Birds Connect Our World – BirdsCaribbean

Birds Connect Our World – Day 81

Alex Sansom — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 11:03:52 +0000

Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in 2025! This year’s theme is “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-friendly Cities and Communities”. Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have coloring pages, interesting facts, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.

Migratory Bird of the Day: Northern Yellow Warbler

A ray of sunshine visiting from the north—it’s the Northern Yellow Warbler! Formally known as the Yellow Warbler, this species—which once included a whopping 37 subspecies—was recently split into two: the Northern (migratory) and Mangrove (resident) Yellow Warblers. As of October 2025, ornithologists officially recognize them as distinct species. We’ll share more on this split soon, but as we celebrate migratory birds, let’s learn more about the northern traveler.

True to its name, the Northern Yellow Warbler is almost entirely yellow with beady black eyes and stout bill. Males shine in bright yellow plumage with a yellow-green back and reddish streaks on the breast. Females are also yellow overall, but paler, and immatures range from dull yellow to brownish to grayish. At just 12–13 cm long and around 10 grams in weight—about the weight of a chopstick—these tiny birds are a burst of color and energy in any landscape.

They breed across most of North America in shrubby thickets and woodlands, particularly along streams, swamps, and lakeshores. Their neat, cup-shaped nests are usually tucked into shrubs or low trees, carefully woven from plant fibers, grass, and down.

Few sounds capture the joy of spring quite like their sweet, musical song—“sweet-sweet-sweet, I’m-so-sweet!”—one of the easiest warbler songs to recognize. During the non-breeding season, you’ll be far more likely to hear them making persistent, repeated chip calls as they move through mangrove, scrub, wetland edges, forest and even the trees in your garden!

These remarkable migrants travel thousands of kilometers from their breeding grounds to wintering sites in Central and northern South America, flying nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico. They’re regular passage migrants through The Bahamas and Greater Antilles, with a few migratory birds also possibly passing through Lesser Antilles. In Puerto Rico and Cuba, these bright birds are woven into local folklore as cheerful omens of rain and renewal. During migration they can be seen beside resident Mangrove Yellow Warblers. Males of the resident species are distinctive, with heavier streaking on the breast and varying amounts of reddish-chestnut on the crown and head, but females are notoriously tricky to tell apart!

Feeding mainly on insects—caterpillars, mosquitos, beetles, flies, spiders, and more—Northern Yellow Warblers play a vital role in natural pest control. In coffee farms of Costa Rica, both Northern and Mangrove Yellow Warblers help coffee farmers by reducing infestations of coffee berry borers. In other areas, they help keep mosquito numbers down, much to the relief of the human population.

Like other migratory birds, they depend on healthy forests, wetlands, and mangroves for their survival. There are many ways you can help them! Why not plant and/ or protect patches of native trees and shrubs for shelter and foraging? You should also avoid pesticides—warblers rely on insects for food! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Jethro van’t Hul for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the Northern Yellow Warbler

Download the Migratory Birds of the Day Coloring Page! Use the picture above and the photos on this page as your guide, or look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your colored-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #WMBD2025Carib

Listen to the calls of the Northern Yellow Warbler

The call of the Northern Yellow Warbler is short, repeated ‘chip’

Enjoy these photos of Northern Yellow Warblers

Female Northern Yellow Warbler. (Photo by Linda Petersen)

Male Northern Yellow Warbler. (Photo by Jesse Gordon)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Get ready to head out on a bird-friendly adventure with our bird-friendly bingo game! Ask a trusted adult if you can take a walk in your backyard, or go with them on a walk around your neighbourhood. As you walk around look carefully for things that help keep birds safe in your community. You can then mark them off on the bingo card we provide in our game! Get out there and see what you can find!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Northern Yellow Warbler in the wild!

Birds Connect Our World – Day 80

Alex Sansom — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:11 +0000

Migratory Bird of the Day: American Golden-Plover

This shorebird is golden! In breeding plumage the American Golden-Plover, a medium-sized, bowling-pin shaped shorebird, is spangled with golden flecks across its wings and back. This beautiful plumage contrasts with a black face and underside, bordered with white on the head and neck. They are a striking sight!

Outside the breeding season they have a change of wardrobe, molting into a more demure plumage. Males and females are both speckled brown with a pale eyebrow and dark cap. They lose their black underparts which become buffy and speckled. In non-breeding plumage American Golden-Plovers can be easy to confuse with Black-bellied Plovers. American Golden-Plovers are smaller and slighter looking, with a finer bill. They also lack the black ‘wing-pits’ sported by the Black-bellied Plover, you can get more ID tips here.

