Ecotours in Les Cayes

If you are interested in ecotours around the Les Cayes area, visit our sister blog site to read about birding, forts, caves, and other sites you can explore.

Turtles and amphibians of southern Haiti

The Audubon Center appreciates all nature, not just birds.  Here are some photos of turtles and frogs found in the Les Cayes area.  Does any one know which species they are?

Frogs A & B - This is the invasive species the Cane toad, or Marine toad.  They secret a toxin that can kill small mammals and harm humans, and they eat Haiti's native animals. 

C'est l'espèce invasive le crapaud de canne, ou crapaud marin. Ils secrète une toxine qui peut tuer les petits mammifères et les humains de nuire, et ils mangent les animaux indigènes d'Haïti. 


Frog C is most likely Eleutherodactylus abbotti.

The turtle is most likely Trachemys stejnegeri, though the range map on CaribHerp indicates it may be the other native freshwater turtle Trachemys decorata.

Frog A - Etang Lachaux

Frog A - Etang Lachaux

Frog B - Etang Laborde

Frog C - Les Cayes.

Frog C - Les Cayes.

Frog C - Les Cayes.

Turtle A

Turtle A

Turtle A

 

A 1931 Book of Birds of Haiti

I recently purchased the 1931 book 'The Birds of Haiti and the Dominican Republic' by Alexander Wetmore and Bradshaw H. Swales.  The book begins with a review of natural history surveys done on the island since the arrival of Columbus.  Then gives a summary of the avifauna in various regions of the island.  It also gives accounts of the bird species found on the island.  My attention was drawn to references of parrots and parakeets being common.  There are some black and white photos from the 1927 birding expedition, as well as black and white illustrations of some of the birds.  I plan to compare the bird list in this book with that of the 2006 Princeton Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.  Visit the Audubon Center Facebook page for photos from this glimpse into history.  https://www.facebook.com/audubonhaiti

A visit to Etang Laborde

In December 2013 I had visited Etang Laborde for the Les Cayes Christmas Bird Count.  This month I had the opportunity to return to the lake when my guest, aquatic ecologist Dr. Donald Huggins, wanted to visit it for a possible bioassessment study.  In May 2013 we had done a base-line bioassessment of nearby Etang Lachaux, which continued to recede in the 2013 drought.  Now we needed to see a lake that still had water, fish, and birds.  The residents along the lake were very kind to us, telling us about the history of the lake levels and giant fish and crayfish they had seen.  Our botanist friend Dr. Craig Freeman identified the aquatic plants from photos we had taken (see next post).  The large flocks of ducks I saw during the Christmas count had moved on, but still we saw over 19 species of birds.

People use these springs for drinking water.  They are about 15 m from the lake shore. 

Drawing by a man who said he saw a fish almost 1 m long.

2nd Aquatic Ecology Workshop in Camp Perrin

Thank you to Jean Dunes Gustave, Ministry of the Environment for the South, for inviting the University of Kansas (KU) to hold a second aquatic ecology workshop at his office building in Camp Perrin.  This 2ème Les Principes Écologie Aquatique focused on the results of our May 2013 study of Etang Lachaux, a lake along National Route 7 south between Les Cayes and Camp Perrin.  See these past blogs for the lake study and the 1^st workshop in May 2013.  The 29 participants represented 13 organizations and including people who owned land around the lake.  Presenters were Dr. Donald Huggins from the Kansas Biological Survey (KBS) at KU and Debbie Baker from KBS and Audubon Center of Les Cayes.

We discussed the results of the water chemistry of the lake, and gave recommendations for increasing water volume so that the lake can be used for a fishery.  Participants said that 1975 was the last time the lake completely dried up.  We suggested that lake managers do not stock this shallow lake with carp which are bottom feeders and stir up the lake sediment.

2013 Christmas Bird Count Results

Thanks to organizers Pastor Sean Christensen in Simon and Anderson Jean of the Haiti Audubon Society, we had a successful 2013 Christmas Bird Count in Les Cayes.  Volunteers included Dr. Paul Rudenberg and family, Debbie Baker, three AUC students, and others.  The CBC was also an excellent way to teach the community why we love birds.  Scroll down for a table of results.

