Two New Species for the Island and the Region

The digital camera has fundamentally transformed modern ornithology and birding. This crucial role was underscored by the recent addition of two new bird species to the island and region's avian checklist, directly facilitated by photographic documentation. These two additions took the island's count to 286 species. (Clements)

A photograph by Michael St. John of the island and region's first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Our first bird, a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminate), was also a first for the West Indies. It was discovered by Michael St. John on June 11, 2025, at a private site in St. Lucy. Initially misidentified as a Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) —a species commonly seen on the island—the bird’s true identity was later confirmed by renowned birder and co-author of the Lynx Field Guide to the Birds of the West Indies, Anthony Levesque of Guadeloupe, after he spotted a photo on eBird. This medium-sized shorebird is native to the Old World, breeds in eastern Siberia, and winters mainly in Australasia, following migration routes that span the Pacific. How it ended up in the Caribbean, gracing our beautiful island, remains an unsolved mystery.

The juvenile female Pallid Harrier, seen and photographed by Dr. John Webster
 in 2014, correctly identified in 2025

The second new bird proved to be even more remarkable. First sighted and photographed by Dr. John Webster on December 26, 2014, it was initially identified on eBird as a Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus). Years later, the identification came into question when Paul Buckley (author of Birds of Barbados- an annotated checklist) noted its unusual appearance and sought further expertise. He sent John's images to the renowned Finnish ornithologist and field guide author Dick Forsman (author of The Raptors of Europe and the Middle East: A Handbook of Field Identification). Upon examining the photographs, Dick Forsman definitively identified it as a juvenile female Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus). This species of raptor is native to eastern Europe and Central Asia, with its wintering grounds primarily in Africa and South Asia. Its confirmed presence in Barbados made not just a first for the island and the region but all of the Americas. 

These two remarkable sightings underscore how digital photography, paired with expert insight, is reshaping our understanding of bird vagrancy—not only in Barbados, but across the globe. They also highlight the value of contributing rich data to our eBird.org checklists, including detailed descriptions, photos, and audio. Once again, Barbados shines as a hotspot for exceptionally rare bird species, which can change a casual birding outing into an unforgettable adventure.

Stay safe and enjoy your birding!

GBD2025 Recap: Big Wins for Birds and Birders in the Caribbean by Bird Caribbean

From dawn choruses to birding by the last cool sliver of moonlight—the BirdsCaribbean community took flight on Saturday, May 10, for an electric 24 hours of non-stop citizen science, friendly rivalry, and collective action for birds! Oh—and they only broke almost every Caribbean Global Big Day record along the way!

Twice a year, during peak migration (once in spring and once in fall) birders across the globe spring into action to record as many different bird species as they can in 24 hours. Every eBird checklist powers research—tracking habitat use, revealing global population trends, and ensuring that conservation efforts are directed where they’re needed most. 

And what better way to strive to record every bird using the Caribbean’s lush forests, serene wetlands, city parks, and even backyards, than to unite—for some friendly competition of course! Every year, the BirdsCaribbean GBD Teams Competition pits island and multinational teams against each other—all vying to spot the most overall species and the most West Indian birds on Global Big Day! Teams get bragging rights, funds are raised to execute vital bird conservation work, and Caribbean biodiversity wins. 

Our birding community gave it their all…and then some! The numbers don’t lie—we’ve got the stats to prove how epic #GlobalBigDayBirdsCarib 2025 was...
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Global Big Day results for our BirdsCaribbean Teams. The numbers in red show which team

had the highest number for each category. 

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The Yearly Return of the Black Swifts

A Black Swift at Bell Point, St. Philip

April and May are spring migration months.  This annual journey to breeding grounds in North America can be clearly seen as the number of migratory birds on the island steadily declines. There are some exceptions to the norm, as is the case with Black Swifts (Cypseloides niger).  These birds, instead of heading north, fly to breeding sites in the West Indies.  One such nesting site can be found on the east coast of our island, nestled in a hard-to-reach sea cave in the sea cliffs of Bell Point, St. Philip.  Black Swifts are listed as “Vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This is because the species is undergoing a rapid decline throughout its North American range. The reasons for the decline are uncertain, but one of the biggest dangers to migratory birds, animals in general is the loss of habitat.  It is even more so a problem for bird species like Black Swifts, which are known to have a high nest-site loyalty (Collins and Foerster 1995), which means that these birds will return to the same site for nesting every breeding cycle. That is why I am encouraged by the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Plan, drafted by the Coastal Zone Management Unit.  Some of the directives within the plan can inadvertently protect the sea caves at Bell Point, thus protecting the nesting site of this vulnerable species, and trust me, migratory birds need all the help they can get.   So if you’re out and about in the Skeet’s Bay Area, or along the East Coast Road, or gazing over the vista at Melvin’s Hill, St. Joseph, you just may see them, these masters of flight – the Black Swifts. 

