on practice I craved. My first few weeks consisted of mostly scribing as others banded, observing the operation and flow of the station carefully, and assisting with tasks like set-up and takedown. I flipped a lot of pages looking for reference material in Pyle, the “Bird Bander’s Bible”, and was always ready to shine the spotlight when needed to skull a bird (“skulling” is the process of checking how well-grown a bird’s skull is to figure out its age).

Table with all the banding tools and notes neatly arranged. — Ready for the banding day. Table with all the tools neatly arranged. (Photo by Claire Stuyck)

Hands on banding! Holding is Believing…

On August 17^th, I banded my first bird at KBO, a Nashville Warbler, and from then, the pace certainly picked up. By October 14^th, our last official day of banding, I had been privileged to handle just under 280 birds, whether I extracted them from the net or banded them myself. These 280 birds were of 45 different species, many of which I had never even seen before going to Oregon. I had previously visited the west coast when I briefly lived in Vancouver, B.C., during the pandemic (summer 2020) and did some socially-distanced birding where I saw the usual suspects like Bushtits, Steller’s Jays, and House Finches.

But still, observing the strange behavior of a Northern Flicker on a lawn is very different from holding one in the hand and noticing amazing details like their heart-shaped belly pattern. Nor does seeing a majestic Cooper’s Hawk soar overhead compare to holding it like an ice-cream cone and launching it (safely) into the air after banding it. I feel truly honored to have been so “up close and personal” with so many different birds – and to learn something new and interesting about each of them during my time there.

Photo of heart shaped patters on white feathers. Partially visible is the long flared red tail. — A bit of love from a Red-shafted Flicker.

The many skills I learned

Before going to KBO, I had handled and processed a few dozen birds (< 50 total), of tropical species like the Bananaquit, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, Spectacled Thrush, and Caribbean Dove. These opportunities were primarily in Grenada with the Koper Lab of the University of Manitoba, and more recently, in the Bahamas at the March 2022 workshop. However, I had applied bands to very few of those birds (less than 10) and was only vaguely familiar with proper application technique and the process of aging and sexing.

Throughout my 3-month internship, I learned so much about mist net setup, extraction, proper handling technique and modifications for various sizes of birds, band sizing and application, assessment of molt limits, aging and sexing of birds in the hand, and data management. Since I plan to establish my own banding station in Grenada, these skills are invaluable for me to have as primary bander. KBO also filled the knowledge gaps I had about aging birds, particularly molt, molt limits, and the use of WRP—an updated system of terminology for aging birds based on cycles. The most valuable skill I learned, in my opinion, is skulling, which will be incredibly useful in aging my resident birds in Grenada that potentially have year-round breeding seasons. I am very excited to put that skill into practice at home.

A young woman holding a Wilsons Warbler while inspecting its crown patch. — Checking crown patch of a Wilson’s Warbler. (Photo by Claire Stuyck)

A wooden canoe, and nerdy indoor games

The internship was not all work, thankfully. My crew mates and I had a few opportunities for fun, including making the most of our grocery runs to the nearest town 30 minutes away by thrifting to our hearts’ content—my field wardrobe has nearly doubled, and everything was secondhand! We were granted the use of a nearby cabin on the Klamath Lake, affectionately called “Boathouse,” where we could go kayaking and canoeing through the marsh. Regrettably we only went once before the weather got too cold for unnecessary outdoor adventures, but my first time in a real-life wooden canoe was magical, even though I failed in my quest to see beavers. More often, we huddled up at home in the cabin and played games; one of my crew mates brought quite the collection with him, and nearly every week we had a new board or card game to try out.

A young woman sits in a long green, wooden canoe on a lake. — Zoya out canoeing on the lake. (Photo by Yuly Caicedo Ortiz)

“Wingspan” was an instant favorite, to no one’s surprise, and we adapted the game to double as study time. Each time we drew a bird card of a species that we caught at KBO, we went around the table giving “fun facts” about the species including its band size, molt strategy, and aging/sexing criteria (nerdy, I know!). All of these moments of downtime went a long way in helping the crew to bond and breaking up the monotony of fieldwork with a bit of fun.

An International Flavor, and Some Language Learning

Our crew was also quite diverse. The three Americans—from Illinois, Texas, and South Carolina—were joined by Colombian, Mexican, British, and Grenadian interns, making us one, big, happy international family. For me, the coolest part was hearing all about everyone’s banding adventures in their home countries and states, and all the other places they had worked, from Alaska to Ontario to New York to Costa Rica. It was amazing to know that, even with these varied backgrounds, we had all come to KBO with the common purpose of learning more about birds and banding, and hopefully, getting certified to do what we love.

I grew especially close to the two Latin American interns, who taught me not only about molt in tropical birds—which differs in important and fascinating ways from temperate, migratory birds—but also, so much Spanish. We spoke often as we tried to learn each other’s languages, and while I would not claim to be fluent in Spanish (yet), I do definitely know a lot more about “la muda y la vida ahora.”

Smoke, Bears, Rattlesnakes, Oh My!

Of course, the internship was not without its challenges. Southern Oregon is fire country, and we often had to adjust our plans around fires in the area, and sometimes, work through some degree of smoke. One of the sites is located atop a mountain, and the mile-long hike to get there did not always agree with my arthritic knees. We had to be mindful of bears everywhere—and the crew did have a few close encounters—and keep an eye out for rattlesnakes at one site. I took more than one fall in the field and I have the scars to show for it.

Up close photo of young woman wearing a white face mask and holding small bird bags with wooden clips. — Banding continues, even in mild smoke.

The hours were long, mornings were often cold (sometimes with 0°C starts), and the work was exhausting at times, but the good always outweighed the bad. Not only did we get to work with birds and collect important data for their conservation, but we also got to share that with the public. We had several outreach opportunities, most of which were at the Crater Lake National Park in partnership with the National Park Service, and people of all ages were excited to see us in action and especially excited to help release a bird. I remember my own first time releasing a bird in 2017 with the Koper Lab, and that obviously sparked an interest in me that has brought me here all these years later..

One woman is kneeling on the ground, right hand outstretched while another young woman, bent over, places a bird in her hand to be release. — Zoya helping a visitor release a bird. (Photo by Claire Stuyck)

Plus-Delta-Plus: Assessing Our Day

One KBO tradition that I grew quite fond of was our daily check-in of Plus-Delta-Plus (or High-Low-High as our British crewmate sometimes called it). At the end of each banding day, after summarizing our effort and captures, each of us had to identify two things that went well (our pluses); and one thing that maybe did not go so well or an area for improvement(our delta).

Pluses often included progressing in or mastering a certain technique (skulling, anyone?), noteworthy team dynamics and communication, good banding flow and keeping up with the pace of the day. Extra-cool captures of birds, such as the one day we caught and banded a Pileated Woodpecker, were definitely Pluses! Deltas were equally varied, from breakdowns in communication or teamwork to physical stresses or injuries. Deltas often included areas for improvement, such as realizing that we didn’t understand an aspect of molt quite as well as we thought we did. Having a space to reflect on the day, and sandwiching the “bad” with the “good”, was a great way to not only check in with ourselves but also with our teammates. This is definitely a ritual that I would like to incorporate into my own banding station going forward.

Testing, Testing…Certification!

I gained so much knowledge over my 3 months in Oregon, but knowledge is often intangible. One of the few tangible and recognized measures of banding competency (in this Hemisphere) is a certification from the North American Banding Council (NABC). At the end of October, our entire crew got certified as either Banders or Trainers! In full transparency, I did not expect to be able to pass the certification when I started my internship in July, as the big end-of-season evaluation was daunting. I thought I would be at a disadvantage since I was the least familiar with the birds in the area.

The NABC certification process typically includes a written exam, specimen exam, and an intense field session, where you are observed banding-in-action. This system has worked for years, but is prone to inducing nerves and failure, as a lot of pressure rests on just one day in the field. Thankfully, KBO recently implemented a programmatic certification process, which changes the traditional model of testing everything at the end to testing bits and pieces as you go. We used the “Bander’s merit badge checklist” to evaluate important knowledge and skills throughout the fall. Individual skills—like ability to measure a wing formula or correct application of a band—were checked off by demonstrating competence in the field.

These practical tests were spaced over several weeks, and allowed us time to improve and incorporate feedback if we did not succeed on the first try. We still had to complete the written exam, but having continuous evaluation rather than one field test really took the pressure off. Our performance was then independently reviewed by Trainers at the Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory during our visit, and voila, everyone passed! I am very proud to be one of the first NABC-certified Banders from Grenada, and also one of the first under this BirdsCaribbean Landbird Monitoring Program – which is sure to build a lot of capacity throughout the region.

A young woman leans against a red wooden wall, dressed in brown pants, blue t-shirt and plaid shirt. Sign above reads Humboldt Bay Bird Observatory. — Zoya after receiving her bird banding certification at HBBO. (Photo by Axel Rutter)

A Weekend in Humboldt Bay

The weekend at Humboldt Bay was the perfect end to the season. It is the banding station of field ornithology legend Dr. CJ Ralph, and our visit coincided with his famed end-of-year party. We arrived on Thursday 20^thOctober after a five-hour drive from southern Oregon to northern California. We spent the day on Friday banding at their station, followed by a bonfire barbeque. The next day there was a mini-conference, where we all presented on various topics related to banding; the keynote was a fascinating presentation on the results of a long-term banding dataset in Brazil. We ended the day with an award ceremony of sorts, and the much-anticipated end-of-year party where we mingled with banders from both observatories.

A group of seven people, five are sitting on the couch while one is sitting on the floor and the other is sitting on the arm rest. All are smiling and facing the camera. — Zoya and her crew mates at the end of year party. (Photo by Victoria Langham)

On Sunday, we drove back to the Upper Klamath, but not before stopping to sightsee along the way. Several stops at the redwood forests and the Pacific Ocean later, we got back home to several inches of snow on the ground. Our last week at the cabin was cozy; we kept the fire roaring out of necessity, but were also incredibly busy as we scrambled to pack up our things, pack up the cabin, complete data entry, and overall wrap up the banding season.

Goodbyes…And Appreciation

We began saying goodbye to various crew members, starting in California and ending at the airport where I bid adios to my Colombian friend and started the equally long journey home. All in all, my time at KBO was an incredible learning experience where I learned about myself as much as I did about banding; made lasting bonds with people I may have never encountered otherwise; and gained amazing insight into the world of banding and bird conservation.

KBO, a human logo. (Photo by Claire Stuyck)

KBO was so welcoming, both the place and the people, and I look forward to going back someday; as they say, we are all KBO “famigos” now. Our trainer, Claire, was exactly the tough but compassionate teacher I needed. She has really helped me to be the best bander I can be. I’m especially excited to be home and to start applying everything I’ve learned to the study and conservation of my local birds. I have BirdsCaribbean to thank for this opportunity. Words can hardly express how grateful I am for the chance to intern at KBO last year, and I am so excited to see what comes next with this evolving Caribbean Bird Banding Network. Thank you, BirdsCaribbean and KBO!

Zoya is a conservation biologist with varied passions, including birds, the beach, and writing/editing. She recently completed her Master’s in natural resource management and has a love for coastal ecosystems, especially mangroves. Zoya is excited to use her bird banding experiences at KBO and elsewhere in the Caribbean to learn more about the understudied resident and endemic species in her home country, Grenada.

We are very proud of Zoya for successfully passing the rigorous NABC (North American Banding Council) exam and becoming a certified Bander. She is just one of three persons in the Caribbean who are now certified. All three received certification in 2022, as part of our new Landbird Monitoring Program which aims to build capacity for bird monitoring, banding, and MOTUS in the Caribbean. We thank the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund for support for this project.

