Caribbean Birding Trail

Know the Caribbean, Bird by Bird

Donate
  • About the CBT
    • Interpretive Guide Training
  • Countries
    • Countries A-I
      • Anguilla
        • Cove Pond
        • Dog Island
        • East End Pond
        • Forest Bay Pond
        • Katouche Canyon
        • Long Pond
        • Meads Bay Pond
        • Merrywing Pond System
        • Prickly Pear Cays
        • Road Salt Pond
        • Scrub Island
        • Sombrero
        • West End By-the-Sea Ponds
        • West End Pond
      • Antigua and Barbuda
        • Bethesda Dam
        • Christian Valley
        • Codrington Lagoon
        • McKinnon’s Salt Pond
        • Two Foot Bay National Park
      • Aruba
        • Spaans Lagoon
      • Bahamas
        • Abaco
        • Andros
        • Cat Island
        • Crooked Island and Acklins
        • Eleuthera
        • Exumas
        • Grand Bahama
        • Great Inagua
        • Long Island
        • Mayaguana
        • New Providence
        • San Salvador
      • Barbados
      • Bonaire
        • Dos Pos IBA
        • Gotomeer
      • British Virgin Islands
        • Josiahs Bay Salt Pond
        • Sandy Cay
      • Cuba
        • Guanahacabibes
        • Humboldt National Park
        • Mensura-Piloto National Park
        • Viñales
        • Zapata Swamp
      • Curaçao
        • Christoffel National Park
        • Salt Pans of Jan Thiel
      • Dominica
      • Dominican Republic
        • Central Mountain Range
          • Constanza and Valle Nuevo
          • Ebano Verde Reserve
          • Hatillo
          • Jarabacoa with Armando Bermúdez and José del Carmen Ramírez National Parks
          • La Joya de San Francisco
          • Loma Quita Espuela
          • Pico Diego de Ocampo, Santiago
        • Southeast
          • Bávaro
          • Cumayasa
          • Del Este National Park
            • Del Este National Park: Boca de Yuma
            • Del Este National Park: Guaraguao
            • Del Este National Park: Padre Nuestro Trail
            • Del Este National Park: Saona Island
          • Ecological Foundation Trail, Punta Cana
          • Limón Lagoon
          • Los Haitises National Park
            • Los Haitises National Park: Caño Hondo
            • Los Haitises National Park: Los Limones
          • Monte Plata
        • Southwest
          • Aguacate and Zapotén
          • Cabo Rojo and Pedernales
          • Cabral Lagoon
          • Cachote, Eastern Bahoruco
          • Jimaní
          • Lake Enriquillo
          • Loma Charco Azul
          • Oviedo Lagoon, Jaragua National Park
          • Puerto Alejandro and Tortuguero
          • Rabo de Gato and Puerto Escondido
          • Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
            • Los Arroyos, Sierra de Bahoruco National Park
        • North Coast
          • Cayos Siete Hermanos
          • El Choco National Park, Cabarete
          • El Limón, Samaná
          • Estero Hondo
          • Loma Guaconejo
          • Loma Isabel de Torres, Puerto Plata
          • Monte Cristi and Saladilla
          • Nalga de Maco National Park, Río Limpio
          • Samaná
        • Around Santo Domingo
          • Las Salinas de Baní
          • Mirador del Norte Park
          • National Botanical Garden
          • Ozama Wetlands
      • Grenada
        • Antoine Lake
        • Beausejour/Grenville Vale
        • Diamond Rock
        • Grand Etang National Park
        • Levera National Park
        • Mt. Hartman National Park
        • Telescope Pond
        • Woburn Bay MPA
      • Guadeloupe
        • Mountain Road
        • Pointe des Chateaux
    • Countries J-Z
      • Jamaica
        • Ahhh…Ras Natango Gallery and Garden
        • Barbecue Bottom Road
        • Black River Great Morass
        • Cockpit Country
        • Ecclesdown Road
        • Flagstaff
        • Green Hills Field Station
        • Hardwar Gap
        • Hope Gardens
        • Portland Bight Protected Area
        • Stewart Town
      • Martinique
        • Rocher du Diamant
      • Montserrat
      • Puerto Rico
        • Camuy Coastal Area
        • Culebra National Wildlife Refuge
        • Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge
      • Sint Eustatius
        • Pilot Hill
        • Quill/Boven National Park
        • Zeelandia Beach
      • St. Lucia
      • Sint Maarten
        • Great Salt Pond
        • Little Bay Pond
      • St. Martin
        • Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House
        • Étang Cimetière de Grand Case
        • Étang de la Barrière
        • Pic Paradis
      • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
        • Grenadines
          • Bird Sanctuary
          • Mustique Lagoon
          • Mustique Ponds Walk
        • Saint Vincent
          • Richmond Beach
      • Trinidad and Tobago
        • Tobago
          • Kilgwyn Swamp
          • Little Tobago
        • Trinidad
          • Asa Wright Nature Centre
          • Brasso Seco Paria Village
      • Turks and Caicos
        • Grand Turk
        • Middle Caicos
        • North Caicos
        • Providenciales
        • Salt Cay
        • South Caicos
  • Tours
  • Guides
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us

