Rare bird death sparks concern over clash between cars and wildlife

A rare wading bird was spotted in Cayman this week only to be found dead on the road within a few hours. The incident has put fresh focus on what nature lovers fear is a growing number of traffic incidents involving rare wildlife.

The roseate spoonbill was first sighted in the grassy wetlands around the cricket pitch in George Town.

The bird – more common in South and Central America as well as the southern United States – is a rare sighting in Cayman and word soon went around on various birdwatching WhatsApp groups.

A small crowd gathered Tuesday afternoon to take pictures. Among them was Catherine Childs, of the National Trust.

“I took my family and went to see it around sunset,” said Childs. She said the bird had likely been buffeted by the winter storm battering the United States and found a safe harbour after a long journey on the fringes of Cayman’s cricket pitch.

Its respite didn’t last long, however. Childs was driving home from West Bay later the same evening when she discovered its body lying in the road.

The bird was still alive and she took it home before bringing it to the vets the next morning. It had suffered a broken pelvis and tibia and had to be put down.

Kelsey Rae-Smith, founder of Cayman Birding, was able to snap some images of the rare bird on Tuesday which she shared with the Compass.

She said the species had not been recorded on the island since 2013.

In her guide to the ‘Birds of the Cayman Islands’, Patricia Bradley describes the roseate spoonbill as a rare or casual visitor to the islands.

Childs said the accident had provoked anger and concern among the small birdwatching community, who shared stories of similar incidents.

She said there appeared to be an increasing number of animals – including rare birds and iguanas – falling victim to traffic accidents. The group hopes to erect signs as part of a campaign to encourage drivers to be more aware of the threat they pose to wildlife.

Childs said development, population growth and increasing traffic had put humans and wildlife in closer contact, with sometimes devastating results for the animals. The Trust is expected to be involved in a study of migratory birds that pass through the Cayman Islands in the coming year and wants to work with others to put a greater focus on habitat preservation for Cayman’s visiting and endemic wildlife.

“We aren’t leaving much space for any creature other than ourselves,” she warned.