The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - June

Two species were added to the Islands 2024 checklist including a new species for Barbados and a second for the year.  The two latest additions were an Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) - the new species for the island - seen at Pile Bay, St. Michael on the 20th, and a Collared Plover (Anarhynchus collaris) in St. Lucy, closing the month at ninety-nine species for the year.

Looking Ahead to July

In July, as migration season begins, we’ll observe the return of migratory birds, with Spotted Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs commonly two of the first to returneies. Additionally, this month marks the start of the shorebird hunting season, which runs from July 15 to October 15.”

May Rare Bird Sightings

A new bird for the island and a thinny south American Plover highlighted last month rare birds update. Here's a breakdown of the other rare sightings for the month, listed parish by parish.

(* denotes birds that remained from previous months)

St. Lucy

Glossy Ibis

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)*(1)  - Long-stay birds who enjoy this location.
• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)* - reported periodically throughout the month.

  

  Collared Plover

• Collared Plover (Anarhynchus collaris) -  a rare but yearly visitor around this time.

St. Andrew

• White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) - this bird was first seen at the end of April, and later found regularly at a pond in St. John. It then relocated to Cambridge, St. Andrew 

Christ Church 

• Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) - relocated from the pond at Kendal t. John. 

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   

Storm Birding

Record-breaking Hurricane Beryl narrowly avoided our island, but its impact was still felt. The fishing industry suffered, and some structures sustained minor damage. However, our neighboring islands bore the brunt of its fury, experiencing major devastation. Our hearts go out to them as we tirelessly work to provide essential relief.  

However, the south wind associated with the storm brought a flurry of seabird sightings!

A birder, staying along the south coast, reported an incredible two hours of bird sightings while the hurricane impacted the island. The seabirds he saw were:

• Two Brown Noddys (Anous stolidus)
• An estimated thirty Red-footed Boobys (Sula sula)
• Seven Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla)
• Over thirty Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens)

Red Knot @ Chancery Lane - photo by John Webester

Once the all-clear was given, several birders ventured out. While exploring the south coast, Edward found a Red Knot (Calidris canutus) in stunning breeding plumage at Chancery Lane. He then spotted a white morph Red-footed Booby at Inch Marlow and two Brown Noddys at Oistins all in the Christ Church parish.

A small fraction of the Magnificent Frigatebirds over the Mellows Valley

Meanwhile, on the east coast at Chimborazo, I was awestruck by a magnificent sight – over 130 Magnificent Frigatebirds effortlessly gliding on updrafts over Mellows Valley in St. Joseph. Edward suggested these birds likely came from the colony on Little Tobago, a few miles southwest of Barbados.

Juvenile Magnificent Frigatebird

In the days following the storm, the extra rainfall brought by Beryl proved beneficial, replenishing the island's wetlands. These sightings highlight the influence of weather systems on bird migration patterns and offer valuable data for local birders. As the island recovers and relief efforts continue for affected regions, the birding community remains hopeful that Beryl's unwelcome visit will ultimately contribute to our understanding of avian diversity in the Caribbean.

A New Avian Species Record for Barbados – Audouin's Gull

When people ask about the unique birding experience in Barbados – a country with just one endemic bird, limited native nesters, and fewer woodlands or wetlands – I often compare it to a box of  Cracker Jacks. Just like those surprise-filled snacks, birding here is full of unexpected treasures. Or, as a birding Forrest Gump might say, "Birding in Barbados is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you'll find."

Audouin's Gull between two Laughing Gulls ay Pile Bay

On June 20th, I made a brief stop at the Pile Bay fishing complex in St. Michael, and stumbled upon an unexpected treasure! A pale-looking gull perched on a buoy, noticeably larger than the surrounding Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla), caught my eye. Initially, I thought it might be a Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus), a yearly visitor to Barbados. However, its size seemed off - bigger than the Laughing Gulls but smaller than the Lesser Black-backs. Because of its pale back, black bill mark, and size, I leaned towards a Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis), but doubt lingered.  I Shared a photo with our local birding group, and received an unexpected response from our resident expert, Ed Massiah: "Audouin's Gull!". While thrilled, he emphasized the need for a live sighting to confirm the identification due to my photo quality, which was a cell phone shot on my camera display.  On hearing that I sent the photo to Nigel Lallsingh, a friend in Trinidad who is familiar with the species after discovering the first record for Trinidad (and the entire Western Hemisphere) in 2016.  His reply was – "Looks like a second-winter Audouin's Gull!" Later that day, Ed saw the bird and confirmed it to be an Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii)! This incredible sighting did not only marked the 283rd recorded avian species for Barbados (Clements) but also a historic first sighting of the species for the entire West Indies!

About the Audouin's Gull

Audouin's Gulls

Audouin's Gulls are medium-sized gulls, measuring about 17-24 inches (44-60 cm) in length with a wingspan of up to 4.5 feet (142 cm). Adults have a light grey body with a paler white head. Their light gray wings have black tips and lack the white spots common in many other gulls. They boast a dark red bill and dark gray legs. Juveniles have a mottled brown body with a distinct white rump patch.  These birds are primarily coastal, inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea. They winter along the southern and western African coasts and the Iberian Peninsula.

This unexpected encounter perfectly exemplifies the thrill of birding in Barbados. You never know what fascinating feathered wonder you might find next! 

Stay safe and enjoy your birding!

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - May

White-rumped Sandpiper - year and rare bird 

So much happened in May birding-wise, but I was so busy that I couldn't keep everyone up to date. We recorded five new yearbirds during the month, closing it with 97 species seen for 2024. These new birds were:

• Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
• Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus)
• Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
• Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
• White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

May was also Global Big Day month. This year, it was held on May 11th. Our local birding team, The Bajan Birders & Friends, once again participated in Birds Caribbean's annual Global Big Day (GBD) fundraiser and delivered a commendable performance. The team, consisting of 10 birders from three countries—Barbados, Canada, and the United States— saw 224 bird species and raised $375. I'd like to express my gratitude to all team members, both local and international, for joining us on this day of birding.

May Rare Bird Sightings

We saw three new rare birds during the month - White-rumped Sandpiper,  Ruddy Duck, and Summer Tanager.  While the White-rumped Sandpiper is uncommon during this time of year, it's a frequent visitor during the southern bird migration. Here's a breakdown of the other rare sightings for the month, listed parish by parish.

(* denotes birds that remained from previous months)

St. Lucy

Glossy Ibis

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)*(1)  - Long-stay birds who enjoy this location.
• Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) (172) - A significant sighting at North Point between the 22nd and 24th 172 birds flying east to west. Most birds were in brown phase with one in white. 
• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)* - reported periodically throughout the month.

  

  White-rumped Sandpiper

• White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) - bird seen during the GBD, May 11th.  While common during the southern bird migration it very uncommon in spring.
• Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) - Michael St. John had a brief look at a reddish bird he identified as the above. Here is his description "Beautiful all-red, darker on upperparts and lighter crimson underparts, pale yellow bill."

St. Andrew

Least Tern

• Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) - this bird relocated from the south coast to Long Pond;

  

  American Coot (Red-Shielded)

• American Coot (Red-Shielded) (Fulica Americana) - one at Walker Reserve 

St. John

• Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) - discovered in a pond at Kendal, St. John, while birder was searching for the White-tailed Hawk;

  

  White-tailed Hawk, a first record for the island

  
  
• White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) - regular hunting ground, in an open field with a pond, at Kendal St. John.  Multiple sightings at this location during the month.

St. Philip

Ruff 

• Ruff (Calidris pugnax)* (2) - The birds moved between WSR and this location throughout the month. 

Christ Church 

• Ruff (Calidris pugnax) (1)-  Of the three birds seen here last month, only one was seen at Woodboure Shorebird Refuge (WSR) in May.  
• Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) - relocated from the pond at Kendal t. John. 

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   

The Barbados Birds and Birding Report - April

A rare spring visit of a Wilson's Phalarope

What an April of birding we had. Eight new species were added to the island's 2024 checklist, one of which was a first record for Barbados. 

These were:

• Least Tern (Sternula antillarum)
• Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)
• Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
• Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
• Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)x
• Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)
• Black Swift (Cypseloides niger)
• White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus)

The White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) was the first record for the island read about it here. Closing the month with 92 species recorded so far for 2024.

May Notes 

• May is historically known for attracting mega-rare birds to the island, making it a truly thrilling month for birding - (read May, A Thrilling Month For Birding). What mega-rare bird will we see in May 2024? 
• It is Global Big Day Month. This year it will be held on Saturday, May 11th.  Our local team The Bajan Birders & Friends will again participate in the Birds Caribbean annual Global Big Day fundraiser. It is a team comprising local birders and others from across the world who have visited and birded on our island. We invite you to join us for this exciting event!.
• During the month some species like Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors), Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularius), and Solitary Sandpipers (Tringa solitaria) would have migrated to their breeding grounds while Black Swift (Cypseloides niger) will be returning here to nest. Look out for them in the hills of Cambridge, st. Joseph, as you travel along the Ermy Bourne Highway, the East Coast Road.

