Wildlife Conservation Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Project #14296

Protect Seabirds in the Caribbean

by Environmental Protection in the Caribbean

Project Report | Jun 23, 2022
Gaining an Eye for Birds

By Natalia Collier | Program Director

At-sea training with law enforcement

A seabird identification workshop in the remote islands of the Grenadines archipelago helped to increase the capacity of law enforcement to protect regionally and globally important seabird populations. The two-day training enabled the six participants to identify species in the field and learn about the unique characteristics and adaptations of seabirds to this often-harsh marine environment. They were also familiarized with local conservation threats, particularly aspects they may encounter in their work, such as poaching.

This training is a follow-up from our earlier Drone Training Course in St. Vincent and the Grenadines facilitated by Conservation Drones. During that training course, participants recognized that, in order to effectively monitor and protect seabirds and other wildlife, they needed a working knowledge of seabirds. A seabird training workshop was therefore proposed, where trainees would be given the opportunity to learn about and observe, first hand, seabirds of the Grenadines.

Day one of the workshop featured presentations and discussions on the local seabirds and focused on the key field marks used to identify them. While most participants had seen the more common seabirds such as the Laughing Gull and Brown Booby, they were amazed at the variety found locally and the subtle differences used to tell several apart. They also learned how to use data entry forms and in the afternoon went to a coastal area to test their skills in real life.

The second day found the team in a fishing vessel heading out to remote islands where seabirds nest. They were treated to hundreds of boobies surrounding their boat as well as frigatebirds and many other species. One Coast Guard Officer, being surprised at the number of different seabirds, commented “I often saw all these seabirds while at sea and thought they were all the same. I never realized that there were so many different species.”

Participants left with a greater appreciation of the unique adaptations and diversity of our local seabirds, opening up a new way to see these remarkable masters of sea and sky, and a better understanding of the conservation threats they may encounter.

You can help support work like this during the upcoming Bonus Day on July 20. During this special event, donations of $100 USD and up will be matched and the higher the donation, the higher the match! We'll be sending out reminders so you can be sure to take part. Thank you for your support!

Hundreds of boobies surrounded the boat

Links:

Website for Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC)

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Feb 24, 2022
Tales of Tropicbird Tails

By Natalia Collier | Program Director

The long tail plume of tropicbirds is distinctive.

This is the time when seabirds that breed throughout the year can be found nesting in the Caribbean, including birds like boobies and tropicbirds.

Thanks to your support, our citizen scientists have been recording the number of Red-billed Tropicbirds, which can be tricky. This species nests in rocky crevices and at times are difficult to find; sometimes you can be surprised when hearing the shrill, piercing call of alarm leaving no doubt that a tropicbird nest is nearby. Or you might spot their long, white tail plume sticking out of a crevice.

Tropicbirds raise only one chick per year, making each nest very important for the population.
In addition to searching for nests, surveyors also conduct counts of all the tropicbirds flying in the afternoon, when they tend to congregate and call while displaying their splendid tail feathers during a somewhat ungainly flight.

The often-raucous nature of seabird nesting colonies is one of the aspects that keeps citizen scientists going back to these remote islands. The abundance of life at these sites is thrilling to behold and offers hope for a future with healthy and rebounding seabird populations.

Your contribution helps us to continue this monitoring work as well as upcoming research placing temporary tracking devices on boobies. These devices show where birds are foraging and which areas are important. This type of data informs management plans and protected area designations that ensure these seabird parents have enough food for their young.

We sincerely appreciate your support of this valuable work and hope you too can experience the wonders of seabird nesting colonies yourself if you have not already.

In Gratitude,
Natalia

Red-billed Tropicbird with chick. K. Lowrie

Links:

Learn more at our new, interactive website

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Oct 27, 2021
Learning to Soar

By Natalia Collier | Program Director

Members of the Coast Guard learn to fly a drone.

It’s now hurricane season and many seabirds have adapted to avoid nesting during this sometimes-destructive time of year. With less nests to monitor, it’s a great time to build new skills and knowledge!

Protecting and studying wildlife is challenging in remote or difficult to reach seabird nesting colonies. Yet it’s critical we protect these globally and regionally important populations. To support local law enforcement and conservation organizations, we hosted a training on the use of drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

Drones provide a cost-effective method for ensuring that nesting areas are properly monitored and protected. Staff from enforcement agencies spent five days in the classroom and in the field learning about UAV safety, maintenance, privacy issues, data analysis, and avoiding wildlife disturbance. Check out the TV news story.

The Grenadines archipelago includes more than 80 islands and cays. Deciding which sites are most important for restoration takes a community effort. This was the focus of a recent meeting of the Grenadines Seabird Conservation Plan Working Group. The diverse group of local stakeholders shared personal site-specific knowledge focusing on managing non-native mammals like rats and goats.

These introduced animals damage island biodiversity in many ways such as by eating the eggs and chicks of seabirds and destroying vegetation. The knowledge and experience of Working Group members are crucial for making informed decisions.

Whether it’s stakeholders, trainees, or supporters like you, it’s the community that makes this project successful. We thank you for your support and hope you’ll consider donating to ensure these research, education, and conservation activities continue to protect and restore vital wildlife populations.

Drone training participants and trainers.

Links:

Check out our website

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