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AUDUBON’S ‘PRIORITY BIRDS’ ON ABACO: 21 SPECIES TO TREASURE


Black-necked stilt AH IMG_1462 copy - Version 2

AUDUBON’S ‘PRIORITY BIRDS’

PRIORITY BIRDS ON ABACO

Of the total of 49 species listed by Audubon, an astonishing 31 are recorded for Abaco. Such a statistic underlines the importance of the island and its cays as a major birding location with habitat suitable for these ‘Priority Birds’ . Some of them birds may be rare ‘vagrants’, or occasional ‘transient’ visitors but all are considered threatened or vulnerable. I have marked in red the ones that may easily or with reasonable diligence and luck be found on Abaco. These are either Permanent Resident (PR) species; or Migratory species resident in Winter (WR) or Summer (SR); or TRansients that are seen annually or at least are regularly reported. For all practical bird-spotting purposes, the remainder can be set aside, and with no disrespect to them I have reduced their image & entry sizes… That leaves 21 species selected by Audubon for special protection that may be quite readily found on Abaco – and that will be adversely affected by significant habitat change. Birds to treasure, in fact.

 PR

Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea

Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Black Skimmer Rynchops niger

Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata

Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica

Redhead Aythya americana

Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja

Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus

Swainson’s Hawk Buteo swainsoni

Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus

PR

Wilson’s Plover Charadrius wilsonia

 

WHO WAS THIS AUDUBON GUY, ANYWAY?

FIND OUT HERE including drawings by Audubon of birds he might have seen had he ever visited Abaco (which he didn’t…)

Wilson's Plover & Chick jpg

Credits: Alex Hughes (header), Sandy Walker (above), Audubon Birds