West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2025

Waterfowl to Shorebirds

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are very rare in Bermuda, but a flock of seven arrived at Spittal Pond on 1 June (Paul Watson), relocating to Port Royal GC where nine were seen on 12 June. A single Fulvous Whistling-Duck was photographed at Fosters Private Wetland, Saint  Lucy, Barbados from 14–28 Jul (Michael St John). On Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, Blue-winged Teals lingered into June with 13 observed on 1 Jun at Laguna Puerto Diablo and six at Laguna Punta Icacos during a USFWS bird survey (Omar Perez). A pair of Ring-necked Ducks (the female was likely injured) were photographed at Barrage de Gaschet from 9–19 Jul (Anthony Levesque, Muriel Aboso). A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was reported from North Point Preserve, Turks and Caicos Islands on 19 Jun (David S.). A White-collared Swift was seen and heard calling over Old Towne, Montserrat on 30 Jul (Adam Stinton)—a first for the island. An Alpine Swift, the first for Montserrat, was photographed over Silver Hills, Drummonds, Saint Peter Parish on 24 Jul (Stephon Hixon); and perhaps the same bird, the second record for Guadeloupe, was well described at Pointe des Châteaux on 14 Jul (Jérémy Delolme)—”Brown swift with large arched wings, white belly and pale throat. Twice as large as the accompanying Caribbean Martins”. A Purple Gallinule photographed at the ephemeral Radio Tower wetlands, Vieques on 4 Jun was a first record for the island. (Erick Bermúdez). A Collared Plover was photographed at Pointe des Châteaux, Guadeloupe on 23 Jul (Anthony Levesque). A banded Piping Plover ‘YK1’ was photographed at Corredor ecológico del Noreste, Luquillo, Puerto Rico on 30 Jul (Patrick Van Thull)—it was banded as a nesting adult at Fire Island National Seashore, NY, on 16 Jun 2021. A Ruff was photographed at Petit Marais de Port-Louis, Guadeloupe on 19 Jun (Anthony Levesque); and another was photographed at Fosters Private Wetland, Saint Lucy, Barbados on 14 Jul (Michael St John).

A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper photographed at Fosters Private Wetland, Saint Lucy, Barbados by Michael St. John on 11–12 Jun was an incredible find, the first sighting in the West Indies (there have been four records in Bermuda). Initially thought to be a Pectoral Sandpiper, Anthony Levesque alerted those in Barbados that the photos showed a ‘Sharp-tailed’ and Eddie Massiah provided the following description: “Slim-bodied but bill length and head shape like the Pectoral it strongly resembles. As it was in full breeding plumage the rufous crown and well-marked, chevroned, spotted and patterned breast and sides were clear once the light grew. Rufous tertials and wings meeting tail-point. Legs looked grey. White eye-ring was one of the most obvious features. It flew into the closer tray to feed in the water, pecking from the surface and probing into the mud whilst walking. Fast movements and never making one think Pectoral. It called a few times, sometimes like an Upland— a soft, mellow, whistle, and sometimes more strongly and more sharply. But far different from the harsh chirp of the Pectoral”.

Skua to Shearwater

A South Polar Skua passed Cooper’s Point, Bermuda on 23 June (Paul Watson).  A count of 370 Brown Noddies was made at Morant Cays, Saint Thomas, Jamaica on 16 Jun where there were also seven Sooty Terns and 2 Bridled Terns (Ricardo Miller) with photos here. Bermuda’s second record of White Tern—the first was in 1972—determined to be of the Pacific race, was well described over Kindley Field on 24 June (Paul Watson)—and then reappeared in St. Georges Harbour from 11–31 Jul, providing great photo opportunities. A rare Sooty Tern was seen from the ferry in Vieques waters, Puerto Rico on 19 Jun for the island’s third summer record and tenth since 1978 (Wesley Torrres). Three tern species were reported from the lighthouse in Isabel Secunda, Vieques, Puerto Rico on 12 Jul: the more expected Roseate (1), three Common Terns, only the second summer record, and two Sandwich Terns (A. Laquidara). Nesting Least Terns on Petite Terre Nature Reserve, Guadeloupe produced 52 fledglings from 90–100 pairs during June–July (Anthony Levesque). Least Tern also breed on Vieques, Puerto Rico but this year was challenging because above normal rainfall inundated nesting areas preventing terns from nesting or wiping out established nests. Despite the challenges, 13 adults and 7 juveniles were observed at Laguna Playa Grande on 31 Jul (Erick Bermúdez). Four Roseate Terns were at Baie Olive, Guadeloupe on 17 Jun—two with all black bills and two with red and black bills (Didier Bogard, Anthony Levesque). Six Common Terns were observed migrating south through Petite Terre, Guadeloupe on 24 Jul (Anthony Levesque).