We observed 9 new bird species this year and beat our old record for species observed by 11 species! This was primarily due to having a team in the Maniche area the entire day, which allowed for higher elevation species.  We had fewer observers than the previous two years, however, we still had a maximum of five teams and we were more strategic in our locations and schedule, which contributed to such a high amount of species observed.  The lack of water at Etang Lachaux certainly affected our numbers, especially for duck species.  Pastor Sean's group spent a brief time at Wharf Massey (new location), which accounted for two new species:  Rock Pigeon and Barn Swallow.  There was at least one other swallow species present, but was not identified.  Our Cattle Egret numbers were down significantly.  The last two years we identified a roost and were able to count them at dawn. We didn't do that this year.  This year and last we failed to identify House Sparrows, which are regularly seen in downtown Cayes.  We have yet to see a Zenaida Dove or a Black-whiskered Vireo, which are possibilities.

Winter plumage Black-bellied Plover. This is a very common sight in winter in Haiti. — at Gelee Beach Aux Cayes. Photo by Sean Christensen.

A Lesser Yellowlegs (bottom left) with two Greater Yellowlegs. This is an open pond area in a mangrove. — at Islet Massey, Cayes, Haiti.  Photo by Sean Christensen.

Email Debbie Baker if you would like these results as a spreadsheet.   debbieauc at gmail.com

