The St. Croix Environmental Association, in partnership with Birds Caribbean, is actively conducting bird surveys in important wetland sites. This effort continues to build long-term monitoring records of bird populations across the USVI. The results are being shared on eBird.
Caribbean Waterbird Census
The bird blind at Southgate pond is managed by the St. Croix Environmental Association.
Bird survey methodology follows the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) Level 1 (Site Inventory). Site surveys were conducted once in the dry season and once in the rainy season. All results are uploaded to eBird.
In St. Thomas seven sites are being surveyed. On St. Croix SEA conducted bird surveys in wetlands between January 15, 2022 and April 30, 2022. 11 sites were surveyed: Southgate Pond, Great Pond, Coakley Pond, Granard Pond (freshwater), Fredensborg Pond (freshwater), Altona Lagoon, Krause Lagoon Remnant, Salt River, West End Salt Pond, Long Point, and the UVI Wetlands (AKA Billy French Ponds). Bird survey methodology followed the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) Level 1 (Site Inventory) Area Search protocol. In this method, the observer moves around the site or search area identifying and counting all the birds in the area.
See summary tables below from 2022 surveys.
In St. Thomas seven sites are being surveyed. On St. Croix SEA conducted bird surveys in wetlands between January 15, 2022 and April 30, 2022. 11 sites were surveyed: Southgate Pond, Great Pond, Coakley Pond, Granard Pond (freshwater), Fredensborg Pond (freshwater), Altona Lagoon, Krause Lagoon Remnant, Salt River, West End Salt Pond, Long Point, and the UVI Wetlands (AKA Billy French Ponds). Bird survey methodology followed the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) Level 1 (Site Inventory) Area Search protocol. In this method, the observer moves around the site or search area identifying and counting all the birds in the area.
See summary tables below from 2022 surveys.
TABLE 1. Summary St. Thomas Bird Surveys, March 2022
SITE |
NUMBER SPECIES (mean/survey) |
NUMBER INDIVIDUALS (mean/survey) |
LINK TO SURVEY DATA IN EBIRD |
Magen's Bay(Main Gut) |
6 |
8 |
|
Mandahl Pond |
4 |
6 |
|
Red Hook Salt Pond |
10 |
64 |
|
Compass Point Salt Pond |
12 |
35 |
|
Bolongo Bay Salt Pond |
5 |
6 |
|
Perseverance Pond |
12 |
92 |
|
Brewer's Bay (Range Cay) |
9 |
13 |
Table 2. St. Croix Summary Bird Surveys Data from St. Croix, January – April 2022
Site |
NUMBER SPECIES (mean/survey) |
NUMBER INDIVIDUALS (mean/survey) |
LINK TO SURVEY DATA IN EBIRD |
Coakley Bay Pond |
11 |
102 |
|
Salt River |
20 |
82 |
|
Altona Salt Flats |
18 |
118 |
|
Krause Lagoon Remnant |
21 |
69 |
|
Granard Pond |
no birds |
no birds |
NA |
Fredensborg Pond |
29 |
94 |
|
West End Salt pond (SPNWR) |
23 |
247 |
|
Long Point |
8 |
19 |
|
UVI Wetlands |
15 |
87 |
|
Great Pond |
32 |
115 |
|
Southgate Pond |
11 |
55 |
|
link |
Reports
| bird_survey_report1_stt.pdf |
| bird_survey_report1_stx.pdf |
| |||
Historic Bird Data
We are in the process of compiling, reviewing, and entering historic bird survey information into Ebird and will be able to tell a better story about bird communities at each wetland site. More coming soon!!