Global Big Day 2025 A Record-Breaking Event

A Grey kingbird, photographed during the GBD

The local birding community came together in full force for Global Big Day 2025 (GBD25)! While we missed two of our most experienced birders, it was inspiring to witness the enthusiasm and dedication of our two first-year participants. By the end of the day, we recorded an impressive 59 species—likely a record for this time of year.

All local birders were part of our dedicated team, Bajan Birders & Friends, which proudly participates in  BirdsCaribbean's annual Global Big Day fundraiser. This year, we shattered all previous team records! We saw peaks across multiple categories:

• Team members: 15 participants—the most we've ever had.
• Countries represented: 4, broadening our reach.
• Checklists submitted: 104 from these four countries.
• Species observed: 251—soaring past last year’s record of 221.
• Funds raised: $840—a new high for our team!

The outstanding effort from everyone made this year's event truly special. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for an incredible day of birding, on behalf of both our team and BirdsCaribbean.

Team Members

• Barbados: Julian Moore, John Webster, Michael St. John, Quincy Clarke, Ocean Campbell, Macrae Hoyos
• UK: John Lepley (Birded in Barbados)
• Trinidad & Tobago: Jerome Foster (Contributed from St. Lucia)
• United States : Bert Alm (Florida) (Contributed from Puerto Rico)
• United States: Andrew Farnsworth (New York), Karen Sullivan (Ohio), Judd Patterson (Colorado)
• Canada: Janet Spiers (Ontario), Corinna Chaudhary (Ottawa), Keith Miles (Alberta)

Local Trip Report | Bajan Birders & Friends Trip Reports

An incredible effort from everyone this year—let’s keep the momentum going for future birding adventures!

PS: Lookout for a post from the rookies on their first Global Big Day

Come Bird with Our Team for Birds Caribbean Global Big Day fundraiser

May is Global Big Day month, culminating this year on Saturday, May 10th! Our local birding team, The Bajan Birders & Friends, is proud to once again participate in BirdsCaribbean's annual Global Big Day fundraiser. This inspiring initiative connects passionate local birders with fellow enthusiasts who have visited our beautiful island and share a love for all things avian. 

Table for BirdsCaribbean.org

Last year, our ten-member team, with members birding from three different countries, collectively identified an impressive 216 species—the 6th highest total—and, more importantly, raised over $300 to support crucial regional bird conservation efforts.

This year, we're aiming even higher! We hope to see more birds, grow our team, and raise even more funds. Our ambitious goal for 2025 is to surpass 225 species, climb into the top 5, and raise over $400. We can achieve these milestones and make an even greater impact with your support. Join us and be part of this remarkable effort!

To team up and rep Bajan Birders & Friends 

• Head over to this Givebutter link, 
• Log in by clicking the “sign-in” link at the bottom of the pop-up window, or make a profile if you don’t already have one (you likely have an account if you were on a team in the past—it’s easy to reset your password if you have forgotten it). 
• Hit the “Join an existing team” button and choose Bajan Birders & Friends.

To Donate:

• Simply click the DONATE button at the top of the fundraising page, and you can specify if you want your donation to go to the general campaign or to a particular team, e.g Bajan Birders & Friends (all funds go to the same cause, but teams do compete to raise the most funds).

Keep Soaring with Us: Join us for Global Big Day 2025! by BirdsCaribbean

Global Big Day (GBD) is fast approaching, and bird lovers are gearing up for an exciting adventure in nature. Organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, GBD takes place annually on the second Saturday of May—this year, it’s Saturday, May 10th, 2025. On this day, bird enthusiasts and nature lovers around the world head outdoors to document as many bird species as possible in just 24 hours. These observations help scientists monitor bird populations, track migration patterns, and identify habitats in need of conservation.

What makes GBD truly special is that it’s open to everyone—whether you’re an expert birder or just starting out, there’s a place for you in this global effort to understand and protect the incredible diversity of birdlife.

Compete for the Cause: Join Our Team Challenge!

We’re thrilled to bring back our popular teams competition, and we’d love for you to be a part of it! Both national (individual islands) and multinational teams are invited to join in the effort to make a lasting impact on the birds and ecosystems of the Caribbean. We’re especially eager to see a team representing each Caribbean island, so if you don’t see your island listed here, now’s your chance to step up and take the lead (more details below). 
In addition to hosting what is (unofficially) the most exciting birding competition in the region, we’ll also be raising funds to support our programs. These initiatives focus on capacity building, research, education, and outreach. This year’s fundraising theme, Help BirdsCaribbean Keep Soaring, is a call to action that ensures the continued success of our important work.

Continue reading >>

 

Global Big Day—10 May 2025 by Team eBird

Be a part of birding’s biggest team! Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you. No matter where you are, join us virtually on 10 May, help celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, and share the birds you find with eBird.

