BRANTA — David J. Pereira
Population status and habitat requirements of the Near-Threatened Bahama Warbler (Setophaga flavescens) on the island of Grand Bahama
Institution: University of East Anglia, UK
Supervisors: Diana J. Bell & Nigel J. Collar
Details: MSc, 2018
Email
Subject Keywords:Caribbean, Bahamas, Endemic birds, Species Conservation, Point counts, Habitat preferences, Population distribution
Species Keywords: Setophaga flavescens, Bahama Warbler
Abstract
Grand Bahama’s pine forests support a diversity of avifauna endemic to the Bahamas. In recent years, some species were elevated to full species status, namely the Bahama Warbler (Setophaga flavescens) and Bahama Nuthatch (Sitta insularis), both of which remain largely unstudied. The Bahama Warbler is classed as Near-Threatened and is restricted to the pine forests of Grand Bahama and Abaco, two of the Northernmost islands of the Bahamas archipelago. Results from a recent study estimated its global population to number between 3150-3500 individuals. This study aims to estimate the population of the Bahama Warblers on Grand Bahama, as well as research its habitat requirements. Bird point counts with playback were the methods employed, and distance sampling estimates resulted in a Bahama Warbler population in Grand Bahama of 43,143 individuals. Bahama Warbler presence was associated with burned pine forests, greater tree heights and tree DBH and tall Thatch Palms.
Future research on this species should focus on surveying its Abaco population in order to refine population estimates. Future conservation priorities should focus on preserving pine forest stands, as these support populations of endemic bird species such as Bahama Warblers as well as well as the Endangered Bahama Nuthatch.
Published Papers
Pereira, D.J., Gardner, M.A., Geary, M., Bell, D.J., Collar, N.J. 2023. Distribution and habitat requirements of the Bahama Warbler Setophaga flavescens on Grand Bahama in 2018. Bird Conservation International, 33:e46. doi: 10.1017/S095927092200048X
Gardner, M.A., Pereira, D.J., Geary, M., Collar, N.J., Bell, D.J. 2024. Gone with the wind: the proximate and ultimate causes of the decline and extinction of the Bahama Nuthatch Sitta insularis. Bird Conservation International, 34:e28. doi: 10.1017/S0959270924000236