INTRODUCTION
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and has 24 endemic bird species (only Jamaica has more). The world's smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird can be found there along with the beautiful Cuban Trogon ( Cuba 's national bird), and numerous other ‘West Indian' specialities. Over 350 bird species have already been recorded on the island.
Although the major interest of birding trips to the West Indies in general lies with the endemic bird species, we will also study the important numbers of migrants passing through or wintering there.
Cuba is an elongated island. Its topography comprises three mountain chains – the Guaniguanico Cordillera to the west, the Sierra del Escambray in the centre and Sierra Maestra to the east. The remainder is mostly flat landscape and there is also a large swampy region (Cienaga de Zapata) located south-east of Havana , which supports 19 of the islands 25 endemics.
Most people identify Cuba with Fidel Castro, old American cars, rum or big cigars, but the most important identity of the island is music – the Cubans live for music. The first and last day of the tour are therefore designed to fulfil the Cuban music experience, visiting two local Cuban music clubs for live concerts. This will enable you to embrace two aspects of Cuba ; the abundant bird life and its cultural musical heritage.
Itineray
Day 1:Nov 24- Fly from UK to La Havana – Meet the group at Havana airport and transfer in mini-bus to Hotel Tejadillo, old Havana , a charming colonial style small hotel in the heart of the old city. Hotel Tejadillo, Havana
Day 2: Nov 25- After breakfast, a guided city tour of Havana to see all the important sights. Relax in the afternoon or do some birding. Evening: dinner at restaurant with live music. Visit the jazz club, El Zorro y el Cuervo with live Cuban jazz music. Hotel Tejadillo,
Day 3 : Nov 265 -Vinales National Park , Breakfast. Early departure from Havana . During the excursion we will stop a few times to see both waterfowls and forest birds. Hopefully today we will have the chance to see the smallest bird in the world: the endemic Bee Hummingbird, also the Cuban Parrot, the Cuban Crow and many others. Lunch in Cabo de San Antonio Villa. Afternoon we will drive to Vinales arriving to the hotel. Check in. Dinner and rest. Hotel Jazmines / Hotel La Ermita
Day 4 : Nov 27 - Breakfast. During the next two days, after our early optional bird walk and breakfast at our hotel, we will explore Vinales National Park , La Guira. This park is located in the Sierra de los Organos, a limestone area with Jurassic period geomorphology. The region is dominated by surreal, conical limestone knolls with vertical walls and rounded tops known as ‘Mogotes'. Its beautiful valleys make up a fertile plain known for extensive tobacco plantations with typical rural farms and houses. As we wander the rocky trails, we will look for ancient tree ferns, endemic snails, feral pigs and large termite nests. This is also a good area to find the endemic Yellow-headed Warbler. Today we explore the ‘Maravillas de Vinales' trail. Lunch at Mural de la Prehistoria restaurant where local artists have painted a rock face with prehistoric creatures. In the afternoon we will visit the cigar factory in Pinar del Rio . At the end of a busy day, the pool at our hotel will be very inviting. Cuban Green Woodpeckers add their voices to the forest calls as they chase each other in the grounds of the hotel and Cuban Pygmy-Owls shatter the stillness of the evening with their shrill piping whistle. Dinner in the hotel. Hotel Los Jazmines / La Ermita
Day 5 :Nov 28 - After breakfast, we will set off for the short distance to the ‘Reserva Sierra del Rosario', Cuba 's first Biosphere Reserve. Introduced forestry practices were so successful here that they became a model for similar forestry schemes in other parts of Cuba and the world. This is a very good area to listen to the haunting song of the Cuban Solitaire, a bird that is endemic to Cuba . After a hike along one of the many trails, we'll have lunch in a typical farming hacienda. In the afternoon, we will visit the village of Las Terrazas , a model commune village. Our day will end with a visit to a restored 18 th century coffee plantation, formerly owned by French coffee planters from Haiti , who fled to Cuba after the slave revolts. Check in Hotel La Moka. Hotel La Soroa
Day 6, 7 :Nov 29 & 30 - Cienaga de Zapata. Today we drive to the most famous birding place in Cuba – the wetlands of Zapata. We will start by visiting some of the dry forest tracts. Check into Hotel Playa Larga. Dinner . After dinner, we have an evening birding session. Check in Hotel La Moka. Hotel La Soroa
Day 8 : Dec 1 Early morning start for a full day of Bird watching. We drive to the tidal flats and mangrove shorelines at La Salina along the south shore of the Zapata Peninsula . The Common (Cuban) Black-hawks is found here as well as the endemic Cuban Martin nesting in dead snags sticking out from the salt flats. La Salina is justly famous for its waders and water fowl, including several Heron and Egret species and numerous shorebirds. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit Los Canales, an area of canals and rice fields that supports a large population of Snail Kites. Also there is a good chance of seeing the endemic Gundlach's Hawk, a very scarce bird. An hour or two could be spent at the local museum, which commemorates the Bay of Pigs War. Return to the Hotel. Dinner and rest. Playa Larga Hotel or Playa Giron
Day 9 : Dec 2 - Early start. Search for the endemic Zapata Rail and the Zapata Wren. Visit the deciduous forests at La Ceiba, near the village of Bermejas, in search of woodland species. Mixed warbler flocks should be present, and we have a chance of seeing a dozen or more North American neotropical migrants, including Worm-eating Warbler. The endemic Yellow-headed Warbler is quite common in these woodlands, as is the Great Lizard-cuckoo. These woodlands also support the endangered Fernandina's Flicker, a truly exquisite bird that is becoming increasingly more difficult to locate, along with the incredibly beautiful Blue-headed Quail-dove. In the afternoon return to Havana and check into Hotel Tejadillo
Day 10/11 :Dec 3/4 Time permitting in the morning we will do some birding in the La Havana harbour and coast. Transfer to airport for flight home.
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