Global Big Day, 2024

Birding on Bonaire during Global Big Day!

Bonaire, a small island located in the southern Caribbean, is a popular destination for birders, as well as divers, from around the world. The island is home to nearly 250 species of resident or migratory birds. In recent years, Bonaire has become a hot spot for birding enthusiasts, especially during the Global Big Day, a worldwide birdwatching event that takes place annually on the second Saturday of May.

Global Big Day is an exciting opportunity for birders to explore the diverse birdlife of Bonaire and contribute to the global birding community by reporting the species they observe. During this event, birders from around the world gather to observe and record as many bird species as possible in one day. The data collected during Global Big Day helps to shed light on the distribution and abundance of bird species and can be used to manage conservation efforts.

Bonaire is known for its abundance of tropical birds, including endemic subspecies of the Yellow-shouldered Amazon Parrot and the Brown-throated Parakeet. Some of the most popular terrestrial birds to look for on the island include the brilliantly colored Yellow Oriole, the Venezuelan Troupial, and the two species of hummingbirds, the Ruby-Topaz Hummingbird and the Blue-tailed Emerald. In addition to these colorful species, Bonaire is also home to a variety of waterbirds, such as the White-cheeked Pintail, the Black-necked Stilt, and the island’s icon, the American Flamingo.

In addition to these resident species, May is also a great time to observe migratory birds as they pass through Bonaire on their way to their breeding grounds further north. Many of these migratory birds are on their way from South America to North America and stop on Bonaire to rest and feed. These birds are a delight for birders to observe and add to the already rich birdlife on the island.

You are sure to have a memorable and fulfilling experience on Bonaire during Global Big Day!  Participating is easy. Wherever you are, you can be a part of the global community of birders. If you can spare at least 5 or 10 minutes, report your observations to eBird online or with our free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit checklists of birds throughout the day at different times. Can you find more birds in the morning or in the evening? You never know what you might spot. Your observations help scientists better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.

How to participate

• Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows scientists to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive Global Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data to help them better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
• Watch birds on Global Big Day: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes in your backyard counts. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
• Enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your sightings via the eBird website or download the free eBird Mobile app, which makes adding what you see even easier. You can enter and submit lists while out birding, and the app tracks how far you’ve walked so you can focus on enjoying the birds. While you’re downloading free apps, try out the Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird ID app for help with identification. 
• Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, follow along with sightings from more than 170 countries in real-time on the Global Big Day page.

Global Big Day Pro Tips

• Use Merlin Bird ID for help with tricky species.
• Take photos and add them to your checklist—they might end up on the Global Big Day page!
• Make your sightings more valuable: submit complete checklists, keep counts of the birds that you see, and keep multiple checklists throughout the day.
• Share what you’re seeing on social media with #globalbigday!