American Golden-Plovers breed in the Arctic, laying their eggs in ‘scrapes’ (a shallow depression on the ground), on the tundra. When breeding is over and it is time for them to head south these shorebirds really are migration masters! They make an epic journey south, with many individuals making the long flight from the east coast of North America down to South America without stopping once! Adults head off in late July and August, but they leave their chicks behind to follow later. These young birds might stay in the north until October, after which they also head to South America.

In the Caribbean we mainly see American Golden-Plovers during fall migration. Birds not able to do a non-stop trip all the way to South America will land to rest and refuel in Caribbean wetlands. American Golden-Plovers like to flock together and you might also spot them hanging out with other ‘shorebird friends’ like the Pectoral Sandpiper. You can look for them in wet grassy areas, agricultural areas like rice fields as well as on mudflats, and shorelines. Here they will be feeding on a variety of insects and insect larvae, as well as worms and mollusks.

Unfortunately, American Golden-Plover populations are declining and they have lost more than 50% of their population in the past 50 years. One of the main threats to them during migration is loss of habitat. This includes changes caused by unfavorable agricultural practices including, intensification, drainage and pesticides, and the conversion of their habitats to other uses such as residential developments and conversion of grasslands to row-crops. This beautiful shorebird relies on wet grasslands with healthy insect populations so switching to organic fertilizers and reducing pesticide use can help them out. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Alex Sansom for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the American Golden-Plover

Listen to the calls of the American Golden-Plover

The call of the American Golden-Plover is a plaintive “pleedoo”

Enjoy these photos of American Golden-Plovers

American Golden-Plover in non-breeding plumage. (Photo by Hemant Keshan)

American Golden-Plover in flight. (Photo by James MacKenzie, Macaulay Library- ML481014871)

Flock of American Golden-Plovers molting out of their breeding plumage. (Photo by Jack Starret, Macaulay Library-ML623806656)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: American Golden-Plovers have seriously long migrations. Flying 1000s of miles nonstop over the ocean until they reach their final destinations. Because they have so far to go, golden-plovers fly at high speeds. Studies tracking the birds found they averaged over 30 mph—that’s as fast as a car driving on a main road. Sometimes they even reached more than 80 mph, during their long flights over the ocean!

In this activity you’re your own paper bird so it can be ready for its own long journey!

With the help of an adult, get ready to help your bird get its wings by gathering the following materials:

printed flapping bird template
scissors
glue
string
crayons, colored pencils or markers

You can download all the information, instructions and worksheet here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a American Golden-Plover in the wild!

Birds Connect Our World – Day 79

Alex Sansom — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 00:10:58 +0000

Migratory Bird of the Day: Hudsonian Godwit

With long elegant legs and a long uptilted bill the Hudsonian Godwit certainly stands out from the crowd. This large shorebird is rusty red in the breeding season, but molts to a pale gray-brown with a white belly for the rest of the year. On migration you might still spot traces of rusty coloration. The bill is bi-colored, with pink at the base and black at the tip. In flight you will spot a white rump and wing-stripe together with dark underwings. This can help you separate them from other, rarer, godwits which might be seen in the Caribbean. Marbled Godwits have cinnamon washed underwings, while Black-tailed Godwits share the white wing stripe and white rump, but have a black tail and do not have a dark underwing.

Hudsonian Godwits breed in the arctic, in areas where boreal forest transitions into wet tundra meadows and bogs. The exact breeding range of this shorebird is not well understood and there are likely to be breeding areas that we don’t yet know about! We do know however that after breeding, Hudsonian Godwits make an incredible migration of nearly 10,000 miles from the arctic, all the way down to their wintering habitat near the southernmost tip of South America. Some birds have even been recorded in the Falkland Islands! This journey involves non-stop flights of thousands of miles, some of it over open ocean.

Hudsonian Godwits are not common visitors to the Caribbean, but they do sometimes take a break here to rest and refuel on their epic migration. You might spot a solo godwit, though sometimes they’ll hang out in small groups. You can find them by ponds or large rainwater pools on flooded agricultural areas (including rice farms) or wet pastures. They also rely on coastal areas including brackish swamps, estuaries, lagoons, and beaches. Hudsonian Godwits mainly eat soil dwelling invertebrates, probing for them in the mud with their long, but surprisingly flexible bills. Their flexible bill-tips allow godwits to bend their bill tip to grasp their prey in thick mud.

Hudsonian Godwits are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and their population is thought to be decreasing. This bird already has a relatively small global population, with a fragmented breeding range and a very restricted wintering area. In the Caribbean we can help by supporting wetland habitat protection and restoration efforts and joining wetland clean-ups wetlands; making sure there are places for godwits and other shorebirds to get the resources needed to successfully complete their long journeys. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Alex Sansom for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the Hudsonian Godwit

Listen to the calls of the Hudsonian Godwit

In wintering areas the Hudsonian Godwits are typically silent, but you might hear a flock makes soft “wheet, wheet” calls.

