The Grenada dove (Leptotila wellsi) is set to lose a large portion of its dry-forest habitat as plans take shape to build a luxury hotel in what is now Grenada's Mount Hartman National Park. The Grenada Government is preparing to sell off the national park to the Four Seasons Hotels and Resort Group who intend to construct a 150-room hotel, 300 luxury villas, and a golf course on the site.

The Mount Hartman National Park, also called 'The Dove Sanctuary', is located in the southwest region of Grenada. It was established as a nature sanctuary in 1996 and was created as a means to compensate for habitat destruction elsewhere on the island. It currently supports 20 pairs of Grenada doves, one quarter of the worldwide population.

The Grenada dove is the national bird of Grenada and is endemic to the island. It is classified as critically endangered, with a small and fragmented population of less than 180 individuals. The main cause of the species' decline has been habitat destruction throughout Grenada but populations have also suffered as a result of predation by introduced species such as mongooses, rats, and cats. Before the planned development in Mount Hartman National Park was announced, conservationists were working to restore the wild population to 200 individuals and to establish a captive-breeding program to support re-introductions.

The Grenada dove is a medium-sized dove with grey-brown upperparts, a white forehead, and a bluish crown. It inhabits dry, coastal scrub woodlands that have a rich canopy of thorny trees and shrubs and an open understory with exposed soil and little ground cover. This habitat is a successional stage that precedes mature dry forest. The existence of the dove's habitat relies on natural disturbances such as hurricanes to rejuvenate mature dry forest and open the way for their preferred habitat of sub-climax forest.

The planned sale of the national park has been criticized by conservationists and brings to light the attitude of Grenada's Government towards their natural resources. David Wege, the Caribbean Program Manager for BirdLife International summarized the message the Goverenment's actions sent:

"For the Government to sell off one of the island's most prized natural resources to make space for a high-end luxury development sets a clear message: the Government of Grenada has a complete disregard for environmental protection."

Find out more:

• Government of Grenada Sells Off National Park for Four Seasons Resort (BirdLife International)
• No ‘Peace on Earth’ for Rare Dove (BirdLife International)
• Grenada Doves Fact Sheet (BirdLife International)
• Critics Say Resort May Threaten Bird (Yahoo News)
• Government of Grenada May Sell National Park For New Resort Development (Caribbean Net News)

Photos © B. Rusk / BirdLife International.