Put a band on it: Updates from our First-ever Caribbean Bird Banding Training

Caribbean Bird Banding Network

January 31, 2023

Becoming a ‘Molt Nerd’ on a Bahamian Beach

Workshop Group photo (with: Eliézer Nieves-Rodriguez, Ancilleno Davis, Gisselle Deane, Shanna Challenger, Esteban Márquez, Maya Wilson, Anne Sutton, Alcides Morales, Juan Carlos Fernández Ordóñez, Johnella Bradshaw, Adrianne Tossas, Daniela Ventura, Omar Monzón, Holly Garrod)

In 2022 BirdsCaribbean ran its first Caribbean Bird Banding workshop in the Bahamas. Get a first-hand account of the highlights of this workshop from Cuban participant Daniela Ventura. Want to know what a ‘Molt Nerd’ is? Read on to find out!

No, surely not! Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that in 2022 I was going to have the good fortune to visit not one, but two Caribbean other islands. As if that wasn’t unbelievable enough, the trips were scheduled with less than a month apart. But that’s exactly how things went: from learning to monitor landbirds using PROALAS point counts in the rainforest of the Dominican Republic’s misty mountains, I moved to the sunny beaches of Nassau in The Bahamas.

No need to tell you that birds were again the main driver and motivation. This time, I would receive training on banding techniques during the first Caribbean Bird Banding Workshop organized by BirdsCaribbean. The Retreat Garden of the Bahamas National Trust was our training oasis from 8 to 12 March.

Jewelry for birds?

Putting bracelets on birds? Have ornithologists gone mad? No, ornithologists are not crazy; and we do this for very specific and important reasons. It’s not about bird fashion either, though for me they look pretty fashionable.

Scientific banding has been a powerful tool for assessing bird populations for centuries. Nonetheless, I must admit that the first time I heard about banding I also was a bit lost. That happened at the 2017 BirdsCaribbean conference in Cuba. I was a sophomore student of Biology during the first and largest scientific event so far in my career. My mind was swirling! I wanted to absorb everything.

Person holding small bird looking at the wing feathers — Claire explains how to account for feather wear in an American Redstart

One day I entered the conference room and met Alina Pérez. She was giving a talk about her project monitoring migration in the Guanahacabibes Peninsula. I was amazed that such fabulous research was done in Cuba. At that time, I only knew they captured birds with mist nets, put tiny metal rings on their legs and let them go unharmed afterwards. I could not think of anything but the privilege it must be to hold a bird in your hand – and that I wanted to have that experience. After the conference I looked for Alina, introduced myself as an eager and inexperienced bird enthusiast, and told her I would love to volunteer with her project and learn from her. Alina gave me the warmest of her smiles and said “yes” right away.

I cannot thank Alina enough for the mentorship I received. Not only did she give me the opportunity to start learning the skills required to band birds safely and for scientific purposes, but she taught me so much more. During the three seasons I have spent volunteering on her project I still haven’t got used to the wonder of holding a bird in my hands. Most importantly, though, I discovered my obsession. Soon, I knew that I wanted to become a trained bander and to design research that incorporated this technique.

And so it was that, five years after the conference that changed my life, I was in a plane heading to Nassau, with my banding mentor sitting by my side, ready to walk the next steps of my path to become a certified bander. As I expected, the reality would surpass my expectations by far.

Breaking the bias

Setting a mist net — Trainer Claire Stuyck demonstrates best practices for mist net setup. In the background, trainer Holly Garrod explains the procedure.

The first day of the workshop coincided with the celebrations of International Women’s Day. We had plenty of reasons to be joyful. This year’s theme, Break the Bias, highlighted the importance of addressing how our own social and cultural biases influence gender inequalities. The conservation industry in particular has a long history of being mainly male-driven. BirdsCaribbean is proudly breaking the bias as an organization led and carried by strong, committed, enthusiastic, and proficient women in science.

The main workshop organizers and trainers were women: Maya Wilson, Holly Garrod, and Claire Stuyck. Besides, among the participants we had the pleasure of having Anne Haynes-Sutton, one of the most influential conservationists in the Caribbean for her work with seabirds, and one of the pioneers of bird banding in the region. Nearly half of the attendees were also female, many of them young but already with important leadership positions and success stories in conservation to share. Alina Pérez, Adrianne Tossas, Shana Challenger, Zoya Buckmire, Johnella Bradshaw, and Giselle Deane were there to prove that women’s contribution to science and conservation should not be neglected and overlooked anymore.

Eating apples, admiring doves, and tying knots on Day One

Sessions were held at The Retreat Garden, a former private botanical garden and currently a National Park managed by The Bahamas National Trust. The park’s staff are world-class event organizers. They took good care of us by having a steady supply of coffee and snacks. This helped us to keep focus during the intense classroom and field sessions. If it wasn’t for the apples, I wouldn’t have made it! I must acknowledge that I have a serious addiction to apples and I was nicknamed the “Apple Terror” by my Puerto Rican friends. They had no choice but to head first thing in the morning to the snacks table, to grab and put aside an apple if they wanted to have a chance of eating one – before I went to the table and magically made them disappear. Sorry, pals!

The first lesson hadn’t started yet and I already had a lifer to add to my list. A pair of Caribbean Doves, walking unaware of our presence around the classroom facilities made such a pleasant view. Aside from the Cuban endemics, they are the most beautiful doves I have ever seen.

Banders around a table entering data and holding birds — At the banding table, Daniela Ventura studies banding data sheets with Juan Carlos Fernández Ordóñez and Alcides Morales-Pérez. In the background, Holly holds a bird bag carrying the next-to-be-processed bird.

I was lucky to get good views of other notable Bahamian birds, like the stunning male Bahama Woodstar, the Bahama Mockingbird, and of course the ubiquitous White-crowned Pigeon. Definitely, the doves were the dearest to my heart.

Activities began when the trainers, Claire Stuyck and John Alexander from Klamath Bird Observatory, Steve Albert from the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), and Holly Garrod from BirdsCaribbean, greeted and welcomed us to the five-day intense banding schedule. They had barely finished introductions when we were already getting hands-on learning about setting up mist nets, security guidelines, and tying knots. Making knots can be fun as well as stressful, at least for a person like me who doesn’t have a good spatial memory. But it speaks highly of our instructors’ teaching skills that I soon forgot my insecurities and became immersed in tying knots – and even had a lot of fun!

Getting to know (and love) the Birder’s Bible

Lessons comprised a blend of field practice in the mornings and theory talks in the afternoon. These sessions covered the nitty-gritty of setting up an organized and well-planned banding table, with all the tools and the equipment properly set up to meet our needs. There were talks about the Bander’s Code of Ethics; bird and human safety at banding operations; the use of molt strategies to identify ages; education and public outreach; the use of banding for scientific research; and other related topics.

We split our time between banding demonstrations given by the experts Claire and Holly and conducting regular net runs. We had the luck of getting a closer look at resident birds like the Red-legged Thrush, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Bananaquit, Thick-billed Vireo, Caribbean Doves, and Common Ground Doves, but also common winter migrants like Cape May Warblers, Black-and-White Warblers, and the American Redstart. Although the birds we captured were never enough to please us, everyone had their chance to learn how to extract birds safely out of the nets, and even handle and band them.

Presentation being given — Juan Carlos Fernández Ordóñez in a presentation aboout the Bander´s Bible: Pyle´s Identification Guide to North American Birds

Group in an outdoor classroom — John Alexander explain some molt terminology to the workshop participants gathered at the retreat facilities.

During the low-activity periods, time was well spent learning how to use the Bander’s Bible: The Identification Guide to North American Birds, known simply as “the Pyle”. Diving through the Pyle can be a hard pill to swallow for every amateur bander, but once you realize you can’t have a stronger ally at your banding operations, it becomes as dear to you as an old friend. Helping to make that connection even stronger was the fact that we knew the actual Pyle (yes, Pyle – the “Bander’s God”) knew about us, through his colleague from the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP), Steve Albert. We could feel his presence while we struggled to study molt patterns.

The molt obsession

Now – talking about molt. You can’t be a skilled bander without being a molt nerd. No doubt about that. In the beginning, we thought Holly was nuts when she started talking in a weird fashion about three-letter codes. Wolfe-Ryder-Pyle (WPR) codes for aging birds are another jaw-dropper for anyone new to the secrets of bird identification.

At the banding table, more molt talk by Juan Carlos Fernández Ordóñez. Listening attentively: Alina Pérez, Esteban Márquez, Carlos Peña, Daniela Ventura, Alcides Morales, Jose Ramón Fuentes.

But of course, Holly is far from being nuts. She infused us with so much excitement while talking about molt strategies, that we all got enthusiastic about it. Pretty soon, our days became molt-centered – not only during the sessions, but at dinners, night gatherings at the hotel terrace, and even during the short but necessary break at the Orange Hill Beach. Everyone was truly proud at the end to be called a molt nerd.

I know some of you may already be asking, what’s all this for? Are we actually helping birds by showing off our knowledge of fancy letters and metal and colored rings? In fact, we are helping both birds and humans alike. You probably already know that birds are powerful sentinels of change. Studying how their populations respond to and cope with changes to their habitats, and other threats such as climate change, are useful tools for planning conservation strategies. The Caribbean region is home to more than 700 species, 176 are unique to these islands. The region is also one of those places on Earth that are suffering from rapid transformation by humans.

Banding connects us with nature

But we have another problem, and it is that plenty of our birds’ natural history is still unknown, or at least inadequately studied. Banding can be a powerful tool to begin filling those gaps. Birds in the hand provide us with loads of data about population estimates and trends, survival rates, movement routes and timing, disease prevalence, overall health and condition, molt strategies, physiology, breeding phenology, and much more basic data for ornithological studies. Besides, holding banding demonstrations for the public offers a gateway that helps humans connect with nature, an invaluable resource to educate people about wildlife and conservation. I believe that holding a bird in the hand and then watching it fly away can have a profound effect on someone’s life. And I say this from my personal experience! Banding not only helped me discover my passions, but connected me with nature and conservation like nothing else had before.

Red-legged Thrush is examined before being banded. (Photo by Holly Garrod)

The whole aim of the workshop was to create a network of banders across the Caribbean that could employ a series of standardized protocols to begin answering questions still unaddressed about our birds’ basic ecology. The Caribbean is a crucial stopover and wintering area for many declining North American songbirds. For this reason, the workshop also included talks about the collaboration with the MoSI (Spanish for monitoring winter survival) program from IBP and the installation of MOTUS towers. By combining traditional banding and modern tracking technologies we could boost our understanding of the movements of Neotropical birds throughout the Caribbean region and beyond.

But the main step, besides establishing these connections, is training and capacity-building. We need to end the traditional model of “parachute science” and train our next Caribbean generation of banders and trainers. I am so happy that I can brag about being a friend of the brand-new certified North American Banding Council (NABC) trainer: Juan Carlos (JC) Fernández Ordóñez (yes, the humorous Latin team “influencer”). You can tell when JC is talking about bird stuff because it is the only time you will see him with a serious look on his face. And that does not necessarily mean he is not making jokes. JC has been banding for 25 years. He is knowledgeable about molt strategies and bird ID, not only of Neotropical but also European, African, and Asian species. Most importantly, he enjoys teaching and sharing all he knows with everybody. I am sure that with JC’s example and Holly’s magnetism, most of the participants left with the ingrained desire to continue mastering our banding skills and obtain NABC certification in the near future. That will help lift the banding movement in the Caribbean.

Real Bahamian hospitality!