Participating is easy—you can even be part of Global Big Day from home. If you can spare 5 or 10 minutes, report your bird observations to eBird online or with our free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit several checklists of birds throughout the day. You never know what you might spot. Your observations help us better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.

Last year, Global Big Day collected more data about birds on a single day than ever before. More than 63,000 people gathered observations on 156,000 checklists, setting new world records for a single day of birding. Will you help us make this the year we surpass 150,000 checklists on a single day?

How to participate

• Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s reports into a single massive Global Big Day list—while at the same time collecting data to help scientists better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
• Enjoy birds on 10 May: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes of birding from home counts. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
• Enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your sightings via our website or download the free eBird Mobile app to make submitting lists even easier. Please enter your checklists before 13 May to be included in our initial results announcement.
• Watch the results roll in: During the day, follow along with bird observations from more than 200 countries in real-time on our Global Big Day page.

Continue reading here at ebird.org

Great Backyard Bird Count 2025—when the world comes together for the love of birds! By Team eBird

Carib Grackle and chick, one of the birds to see during GBBC

The annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is Friday, February 14 through Monday, February 17. The GBBC was one of the first online projects to collect information on wild birds and was also instrumental in the creation of eBird back in 2002. Now there are more ways than ever to participate and share your love of birds!  

If you’re new to birding, participate with Merlin: beginning bird admirers can participate in the GBBC using Merlin Bird ID—simply identify birds and save them with the app anytime February 14-17.

If you’re already eBirding, participate with eBird: go birding for at least 15 minutes anytime February 14-17, count all the birds you see or hear, and enter your observations via the GBBC website or eBird Mobile app. If you haven’t used eBird since the last GBBC, take the free eBird Essentials course for a refresher.

Below are some additional details about Great Backyard Bird Count and how to get involved.

Continue Reading >>>

Weekend Birding Blitz

An image of an adult Black-crowned Night-heron by Quincy Clark during last weekend's birding blitz

Last weekend (January 25th-26th) saw a flurry of birding activity across the island. Ten birders, mostly visitors, submitted over 40 checklists to eBird, contributing significantly to our island's 2025 bird list.

The highlight of the weekend was undoubtedly the addition of three new species:

• Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea): A stunning discovery by Ed Massiah near Gays St. Peter.
• American Wigeon (Mareca americana): Two of them along with several other duck species, were discovered in a flooded cane field near the Mount Gay Distillery in St. Lucy by the dynamic duo of experienced birder Quincy Clark and first-year birder Ocean Campbell—both of whom are already tallying impressive counts of 70 and 61 species respectively in their Big Year campaigns; 
• Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri): Observed by visiting birder Ian Alkins at the Woodbourne Shorebird Refuge (WSR).

What an exhilarating start to the new year! I can’t wait to see how things unfold month by month. If every weekend turns out to be like this one, we might be in for a record-breaking 2025. How wonderful that would be! 

I hope you also had a good weekend of birding, If you did or not, I hope you continue to enjoy your birding. 

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - November, December

Glossy Ibis no longer consider a rare species

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).  The Glossy Ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus) has been a regular feature in this report for several months. Consequently, its status on the island has been upgraded from rare to locally common. Therefore, it will no longer be individually highlighted in this report.

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

• Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) - one bird at North Point on November 14th, last seen on 16th;

  

  Gadwall 

• 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. Andrew

Prothonotary Warbler

• Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) this warbler was recorded at Turners Hall Woods by Julian and Jason Moore on December 14th;

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

• 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

• 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;

  

  Northern Parula

• Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) this wood warbler was a surprised find at the Graeme Hall Swamp by Julian Moore and Ocean Campbell.

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   

Trust to Manage Graeme Hall, Expand Conservation Efforts from Barbados Today

The Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, home to Barbados’s largest remaining mangrove forest, is set to reopen in March following a multi-million-dollar acquisition. The South Coast wetland, closed since 2008, will now operate as a paid facility, creating jobs and boosting ecotourism, the new owner has told Barbados TODAY exclusively. When the sanctuary is reopened, some 20 people will be in full-time jobs and there will be approximately 40 more during the $2.5 million upgrade of the physical amenities. The owner – prominent businessman and philanthropist Anthony Da Silva – also said that by the end of this month, a new entity he spearheaded — the Barbados Wetlands Trust (BWT) – will take control of managing the sanctuary as a national asset dedicated to nature conservation, community engagement and sustainable ecotourism.  The owner – prominent businessman and philanthropist Anthony Da Silva – also said that by the end of this month, a new entity he spearheaded — the Barbados Wetlands Trust (BWT) – will take control of managing the sanctuary as a national asset dedicated to nature conservation, community engagement and sustainable ecotourism. (continue Reading >>>)

Emmanuel Joseph emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb