4 Bermuda's Most Amazing Birds

This bird is appropriately named – check out those tail feathers! With its black-and-white colouring and distinctive tail, the Longtail (a.k.a. the white-tailed tropicbird) is a local favourite. It's the only seabird that nests in significant numbers in Bermuda, with about 2,500 to 3,000 pairs of Longtails spending the spring and summer on the island’s rocky cliffs and offshore islands. Castle Harbour Islands Nature Reserve is a good place to spot a Longtail. The bird has been listed as a “globally near threatened species” by the Union for Conservation of Natural Resources, so Bermuda’s Longtail population is vital for its ongoing survival. 

That you can see the Cahow (a.k.a. the Bermuda petrel), the national bird of Bermuda, in the 21st century is something of a miracle. The open ocean seabird was a staple of early Bermudians’ diet and hunted to extinction in the 1600s. Or so everyone thought. In early 1951, 17 nesting pairs were found on several rocky islands in the East End of Bermuda. Since then, conservationists have worked to restore the species, with ongoing success. In 2009, a Cahow chick named “Somers” was born on Bermuda’s “living museum,” Nonsuch Island (part of the Castle Harbour Islands Nature Reserve). The last time that happened? All the way back in 1620. 

The Cahow is still one of the rarest seabirds in the world, with just over 100 nesting pairs – and Bermuda is the only place you can catch a glimpse of one. In case you can’t make it to Nonsuch anytime soon, take a look at the Cahow cam, with live streaming from the nesting burrows of the Cahows. Please note: because of the island’s delicate eco-system, landing on Nonsuch is by permit only. Visits can be arranged by contacting the Department of Environment & Natural Resources.