Conservation Value:

The 700 islands of the Bahamas archipelago provide a wintering area for about a quarter of the known population of piping plovers. These coastal habitats are also important for other wintering waterbirds and high numbers of resident breeding birds including roseate tern, Wilson's plover, American oystercatcher, least tern, and bridled tern.

Threats:

Key threats are from habitat destroying Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia), which is invading beach areas right down to the water, and from human disturbance (boaters, beach-goers, pets, ATVs).

Actions & Results:

Since 2016, Conservian has partnered with the Bahamas National Trust and Birds Caribbean to implement its site-by-site effort to restore and protect key shorebird sites. The project is building local capacity for coastal stewardship with hands-on conservation actions.

• Biologists and a volunteer crew travel to key sites aboard a 75-ft research schooner to sites that include national parks, Important Bird Areas and some remote locations.
• Australian pine is being eradicated though girdling and herbicide application along 15 miles of beach habitats (or 350 acres). There is ongoing training of Bahamian parks staff for a multi-year eradication program.
• Signage is erected to demarcate restricted shorebird areas and address site-specific issues such as pets, vehicles, boat landings, prohibited mechanical beach-raking and cleaning practices, and limits on the use of beach furniture.  26 shorebird sites have been protected and 10 Bahamian residents have been traiened to contiue this work.
• Data is collected on beach-nesting bird abundance, distribution, habitat use, and human-caused disturbance.
• In January 2022 the Conservian team will add the International Piping Plover census to its duties.