FAQ

If you find an ill or injured bird call Lynn Thorne at 799-8888 or BAMZ at 293-2727 Ext #999. They should be able to collect the bird and try to rehabilitate it if possible.  If you can catch the bird, put it in a cardboard box with a loose cover that lined with newspaper to keep it quiet and safe from cats. Do not give it food or water.  

If the bird has feathers and can fly short distances, it has probably just left the nest; the parent birds are likely still around and will be looking after it until it can fend for itself. Shut any cats or dogs indoors and if necessary place the baby bird up in bushes or on a tree branch where you first found it, out of harm’s way from predators. For more information, click here.

If, after observing carefully for a few hours, you are sure the baby bird needs help, and it is not an invasive pest species (starling, kiskadee, sparrow, pigeon, feral chicken) follow the directions above for an injured bird.

If you find a baby Longtail (see photo below) out of its burrow on the ground or on the sea, put it gently in a cardboard box (using a towel to protect your hands) and immediately contact Lynn Thorne at 799-8888 or BAMZ at 293-2727 Ext #999. NEVER remove a baby longtail from its burrow.  The chicks are left alone for long periods while the parent birds fly out to sea for food and it has not been abandoned.

See Places to Birdwatch and also Birding by Season, which will guide you to the best spots depending on the time of your visit. The best individual bird site is Spittal Pond, which you can visit by yourself or take a scheduled tour with a Park Ranger on Fridays – check with the Parks Department when you are here: tel. 236-4201.

As a small, volunteer organization we do not have dedicated bird guides for hire. We try to run monthly birding field trips and monthly photography group outings which can be found in our Events section. Lynne Thorne (thorne@northrock.bm) runs private ecotours and typically takes clients to Spittal Pond and/or Cooper’s Point Nature Reserve which are two excellent birding spots. In addition, the aquarium (https://bamz.org/visit/events) organizes several trips to Nonsuch Island in the Spring.

Any of the North American field guides cover all the birds commonly occurring in Bermuda.

‘A Birdwatching Guide to Bermuda’ by Andrew Dobson, published by Arlequin Press in April 2002, provides you with just about all the information you could possibly want. It is no longer in print, but copies are still available through the American Birding Association, some natural history bookstores, through Amazon and at the Bermuda National Library. 

Please check our Events at which you are more than welcome.

The Bermuda Petrel (Cahow) is a nocturnal breeding species. You are unlikely to see one, although more and more sightings of this endangered species are being made from land, looking off-shore.

White-tailed Tropicbird (Longtail) is present from March to September.

European Goldfinch and Great Kiskadee are abundant residents.

Yes. The Bermuda Petrel (Cahow). Also, the resident White-eyed Vireo is an endemic sub-species.

The Bermuda Skink or Rock Lizard is a scarce endemic reptile:

There are no snakes in Bermuda. The most dangerous things you are likely to encounter are: Portuguese-Man-of-War (especially in winter and spring on the beaches); Fire Coral (if you go snorkeling); and poison ivy (if you stray from footpaths).

No. Nor is there any charge to visit nature reserves belonging to the Bermuda Audubon Society or other organizations in Bermuda. To protect the fauna and flora, there is restricted access to some reserves.