rightpage

LATEST NEWS:

NEWS RELEASE - 22 May 2013. Increasing awareness of the diversity of birds and their life cycles, as well as the urgent need for conservation will be the main theme of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival 2013 which runs from Earth Day 22 April through to International Biodiversity Day on 22 May. The festival is sponsored by the SCSCB, the largest single organization devoted to wildlife conservation within the Caribbean. The festival is the largest and oldest established grass-roots wildlife education program in the Caribbean. More than 100,000 Caribbean students and teachers are expected to participate in this year’s festivities. To read the press release, click here. To read more about the festival, click here.

SCSCB'S 19th REGIONAL MEETING - We are delighted to announce that the Society will hold it's 19th regional meeting in Grenada, the "spice isle", from Saturday, July 27 to Wednesday, July 31, 2013 (inclusive). The theme of the meeting is Bird Conservation in a Changing Climate. The meeting will be held on the campus of St. George's University with assistance from the Forestry Dept., Grenada Fund for Conervation, Grenada Dove Conservation Program, and otheres. Further details on the program, call for papers, registration, hotel, travel logistics, pre, post and mid-conference field trips, etc. are available on the meeting website - click here. Stay up to date with messages about the conference on our listserve BirdsCaribbean. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend what will be an amazing conference!

Report on SCSCB's INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR SEABIRD CONSERVATION IN THE WIDER CARIBBEAN AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. In June, 2012, 24 participants from 22 islands or groups of islands with important seabird colonies in the wider Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, travelled to San Salvador, Bahamas to take part in a six-day capacity building workshop led by the SCSCB. The goal of the workshop was to give resource managers who have authority over important seabird populations the knowledge and skills to study, monitor, manage and conserve their colonies. Click here to read the summary report and view photos.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF ELECTIONS for 2013-2014 AND REQUEST FOR NOMINATIONS. In accordance with the by-laws of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB), election of officers and directors will take place this year, for a two-year term starting in January 2013 and ending December 2014. We are looking for dynamic and energetic people to help the Society to continue to grow and accomplish great things for Caribbean birds. Nominations are due by August 17, 2012. Click here to read more.

NEWS RELEASE - "Connecting People to Bird Conservation—20 Way to Help Birds" Promoted in Month-Long Festival - San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 22nd, 2012 – Highlighting threats to birds and the environment and how ordinary citizens can make a difference in reducing these threats is the focus of the 11th annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), led by the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB). The Society, the largest organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean, will coordinate month-long Caribbean-wide activities beginning today Earth Day 22 April, through to International Biodiversity Day on 22 May, in more than twenty countries. The highly successful program that attracts some 100,000 participants and volunteers each year, this year aims to raise awareness about how each of us can take action in our daily lives to help conserve birds and the environment. Click here to read the press release, click here to learn more about participating.

Second Regional CWC Count in 2012 - Get Ready! During a 3-week period (Jan. 14-Feb. 3, 2012) we would like as many of you as possible to join the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC). Please help us to learn more about the distribution, status and abundance of waterbirds in the Caribbean to improve our conservation and management of these beautiful birds and their habitats. Click here to learn more about the CWC and how to participate in the count.

Announcing: AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR SEABIRD CONSERVATION IN THE WIDER CARIBBEAN AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. June 8-12, 2012, San Salvador, Bahamas. Click here to read about this workshop and find out how to apply.

New Golden Swallow Project in the Dominican Republic. Researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology together with local partners is beginning a new study in 2012 on the Golden Swallow in the Valle Nuevo region of the DR. Click here to learn more about this effort.

Caribbean Birding Trail (CBT) Project and Website. Check our new website on the CBT - Read about the CBT Workshop at SCSCB's 18th regional meeting in Grand Bahama, view and listen to Ted Eubank's CBT presentations, enter your site and/or partner information and stay up to date with the latest news by joining our mailing list!

