The Caribbean Welcomes Six New Endemic Bird Species

BirdsCaribbean is thrilled to welcome six newly recognized endemic bird species in the Caribbean, highlighting the region’s incredible biodiversity and its vital role as an avian hotspot. This development stems from the latest updates by the American Ornithological Society, which expanded the Caribbean’s endemic bird list to an impressive 185 species. Rather than discovering completely unknown birds, these new species emerged from deeper research into the unique geographical and biological features of the Caribbean. Islands are hotspots for endemism because isolated bird populations tend to evolve into distinct forms over time. As these differences accumulate, some populations eventually diverge enough to be classified as separate species. The bird formerly known as the House Wren has undergone a major revision and is now split into seven different species—four of which are newly recognized as Caribbean endemics! We welcome the Grenada Wren, St. Lucia Wren, St. Vincent Wren, and the Kalinago Wren, which is native to Dominica. The Kalinago Wren, named in honor of Dominica’s indigenous Kalinago people, was also historically found on Guadeloupe and Martinique, though it has since disappeared from those islands. Trinidad and Tobago now has the Southern House Wren, whose range extends into Central and South America. However,...