Enjoy these photos of Hudsonian Godwits

Hudsonian Godwit. (Photo by Kyle Tansley, Macaulay Library-ML278029941)

Hudsonian Godwit in flight, showing the white rump and wing stripe, and the dark underwing. (Photo by Luke Seitzt, Macaulay Library-ML66903611)

Hudsonian Godwit molting out of breeding plumage. (Photo by Peter Brannon)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Hudsonian Godwits are incredible travelers! Every year, they fly thousands of miles from the Arctic all the way to South America for the winter. That’s a super long journey! Along the way, they stop at important places called wetlands, like ponds, mudflats, beaches and even flooded farmland. These spots are like a perfect rest stop, full of yummy food like insects, worms, and small crustaceans that help them refuel for the rest of their trip.

In this activity, you’ll get to build your very own paper plate wetland to show a Hudsonian Godwit a great place to rest and recharge.

With help from an adult, gather the following materials:

A paper plate
Small pebbles
Small sticks
moss
Plastic animals- optional
White cardstock or bristol board
Paints
Markers
Glue
Glue gun (optional)

Once you’ve gathered your materials, it’s time to make a wetland habitat no Hudsonian Godwit can resist! You can download all the information, instructions and worksheet here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Hudsonian Godwit the wild!

Birds Connect Our World – Day 78

Alex Sansom — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:23:16 +0000

Migratory Bird of the Day: American Kestrel

North America’s smallest falcon is also one of the most widespread raptors in the Western Hemisphere—found from Alaska and Canada all the way south to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Roughly the size of a Mourning Dove, this tiny falcon is strikingly colorful. Males have warm rusty backs and tails contrasting with slate-blue wings, while females are reddish-brown above with dark barring. Both sexes have pale underparts with brownish spotting, distinctive black vertical slashes on the sides of their faces—a “mustache” and a “sideburn”— and two black spots or “false eyes” on the back of the head, thought to deter potential attackers from the rear! Males sport a single black tail band, while females show multiple bars.

Small but mighty, kestrels feed mainly on insects (grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, dragonflies, butterflies) and arachnids (spiders, scorpions), along with small rodents (mice, rats, voles, shrews, bats). These opportunistic hunters also eat lizards, reptiles, and even small songbirds. Their preferred hunting style is “sit-and-wait”— perching on wires or posts to watch for unsuspecting prey to pounce on. They’re also skilled at hover-hunting—hanging in mid-air as they scan below for savory grasshoppers, a favorite snack.

There are three unique subspecies in the Caribbean that look slightly different from each other: one found only on Hispaniola, an Eastern Caribbean race (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Lesser Antilles to Grenada), and a Cuban race (Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica). These resident island forms are joined on some islands by migrants of the northern subspecies escaping the cold winter.

American Kestrels rely on cavities for nesting—using old woodpecker holes, natural tree hollows, rock crevices, and human structures, including nest boxes. If nest sites are scarce, kestrels will fight off or evict other animals like birds and squirrels to secure their spot. The male finds potential nesting sites and presents them to the female, who makes the final selection. She typically lays four or five eggs, which are cream to yellowish or light reddish-brown, and beautifully mottled with violet-magenta, gray, or brown.

Though widespread, American Kestrel populations are declining in parts of their range. Habitat loss from land clearing, removal of dead trees, and pesticide use threaten both their nesting sites and food supply. “Clean” farming practices, i.e., eliminating hedgerows and brush, also reduce their prey and nesting sites.

To help conserve American Kestrels and their insect prey, protect their natural habitats, preserve old trees, install nest boxes, and support sustainable farming practices that preserve hedgerows and natural spaces. Every action counts in ensuring a brighter future for these charismatic falcons and the ecosystems they rely on! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Holly Garrod and Aliya Hosein for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the American Kestrel

Listen to the calls of the American Kestrel

The American Kestrel makes a series of high-pitched “killi-killi-killi” calls.

Enjoy these photos of American Kestrels

American Kestrel with prey in Cuba, whilst these raptors feed primarily on insects they also eat rodents, small birds and sometimes lizards and frogs. (Photo by Richard Grey, Macaulay Library-ML622485602)

American Kestrel in flight in the Dominican Republic. American Kestrel can often be seen hovering, facing into the wind, flapping and adjusting their long tails to stay in place. (Photo by Holger Teichmann, Macaulay Library-ML209799141)

American Kestrel of the Hispaniola race, seen in the Dominican Republic. The resident Kestrels on some Caribbean islands are joined by migrants from North America, who come to spend the winter in a warmer climate. (Photo by Juan Sangiovanni, Macaulay Library-ML623355248)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Many of the migratory birds we see in the Caribbean are flying south from the northern U.S. and Canada to wintering grounds either here on our islands or further South into South America. Sometimes they will cover thousands of miles on these trips, often stopping along the way. But have you ever wondered how scientists track birds’ movements across the globe?

