Window To Our Wetlands: July 2010

Photo of Royal Tern by Jacqueline Cestero

(Anguilla National Trust, The Valley, Anguilla) - Bird numbers on Anguilla’s ponds increased in July from June primarily because of an influx of nesting Least Terns that were observed on several of Anguilla’s ponds, but most notably on Long Salt Pond in the Farrington where over 400 of these endangered terns were observed.

Least Terns also boosted numbers on Road Pond and Cove Pond where 82 and 40 were recorded, respectively. In July, greatest bird diversity and most number of birds were observed on Long Salt Pond which has also been identified as one of Anguilla’s Important Bird Areas (IBAs) by the Government of Anguilla and the Anguilla National Trust through BirdLife International’s IBA programme.

According to BirdLife International, IBAs “are an objective expression of which places in the Caribbean [and the world] are the most important for [endemic birds, seabirds, waterbirds, and species already at rick of extinction] and why.” In the case of the Caribbean, “by highlighting the significance of IBAs, the goal is to secure their long-term conservation – to ensure that these remnants of paradise are not lost.” In addition to Long Salt Pond, other Anguilla mainland IBAs include Cove Pond and Grey Pond – all for their significant nesting Least Tern populations.

Wetland Bird Monitoring Dates: Wednesday 28 July – Friday 30 July 2010




What to Watch For: Royal Tern

Royal Terns are a type of seabird and are found only along ocean beaches and coastal sandy wetlands. They can be found year-round in the Caribbean.

Royal Terns are relatively large terns, especially when compared to other tern species (for example Least terns and Sandwich terns), ranging between 17.7 inches and 19.7 inches in length and between 49.2 inches and 53.1 inches in wingspan. This sea bird has a slender orange bill. It is almost completely white except for a black band that wraps around the back of the bird’s head. This band becomes a black cap during the bird’s short breeding season (April through August) which takes place in the north-eastern United States. It legs and feet are grey-black.

The Royal Tern forages for food both during the day and at night in the shallow inshore. This bird can be seen diving into the saltwater fishing for fish and shrimp.

During the July bird count, 21 Royal Terns were observed on Anguilla’s ponds, including 15 on West End Pond, 4 on Long Salt Pond, and 2 on Road Pond.

For more information about the Anguilla National Trust’s monthly wetland bird monitoring programme or to learn how to become involved, please contact the Trust at 497 5297. To become a fan and to receive regular updates on Trust activities, search for the Anguilla National Trust on www.facebook.com.