BIRDLIFE Jamaica recently launched the first poster and associated booklet, Birds of Jamaica — A Celebration, to illustrate all of Jamaica’s endemic birds.

The launch was in recognition of National Wood and Water Day, which was celebrated on October 5.

BirdLife Jamaica hosted a celebratory presentation in the Public Affairs Auditorium of the United States Embassy on the day to highlight the global significance of the island’s birds and the pressing conservation issues they and the region’s species face.

Jamaica has more endemic birds than any other island in the region and almost the highest endemic rate of any oceanic island in the world. In addition the island is now recognised as part of one of the most important areas for biodiversity conservation in the 21st century.

In unveiling the new poster, Ambassador Richard Bernal made a plea for more information on the richness of Jamaica’s natural history to be made available to the children of the country.

According to Dr Peter Vogel, a spokesperson for BirdLife Jamaica, Jamaican and other Caribbean nationals must begin to recognise and appreciate their role as trustees of a significant portion of the world’s species.

BirdLife Jamaica is the only Jamaican organisation specifically interested in the conservation of birds and their habitats. It is currently the sole Caribbean Partner of BirdLife International, a global alliance of bird conservation organisations.

Ten species of Jamaican birds are considered globally threatened, that is, at risk of becoming extinct and at least three Jamaican species have disappeared since the 1800s, that is. they are now globally extinct.

The richness of diversity of bird species that exist within the region combined with the high risk of extinction many of them face, have placed the islands of the Caribbean as one of the top three areas in the world for biodiversity conservation action.