In today’s activity you will learn more about how birds are tracked and find out about how radio telemetry can be used to understand bird movements. Radio telemetry is one type of technology that helps scientists find out where birds and other animals are located, using radio signals. It works by using three main pieces of equipment 1. A radio tag (which goes onto the bird to sends out a signal) 2. An antenna, which is either fixed in place at a station or carried by a scientist. This will detect the signal sent by the tagged animal 3. A receiver to log the data. You can download all the information, instructions and worksheet here.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of an American Kestrel feeding in the wild!

Birds Connect Our World – Day 77

Alex Sansom — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 22:53:04 +0000

Migratory Bird of the Day: Solitary Sandpiper

While many sandpipers like to flock together, meet the one that literally stays away from the crowd—the Solitary Sandpiper! As its name suggests this bird is a bit of a loner. Medium-sized and gray-brown above with white underparts, it shows fine white speckling on the wings and a bold white eye-ring. In flight, look for dark underwings, a dark rump, and lots of white on the tail.

During the non-breeding season, it’s easy to mix this bird up with the similar Spotted Sandpiper. The Solitary Sandpiper lacks the Spotted’s “white shoulder,” and though it bobs up and down occasionally, it doesn’t dip and ‘teeter’ quite so much. You can find more ID tips for these two species here.

Like many migratory shorebirds found in the Caribbean, Solitary Sandpipers nest across northern North America. But unlike nearly all other sandpipers that nest on the ground, the Solitary Sandpiper does something unusual—it nests in trees! These resourceful birds will ‘upcycle’ old songbird nests in forested wetlands, likely to keep their eggs safe from predators. After breeding, they migrate south to spend the winter in Central and South America and throughout the Caribbean.

Because of their ‘lone wolf’ lifestyle, Solitary Sandpipers can be easy to overlook. But they’re not fussy about habitats—you might spot them at streams, lakes, pond edges, mangroves, roadside ditches, and even puddles in flooded agricultural areas. Wherever they are, they’ll be probing for crunchy insects and other mud-loving invertebrates.

The good news? Solitary Sandpipers are not currently threatened. Their solitary habits and wide habitat tolerance have made them less vulnerable than other shorebirds to threats like hunting and development. Still, they depend on clean wetlands and healthy insect populations, so opting for organic fertilizers, reducing pesticide use, and protecting waterways remain vital for their future.

Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Alex Sansom for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the Solitary Sandpiper

Listen to the calls of the Solitary Sandpiper

The Solitary Sandpiper makes a high-pitched two-note “tsee-weet!” call.

Enjoy these photos of Solitary Sandpipers

Solitary Sandpiper in flight. Look out for the dark, underwings, a great way to seperate this species from Spotted Sandpipers that have pale underwings. (Photo by Lev Frid, Macaulay Library-ML608359979)

Solitary Sandpipers can be found in a variety of habitats, from streams, to lakes, ponds, mangroves, and ditches, to flooded fields. (Photo by Hemant Kishan)

Look out for the white ‘spectacles’ on this bird. (Photo by Gary Robinette)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS : in non-breeding plumage Solitary Sandpipers are a medium sized gray-brown sandpiper with pale underparts. Spotted Sandpipers are also a medium sized gray-brown sandpiper with pale underparts. Both also have mid-length bills!

So we have two sandpipers look alike, but they’re not EXACTLY the same! There are some handy way you can tell them apart. Learn all about the differences between these birds in our ‘Bird vs Bird’ ID activity!

Can you tell the difference between the two birds in the photos? If not check out the tips and then try again! Scroll down the page and see if you got it right!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Solitary Sandpiper in the wild!

Learn how to tell the difference between Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers!

Birds Connect Our World – Day 76

Alex Sansom — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 20:16:15 +0000

Migratory Bird of the Day: Wilson’s Snipe

What’s that small brown shorebird lurking in the grass? Chances are, it’s a Wilson’s Snipe! These plump, long-billed migrants love to skulk in wet grassy habitats. They are true masters of disguise with their cryptic brown and buff coloration. If you’re lucky enough to spot one in the open, you’ll see they have very long bills and highly patterned plumage with four long buffy-white streaks down the back (“snipe stripes”) and a striped head. Often, though, you won’t know one is there until it bursts from under your feet with a rasping ‘scaap’ call and a distinctive zigzagging escape flight.