You are here: Home / Anguilla / Meads Bay Pond

Meads Bay Pond

  • About Meads Bay Pond
  • The Birds
  • How to Get There
  • Tour Operators and Guides

Located on the northwest coast of Anguilla, Meads Bay Pond IBA is a 53-acre brackish body of water lined with Buttonwood and Acacia trees. Thanks to dredging in the 1980’s, this site is the deepest of all ponds on Anguilla. Two sand spits remain from the dredging activity—one in the middle and the other at the western end. The sandbar on the western end cuts off a small section of the pond which dries out from April to September. The remainder of the pond maintains water throughout the year.

A View to the West from Meads Bay Pond Birdwatching Platform
A View to the West from Meads Bay Pond Birdwatching Platform (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

The pond is separated from Meads Bay by a paved road and an ever-increasing number of tourism properties. Meads Bay attracts a wide variety of seabirds during the year that often visit the pond.

There are two excellent viewing spots on Meads Bay Pond IBA. The first was created with the construction of Best Buy Supermarket starting in 2012. The entrance to the company’s loading dock provides clear views of a variety of species throughout the year.

Rainbow over Meads Bay Pond (Western End)
Rainbow over Meads Bay Pond (Westerrn End) (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

In March of 2020 restoration of the village well and construction of a public viewing platform on the eastern end of the pond was completed. This community led effort, provides access to a wide variety of terrestrial and waterbird species.

Meads Bay Pond Observation Deck
Meads Bay Pond Observation Deck (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Meads Bay Pond IBA is a must visit for all birders because it provides great species variety in a relatively quiet setting!

Meads Pond IBA is an excellent place to see resident White-cheeked Pintails during the entire year. As a favored breeding site for this species, you may catch a glimpse of adorable ducklings as they glide through the water closely monitored by their parents. From time to time, you may see a shy Pied-billed Grebe, popping up onto the surface.

Great and Snowy Egrets feed on an abundance of fish throughout the pond, while Cattle Egrets roost in the Buttonwoods. Green Herons are pond residents. Look for them fishing off the low-level branches. Yellow-crowned Night Herons are more commonly seen on Meads Bay but will visit the pond periodically.

Tricolored Heron
Tricolored Heron (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Birdwatchers who want a close look at Tricolored Herons will find this IBA a good choice, as small numbers of this species can be seen here from November to April. Great Blue Herons can be seen in the foliage from time to time during the same period.

Caribbean Martins often perch on the telephone wires on the north side of the pond. Their number and length of stay have been on the increase in recent years.

Caribbean Martins
Caribbean Martins (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Magnificent Frigatebirds soar overhead while Brown Pelicans frequently feed across the site. They often use the western sand spit to rest and preen. This spit is a popular nesting site for resident Killdeer and is an excellent feeding area for small waders.

From September to April a variety of shorebirds use the western end of the pond including Stilt Sandpipers, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Semipalmated and Least Sand Pipers, Ruddy Turnstones and Semipalmated Plovers. Look for the elusive Wilson’s Snipe along the shallow edges.

Stilt Sandpiper Flock
Stilt Sandpiper Flock (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Meads Bay Pond is a popular spot for resident Black-necked Stilts throughout the year. Keep an eye out for nesting activity and their adorable but gangly chicks starting in March.

From May to August, both IBA trigger species can be seen at this site. Least Terns nest on the center sand spit while non-breeding Royal Terns roost nearby. Laughing Gulls and other tern species are also present during this period.

Least Terns Mating
Least Terns Mating (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

The viewing platform at the eastern end of the pond, allows great views of a wide variety of terrestrial species including: Zenaida, White-winged and Common Ground Doves, White-crowned Pigeons, Gray Kingbirds and Yellow Warblers. Listen for the call of the Mangrove Cuckoo in the buttonwoods nearby.

White-winged Dove
White-winged Dove (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Lesser Antilles Restricted Range Species like the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, Caribbean Elaenia, Green-throated Carib and Pearly-eyed Thrasher are also seen.

