Cayman Brac is a Birder's dream, with nearly 200 species counting both part-time migrating and the full-time residents--Red-footed Booby, Brown Booby, Magnificent Frigatebird, White-tailed Tropicbird, Least Tern, and Egrets. Cayman Brac is a lush tropical forest safe from the usual bird predators. Birds enjoy the safety and abundance of food from the forest of plants, and the fish from the clear waters that surround the Cayman Islands.
Colourful
The Cayman Brac Parrot
The resident and near-endangered Cayman Brac parrot has different coloration than the Green Parrot in Grand Cayman, and of course is found only in Cayman Brac. They are being protected in the Parrot Reserve on top of the Bluff, however that doesn't mean that it's only there that you will see them. Parrots are seen in yards often and usually travel in a small group. What makes them so hard to spot is their green colour which blends in well with the tropical vegetation. Old and young alike are quite proud when they've sighted a Brac Parrot.
Brown Booby Chick
White Downy Feathers
The Brown Booby Bird and chick are seen near nesting grounds at 150 feet on the edge of the Bluff. Accessing their nesting grounds is safe and easy from the Lighthouse Walking Trail. It is possible to get very close to observe the chick in all of its growth stages. The white downy feathers must completely disappear before the first flight. The drop is to 150 feet with wind currents that aid the first flight of the chick. It will feed on fish from the ocean below and then return to the same area as a mature bird to breed.
The Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. The adult brown booby reaches about 76 centimetres (30 in) in length. Its head and upper body are covered in dark brown, with the remainder being a contrasting white. The juvenile form is gray-brown with darkening on the head, wings and tail. While these birds are typically silent, bird watchers have reported occasional sounds similar to grunting or quacking.
Their heads and backs are black, and their bellies are white. Their beaks are quite sharp and contain many jagged edges. They have short wings and long, tapered tails.
They frequent the breeding grounds of the islands in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This bird nests in large colonies, laying two chalky blue eggs on the ground in a mound of broken shells and vegetation. Brown Booby pairs may remain together over several seasons. They perform elaborate greeting rituals.
Brown Boobies are spectacular divers, plunging into the ocean at high speed. They mainly eat small fish or squid which gather in groups near the surface and may catch leaping fish while skimming the surface. Although they are powerful and agile fliers, they are particularly clumsy in takeoffs and landings; they use strong winds and high perches to assist their takeoffs as seen above they love heights for this reason.
Magnificent Frigatebird
Fishing For Food
From way overhead the Magnificent Frigatebird with their keen eyesight, locate fish and plunge to the surface of the sea where they grab the flying fish, found in abundance in the Cayman Islands water. Often there is a mid air fight between them for the captured fish. The Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) was sometimes previously known as Man O'War, reflecting its rakish lines, speed, and aerial piracy of other birds. It is widespread in the Cayman Islands, breeding colonially in trees. They spend days and nights on the wing, with an average ground speed of 10 km/hour, covering 223±208 km before landing. They alternately climb in thermals, to altitudes occasionally as high as 2500 m. The only other bird known to spend days and nights on the wing is the Common Swift.
The Magnificent Frigatebird is 100 cm (39 inches) long with a 215 cm (85 inch) wingspan. Males are all black with a scarlet throat pouch which is inflated like a balloon in the breeding season. Although the feathers are black, the scapular feathers produce a purple iridescence when they reflect sunlight. Females are black, but have a white breast and lower neck sides, a brown band on the wings and a blue eye ring. Immature birds have a white head and underparts. The Magnificent Frigatebird is silent in flight, but makes various rattling sounds at its nest.
This species feeds mainly on fish, and also attacks other seabirds to force them to disgorge their meals. Frigatebirds never land on water, and always take their food items in flight.
Zenaida Dove
In My Backyard
The Zenaida Dove (Zenaida aurita) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes doves and pigeons. It is found in Cayman Brac in abundance and is fascinating to observe. The Zenaida Dove breeds throughout the Caribbean and lays two white eggs on a flimsy platform built on a tree or shrub. It also nests in rock crevices like those found all over the top of the Cayman Brac Bluff and on grassy vegetation if no predators are present.
It has been recorded of some birds having up to 4 broods per year. Eggs take approximately two weeks to hatch, and the young chicks typically fledge after only two weeks in the nest. Parents feed the young pigeon’s milk, a nutrient rich substance regurgitated from its crop. The young are so tiny and sweet looking, as they forage the sandy areas looking for food. The bird is resident and abundant over much of its range.
Migrate Birds
Identification Plaques
The best time of year is between October and April during the migratory times. Barn Swallows are just one of the species which stop off in Cayman Brac to rest and eat before continuing their journey. In many areas around the Brac there are plaques that provide information on the bird species in the surrounding areas, and include the migratory ones as well.
Here's a short list of resident birds Vitelline Warbler, Red-legged thrush, West Indian Whistling-Duck, Pie-billed Grebe, White-tailed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, Red-footed Booby, Magnificent Frigate. You'll enjoy the recommended books shown below.
"The Birds of the Cayman Islands: Checklist Series 19." by Patricia E. Bradley. 2000
"Where to Watch Birds on Cayman Brac" by Keith Prescott.1997.
"Birds of the Cayman Islands" by Patricia E. Bradley and photographer Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet. 1995
