Record October Big Day for Barbados

A Grey Kingbird during the October Big Day, emphasizing the theme of WMBD - "Protect Insects, Protect Birds"

On October 12th, World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), birdwatchers from every continent united for an extraordinary celebration of nature. In just 24 hours, over three-quarters of a million birders in 201 countries contributed to the most successful October Big Day ever, breaking the world record with over 7,800 species documented. Our island played a vital role in this global event, shattering our previous record for bird species seen on a single day. Local birders scoured Barbados, recording an astonishing 72 species – six more than the previous best year of 2020. (Click to see the Day's ebird Trip Report)
One of the highlights of the day was the impressive counts of several migrating shorebirds. Like the globally threatened Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) with over 100 individuals recorded.

Other notable shorebird sightings included:

• Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus): 168 individuals were counted.
• White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis): 136 of these birds were observed.
• Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres): A total of 115 Ruddy Turnstones were spotted.

One clutch of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck ducklings

The day also brought a heartwarming surprise – over 42 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck ducklings were recorded at a single location.

I had the privilege of leading a field trip with a group of young scientists from McGill University to North Point, St. Lucy. While excited to share my knowledge of local birds and how to identify them, I was disheartened to see a billboard announcing the erection of one or more wind turbines on this beautiful and unique landscape. I do hope a thorough environmental assessment is conducted, as this area is a hotspot for biodiversity. It serves as a prime nesting area for the Grassland Yellow-Finch (Sicalis luteola), a protected bird under the Barbados Wild Birds Protection Act.

Students from McGill during a field trip at North Point, St. Lucy

Despite this concern, our field trip was a success. We observed 18 species, including the globally threatened Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), and two rare visitors – the Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) and the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus).

This day highlighted the rich avian life that Barbados boasts, both native and migratory. It's a reminder that we must protect these precious creatures and their habitats, remembering the theme of World Migratory Bird Day - Protect Insects, Protect Birds.

Safe and enjoy your birding adventures!

World Migratory Bird Day 2024: Protect Insects, Protect Birds

Yellow Warbler with a Caterpillar

Saturday, October 12th is World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD).  It is a global awareness-raising campaign celebrated annually to highlight the importance of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. In 2024, the theme was "Protect Insects, Protect Birds".   The campaign emphasized insects' critical role in migratory birds' survival.  Insects are a primary food source for many bird species, especially during breeding and migration periods. The decline in insect populations due to factors such as habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change poses a significant threat to migratory birds.  Insects provide essential nutrients for birds, especially during breeding and migration, they play a role in maintaining healthy ecosystems that support bird migration and are vital components of food webs and help regulate plant populations.  By protecting insects, we can help ensure the survival of migratory birds and maintain the balance of our ecosystems.  On World Migratory Bird Day birders from all over the world take part in this campaign that seeks to draw attention to the ply of birds. It is called the October Big Day.

October Big Day

 Last year's October Big Day, a staggering 36,332 people from 191 countries spent part or all of the day seeking out and recording birds in their local areas. The collective effort resulted in an impressive 83,735 checklists submitted to eBird.org, showcasing the incredible diversity of birds across the planet. In Barbados, the Big Day resulted in an underwhelming 38 species recorded.  Local birders are determined to do much better this year! We are preparing to hit the ground running on Saturday morning aiming to significantly increase the number of species recorded and contribute more significantly to the global day of birding. You can help. 

Here is how to participate

• Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s contributions into a single massive October Big Day list—while at the same time gathering data to help scientists better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
• Watch Birds on 12 Oct: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes of birding from home counts. October Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
• Enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your observations via our website or download the free eBird Mobile app to make submitting lists even easier. Please enter your checklists no later than 15 Oct to be included in the results announcement.
• Watch the results roll in: During the day, follow along with bird reports from more than 180 countries in real time on our October Big Day page.

So whether you are here on the island or overseas, a veteran birder or a newbie get out birding on Saturday, October 12th, World Migratory Bird Day. Submit your sightings to ebird.org and become part of this global celebration of birds and remember "Protect Insects, Protect Birds". 

Enjoy your birding!!

Environment For The Americas is hosting its first-ever ✨WMBD Photo Contest✨

 

To learn more, click here

Become a Certified Bird Tour Guide with the Caribbean Birding Trail

 

Show Some Love for Shorebirds: Celebrate World Shorebirds Day and Join the Global Shorebird Count!