		2009*	2010	2011	2012	2013
Nom anglais	Nom latin	30-Dec	27-Dec	17-Dec	15-Dec	14-Dec
Canard / Oie
West Indian Whistling Duck	Dendrocygna arborea
Gadwall	Anas strepera
Eurasian Wigeon	Anas penelope	1
American Wigeon	Anas americana	49	8	138	120	145
Blue-winged Teal	Anas discors		5	386	120	2
Northern Shoveler	Anas clypeata					1
White-cheeked Pintail	Anas bahamensis		6
Green-winged Common Teal	Anas crecca			50
Canvasback	Aythya valisineria
Redhead	Aythya americana
Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	21	3	26	180	2
Lesser Scaup	Aythya affinis			7		1
Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	56	14	12	4	10
Plonjon
Least Grebe	Tachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	66	63	55	31	6
Les Oiseaux du marécage
White Ibis	Eudocimus albus
Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	100	90		420	286
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax				1
Yellow-crowned Night Heron	Nyctanassa violacea	1		17	7	x
Green Heron	Butorides virescens	3	16	13	25	12
Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis	194	311	763	1450	394
Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	26	2	12	9
Great Egret	Ardea alba	18	23	7	12	9
Tricolored or Louisiana Heron	Egretta tricolor		3		x	5
Little Blue Heron	Egretta caerulea	16	21	12	18	19
Snowy Egret	Egretta thula	9	20	8	20	54
Black-necked Stilt	Himantopus mexicanus	38	32	296	327	264
Les Oiseaux de la mer
Red-billed Tropicbird	Phaethon aethereus
White-tailed Tropicbird	Phaethon lepturus
Magnificent Frigatebird	Fregata magnificens
Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis			2
Neotropical Cormorant	Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Double-crested Cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus
Malfini
Turkey-Vulture	Cathartes aura	12	6	30	16	41
American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	17	8	17	25	27
Merlin	Falco columbarius				1	2
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	2	3	2	3	1
Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	3	2			1
Poul de l'eau
Purple Gallinule	Porphyrio martinica
Common Moorhen Gallinule	Gallinula chloropus/galeata	32	9	48	22	19
American Coot	Fulica americana	10	35	5	16	7
Caribbean Coot	Fulica caribaea	63	71	57	37	18
Northern Jacana	Jacana spinosa	7	14	16	1	2
Pluvier
American Golden Plover	Pluvialis dominica
Black-bellied Plover	Pluvialis squatarola	40	11	37	3	28
Semipalmated Plover	Charadrius semipalmatus					1
Wilson's Plover	Charadrius wilsonia				2
Killdeer	Ardea alba		4	5	6	12
Piping Plover	Charadrius melodus
Kentish Plover	Charadrius alexandrinus
Bécasseaux
Common Snipe	Gallinago gallinago					26
Short-billed Dowitcher	Limnodromus griseus	5
Long-billed Dowitcher	Limnodromus scolopaceus
Hudsonian Godwit	Limosa haemastica
Marbled Godwit	Limosa fedoa
Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus
Upland Sandpiper	Bartramia longicauda
Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	1	7	2	35	4
Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes		1	57	32	49
Solitary Sandpiper	Tringa solitaria
Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularius	24	1	7	8	17
Willet	Catoptrophorus semipalmatus		3	8	12	16
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	14	8	38	1	58
Red Knot	Calidris canutus
Sanderling	Calidris alba		33	46	39	12
Semipalmated Sandpiper	Calidris pusilla			2
Western Sandpiper	Calidris mauri				x
Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla			1		37
White-rumped Sandpiper	Calidris fuscicollis
Baird's Sandpiper	Calidris bairdii
Pectoral Sandpiper	Calidris melanotos
Dunlin	Calidris alpina
Stilt-Sandpiper	Calidris himantopus			15	x	1
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	Tryngites subruficollis
Ruff	Philomachus pugnax
Wilson's Phalarope	Phalaropus tricolor
Red-necked Phalarope	Phalaropus lobatus
Goéland / Sterne
Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis		1	1
Great Black-backed Gull	Larus marinus		2
Herring Gull	Larus argentatus
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Larus fuscus
Bonaparte's Gull	Larus philadelphia
Laughing Gull	Larus atricilla	52	14	7	4	1
Franklin's Gull	Larus pipixcan
Black-legged Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla
Gull-billed Tern	Sterna nilotica				x
Caspian Tern	Sterna caspia
Sandwich Tern	Sterna sandvicensis		3	2	x	2
Royal Tern	Sterna maxima	5	13	4	1	4
Roseate Tern	Sterna dougallii	20
Common Tern	Sterna hirundo	68
Forster's Tern	Sterna forsteri
Least Tern	Sterna antillarum	5	1
Bridled Tern	Sterna anaethetus
Sooty Tern	Sterna fuscata
Black Tern	Chlidonias niger
Brown Noddy	Anous stolidus
Black Skimmer	Rynchops niger
Pigeon / Ramier
Rock Pigeon	Columba livia					50
White-crowned Pigeon	Columba leucocephala
Scaly-naped Pigeon	Columba squamosa			5	18	4
Plain Pigeon	Columba inornata
Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	8	17	17	32	44
Zenaida Dove	Zenaida aurita	4
White-winged Dove	Zenaida asiatica		9			13
Common Ground Dove	Columbina passerina	5	14	22	11	20
Gray-headed Quail-Dove	Geotrygon caniceps
Key West Quail-Dove	Geotrygon chrysia
Ruddy Quail-Dove	Geotrygon montana
Tako
Black-billed Cuckoo	Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	Coccyzus americanus
Mangrove Cuckoo	Coccyzus minor
Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo	Saurothera longirostris	4	1	12	20	13
Smooth-billed Ani	Crotophaga ani	17	4	48	74	51
