which is now begging parents to educate children on the importance of preserving the endangered species.

"In the last two or three days at Port Royal Golf Course, four boxes, for no apparent reason, were torn apart,'' said gardener Mr. Steven DeSilva. "One had five chicks in it and the other had four bluebird eggs.

"We have reason to suspect that children were the culprits as the trail led from the bus stop to Port Royal to a residential estate. I want to bring it to parents' attention to get it through to their kids.

"They should know that the longtail and the bluebird are ours. They weren't introduced to the Island by someone homesick for his homeland. It's our responsibility to look after them. Their existence is in jeopardy. If it were not for people erecting boxes, they would surely be extinct.'' Mr. DeSilva said the plight of the bluebird has been evident throughout the Island and is made even more horrendous as the birds not only have to deal with vandals, but also face attack from other birds.

"Through our nest box system, we maintain 200 boxes regularly to better understand the demography and status of the bird. We've found they are in serious trouble and are being outnumbered by the European starling and the Asian sparrow.

"I wish parents could get involved and tell their kids the birds is ours just like the gombey dancer and the Bermuda kite.'' He added that the department had counted approximately 40 pairs of birds in the western end, 40 pairs in the eastern end and about 50 pairs in the central parishes.

"Urbanisation is not helping either,'' he said. "They need open spaces and we continue to develop our land while the bluebird falls to the wayside.'' Mr. DeSilva praised the efforts of woodwork students at Sandys Secondary School who had recently built 60 boxes in just a week and said others should take heed of such activity.

SAVE THE BLUEBIRD! -- Woodwork students at Sandys Secondary school and Department of Agriculture & Fisheries worker, Mr. Steven DeSilva, are on a quest to save the bluebird following the recent destruction of chicks and eggs at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton.