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ORNITOLOGIA NEOTROPICAL 19 (Suppl.): 415–426, 2008 © The Neotropical Ornithological Society HISTORY OF ORNITHOLOGY IN THE CARIBBEAN Catherine Levy 2 Starlight Ave., Kingston 6, Jamaica. E-mail: [email protected] Resumen. – Historia de la ornitología en el Caribe . – El Caribe es un archipiélago de múltiples nacio- nes, idiomas y culturas. Sus territorios se expanden en todo el mar Caribe, describiendo un arco desde el sur de Estados Unidos y Cuba, en el noroeste, en dirección oriental a través de las Antillas Mayores hacia las Menores, y desde las Islas Vírgenes y Antigua-Barbuda hacia el sur, hasta la costa de Sudamérica. La historia de la ornitología en el Caribe es, por tanto, tan variada como sus islas, naciones, habitantes e idio- mas. Este artículo revisa la historia de la ornitología desde épocas precolombinas, hacia los primeros asen- tamientos europeos, la época colonial y los años modernos de independencias políticas, hasta el siglo XXI. La historia está dominada por colecciones, descripciones de las avifaunas y trabajo de campo de ornitólo- gos europeos y norteamericanos, con la notable excepción de Cuba. Puerto Rico además sobresale por su cercana relación con los Estados Unidos. Proveo ejemplos de trabajos hechos por residentes caribeños cuando es factible aunque, debido a la ausencia de grandes instituciones de investigación, limitaciones de entrenamiento en ciencias biológicas y escasa experiencia práctica en el campo, otras islas del Caribe poseen muy pocos ornitólogos locales. Los esfuerzos de conservación actuales sufrirán las consecuencias de estas deficiencias, a menos que se atiendan pronto. Abstract. – The Caribbean is a multi-national, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural conglomerate of islands. The territories span the Caribbean Sea in an arc just south of the United States, from Cuba in the north- west, eastwards across the Greater Antilles to the Lesser Antilles, from the Virgin Islands and Antigua/ Barbuda south to the coast of South America. The history of ornithology in the Caribbean is thus as var- ied as its islands, nations, peoples, and languages. This paper traces the history of ornithology across the ages from pre-Columbian days, through first European settlements and colonial days, to the modern age of political independence and into the twenty-first century. The history is mainly dominated by collections, avifauna descriptions and fieldwork by European and North American scientists, with the notable excep- tion of Cuba. Puerto Rico stands out also due to its close connection with the United States. I provide examples of work by residents of the islands wherever possible, but due to the absence of strong research institutions, limitations of training in biological sciences, and no practical ecology experience, other islands in the Caribbean have few local ornithologists. Present-day efforts at conservation will suffer unless this is rectified. Accepted 13 November 2007. Key words: Ornithology, history, Caribbean, Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles. INTRODUCTION lles including the Bahamas due to ornitholog- ical similarities), and a network of smaller The land area of the Caribbean islands covers islands and many offshore cays and islets approximately 240,000 km2, with a total of forming a complex archipelago. For the pur- 115 islands not counting cays and rocky islets. poses of this paper, the island chain is consid- This includes larger islands (the Greater Anti- ered, omitting Trinidad and Tobago and the 415 LEVY Caribbean coast of Central and South Amer- Man” is thought to represent a “zemi,” prob- ica. In this paper I attempt to trace a history ably a household deity. The figure is about 89 of the ornithology in the Caribbean islands cm tall; it has the head of a long-billed bird from the time of the earliest inhabitants to the and the body of a human male (Handler present, with an emphasis on contributions of 1977). The closest likeness that can be attrib- residents to the regionís ornithology. Knowl- uted is that the bird was inspired by the Jamai- edge about the Caribbean avifauna is still defi- can Crow (Corvus jamaicensis). cient because some islands in this complex region lack strong research and academic 1500–1799: “DISCOVERY” AND institutions while others, like Puerto Rico and COLONIZATION particularly Cuba, have a long tradition of fieldwork and research. Reasons why orni- The age of “discovery” and colonization cov- thology in some territories has not developed ers from 1500 to the 1700s and accounts exist as strongly as these two islands are suggested. from explorers, missionaries and colonists. However, with habitat destruction so com- Among the first was only a summary from the mon on all territories, conservation has four expeditions of Christopher