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

 

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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   

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - June

Two species were added to the Islands 2024 checklist including a new species for Barbados and a second for the year.  The two latest additions were an Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) - the new species for the island - seen at Pile Bay, St. Michael on the 20th, and a Collared Plover (Anarhynchus collaris) in St. Lucy, closing the month at ninety-nine species for the year.

Looking Ahead to July

In July, as migration season begins, we’ll observe the return of migratory birds, with Spotted Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs commonly two of the first to returneies. Additionally, this month marks the start of the shorebird hunting season, which runs from July 15 to October 15.”

May Rare Bird Sightings

A new bird for the island and a thinny south American Plover highlighted last month rare birds update. 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)* - reported periodically throughout the month.

  

  Collared Plover

• Collared Plover (Anarhynchus collaris) -  a rare but yearly visitor around this time.

St. Andrew

• 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 Cambridge, St. Andrew 

Christ Church 

• Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) - relocated from the pond at Kendal t. John. 

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   

Storm Birding

Record-breaking Hurricane Beryl narrowly avoided our island, but its impact was still felt. The fishing industry suffered, and some structures sustained minor damage. However, our neighboring islands bore the brunt of its fury, experiencing major devastation. Our hearts go out to them as we tirelessly work to provide essential relief.  

However, the south wind associated with the storm brought a flurry of seabird sightings!

A birder, staying along the south coast, reported an incredible two hours of bird sightings while the hurricane impacted the island. The seabirds he saw were:

• Two Brown Noddys (Anous stolidus)
• An estimated thirty Red-footed Boobys (Sula sula)
• Seven Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla)
• Over thirty Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens)

Red Knot @ Chancery Lane - photo by John Webester

Once the all-clear was given, several birders ventured out. While exploring the south coast, Edward found a Red Knot (Calidris canutus) in stunning breeding plumage at Chancery Lane. He then spotted a white morph Red-footed Booby at Inch Marlow and two Brown Noddys at Oistins all in the Christ Church parish.

A small fraction of the Magnificent Frigatebirds over the Mellows Valley

Meanwhile, on the east coast at Chimborazo, I was awestruck by a magnificent sight – over 130 Magnificent Frigatebirds effortlessly gliding on updrafts over Mellows Valley in St. Joseph. Edward suggested these birds likely came from the colony on Little Tobago, a few miles southwest of Barbados.

Juvenile Magnificent Frigatebird

In the days following the storm, the extra rainfall brought by Beryl proved beneficial, replenishing the island's wetlands. These sightings highlight the influence of weather systems on bird migration patterns and offer valuable data for local birders. As the island recovers and relief efforts continue for affected regions, the birding community remains hopeful that Beryl's unwelcome visit will ultimately contribute to our understanding of avian diversity in the Caribbean.