More New Species

Suspected Grey-breasted Martin

Two new bird species have been spotted at Harrisons Point, St. Lucy, in the span of two weeks. The first one, seen on October 16th, was a Grey-breasted Martin (Progne chalybea), a relative of the more common  Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis).  These large swallows, - with a length of 6.3 - 7.1 inches (16–18 cm) - are native to South and Central America and Trinidad. This record is pending confirmation, but if accepted, it would be bird #278 for Barbados. (The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World)

Blue-winged Warbler

The second bird that was seen at Harrisons Point, St. Lucy, was a Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera). It was spotted on the evening of the 23rd. This small bird - measuring around   4.3 inches (11 cm) in length and weighing about 9 g (0.32 oz) -  is a brightly colored yellow warbler with blue-gray wings and a black eye stripe. It breeds in eastern North America, where it lives in areas with shrubs and some large trees. It migrates to Central America for the winter, especially in the region between Honduras and the Yucatán Peninsula.

These are the third and fourth new bird species for Barbados in 2023, following the swift and the kite. The Swift was either a House Swift (Apus nipalensis) or a Little Swift (Apus affinis), but the experts are still figuring it out. The kite was a Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis). I think there are more new birds to come.