Birds Caribbean ~upd~ Jun 2026

The Caribbean islands (Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, and Bahamas) cover less than 0.15% of the Earth’s land surface but support approximately 3% of the world’s bird species. Unlike continental landmasses, islands promote rapid speciation due to geographic isolation and unique ecological niches. This paper synthesizes current ornithological knowledge regarding Caribbean birds, focusing on three core questions: (1) What evolutionary pathways generated this diversity? (2) Which ecological roles do these birds fill? (3) What are the primary anthropogenic threats?

Three families are nearly synonymous with Caribbean ornithology: birds caribbean