Wild flowers: Kibrahacha (Handroanthus billbergii)

There is no plant that indicates the state of the weather as well as the Kibrahacha. Every year, it is a big question when these trees will ‘feel’ enough rainwater to reveal themselves in an explosion of yellow flowers within a few days. In some years, it is not until well into June that we can really admire the beautiful flowers of this tree.

Earth Day 2026

April 22 is the annual Earth Day, a central day around which the Earth Day Network draws attention to themes related to nature and the environment on Earth. Every year, the Earth Day Network chooses a central theme to focus on and emphasize. The theme for 2026 is: Our power, our planet!

Fish: Longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi)

It is not every day that you swim into a seahorse, and it is therefore a spectacular experience to be able to observe one.

Book to download: Caquetío words in Papiamentu/ Some names of animals and plants in Papiamentu – Gerard van Buurt

In 2014 biologist Gerard van Buurt published this much coveted book on Curaçao. In it two (2) articles which were published previously by FPI (Fundashon Planifikashon di Idioma) and UNA (then University of the Netherlands Antilles) are reissued with many illustrations and with two maps added. The list of references for each article has been combined into one listing. The 2009 article on the Caquetío Indians has been revised somewhat, there are some additions; it is thus not identical to the previous version. The 2012 article also has some new entries and additional information was added to some of the entries.

A little dance for Mrs. Carib grackle

Carib Grackles (Quiscalus lugubris) are a relatively new bird species on the islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. Anyone visiting the ABC islands now will see that the black birds can now be spotted practically everywhere in human-influenced environments.

Upside-down jellyfish

Anyone who has ever walked along the Jan Kok salt pans or other inland waters on the island of Curaçao, other than the Schottegat, has surely seen the Upside-down jellyfish.

Tiny critters: Needle nose flies (Genus Geron)

The taxonomic family Bombyliidae, also known as the Bee flies, is a family of flies whose species are generally very hairy and have a woolly appearance. The family consists of various genera, including the genus Geron, which includes about 180 species worldwide. This genus is also known as the Needle nose flies in English.

Wild flowers: the starry flower of the Red Mangrove

The Red Mangrove or Mangel tan (Rhizophora mangel) as it is called in Papiamentu, is known as the mangrove tree with the stilt roots that grows in the salt water of the sea.

The Johnstone’s Whistling Frog (Eleutherodactylus johnstonei)

Some people absolutely hate them, while others love them. Whistling frogs leave no one entirely unmoved.

Black Birds on the ABC Islands – Save & share!

There are birds on our islands that still cause a lot of confusion when people ask for their identification. Despite the abundance of books, online information, and social media, some bird species are apparently so similar that they are consistently misnamed, practically creating online wars over who wants to be right. In practice, this usually involves the group of small yellow birds and the group of medium-sized black birds. In this article, we focus on the black breeding birds found on the islands, with comparative photos. To save and share whenever the discussion starts again.

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