Wilson’s Snipe breed across northern North America where they favor wet, marshy settings, and areas close to rivers and ponds. After breeding, some remain in the northwest, but many fly south, to the southern U.S., Central America, Venezuela, and the Caribbean. During the non-breeding season, they love those same soggy habitats, turning up in muddy wetlands, marshes, rice fields, wet agricultural areas, and near rivers and ponds. Here they probe in the mud for a delicious meal of insect larvae, snails, crustaceans, and worms.

Wilson’s Snipe are most active at dawn and dusk, often spending the day tucked away snoozing. If you catch them during spring migration or on their breeding grounds, you might witness their famous display flight, performed as a threat display and to advertise the territory. Known as “winnowing,” it involves the snipe circling high in the air, then diving down. During the dive you’ll hear an eerie, whirring ‘hu-hu-hu’ sound. This ”winnowing” isn’t a call, it’s made by air rushing over the outspread tail feathers!

On the ground, breeding Wilson’s Snipe can be just as dramatic. To protect its nest, a parent may feign injury—fluttering, flopping, or dragging itself as though wounded—luring predators away from its eggs or chicks.

Though their populations are currently stable, Wilson’s Snipe rely on wetlands, which are threatened by drainage for agriculture and development. Let’s protect our wetlands and make sure there are lots of places for these birds to hide, rest, and feed. Simple actions like minimizing single use plastics, recycling and fixing leaky taps reduce pressures on these fragile ecosystems and keep them safe for snipe and countless other species. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Alex Sansom for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the Wilson’s Snipe

Listen to the sounds of the Wilson’s Snipe

The Wilson’s Snipe will make a rasping call when flushed. During display flights on the breeding grounds, they produce a rapid series of ‘hu-hu-hu’ noises using outer tail feathers. These Winnowing Flights are used to threaten other birds, but may also function in attracting a mate.

Enjoy these photos of Wilson’s Snipe

Wilsons Snipe, out in the open. (Photo by Josiah Santiago, Macaulay Library-ML625634968)

Wilson’s Snipe in flight. (Photo by Rick-Evets)

Wilson’s Snipe, hiding in the grass; note the “snipe stripes” running down the back. (Photo by Dorian Anderson, Macaulay Library-ML620143387)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Draw and colour the Wilson’s Snipe!

Gather your paper and coloring pencils and draw along with Josmar Esteban Marquez. He will guide you step-by-step to make your own beautiful drawing of this migratory shorebird.

Download Reference Photos: Photo Wilson’s Snipe By Kinan Echtay / Flickr: Kinan Echtay

Enjoy this video of Wilson’s Snipe in the wild!

Birds Connect Our World – Day 75

Alex Sansom — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 00:53:35 +0000

Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with us in 2024! This year’s theme is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”. Have fun learning about a new migratory bird every day. We have coloring pages, interesting facts, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home.

Migratory Bird of the Day: Wood Duck

Meet the dazzling Wood Duck! It is one of North America’s most stunning ducks, turning heads wherever it goes with its vibrant and ornate plumage. The elegant male sports a glossy green head with a long green, purple, and white crest at the rear, chestnut-coloured breast, black-and-white neck, orange-red bill, and brilliant red eye. Females have a more understated beauty with warm brown to grayish plumage, a pronounced white tear drop around the eye, white throat, and soft gray crest. Males in non-breeding plumage and juveniles resemble adult females.

True to their name, Wood Ducks live in or near forested swamps. They stand out among ducks for their ability to perch gracefully on tree branches and logs, thanks to their strong claws. Unlike most ducks that nest on the ground or in reeds, Wood Ducks favor snug tree cavities high above ground—sometimes directly over water. They rely on pre-existing holes, often crafted by woodpeckers or natural breaks in trees. The female selects the nest site, while the male waits nearby.

To make the cavity cozy, the female lines it with soft down feathers from her breast, ensuring warmth for her eggs. After hatching, the one-day old ducklings climb up to the cavity entrance and leap fearlessly, landing safely on the ground or water below, even from heights exceeding 50 feet! Their mother calls them, but the ducklings navigate this daring jump on their own—and land without injury!

A study in South Carolina found that 42% of nesting females returned to the same site the following year, highlighting the crucial need to protect these nesting trees.

Wood Ducks enjoy munching on aquatic plants, but they also eat seeds, fruits, insects, and other arthropods. When their aquatic buffet becomes scarce, they venture into the forest to forage for nuts or into fields to snack on grains. Ducklings feed exclusively on protein-rich insects and small invertebrates to fuel their rapid growth.

These birds can be found year-round along the Pacific Coast, in the Northwest, Midwest and Eastern United States, and in Cuba! Migratory populations winter in the southern U.S. and northern Mexico and are rare visitors to the northern Bahamas. Wood Ducks form pairs on their wintering grounds and males follow their mates back to their breeding areas. This means a male may make a long journey north one spring and a shorter one the next, depending on where his partner leads him.

