Observations on the Birds of Antigua
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Observations on the Birds of Antigua A new, updated island list c143 species, with notes on when and where to see them Carroll S. Holland and Janet M. Williams NTIGUAISA SMALL Caribbean island (108 sq. mi.) located atthe north end of the Lesser Antilles, at latitude 17ø6'N,longitude 61ø45'W. Barbuda, situated about 32 milesaway, is the only island to the north of Antigua. Antiguais a hilly island(the highestpoint beingBoggy Peak, 1319feet), rimmed for the most part by white sandy beachesand outlying coral. The climate is mild year 'round, with the warmest daily mean temperatures(averaging 83 ø to 86øF)in Augustand Septem- ber, and cooler temperatures(averaging 73 ø to 76ø ) in January and February. The rainy season usuallybegins about the middleof Augustand lastsuntil December.The dry season,from January to August,is interruptedby lightrains in June.The meanannual rainfall from 1933to 1966was 41.50 inches, with a high of 55.26 inchesin 1952and a low of 28.29 inchesin 1953.l Rainfallis sufficiently irregularin variousparts of the islandto be of ornithologicalimportance. For instancein May 1941, the Wailings Reservoir area (see Fig. I for locationsof placesmentioned in text) reported4.46 inchesof rain and Langford reported20.45 inches,while the all-islandaverage was 12.77inches. Between 1934 and 1967, Antigua was a Brit- during a three-week trip to Antigua from July ish Colony. In 1967, it, along with Barbuda, 26 to August 17, 1933 (three days of which became an Associated State in the Common- were spent on Barbuda). The remaining 26 wealth of Great Britain. Since 1967, the species were previously recorded by other government has changed land usage so that ornithologistsvisiting the island. sugarcaneis no longerthe major crop; estate The present report is based on five years of holdings have been broken into smaller par- almost daily observations by CSH from cels As of early 1977, there were approx- August 1972through July 1977, and 12 days in imately 1000 acres in controlled livestock March 1967. During March 5 - 13, 1977, JMW pasturage, 3000 acres in corn, 750 acres in visited the islandalso, and in approximately20 cotton (250 acres in estate holdingsand the hours of observation both authors together rest in small farmer's plots), and several saw 61 of the 91 species regularly seen on thousandacres in smallholdings for vegetable Antigua. No birds were collected for this and food crops. On an estimated 14,000acres, report; all information is based on direct consistingof grasslandsand •'cassie" bush observation, usually with binoculars and (Acacia spp.) there is uncontrolledlivestock telescope,unless otherwise noted. pasturage. Around the southernpeaks, there are a few thousand acres of forested areas. Changes in weather and distribution of birds Sugarcane, which was the main crop, had FTHE TOTAL I43SPECIES listedbelow, 64 totally disappeared by 1975; it is now slowly were not reported by Danforth. This is beingreintroduced. undoubtedly due in part to our much longer In the most recently detailed report of the avlfauna of Antigua, Danforth (1934) listed 87 •Rainfallrecords for 40 or more stationswere kept by the Departmentof Agriculturebetween 1933 and speciesof birds (six consideredhypothetical). 1966. Since 1966only irregularrainfall recordsare Of these, Danforth saw or collected61 species available. Volume 32, Number 6 1095 • Borbuda32 mi N Long Buccaneer Be=oh o He[I,s Gate Robbit <) slond ,Seaview o Collins Five Beach York •Valley Mck•nnis Reef 1120 Belhesdl Frye's Boggy peak Boy Fig. 1: Map of Antigua, indicatinglocation of all placesreferred to in paper. period of observation which has covered all ponds. Nineteen inches of rain were recorded seasonsof the year. Another factor may be the in November 1974 and roads were flooded changesin local weather which seemto affect These heavy rains permitted unusual insect the bird populationsfrom year to year. In 1974 reproduction for this time of year. At Frye's there was little or no rain from January until Bay, one Sunday in early February 1975, a the middle of August; the island appeared column of moths and butterflies that was 15 brown when viewed from the air and cattle, feet high extended outward from the edge of which forage uncontrolled over the island, the beach about 25 feet over water and passed starved from lack of food and water. Insects by continuouslyfor at leastfour hours. There were so scarce that Gray Kingbirds2 would must have been millions of insect larvae in the dive for bread thrown in the air. Ferns and hills above Wailings to produce this many small grasses, and shrubs in the forest area Lepidoptera. The abundanceof insectsat this above Wailings Dam were dying and large time or the widespreadrain over the area may trees wilted. Fresh water ponds dried up. well account for the unusual presence of 14 Then heavy showers began about the middle species of warblers seen above