The Caribbean Islands Hotspot supports a wealth of biodiversity within its diverse ecosystems. Through both their origins and their isolation from the mainland, the islands have given rise to an astonishing number of endemic species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, plants and birds. Of the 564 Caribbean bird species, 148 (26%) are endemic–they exist nowhere else in the world.
These unique birds (as well as plants and animals) serve as icons for the singularity of the Caribbean.
BirdLife International recognizes six primary and two secondary Endemic Bird Areas within the Caribbean Hotspot, a testament to the diversity and island-specific endemism in this region. Although endemism is most notable at the species level, a remarkable 36 genera of birds are endemic to the hotspot, as well as two endemic families.
Jeff Gerbracht with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Denis Lepage of Avibase have graciously compiled a spreadsheet of the endemic bird species of the Caribbean. Remember; for the purposes of the SCSCB and the CBT, the Caribbean includes the West Indies plus Bermuda, Trinidad & Tobago, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles. To access the fully formatted spreadsheet, click here.