In the early 20th century, hunting pressure coupled with loss of nesting sites pushed Wood Ducks to near extinction. Thanks to legal protection and artificial nest boxes, their populations rebounded, and the species is no longer considered threatened. However, preserving their habitats and the insects they rely on remains vital. Keep waterways clean, and opt for organic fertilizers and biopesticides to minimize harm to wetlands. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Aliya Hosein for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the Wood Duck

Listen to the calls of the Wood Duck

Female Wood Ducks have a loud “oo-eek, oo-eek” call that they make in flight or when disturbed.

Enjoy these photos of Wood Ducks

The stunning and colorful male Wood Duck. Wood Ducks pair up in January, and most arrive at the breeding grounds in the spring already paired. (Photo by Alan D. Wilson)

The more demure female Wood Duck has an understated elegance of her own. Females normally lay 10-11 eggs per clutch, and will sometimes raise two broods in one breeding season! (Photo by Alan D. Wilson)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Some times birds can be hard to find! Your task in this activity is to find and identify the hidden bird in the given picture!

All you need to do is download and print this activity sheet. Then color in the spaces according to the instructions below to see what kind of bird this is. Once you have found them, describe or name the bird.

Esta actividad también se puede descargar en español en español. ¡Disfruta buscando todas las cosas de la lista!

Tu tarea consiste en encontrar e identificar el pájaro escondido en la imagen dada. Colorea los espacios según las instrucciones siguientes para ver de qué tipo de pájaro se trata. Una vez encontrado, describe o nombra el pájaro.

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Wood Duck in the wild!

Birds Connect Our World – Day 74

Alex Sansom — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:21:51 +0000

Migratory Bird of the Day: Louisiana Waterthrush

Who’s that cutie bobbing their booty? It’s the Louisiana Waterthrush! This lively songbird is famous for its constant tail-bobbing, which inspired its scientific name (Parkesia motacilla)—both parts meaning “tail-wagger.” True to its name, the Louisiana Waterthrush thrives near fast-moving rivers and streams, often hopping gracefully along rocky edges.

Its cryptic, thrush-like plumage is dark olive-brown above and white below, with brown streaks on its breast and sides. A bold white eyebrow stripe (wider behind the eye) and a clean, white throat help set it apart from its equally bobbing cousin, the Northern Waterthrush. The latter has buffier underparts, a narrower eyebrow stripe, and streaking on its throat.

You can also tell them apart by song: the Louisiana Waterthrush’s tune begins with 2-4 clear, descending whistles, followed by a complex jumble of notes. Its sharp metallic chip call is higher-pitched than the Northern’s.

While both species winter in the Caribbean, the Louisiana Waterthrush tends to prefer fast-flowing streams, while its cousins favor mangrove swamps—though they can sometimes overlap. It’s hypothesized that the tail-bobbing behavior may serve as camouflage, mimicking rippling water as they forage for invertebrates near streams. Other wetland birds, like Spotted Sandpipers and Solitary Sandpipers have similar bobbing behavior.

The Louisiana Waterthrush is one of the earliest migrants to arrive in their Caribbean and Central American wintering grounds, often reaching as early as July or August. It is also among the first to return north in spring, arriving on breeding grounds in eastern North America well ahead of most warblers. They seem to prefer traveling solo, usually spotted migrating with only one or two individuals.

Despite being a relatively common migrant in the Caribbean, much remains to be learned about their migration. Some take inland routes through Mexico and Central America, while others cross the Gulf of Mexico to overwinter on islands like Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico.

These streamside specialists feed on a great variety of insects, larvae, and even the occasional small frog or minnow. They walk briskly and skillfully among rocks and sticks as they pursue their prey, sometimes wading into water to obtain food. Their reliance on clean streams makes them bioindicators—birds whose health reflects the condition of their habitat. Studies show that water pollution directly affects their survival and breeding success, as it reduces the macroinvertebrates they depend on for food.

Although not considered threatened, Louisiana Waterthrush populations depend on healthy stream ecosystems. Simple actions like disposing of trash properly and using eco-friendly fertilizers can help protect these amazing birds and the waterways they call home. Keeping streams clean safeguards not only the Louisiana Waterthrush but also countless other species that share their habitats.

Let’s celebrate the Louisiana Waterthrush, a migratory bird whose beauty and behavior remind us of the importance of protecting our natural world! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Holly Garrod for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the Louisiana Waterthrush

Listen to the calls of the Louisiana Waterthrush

The call of the Louisiana Waterthrush is a loud, metallic ‘chip‘, similar to that of the Northern Waterthrush.

