This page is designed to help the visitor to the Virgin Islands find and enjoy the best places for birding.
The page is under construction, and, from time to time, site descriptions will be added. So please check back.
A sample of the newsletter The Bananaquit can be obtained by sending a request via e-mail to
VI Audubon Society / bbell@islands.vi /Bird Guide Book
An excellent guide to birds of the area is:
A Guide to the Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. -Herbert A. Raffaele, published by the Princeton University press.
For a list of other sites with information on the Virgin islands, go to
VI Audubon Home Page
St. John has one of the highest concentrations of migratory birds in the West Indies, showing the importance of its relatively intact forests. Unlike most Caribbean islands, St. John still has large expanses of moist tropical forest and dry woodland, with these two habitat types covering 86% of the island (compared to 36% on St. Thomas, in relativelty small,disconnected patches). Data from the annual Christmas bird counts indicate that St.John has a greater diversity of winter-resident warblers than St. Thomas or St. Croix.
Frank Bay Pond - This is a wildlife sanctuary
maintained by the Virgin Islands Audubon Society. More information can be found by selecting Frank Bay Pond
Mary Point Pond - Nestled behind Mary Point, the northernmost point of St John is one of the islans's most productive birding spots. This pond, the nearby forest and the Francis Bay shoreline provide the observer with a great variety of birdlife at any time of the year. The brackish pond is rimmed by mangroves and other salt tolerant vegetation, which harbor migrants and local specialties such as the Mangrove Cuckoo, Scaly-naped Pigeon, White cheeked Pintail and Smooth-billed Ani. There are also opportunities for good views of a variety of waterfowl, herons, shorebirds and warblers. Along the rocky shoreline, Brown Booby, Brown pelican, Magnificent Frigatebird and various terns can be seen offshore.
After scanning the mudflats for shorebirds, a panoramic view of the lagoon, Jersey and Benner Bays will provide an overall sense of the ecology of the area. A visit to Long Point can also prove exciting during late summer to fall when several species of otherwise pelagic terns can be seen and the opportunity of a visiting Peregrine Falcon is not to be discounted. (Information from Robert Norton quoted in Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands )
From Charlotte Amalie head east to the Bolonga Bay Beach Hotel. About 0.7 miles beyond the hotel is a gas station on the left and a drag strip directly opposite on the right. Take this right turn and follow the strip turning left at the end. Negotiate your way to the flats located off to the left of the paved road. Do not be discouraged by the sight of a land fill and car dump. After walking the solid ground of the mudflats, continue on the paved road past the land fill and car dump to Long Point where the view will improve.
Compass Point Pond -Salt ponds are very important wildlife feeding and roosting habitats. They are also important in protecting water quality by allowing sediment to settle out of runoff from the land. Compass Point Pond was cut off from the sea a number of years ago by construction of a road. Many of the mangroves died and wildlife was forced to go elsewhere. In 1992, the Government of the Virgin Islands designated the pond as a Marine reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary. It was reopened to the sea and natural water levels were restored in the pond. Almost immediately fish and crabs populated the pond and shortly afterwards, many shorebirds were observed feeding and residing around the pond. With the return to natural water levels, conditions are now suitable for reestablishment of mangroves in the pond. (Information from The Department of Planning and Natural Resources, US Virgin Islands.)
Compass Point Pond is located on the south east corner of St Thomas about 1 mile east of Nadir off the Nadir-Red Hook road.