Times of the Islands Winter 2022/23

feature
Opposite page: In the fall, blackpoll warblers molt into yellow-green plumage and lose their black cap. This year, hundreds of thousands of
blackpoll warblers appeared across TCI in October as part of their annual migration.
Above: This American white pelican photographed at the Providenciales Golf Course in January 2019 was a first-ever record for TCI.
LOUISE JAMES
“Snowbirds” with Wings
The massive migration of birds brings many through the TCI.
By Simon Busuttil, RSPB Turks & Caicos Operations Manager,
Turks & Caicos Islands Iguana Partnership, Biosecurity Advisor
In the Spring 2022 Times of Islands I wrote about some of the discoveries about birds being made and
to be made in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Many were about seabirds and shorebirds using the remoter
parts of the archipelago, which required expeditions to locate.
However, the joy of birdwatching is that in many cases you can stay still (figuratively and literally), and
the birds will come to you. Most birds fly and many migrate. They are often opportunists and can learn.
Those of us who put up a bird table and keep it supplied with food can see how the number of birds and
species using it increases over time. And occasionally, a species that you’ve never seen before will turn
up in your yard.
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