Birdwatching in Grenada

People are drawn to birds for many reasons, such as a friend’s influence or a personal experience. For me, it was a young Spectacled Thrush named Birdy, which our cat brought to me after it fell from its nest during a storm. The small bird had no injuries but couldn’t fly due to its age and needed care. I found that I could either place him near the tree for his parents or take him to a wildlife rescue center, but since the latter wasn’t possible and the former was risky, I chose to care for Birdy until I could release him back into the wild. Learn more about Birdy

Birdy’s curious nature and funny personality led me to look closer at birds and made me realize that each bird species is quite a remarkable creation of nature. From the awe-inspiring birds of prey to the pretty songbirds filling the skies with melody, and the cheerful seedeaters spreading their delightful chirps, to the astonishing long-distance migratory champions overcoming incredible challenges—every one of them is unique, intriguing, and fascinating in its own right.

GRENADA

Grenada, the beautiful island I call home, is a refuge for many bird species, many of which appear in this blog.

Grenada is a tri-island state in the Windward Islands, the southern group of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, in the Caribbean. It comprises three main inhabited islands: Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, as well as six uninhabited islets.

The Caribbean islands are an important region for biodiversity, featuring a diverse range of plants and animals due to their proximity to South and North America, along with influences from Africa and local climate changes. This has resulted in unique adaptations among Caribbean land birds, distinguishing each species genetically and ecologically.

As part of this diversity , Grenada, as with every island in the Caribbean, has its own feel, energy, and of course, ecosystems. Volcanic in nature, Grenada is lush and beautiful, with green slopes rising steeply from the sea and a rugged coastline dotted with sandy beaches. Grenada’s coastline is 121 km (62 mi) long and consists of various marine and coastal ecosystems, from beaches, mangrove swamps, sea grass beds and coral reefs, to salt ponds and lakes, dry woodland and cactus shrub. The rain forest, in the islands interior, is its pulsing heart and home to many creatures.

Centuries ago, like many Caribbean islands, Grenada was cleared of much of its forests to make way for large sugarcane plantations. Nevertheless, the island’s rugged and humid landscape encouraged the introduction of nutmeg and cocoa in 1782, thus precipitating the development of smaller landholdings and giving rise to Grenada’s current identity as the “Spice Island.”

Grenada boasts an impressive array of terrestrial wildlife, including four species of amphibians, eight species of lizards, five species of snakes, four native species of terrestrial mammals, eleven native species of bats, and 150 species of birds. Of these, 35 species are resident land birds, while the rest consist of seabirds, waterbirds, and Neotropical migrants. Notably, there are seven Lesser Antilles endemic bird area restricted-range species in Grenada, such as the Grenada Dove and the Grenada Hook-billed Kite, both of which are exclusive to Grenada. Other species include the Grenada Flycatcher, the Lesser Antillean Tanager, and the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch.

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