Hibou/Chouette
Barn Owl	Tyto alba			1		1
Ashy-faced Owl	Tyto glaucops
Burrowing Owl	Athene cunicularia
Stygian Owl	Asio stygius
Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus
Petonvwa
Northern Potoo	Nyctibius jamaicensis
Common Nighthawk	Chordeiles minor
Antillean Nighthawk	Chordeiles gundlachii
Least Pauraque	Siphonorhis brewsteri
Chuck-will's Widow	Caprimulgus carolinensis
Greater Antillean Nightjar	Caprimulgus cubanensis
Martinet
Black Swift	Cypseloides niger	4
White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris			1	11
Chimney Swift	Chaetura pelagica
Antillean Palm Swift	Tachornis phoenicobia	7		27		16
Ouanga Négresse
Antillean Mango	Anthracothorax dominicus	x	6	11	4	15
Hispaniolan Emerald	Chlorostilbon swainsonii	1	1	4		3
Vervain Hummingbird	Mellisuga minima	7		3	4	10
Pipirit Rivye
Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	3	7	6	6	3
Kolibri
Broad-billed Tody	Todus subulatus	3		4		9
Narrow-billed Tody	Todus angustirostris		1	5
Charpentier
Antillean Piculet	Nesoctites micromegas					6
Hispaniolan Woodpecker	Melanerpes striatus	16	24	40	84	53
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius				x	1
Pipirite
Greater Antillean Elaenia	Elaenia fallax
Hispaniolan Pewee	Contopus hispaniolensis	1	1
Gray Kingbird	Tyrannus dominicensis	14	8	22	26	30
Loggerhead Kingbird	Tyrannus caudifasciatus					3
Great Crested Flycatcher	Myiarchus crinitus
Stolid Flycatcher	Myiarchus stolidus					1
Vireonidae
White-eyed Vireo	Vireo griseus
Thick-billed Vireo	Vireo crassirostris
Flat-billed Vireo	Vireo nanus
Yellow-throated Vireo	Vireo flavifrons
Red-eyed Vireo	Vireo olivaceus
Black-whiskered Vireo	Vireo altiloquus
Corneille
Palm Crow	Corvus palmarum	29		5		30
White-necked Crow	Corvus leucognaphalus	17	2	26	47	47
Zwazo maske
Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum
Zwazo palmis
Palmchat	Dulus dominicus	9	x	59	31	85
Hirondelle
Bank Swallow	Riparia riparia
Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor
Golden Swallow	Tachycineta euchrysea
Purple Martin	Progne subis
Caribbean Martin	Progne dominicensis
No. Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica					4
Cliff Swallow	Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Cave Swallow	Petrochelidon fulva
Ti zwazo
Bananaquit	Coereba flaveola	20	21	47	81	63
Moqueur / Grive
Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	3	2	4	10	22
Red-legged Thrush	Turdus plumbeus		3			9
Madan Sara
Village Weaver	Ploceus cucullatus	3	12	11	45	128
Estrildidae
Nutmeg Mannikin	Lonchura punctulata			2		2
Black-headed Munia	Lonchura malacca
Ti Kikit / Paruline
Golden-winged Warbler	Vermivora chrysoptera
Blue-winged Warbler	Vermivora pinus
Tennessee Warbler	Vermivora peregrina
Nashville Warbler	Vermivora ruficapilla
Northern Parula	Parula americana	4	x	4	2	7
Chestnut-sided Warbler	Dendroica pensylvanica
Yellow Warbler	Dendroica petechia	2			2	4
Blackpoll Warbler	Dendroica striata
Bay-breasted Warbler	Dendroica castanea
Blackburnian Warbler	Dendroica fusca
Magnolia Warbler	Dendroica magnolia
Cape May Warbler	Dendroica tigrina	5	1	11	8	10
Black-throated Blue Warbler	Dendroica caerulescens	2	3	9	5	7
Yellow-rumped Warbler	Dendroica coronata
Black-throated Green Warbler	Dendroica virens
Yellow-throated Warbler	Dendroica dominica
Prairie Warbler	Dendroica discolor	1		2	2	2
Pine Warbler	Dendroica pinus
Kirtland's Warbler	Dendroica kirtlandii
Palm Warbler	Dendroica palmarum	1			7	3
Black-and-white Warbler	Mniotilta varia	x	x	5	7	10
American Redstart	Setophaga ruticilla	8	5	13	12	25
Prothonotary Warbler	Protonotaria citrea
Worm-eating Warbler	Helmitheros vermivorum
Swainson's Warbler	Limnothlypis swainsonii
Ovenbird	Seiurus aurocapilla	3	x	3		5
Northern Waterthrush	Seiurus noveboracensis
Louisiana Waterthrush	Seiurus motacilla	7			1	3
Kentucky Warbler	Oporornis formosus
Connecticut Warbler	Oporornis agilis
Mourning Warbler	Oporornis philadelphia
Common Yellowthroat	Geothlypis trichas	1			6
Green-tailed Warbler	Microligea palustris
Hooded Warbler	Wilsonia citrina
Wilson's Warbler	Wilsonia pusilla
Canada Warbler	Wilsonia canadensis
Yellow-breasted Chat	Icteria virens
White-winged Warbler	Xenoligea montana
Icteridae
Greater Antillean Oriole	Icterus dominicensis	1
Shiny Cowbird	Molothrus bonariensis
Tawny-shouldered Blackbird	Agelaius humeralis
Greater Antillean Grackle	Quiscalus niger			7	10	19
Zwazo kann / Bruant
Yellow-faced Grassquit	Tiaris olivaceus	x		14	45	56
Black-faced Grassquit	Tiaris bicolor		3
Greater Antillean Bullfinch	Loxigilla violacea					5
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	3	8	1
Tangara
Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra
Scarlet Tanager	Piranga olivacea
Western Tanager	Piranga ludoviciana
Gray-crowned Palm Tanager	Phaenicophilus poliocephalus	4	5	2		6
Western Chat-Tanager	Calyptophilus tertius
Eastern Chat-Tanager	Calyptophilus frugivorus
Hispaniolan Spindalis	Spindalis dominicensis
Antillean Euphonia	Euphonia musica				2	2
	total individuals	1195	1025	2664	3621	2496
	total species count day	65	60	72	63	83
	total species count week	68	64	72	69	84
# of Field Observers		10	13	21	23	15
Minimum teams at one time					3	4
Maximum teams at one time					5	5
Miles driving					113	123
Hours driving					6	4
Miles on foot					15	12
Hours on foot					29	33
Hours owling				1		1
Miles owling				1		2

 *2009 was a provisional count and not submitted as a CBC.