Moving Forward

This week I had a productive meeting at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies to discuss our project.  Dr. John Lloyd was very helpful in suggesting sampling survey and inventory methods that will best suit our goal of determining presence of species. Chris Rimmer offered his insights as well, and we all agreed that there is a great potential for collaboration, as this Step One inventory leads to larger endeavors at the Plantacion del Eden. Working together in the DR, singularly or together, on our respective plantations (Eden, and VCE's Reserva Privida Zorzal), there should be opportunities to share time, energy, and resources in achieving our common goal of protecting bird and wildlife species through habitat preservation.

One of the questions that came up was the best way to inventory not just one target species, but several.  We will begin with our initial playback tape of Bicknell's Thrush calls, and augment it with calls of other species we hope to find.  Instrumental in this will be Dr. Peter Fauth of Hartwick College, who is interested in answering this question.

This got me thinking, and I sat down with a map and a field guide to write my own "wish list" of what I'd like to find at Eden. Obviously, we are all hoping for the Holy Grail - Bicknell's Thrush. 

However, there are several threatened and endangered endemic species that may be in the Guananico Region; the presence of any would be an exciting discovery.

Topping my list of possibilities is the distinctive Hispaniolan Trogan, Priotelus roseigaster.  I am more familiar with the Central American versions of Trogans, particularly the rare and reclusive Respendent Quetzal with amazingly long green tail covert feathers. The Hispaniolan Trogan exhibits much of the exuberant coloration, with fairly long blue tail feathers.

The Hispaniolan Parrot, Parakeet, and Emerald Hummingbird are high on my list; these are the colorful show-boats that need protection. The Northern Potoo is a large, nocturnal cousin of the night-jar, with a big fuzzy mouth who eats moths and other insects. We'll have to do some night exploration to find one of these, as their daytime habit is to stay perfectly motionless, in deft imitation of a tree branch.

Sharp Shinned Hawks are threatened in the DR; you'll remember my fondness for them from a previous Lab Note.  If we can see one at the plantacion, I will be thrilled.  Golden Swallows, Loggerhead Kingbirds, and White-necked Crows round out my list of hope-to-finds.  Over the next few weeks we'll determine which species to include on our playback tapes; we'll document every species we see or hear, and I anticipate a large inventory list of the species that are using the habitat of Plantacion del Eden.  If we can identify threatened or endangered species, it will be a boon not only for the eco-tourism aspect of Eden as a birding destination, but more importantly, for students who could travel to Eden for research and educational opportunities.  

To me, the most exciting aspect of this project is that it is just the first step toward a significant contribution to the preservation of bird habitat and the research of tropical and neo-tropical species. I am so excited that you are on this adventure with us!