The 2011 Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival is currently in progress:
[On] Earth Day, April 22nd, the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) launche[d] the 10th annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) under the theme “Go Wild, Go Birding.” This year the highly successful program which attracts over 80,000 participants and volunteers annually aims to reach out to new people—both adults and youth—and engage them in learning about birds, bird-watching, and bird conservation. The Society, the largest organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean, will coordinate a month-long Caribbean-wide event between Earth Day and International Biodiversity Day 22 May, in more than twenty Caribbean countries.
In launching the year’s celebrations, Dr. Lisa Sorenson [3] President of the SCSCB, called on regional organizers to facilitate first-hand encounters of a wide cross-section of the public and the region’s unique wild birds. Dr. Sorenson notes an astounding 72% of the approximately 208 resident island birds are endemic to the Caribbean islands—that is, found nowhere else on the globe. “Go outside, take a journal with you, and see what unique local birds you can find, observe and enjoy. Caribbean birds are like State treasures hidden in plain sight,” Sorenson noted. “Not enough people know about them or appreciate them, and as a result, many species are threatened with extinction, victims of habitat loss, unintended poisoning, or killed for fun, among other unfortunate outcomes,” said Sorenson. According to global authorities on environmental conservation, such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BirdLife International, the Caribbean is one of the richest areas on the planet for unique wild species of birds.
Eric Carey, Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust commented, “People from other countries travel to the Caribbean just to see our birds. It is time for local people to realize that spending time in nature and birdwatching is a fascinating and fun hobby. Who has heard of or seen the West Indian Whistling-Duck – a duck found only in the Caribbean, the world’s largest Amazon parrot – the Imperial Parrot of Dominica, or the Bee Hummingbird of Cuba, the smallest bird on the planet? These and many more are uniquely ours! Although celebrated by science we must celebrate them as icons of our Caribbean heritage and popular culture.” Carey remarked that the region’s collective bird life are tangible emblems of important habitats in the Caribbean —forests and wetlands that sustain life and provide ecological services to human societies.
Find out more about the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival at the SCSCB’s website.
[Image via: Environment for the Americas]
Planning your next birding adventure Forres Park Nature Resort and Spa 60 acre coffee plantation is the ideal base for exploring the Blue Mountains, Bird Watching, Coffee Farm Tours and biking around the Village of Mavis Bank or just plain do-nothing but stare into Nature. Forres Park is just 35 minutes from Papine and once you take the journey, you won’t be disappointed. Come discover another side of Jamaica.
Come see 25 of the 28 endemics, migrating birds as well as resident birds.