May 7 , 2007
STINAPA Press Release (English or Papiamentu)

STINAPA Trupial and Yellow Oriole Bird Count

Do you have Orioles or Troupials in your garden?

This year for the first time Bonaire is taking part in the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. As you read this, across the Caribbean people are celebrating the incredible diversity of birds found in the region and nowhere else. In Bonaire one of the birds we are fortunate to see is the Yellow Oriole, a subspecies found only here, Curacao and Aruba.

Yellow Oriole

Many people ask why they don’t see as many Yellow Orioles as they used to. STINAPA and students from the University of Sheffield of England, who are here studying birds, want to find out why. To do this we need to know how many there are. This Sunday (13th May) we are asking everyone to spend a couple of hours watching out for Orioles in their garden or elsewhere and to let us know what they see.

Troupial or Trupial

We are also interested in the number of Troupials people see. The reason is that this could have something to do with why we see fewer Orioles. The Troupial was introduced to Bonaire in the early 1970s and has flourished ever since. Both birds eat similar foods but the Troupials are more aggressive and seem to win in disputes. Troupials will also happily take over the nests of other birds to save them the trouble of building their own.

A count of both birds now will give us something to compare to in the future so we can understand if the Troupials really do spell trouble for the Oriole.

How to tell the difference between an Oriole and a Troupial?

The Troupial and Oriole are definitely two of the most colourful birds on the island. They are cousins but easy to tell apart if you know what to look and listen for. The troupial is a bright, orange bird with black wings and a black head and a flash of white on the wings. It can often be heard calling early in the morning and has a loud melodic song.
The oriole is more subtle in colour than the troupial but is still striking with its bright yellow body and head. It has a black tail and wings and a black throat patch. Some people have suggested that the orioles call is similar to the sound of rusty door hinges but I have only heard a pleasant melodious song from an oriole! It is soft in volume and is often structured in a pattern of trios, like ‘chit chit chit’. However, it is not common to hear the Oriole’s song at all in Bonaire.

Getting involved

The count is simple. You just need to sit in your garden, or any other place you choose, and keep an eye on the birds around them between 7am and 9am on Sunday morning, May 13th. Count the MAXIMUM number of Troupials and Orioles you have seen at any one moment within 50m of where you sit, and then call STINAPA (7178444) on Monday and tell them what you have seen. No need to use binoculars. We need to know three things 1) your location, 2) the maximum numbers you have seen and 3) if you regularly put food out in your garden.

We hope you have fun and enjoy looking after one of Bonaire’s most beautiful birds!!

Kontamentu di Trupial

E aña aki ta pa promé biaha ku Boneiru ta tuma parti na e festival di para endémiko di Karibe. Miéntras ku bo ta lesa e relato aki rònt Karibe hende ta selebrando e diversividat grandi di para ku tin den e region aki. Paranan ku no tin nan na ningun otro parti di mundu. Na Boneiru nos tin e Trupial Kachó, e ta un supspesis ku por haña solamente aki i tambe na Kòrsou i Aruba.

Hopi hende ta puntra nos ta kon bini ku no ta mira asina tantu Trupial Kachó mas manera ántes. Esei ta un pregunta ku nos tambe tin gana di tin kontesta riba dje. P’esei, STINAPA huntu ku studiantenan di universidat di Sheffield di Inglatera, ku ta hasiendo estudio riba para aktualmente, ta bai kuminsá ku un inventarisashon di e dos tipo di Trupialnan aki. Pa kuminsá nos ke sa e kantidat di e paranan aki. Nos tin mester di e ayudo di boso p’esei. Djadumingu awor, dia 13 di mei entre 7or i 9 or di mainta, nos ke pidi boso konta kuantu Trupial bo ta mira. Bo por hasi esei for di den bo kura di kas, òf si ta na kunuku bo ta òf bo por skohe bo lugá faborito den mondi pa bo bai sinta wak.

Nos ke sa kuantu Trupial boso por mira den dos ora di tempu. Nos ke sa kuantu Trupial tin na Boneiru pasobra ku nos tin sospecho ku ta nan ta e motibu ku tin ménos Trupial Kachó.

Kon bin Trupial na Boneiru?

Den añanan 70 hende a trese Trupial Boneiru. For di e tempu ei nan a rende masha hopi mes. Trupial i tambe Trupial Kachó tur dos ta kome mes un tipo di kuminda solamente Trupial ta mas agresivo ku Trupial Kachó i e semper ta gana den un pelea. Tambe Trupial ta floho te asta pa traha su mes nèshi. Fásilmente e ta kohe nèshi di un otro tipo di para. Un konteo di e dos paranan aki lo duna nos un indikashon i tambe informashon pa asina nos por kompará den futuro i tin datos pa asina nos pa saka afó si enbèrdat Trupial ta un menasa pa nos Trupial Kachó.

Kon bo por mira e diferensha entre Trupial i Trupial kachó?

Tur dos e paranan aki, meskos ku nos flamingo, ta e paranan di koló masha bunita. Nan ta primu di otro i fásilmente por diferensha nan dos for di otro. E Trupial tin kolo oraño fèl i e Trupial Kachó tin kolo hel bibu. Tur dos ta kasi mes un grandi. For di aleu por tende un Trupial kanta mainta tempran. E ta kanta den bos haltu un melodia duru. E Trupial Kachó su kanto ta mas suave, mas modesto. Tin hende ta bisa ku e ta zona manera un porta ku falta zeta. Su kanto semper ta bai den tres. E ta zona algu manera chit, chit, chit. Aunke ku e bèrdat ta ku ta masha poko hende sa tende un Trupial Kachó kanta.

Yuda nos konta

Pa konta ta simpel. Djadumingu dia 13 di mei entre 7 or i 9 or di mainta bo ta konta tur Trupial i Trupial Kachó ku bo mira for di un lugá. No usa verrrekijker, gewoon wak rònt di bo i konta loke bo ta mira. Djaluna bo ta yama STINAPA na number 717 8444 i bo ta bisa nos kiko bo a mira. Nos ke sa tres kos: 1) e sitio for di unda bo a wak e paranan, 2) kuantu Trupial i kuantu Trupial Kachó bo a wak, 3) si normalmente bo sa pone kuminda pa para bin kome na e sitio for di unda bo a konta. Nos ta spera ku bo lo gosa di e momento ku bo lo tuma pa sinta i wak para. Nos ke gradisí boso di antemano pa e koperashon.