“Welcome to The Bahamas” are not only the letters of a beautiful mural painted on Bay Street, but the greeting me and my friends received everywhere we went: at the hotel, restaurants, and from people driving a car late at night through the Downtown area. If nothing else, I will never forget from this trip the beautiful aquamarine, gold, and black Bahamian flags waving from almost every building, and the kind hospitality of the people. The Bahamians I met during that week were courteous, smiling, spicy-food lovers, and proud of their history and traditions. Our Bahamas National Trust colleague and fellow trainee, Giselle Dean’s organizational skills made the workshop run smoothly, and she would humbly say it was nothing. Bahamian Scott Johnson not only was kind enough to give us a ride every day from the hotel to The Retreat in his car, but entertained and amazed us with his tremendous knowledge of Bahamian natural history and culture. Chris Johnson was quiet much of the time, but surprised us by generously giving each of us a beautiful calendar with his bird photos! Many of the species are shared by Cuba and the Bahamas, so it is nice to flip through the months of the year and recollect the memories from the trip. Ancilleno Davis was a model host, giving us a tour around Downtown Nassau during the last day of our stay, and providing us with a taste of Bahamian arts, architecture, and history.

The “Plus/Delta” of it all

Bird banders around a table — Participants gather at the banding table, while Holly Garrod explains how to take the data (in the photo, right to left Zoya Buckmire, Alina Perez, Alcides Morales, Claire Stuyck, Juan Carlos Órdoñez, Esteban Márquez, Adrianne Tossas, Holly Garrod, Carlos Peña, Ann Sutton, Daniela Ventura)

The “Plus/Delta” was a daily exercise for us at the end of the sessions. We highlighted the most significant aspect of the day for each of us and reflected on the areas where we needed more study or practice. It’s really difficult for me to decide on the overall Plus/Delta of my Bahamian experience. I have many of them. My Plus was the chance to bond with old and new friends; strengthen collaboration networks that will aid in my future professional development; improve my banding and molt ID skills; and widen my understanding and appreciation for other cultures.

And the Deltas? I also have plenty: I am determined to continue growing my expertise in all subjects regarding banding, bird ID, molt strategies, and overall bird ecology. A key step for achieving that goal is to become a certified NABC trainer. With this qualification, I do not want to only band and contribute to the understanding of Cuban resident species. I would also like to share and hopefully instill enthusiasm for these studies in the new generations of Cuban ornithologists. In the long run they will accomplish the visions we dreamed of on the beaches of the Bahamas. My biggest Delta is the hope that soon a large and powerful network of Caribbean banders will be the authors of a new round of success stories in regional bird conservation.

BirdsCaribbean Acknowledgments

This workshop would not have been possible without our dedicated trainers, enthusiastic participants, and funders, including the US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Forest Service and BirdsCaribbean generous donors and members.

December 22, 2022

Holiday Traditions with Birds

The holidays are here again! It is a special time for togetherness and gratitude, but for many it can also be very demanding—cleaning, entertaining, and gift giving. Exhausted and anxious is not how we want you to experience the holidays. We at BirdsCaribbean have compiled a list of traditional activities that have been adapted to benefit birds and minimize your stress.

We want you to make memories with your family and friends while engaging in activities that increase your knowledge and appreciation of Caribbean birds and help you to inspire others to be more bird-friendly for years to come. No matter which activities you choose, kids and adults alike are sure to have fun, and these activities can be done at any time of the year.

Of course birds will be featured and accompanied by amazing photos, natural history tidbits, and actions we can all take this holiday season to reduce threats to their survival.

A calm and relaxed festive season is on the horizon! Just make sure you’re following us @BirdsCaribbean and check back as new posts will be added until December 31st!

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas—Ways to Decrease your Plastic Use this Holiday Season

With family and friends to host, gifts galore, and huge grocery hauls during the build-up to Christmas, there is extra everything! Our single use consumption goes up this time of year big-time—packaging, gift wrap, decorations, food containers, plastic cutlery, the list goes on. This surge in plastic waste continues to threaten our health, our environment and wildlife. Marine animals are also harmed by plastic pollution.

The Masked Booby, for example, can mistake plastic in the ocean for fish and squid. Once ingested plastic reduces the volume of the stomach which often leads to starvation and other health problems. Seabirds may also feed their chicks bits and pieces of plastic too. Additionally, during courtship males will present females with tokens, traditionally rocks or feathers, but lately this includes plastic debris too, which is later used to decorate their nests.

But there is hope! You can reduce your plastic waste while still making your season merry and bright by following these top tips:

✨Use fabric wraps that can be used again next year. Or follow your grandmother and save the gift bags you receive to put other people’s gifts in.

✨Make your own decorations from biodegradable materials.

✨Ditch the plastic-wrapped veg and fruits and head to your local farmer’s market, don’t forget your market bag/reusable tote!

✨Avoid disposable cutlery. It’s convenient but not good for the environment. Try hosting smaller gatherings or asking guests to reuse their cutlery for different courses and don’t forget to rinse- we don’t think fruit cake and ham would be a good flavor combo!

If you’ve got other fantastic ways we can reduce our plastic use this holiday season, do let us know in the Comments below!

Shop with the Ultimate Bird-friendly Gift Guide—Gift Ideas that are Relatively Inexpensive and Meaningful

With Christmas fast approaching, we wanted to share some gift ideas with you. They are perfect for bird and nature lovers in your life, and even for those that are tricky to buy for. For all of these options, their purchase benefits people, habitats, and birds like the Endangered Whistling Warbler. We’ve provided a handy customizable template in Canva for a gift card for all the gifts below that you can present to your loved one!

✨For some people making a donation in their honor is an extremely meaningful gift. Your loved ones will be happy to know that their gifts will equip Caribbean conservationists with the tools and skills they need to increase the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of birds in the region. Your generous gift (no amount is too small!) will help BirdsCaribbean achieve our ambitious goals for bird conservation in 2023 – learn more here!

✨Some of the best gifts can’t be wrapped! From verdant mountain ranges to tranquil moments at the seaside, the Caribbean provides ample opportunities for birding, adventure, and recentering. You can buy an experience for loved ones, like a guided bird tour at your local nature reserve. It takes up no space and best of all you’ll help create memories. If you need help finding certified Caribbean guides, do check our Caribbean Birding Trail website guide page.

✨You can also give the gift of community with a membership to BirdsCaribbean or to your local NGO. When you become a member of BirdsCaribbean you become part of an important community committed to conserving Caribbean birds and their habitats. Collectively, members make possible the outstanding programs, research, on-the-ground conservation actions, and educational resources that get people outside and interested in birds.

✨ Give the gift of birdsong and at the same time help to conserve birds! In 2019, Shika Shika produce an album of birdsong inspired music using the songs of endangered species in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. You can purchase the whole album online at this link.

Check out the handy gift card template in Canva for a gift card that you can customize and present to your loved one!

The Whistling Warbler can only be found on the island of St Vincent (St Vincent and the Grenadines). It is quite rare and elusive to spot, restricted to mountainous habitat. Earlier this year, together with the Forestry Department staff and Antioch University researchers, we conducted a two-week pilot survey for this endemic gem and other forest species, to assess the effects of La Soufrière eruption on their population and distribution – catch up on the blog here. Funding for this survey was provided by our donors who gave quickly and generously to our relief appeal for St Vincent. We are continuing our work in St Vincent in 2023 with more surveys of the warbler, a Landbird Monitoriing Training Workshop with the St Vincent Forestry Department, and writing a Conservation Action Plan for this endangered species – you can help us with much-needed funding for this work here.

Get Festive! Plant a Native Tree

We know that one of the many ways people get into the holiday spirit is by putting up their Christmas tree. The twinkling lights and decorations radiate cheer and positivity. However, in the Caribbean there may be more fake than live trees which in the long term may not be the most environmentally friendly or financially sound choice. Instead, we suggest you get a live native plant or tree. Need some help deciding what to plant? Check our free ebook ‘Heritage Plants’ (available in English and Spanish) for ideas.

Backyard birds like mockingbirds, warblers, bananaquits, pigeons, doves, hummingbirds and many other birds will be sure to visit your yard! In this post’s photo a female Antillean Crested Hummingbird can be seen enjoying the nectar from a flower. Hummingbirds in particular are welcome visitors to backyards because their dazzling colors are always a delight to see. More importantly they act as pollinators and control plant pests by eating small insects too.

It’s win-win! You create a landscape that enhances the local environment, and offers shade, flowers, and fruits for you to enjoy. Your local flora and fauna benefits as native plants provide food and shelter for your backyard birds and other wildlife. They also increase the curb appeal of your property, decrease cooling costs (with mature trees), and improve your mental health.

If you don’t have the yard space, you can gift it to someone who does or get a potted native plant for your balcony or porch. You can also support local reforestation efforts in your country by signing up to help replant trees or donating to an NGO.

Peck the Halls with Hanging Bird Feeders

Bringing friends and family together is one of the best things about Christmas and nothing brings people together like a delicious meal. This year you can share the friendship, fun, and food with birds by hanging edible ornaments on trees in your garden. The White-winged Dove is one of many birds that will readily use bird feeders with a supply of millet, cracked corn, sunflower seeds, and other grains.

Choosing a tree is pretty simple because luckily, birds are not too picky. However, you’ll want a tree with plenty of horizontal branches so seed ornaments, other decorative feeders, and hummingbird feeders can hang freely and give the birds space to feed. It would be wise to choose a tree that offers shelter to both the birds and ornaments from direct sunlight and rain.

There are many ways you can use bird food to decorate your tree. You can string chunks of orange, papaya, pine and bananas along the branches. Or you can make birdseed ornaments in festive shapes with your kids! Check out this DIY video from the National Audubon Society. If you would prefer an inexpensive and biodegradable option, check out our Orange Fruit Cup Bird Feeder activity here.

To hang ornaments, use small lengths of natural twine to make loops or bows for each ornament. Holiday-themed or red ribbons can be added to attract the birds’ attention. Do not use thin thread or nylon string which the birds can become entangled in.

Remember to replace as needed, chances are other wildlife like lizards will also visit your feeders.

Lastly, as this is the season of togetherness we encourage you to prepare edible ornaments and decorate a tree for birds and other wildlife with your family, church group, school group, and other organizations too!

Build a Birdhouse for a Family of Birds

Many of us have a tradition to build a gingerbread house but how about building a birdhouse this year? You won’t be able to indulge in a yummy treat once completed but you will be providing a home for a family of birds this spring!

Birdhouses, also known as nesting boxes, provide a place for birds to build their nests, protected from the weather and predators. In return, birds will help out in many ways in your garden by controlling pests and weeds. Since birds eat insects, they will help to eliminate unwanted pests in your yard and use of harmful pesticides. Some birds also love to eat weed seeds, reducing how often you have to clear the weeds away from your garden.

Getting a birdhouse can be as simple as heading to your local garden or hardware store and buying one or building one yourself. Here are 28 free DIY birdhouse plans from The Spruce

Building a birdhouse can be a family activity; adults can cut and assemble the house and children can paint and decorate. Even better, you can host a birdhouse building party and invite neighbors, friends and other relatives to build birdhouses for their own yards. Provide some festive tunes and light refreshment, and you’ll be all set.

In nature, birds will seek tree cavities or woodpecker holes to nest and raise their family. However in today’s world natural cavities can be hard to find. Forests are being cleared for development, and in urban areas old and rotting palms are promptly removed. Wooden fence posts and electricity poles have been replaced with concrete, metal or treated wood. Competition for these limited sites is high especially between cavity nesters, Hispaniolan Woodpeckers and Hispaniolan Parakeet in the Dominican Republic. Learn more about the nest boxes Simón Guerrero installed at his university during this year’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival.

