Wildlife· Sint Eustatius (Statia)· Leeward Islands

Red-billed Tropicbirds (Pilot Hill & Boven Cliffs)

17° 29.7′ N · 62° 59.7′ W

Statia's only nesting seabird: red-billed tropicbirds with long white tail streamers nest in loose colonies in the sandy cliffs of the Boven hills and at Pilot Hill, wheeling and screeching over the coast - and are often visible from the anchorage.

St Martin, Anguilla & St BarthsAntigua & BarbudaGuadeloupe, Les Saintes & Dominica

Practical

Coordinates are Pilot Hill (OpenStreetMap). The Caribbean Birding Trail names Pilot Hill as the main nesting site and Zeelandia Beach for close views; the Boven Key Biodiversity Area factsheet places the main nesting concentration in Boven's sandy cliffs, from Zeelandia Beach at its southeast end to the hills above the airport (2003 estimate 100-200 breeding birds, survey incomplete). Nesting season is October-June (Caribbean Birding Trail); STENAPA staff monitor accessible nests weekly in season and visitors can join - ask at the STENAPA office (VHF 17/16, +599 318 2884). Nesting birds do not flush when approached, so keep your distance and never touch eggs or chicks. Threats: rats, cats, goats trampling burrows and oil spills (KBA, STENAPA). Most nest sites lie outside the protected Important Bird Areas.

Best for

Close views of nesting tropicbirds

Season

Oct-Jun nesting

Nearby