A record year for bird records |19 May 2025

A Broad-billed Roller at Coetivy (Photo: Dr Girish Menon)

A record year for bird records

By Adrian Skerrett

Every year, rare migratory birds arrive in Seychelles. Seychelles Bird Records Committee (SBRC) collects and authenticates sightings of these rare birds and makes the information freely available. In 2024, 155 reports were received, the highest number of reports received in any year since SBRC was founded in 1992. It is almost exactly the same figure as the three previous years 2021-2023 combined (156). 

You don’t need to have a deep knowledge of the birds of the world, a camera is sufficient. Nowadays, thanks to mobile phone technology, almost everyone has a camera and undoubtedly this is one reason for the high number of reports. Support to SBRC has also been excellent from Island Conservation Society, Islands Development Company, Seychelles Islands Foundation, Save Our Seas, Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, Denis Island and individual birders, notably Steve Agricole. The number of records from visitors has also grown thanks largely to the prominence of the internet website, eBird.

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