Donate Your Old Binoculars to Your Local Birding Club or Environmental Organization

We hope that Santa was especially good to you this year and gifted you the clearest and latest state-of-the-art binoculars you’ve wanted so badly. Now, perhaps you’re wondering what to do with your old gear. Why not give it a new purpose? This year we’re asking you to support new birders by donating your pre-used or unused binoculars, scopes and bird guides too, to your local birding club or environmental organization. This will allow them to have more enjoyable birdwatching experiences while developing their skills.

Your binoculars, scopes or guides can support education and conservation projects, particularly here in the Caribbean where birding equipment is pricey and somewhat difficult to source. From citizen scientists collecting data as part of a global effort, to children in remote communities seeing close-up views of their island’s endemic birds and undergraduate researchers advancing our understanding of birds, there are many who can benefit from your donation. This way we can all pass on our appreciation and respect for birds and birdwatching to the next generation.

Your binoculars and scopes should be in good working condition. If they are broken, check to see if they’re still under warranty and, if so, whether the manufacturer can repair them.

If you wish to donate binoculars (used or new) to BirdsCaribbean, contact Lisa.Sorenson@BirdsCaribbean – we’ll make sure we get them to organizations that urgently need them in the Caribbean!⁠

If you’re new to birding or thinking about joining the fun birding community and don’t know where to start, read our blog 10 Tips Every New Birder Should Know.

Feathered Family Fun

While your friends and family are visiting this holiday season, why not host a game night and have some fun together while learning about the Caribbean’s migratory and endemic birds? We have a variety of activities that will help you learn about and explore your natural environment. They have been created for all ages and most can be done at home using materials at hand. This is a great way to bond and build memories.

The activities are free and can be downloaded, and printed if needed: Caribbean endemic birds and migratory birds.

For those who want a more relaxed game night, you will enjoy our timed jigsaw puzzles, word searches, crossword puzzles, memory match games, fill-in-the blanks, coloring pages, DIY crafts, and more activities that can be done individually or in teams, using your phone or laptop. These can be done in between watching the holiday movies and feasting.

On the other hand if you’re looking to help your guests harness their competitive spirit then you would be interested in our bird trivia, scavenger hunt, nest building competition, operation food drop, migration miles, plastic investigator and much more.

Available for download also, in English and Spanish, are coloring books and our graphic novel , which was released in September of this year!

Lift Your Spirits with Birdsongs

Like music, birdsongs have a positive effect on the brain which improves our mental and emotional health, happiness, and wellbeing. But it isn’t just the enjoyment you feel when you hear your favorite birds sing. Researchers have discovered that bird songs and calls have restorative benefits capable of helping people recover from stress, and allowing them to restore and refocus their attention.

Indeed, it is vital that we not allow these birds to be silenced. Climate change, development, poaching, and pollution are just some of the threats plaguing the future of our birds. To raise awareness of the dire situation facing birds, Shika Shika collaborated with local artists to create tracks inspired by Endangered birds in the region. They were then compiled into an album, ‘A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.’

Released back in 2020, the album is a unique blend of electronic music and birdsong giving listeners an immersive experience into the beauty and wonder of the natural songs of the Jamaican Blackbird, Zapata Wren and Bay-breasted Cuckoo among others. Profits from album sales will go to BirdsCaribbean as well as two other bird conservation organizations in Mexico and Central America.

If you’re interested in exploring other regions through birdsongs, listen to their other albums too! A Guide to the Birdsong of South America and A Guide to the Birdsong of West Africa also showcases the diversity of birds and artists whilst supporting local conservation organizations. Learn more about the artists, creative process and purchase these albums here https://shikashika.org/birdsong/

These albums are perfect for the music lovers and bird lovers in your life, at just 12 euros (~$12USD). Or, just treat yourself to some uplifting organic music and at the same time, support organizations working to protect birds and their habitats!

Festive Birding

Looking for an easy way to burn off the Christmas feast? Then put down your phone, get off the couch, and head to the great outdoors to look for birds!

After weeks of cleaning, shopping, entertaining and cooking, birding provides the perfect opportunity to reduce stress, calm your mind, and revive your energy. In addition to your native and endemic birds, you’ll want to keep an eye out for migratory species that winter in the Caribbean like the American Redstart and Cape May Warbler. If you’re heading to your favorite coastal area, you may be lucky enough to see a powerful Merlin catching small shorebirds like Sanderlings in mid-air.

You’ll be delighted to know that birds benefit from being watched too. As people spend more time in nature appreciating its beauty and wonder and reaping the physical and health benefits, they feel a greater desire to conserve nature. They are likely to act upon this desire by actively participating in restoration programs, raising awareness, and lobbying for better environmental laws which protect habitats for birds and other wildlife.

As usual, before you begin any physical activity you must warm-up. You can do some light stretching but we really want you to have an enjoyable birding experience so here are some additional resources to help you prep.

10 tips to get you started

Birding 101 webinar

Warbler identification

Shorebird identification resources

HAPPY BIRDING!

Become a Citizen Scientist

Is one of your New Year resolutions to spend more time outdoors, birding, and/or helping with conservation efforts? Then, join one of the many citizen science programs that rely on the eyes and ears of people who appreciate birds and nature, to make observations and collect data. In these programs scientists and volunteers work together to gather data on bird diversity and numbers to answer real-world questions. The first citizen science program in January is the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC). Now in its 14th year the CWC 2023 begins on Saturday, January 14 and runs until Saturday, February 3.

Learn how you can take part in this region-wide survey in our blog.

Why waterbirds? The Caribbean is home to 185 species of waterbirds. Many are migratory, some are endemic but all face a range of threats, including habitat loss through development, climate change, pollution, and hunting. A structured, long-term census is essential for gathering information on numbers and habitat use in order to protect and manage habitats and conserve this exceptional group of birds.

What will you do? Head to a beach, pond, mangrove or wherever you think there might be waterbirds, observe and tally ALL the birds you see during your count period. Then submit your lists to eBird Caribbean. More detailed instructions as well as many free waterbird and shorebird ID resources can be found linked in the blog above.

What will you need? ID guides (free! on our website) and field guide, binoculars, notebook to record your observations (if you’re not using the eBird mobile app to keep track), a friend or two, and water. Our expert opinion is that it’s always best to bird with a friend or group, they’ll take notes, help with counting and bird ID, and (maybe) even share their snacks.

Thank you for helping us conserve our waterbirds! Have fun, be safe, and do share your lovely photos with us using the #CWC2023 and/or tagging us @BirdsCaribbean

December 18, 2022

Helping Birds Fly With Darker Skies: Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day in the Caribbean

December 16, 2022

Birding, Learning, and Exploring the Wondrous Wetlands of Barbados

group photo at a wetland in Barbados — Workshop Participants in Barbados.

With bird migration in full swing September was the perfect time for BirdsCaribbean to head to Barbados for a Wetlands Education Training Workshop! From September 27-28, 2022 30 participants took part in this ‘train the trainers’ event at Walkers Reserve, where they learned all about the wondrous wetlands and wetland birds on Barbados. During the two days of fun-filled and hands-on learning, participants were armed with tools, resources, and inspiration to help them share what they learned with others. Read all about what the workshop was like from the perspective of workshop participant Meike Joseph.

In September I completed a two-day Wetlands and Bird Education Training Workshop held by BirdsCaribbean at Walkers Reserve, Barbados. Initially, when I found out about this workshop, I got excited. I see birds on a regular basis but have not been able to identify them. So now you know why I joined this workshop – I wanted to learn how to identify birds. As it turned out I learnt so much more than that! Considering that this workshop was just two days, the information was extremely useful for my field of work. I did not feel overwhelmed at any point. The facilitators made learning easy, explaining all aspects of each topic in its simplest form so we could easily understand and absorb the information.

Talking about wetlands

On the first day of the workshop we were given a substantial amount of learning materials including bird identification charts, colouring books, and a book, Wondrous West Indian Wetlands: Teachers’ Resource Book, which is packed with information on Caribbean wetlands and birds, including many educational activities that can be done with kids and communities. We were also given a pop quiz as soon as registration was completed. Needless to say, I panicked as I didn’t know much about birds or wetlands! However, this quiz was helpful. As we did the same quiz at the end of the two-day period, it allowed the facilitators and myself to see how much we had learned, and it was a lot!

The group at Walkers Reserve learn about different types of wetlands. — The group at Walkers Reserve learn about different types of wetlands from Michele Kading.

Marvelous mangroves

We gained a significant amount of knowledge on wetlands, including definitions of wetlands and what we would find within these amazing ecosystems, with a focus on mangroves. This intrigued me as I am very passionate about them. We received a booklet on Mangroves of the Caribbean which assisted in mangrove identification, and also learnt about how important they are as homes and protection for all kinds of birds, fish, crustaceans and other organisms.

Learning about the different types of mangroves on Barbados.

Pouring a pond!

We then participated in a demonstration titled Pour-a-Pond (Activity 2-C in Wondrous West Indian Wetlands). This was the highlight of the first day for me. We made a small pond-like structure from a sheet of plastic which was filled with water from the ponds at Walkers Reserve. We were then asked to catch and identify the various organisms that we spotted in the water, using an identification chart that was given to us by Dr. Sorenson and Ms. Kading. This activity resulted in lots of interaction between the students who were all fascinated by the many organisms they found. After this demonstration, we learned a lot about the importance and value of our wetlands, the ongoing destruction of these unique ecosystems, and why we should make efforts to save them.

Next, John Webster, an experienced birder and bird guide in Barbados gave an excellent presentation on Wetlands in Barbados and the many resident and migratory birds that use these sites. I found this riveting! I am a local person, but I had never seen or heard about some of these locations. John pointed out that many of these wetland areas were once used for bird shooting but some are now becoming conservation areas.

John Webster talks about wetlands in Barbados — John Webster talking to the group about wetlands in Barbados

Time to get active

At noon, we separated into six groups to partake in different activities from the workbook. We then demonstrated them to the other participants. The title of my group’s activity was ‘Salty Currents’ where we gathered materials and used them to show what occurs when fresh and saltwater meet, as they do in swamps. We also discussed how water temperature and salinity influence plant and animal habitats in wetlands. All activities were wetland-and bird-focused and resulted in extensive discussions, and even heated debates!

One such activity, called ‘Difficult Decisions,’ was a role-play where participants in the group discussed real-life environmental issues in a Town Hall setting. Each person took on the role of a different stakeholder, all with different interests in the outcome, for example, debating the fate of a mangrove slated for destruction to make way for a new hotel. The development company, environmental minister, tourism minister, fisherman, eco-tourism guide, local restaurant owner, environmentalist, etc. all have different opinions about whether or not the development should move forward. Each passionately argued their case and voiced their opinion, sometimes sounding like well-known local public figures in similar situations! This brought on laughs but the exercise is valuable in that it places students in the position of decision-makers and challenges them to make up their own minds about what to do.

Another important activity, ‘A Hunter’s Tale,‘ addressed the issue of hunting. This was another role play intended to stimulate students to think about the issue of hunting and make up their own minds about it. Barbados provides important stopover habitats for many migratory shorebirds, however, many of these wetlands are private “shooting swamps” managed for hunting. Hunting has a long history in Barbados and in the past, tens of thousands of shorebirds were killed each fall. Thankfully, some of the “shooting swamps” have been converted into shorebird refuges in recent years, now providing vital habitat for birds like the Lesser Yellowlegs that need a place to rest and feed on their long migrations. These refuges are now wonderful places to see hundreds of shorebirds and waterbirds up close – we were grateful to the hunting clubs that allowed us to visit and enjoy the birds on the field trip the next day!

