September 22, 2020—The Caribbean is celebrating World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) this fall! Hundreds of different birds migrate to spend part of their year in the Caribbean. To honor them, BirdsCaribbean is sharing fun stuff for the whole family. Enjoy Migratory Bird of the Day activities every day for free, from the safety of your home.
BirdsCaribbean has fun activities for kids and adults that will teach you about migratory birds. You can learn to draw and colour birds. Caribbean scientists will read stories about nature. You can learn how to do bird origami. In addition to daily coloring pages and activities like puzzles, they will host online talks on incredible journeys these birds make.
This year’s WMBD theme is “Birds Connect Our World.” These birds cross countries, seas and national borders. They depend upon on sites all along the way for food, rest and shelter. They can be found along our shores, in wetlands, in forests, cities, and even in our yards.
One migratory bird is the Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis). It breeds in Canada and part of the United States, then heads south to spend the winter in warmer areas. These ducks wait until there is ice on the lakes in North America before they travel.
During November some will arrive in the Caribbean. They are most common in the Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. They can be found in other islands too. They are usually seen on ponds or in the sea near the coast. These ducks connect Caribbean ponds and Canadian lakes, teaching us that we are all connected.
Migratory birds face threats like climate change, habitat loss and hunting. Global action is needed to protect their habitats. For migrants, these can include wild spaces in several different countries. Also, the current pandemic proves that the destruction of wild areas can help the spread of diseases. Urgent action is needed to better protect and sustain wildlife and their habitats.
