It’s that time of year again, Global Big Day! The biggest birding day of the year is on Saturday, May 14th, and is fast approaching. As in years past, BirdsCaribbean is hosting a friendly (but competitive!) birdwatching and fundraising competition to support Caribbean nationals attending its upcoming BirdsCaribbean/American Ornithological Society’s Bird Conference this summer. Elijah Sands and I (The Bahama Snipers) will be joining in on the action to represent The Bahamas and also to raise funds for ourselves and other Caribbean Nationals to attend the conference. We hope you can give towards this fundraiser to support this great cause. Thanks in advance for your support!
Our Story
When you think about The Bahamas, you probably think about white sand beaches, the swimming pigs, coral reefs and beautiful mega-resorts. Birds are probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But along with these things, and other incredible attractions, The Bahamas is also an incredible birding destination. The Bahamas is made up of over 3,000 islands, cays, and islets. Scattered across these islands our forests, mangroves, coasts and wetlands support a wide array of birds. In fact, with over 350+ recorded species, we are one of the most bird diverse countries in the West Indies.
For much of the year (except summer), our islands are filled with neotropical migrants. (Birds that migrate each year between the American tropics and higher latitudes, especially North America). These islands are also home to 6 endemic species, and several endemic subspecies, many of them only found on 1 or 2 islands. All of these birds are extremely threatened by climate change, development and invasive species, and a few of them are currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Redlist.
The Bahamas has been striving to conserve its birds for a very long time. In 1918, we passed an act that protected all birds (with a few species exceptions for hunting) from harm including illegal capture. Furthermore, we have 32 national parks that protect over 2 million acres of land and sea, that include vital habitats for birds.
Despite all of this, birdwatching is not a popular hobby in The Bahamas at all. We have a small birdwatching community, with a few local island clubs, but there are not enough Bahamians involved, especially not young people. That’s where Elijah and I come in. As young, experienced birders, we’re dedicated to promoting bird conservation through citizen science, research, recreation and storytelling.
By encouraging people to learn more about birds, and their importance to both people and the planet we can create the next generation of scientists and conservationists dedicated to protecting birds in The Bahamas and beyond.
Plans for Global Big Day 2022
Even though we live in New Providence (the capital of The Bahamas), we’re hoping to travel to Abaco island for Global Big Day 2022, where we have a better chance of recording more Bahamian and West Indian endemic species and speciality birds.
In partnership with BirdsCaribbean, we’re also helping to raise funds for ourselves and other Caribbean Nationals to travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the upcoming BirdsCaribbean/American Ornithological Society’s Joint Bird Conference in Late June 2022. This conference will prove to be an incredible experience to network and learn from leaders in the avian conservation world. Both of us have submitted abstracts that were accepted for presentations at the conference. I will also be teaching a workshop on the power of video and film in conservation.
We’re wishing that we can represent The Bahamas at the conference and also support opportunities for other Caribbean nationals. Your support towards our team and this fundraiser is greatly appreciated!
We hope you can follow us along on Global Big Day, where we hope to record 70 species in 24 hours (just between us). You can follow the journey by keeping up with our eBird Trip Report, (which will go live on the day) and following our social media.
Most of all, we hope you can give towards this fundraiser to support Bahamians and Caribbean nationals attending this one of a kind ornithology conference.
Thank you and all the best on this upcoming Global Big Day!
With gratitude,
Chris and Elijah
The Bahama Snipers