“There were many highlights to my learning experience at the workshop. It was exciting gaining knowledge on birds but also thrilling to learn about wetlands, particularly the mangroves within them.” – Meike Joseph

Birding 101

Following the peer-teaching activities was a presentation on bird identification. Prior to this presentation, many of us had limited knowledge on identifying birds. We learnt about how to identify birds, including observing size and shape, beak size and curvature, color patterns, behavior, habitat, and more. I found it very interesting that birds change their feather colors or plumage, based on the season – the breeding or non-breeding season. This would sometimes make it tricky to identify some birds! This lesson added to my eagerness to observe birds on Day Two.

Lecture on bird ID — Lisa Sorenson gave the group some helpful tips on how to identify birds. (photo by Alex Sansom)

After this presentation, the day ended and we were on our way home, armed with a range of learning materials and a significant amount of knowledge on wetlands and birds.

Day two: On the road we go

Day Two was one of adventure and learning. We headed off to two wetlands to observe and identify the various birds that we saw with our binoculars which had been given, compliments of BirdCaribbean, to be used for continued outreach and education at Walkers Reserve.

Group watching birds through binoculars — Meike (in the foreground) and the group using binoculars to watch birds at Congo Road Swamp and Private Bird Sanctuary, Barbados. (photo by Kierra Clarke)

That relaxing feeling when bird watching

Our first site was Congo Road Private Bird Sanctuary, a former shorebird shooting swamp. We focused on observing and identifying all the birds that we saw. Ms. Kading first led an activity called Sound Mapping (Activity 6-J), which I thought was quite calming. It was a highlight for me at this location. We were asked to sit quietly, to listen to all the sounds around us and also to note the direction of these sounds. This made me realize how long it had been since I quieted down and really tuned in to nature’s beautiful sounds. As I was sitting and listening, I also noticed a bird hunting for food in the water, diving to catch its prey – a fascinating sight.

The second place we went to was one that was unfamiliar to me – a beautiful wetland on the north of the island called Foster’s Swamp, another former shooting swamp, turned bird sanctuary, filled with a great variety of birds. It’s here that I was able to observe a unique bird for me, a juvenile American Golden Plover resting on the grass. This was a beautiful and informative day. We used the knowledge gained from Day One to assist in identifying different wetland birds.

A beautiful American Golden Plover in Barbados, this bird is less common in the Caribbean than the similar looking Black-bellied Plover. (photo by Lisa Sorenson)

Getting up and active, the group take part in a migration game, Migration Headache, Activity 4-G) on day two of workshop

Later at Foster’s Swamp the group also took part in several of the fun games and activities from the Wetlands Workbook about migration and food webs. Games played included “Migration Headache” which involved ‘migrating’ (running) from breeding areas to increasingly limited wetland habitat (paper plates), learning about the threats faced by migrant birds from habitat loss, pollution, hunting and hurricanes. In “Deadly Links” the participants playing the role of ‘Ospreys’ caused havoc amongst their hapless ‘prey’ – only to discover that they had consumed so many pesticides (accumulated in the food-chain) that their next clutch of eggs wouldn’t hatch. Another intriguing activity was Mangrove Metaphors—learning about the functions and values of mangroves from everyday household objects (e.g., sponge, sieve, cereal box, etc.). Other games involved making a ‘human food web’ and then untangling it, as well as learning about how limited food and habitat resources affect migrating birds in a game called “Habitat Havoc.” Thankfully the weather had cooled during the afternoon and these games got everyone up and active!

Got that Certificate!

The second day of the birding workshop ended with us receiving our certificates stating that we successfully completed the Wondrous West Indian Wetlands Education Training Workshop. Gaining this knowledge on birds was personally satisfying and also assisted me in creating birding tours.

Certificate being given to Meike — Meike gets her certificate from Michele Kading and Lisa Sorenson. (photo by Kierra Clarke)

Meieke Joseph is a Project Officer and Tour Manager for Walkers Institute for Regeneration Research Education and Design (WIRRED) and environmental non-profit based at Walkers. Whilst studying at UWI Cave Hill she completed a research project on Remnant Wetlands on the West Coast of Barbados. This has fueled her passion to work on mangrove restoration on the island and has also motivated her to work towards more regenerative practices for Barbados.

This workshop was made possible with funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada, and additional support from Walkers Reserve, WIRRED, CPRI Barbados, Vortex Optics, US Forest Service International Programs, and Southeastern Printing. Thanks also to Congo Road and Fosters Swamp Private Bird Sanctuaries for kindly hosting us on the field trip. You can learn more about the Wonderful West Indian Wetlands project here.

If you want to learn more about shorebirds in the Caribbean check out our shorebird resources page here, which has downloadable ID resources, outreach materials, videos and information pages.

Wet Work in Jamaica’s Wondrous Wetlands

November 17, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 55

Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in 2022! This year’s theme is “Dim The Lights for Birds at Night”. 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: Brown Booby

The Brown Booby is a smart looking seabird with deep chocolate brown plumage above contrasting with a bright white belly. They have pale dagger-like bills and bright yellow legs. Males and females can be distinguished by the color of their bills, their size and their vocalizations. Females have a pink tinge to their bill, are bigger and make a loud honking sound compared to the smaller males which have a blue coloration to their bill and have a much more high-pitched whistling sound.

Brown boobies can be found all over the tropics. This seabird feeds by plunge diving into the ocean to catch its prey, which primarily includes flying fish, and squid. Boobies often forage in mixed seabird flocks and benefit from sub-surface predators such as tunas which drive fish to the surface. While they don’t make a long-distance migration like some birds, they will disperse away from breeding areas and out to sea during the non-breeding season.

They nest in colonies on hillsides, beaches or rocky cliffs of offshore islands and cays. Both males and females share in the incubation of their eggs and the feeding of their young until they fledge at around 100 days old. Females can lay up to 3 eggs, but only one chick ever survives, if younger chicks hatch in the nest the larger first-born chick ejects them out of the nest and the parents stop feeding it. It is believed that parents lay more eggs than they can actually raise as an insurance policy in case the first egg does not hatch or the chick dies at a very young age.

Brown boobies are listed as least concern by the IUCN, however, as ground nesters they are extremely vulnerable to introduced predators such as rats, cats and mongoose. They do best on predator-free islands. At sea they face threats from entanglement in fishing lines (by-catch) and can also act as indicators of at-sea plastic pollution, as they collect plastics from the sea surface and include them in their nests. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Brown Booby

Download the Migratory Birds of the Day Colouring Page! Use the picture above and the photos on this page 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 #WMBD2022Carib

Listen to the calls of the Brown Booby

Mainly silent when at sea, at a breeding colony females make quacking “kaak-kaak-kaak” call.

Puzzles of the Day

Click on the images 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!

Brown Booby perched on a rock — An adult Brown Booby at a breeding colony. (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)

Two fluffy white Brown Booby chicks. (Photo by Mark Yokoyama)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: We have reached the end of our 2022 celebration of migratory birds in the Caribbean! We hope you have enjoyed learning all about the fascinating birds that we have featured this year, but…..how much do you remember about migratory birds? Remind yourself of some the birds we featured and some of the ‘key words’ linked with bird migration with our Bird Migration Word Search. We have made it challenging with 20 words for you to seek out! Look carefully and find them all.

Remember that word can be straight across, up and down or diagonally and that words can also be forwards or backward. The Once you think you have found all the hidden words you can check your answer here. If you missed one of our birds, want to tackle another puzzle or activity or want to remind yourself of some of the birds that we featured in 2022 or in 2020 you can find all of our past ‘Migratory Birds of the Day’ here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Brown Booby

Read all about the amazing transformation of the island of Redonda : This small island is part of Antigua and Barbuda. It is uninhabited but has become an eco haven for many wildlife including seabirds, migratory birds, and an endemic reptile!⁠ Before 2018 the island was overrun by introduced black rats and goats. The now lush and vibrant island is a stark contrast to what Redonda used to look like! Find out how the committed and hard-working team of local and international conservationists was able to transform the island from a barren rock to a green gem.

Redonda Rebounded—Magical transformation spells brighter future for Redonda’s wildlife

November 15, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 54

Migratory Bird of the Day: Worm-eating Warbler

The early birder sees the Worm-eating Warbler! On first appearance these drab warblers appear similar to the skulky Swainson’s Warbler we featured earlier, but be sure to check out their face. Worm-eating Warbler has a black stripe through the eye and another black stripe above the eye, whereas Swainson’s Warbler has more of rusty line through the eye and rusty-brown cap. Worm-Eating Warblers have a buffy-tan colored head and more olive colored body compared to the warm brown tones of the Swainson’s Warbler.

They are well known for their habit of hopping through the understory and probing dead leaves, a technique they employ both on their breeding and wintering grounds. Their favorite food is caterpillars which is what earned them their “worm-eating” name.

Within the Caribbean they can mainly be found overwintering in the Bahamas, The Cayman Islands, and the Greater Antilles, including Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. They have been recorded occasionally on several other islands throughout the region including Guadeloupe, Turks and Caicos, the British Virgin Islands, Barbados and Curacao. So be sure to be on the lookout this fall! They don’t overwinter exclusively in the Caribbean however, as part of the population will overwinter in Southern Mexico and Central America.

Like many other migratory birds, Worm-eating Warblers choose to migrate at night, giving us another reason to turn the lights off during high volume migration periods. They appear to travel long distances when they are on the move, and it seems they have a preference to hug the Mexican coastline down rather than crossing the Gulf of Mexico. The majority of the data about these birds on both their overwintering grounds and migration stopover comes from Mexico and Central America. There is still more to understand about these birds during their overwintering/migration in the Caribbean.

Be on the lookout for Worm-eating Warblers in forest and scrub habitats in the Greater Antilles. Like other drabber warblers, they tend to be more skulky, hiding in the dense understory. Similar to many other migratory birds, these warblers are suffering from habitat loss, especially on their overwintering grounds, though more study is needed. Have you seen a Worm-eating Warbler on your island? Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Worm-eating Warbler

Listen to the calls of the Worm-eating Warbler

The calls of the Worm-eating Warbler are a load “chip, chip, chip“

Puzzles of the Day

Worm-eating Warbler with a caterpillar — Worm-eating Warbler with a tasty caterpillar. Its caterpillar eating habit gave this bird its name! (Photo by Bryan Calk-Macaulay Library- ML54410741)

Worm-eating Warbler perched on the ground. (Photo by Ryan Zucker- Macaulay Library- ML441690171)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Many of the ‘migratory birds of the day’ we’ve met so far make amazing journeys during fall, coming to the Caribbean to rest and refuel or to spend the winter with us. Some of our migratory birds are short and medium distance migrants, like the Black-crowned Night-heron. Perhaps traveling several 100km from their breeding areas to their wintering grounds. Others, like the Worm-eating Warbler are long-distance migrants and might travel 1000s of km during their migratory journeys! Why not try to ‘match’ some of our amazing long distance migrants by taking part in our Tracking Your Migration Miles activity. In this activity we are challenging you to switch some of your journeys from using the car to ‘active travel’ (waking, cycling etc.) to cut your carbon footprint. Don’t worry we are not asking you to run 3,000km, like a Least Sandpiper’s migratory journey! We’ve scaled down our distances (from 3-10km) to make it a fun activity everyone can take part in! Track you progress on our recording sheet here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Worm-eating Warbler

November 11, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 53

Migratory Bird of the Day: Roseate Tern

Roseate Terns might be one of the Caribbean’s most elegant fliers, flitting about like bats as they swoop down to catch tiny silver baitfish. They are so good at finding schools of baitfish that in some parts of the Caribbean they are known as “Bonito birds” because fisherfolk know that if they cast lines under where Roseate Terns are diving, they are likely to catch bonitos and tuna that are also in the area to catch small bait fish prey!

