Meet the Thrashers

Jeannette Victor

Khervelle Pamphile

Pearly-eyed, Scaly-breasted and White-Breasted; huh?! Do you know what category of animals they belong to?  Maybe not but I am here to share some information with you, so worry not. They are part of the thrasher family which is birds.

The Pearly-Eyed Thrasher is the largest of the thrasher family as well as the most aggressive.  Margarops fuscatus klinikowski is how this bird is referred to by scientists but your grandparents may know it as Gros-Grieve.

How can you distinguish this thrasher from the others?

The Pearly-eyed Thrasher grows up to 28-30cm (11-12 in) and has many harsh calls including “Chook Chook”.  The upper-parts are light brown while the under-parts are white with brown streaks.  The white eye, white patches to the tail and the yellowish bill all contribute to this thrasher’s distinguished appearance.

What are this thrasher’s behavioral pattern, habitat and diet?

Often seen in confrontation with the St.Lucia Parrot since they are both cavity nesters making their homes in the forest.  They are omnivores surviving on fruits, berries and lizards.

What are their Reproductive practices?

Their nests are bulky and made up of twigs, dry grasses and roots that are placed in a cavity but rarely in bush or on trees.  In there they lay 2 or 3 glossy blue-green eggs mainly during March and July which would hatch within two weeks.

What are the Threats / Status and Protection Polices regarding this Thrasher?

This bird is fortunately not threatened with extinction but is a known predator to many birds of the forests because it sometimes feed on the eggs and nestlings of other birds including that of the St. Lucia Parrot. The Pearly-eyed Thrasher is an endemic sub-species to St.Lucia therefore it’s a protected species.

St. Lucia Wren (Troglodytes aedon mesoleucus)

By Janice Mathurin-Poleon

The St. Lucia Wren is considered an endemic subspecies of the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). It is the rarest of the remaining Lesser Antillean House Wrens and can be found as a common resident in Dominica, locally in lowlands of Grenada and uncommonly in St. Vincent.

The St. Lucia Wren locally known as rossignol is a small, active brown bird with black bars on its wings and tail, an indistinct pale stripe above the eye with a relatively large head. St. Lucia’s subspecies is slightly paler below than that of St. Vincent and Dominica. Rossignol has a moderately long tail which it sometimes cocks upwards in the manner typical of wrens. It is 11.5-13cm (4.5-5 in) in length and this species has a rich, loud bubbling song like other wrens. There is a distinct variation in the dialect between the St. Lucia race and that of the other islands.

This bird can be found in the northeast coast of St. Lucia and Gros Piton. It feeds mainly on insects but will eat small lizards. The female lays two to six whitish eggs, heavily speckled brownish-red during the breeding season May to August.

The wren is an endangered species which faces many threats especially that of habitat loss. Its population decline is also related to predation by rats and mongooses as well as brood parasitism by the shiny cowbird.

The need for conservation and protection of our endangered species can never be overemphasized.

2011 Forestry Summer Camp in la Porte

See what fun we had in the Forestry Summer Camp now!!

2011 Summer Camp in la Porte Slideshow: Te-Hsin’s trip from Castries, St. Lucia to Micoud (near Vieux Fort) was created by TripAdvisor. See another Vieux Fort slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.

About the St.Lucia Nightjar (Caprimulgus rufus otiosus)

Author: Jeannette Victor & Khervelle Pamphile

Jacques-pas-papa-pouw, Jacques-pas-papa-pouw with the last syllable being highlighted is the call of a nocturnal bird that is endemic subspecies to St.Lucia and referred to locally by its call.

St.Lucia Nightjar bears the scientific name of Caprimulgus rufus otiosus and is quite active during the night hence the name Nightjar.  A small medium-sized bird attaining the length of 28 cm (11 in) is dark-brown with some reddish-brown edges on its feathers, short rounded wings and a white throat band.

The Nightjar is often heard calling at dusk during the breeding season; May and June.  In the breeding season two white eggs with light brown spots is laid in a scrape on the ground which is considered to be its nest. 

They occur from the north-east coast; Grande-Anse south to Dennery and also Anse-La-Raye where they feed on insects.  The Nightjar is an endangered species due to the fact that they are faced with lots of threats. Those threats include loss of habitat, dogs, cats, mongooses and pigs being predators because they nest on the ground.

We may turn a blind eye when it comes to protecting our species, but did you know that they are protected by other species of the animal kingdom?  Yes indeed!  The areas where the Nightjar is found has a high concentration of the only poisonous snake in St.Lucia; Fer-de-Lance.  This conservation is a blessing that we should appreciate because what is done to nature is done to us all!

The White-Breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus santaeluciae)

Author: Janice Mathurin-Poleon

For the past weeks you’ve been introduced to five endemics St Lucian birds; St Lucia Oriole, St Lucia Parrot, St Lucia Black Finch, St Lucia Warbler and St Lucia Pewee. By definition endemic species are only found in one country and nowhere else in the world.

In the coming weeks we will be introducing our endemic subspecies. The white-breasted Thrasher is a Lesser Antillean Regional endemic found both in St Lucia and Martinique which comprises their entire global range. This charismatic bird is a perfect example of an endemic subspecies because of their separate island homes and an accepted subdivision of its biological classification or the difference in the third name in Latin; Ramphocinclus brachyurus sanctaeluciae (St Lucia) and Ramphocinclus brachyurus brachyurus (Martinique).