Common Gallinule, egrets, yellowlegs, and ducks feed around the platform at very close range.

Rarities include the Little Blue Heron, Antillean Nighthawk and Glassy Ibis. In 2019 Anguilla’s first visit by an American White Pelican was at this site.

American White Pelican
American White Pelican (Photo by Jacqueline A. Cestero)

Head southwest on The Valley Road for 8 m. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on The Valley Road heading west for 2.4 km. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Route 1 and travel 6.3 km. Turn right onto Bedneys Road and the entrance to the eastern viewing platform will be on the left. Parking is available on either side of the well.

To visit the Best Buy Loading Dock location, head south on Bedneys Road toward Route 1 for 200 m. Turn right onto Route 1 and travel about 1.4 km. Just past the supermarket on the right is a gravel area. Please do not block the cargo loading entrance.

Nature Explorers Anguilla offers tours to this site!

Meads Bay Pond

Anguilla Sites

  • Cove Pond
  • Dog Island
  • East End Pond
  • Forest Bay Pond
  • Katouche Canyon
  • Long Pond
  • Meads Bay Pond
  • Merrywing Pond System
  • Prickly Pear Cays
  • Road Salt Pond
  • Scrub Island
  • Sombrero
  • West End By-the-Sea Ponds
  • West End Pond

Anguilla Partners

  • Anguilla National Trust


Anguilla Tour Operators

  • Nature Explorers Anguilla

Recommended Bird Guides

A Guide to the Birds of Anguilla by Steve H. Holliday, Karim V. D. Hodge, and Damien E. Hughes

Birds of the West Indies by Herbert Raffaele, James Wiley, Orlando Garrido, Allan Keith, and Janis Raffaele

Birds of the Lesser Antilles by Ryan Chenery

 

Want to know how you can be involved?

Do you know of a place that should be part of the Caribbean Birding Trail? Are you the owner of a lodge or hotel and want to attract eco-tourists? Are you a guide interested in the birdwatching market? Then, get involved with our project!

Get Involved

The Latest from BirdsCaribbean.org

Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

The Barbados-based dynamic birding & #travel experts✈️, Ryan and Alex Chenery of Birding the Islands are crafting tailor-made, multi-island 🏝️ travel itineraries for individuals & small groups. Learn how you can build your own #birding holiday at: bit.ly/Build-your-ow… pic.twitter.com/yEbO…

reply retweet favorite
3:55 pm · June 12, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Endemic Bird of the Day, Day 126! 🦩🦜🦉 The small but feisty Flat-billed Vireo! 🇩🇴🇭🇹 For feathery facts and materials: bit.ly/FlatbilledVir… #CEBF2023 #FromTheNest #WaterSustainingBirdLife @grupojaragua @accionverde @SOSAmbienteRD @TurismoRD @Trees4Haiti @LoopHaiti pic.twitter.com/XwpI…

reply retweet favorite
3:35 pm · June 11, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Join experienced tour guide Ernesto Reyes🇨🇺 on an extraordinary trip to #Colombia! For the detailed itinerary head over to: bit.ly/BirdTourColom… ✨For every BirdsCaribbean person that signs up for this trip, Ernesto will make a $100 donation to us! 📸Carlos Roberto Chavarria pic.twitter.com/Blco…

reply retweet favorite
7:52 pm · June 9, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

#ExpeditionDiablotin was a challenging search for the Black-capped Petrel in #Dominica. But also a rewarding experience connecting with locals to build support for its conservation. Learn more at: bit.ly/DiablotinOutr… @ABCbirds @EPICislands @SeabirdEcology @USFWS @jlkbrisbane pic.twitter.com/DBqF…

reply retweet favorite
2:25 pm · June 8, 2023
Twitter
Birds Caribbean
Birds Caribbean
@BirdsCaribbean

Endemic Bird of the Day, Day 125! 🦉🦜🦩 A spectacularly colorful Cuban endemic: the Gray-fronted Quail-Dove! 🇨🇺 For feathery facts, puzzles, coloring page & more: bit.ly/GrayFrontedQu… #CEBF2023 #FromTheNest #WaterSustainingBirdLife @BirdingEastCuba @AMA_CUBA pic.twitter.com/WgnQ…

reply retweet favorite
3:20 pm · June 7, 2023

Our Site

  • Home
  • About the CBT
  • Countries
  • Tours
  • Guides
  • Get Involved
  • Contact

Search

Follow

Sign up for our Mailing List

Copyright © 2011–2025 Caribbean Birding Trail. A project of BirdsCaribbean.