The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - December

December wasn't a month for major avian discoveries in Barbados, but two new feathered friends were still added to the 2023 checklist:

Bonaparte's Gull

• Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia): This charming gull in non-breeding plumage was seen at Oistins, Christ Church for a few days before disappearing.

  

  A male Northern Pintail at WSR

  
  
• Northern Pintails (Anas acuta): These elegant ducks with long, slender necks were spotted at two separate locations on the island.

These additions brought the year-end tally of birds seen on Barbados in 2023 to an impressive 126 species, a testament to the island's rich and diverse birdlife. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive review of 2023's birding highlights coming soon!

December's Rare Bird Sightings

Here is a review of the rare bird sighting for December. (*birds that stayed from previous months)

St. Lucy

one of the six long-stay Glossy Ibis

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)(6)*- This flock has been loyal to this location since joining a single bird there in October 2022. Seeing one of them with what appears to be nesting material earlier in the year, has sparked hope for Barbados' first ibis chick.
• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)*(2) –  Long say birds, maybe a pair, often seen with Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

  

  Grey Heron

  
  
• Grey Heron* (Ardea cinerea) - one of the island's annual Eurasian visitor 

St. Thomas

• Striated Heron (Butorides striata)* - Made a brief appearance at its usual stomping ground at the SBRC pond. 

Christ Church

Bonaparte's Gull

• Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) - First seen at the Oistins is pier on the 26th, last seen on the beach at the same location.

  

  One of the two juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull at Oistins

• Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) (2)* - most likely the same juvenile birds seen at Pile Bay, St. Michael in November.

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