In the spring when Roseate Terns arrive in the Caribbean to breed, they have solid black beaks and a light rosy blush across their white chests, which gives them their name. As spring progresses, Roseate Tern beaks start to turn dark orange and they lose their pink coloration. By the time they leave the Caribbean for their wintering grounds in South America in the fall, they look very different then when they arrived!

Roseate Terns have a restricted range in North America, meaning they only breed in certain areas. In continental North America, they primarily breed only in a few large colonies in Massachusetts, New York, and Maine. In the Caribbean, they are scattered across the region, with breeding colonies in Florida, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, to name a few. Wherever they are found, breeding Roseate Terns nest only on tiny cays and islets, where they are better protected from predators. They nest right on the ground, and usually only have one chick per year. By September, all breeding Roseate Terns in North America head south to the Brazilian coast, where they will spend the winter eating fish and resting on beaches. They will start arriving in the Caribbean in late April to mid-May, so look for them then!

Terns can be very difficult to identify, so you will need a lot of practice to tell Roseate Terns apart from other Caribbean terns like Sandwich Terns and Royal Terns. In spring, good clues are their all-black bills and bright orange legs. Roseate Terns may be in flocks with other terns, but are distinguished by their longer forked tails and elegant flying style. They are usually found only over ocean water, but tend to stay close to the coastlines, so look for them in the mouths of bays and sandy-bottomed shores, where they like to fish. Their call is said to sound like ripping paper, so keep your ears open as you look! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Roseate Tern

Listen to the calls of the Roseate Tern

The calls of the Roseate Tern include a high-pitched “keek”

Puzzles of the Day

Roseate Tern in breeding plumage. (Photo by Tim Melling)

Roseate Tern in flight. (Photo by Karen Gallo)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Today why not imagine that you are a Roseate Tern and take part in our My Migration Journey creative writing activity! We have provided a template for you to write a short story about a migration journey. Pretend that you are a migrating Roseate Tern flying from the US to warm and sunny Brazil. Imagine getting ready to make this epic journey- how would you be feeling having to fly so far? Think about the places you will see along the way and perhaps about other migratory birds you could ‘meet’ on the way. This is a long journey so you should also think about challenges you, as a Roseate Tern, might face!

As well as writing about the journey you might also want to add some pictures to your story. Perhaps you could add a map of where you would be traveling or you could add some pictures of the other migratory birds on the route, of a particular challenge you might face or of a ‘rest stop’.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Roseate Tern preening and taking a rest on the beach.

Read all about Dr. Paige Byerly’s research investigating genetic diversity among Roseate Terns in the Virgin Islands !

The Vampire Diaries: Searching for Seabird Blood in the Sunny Caribbean

November 7, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 52

Migratory Bird of the Day: Black-crowned Night-Heron

While birdwatching at your local wetland, you are most likely to see the Black-crowned Night-Heron perched on trees near the water during the day. As the sun sets, it becomes active searching for food and calling out “Woc” or “Quock.”

Scientists think they feed at night when competition for food is low, since other herons and egrets feed during the day. But they are not picky eaters and will feed during the day in the breeding season. They eat a variety of foods including leeches, earthworms, insects, crayfish, clams, fish, frogs, snakes, eggs, carrion, plants, and even garbage from landfills!

The Black-crowned Night Heron is a medium-sized stocky heron with a short neck and legs – giving it a hunched appearance. Adults have a white head with a distinctive black cap and upper back. Wings, rump, and tail are gray with white to pale gray underparts. Eyes are red and legs yellow-green. During the breeding season, their yellow-green legs turn pink, they develop long white head plumes, and the black on the head and back acquires a blue-green gloss. Juveniles are noticeably different – brown all over with white flecks and yellow eyes.

There are resident populations of Black-crowned Night-Herons on many Caribbean islands, including the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and possibly Barbados. The breeding season varies from as early as January to as late as August. Like many herons they nest in colonies. Males choose the nest site up in a tree and begin to build the twig and stick nest, which they then advertise to prospective mates. Colonies in good locations, free from predators and other disturbances, may be used for 30-50 years!

During fall and winter Black-crowned Night-Herons from colder climates migrate south. Some will travel from as far as Massachusetts or Alberta to spend winter in Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean. Mudflats, shallow ponds, creeks, swamps, and marshes are important areas for this bird and should be protected. Black-crowned Night-Heron may even be able to tell you how healthy these areas are. Because they are high-up in the food chain, have a widespread distribution, and are colonial nesters, they make excellent environmental indicators of contamination. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Black-crowned Night-Heron

Listen to the calls of the Black-crowned Night-Heron

The calls of the Black-crowned Night-Heron include a croaking abrupt “Woc“

Puzzles of the Day

A Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron skulks low down in vegetation. (Photo by Alan D Wilson)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: What facts can you remember about todays migratory bird – the Black-crowned Night-Heron? Test your knowledge by filling in the missing words in our Black-crowned Night-Heron facts! We have given you all the correct words to use but can you put them into the right fact? You can re-read the information all about this bird above, or search on the BirdsCaribbean webpages or online for lots more information about the Black-crowned Night-Heron! Then, when you have completed all the sentences, you can check your answers here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Black-crowned Night-Heron in the wild! You can see this bird in the classic ‘hunched over’ posture that this species adopted. Watch it as it hunts for food using a ‘stabbing’ motion with its sharp pointed bill- and eventually catches a fish!

November 4, 2022

The Story of Alonso and Sami: The Puerto Rican Boy and the Plover

Boy holding a model of a Wilson's Plover at a nest — Alonso with his wonderful model!

Following the publication of BirdsCaribbean’s new graphic novel, “Sami the Snowy Plover: Stories of Survival,” its author and illustrator Josmar Esteban Márquez learned how Sami’s story has inspired one Puerto Rican boy! Keep reading to find out more.

The creative arts reach people in different ways, lighting a spark among adults and children of all ages. They can also take children on a voyage of discovery – including birds. Recently, Josmar Márquez received this delightful message from Antoni Arce Quiñones in Puerto Rico:

“Hi Josmar! My child was inspired by Sami’s story. He made a plover for his school presentation and named it Sami. Thanks for your drawings.”

Supported and published by BirdsCaribbean, Marquez’ graphic novel “Sami the Snowy Plover,” (available in English and Spanish), had inspired Quiñones’ young son, Alonso. So much so that he, with help from his Dad, had created a beautiful sculpture of another member of the plover family, the Wilson’s Plover! This shorebird is more common than the Snowy Plover in Puerto Rico where Alonso lives, but faces many of the same conservation challenges as ‘Sami’. He presented this beautiful and detailed model to his classmates at the Montessori School EENUAM (Ecological School for Children Uniting the World), sharing the message of plovers as an example of shorebird migration.

A Snowy Plover. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)

A close up of Alonso’s beautiful model of a Wilson’s Plover at a nest. The detail is amazing and so life-like!

A real Wilson’s Plover. (Photo by Hemant Keshan)

Sharing a love for shorebirds

Quiñones recounted that his son has always been an animal lover, but his particular love for birds grew from around the age of six. More recently, he has become fascinated by plovers and other shorebirds. His father has encouraged his interest, buying books for him and taking him on regular birdwatching and shorebird counting trips. Alonso printed out and read Sami’s story, and decided to name his Wilson’s Plover creation after him.

A group bird watching at a wetland — Alonso looking at birds with others in the group, including shorebird expert Jose Colon. Yes, learning can be fun!

Alonso’s interest in animals and birds was fostered at his school, in his fauna and flora class. José Salguero-Faría, a biologist and ornithologist at the University of Puerto Rico and and member of the local birdwatching organization SOPI (Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña), encouraged Alonso and his classmates’ interest in birds in general during a shore-birding field trip.

Further fun, facts, and activities to be had

According to his Papa, Alonso has been enjoying the drawing tutorials video series, also from Josmar Esteban Márquez , on the BirdsCaribbean YouTube channel and the coloring books and other online activities. from BirdsCaribbean. This includes our Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival’s “From the Nest” series, which features fun facts about our endemic birds, as well as coloring pages, puzzles, and activities for kids! These products are all available free of cost; we encourage our members and followers to share them with younger family members and the young at heart!

Recently, plovers have become Alonso’s passion. We hope that the love of a child will help raise awareness and bring hope for Sami and other endangered shorebirds!

resources from BirdsCaribbean for children:

Meet Sami the Snowy Plover: a New Graphic Novel for World Shorebirds Day Tells his Survival Stories

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

Hot Off the Press! Our New “Endemic Birds of the West Indies” Colouring Book

(English)

Printing now! The Spanish Version of our Endemic Birds Coloring Book

(Spanish)

And the Winners Are…The BirdsCaribbean Zine Contest Produces Beautiful Work!

The BirdsCaribbean Zine Library can be found here:

https://www.flipsnack.com/birdscaribbean/new-shelf.html

(in English and Spanish)

October 28, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 51

Migratory Bird of the Day: Peregrine Falcon

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the fastest bird in the world – the Peregrine Falcon! Dropping out of the sky at 240 mph Powerful and fast-flying, the Peregrine Falcon is a large crow-size falcon, dark gray above, and cream-colored with dark barring below. Pointed wings, long, narrow tail and rapid pigeon-like flight identify it on the wing. When perched, its mask-like head pattern is distinctive. Immatures can be identified by a brown back with a cream-colored belly with heavy brown streaking.

The Peregrine is an uncommon to rare migratory bird in the Caribbean. It can be found throughout the islands primarily from October to April in coastal areas, offshore cays and rocks, woodlands, forests and cities. One breeding record exists for Cuba and another for Dominica. Peregrines are one of the most widespread birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica and on many oceanic islands.

Peregrines eat mostly birds, especially flocking doves, waterfowl, songbirds, waders, and pigeons. They take birds on the wing, usually while flying low to the ground and surprising their prey from behind as they take off. Peregrines also dive on prey from high above, striking with their feet. They are said to be the fastest animal in the world, reaching speeds over 320 km/h (200 mph) or more during hunting dives!

Peregrine populations crashed in 1950-1970 due to the use of pesticides, especially DDT, and it was declared an Endangered Species. Following the ban on DDT in the early 1970s as well as protection of nesting places and releases of captive-bred birds to the wild, the species recovered enough to be removed from the Endangered Species List in 1999 – a conservation success story! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Peregrine Falcon

Listen to the calls of the Peregrine Falcon

The alarm call of the Peregrine Falcon are series of harsh “kak, kak, kak.” calls

Puzzles of the Day

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon — A young Peregrine Falcon spreads its wings. (Photo by Chuck Hantis)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Peregrine Falcon’s are fascinating birds, with loads of interesting facts out there to be discovered! Like where they live, what they eat, their nesting behavior and migration. So why not get started on todays activity and make your own Peregrine Falcon fact sheet! Follow our instructions, gather together your favorite Peregrine facts and then use the template we provide. You can get your Peregrine facts from the information above and you can also look this raptor up on eBird, or on “All About Birds” from the Cornell Lab. Once you’ve found all the interesting and fun facts you need go ahead and make your fact sheet.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this beautiful video of a Peregrine Falcon in the wild!

Video by Don DesJardin.

Read all about Raptor Conservation in the Caribbean!