Columbus, become an imperative, so it is timely that because the most detailed observations were studies of the avifauna and habitats should be lost in a shipwreck (Keith et al. 2003). Most of paramount importance. data were anecdotal, until the report of Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdez PRE–1500: EARLIEST INHABITANTS (1478–1557) who was appointed commander of the castle of Santo Domingo in 1535. He The earliest inhabitants of the Caribbean later returned to Spain and was appointed islands were Amerindians, such as the Taínos, Historian of the Spanish Indies. The first part Caribs, and Guana-Hatabey. Little is known of his work on the history of the period spent about their customs, beliefs, and “world in Spanish colonies appeared as Historia Ge- view,” but some artifacts provide information. neral y Natural de las Indias Occidentales (Oviedo Taíno objects often bear images of skulls, y Valdez 1535). This work is probably the ear- bats, and birds, and it is known that nocturnal liest – and among the better – treatment of species (birds and bats) represented the souls the natural history of Hispaniola, with illustra- of the dead. Examination of fossil sites and tions and excellent descriptions (Keith et al. caves provide evidence that Taíno food con- 2003). sisted of vegetables, frogs, turtles, iguanas, Early colonists often brought birds with fish, and birds (“a number of pigeons, flight- them, or introduced other species later. Dur- less birds, seabirds and shorebirds…”) (Wing ing visits to Jamaica, John Taylor (1664–?) and 2001). Some animals were kept captive or Hans Sloane (1660–1753) both describe birds became tame, and these could easily be trans- that are not native to the island of Jamaica. ported in long-distance migrations, particu- Taylor spent about two years and kept a larly from South America, but also from one record of his visit including descriptions of island to another (Wing 2001). In comparison flora and fauna. Among the birds he men- to other islands such as Cuba, Puerto Rico tions are introduced species such as turkeys and Hispaniola, little archaeological work has (Meleagris gallopavo), “tame ducks of the Mus- taken place on Jamaica (Howard 1956); but covy breed” (Cairina moschata) and “plenty of one artifact discovered in about 1792 is an Guinea hens” (Numida meleagris); migrant spe- example of Taíno symbolism. The “Bird cies (mostly water birds): “shovelers” (Anas 416 HISTORY OF CARIBBEAN ORNITHOLOGY clypeata) and “widgeon” (A. americana). How- the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697, specimens and ever, he also described local species like observations were sent to France, contribut- Limpkin (Aramus guarauna; called ‘Clucking- ing to collections and to the illustrations of hen’) and “multitudes of green parrots of a Buffon’s Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux (Buffon small size and of two sorts …” and a “mar- 1770–1786). cough [macaw] … as big as an European phe- sant cock.” Taylor also writes of parrots that 1800–1849: ERA OF COLLECTING “are brought to Jamaica and sold at reason- able prices”, such as African Gray Parrot (Psit- In the first half of the XIX century the era of tacus erithacus) and Cuban Parrot (Amazona private collecting was in full swing. As the leucocephala) (Taylor c. 1686). This illustrates original inhabitants of the islands did not have how non-native species were transported to a written language and were for the most part or within the Caribbean. It is known that sail- exterminated, Europeans, and later North ors sometimes carried parrots from one coun- Americans, compiled natural history informa- try to another (Sloane 1707–1725). The tion during visits to the islands for varying introduction of exotic species continued. Lady periods. Museums in metropolitan countries Nugent (1771?–1834), the American wife of were recently established, and for a number of the British Governor of the island, wrote dur- years collections remained the property of ing her return trip to England from Jamaica in gentlemen and/or scientists until they were 1805: “Alas! One of my most beautiful sold or donated to national institutions. Some Curaçao birds died in the night …” (Nugent of the information published was the work of 1966). naturalists who may or may not have made The Englishman Hans Sloane came to the collections themselves; on the other Jamaica as physician to the Governor in hand, others – not necessarily professional 1687–1688. In those years he traveled exten- scientists – collected information and speci- sively, amassing and documenting a large col- mens during a tour of duty on the islands, lection of human artifacts, animals and, either in the civil service or the military particularly, plants. Doubtless his scientific (e.g., Sloane). The nationality of collecting background aided the collection