Wailingsjust of August and run-off was sufficient so that after the heavy rainsin November of that year large grassy areas were inundated with one to URINGTHE AUTUMNS OFt975 and 1976, three inches of water. Large flocks of migrat- rains did not begin until around the first of ing shorebirdswere seenthat year, and ducks September and there was little or no run-off and coots were seen on many fresh-water until October. In fact, in 1976 there was so 2Scmntific names of birds mentioned in the text will little run-off that the main sourceof drinking be found in the annotated list below. water for the island, located at Potsworks 1096 American Birds, November 1978 Reservoir, had decreased from the normal eighteenmonths supply to seventydays. As a resultof little standingwater during the period from August until October in 1975and 1976, the numbersof migrant shorebirdsand pas- serinesseen on Antiguawere muchdiminished. In 1976,an unusualApril rain produceda large hatch of fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) which was preyed uponby a flock of 400 LaughingGulls, a Slender-billed Gull and a Lesser Black- backed Gull at McKinnon's Salt Pond. In otheryears never more than 25 LaughingGulls were seen at one time and the two other Fig. 2: Warblerhabitat of migrantand wintering species represented new records for the warblersin hills above WailingsReservoir. Photol island. J.M. Williams. In the hilly area of the south volcaniccoast Observation sites are Christian Valley and the hills above Wai- HEREARE SEVERAL AREAS of ornithological lings.Christian Valley liesnortheast of Boggy interest on Antigua. One of these is the Peak and is between it and McKnish. This is beachwith its brackishponds at McKinnon's an area of heavy forest with high humidity Salt Pond. The beach is narrow and has about ß(most of the ferns occur in this valley), and it is 15 to 25 feet of sand.Tides do not vary more here that Ruddy and Bridled Quail-Dovesand than a foot on the island.During a dry season, both thrashersare found.The slopesof Signal the pondarea dries up completely,but during Hill to the north are paved with drainage the rainy seasonwith good run-off, 100acres ditches so that all north slope run-off feeds may be inundated with one to four inchesof into WallingsReservoir. This slopehas a sec- water. This area, located on the northwest ond growth forest but is more open and less corner of the island, is attractive to shorebirds humid than Christian Valley, with a small arrivingin the fall. Twenty-sixspecies of shore- preserve of mahogany(Swietenia mahagoni) birds have been seen on the island, most of them in this area. Least Terns and Wilson's Ploversnest on the sandin summer,and Yellow- crownedNight Heronsnest in the mangroves around the edge. On the southwestcorner of the island, fresh water at Dark Woods and brackish water at the pond north of Jolly Beach attract north- bound shorebirdsin spring. Dark Woods is a large pasture area that receivesmuch run-off and becomesa foot deepat the southedge near the woods. Gallinulcs, herons and egrets, whistling-ducksand Blue-wingedTeal, and a few migratingcoots and grebescan be found here. It is herethat GlossyIbises are seeneach November along with American Wigcon and Black-headedGulls. The brackishwater pond at Jolly Beachprovided the unusualopportu- nity of seeingtwo Curlew Sandpipersalong with a few Whitc-rumpedand Scmipalmatcd Fig. 3: Christian Valley, dry creek bed in March. Sandpipersin June 1976. In addition, Black- The Purple-throated Carib, Ruddy and Bridled quail-doves, and Scaly-breastedand Pearly-eyed necked Stilt, a few Brown Pelicansand some thrashers are seen regularly here. Photo/ J.M. shorebirdsare found here year 'round. Williams. Voltmae32, Number 6 1097 several acres in extent. These are the usual haunts of the Blue-hooded Euphonia, wood warblers and both Zenalda Dove and White- crowned Pigeon. Fitches Creek is the drainagearea from the central part of the island around the Sugar Factory into the sea. Less than one half mile long, it is shallowwith a few channelsabout 18 F•g. 4: Fitches Creek where various species of Fig. 5: Sugar Factory Dam Reservoir #3 where shorebirds',herons, and whistling ducks can be whistlingducks, soras, gallinules and cootscan be •een Photo/T.C. Williams. seen. Photo/T.C. Williams. inches deep. Whitewood (Terrainalia spp.), island. The datesof the migrationseasons are mangrove (Avicennia nitida) and manchineel approximately February 15 to April I for (Htppomane mancinella) grow along both spring, and August 15 to October 1 for fall, banks. There are usually one or two Whim- except for the autumn warbler migration brels, a Black-bellied Plover and a few Lesser which lasts from early October through Yellowlegs to be found here at all seasons. December. In the following list, we have Whistling-ducks, herons and egrets, Belted separatedthe birds into four categories:Birds Kingfisher, and an occasionalOsprey can be seen regularly on Antigua, birds seen only seen here.