The Caribbean Brown Pelican of Sint Maarten
Submitted by Dutch Caribbean... on Sun, 11/19/2023 - 21:31Summary
Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Sint Maarten Foundation launched a pelican project running from November 2022 to April 2023, the Caribbean Brown Pelican being the national bird of Sint Maarten.
The objective of the project “An investigation of the state of Sint Maarten’s Brown Pelican population for improved management of the species and its habitat” is to research the status of the Caribbean Brown Pelican on Sint Maarten through monitoring and ecotoxicology analysis and to promote conservation of the pelican through awareness raising and outreach activities.
The main nesting site is Fort Amsterdam, which is a zoned area. Monitoring this location over the years has shown declining numbers, although numbers can fluctuate depending on the stage of the breeding season or annual variation.
Reasons for a decline in numbers can include habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, disturbance, predators, and diseases.
From our observations, pollution and disturbance should be avoided to improve nesting productivity and breeding habitat of the Caribbean Brown Pelican.
The Manual for Habitat and population management of the Caribbean Brown Pelican is a guidebook intended for key stakeholders and resource managers, in order to best manage and protect this species and its habitat. Recommendations are also included.