Fostering Raptor Conservation in the Caribbean Through Environmental Education

October 28, 2022

Birding by Ear: Making Birding Accessible for Blind People in the Dominican Republic

Simon Guerrero plays bird calls for participants of a birding event for blind people — Simón Guerrero plays bird calls for participants of a birding event for blind and visually impaired people.

Simón Guerrero, is a lecturer at Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (Autonomous University of Santo Domingo) and long-standing member of BirdsCaribbean. Below he shares his remarkable experiences birding with the National Board of the Blind in Santiago and how they celebrated the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival this past June.

The idea of introducing blind people to birds through song occurred to me in the early nineties when I attended a bird monitoring course sponsored by the US Forest Service in La Amistad International Park, a cross-border park created by the governments of Costa Rica and Panama. Among the attendees of the workshop were prominent American ornithologists such as C. J. Ralph and Greg Butcher. One of the course instructors was incredibly good at identifying birds by song. His ability to recognize a bird just by listening to a couple of notes was impressive.

Upon witnessing such skill, I commented to him, with some irony, “But the work you do could be done by a blind person!”

“It could be,” was his short reply.

From that moment, I began to consider the possibility of organizing a bird workshop for the blind using bird song as a basis for identification. As soon as I returned to Santo Domingo, I met with the National Board for the Blind to make arrangements to give a talk on several Dominican birds that live in urban areas, since these species were most accessible to our intended participants.

Putting ideas into action

I have been teaching since I was 18 years old and thought I had already experienced the vast range of rewarding experiences offered by this profession. But I never would have imagined anything like this. I had never seen the level of enthusiasm or interest in learning as that shown by the blind children. What impressed me most was that every time they heard the song of the bird whose song they were familiar with they would exclaim, “Oh, the Mockingbird!” as though they were experienced ornithologists and those birds were part of their daily routine.

As a child I learned to produce a cooing sound by cupping my hands together, and blowing through this hollow space, allowing me to imitate with relative fidelity the songs of the three most common doves in the city of Santo Domingo: Common Ground Dove, Mourning Dove, and White-winged Dove. When the blind children learned how I was able to reproduce these calls they were dazzled. They asked me to teach them to use their hands to imitate bird calls too. I was a little unprepared, because it was my first time teaching blind students and the truth is that I was not trained in their learning techniques. They forgave my clumsiness and tried to help me. They lined up and took turns touching my hands while I imitated the song of the doves. It was an indescribable experience! It certainly made me feel needed and useful as a teacher.

A blind woman learns how to use her hands to mimic bird calls with Simon Guerrero. — A blind woman learns how to use her hands to mimic bird calls with Simón Guerrero.

A Mourning Dove, one of the birds Simón taught children to imitate. (Photo by Carlos Gomez)

Celebrating Caribbean endemic birds and their songs

For this year’s Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, my team and I scheduled several activities with the goal of highlighting the fascinating lives of birds, including those that can only be found in the Dominican Republic. We created several small wildlife refuges where birds and other wildlife could find food and shelter in the city. We also installed artificial nests specifically for endemic species, like the Hispaniolan Parakeet, that nest in cavities. But the most rewarding activity was with participants from the National Board of the Blind.

Artificial nest boxes built by Simón and his team. (Photo by Simón Guerrero)

Hispaniolan Parakeet pair at a nest cavity, UASD. (Photo by Carlos Gomez)

During the first event, when we met with the Board of Trustees, we played audio recordings of the songs of several of our native and endemic birds so that those taking part could identify the birds by their calls. It was unclear who was more impressed, the participants or me. The possibility of identifying birds by song and learning about their behavior was more exciting than they expected. In addition to their enthusiasm and interest in the subject, I was surprised by how much they knew about wildlife and a wide variety of ecological and conservation issues. One of the participants shared with me that she was a fan of nature documentaries and that she listened to them frequently. Vianny, one of the most enthusiastic participants, suggested creating a WhatsApp group named “Cuidemos las Aves” (Let’s take care of birds) and asked my permission to record the meeting to share on her YouTube channel.

Mingling bird songs with music

People enjoying one of the birding events for blind people held during the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival.

For the second event, we went to the University Campus to bird by ear. We used the audio recordings again to encourage the natural song of the wild birds that live in the city and attract those that may be too shy to come into the open. We were also treated to a violin concert performed by Luis Alfredo Morales, one of the members of the Board of Trustees. Luis spent a year studying music at the University of Missouri in America. It was a fantastic event for both students and teachers. Following this, we planted a native bush (Hamelia patens) in the university garden. This plant attracts hummingbirds and many other birds. Gabino Ortiz, one of the participants, asked me for a bush so that he, too, could attract birds to his home garden.

The third and last activity- another bird by ear, was held at the Botanical Garden of Santiago in collaboration with the Board of Trustees for Santiago (the second largest city in the Dominican Republic) and members of the Education Department of the Botanical Garden. We worked with about twenty participants in a much more favorable habitat with a great variety of birds. Members of the Education Department played an active role from conception to execution. They took the opportunity to explain to the participants the objectives of the institution and the services it provides to the community.

I am excited to share that another event, which will take place in Bonao, has already been planned. Also, the Board of Trustees has let us know that they will repeat this birding activity at its headquarters across the country!

Loving birds is human nature

Hispanionlan Woodpecker — A Hispaniolan Woodpecker, a noisy endemic that everyone can enjoy! (Photo by Carlos Gomez)

The reaction of the participants made me realize, in retrospect, that the theme of this year’s Festival, “Loving Birds is Human Nature,” is not simply a beautiful phrase.

It asserts the notion that human beings certainly have the innate ability to cherish and respect these fascinating creatures!

Bird activities are an inexpensive and enriching pastime that can be done at any age and help to increase the self-esteem of those who practice it. It is a fun way to learn and make friends while contributing to conserving valuable species that only exist on our island. It is encouraging to know that the National Board for The Blind plans to include this activity with the birds in its regular program of activities. The conservation of endemic birds is a citizen’s duty, but it is, at the same time, a right that assists all people, with no one excluded. Initiating the blind into birdwatching and conservation activities is a meaningful and relevant inclusion.

It is the first time that blind people have participated in this Festival in the DR, and I hope it will not be the last. I hope that this initiative will be adopted by the 20+ countries in which the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is celebrated every year.

Learning bird songs and calls can be fun and rewarding as well as helping with your bird identification. Here are the calls of some of the birds participants in Simón’s events might have heard for you to enjoy!

Hispaniolan Parakeet:

Northern Mockingbird:

Mourning Dove:

White-winged Dove:

You can find out more about BirdsCaribbean’s Endemic Bird Festival here:

Join us for the 2022 Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival!

https://www.birdscaribbean.org/2022/08/caribbean-endemic-bird-festival-celebrates-human-connection-to-birds/

And find out more about Caribbean Endemic Birds in our From the Nest series of blog posts, celebrating our Endemic Birds with fascinating facts, puzzles and fun activities.

October 21, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 50

Migratory Bird of the Day: Swainson’s Warbler

Swainson’s Warbler isn’t known to be one of the brightest or more eye-catching warblers. In fact on first appearances it’s a pretty plain little bird with a brown back, buffy-white chest, rusty cap, and white eyebrow. However plain this bird may be it is still an exciting find for many birders due to their very secretive nature.

Their affinity for swamps and marshes originally earned them the name “Swamp Warbler” when described by Audubon in 1833. He named it after his friend and fellow ornithologist, William Swainson. And while Audubon is credited with the discovery of this warbler, evidence suggests Georgia artist and naturalist, John Abbot, made paintings of the bird as early as 1801.

These swamp warblers are medium-distance migrants. They breed in the Southeastern US and spend winter in the Caribbean, Southeastern Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Within the Caribbean, in winter most birders find them in Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands. But, keep an eye out for them during migration in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and occasionally Aruba! In the Caribbean you can find them in many types of forest, including mangroves and montane forests, as long as there is a dense understory for them to hide in.

We still have a lot to learn about their overwintering range, as their skulky nature means they often go undetected. Fortunately BirdsCaribbean’s Landbird Monitoring Team will be deploying 10 motus tags on Swainson’s Warblers in Jamaica to better understand both their migratory routes and overwintering ecology. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Swainson’s Warbler

Listen to the calls of the Swainson’s Warbler

The calls of the Swainson’s Warbler sharp, loud repeated “chips” given by both males and females.

Puzzles of the Day

Swainson's Warbler on the ground — Swainson’s Warbler. This little brown warbler can be very hard to spot as it skulks in the undergrowth (Photo by Peter Brannon)

Swainson's Warbler perched on a twig — Swainson’s Warbler. The male and female look the same and this migrant does not change it’s plumage colouration between the winter and breeding season. (Photo by Matt Felperin- Macaulay Library- ML439968381)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Swainson’s Warblers catch insects to eat. They feed in the forest canopy and on the ground. Sometimes, in dry weather, they dig under the leaf litter in search of insects. Imagine you are a Swainson’s Warbler in search of food and find out what bugs there are in your backyard in our fun bug hunt! Follow our instructions and see how many different types of bugs you can find! Perhaps you will spot a butterfly or a bee flitting past? Remember just to look at the bugs and not to touch or collect them. You can check the ones you see off on our list and perhaps take some photos of them?

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Swainson’s Warbler in the wild! We aren’t likely to hear this little bird singing whilst they are migrating through the Caribbean, but you can enjoy their loud cascading song here. During the breeding season males will sing defending their territory, whilst the females build the nest.

October 20, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 49

Migratory Bird of the Day: Red-footed Booby

If you were asked to name one of the most colorful birds of the Caribbean, would you choose a seabird? Probably not, but think about it. There is a seabird in the Caribbean that has black piercing eyes surrounded by a ring of ultramarine blue skin and a patch of cobalt blue (sometimes iridescent lime green in males). Its pointy bill looks like it was dipped in a rainbow, going from velvety black at the base, to orange, then blue and pale blue at the tip! If that wasn’t enough, there is one another touch of color in this bird, some say the most important splash of color: its feet are bright red.

Say hello to the Red-footed Booby, the most colorful seabird of the tropics. These colorful seabirds have even more variation, with a “white morph” that is the most common and a less common “brown morph” that has chocolate-brown feathers all over.

Red-footed Boobies are pelagic seabirds, which means that they travel far offshore to fish. They feed by plunge diving from great heights, targeting mostly flying fish and squid. Although these birds do not technically migrate they will disperse out to sea after nesting. This means you can see Red-footed Boobies at sea year-round, you will have better luck enjoying their colorful features on land – it is best to do so with binoculars, from a respectful distance.

Of the three booby species in the Caribbean (the others are the Masked Booby and the Brown Booby), the Red-footed Booby has the most restricted range. It breeds on a limited number of small islands and cays, mainly in the Lesser Antilles and the offshore islands of northern Venezuela, though an internationally-important population can be found in the Cayman Islands. During the breeding season, from October to May, Red-footed Boobies form colonies of up to a hundred nests in trees or shrubs.

The construction of the nest is part of the Red-footed Booby’s courtship ritual. Once he is joined by a female, the male starts collecting nest material. After he finds a good stick, he flies back to the nest with the stick in its bill, then presents it to his mate who may, or may not, accept it. If she does take it, the male watches her place the stick – sometimes he may grab one end of it and work with the female. Needless to say, for Red-footed Boobies, building a nest can take some time! They lay a single, white egg which they incubate for a month and a half, and raise their chick for three and a half months.

