This is an illustrated map of the island of Guadeloupe, part of the French West Indies in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean Sea. The main butterfly-shaped landmass of Guadeloupe is actually two islands separated by a salt river and connected by two bridges. I created this map for birders visiting the island in search of Guadeloupe’s bird species, most notably the island’s sole endemic species: the Guadeloupe Woodpecker. I’ve marked some of the primary birding locations (called Important Bird Areas), the largest of which is the Guadeloupe National Park. This map was made for BirdsCaribbean for their 22nd Annual Conference in Guadeloupe, scheduled for July 25-29, 2019.
The Caribbean is home to over 500 species of bird, including 172 species that are endemic to the region and found nowhere else in the world. In fact, there are over 100 bird species in the Caribbean that only live on one island. Overall, 59% of the resident birds—the ones that don’t migrate—in the region are endemic. The abundance of endemic species is one reason why the region is considered a biodiversity hotspot, and why conservation in the region is so important.