Enjoy these photos of Louisiana Waterthrush

Louisiana Waterthrush. This bird is a very early migrant arriving back on the wintering grounds as early as July or August. (Photo by Jesse Gordon)

Louisiana Waterthrush grabbing a tasty insect snack, this bird mainly feeds on aquatic invertebrates. (Photo by Ryan Shean ML618924609)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Use your observation skills and go on a migratory birds and insect Scavenger hunt! Print the cards on sturdy paper and use a clipboard or piece of cardboard as a writing surface outside.

Talk about this with your kids and then go outside to investigate your habitat and get looking for birds and insects. Instead of collecting the items, this is an observational scavenger hunt. See what you can find on your search and note down each bird or insect you find and anything interesting you spot about them, as they are located. When everyone has had a chance to take part and add items to the list, come back together to chat about what was seen and where they were located. How many different bird did you see? Which habitat had the most insects? Did you spot any birds eating insects?

Esta actividad también se puede descargar en español. ¡Disfruta buscando todas las cosas de la lista!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a Louisiana Waterthrush in the wild! In the winter you will likely only hear their ‘chip- chip’ call, but here is a sample of their sweet song from the breeding grounds.

Birds Connect Our World – Day 73

Alex Sansom — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:40:23 +0000

Migratory Bird of the Day: Ring-necked Duck

With such a fab updo and glossy plumage, the Ring-necked Duck is one dashing duck! It is also a strong and fast flier, able to take flight by springing up directly from the water! In contrast, most diving ducks need to do a laborious take-off run before flying off. Although Ring-necked Ducks are diving ducks, they’re frequently seen in shallow waters (four feet deep or less), where patches of open water are fringed with aquatic or emergent vegetation such as sedges and lilies.

Ring-necked Ducks don’t tip up as “dabbling” ducks do, like the elegant Northern Pintails and Blue-winged Teals. They plunge underwater and swim using only their feet for propulsion. The plants they munch on include crunchy leaves, stems, seeds, and tubers from pondweed, water lilies, wild celery, wild rice, millet, sedges, and arrowhead. They also chomp down on snails (shell included!), dragonfly larvae, and even leeches! When it’s time to lay eggs during spring (March through April), these ducks need lots of protein, so they gobble up more bugs and small creatures. In the fall, they switch back to munching on plants during their big migration!

Ring-necked Ducks breed in freshwater marshes and bogs across the boreal forests of northern North America. They build their nests about 10 inches above the water, using bent plant stems, or on floating vegetation. This elevated nesting keeps their eggs safe from land predators like foxes. The female lines the nest with her own down feathers, making it soft and cozy. She typically lays between six and 14 eggs. Ducklings hatch and leave the nest within two days, already able to swim and find food, though they stay under their mother’s watchful eye. As temperatures drop, Ring-necked Ducks migrate to warmer areas, including Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. On your island, you’re most likely to spot them in swamps, river floodplains, and reservoirs.

The Ring-necked Duck is named for the chestnut collar across its black neck. This collar is hard to see in the field but it was clearly visible to the nineteenth-century biologists that described the species using dead specimens. Males can instead be identified by their pointed heads, bright yellow eyes, satiny black body, light gray sides, and white wedge at the shoulder. Males have a gray bill with a black tip. Their bills are bordered by a white ring. Females have a gray bill with white band and black tip but no white ring around the bill. Males in eclipse (nonbreeding or “hiding”) plumage, which is worn for a month or more after breeding in the summer, display a browner plumage with brown-black head, breast and back. They differ from the females by having bright yellow eyes and no eye-ring.

Females have a brown-gray body, pale white feathers around the base of the bill, a brown top of the head that contrasts with its gray face, and white eye-ring with a narrow white line that extends back from the eye. Immature ducks resemble their corresponding adult plumages by sex, but they are duller in color.

Ring-necked Ducks and other waterbirds rely heavily on wetlands for breeding, wintering, and migrating. If these vital habitats are threatened, their populations can suffer too. Even if wetlands seem far from where you live, you can still help protect them. Keep your sidewalks, lawns, and driveways free of pet waste, trash, and toxic chemicals like motor oil, which can wash into storm drains and pollute wetlands. Talk to friends and family about the importance of wetlands for both wildlife and people. Also, opt for non-nitrogen lawn fertilizers to prevent nutrient pollution, which can lead to harmful algae blooms and dangerous “dead zones” in water. Your actions can make a big difference in preserving these vital habitats and supporting waterbird populations. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Aliya Hosein for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the Ring-necked Duck

Listen to the calls of the Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Ducks make a series of short calls consisting of grating barks or grunts.