"Machi" a shorebird tracked by scientists survives tropical storm only to be killed by hunters on Guadeloupe. September 13, 2011 - Scientists at the Center for Conservation Biology learned yesterday that a Whimbrel that they had been tracking via satellite for 2 years as part of a migration study had been shot by a hunting party this morning on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe (French West Indies). The bird named “Machi” had just flown through Tropical Storm Maria and made landfall on Montserrat before flying to Guadeloupe. Click here to read the story and see photos.

Go Wild, Go Birding! - Celebrate our 10th Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival with us! We are pleased to announce the celebration of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) from April 22nd to May 22nd, 2011. Click here to read more about the festival, the press release, and the theme this year - Go Wild Go Birding!

SCSCB'S 18th REGIONAL MEETING - We are pleased to announce that the Society will hold it's 18th regional meeting in the beautiful island of Grand Bahama, from Thursday, July 21 to Monday, July 25, 2011 (inclusive). The theme of the meeting is Connecting with Nature through Birds. The meeting will be held at the charming Pelican Bay Hotel and hosted locally by the Bahamas National Trust. Further details on the program, call for papers, registration, hotel, travel logistics, pre, post and mid-conference field trips, etc. are available on the meeting website - click here. Stay up to date with messages about the conference on our listserve BirdsCaribbean. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend what will be an amazing conference!

SCSCB launches the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) - Do you know of a pond, mangrove swamp, or marsh nearby with waterbirds on it? If yes, we invite you to participate in our first region-wide survey of Caribbean waterbirds, the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC), and help us to save waterbirds and their habitats. The dates for the CWC in 2011 are January 14th to February 3rd, 2011. Click here to learn more about the count and how to participate!

NEWS RELEASE - International Celebration of Bird Migration Launched - This October, conservation leaders, researchers, and nature enthusiasts from across the Caribbean will join forces to celebrate and promote public awareness surrounding the incredible phenomenon of bird migration. Click here to read the news release. Click here to visit the IMBD 2010 webpages, the Peregrine Falcon is the flagship species for this year's Caribbean celebration of IMBD. NEW! - click here to listen to a wonderful radio interview of Leo Douglas, SCSCB Media Relations Officer, about IMBD in the Caribbean. The interview is on Observer Radio in Antigua; it was organized by the Environmental Awareness Group of Antigua and Barbuda.

Join our Caribbean Martin Survey! Do you know of a Caribbean Martin roost site near you? If yes, we invite you to participate in our first region-wide survey of Caribbean Martins (Progne dominicensis), in order to learn more about their distribution, abundance and migration. Click here for more information.

Announcement of Elections for 2011-2012 and Request for Nominations. In accordance with the by-laws of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB), election of officers and directors will take place this year, for a two-year term starting in January 2011 and ending December 2012. The nominating committee will be accepting nominations for candidates between 6 July and 17 August 2010. Click here for more information.

Lesser Antilles Seabird Poster Competition Results are in!!! The judges have cast their votes and the winning entries are announced in the poster competition, ‘Why are Seabirds Important’ organized by Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC). Click here to read the press release; to see the winning posters, visit our "Caribbean Bird Festivals" page on FaceBook.

Caribbean birds featured in ZiNG, LIAT's inflight magazine! Click here to download the the page, click here to view it on the web.

NEWS RELEASE - Power of Partnerships for Region-wide Bird Conservation Promoted in Month-Long Festival - San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 22nd 2010 – Celebrating and promoting partnerships for regional bird conservation. This is the focus of the 9th annual Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), lead by the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB)[1]. The Society, the largest organization devoted to wildlife conservation in the Caribbean, will coordinate month-long Caribbean-wide activities beginning today Earth Day 22 April, through to International Biodiversity Day on 22 May, in more than twenty countries [2]. The highly successful program that attracts some 80,000 participants and volunteers each year, this year aims to celebrate the important role that partnerships—local, regional and global—have played in bird conservation success stories Click here to read more.

Report on SCSCB-WHMSI Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) Monitoring Training Workshop, Negril, Jamaica, 22-25 February 2010 - SCSCB is working towards establishing the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC), a region-wide waterbird and wetland monitoring program. The overall goal of the program is to increase support for waterbird and wetland conservation in the insular Caribbean by promoting monitoring as a means to improve science-based conservation planning and adaptive management of birds.Twenty-two participants from 16 Caribbean islands took part in the SCSCB’s four-day CWC Training Workshop in Negril, Jamaica 22 -25 February. Click here to read more and view photos from the workshop.