As for many seabirds, the biggest threat affecting Red-footed Boobies on land is the destruction of nesting habitat for human development. The first step to better conserve this magnificent species (and all the other Caribbean seabirds) is to record the location of its colonies. In fact, in 2023, seabird conservation partners are planning to count nesting seabirds across the Caribbean. So, if you know of a colony of Red-footed Boobies near you, you can help by informing your local conservation group! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Red-footed Booby

Listen to the calls of the Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby’s will be mostly silent during the non-breeding period. The make several sounds during the breeding season including a series of guttural “karuk” calls.

Puzzles of the Day

Red-footed Booby - brown morph — The dark morph of the Red-footed Booby. (Photo by Doug Greenberg)

Red-footed Booby white morph — The light morph of the Red-footed Booby. (Photo by Andrew Wright)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: The Red-footed Booby feeds on fish and squid. They dive into the water to pluck out prey with their long, pointed bills . Like many of our seabirds Red-footed Boobies can be harmed by plastic in the seas and oceans. In an ocean full of plastic, it can be difficult for the Red-footed Booby to tell a fish and a plastic cup apart!

You can help seabirds by reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean, and by becoming a Plastic Investigator! For this activity, we want you and your family to become aware and informed about the various types of plastics that are in your house, and how many can be recycled. You can download out activity sheet here for more information and instructions on how to take part. Try to find an example of each type of plastic around your house. Record your examples in the Plastic Investigator Record sheet (included with the activity sheet).

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a light morph Red-footed Booby in the wild! These birds nest in trees along coasts and on offshore islands in the Caribbean. During migration and in winter you will see them plunge diving into the sea for fish.

October 18, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 48

Migratory Bird of the Day: Prothonotary Warbler

Who’s that spot of sunshine in the swamp? It’s the Prothonotary Warbler! These bright wood warblers were named for their dapper plumage, as the yellow is reminiscent of the robes of papal cloaks or “prothonotaries” in the Catholic church.

And would you believe that these warblers assisted with the conviction of a spy? When alleged spy, Alger Hiss, denied his affiliations, those same affiliations came forward with knowledge of his recent amateur birding expeditions – including an exciting find of the Prothonotary Warbler! When Alger Hiss admitted to recently adding this warbler to his life list, his secret was out and his affiliation exposed!

These sunny wood warblers are the only warbler to nest in cavities, breeding in the southeastern U.S. In the Caribbean, Prothonotary Warblers are considered an uncommon migrant in both spring and fall. The best chance at spotting them is likely in Cuba, Grand Cayman Islands, or the Bahamas, though unusual vagrants have been reported in Bermuda. We don’t typically see them as often in the Caribbean because they take a trans-gulf route, crossing over the Greater Antilles to arrive in Mexico and continue further south.

During migration, Prothonotary Warblers expand their habitat selection from their usual preference of woody swamps. Though we still lack information on their habitat use during migration and overwintering, look for them along coastal areas like marshes and inland watercourses.

These little balls of sunshine often move together in small flocks. In the spring, males will head north sooner than females (to set up a territories on the breeding grounds), though no differences in sex or age have been noted in the fall. Prothonotary Warblers are fairly well studied in their breeding range, but we still lack a lot of critical information, especially how habitat loss has affected migratory and overwintering populations. These warblers have been heavily impacted by deforestation. Like many other songbirds, they migrate at night, making it extra important to turn off your lights so as to not disorient these and other birds. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Prothonotary Warbler

Listen to the calls of the Prothonotary Warbler

The Prothonotary Warbler makes a loud, piercing series of repeated “tsweet” calls.

Puzzles of the Day

Male Prothonotary Warbler perched. (Photo by Hemant Kishan) — A bright yellow Male Prothonotary Warbler perched. He will sing during the breeding season to hold his territory. But it’s not just his song that helps, males that are brighter yellow gain access to better nest sites than less colorful males! (Photo by Hemant Kishan)

Female Prothonotary Warbler, perched — Female Prothonotary Warbler. She is slightly less bright than the male, with a greenish crown and nape. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Make sure that you have read the information given above. The facts here will help you with todays activity. Use what you read and the clues on the sheet to untangle our our word scramble – all about the Prothonotary Warbler- our Migratory Bird of the Day! You will be finding words that are about where this small yellow bird lives, what it eats and how it behaves. Once you think you have found or the words, or cannot work out any more clues you can find all the answers here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Prothonotary Warbler in the wild! This bird is bringing nesting material, it is one of the very few warbler species that builds its nest in cavities. They breed in wet forests, mainly in the southeastern U.S. So although you won’t see this little bird nest building in the Caribbean you can look out the small ‘sunny’ birds during their fall migration.

Find Warblers difficult to identify? Don’t worry we are here to help you out!

Identifying Warblers in the Caribbean

October 13, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 47

Migratory Bird of the Day: Ruddy Duck

A common member of the stifftail family, the Ruddy Duck is a small, compact duck with a scoop-shaped bill. This duck has a long, stiff, spiky-looking tail often held upright. The Male has a black cap and bright white cheeks. During the breeding season, he sports a bright sky-blue bill and chestnut-coloured upperparts. He pairs this ‘ensemble’ with unusual but entertaining courtship displays. In the non-breeding season males are a bit less flashy with -brown upperparts and blackish bills. Females and immatures are brown overall with a dark cap and a distinct dark stripe across the pale cheek.

When breeding males perform a ‘bubbling’ display, the male will hold his tail straight up while striking his bill against his inflated neck. Bubbles are created in the water as air is forced from the feathers. A courting male may also drop his tail and run across the water, making popping sounds with his feet. Males also utters a nasal “raa-anh” call during courtship displays, but outside the breeding season these small ducks are mainly silent .

Ruddy Ducks are resident in parts in the Caribbean, found in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Virgin Islands and Barbados. Here they use open fresh-water and brackish ponds and lagoons. They feed mainly on aquatic insects, crustaceans, and other invertebrates, as well as small amounts of aquatic plants and seeds. They forage almost exclusively by diving, but are occasionally seen skimming food from the water surface. During fall and winter the Caribbean population is swelled by migratory Ruddy Ducks that breed in the Prairie Pothole region of North America. After breeding they head south to the Caribbean as well as the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and East Coast of the US to spend the winter.

Since Ruddy Ducks depend upon wetlands for their survival, they are directly impacted by threats to these areas such as pollution, habitat loss, and invasive species. It is vital to conserve and protect our wetlands. They provide habitats for the Ruddy Duck and many other species.They also provide invaluable services to humans such as flood protection, improved water quality, natural products, recreation, and so much more! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Ruddy Duck

Listen to the calls of the Ruddy Duck

Outside the breeding season Ruddy Ducks are often silent, but you might hear a nasal “raanh” call

Puzzles of the Day

A male Ruddy Duck during the breeding season performs his display. This involves him raising his tail and making the a distinctive sound and causing the water to bubble by slapping his bill against his chest. (Photo by Rick Evets)

A female Ruddy Duck. She does not have the distinctive bright blue bill of the breeding male but her small size and stiff up-pointed tail are characteristic of this species. (Photo by Gordon Johnston-Macaulay Library-ML354838041)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Ruddy Ducks can be found on ponds, reservoirs and in other wetlands all teaming with life! Ruddy Ducks like to feed on invertebrates and small crustaceans as well as plants. But within a wetland ecosystem all sorts of interactions take place as each animal living there looks for enough food to eat. A food web represents how living animals and plants gain energy from their environment. Take a look at our wetland ecosystem, including the Ruddy Duck, and see how many different links you can find! Think about what types of foods the different animals will eat to get energy. Use lines to make individual food chains. You can find some answers here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a male Ruddy Duck feeding in the wild! He is diving down to find food, perhaps he is looking for some aquatic vegetation or invertebrates? Notice that now the breeding season is over this male has a black bill (rather than the blue one he has when breeding).

October 7, 2022

Birds Connect Our World – Day 46

Migratory Bird of the Day: Bobolink

Be on the lookout for migratory Bobolinks! Known as the “backwards tuxedo bird” or “skunk bird,” breeding males have a bold black plumage with a white rump and soft yellow nape. However, females and non-breeding males have a more subtle beauty, boasting a buffy yellow-brown plumage with fine brown streaking all over the body and a distinct stripe through the eye. Be sure to look for their distinct spikey tail. It’s speculated that the Bobolink may have received their unique name from the poem “Robert of Lincoln” by American poet William Cullen, as the sight of large flocks of these birds was likely the inspiration for the poem.

During migration, Bobolinks can often be found in large flocks. They are quite an impressive migrant, known to log an approximate 20,000 km round trip from geolocater data (birds tagged with small backpacks that can log their location and tell us more about migratory movements). Bobolinks breed in the grasslands of the Northeastern US. They follow the Eastern flyway and migrate through the Caribbean, taking an extended stopover in Venezuela before continuing south to their overwintering grounds in Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

Boblinks have been reported to have a high site fidelity, both to their breeding and overwintering grounds. Some farmers in South America have reported having large flocks of Boblinks in their rice fields for 50 years!

In the early 20th century these birds were so numerous migrating through the Caribbean that non-stop flights from Jamaica were termed “Bobolinks!” In the Caribbean, Bobolinks can be found during migration in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and many of the lesser Antilles. Banding data has shown us that during migration, especially before crossing the Caribbean, these birds can increase their body weight by up to a third, going from 38g to 50g!

Unfortunately Bobolinks face a variety of threats on their migratory journeys. In the US, Argentina, and Bolivia their affinity for grasslands has labeled them as an agricultural pest. This has led to birds being shot or poisoned to save crops. On their breeding grounds birds may abandon nests due to mowing of agricultural lands. In Jamaica and Cuba, these birds are often caught for the domestic and international caged bird trade, and are sometimes even eaten. These threats mean the Bobolink is a Species of Conservation Concern in eight states in the US and they are protected under the US Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Protection of grasslands has helped their breeding populations as has banning of dangerous pesticides in Bolivia and Argentina. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.

Colour in the Bobolink

Listen to the calls of the Bobolink

Bobolinks have a distinctive “pink ” call they use all-year round. You might also hear the rambling, metallic sounding, multi-note male song.

Puzzles of the Day

Male Bobolink in breeding plumage. (Photo by Ryan Sanderson- Macaulay Library-ML342377131)

Two Bobolink females — Bobolink females. Male and female Bobolinks have similar plumage in the non-breeding season. Look out for flocks of these sparrow-like birds during migration. (Photo by Karalyn Lamb-Macaulay-ML4702854910)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Bobolinks on the move can orient themselves with the earth’s magnetic field and use the stars in night sky to guide their travels. The pattern of stars in the night sky are like a map of landmarks that the Bobolinks look for so they will know where to fly. Bobolinks use the stars in the same way we might look for familiar buildings, trees on landscape features like hills and rivers to find our way from one place to another. In fact the stars are just like these types of landmarks for Bobolinks! Think about a path you are familiar and see if you can draw a map, from memory, of this route. You could include sounds and smells as well as the things you see along the way!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Neonicotinoids are a type of pesticide and this group of chemicals are widely used in America. They can be found in a large proportion of corn crops groups in the US and nearly half of soybeans. Neonicotinoids can impact on the critical functions of songbirds, including effecting their metabolism, reproduction and migration patterns. Given that they are so widely used these effects on songbirds are deeply worrying. You can read more in the article below, about how pesticide use is affecting songbirds, including the Bobolink, in North America.

Neonic Nation: Is Widespread Pesticide Use Connected to Grassland Bird Declines?

Enjoy this video of a male Bobolink foraging in the wild!

October 3, 2022

October Big Day 2022 is October 8th, 2022 – Join Us!

BirdsCaribbean October Big Day Graphic featuring a Baltimore Oriole — 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 8^th. 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!