What does this bird look like?

The santaluciae race is 23 – 25 cm in length; with dark brown upperparts, white underparts and long bill. Very interestingly also is that this bird often drops its wings when excited or curious. The immature bird is dark brown, developing a creamy white patch on the breast as it ages.

How many are out there in the wild?

The White-breasted Thrasher is also rare and endangered, restricted to the northeast coast from Praslin to Petite Anse. Present research shows that the majority of thrashers (75%) of the global population are found in the dry forest areas of Praslin with between 1100 – 2400 breeding adults on St Lucia.

Where do they live and what do they eat?

 It inhabits dry and semi-dry woodland and scrub with abundant leaf-litter, often in areas with a clear understorey but sometimes in dense bushy areas. In the northern part of its range on St Lucia (Petite Anse-Dennery Knob) it tends to occur along ravines and river-valleys, but in the rest of its range on St Lucia it also occurs on dry hillsides well away from streams. It primarily forages on the ground tossing aside leaf litter in search for invertebrates, small frogs and lizards but have also been seen taking berries.

When can we expect to see baby thrashers?

Breeding occurs with the beginning of the rainy season. The Thrasher builds a deep cup-shaped nest in saplings or shrubs and is placed 0.5 - 3 m from the ground. Usually two eggs are laid from May to August. Those cute young thrashers spend much time on the ground before finding a home of their own and are sometimes very noisy attracting terrestrial predators like rats, mongoose and snakes.

Are there any threats to its survival?

The thrasher faces a real threat of habitat loss to agriculture, charcoal burning and wood cutting, and other development pressure. It is still legally protected but sad to say most of its home range falls on privately own land.

Major conservation measures have to be in place for the survival of the species and these are what have been proposed. Future plans include;

·        Protected areas need to be established and effectively protect coastal dry woodland and scrub within the thrasher's range.

·        Allow adjacent farmlands to regenerate into scrub woodland, providing additional habitat and allowing populations to expand.

·        Enact legislation to protect critical wildlife sites.

·        Consult with the hotel developer to preserve and protect suitable areas of thrasher habitat in a private reserve. 

About the St.Lucia Pewee and the St.Lucia Warbler

Author: Jeannette Victor

St.Lucia Warbler:  Bonjour Madamme Gobe-Mouche, sa ke fete?

St.Lucia Pewee:    Bonjour Madamme Sequia Ba Bad, mwe la cah chaybay.

St.Lucia Warbler: Sa bon! Mwe ousi.

St.Lucia Pewee:   You know yesterday while looking for material for my nest, I overheard a little talk between two known gossipers; Carouge and Jacquot.

St.Lucia Warbler:  Oh yeah, who were they talking about this time?

St.Lucia Pewee:    No one.  Would you believe that they were actually getting to know each other.  

St.Lucia Warbler:  You serious?

St.Lucia Pewee:     Yes I am.

St.Lucia Warbler:  Hmmmm.  That’s strange!  Something must be wrong with those two.

St.Lucia Pewee:     No it is not.  It was then and only then that it dawned on me to do the same, instead of highlighting the bad about our neighbors. 

St.Lucia Warbler:  Hmmmmm. Come to think of it that is true.  Can we start now?

St.Lucia Pewee:    Anytime!  I will go first. Scientists refer to me as Contopus oberi, and our locals as you know; Gobe-Mouche or Pin Kaka; I am a flycatcher.  St.Lucia forest is my world.  My upperparts are dark-olive brown and my stomach area is reddish-brown.  I make myself comfortable in a cup shape nest made of leaves, lichens and moss which sits on a branch.  In there, between the months of May and June I lay two dark cream- colored eggs that have brown spots all over.  And last but not least I enjoy a delicious meal of invertebrates and insects.

St.Lucia Warbler:  Quite impressive! St.Lucia too is my only home. I go by the scientific name of Dendroica delicate and locally chic-chic or sequia ba bad.  Unlike you I have a bright yellow stomach with bluish-grey upperparts.  I have a yellow eyebrow stripe and a black crescent below my eye.  My nest is a finely woven cup that is usually in a tree where three to four eggs with a few reddish-brown spots are laid from March to June.  I love the forest and make insects and spiders my daily meal.

St.Lucia Pewee:  Looks like we have similar characteristics.

St.Lucia Warbler: Our forest home is therefore very important to our survival and our beauty and that of our picturesque island home depends on everyone, young and old.

St.Lucia Pewee:  Our sweet sounds and unique local tunes must be heard for generations to come.

2011 Photo Competition - Activity Pictures

Want to know about what had going on of the 2011 My Forest, My Pictures! Photo Competition?
Watch the Slideshow now!

2011 Photo Competition - Activity Pictures Slideshow: Te-Hsin’s trip from Castries, Saint Lucia (near St. Lucia, St. Lucia) to Saint Lucia (near St. Lucia) was created by TripAdvisor. See another St. Lucia slideshow. Create your own stunning slideshow with our free photo slideshow maker.

See the winner's pictures!