Birds of St. Kitts & Nevis

St. Kitts & Nevis has recorded 214 different species, but there is no doubt that the actual number is far higher. The island of Guadeloupe is just a stone’s throw away to the South of us, and they have recorded in excess of 288 different birds (E-Bird)! Although we are smaller in size than Guadeloupe, our ecosystems are quite similar. The vast majority of their birds are migratory and there is virtually no reason why if they are spotted in Guadeloupe that they should not also be spotted here. Regretfully, St. Kitts has very few resident birders with only a small handful known to be active! This does not contribute many boots on the ground or eyes to binoculars!

For some strange reason, St. Kitts & Nevis has not been visited by many bird enthusiasts when compared to neighboring islands. This is somewhat surprising, as St. Kitts has 9 different ponds all of which are a magnet for waders and other birds, and virtually all of them are easily accessible. Notwithstanding, many visitors are pleasantly surprised at the birdlife that is experienced in St. Kitts. The birds really are here! Indeed, Alan Vittery, a life long birder from the U.K. saw 87 different species during his two week vacation in November 2006. A visiting birding group from Puerto Rico, who were passing through on a cruise ship, saw almost 50 species in one day in January 2011, including a Wood Duck, which was the first sighting for us. Additionally, over a period of just two days in October in each of three consecutive years in celebration of IBMD, the author spotted 62, 67 & 69 different species respectively!

One complaint that is constantly heard is that it is difficult to obtain basic information on birding in St. Kitts or Nevis by any means, including the internet. The result of their complaints is this website! It was created by amateurs for amateurs!

Hopefully, it has enough basic information that both residents and visitors alike can find it useful

Finally, it is fairly common for birders to create a trip report after visiting a new country or area. We would really appreciate if a copy of any trip reports written about visits to St. Kitts & Nevis be copied to us so we can keep a track of sightings and locations. Any help would be very much appreciated.