April Rare Bird Sightings

April compensated for the scant number of new rare sightings in March. Five new rare species were documented, featuring a bird new to the island, spotted on the final day of the month. Here's a parish-by-parish breakdown of the noteworthy rare birds observed in April:

(* denotes birds that remained from previous months)

St. Lucy

One of the three Glossy Ibis seen during the month

• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)*(3)  - Long-stay birds who enjoy this location.
• Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) (172) - A significant sighting at North Point between 22nd and 24th 172 birds flying east to west. Most birds were in brown phase with one in white. 

  

  Fulvous Whistling-Duck

• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)* - reported periodically throughout the month.

St. Philip

Ruff 

• Ruff (Calidris pugnax)* (1) - This is one of the three that are moving between this and a nearby wet area.

  

  White-tailed Hawk, a new species for the island

• White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) - A new bird for the island and the second for the region. This bird was spotted by Jason Moore as a dot in the sky on the 30th but could have been on the island for months. - see here

Christ Church 

The three Ruffs at WSR

• Ruff (Calidris pugnax) (3)- All three birds spent most of the month at Woodboure Shorebird Refuge (WSR).  Two paired off, with one of the pair behaving aggressively towards the unpaired bird; 
• Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) (1) - this bird was seen at Inch Marlow on the 6th;

  

  Tricolored Heron

• Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) (1) - Seen at Chancery Lane 

Grey Heron

• Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)* - seen at the WSR and another private location;

  

  Wilson's Phalarope

• Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) - a rare spring visit, bird first seen on the 6th actively feeding at WSR

St. Thomas 

• Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea) - This small warbler became trapped in a window, in Welches 

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   

Bajan Birders & Friends Flock Together for GBD 2024

May is Global Big Day month, and this year, it falls on Saturday, May 11th! Our local birding team, The Bajan Birders & Friends, is once again participating in BirdsCaribbean's annual Global Big Day fundraiser.

This team unites local birders with those who have visited our beautiful island and share our love for birds and birding. Last year, our ten-member team, which was made up of birders spread across four countries, raised an impressive $435 and spotted a remarkable 220 bird species! This fantastic achievement landed them in 7th place for the most birds seen on the day.  This year we are looking to improve in all categories, so help us by joining our team and/or making a donation.

This year's fundraising efforts aim to support Caribbean nationals with travel scholarships to attend the upcoming Birds Caribbean 24th International Conference, taking place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from July 18th to 22nd. Last year, 17 teams from 35 countries identified an astounding 1,146 bird species and collectively raised over $20,000 for the crucial Caribbean Bird Banding program.

This year you can get involved by joining our team "Bajan Birders & Friends"!

1. Go to the fundraising page clicking the JOIN A TEAM button below the Global Big Day graphic on this page.
2. Click "Join an existing team "
3. In the box "Which team would you like to join?" Scroll down  until you find our team "Bajan Birders & Friends" and click "Join Fundraiser"

and/or . . .

Donating to one or more of the birding and fundraising teams. Simply click the DONATE button at the top of the page and you can specify if you want your donation to go to the general campaign or to a particular team (all funds go to the same cause but teams do compete to raise the most funds).

Come out May 11, have some fun and enjoy your birding

A New Avian Species Record for Barbados – White-tailed Hawk

Yesterday, April 30, a new avian species was added to Barbados’ checklist. The bird was not only a mega-rarity for the island but also for the region. The bird in question was a White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus), observed soaring high above St. Philip by young birder Jason Moore. I photographed it and was quickly identified by expert birder Ed Massiah from the photograph. Interestingly this may be the same unidentified raptor photographed in January in the same parish. This sighting represents the second record for the region, with the first being in St. Vincent in June 1964 (Gochfeld et al., 1973).

White-tailed Hawks are large and stocky birds, measuring approximately 17 - 24 inches (44 - 60 cm) in length, with a wingspan of up to 4.5 feet (142 cm). Adult White-tailed Hawks are predominantly gray above with a rufous chest and a white belly, while juveniles are a darker brown with streaking. Their range extends from southern Texas in the United States southward through Central and South America to central Argentina and Trinidad, where they are considered “very rare visitors” (Birds of Trinidad & Tobago by Kenefick et al.).

This sighting of the White-tailed Hawk in Barbados underscores the island's potential for unexpected avian visitors and will no doubt keep us local birders on our toes. 

Stay safe and Enjoy Your birding!