Endangered Bird Gains New Support in The Bahamas

Published by surfbirds on May 6, 2019 courtesy of American Bird Conservancy, surfbirds archive

The Kirtland’s Warbler — one of the rarest nesting migratory songbirds in the United States and Canada — now has additional support, thanks to the establishment of an avian ecologist position geared to executing conservation activities on the bird’s wintering grounds in The Bahamas. Scientist Bradley Watson has been hired by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) as part of the plan to keep the Kirtland’s Warbler population growing after its expected removal from the U.S. endangered species list this spring.

Watson, who is Bahamian, holds a Master of Science from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, along with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Charleston. Prior to accepting the new position, Watson worked with the Cape Eleuthera Institute and The Bahamas Reef Environmental Education Foundation. He has contributed to multiple studies on terrestrial ecology, while his graduate research focused on carbon sequestration in prairie systems.

On the verge of extinction, the Kirtland’s Warbler numbered only 167 breeding pairs in 1987. Today, the population is approximately 2,300 breeding pairs, thanks to science-driven management by state, federal, and nongovernmental partners, supported by protection and funding through the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, the species will require long-term habitat management and ongoing support to continue to thrive after ESA protections are removed.

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Bird feared extinct rediscovered in the Bahamas

August 23, 2018, University of East Anglia

One of the rarest birds in the western hemisphere, the Bahama Nuthatch, has been rediscovered by research teams searching the island of Grand Bahama.

The finding is particularly significant because the species had been feared extinct following the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and had not been found in subsequent searches.

But it is feared that there could only be two left—placing the species on the verge of extinction and certainly among the world's most critically endangered birds.

The Bahama Nuthatch is an endangered species, only known from a small area of native pine forest on Grand Bahama Island, which lies approximately 100 miles off Palm Beach, Florida.

University of East Anglia masters students Matthew Gardner and David Pereira set out on a three-month expedition to find this and other endemic Caribbean pine forest bird species.

They made their way through dense forest with thick 'poisonwood' understorey—the layer of vegetation growing beneath the main forest canopy—in what is thought to be one of the most exhaustive searches of the island.

They worked in partnership with Nigel Collar and David Wege from Birdlife International and the Bahamas National Trust, the organisation which works to protect the habitats and species of The Bahama Islands.

Read more at: 

Bahamian songbirds disappeared during last glacial-interglacial transition

August 29, 2017 by Sarah Nightingale

Two species of songbirds that once made a home in the Bahamas likely became extinct on the islands because of rising sea levels and a warmer, wetter climate, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside and the University of Florida, Gainesville. The study, which was published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, presents a historical view of how climate change and the resulting habitat loss can affect Earth's biodiversity.

Titled "Origin, Paleoecology and Extirpation of Bluebirds and Crossbills in the Bahamas Across the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition," the authors are Janet Franklin, distinguished professor of biogeography in UCR's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and David Steadman, curator of ornithology at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) and Hispaniolan Crossbill (Loxia megaplaga) were among 17 species of birds that were found on the Bahamian Island of Abaco during the last Ice Age, but that no longer live there today. Both species are still alive elsewhere, with the former found in continental North America and the latter in Hispaniola. Fossil records from Abaco suggest that these birds resided on the island year-round, as opposed to migrating there in winter.

"The abundance of fossils, the presence of young birds among the fossils, and the evolution of a shorter wingspan in the Eastern Bluebird all suggest that these birds did not migrate to the island but were a resident population. But then they disappeared," Franklin said.

Read more at: 

Bahamian songbirds disappeared during last glacial-interglacial transition

August 29, 2017 by Sarah Nightingale

Two species of songbirds that once made a home in the Bahamas likely became extinct on the islands because of rising sea levels and a warmer, wetter climate, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside and the University of Florida, Gainesville. The study, which was published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, presents a historical view of how climate change and the resulting habitat loss can affect Earth's biodiversity.

Titled "Origin, Paleoecology and Extirpation of Bluebirds and Crossbills in the Bahamas Across the Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition," the authors are Janet Franklin, distinguished professor of biogeography in UCR's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and David Steadman, curator of ornithology at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) and Hispaniolan Crossbill (Loxia megaplaga) were among 17 species of birds that were found on the Bahamian Island of Abaco during the last Ice Age, but that no longer live there today. Both species are still alive elsewhere, with the former found in continental North America and the latter in Hispaniola. Fossil records from Abaco suggest that these birds resided on the island year-round, as opposed to migrating there in winter.

