One Barbuda Warbler that was spotted after the passage of Hurricane Irma. Photo by Andrea Otto, used with permission. 2017 has been a highly stressful Atlantic hurricane season for the Caribbean. Enduring the storms themselves, however, was only the beginning. The road to recovery is often painfully slow, a process that has been as tough for not only residents, but also the region's hugely diverse bird population. There are over 500 species of bird in the Caribbean, including over 100 species that live on only one island. The hurricanes destroyed the birds’ habitats, making food more difficult to find. And many of the local humans who normally would work to protect them, such as conservationists and scientists, lost valuable equipment as well as the roofs off their homes. Numerous challenges remain, especially on the islands of Dominica, Barbuda and Puerto Rico. Scientists from Guadeloupe conduct a bird count at the colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds, Codrington Lagoon, Barbuda. Photo by Eric Delcroix, used with permission. Nevertheless, the region's largest conservation organisation, Birds Caribbean, rallied quickly. Despite logistical challenges, the non-profit raised funds and began shipping off “bird aid” as soon as possible after Hurricane Irma and, two weeks later, Hurricane Maria had passed. Partners on the islands helped with distribution. A shipment of bird supplies at the St. Croix airport. Photo by the St. Croix Environmental Association, used with permission. Soon, one of the most coveted items in bird-loving regional territories turned out to be hummingbird feeders. Les Fruits de Mer, an environmental group in hurricane-battered St. Martin, tweeted: Free Bird Feeder Giveaway Thursday in Grand Case https://t.co/aGeZ2xMmY6 pic.twitter.com/BOYd3iMI0P — Les Fruits de Mer (@lesfruitsdemer) October 23, 2017 Later, it shared on its Facebook page: At lunchtime on Thursday, people were lining up at Sky’s the Limit restaurant in Grand Case. But unlike most days, these people hadn’t just come to eat local barbecue. They came to get bird feeders so they could take care of the birds around their homes. In less than an hour, the Les Fruits de Mer association gave away over 80 bird feeders. The Wildlife Relief stand in St. Thomas, USVI; photo from the Virgin Island Wildlife Facebook page, used with permission. In St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands — another island that suffered considerable ecological damage from both hurricanes — a Wildlife Relief stand was doing brisk business over the weekend. They also shared on Facebook: The story behind the seeds & feeders: our native wildlife across the Caribbean took a severe blow from the storms. Like us, the birds and bats can’t go to the next island to get food and shelter, because those places were devastated too. BirdsCaribbean, a non-profit that works to conserve native Caribbean birds, raised funds and are shipping seeds and feeders to TEN Caribbean islands to help native birds! The logistics have been challenging, to say the least! The St Thomas Bat Team stepped up to volunteer to distribute the relief supplies on St Thomas. Yes, it’s a little late, but the birds really do still need the help! Come get your feeder this weekend! The St. Croix Environmental Association in the U.S. Virgin Islands was pleased to receive their shipment and advocate for the bat population as well: The bats at the Barren Spot Bat Tower at the Bat Conservation Site and throughout the territory are struggling from lack of food. Hurricanes Irma and Maria wiped out most of the fruit growing on our plants and trees! You can help these fruit eating bats by hanging fruits like bananas, papayas, mangoes or whatever you can find. Make sure you hang the fruit out of reach of cats and mongoose so they can't reach the bats! Bats are a key component to forest restoration. #BatWeek Magnificent Frigatebirds in a devastated mangrove lagoon on the island of Barbuda. Photo by Eric Delcroix, used with permission. So how are the birds doing? Many Caribbean bird species, with their limited habitats and continuous encroachments from tourism and other developments, are already endangered, including Dominica's endemic Imperial Parrot, the beloved Sisserou, the iconic national bird portrayed on the island's flag. The eye of Hurricane Maria — a Category 5 storm — passed directly over the tiny island, causing immense damage. Birds Caribbean reported that it sent binoculars, cameras and other tools to help the island's forestry department, which “lost everything in the storm,” search for the Sisserou.