FAO, EMA lead bird-banding demonstration for development partners in Tobago’s Main Ridge Reserve

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) led a bird-banding and data collection demonstration for diplomats and development partners on Tuesday in the Main Ridge Reserve in northeastern Tobago.

The demonstration was part of a United Nation Trinidad & Tobago mission to the island as part of UN Day celebrations, while also highlighting the work of UN agencies working with local partners to strengthen capacity and sustainable development. This bird-banding exercise is part of the BIOREACH project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, with the FAO as implementing partner.

The day started early – 7:30am – with a group of about 35 people from the diplomatic corps, development agencies, government agencies and the Tobago House of Assembly, convening at the Main Ridge Visitors’ Centre for a briefing with the project team. Then, they took a short hike up to the Blue Copper Trail to observe the trapping-banding-release process, overseen by Deveka Boodram, an internationally certified bird bander – also a teacher at Speyside High School – who was assisted by her Environmental Science students. Participants were allowed to actively participate in the tagging exercise, getting to hold the birds under the strict supervision of the tagging experts.

The project specifically seeks to collect data on the White-tailed Sabrewing, classed as a “threatened” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN), is a hummingbird found only on two places on Earth –the Main Ridge Forest Reserve, and a small strip of forest in Northeastern Venezuela. The White-tailed Sabrewing is one of the jewels of Tobago, considered a cornerstone species for Tobago’s popular bird-watching tourism sector. Through this project, valuable scientific insight has been obtained, including activity cycles and mating seasons. Additionally, five Tobagonians have received certification from the North American Bird Banding Association, building local capacity to continue monitoring and evaluation.

To catch the birds, a small mesh net is placed strategically in a specific part of the forest during the times the birds are most active, usually early in the morning. White-tailed Sabrewings aren’t the only birds captured for tagging; the project nevertheless collects data on all the animals they encounter, helping to build Tobago’s biodiversity record.

FAO Representative for Trinidad & Tobago, Dr Gillian Smith, was unable to attend the event, but was happy to facilitate the co-ordination with the rest of the FAO country team.

“Healthy agri-food systems depend on resilient and robust forests. Hummingbirds, like the Sabrewing, for example, are important pollinators. Without pollination, there would be no plants and no food. Recognising this delicate symbiosis, projects like BIOREACH, work with the community to train local capacity who continue this work long after the project ends. This creates a cycle of sustainability that protects the environment and contributes to food security,” she said.

Asif Khan, Technical Advisor for BIOREACH, added: “We are grateful for the opportunity to share our work. The passion and willingness of the Tobago community cannot be understated, and it is because of them this project has been successful. Now, participants have a deeper understanding of the work we are doing in Tobago. We are confident of opportunities for partnerships.”

BIOREACH ends in July 2027. The project also works with the Forestry Division to rehabilitate degraded land in both Trinidad & Tobago, and with farmers, providing training on sustainable farming best practices.