Read more at: 

New Research on Rarest Bird in the Bahamas

By Media Enterprises Jun 17, 2016 - 5:39:43 PM

With less than 260 remaining on a single island, the Bahama Oriole is the rarest bird in the Bahamas - and one of the rarest in the world.

To inform conservation efforts, the Bahamas National Trust is working with University of Maryland scientists to gather vital information on this endangered species.

Of the six endemic bird species found in the Bahamas, the Oriole is the most threatened. It once lived on Abaco as well, but disappeared from that island in the 1990s. It has a black head and body with yellow underparts.

“Previous studies indicated that the Oriole relied on coconut trees for nesting, and was in serious decline because these trees were dying from lethal yellowing,” according to BNT Science & Policy Director Shelley Cant-Woodside. "The current research is key to understanding the biology of this amazing species. We now know that the Bahama Oriole is not completely reliant upon coconut trees, but uses other trees in residential areas and in the pine forest. This is an important find if we want to ensure a secure future for this very rare bird.”

Research on the Oriole was last conducted in 2011. The current University of Maryland team is led by Dr Kevin Orland. Their work is funded by the American Bird Conservancy, a Virginia-based group that promotes bird conservation throughout the Western Hemisphere.

The current research aims to survey populations of Bahama Oriole on Andros; determine the number of nesting pairs in residential and forested areas; confirm whether coconut trees are the preferred nesting tree; and capture the basic biology of the species, including food sources and predators.

The researchers are also training Bahamians in field research and promoting a wider appreciation of this rare bird, which is threatened by forest fires, logging, introduced diseases, invasive species, and the potential effects of climate change in terms of sea-level rise and changes in habitat.

Read on … 

Protection for key nature sites in the Bahamas

Birdwatch News Archive

Posted on: 14 Jun 2015

Five new National Parks have been established on San Salvador island in the Bahamas to protect endemic wildlife and breeding seabirds.

The new reserves are part of an expansion of the Bahamas National Protected Area System – a system that the Bahamas National Trust (BirdLife Partner) manages. The new parks encompass 8,500 ha of pristine land and seascapes, including all or part of the island’s four Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). Two of the five new parks are recognised as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) due to the occurrence of a threatened endemic iguana species.

San Salvador island, some 400 miles south-east of Miami, is thought to be the location where Columbus first set foot in the New World; seven miles wide by 15 miles long, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people. Despite its isolation, it is a popular destination for scuba divers who come for the beautiful reefs and exceptional diving conditions. The island supports diverse plant communities, including mangrove swamps and seagrass beds, both important for local wildlife and fisheries.

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CONSERVATION: Groups Join Forces To Focus On Bird Habitats

THE Bahamas National Trust and the National Audubon Society are joining forces to focus on improving bird habitats.

#The trust recently hosted a reception, at which both groups signed a memorandum of understanding to foramlise the collaboration.

#The goal is to improved the conservation of bird habitats and key species within the national park system and across The Bahamas.

#Audubon is a non-profit organisation dedicated to environmental conservation with a special focus on birds.

#“Audubon has been dedicated to conservation effort in the Bahamas for more than a century,” said David Yarnold, president and CEO of Audubon.

#“Audubon has helped to establish the Wild Bird Protection Act, protected the dwindling flamingo population in the 1950s - which saved flamingos from near extinction, provided scientific guidance for the establishment of the first ever land and sea park in the Exumas and provided the science for white-crowned pigeons that established hunting bag limits.”

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Bird nesting habitat fades away

Effort under way to restore Cat Island; parish searches for funding

The months have not been kind to Cat Island, two small spits of land in Plaquemines Parish that have served for years as bird nesting destinations.

Cat Island is the name for two separate islands that have been eroding for years. In the past four months, the two islands have gotten smaller with much of their vegetation dying or dead.

Cat Island west was 360 acres in 1930, 40 acres in 1998 and 4 acres in 2010 before the Deepwater Horizon/BP explosion and subsequent heavy oiling.

Although in July the island could boast areas of thick black mangroves that were being used by brown pelicans, by Nov. 16, the mangroves were dead and the island had been split into two pieces.

Cat Island east was about 5 acres before the leak in 2010. In July, it was just a sand spit with some vegetation that may be 100 yards long and 30 yards wide. By November, it also was smaller and without vegetation.

However, there is an effort under way to restore the islands — if the money to do the work can be found. Plans for restoring the islands include breakwaters made of a structure that will have holes in it to allow water flow, a fish habitat and to serve as oyster foundations.

Continued:  http://theadvocate.com/news/4433180-123/bird-nesting-habitat-fades-away