Lost In France…In The Caribbean

I’m sure (hoping) that at least one person noticed my missing post this month – I was on a blitz of the Lesser Antilles, leading a group of ten (mostly) grumpy birders on a search for every last endemic of this heavily under-birded region. These islands are largely known for their pristine beaches bordered by fifty shades of perfect blue, yet we were after their emerald hearts. Verdant and often volcanic forests coated slopes that ascended into the clouds, concealing birds so mysterious that several of them run the risk of disappearing before being fully understood.

Of these islands, the French Antilles – or Antiy fwansé in Antillean Creole – stand out for being a Caribbean slice of Europe. From the infrastructure to the cuisine, one would be forgiven for wondering which side of the Atlantic we woke up on this morning. The birds, however, are distinctly Caribbean. Many, in fact, are nothing like any other birds found anywhere else in the world. On a birding trip like the one mentioned here, we visit the two official French Overseas Departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique. These islands feature a mix of endemics and near-endemics, with the sobering understanding that they all can be wiped out by a single severe storm.

The Blue-headed Hummingbird is only found in Martinique and Dominica, for example. Martinique remains the island where I’ve enjoyed the most intimate experiences with this species thus far.

By contrast, the Bridled Quail-Dove seems to enjoy a wider distribution up to Puerto Rico in the north. However, it is distinctly difficult to detect and some reports are unverified. Surely, with more attentive eyes and ears in the field, we will continue to learn more about this exceptional quail-dove. Personally, I’ve only seen it on Guadeloupe, where it is considered to be fairly common throughout the island. On my first visit two years ago, it walked across the path directly in front of me just before a jogger appeared and flushed the bird into oblivion. This time, we visited on a weekday.

Bridled Quail-Dove

Four subspecies of the Forest Thrush exist, each endemic to a single island in the Lesser Antilles. The one pictured here is the nominate lherminieri, restricted to Guadeloupe.

While the Rufous-throated Solitaire is also found in some of the other islands in the Caribbean, the bird pictured here is also the nominate genibarbis, restricted to Martinique.

Endemic to Guadeloupe is the Guadeloupe Woodpecker, a charismatic medium-sized woodpecker that is also the only woodpecker in the entire Lesser Antilles.

On Martinique, two species carrying the island’s name carve out their existence against insurmountable odds. Restricted to a single patch of forest on a tiny peninsula on the eastern side of the island is the Martinique Thrasher – a leaf litter specialist with a unique cooperative breeding strategy. When I say “tiny peninsula” I mean it – the species’ entire range covers five square kilometres. Currently, this area is heavily managed, with active mongoose traps every thirty metres or so along the trails.

Human presence doesn’t typically annoy the Martinique Thrasher, while much of the group had their eyes on a more distant individual, this one foraged within three to four metres, often coming too close for my camera to focus.

Arguably the most vividly plumaged of all the Lesser Antillean orioles, the Martinique Oriole is a spectacular looking creature and deservedly sits on the cover of Birds of the Lesser Antilles.

I return to these Caribbean gems in a few short days, maybe my next post will feature another selection of endemic species. Leave your requests in the comments!