Barbuda is a small flat coral island with an area of only 68 square miles.  It is located approximately 30 miles north of Antigua.

A comprehensive record of Barbuda's early inhabitants comes from the Book of Sir William Codrington (1715-1790).

Barbuda Historical Ties to Antigua

Barbuda's history has been intimately tied to that of Antigua for centuries. The first early attempts to settle Barbuda (by both the British and French) were failures, and it wasn't until 1666 that the British established a colony strong enough to survive the ravages of both nature and the Caribs.

In 1680, four years before he began cultivating sugar on Antigua, Christopher Codrington was granted (with his brother John) a lease to land in Barbuda. With subsequent leases that granted them additional rights to the substantial wreckage along Barbuda's reefs, they became the island's preeminent family.

Barbuda's Frigate Bird Sanctuary is located in the island's northwestern lagoon. The sanctuary contains over 170 species of birds and is home to over 5,000 frigate birds.

Fregata magnificence, the most aerial of water birds, possesses the largest wingspan (four to five feet) in proportion to its body size of any bird in the world.

It is also known as the man o' war bird, and the comparison to warships is a particularly apt one--with its superior size and flight capabilities, the frigate bird harasses less agile flyers like pelicans, egrets, and cormorants until they drop their catch.

The male frigate is marked by its red throat pouch, which it can inflates as part of its courtship behavior and as a defensive display. Courting takes place in the fall, and chicks hatch late in the year.

For a more complete and detailed perspective on the history of Barbuda visit barbudaful.net for Barbuda information.