Birds

Despite the relatively small sizes of the Grenadine islands, this transboundary region supports over 120 species of birds for all or part of the year.  We have divided the types of birds into four separate categories, although their diversity within these groups varies considerably. 

Seabirds

As the name suggests, seabirds are birds that rely upon the marine environment for survival, and rely primarily on a marine diet (fish, zooplankton, etc.). While some seabirds, such as gulls and pelicans, are found primarily in coastal environments others, such as shearwaters spend the majority of their time on the open ocean and only return to land to nest and raise chicks. Seabirds generally are long-lived, many mate for life, and they have special physiological adaptations allowing them to thrive at sea. The many offshore islands in the Grenadines provide critical habitat for nesting seabirds and are globally important. 

Waterbirds

Waterbirds are birds that can be found near water, including marine, freshwater, estuarine and riverine habitats. In the Grenadines, waterbirds can be found in coastal areas along beaches and rocky shorelines, in salt ponds and mangroves. While the Grenadine islands have no permanent sources of freshwater, species of seabirds additionally use seasonal ponds for foraging opportunities. 

Shorebirds

The vast majority of shorebirds can be found along shorelines, with few exceptions.  Some of the shorebirds found in the Grenadines migrate vast distances annually, for example, from their nesting grounds in the Arctic. Shorebirds tend to overlap greatly in habitat with waterbirds and can be found in coastal and beach areas, intertidal zones, seasonal salt ponds, rocky outcrops, and offshore islands.   

Landbirds

Landbirds can be found primarily in terrestrial habitats, but their habitat preferences are broad. For example, while some prefer to take cover in the shrubs or trees, others make use of rocky outcrops and urban areas.  They can be found at all elevations and habitat types in the Grenadines.  Several species in the Grenadines are considered to be regional endemics and restricted range, which means that their distribution is limited to a particular region.