[featherbrain1223]

Hello all!

I just received my West Indies bird book (we are going to the West Indies this february) in the mail yesterday, and I've been going through it and noticed that a lot of the game fowl, parrots, and finches have been introduced, does anybody know which of the introduced West Indies birds are countable?

Thanks so much!

[njlarsen]

That will to a large extent depend on where you are going and on you! I have read somewhere that there are 38 species of introduced birds in Puerto Rico that are naturalized, and thereby countable. Which of them that are countable other places depends on where you are going. If you will divulge where that is, I may be able to help more.

Cheers
Niels

[featherbrain1223]

We will be landing on 3 islands, Puerto Rico, St Thomas, and St Maarten, but nearly all the birds that I noticed were introduced were on Puerto Rico.

Thanks!

[Isurus]

I don't know about these islands in particular but most don't have a BOU or ABA style "official list" so you kind of have to just take a view on what feels right for naturalised as opposed to escaped. I, for example, have feral chicken on my island list and peacock but not guineafowl even though I see all 3 out and about fairly regularly (daily in the case of the chickens) - judgment call on my part.

[njlarsen]

I agree with Isurus on using your own judgement to some extent, that was what I meant by it depending on you in my first reply.

Specifically on Puerto Rico, I ticked several introduced species on my last visit. Just to mention two, the Monk Parakeet is found in several large flocks if you go for a morning trip along the bayfront in Old San Juan, and Java Sparrows are common near the fort. Nutmeg Mannikin is spreading, it recently reached Dominica, and could be on all three of the islands you talk about.

Niels

[featherbrain1223]

Ok, thank you guys so much, I wasn't sure if the islands had something like an ABA where only certain introduced species are "countable". I am definitely more on the conservitive side when it comes to this, so I guess I'll just use my own judgment on whether or not they are "officially" wild. :-D

[featherbrain1223]

Real quick, do any of you know any birders that live on those islands? I have no idea what I'm doing and don't know anywhere to go.

Thanks!

[njlarsen]

http://maybank.tripod.com/Caribbean/...co-05-2005.htm is a report from a visit I made to Puerto Rico a couple of years ago (both of the "maybe" species has since been confirmed). If you don't know Blake Maybanks trip repository, it is definitely worth looking at. AT this link (http://www.scscb.org/news/postevento-sopi-English.pdf) scroll down to page 7 and contact the first Email: Sergio Colon was one of the people leading a post-conference event I participated in earlier this year.

I dont have as much info on the other islands, sorry.

Niels