St. Croix Birding

Antillean Crested Hummingbird

St. Croix doesn't have any endemic(found within a specific geographical area) species but we enjoy a wide range of Caribbean and migratory birds that make their homes here for parts of the year. Although we are limited as far as numbers are concerned we still have many species that avid birders on vacation may never have seen before.

Hiking the back trails to Annaly or the baths at Wills Bay may be an opportunity to hear or see a Bridled Quail Dove. These birds keep to themselves and forage on the ground but can be found along the guts or in the underbrush.

The always charming Lesser Antillean Bullfinch makes its home on the more woody parts of the North Shore and can be observed sucking nectar from hummingbird feeders or eating sugar set out for the more ubiquitous Banaquit. Whenever i hear the male Bullfinch call it reminds me of a squeaky toy and is very easy to recognize once you have been alerted to its unique sound.

The Antillean Crested Hummingbird, our smallest hummingbird can also be found around feeders. It loves the nectar from Hibiscus, Ginger Thomas and most flowering plants. The crest on its head is very distinctive and you may even find it perched on an electric wire overhead. It's very hard to photograph and the pics I have don't do it justice.

Shore birds

The Least Terns come in to nest in the summer from South America. Their habitats have been compromised so an attempt has been made here to cordon off their nesting areas to keep the human impact to a minimum. We have a few White Tailed Tropicbirds that nest on the south shore but again an effort has been made to keep their nesting spots out of prying eyes. Magnificant Frigates can be found around the Christiansted harbor along with Brown Boobies and Brown Pelicans.

We do have one American Flamingo that has been frequenting the larger ponds and protected areas on the island. The bird spent some time at the Southgate preserve but you can't count on it to stay in anyone place for long. In years past before St. Croix was industrialized we had flocks of them so just seeing the one is a real treat for locals.

American Oystercatchers can usually be found along the rocky shores anywhere around the island. They tend to be in pairs and when in flight call to each other as they move on to find tasty crustaceans.

Migratory shorebirds of all types stop in on their way south but some stay for the winter such as our famous Hope the Whimbrel, Lessor and Greater Yellowlegs, Plovers, Willets etc.

St. Croix, although small, can surprise you with unusual duck sightings and raptors such as Ospreys, Merlins and Peregrins that come for the winter. The always colorful warblers of all types delight local birders throughout the migratory period and you never know you might just see a Caribbean Martin on the end of the pier in Fredericksted when your cruise ship lands. Lots of Royal Terns, Boobies, Pelicans, Herons, Frigates and shorebirds can also be found there.

You never know what you might find at the pier

Blackpoll Warbler

I've been thinking about the birds here a lot because this is the time of year when we do the Caribbean Waterbird Census. The counts have been low but as usual we can't put our finger on exactly why that is.

If you are looking for something different to do on island start noticing our bird life but watch out you may get hooked.

See ya next week.