Last yr the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) formally launched the challenge ‘Monitoring for Bird Biodiversity Conservation in the Dutch Caribbean’. After a profitable first yr, all islands are making ready for the upcoming spring information assortment. This initiative, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality (LNV), goals to equip native nature administration organizations on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten with instruments to actively monitor and shield land fowl populations and their environments.
Bird inhabitants traits in several habitats
More than simply information assortment, this challenge facilitates evaluation and information sharing of fowl inhabitants information traits, offering deeper perception into the environmental well being of all six Dutch Caribbean islands. Scheduled to run by way of the primary quarter of 2028, the challenge makes use of enhanced coaching, standardized monitoring packages and area surveys to supply insights into the well being of native ecosystems. By assessing relative abundance, species composition and environmental adjustments, the initiative offers a singular lens by way of which the general well being of ecosystems might be evaluated. Birds act as key gamers in island ecosystems: they contribute to pollination and seed dispersal. Knowledge about their distribution highlights the significance of protected areas for vulnerable species.
For instance, on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaco, substrate sorts are being surveyed which is able to enable comparability of avian species richness and evenness between lava and limestone habitats. On Saba, St. Maarten and St. Eustatius, vegetation sorts – recognized drivers of avian range – are being surveyed and in contrast. As the challenge progresses, it could be potential to make extra inferences about variations and similarities in fowl composition inside every island group
Insights from final yr
As every island prepares for the upcoming spring information assortment, it is important to replicate on some intriguing findings from final yr’s surveys. On Aruba and Bonaire, fewer species have been recorded in fall than spring, and species have been extra evenly distributed within the lava substrate. On Curacao, extra species have been noticed in fall, and species richness/evenness was barely greater within the lava substrate. During fall surveys on Aruba, Tropical Mockingbird, Black-faced Grassquit, Common Ground Dove and Bananaquit have been mostly noticed, whereas on Bonaire the most typical birds have been the Brown-throated Parakeet, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Tropical Mockingbird and Venezuelan Troupial. Yellow Warbler was mostly noticed on Curacao, adopted by Rufous-collared Sparrow, Bananaquit and Tropical Mockingbird. In spring and fall, the imply relative abundance of all species noticed was greater within the limestone than lava substrates on Aruba and Bonaire. This was additionally the case on Curacao in spring, however not fall.
Similar to Aruba and Bonaire, on St. Eustatius and St. Maarten, extra species have been recorded in spring, with species being extra evenly distributed within the dry forest. It is feasible that rarer species inhabiting transition zones are ‘clumped’ in forest pockets in comparison with extra widespread species with a wider distribution. On Saba, extra species have been noticed within the dry forest and rainforest in fall, however fewer within the transition zone (between rain and dry forest). Bananaquit was one of many high 4 species mostly noticed on all three islands, along with Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch and Scaly-naped Pigeon (on Saba); Zenaida Dove, Pearly-eyed Thrasher and Antillean Crested Hummingbird (on Statia); and Black-faced Grassquit, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch and Caribbean Elaenia (on St. Maarten). A abstract of the information is publicly available on the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database for these wishing to see all species noticed.
Six island effort
DCNA wish to thank all islands for his or her efforts in making the primary yr of knowledge assortment successful and the Ministry of LNV for offering funding. With time, inhabitants traits will enable parks to think about whether or not it’s essential to implement (additional) conservation methods for uncommon or declining species. This five-year challenge will present essential perception into the standing of breeding land fowl populations on all six Dutch Caribbean islands and can give policymakers instruments to raised plan for efficient long-term conservation of native species. Spring information for 2024 will probably be collected on all six islands between March and April, so keep tuned to your native park administration authorities for the latest info: Aruba National Parks Foundation (FPNA), STINAPA Bonaire, CARMABI Curaçao , Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF), Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM) and St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA).
Text: DCNA
Photos: Filippo Milan (lead image: Bananaquit); STENAPA; Kai Wulf
