October Big Day—14 Oct 2023 by Team eBird

Mark your calendars for October Big Day—14 Oct 2023! Like Global Big Day, October Big Day is an opportunity to unite around our shared love of birds. Last October, nearly 35,000 people from 185 countries submitted 80,000 checklists with eBird, demonstrating the power of birds to bring people together.

Wherever you are on 14 October, take a few minutes to join in this global celebration. Participate from anywhere—even from home! By taking part in October Big Day you’re also celebrating Global Bird Weekend and World Migratory Bird Day. Be a part of the global team and help set a new record for October birding.

Click here to see how to participate >>

Double Your Impact for Shorebirds at this Year’s Global Shorebird Count: 1-7 September 2023 by Birds Caribbean

Hundreds of thousands of migratory shorebirds are already on the move, and we are getting ready to celebrate World Shorebirds Day 2023! Diverse habitats and food supply make the Caribbean an attractive destination for shorebirds and a veritable birders’ paradise, so why not take part in the Global Shorebird Count this year? BirdsCaribbean has everything you need to help you #ShowUpForShorebirds (and show out!) in the best possible way.  

World Shorebirds Day is held every year on September 6. This day celebrates shorebirds, their magnificent 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), September 1-7. 

Across the Caribbean (and the entire globe!), groups of birders will... continue reading here >

BirdsCaribbean is a vibrant international network of members and partners committed to conserving Caribbean birds and their habitats in the insular Caribbean (including Bermuda, the Bahamas and all islands within the Caribbean basin).

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - July

Shorebirds like this Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) were migrating during the month

As the fall migration season progressed, more birds flocked to the island in July. Two rare species joined the 2023 checklist, one of them being a new record for the island. Megan Muxlow, a visiting birder, spotted a Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) on the water break at the Sugar Bay Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church on July 12th. This seabird belongs to the tern family and is seldom seen on the island. Mike St. Hill, an aspiring birder, encountered a mysterious raptor in the northern parish of St. Lucy. His photos revealed that it was a Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis), a first for the island. With these two additions, the island’s 2023 checklist reached 99 bird species by the end of the month.

July's Rare Bird Sightings

The migration season was heating up by the end of July. Many species of shorebirds came, and continued, to pass through the island. Migratory ducks will join them by the end of August, and a few rare birds may even tag along, but we can be sure that the birds are on the move. Here are the rare bird sightings for July, grouped by parishes. (*birds that remained from previous months)

St. Lucy

Glossy Ibis

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)(6)*- These birds have been at this location for over a year now, during the month one of them was photographed carrying nesting material. Could this be a breeding attempt on its way?

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)*(2) – Two were seen at various locations in the north, and one in St. John.

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• Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris)* -  Multiple sightings throughout the month, maybe more than one bird around.

• Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) - seen twice by Mike St. John, first on the 20th and then on the 22nd. This is a first record for Barbados and maybe the Lesser Antilleans.
• Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)* - multiple sightings throughout the month. 

St. Andrew 

• Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)* - maybe the same bird that visits a private marsh in the north. This bird was seen at 3 locations in the parish during the month -the irrigation ponds at Bawdens, Long Pond, and Green Pond. 
• Cayenne Tern (Thalasseus eurygnath)* - this subspecies of Sandwich Tern, which was a first for the island last month was seen at Green Pond.

St. Philip 

• Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) - multiple sightings at private locations.

Christ Church

Brown Noddy

• Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) - seen at the Sugar Bay Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church on July 12th by Megan Muxlow

St. Michael

• Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) - an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen on the buoys off Pile Bay.

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