Caribbean Shorebirds at Risk
In their December 2024 newsletter, Birds Caribbean alerted us to the devastating decline in several shorebird species that overwinter in the Caribbean.
All six species in the graphics above spend at least part of the year in Anguilla. The Killdeer is a breeding resident.
As a reminder, the threat categories are as follows:
Data Deficient (DD) ...
Least Concern (LC) ...
Near Threatened (NT) ...
Vulnerable (VU) ...
Endangered (EN) ...
Critically Endangered (CR) ...
Extinct in the Wild (EW) ...
Extinct (EX)
(Learn more about the IUCN Threat Categories by visiting their website.)
Lisa Sorenson puts the problem into perspective in the following quote:
“This is a wake-up call,” said Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of BirdsCaribbean. “The Caribbean is a lifeline for migratory shorebirds, providing critical stopover and wintering sites along the Atlantic Flyway. When these habitats are lost or degraded, or disappear, these birds face severe challenges.”
One of the major problems for these birds is development, particularly for tourism.
The current Anguillan government prioritizes development over conservation. Work has begun on a “Yacht Marina at Altamer Resort.” This project will impact two salt ponds: Gull Pond and Cove Pond (IBA).
On the eastern portion of the island, the Government of Anguilla signed another MOU to develop 215 acres of coastal land under the name Savannah Bay Resort. This development borders Grey Pond Important Bird Area (IBA) and Junks Hole Pond. I have little doubt that there will be severe impacts on these wetlands and the coastal area. Grey Pond IBA is a critical nesting habitat for Least Terns and resident Snowy and Wilson’s Plovers.
Speaking with a fourth-generation fisherman from the east, he noted that the development would eliminate access to the property they use to monitor fish movement and make it difficult to fish the area he and his forefathers relied on to provide for their families.
Further, the shores of Savannah Bay provide habitat for migratory shore and seabirds.
In my humble opinion, both projects are incompatible with responsible development in Anguilla. This is especially true when we see many vacancies in existing high-end properties.
Without a say in these projects, I can only continue to monitor the bird population by participating in scheduled counts throughout the year. Currently, I am involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count (February 14-17, 2025) sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Perhaps in the future, the Government of Anguilla will utilize the eBird data collected to manage Anguilla’s precious resources more responsibly.
I look forward to reporting my findings in an upcoming Wild Side News!
Note 1: This week’s Wild Side Walk “sold out” quickly. I look forward to meeting everyone who registered on Sunday morning. Stay tuned for details of our next adventure.
Note 2: I have been asked if I get paid to do the bird counts on Anguilla. I do not get paid for this work. All counts are conducted on my own time and expense.
In Other News:
Wisdom’s chick hatched on January 30th. Check out the latest videos from the nest at: Friends of Midway Atoll
Anguilla has such beautiful nature, birds and vegetation to complement its amazing beaches. Nobody wants to visit a concrete jungle, just peace and tranquility...
It is good work you do, Jackie! Thank you for making us aware of what our pursuit of development without regard for the environment has and will do to our natural surroundings.