After a bustling October, November and December brought a sense of normalcy with three new yearbirds in November and one in December, wrapping up 2024 with a total of 122 species recorded in Barbados. The three November birds, all mega-rarities, included a Gadwall (Mareca strepera) spotted in St. Lucy, an Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens), and a Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla), the latter being a first for the island. December's sole yearbird was a Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus).

Looking Ahead to January

January is usually very quiet in terms of rare bird arrivals, so don't expect much. However, we have a few birders doing a big year, along with the additional eyes from our new local birders, who completed the tour guide training, plus the start of the tourist season and we are seeing more visitor birding. If there's something to be seen, we will see it. Here is a recap of those rare bird sightings from the previous months, organized parish by parish.

(* denotes birds that remained from previous months)

St. Lucy

• Red Knot (Calidris canutus)(1) a bird seen and photographed by Michael St. John on November 11 and 19th;
• Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) - one bird at North Point on November 14th, last seen on 16th;
• Gadwall (Mareca strepera) - the duck was seen first seen by Mike St. John on 15th, it relocated to another location in the parish and remain into the new year;
• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) - long stay bird
• Common Swift (Apus apus) - discovered by Niels Larsen at Harrison's Point on the 26th. Identity confirmed by Ed Massiah;

Western House Martin

• Western House Martin (Delichon urbicum) (8) was first seen in a mixed flock of swallows on the 23rd at Harrison's Point. (see)

Lesser Black-backed Gull

• Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus)—This bird was seen and photographed at North Point during the October Big Day, but the juvenile bird was spotted at multiple locations around the island thought November and into December, being last seen on December 6th in St. Philip. 
• Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) (2) - two birds seen at North Point on the 5th.  

St. Philip

• Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) first seen by John Webster on December 28th. This bird moves between this location and Oistins, in Christ Church;
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) this bird was first seen in October but was last seen in this parish on December 6th;

Christ Church

• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) - seen at Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge during the October Big Day Islandwide birding event;
• Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) suddenly appeared at WSR on November 16th
• Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) - heard by Ed Massiah at Graeme Hall Swamp;
• Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) - A new species for the island, first seen on November 14th and last seen on December 7th;
• Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) seen at Woodboure Shorebird Refuge throughout November and December and into the new year .
• Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus) (5) - seen by Quncy Clarke at Oistins on November 17th;
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) this bird made it round at different location around the island and was seen at the Oistins ice pier on the 16th of November;
• Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) first recorded in St. Philip but was frequently seen on the ice pier at Oistins;

St. Michael

• Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) (4) seen offshore by a visitor cruising into the island.

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