Sir Lester Bryant Bird KNH (21 February 1938 – 9 August 2021) was an Antiguan politician and athlete who served as the second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004.

He won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago while representing the British West Indies.

[5] Following independence in 1981, Bird gained the external affairs portfolio and was the first chairman of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States in 1982.

Lester Bird lost his deputy prime minister post in 1991, but retained the external affairs ministry and the planning and trade portfolio.

[2][3][6] In 1992, another scandal, involving Sir Vere Bird's siphoning of public funds into a personal account, furthered calls for him to step down, with three opposition parties uniting to form the UPP under the leadership of Baldwin Spencer.

[2][6] The ALP succession crisis continued following this, with a special convention to elect a successor on 24 May 1992 resulting in a deadlock between Lester Bird and John St. Luce, the information minister.

During the election the ALP pledged open government, an ombudsman to deal with citizen complaints, and new jobs, especially in tourism.

[8] Bird's party lost eight seats, and he himself was defeated by Errol Cort, who became Minister of Finance in the new UPP government.

[10][11] Bird was succeeded as ALP leader by Gaston Browne in December 2012,[12] who led the party to victory in June 2014 general election.