Seabird Monitoring

An ongoing conservation project focused on the many seabird popualtions that breed in TCI

Knowledge of seabirds in the TCIs ‘soars to new heights’ following recent survey efforts across the Cays!

Special Projects

An ongoing conservation project focused on the many seabird popualtions that breed in TCI is now midway through its three-year objective of gaining essential information on resident seabirds that will help to deliver management strategies to protect these marine animals across the islands. The Turks and Caicos Islands are home to 15 resident seabird species, including nine types of terns and gulls, the iconic white-tailed tropicbird, the brown pelican (TCI’s National bird) and the elusive Audubon’s shearwater, to name a few!

The project, funded by the UK Government’s Darwin Plus scheme (https://darwinplus.org.uk/), is led by the University of Liverpool in local partnership with the Turks and Caicos National Trust (TCNT) and Turks and Caicos Reef Fund (TCRF), and with support from the TCI Government’s Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR). Regional conservation organisations including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Birdlife International and SAERI Falklands Ltd are also partnering in this work. Furthermore, many local organisations in the tourism and education sectors are helping to support the bird surveys! These include the Big Blue Collective, Deep Blue Charters, T&V Fishing Tours, Jedi Kiteboarding, the School of Field Studies and VisitTCI, as well as private boaters and volunteers.

This massive collaborative effort began in May 2022, and over the last 1.5 years notable time and effort has been given to surveying >40 sites across the Caicos and Turks Banks. This has provided important information on TCI’s 15 resident seabirds, including some of the most detailed seabird population data in existence for the islands! Dr Rhiannon Austin from the University of Liverpool, who is heading up the charge, explains that “these efforts have allowed us to detect large populations of some species that were previously unknown in TCI, and could be regionally significant!”. The project team have also confirmed breeding for the first time in species that nest in remote locations such as coastal lakes on East Caicos. A range of survey methods are being used to monitor populations. These include extensive searches on foot at accessible sites, boat and drone surveys on inaccessible cays, acoustic surveys for cave-dwelling seabirds, and use of time-lapse cameras to monitor nests remotely.

The project is now entering its second phase, during which large volumes of data that have been collected will be analysed. This will help understand seabirds in TCI, and the major threats and conservation prioirites for their populations. This initiative also aims to establish locally driven monitoring programmes that will allow regular seabird assessments to be made, and will equip local organisations with improved tools to monitor and protect seabirds into the future. It is hoped that the new insights gained through these efforts will be translated into targeted management actions.

This project will continue until February 2025, and the knowledge that it is generating will be showcased at a focused Seabird Festival Day in 2024 (date to be announced!). Before then, please check out our project social media feeds (instagram/twitter: @TCISeabirds) and webpages (www.caribbeanseabirds.weebly.com), or get in touch directly if you are interested in learning more about our islands’ seabirds and their role in marine ecosystems!.

Photo credit: R. Austin

Share This article