Enjoy these photos of Ring-necked Ducks

A beautiful male Ring-neck Duck in striking black and white breeding plumage. In winter he will have gray-brown sides, but you can still use his distinctive peaked head to ID him. (Photo by Becky Matsubara)

Females are brown with a subtle white eye-ring and grayish face. Look for these ducks in small, shallow wetlands. (Photo by Denny Swaby ML317836361)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: During migration, Ring-necked Ducks will stop to rest and feed on shallow lakes with lots of vegetation. Here they will munch on submerged plants and aquatic creatures.

Can you help this tired and hungry Ring-necked Duck get to the swamp to take a rest and grab a snack on its journey south?

You can find the answer here.

When you are out bird watching, look for Ring-neck Ducks in swamps, on floodplains and estuaries, shallow inland lakes, marshes, ponds and reservoirs!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of Ring-necked Ducks in the wild!

Birds Connect Our World – Day 72

Alex Sansom — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 23:08:35 +0000

Migratory Bird of the Day: Summer Tanager

Summer Tanagers are one of our boldest and brightest migratory birds, and they come in three exciting “flavors”! Look for them in an entirely bright red plumage or what we like to call strawberry (adult male), a warm yellow plumage better known as banana (adult female), and finally, a mixture of reds and yellows AKA strawberry-banana (young males and older females)!

Despite this buffet of colors, like many birds, Summer Tanagers were named after the appearance of the male. Their latin name, Piranga rubra, is a combination of the Tupi (a language native to Brazil) word for “bright red,” and the Latin word for “red.” Their name essentially means “bright red red” — a perfect description for the male’s stunning plumage!

These striking beauties breed in many parts of the Southern United States. However, there are two distinct breeding populations that likely each take different migration routes. Birds breeding in the Southwestern US migrate through Mexico, down into Central America, and even to northern South America. Birds breeding in the Southeastern US migrate through the Caribbean — Summer Tanagers have been recorded migrating through Cuba, The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, and Curacao. Whilst the majority will continue on to South America, some birds have been recorded overwintering in the Caribbean!

Like many other songbirds, Summer Tanagers prefer to migrate at night. Cooler temperatures help them avoid overheating during long flights, calmer nighttime air provides smoother flying conditions, and traveling under the cover of darkness means that they can avoid predators that hunt during the day. These birds sometimes flock together, forming groups of up to 30 individuals before leaving to their next stopover site. Flocking may help birds navigate and better avoid predators on the move.

Their rest and refuel time is spent gorging on the good stuff — flying insects like bees, wasps, and beetles, crunchy grasshoppers, and gooey caterpillars. Much like their strawberry and banana plumage, Summer Tanagers are also big fans of fruit, and they can often be found munching on mulberries, blackberries, citrus, and bananas. These crucial meals help them build muscle and fat reserves prior to taking off — in fact, in a study looking at weights and fat storage of migratory birds in the tropics, Summer Tanagers arriving in Panama in the fall were estimated to have enough fat to continue another 860 km of flying!

Summer Tanagers are ready to take summer with them, they are one of the earlier migrants detected migrating as early as August and arriving to their overwintering grounds by the end of September! During migration, look for these birds in secondary growth forests, with a preference for edge habitats and gardens. Their overwintering habitat is similar and they can often be found in forest edges and second-growth woodlands such as those used in shade-grown coffee plantations. You may spot them anywhere from low-lying mangroves, up to 1800 m in elevation!

If you’re fortunate enough to live on an island that serves as a migration stop for the Summer Tanager, you can attract these beautiful birds to your backyard by planting native trees that provide a rich source of flying insects and produce the fruits they love to feast on. This will help sustain these tanagers on their journey to South America. Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!

Thanks to Holly Garrod for the text and Arnaldo Toledo for the lovely illustration!

Color in the Summer Tanager

Listen to the calls of the Summer Tanager

The calls of the Summer Tanager are a short, descending “pit-a-tuck.”

Enjoy these photos of Summer Tanagers

A pair of Summer Tanagers. Adult males are completely red whereas females can be a range of colors, from pale dull yellow to brighter orange. (Photo by Magdalena Richter ML623482755)

Immature male Summer Tanager. When it comes to diet these colorful birds are bee and wasp specialists though they will also eat fruit. (Photo by Linda Petersen)

Activity of the Day

FOR KIDS: Honey bees feed on both nectar and pollen. Nectar provides energy, and pollen provides protein and other nutrients. They find their food through sight and smell.

In today’s activity you will do an experiment to test how great bees are at remembering where they can find food!

With the help of an adult, you will need to gather the following items before you get started:

Pan or microwave-safe dish
Water
50g sugar
5 clear dishes
4 pieces of white paper
1 piece of red paper

Then download and follow these simple instructions and get started finding out more about bees!

FOR KIDS AND ADULTS: Enjoy this video of a male Summer Tanager feeding on fruit!