Thanks to Mikey Lutmerding, who reviews eBird Vieques bird photos, a Common Tern photographed by Erick Bermúdez at Mosquito Pier on 22 Oct 2023 was in fact an Arctic Tern—verified by several tern experts. Based on eBird, this Arctic Tern is a first for Vieques, third for Puerto Rico and its first fall record.

Rare in the Caribbean, Arctic Terns are only regularly seen off Guadeloupe, and two were well described at close range at Réserve Géologique (La Désirade) on 10 Jun (Eric Delcroix, Anthong Levesque). An Arctic Tern was also seen and photographed over Alice Town, Bimini, Bahamas on 10 Jun (Joshus Stafford). In Bermuda, the last remaining Bermuda Petrel (Cahow) chick fledged out to sea on 20 Jun, marking the end of the 2024–2025 breeding season in which 165 established nesting pairs successfully fledged 78 chicks (Jeremy Madeiros). A Scopoli’s Shearwater was photographed north of North Abaco and Grand Cay, Bahamas on 14 Jun (Jason Hedges).

Pelicans to Tanagers

A long-staying American White Pelican was last seen at McKinnons Salt Pond, Antigua on 17 Jun (Jermaine Jarvis). A Brown Pelican was seen flying over Seymour’s Pond, Bermuda on 4 July (LeShun Smith), remaining in the area until 16 July. A Striated Heron photographed at the Airport Pond, Bermuda on 9 Jun was likely to have been the bird observed on 18 Jan at nearby Ferry Point Park (Paul Watson). A Harrier sp. photographed by Michael St. John at Fosters Private Wetland, Saint Lucy, Barbados on 11 June has been confirmed as a female Hen Harrier—the first record for the Americas. Photos of the bird can be seen here. The photos were circulated to raptor experts who all concurred with the identification. Paul Irving commented “It’s a female Hen Harrier in wing moult, there are not enough dark cross bars in the outer primaries for it to be a Northern Harrier and it has the right number to be a Hen. The apparently three new secondaries show it to be a female rather than young male”. The bird may have been present since 6 May when Quincy Clarke reported a Harrier sp. at nearby Harrison Point and again over Graeme Hall Swamp, Christ Church on 20 May (Julian Moore). A long-staying White-tailed Hawk continues roaming in Barbados and was last seen on 24 July (Michael St. John).

Very scarce in the Cayman Islands, three European Starlings flew over Savannah Grand, North Side on 11 Jul (Peter Davey). House Sparrows may become established in Dominica with three reports from various locations this year. The last accepted record was in 2007, and the most recent observation was of a male and two females at Canefield, Saint Paul on 13 Jul (Neil Hayward). The earliest record of Louisiana Waterthrush in the Cayman Islands was photographed at the Arlington Estates on 16 Jul (R. Panton); while the first arrival in Bermuda was seen at Spittal Pond from 24–27 Jul (Paul Watson). Normally not recorded until the end of the month, a Prothonotary Warbler seen at Cottage Hill Road, Bermuda on 3 Jul was an exceptionally early record (Neal Morris). In Grenada, single Palm Tanagers were photographed at Annandale Falls, Saint George on 1 Jun (Kenrith Carter et al); Belmont Estate, Saint Patrick on 4 Jul (Timothy O’Leary); and peering into a car wing mirror at La Digue, Saint Andrew on 20 Jul (Kavita Douglas).

Report edited by Andrew Keaveney, 21 Oct 2025.