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Shorebirds and Other Water Bird Species The Eastern Caribbean also provides critical stopover sites for numerous migratory shorebirds. Several species migrate along the Trans-Atlantic route between their breeding grounds in the temperate zones to overwintering areas in Central and South America, but many birds actually over winter in the Caribbean rather than travelling further south (C. Hunter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, pers. comm.). Because a relatively small number of sites are key to the health of the entire shorebird population of the Western Hemisphere, many organizations have come together to identify and protect significant sites throughout the Americas.[1] After a two-day survey of coastal ponds on the Southeast Peninsula, Norton (1989) described the pond system of St. Kitts as extremely important to shorebirds relying on the Lesser Antilles. He wrote that based on the abundance (2,300 birds) and diversity of species (25) observed, the pond system of St. Kitts should be recognized as having international significance. The rest of this section draws extensively on the notes in manuscript of SCHS member John Wilson, who from 1997-1999 carried out over 100 days of research on the birds of St. Kitts (Wilson, 1999a, 1999b). Wilson observed that the ponds in St. Kitts receive the greatest use during fall and spring passage (these terms refer to climate conditions in temperate and arctic nesting areas). Shorebirds were particularly concentrated at Half Moon Pond and Little Salt Pond, where Wilson (1999a) observed 2,000 – 3,000 birds on some days. Winter residents (birds
arriving in July/August, but remaining until April/May before leaving for
breeding grounds further north) use a slightly different set of ponds than those
of the fall migration. Half Moon Pond continued to have the highest wintering
shorebird diversity and abundance of all the ponds, with Friars Bay Pond, the
eastern shore of Great Salt Pond, and Mosquito Pond also supporting large
numbers of wintering shorebirds. Frigate Bay, Muddy, Little Salt, the remaining
area of Great Salt, Cockleshell, and Majors Bay Ponds all had lower numbers of
wintering shorebirds. Another group of
waterbirds—ducks and coots—was observed to use primarily three ponds as
wintering habitat. During fall migration, waterbirds were observed for a few
weeks at many of the ponds, but by November Mosquito Bay Pond, Friar’s Bay Pond,
and the eastern shore of Great Salt Pond (to a lesser extent) became their
wintering sites. Between Mosquito and Friars Bay Ponds up to 400 blue-winged
teal (Anas discors) were regularly observed, with perhaps an equal number hidden
among the vegetation. American and Caribbean coots From 1997-99, five species
were added to the three species of seabirds previously known to nest in the
country (Wilson, 1999b). In addition to brown pelican, magnificent frigate bird
and least tern, the following species have been added to the list of those found
to breed here: 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: land birds,
shorebirds and water birds, and seabirds.
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