Birds

The islands of the Lesser Antilles have a particularly distinct avifauna [1], including seven endemic genera (Birdlife International, 1998):          Catharopeza,          Cichltherminia,          Cinclocerthia,          Cyanophaia          Leucopeza,          Melanospiza,          Ramphocinclus

Collectively, these islands support 25 endemic bird species and an additional 11 subspecies. Some of the latter are expected to be elevated to species status after additional research, and at least 23 of these taxa are likely vulnerable or known to be highly endangered (C. Hunter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, pers. comm.).

Using slightly different criteria, Birdlife International has prepared an account of “restricted-range species”. Restricted-range species are inherently vulnerable by virtue of their limited distribution, regardless of other factors—globally, they account for 75% of all threatened bird species. Birdlife International identifies 2,600 restricted-range species globally, 130 of which are in the Caribbean and 24 of these are in the Lesser Antilles Endemic Bird Area. Details on endemism—single-island, multi-island, and regional—are provided in Table 7 (page 35), which lists Bird Species of Special Conservation Concern in St. Kitts and Nevis.

In addition to supporting these restricted range species, the Eastern Caribbean is known to serve as an important link in the seasonal migrations of numerous birds. For example, most of the total world population of the Blackpoll Warbler is believed to use this area for stopover sites during fall migration. Several species of thrushes, vireos, cuckoos and warblers migrate through the Eastern Caribbean in large numbers at this time of year, as do numerous shorebirds (see discussion below). This period overlaps the late summer-autumn tropical storm season, and migrants forced to land are completely dependent upon habitat provided by these Lesser Antillean islands. Some of these species, including Bicknell’s Thrush, which is considered a high priority migrant by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, may over winter in the Lesser Antilles—often in the same habitats supporting highly vulnerable endemic species.

Research during the past decade has increased the number of bird species in the recorded literature for St. Kitts and Nevis from less than 100 (Danforth, 1936; Morris and Lemon, 1984; Hilder, 1989) to 116 species (Steadman et al. 1997; but see below for additions, especially migrants). The fieldwork sponsored under the St. Kitts and Nevis Biodiversity Project in 1997-98, and coordinated by Hugh McGuinness, led to several new sightings.

In Nevis:
         Pied-bill Grebe,
         American Wigeon,
         Purple Gallinule,
         Magnolia Warbler,
         Prothonotary Warbler,
         Kentucky Warbler, and
         Summer Tanager.

Pied-bill Grebe	American Wigeon	Purple Gallinule	Magnolia Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler	Kentucky Warbler	Summer Tanager (male)	Summer Tanager (female)

In St. Kitts:
         Sandwich Tern,
         Blue Grosbeak, and
         House Sparrow.

John Wilson’s research (unpublished data) identifies 15-20 species not included in Steadman et al. (1997), mostly migratory, non-resident species. He also adds new nesting records for 5 species of seabirds (see discussion below).

Biodiversity Implications

 The major threat to the birds of St. Kitts and Nevis is deterioration and conversion of habitat, although the most critical sites differ for each of three groups: landbirds, shorebirds and waterbirds, and seabirds.

Land Birds
As noted previously in this website, a key to protecting the country’s fauna is to ensure that at least some representatives of each of the vegetation types are preserved. In addition to this broad recommendation, special attention should be directed to protecting:
·        all remaining patches of dry forests on the Southeast Peninsula, and
·        freshwater springs and the wetter ghauts, particularly on Nevis.
The moist forests provide extremely valuable habitat for land birds, but face limited development pressure.

Shorebirds and Other Water bird Species
Although there are no quantitative data, historical records and the observations of long-time residents all point to significant declines in the populations of shorebirds and waterfowl found in the country. Although the value of the ponds and wetlands that support these fauna is well documented (e.g., CCA and IRF, 1991; Brown, 1989), development pressures continue to threaten such critical coastal habitats.
The mangroves of St. Kitts have been severely impacted, even during this decade. The construction of the Southeast Peninsula Road, where most of the island's wetlands are located, has opened this once isolated area to development activity and other human impacts. Many of the white sandy beaches in this area are earmarked for tourism, and unfortunately these same beaches are adjacent to wetlands. While some degradation of the wetland is inevitable if beach develop­ment occurs, much can be done to mitigate negative impacts on wildlife. The destruction of any wetland site should only be allowed if justified by a careful cost-benefit analysis. Furthermore, it is the cumulative impacts of the loss of these sites that is the most serious cause for concern and the reason for requiring a different approach to site-specific evaluation (Bacon, 1993).

In Nevis, the wetlands fare much better, although in recent years those near to Charlestown, the capital, have been impacted by the growth and development of the town. Fortunately for these wetlands, mitigating steps can still be taken for their protection.
Neither economists nor ecologists pretend that they can reasonably quantify all of the direct and indirect benefits that result from healthy functioning wet­lands—but most responsible people in both disciplines acknowledge that these values exist and that there may be a steep price to pay if these ecosystems are destroyed.

In areas where mangroves can exist (not all coastline provides the appropriate requirements), they are considered essential to the wellbeing of near shore fisheries, sea grass beds and coral reefs. The leading mangrove specialists of the Western Hemisphere identified the mangroves of the Lesser Antilles, from among all of those of Latin America and the Caribbean, as being the most impacted by development and the ones at the greatest conservation risk (WWF, 1996).

[1]  There is an ongoing effort to identify similarities and reconcile differences if they exist between Partners in Flight and Birdlife International regarding regional avian conservation concerns in the Caribbean. Both these initiatives treat Trinidad and Tobago separately from the rest of the Eastern Caribbean. Contacts for these organizations:

David Wege; Americas Programme Manager; Birdlife International; Wellbrook Court; Girton Road; Cambridge, CB3 0NA, UK; e-mail:  <david.wege@birdlife.org.uk>.
Chuck Hunter; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Division of Refuges and Wildlife; 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 420; Atlanta, GA 30345; e-mail:  <chuck_hunter@mail.fws.gov>.