World Shorebirds Day is September 6, 2019.
While World Shorebirds Day is September 6, 2019, we’ll be tallying Bonaire’s shorebirds from September 3 through 9, 2019.
World Shorebirds Day is September 6th, 2019
Global Shorebird Count is from September 3 through 9, 2019
It’s nearly September, and that means many of Bonaire’s migratory shorebirds are starting to arrive for their winter stays or stop-overs.
It also means it’s time for World Shorebirds Day and the Global Shorebird Count, which will take place from September 3 to 9, 2019. Here on Bonaire, and all across the Caribbean, birders will be compiling checklists from island to island and recording them on eBird Caribbean.
Since most species of shorebirds are in decline all around the world, it’s important that we have a snapshot of the current status, island-by-island.
Log your Sightings
eBird is the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project, with more than 100 million bird sightings contributed each year by eBirders around the world. A collaborative enterprise with hundreds of partner organizations, thousands of regional experts, and hundreds of thousands of users, eBird is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Bird Photo ID
Merlin is designed to be a birding coach for beginning and intermediate bird watchers. Merlin asks you the same questions that an expert birder would ask to help solve a mystery bird sighting. Notice that date and location are Merlin’s first and most important questions. It takes years of experience in the field to know what species are expected at a given location and date. Merlin shares this knowledge with you based on more than 200 million sightings submitted to eBird from birders across the United States and Canada.
What to include in your counts for World Shorebirds Day.
If you’re on Bonaire during the Global Shorebird Count, join me and other Bonaire birders while we make our counts. You’ll find these fascinating birds on shores and beaches, but you might find them inland as well, on any of Bonaire’s salinas or salt ponds, tidal flats, or mangroves.
Note that shorebirds are a type of waterbird and any counts you do at any Bonaire wetland counts towards the Caribbean Waterbird Census counts. To increase the value of your count to science, be sure to count ALL birds at your site, including seabirds, herons and egrets, land birds, etc.
eBird’s mobile app makes it easy to count.
eBird Caribbean is a critical tool for tracking and understanding bird migration and population changes – never more so than for our shorebirds. If you do not have an account, it is easy to register. A useful free mobile app is also available for recording your data in the field.
Merlin Bird ID can assist with identification.
And many people feel all the shorebirds look alike! If you need a little help with identification, check into the Merlin Bird ID app, it’s free and easy to use. Snap a picture, upload it to Merlin, and it will either identify your bird or give you the “most likely” options.
Make Your Shorebirds Count—Submit your data!
To make your submitted data visible to World Shorebirds Day, please be sure to share your checklist with worldshorebirdsday eBird username of World Shorebirds Day, or add shorebirdsday@gmail.com email address, to your contact list, and share all your related checklists with us. Only checklists made during the World Shorebirds Day count period between 3–9 September 2019 (inclusive) are eligible. Guidelines for sharing checklists are here.
Banded Birds
Be sure to be on the lookout for banded birds–especially Piping Plovers, Red Knots, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings. You may report your sightings to BandedBirds.org and the USGS Bird Banding Lab which oversee all banding in the United States.
(Source: BirdsCaribbean)
About the author
Susan has been living on Bonaire for over 30 years. She is a certified bird guide, a PADI SCUBA Diving Master Instructor, and an underwater and topside photographer.
Reach out to Susan
Contact Susan via email, Facebook Messenger, give Susan a call, or simply use the online form below.
If you have any questions in regard to your birding tour on Bonaire, feel free to contact Susan to get answers. She is always happy to elaborate on routes or best times for a tour based upon your own personal preferences. Tours can be tailored to your own interests, whether that be birds, photography, or both!
It is also recommended that you do some homework about Bonaire's birds before you visit. By knowing a little bit about the birds which might be encountered on tour, your enjoyment will be heightened! Be sure to check out these resources for Bonaire Birding. Reading the Bonaire Bird Blog will also accustom you to the birds that habitually are encountered on Bonaire.
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