Lesser Antilles Seabird Poster Competition! The nature conservation charity, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC), is launching a poster competition, ‘Why are Seabirds Important’? Open to all schools from Grenada to Anguilla, EPIC is offering fantastic prizes to both students and schools. Click here to read more.

Celebrate our 9th Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival with us! We are pleased to announce the celebration of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) from April 22nd to May 22nd, 2010. Click here to read more about the festival and the theme this year - The Power of Partnerships.

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PARTICIPANTS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN A WETLAND MONITORING WORKSHOP IN NEGRIL, JAMAICA (FEBRUARY 2010). The Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) is pleased to announce that it is will be hosting a 4-day workshop, Promoting Caribbean Wetland Conservation: A Training Workshop for Monitoring, Education, and Conservation, 22-25 February 2010, in Negril, Jamaica. Click here to read more about the workshop and how to apply to attend.

Exciting discovery of the Cuban Kite in the eastern mountains of Cuba! - Read about recent expeditions, sightings, and photographs of the critically endangered Cuban Kite. Click here

International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) in the Caribbean - October 2009 - We invite you to celebrate in your country! Click here to learn more about the festival and available resources for this year's theme: CELEBRATE BIRDS IN CULTURE.

SCSCB Raffle 2009 Underway - click here to see the 8 fabulous prizes and purchase a ticket!

Media Release - SCSCB Meeting in Antigua, July 14-18, 2009 - click here to read about the meeting. The theme was: Beyond the beach—Birds and Tourism for Sustainable Islands.

Caribbean endangered birds featured in Caribbean Beat! - Bird life in the Caribbean seems to be flourishing, but some species are threatened. Writer James Fuller goes birdwatching in search of them. Read the article online here of download the PDF here.

Report on SCSCB-WHMSI Bird Monitoring Training Workshop, Nassau, Bahamas, 19-12 February 2009 - Twenty-six participants from eighteen West Indian islands and two Caribbean rim countries took part in the SCSCB’s five-day Bird Monitoring Training Workshop at the Bahamas National Trust in Nassau, Bahamas, 19-23 February. The participants included Executive Directors of NGOs in charge of protected areas, ornithologists, and conservation biologists employed to governments and NGOs, protected area wardens and volunteers. All shared a common interest in learning monitoring methodologies and how to use the results from monitoring to more effectively conserve and manage migratory and resident bird species. The workshop included a complete introduction to designing, implementing, analyzing and reporting basic bird monitoring programmes in the region. To read more about the workshop and SCSCB's new regional bird monitoring training program and see photos from the workshop, click here.

SCSCB announces the launch of eBird Caribbean - Check out the new "regional" portal to eBird—you can enter your bird observations and view bird records for any country in the Caribbean region from this portal. We invite you to check out this invaluable online data base of bird records and join our international network of birding enthusiasts, ornithologists and conservationists. With this application you can keep track of all your personal bird observations and at the same time contribute to expanding our knowledge of bird distribution and abundance in each country in the Caribbean. The system is available in English, Spanish and French. Portals for Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and US Virgin Islands can also be accessed from eBird Caribbean regional page (click on Acknowledgements) or click here.

Two Bird Monitoring Workshops offered in 2009 - Learn how to design and implement a bird monitoring program, mist net and band birds, and more! For more information, click here.

Birds Caribbean Yahoo Discussion Group

SCSCB sponsors a Yahoo e-group. The purpose of this e-group is to keep you informed about the society's activities and important conservation and ornithological developments in the region, including news on current projects, new resources, upcoming workshops and conferences, funding opportunities, and Working Group updates. The list also provides opportunities for discussion among members about key issues related to bird conservation and research in the region. To subscribe to the society's e-group, send a blank email to birdscaribbean-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please send comments, corrections and suggestions about the website to the webmaster: Lisa Sorenson