What is the state of some bird species on Bonaire and St Eustatius?
The flamingo population on Bonaire has remained stable throughout the years. Unfortunately, the large population of bridled quail-doves on St Eustatius declined rapidly in 2017.
Observing bird populations is a way to monitor the state of nature on Bonaire and St Eustatius. A well-known bird on Bonaire is the Caribbean flamingo. The pink bird is not only a tourist attraction that lives at the salt lakes (saliñas)noot1, but also shows how nature is doing on the island.
In the past, the flamingo could be found on numerous Caribbean islands, but many of those locations have rapidly declined due to habitat destruction. Luckily, the flamingo population on Bonaire has remained stable throughout the years.
| Year | Flamingos |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 4532 |
| 1982 | 2661 |
| 1983 | 1708 |
| 1984 | 2944 |
| 1985 | 2725 |
| 1986 | 2964 |
| 1987 | 3259 |
| 1988 | 5941 |
| 1989 | . |
| 1990 | 2381 |
| 1991 | 1870 |
| 1992 | 3147 |
| 1993 | 3132 |
| 1994 | 3026 |
| 1995 | 4185 |
| 1996 | 1822 |
| 1997 | 3911 |
| 1998 | 2731 |
| 1999 | 4125 |
| 2000 | 4547 |
| 2001 | 3039 |
| 2002 | 3347 |
| 2003 | 3391 |
| 2004 | 3170 |
| 2005 | 3641 |
| 2006 | 3342 |
| 2007 | 2932 |
| 2008 | 3085 |
| 2009 | 2711 |
| 2010 | 2520 |
| 2011 | 3026 |
| 2012 | 1946 |
| 2013 | 2083 |
| 2014 | 2429 |
| 2015 | 3081 |
| 2016 | 2646 |
| 2017 | 4702 |
| 2018 | 3381 |
| 2019 | 2560 |
| 2020 | 2855 |
| 2021 | 2631 |
| 2022 | 1726 |
| Source: Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire | |
| * No observations in 1989 | |
Hurricanes chased away bridled quail-dovenoot2
The bridled quail-dove is another bird species native to the Caribbean islands, including St Eustatius. In contrast to the flamingo, the bridled quail-dove is not often sighted as it prefers undisturbed closed forests. On St Eustatius, there was a large population of the bird, until hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the island in 2017. The bird species is sensitive to disturbances in its environment and the population has declined rapidly after the hurricanes.
| Year | Bridled quail-doves |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2932 |
| 2017 | 670 |
| 2018 | 131 |
| 2019 | 260 |
| 2020 | . |
| 2021 | 123 |
| Source: St Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA) and Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database | |
| *No observations in 2020 | |
Noten
Data provided by Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire.
Data provided by St Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA).