Community birdwatchers helped tally nearly 500 birds across 17 species on Valentine’s Day during the Anguilla National Trust’s count.
Forty people – the most to date – attended the two-hour afternoon event at Road Salt Pond on 14 February as part of this year’s World Wetlands Day celebrations.
It was Anguilla’s contribution to the 17th annual Caribbean Waterbird Census – a partnership of regional organisations, communities and individuals that monitor waterbirds.
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Farah Mukhida, executive director of the Anguilla National Trust, told Anguilla Focus that the island’s birds are important indicators of the health of its wetlands.
“Many of the birds we see, however, aren’t just Anguilla’s – they migrate here during the spring and fall, connecting our island to habitats across the Caribbean and beyond,” she said.
Mukhida added that the Anguilla National Trust has been tracking bird numbers and recording species diversity for more than 20 years.
“This long-term monitoring helps us understand what’s happening to bird populations here in Anguilla, while also contributing to regional and global efforts to track and protect them,” she said.
“By keeping an eye on our birds, we’re not only caring for our own wetlands, we’re playing an important role in safeguarding shared species that link Anguilla to the wider world.”
Road Salt Pond is supported by the UK government’s Biodiversity Challenge Funds and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The conservation and heritage organisation is working with the Sandy Ground community, the government and multiple international partners to conserve, protect and manage the area.
Browse other events coming up in Anguilla here.
