Restoring White-faced Whistling Ducks and Bahama Pintail in Trinidad
In 2012, Sylvan Heights Bird Park was part of a project to help restore dwindling populations of White-faced Whistling Ducks and Bahama Pintail to the island of Trinidad.
In 2009, the United States Embassy in Trinidad requested help from Sylvan Heights in restoring the populations of two native species: the White-Faced Whistling Duck and the Bahama Pintail. Through unregulated hunting and habitat loss, these birds are facing near-extinction on the island. The Embassy asked that Sylvan Heights partner with the Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust in South Trinidad, and create a plan to help save these birds.
In December 2012, Sylvan Heights Executive Director Mike Lubbock traveled to Trinidad with 24 ducks that were raised at Sylvan Heights’ Avian Breeding Center. These birds will begin a breed-and-release program at Pointe-a-Pierre, with the goal of boosting wild populations. Lubbock will continue to advise Pointe-a-Pierre throughout this project to ensure its success.
Sylvan Heights thanks various individuals and organizations for their support, including Dr. Cynthia Lovell Elias of Roanoke Rapids N.C., the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the USDA, and American Airlines.