With Migratory Shorebirds already arriving in the Caribbean we are getting ready to celebrate World Shorebirds Day on September 6! This year we’re asking you to show some love to our shorebirds and join the Global Shorebird Count, which runs from September 2 to 8. BirdsCaribbean has everything you need to help you take part. Read on to find out how to take part, and why you (and your friends!) should join the count this year! 

World Shorebirds Day is held every year on September 6. This day celebrates shorebirds, their amazing migration journeys, and most importantly, raises awareness of the threats they face and actively promotes their monitoring and conservation. The key event associated with this day is the Global Shorebird Count (GSC), which this year runs from September 2-8. WhetherWhether you’ve never taken part in the GSC before, or you are a seasoned shorebird counter—make sure that this fall migration you Show Some Love to Shorebirds in the Caribbean! 

How do you join in?

First, and most importantly—get out to your local wetland sites and get counting! Remember to...  continue reading here>>

October Big Day—12 Oct 2024 By Team eBird

October is right around the corner, and that means its time to mark your calendars for October Big Day—12 Oct 2024!

Like Global Big Day, October Big Day is an opportunity to unite around our shared love of birds. Last October, nearly 36,332 people from 191 countries submitted 83,735 checklists with eBird, demonstrating the power of birds to bring people together. Each year more and more participants join in this global celebration, how many people will contribute this year?  continue reading here

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - July

July began on a tumultuous note with the passage of record-breaking Hurricane Beryl. While the storm caused minor damage to the island, it did significant damage to our neighboring islands. It also unexpectedly brought some pelagic birds closer to the island. One of these avian visitors, a Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus), was spotted on the south coast by Mike St. John, marking a new species record for the year.  Adding to the month's birding excitement, a rare Red Knot (Calidris canutus) in breeding plumage was discovered at Chancery Lane, Christ Church, by Ed Massiah on the first of the month. Furthermore, a Striated Heron (Butorides striata) was observed at the SBRC pond in Mangrove, St. Thomas.  These three remarkable sightings brought Barbados' 2024 bird species count to over 100, specifically 102.

Looking Ahead to August

Spotted Sandpiper was one of the first species to return from breeding grounds

Fall migration in Barbados usually kicks off in earnest around mid-August. However, we’re already witnessing signs of this seasonal shift in late July, with the return of Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularius) and a few Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes). As the month progresses, keep an eye out for increasing numbers and species of shorebirds in the birding areas across the islands.

July's Rarebird Alerts

Outside of the rarebirds seen during and after the passing of Hirricane Beryl it was a relatively slow month for new rare birds sightings. Here's a breakdown of the other rare sightings for the month, listed parish by parish.

(* denotes birds that remained from previous months)

St. Lucy

Glossy Ibis

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)*(1)  - Long-stay birds who enjoy this location.
• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)(2)* - the month started with one bird sighted but was joined by a second bird on the 13th which remained through the month.

St. Joseph

White-tailed Hawk

• White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus)* - this bird was first seen at the end of April, and later found regularly at a pond in St. John. It then relocated to East Coast, hills of Cambridge, St. Joseph. 

Christ Church

 

Red Knot

• Red Knot (Calidris canutus) - this bird was seen on the 1st, the day Hurricane Beryl passed to the south of the island.  It was in full breeding plumage, which is rare for the island.

St. Michael

Audouin's Gull

• Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii)* This bird was first seen on June 20th and remained throughout July.
• Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) (4) - these birds were seen during and after the passing of  Hurricane Beryl. Two were reported by Micaeh St. John at Hasting during the passage and two by Ed Massiah at Oistins after the all clear was given.
• Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) -mutiple birds seen during at after the passing of  Hurricane Beryl. A undisclosed amount were reported by Micaeh St. John at Hasting during the passage and one by Ed Massiah at Inch Marlow after the all clear was given.

St. Thomas

Striated Heron at the SBRC

• Striated Heron (Butorides striata) - bird was firstly seen on 28th at its ugual location at the pond at SBRC.

Feel free to contact me, Julian Moore @ 100birdsbarbados@gmail.com, John Webster @ barbadosbirds@gmail.com, or Ed Massiah @ ebmassiah@hotmail.com to report any rare bird sightings, or if you need assistance identifying a bird, we would be happy to help.  A new tool to help with your local bird identification is our Facebook Group, The Birds of Barbados. Click here to join