The Birds of Bermuda

 

I didn’t have to go far to score a lifer bird right away in Bermuda. The Airbnb where we stayed in July had gorgeous Atlantic Ocean views. 

Called Longtails by the locals is a seabird known for its elegant, predominantly white plumage and long white-tail streamers, according to one online description. 

(See my previous posts about our Bermuda trip: "Five Things to Love About Bermuda" and "Bermuda Snorkeling: Swimming with the Fishes.")

All day long these (formal name) White-tailed Tropicbirds flew back and forth near the shoreline. It was a challenge to get quality in-flight images with my Canon SX70 “superzoom” DSLR. 

Occasionally a Longtail would pivot from shore patrol to fly to the limestone cliffs to visit their nests in the many cracks and crevices. Or maybe they are scouting future nest sites. 

These birds rarely stop flying, except to nest and rest, something I never witnessed. For food they will plunge dive into the sea to catch small fish, squids (yuck!) and crustaceans.

Longtails are iconic Bermuda birds but are not the country’s national bird. That honor belongs to the Bermuda Petrel or Cahow, a bird once thought to be extinct. Wikipedia says this Petrel is the second rarest seabird in the world.  I did not see or photograph the Cahow, which is another “pelagic” species, meaning it spends most of its life out on the open ocean. 

My other big avian discovery was this colorful character called the Great Kiskadee. The name comes from how its call sounds like kis-ka-dee. 

Distinctive looks go with its distinctive call: bright yellow belly, reddish-brown back, and black and white head pattern. 

I never observed or heard that connection but the name is unique and exotic. I did observe Great Kiskadees all over Bermuda. 

This one was near a hotel entrance. The yellow stripe on the head indicates a male. 

Kiskadees were brought to Bermuda in 1957 to control the lizard population. Lizards, ironically, were also introduced to the island decades earlier to try to reduce a specific type of insect, the Mediterranean fruit fly, that was damaging crops. 

Both efforts failed, from what I’ve read. The Kiskadees became an invasive threat to native birds and insects. 

These birds are thriving here, for better or worse, it seems. I certainly enjoyed seeing them! 

Along with scoring two lifer birds on Bermuda- the Longtail (White-tailed Tropicbird) and Great Kiskadee- some familiar faces found my camera lens. 

Green Herons are one of my favorite birds back home. They are not often seen so it’s always a treat to see one, especially on this faraway island. 

Like I said, I didn’t have to go far for many of my bird captures. The fence outside our Airbnb was a popular perch for Green Herons and other types of birds. 

I love this Green Heron sequence. I took these with my iPhone as we walked near a marina in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda. 

Yellow-crowned Night Herons also call Bermuda home. What a lovely ocean view we enjoyed in our backyard, made even more special with birds in the foreground. 

I spotted this Yellow-crowned Night Heron on the rocks near the shoreline. 

The night heron names comes from the bird’s nocturnal feeding preference. 

European Starlings were also around the property. Like the Kiskadees I believe these Starlings were introduced to Bermuda decades ago to try to put a dent in the pesky anole lizard population. 

These lizards I saw along the outside steps several times. 

I like my lizard pictures too! 

European Starlings have striking colors. 

A House Sparrow and a European Starling. 

A Starling joined us on the beach for our dinner at Coconuts restaurant at The Reefs Resort. 

House Sparrows have interesting collective names: tribe, quarrel and host. 

Like this House Sparrow “quarrel”- maybe they were having one! 

One more House Sparrow. I see these in downtown Charleston. 

Mourning Doves with the glistening Atlantic Ocean behind them.

Eastern Bluebird on a cactus-type plant. 

 

We saw chickens and roosters all around the island. Bermuda has a large number of feral fowl, by one estimate 20,000-25,000. Hurricane Emily in 1987 is blamed for destroying many chicken coops. The free ranging fowls are accused of killing crops, causing illnesses to humans and other problems. 

My bird identification app says the chickens above are Red Junglefowls and the one shown right is a Dorking Chicken. Great names! 

There you have it- my Birds of Bermuda! 

Here is a link to an Audubon Society post with more images of Bermuda's birds.   I hope to photograph more of these birds next visit, especially the Petrel. 

And here is a link to Bermuda's Audobon Society.