Saint Helena: In Search of Saint Helena Wirebird
Most come to St Helena to see the Napoleon relics, some come to visit the most isolated and remote country in the world…. but it was a true adventure to try to spot the extremely rare St Helena wirebird, (Charadrius sanctaehelenae) the national bird of the island, prominently featured on its coat of arms. Now about 400 birds exist on the entire planet Earth, the population is roughly steady and it was the same 5 years ago during my first visit on the island. The birds prefer desert landscapes and are under threat from the reforestation project currently on the way. The wirebird is an endemic species of plover that lives only in St Helena and nowhere else, its tiny thin legs earning it the nickname. This time, we got quite lucky to see the birds really close, including little chicks and even eggs!
