nfelix

I'm posting for seeking assistance from those who have been to or planned to visit Cuba for birding. My plan is visiting a few birding hotspots there tentatively in either late 2011 or earlier 2012. My major targets are the endemic birds in Cuba apart from the smallest bird in the world, Bee Hummingbird, while my focus is bird photography. I've contacted a few oversea companies/guides organizing regular birding tours in Cuba. Any information relevant to the traveling to Cuba is appreciated. For those who share the same interest may also contact me as a small birding group is being formed. Thanks a lot.

[ Last edited by nfelix at 17/02/2013 19:30 ]

blackdogto

Sound interesting! How muuch is the cost about?

nfelix

Quote:

Original posted by blackdogto at 4/5/2011 01:00 PM
Sound interesting! How muuch is the cost about?

It actaully depends on a lot of factors basically including the bird-guiding and supporting (e.g. accomondation, transportation,etc) services required. I am now working for an itinerary of 10-14 days for birding with a budget around a few thousands USD, excluding the transportation required between HK and Cuba. Please kindly PM me your email and I'll forward you a typical itinerary in full for your consideration.

EricB

Fernaninas .jpg (94.98 KB)

7/05/2011 20:49

Not sure if this will be of any help.My experience is limited to a 2 week family holiday with the Wilczur clan ( Bird illustrator) in April 2004.We did manage a few days away from the kids and wives to do some birding in Zapata.

We struggled to contact El  Chino the birdguide but eventually caught up with him after we arrived at Zapata. I believe these are his details: chino.zapata@gmail.com; telephone: 045-98-7354 or 045 98 7355; mobile 52 94185; address: Caletón (just west of Playa Larga), Cienaga de Zapata, Matanzas, CP 43000.
He used to run fixed fee birding half days where he takes on all comers. This makes it poor value for small groups when more people turn up. He was charging US$20 a person per day, and his brother charged each of the 2 of us the same, which worked out much better for us. With El Chino it was a bit of  a bun fight with different people wanting birds that others had already seen the previous day etc.! He was knocking Owls out of roosting sites at a fare rate: Bare legged &  Cuban Pygmy were disturbed for us tourists. He torched Stygian  at CITMA at night.

We survived an afternoon and a morning session but opted for a smaller private outing with his brother (who didn’t speak much English) on another day ( his brother brought along 2 other visitors, so there was still some elbowing). They know the area well and where most of the birds are. There was some anxiety /communication breakdown when his brother called a Spotted Rail a Zapata Rail whilst at Turba.

You may experience some logistic problems if your Spanish is limited. (Like finding a petrol station as most of the petrol outside of Havana seemed to be stored in peoples garages!!).

Driving wasn’t a problem but we were shocked in the early hours of the morning to suddenly be confronted by people who were sleeping on the hard shoulder of the motorway jumping up from their slumber waving their arms for a lift. We had been struggling to keep our selves awake during the 3-4 hour drive to Zapata as our internal flight arrived at midnight but pretty soon perked up.

We managed Palpite  on our first  morning unaided as we arrived in the early hours of the morning from Havana. We had good views of the Trogan, C Green Woodpecker, Cu Bullfinch ,Yellow cowled Oriole, Rose throated Parrot, Cresent eyed Pewee, Cuban Emerald and Bee Hummer. What they didn’t tell you in ‘birding school’ was that he smallest bird in the world likes to sit on the tallest tree in the forest!! Scope views only for us.

Good luck,
Eric

[ Last edited by RUWright at 7/05/2011 20:51 ]

nfelix

Eric, your information is very useful though your birding experience was limited in Zapata. It would be great if you watched a Zapata rail in 2004 as most of the guides I contacted consider that it is very difficult if not impossible to spot it. I think I cannot afford getting only local bird guides for my trip because of not only my very limited Spanish but also extra time required for photography. I'll arrange to have all logistics handled by a guide with assistance from local bird guides though the end result will be a higher tour cost.  Having said that, I read several birding reports and self-driving in Cuba can be an unique experience especailly if not in a birding trip. By the way, thanks a lot for your valuable sharing.

EricB

Having set out hoping to see the Kite , the Rail would have been a surprising second prize but when your guide starts  shouting 'Zapata Rail' panic did set in .Naturally our visions of the bird disappearing in to the reed bed forever before we clapped eyes on it did get our pulse up!

You probably have come across this website - invaluable if you want as much help as possible with blazing your own trail!
http://www.travellingbirder.com/

I'm sure you'll have lots of fun how ever you do it.

BW
Eric

[ Last edited by RUWright at 8/05/2011 04:07 ]

nfelix

Finally, our birding trip to Cuba becomes true and just satisfactorily completed with most endemic birds seen or even photographed.  Spent two weeks in Cuba, we visited four major birding hotspots (Soroa & La Güira, Zapata peninsula, Cayo Coco and Najasa) with different habitats.  We were accompanied with a knowledgeable and helpful bird guide not only leading us to right places for endemic birds but also handling all required logistics including accommodation and transportation during the whole trip. Also assisted by local bird guides and naturalists, we had exceptionally good birding experience in Cuba and are luck enough to capture the avian beauty with ease.  Besides, the information shared here by Eric also helpful and we highly appreciate.

Cuba becomes the top on our wish list of birding destinations because of the world smallest endemic, Bee Hummingbird.  Without doubt our sharing starts from this tiny creature followed by 19 out of 21 endemics (excluding Gundlach’s Hawk & Zapata Rail) defined in Birds of Cuba by Orlando H. Garrido & Arturo Kirkconnell. Other bird photos and updated traveling & birding information will be shared here when I get them settled soon.


1. Bee Hummingbird (male & female)





2. Blue-headed Quail-Dove


3. Bare-legged Owl (Cuban Screech Owl)


4. Cuban Green Woodpecker


5. Cuban Gnatcatcher


6. Cuban Grassquit


7. Cuban Blackbird


8. Cuban Pygmy-Owl


9. Cuban Parakeet


10. Cuban Solitaire


11. Cuban Trogon


12. Cuban Tody


13. Cuban Vireo


14. Fernandina's Flicker


15. Oriente Warbler


16. Red-shouldered Blackbird


17. Yellow-headed Warbler


18. Zapata Sparrow


19. Zapata Wren

thinfor

EricB

Thanks for sharing these excellent photos. Cracking Bee Hummer. Who was your guide and which month did you go in?
I was half expecting a Cuban Kite by the time I got to the bottom of the photos!Alas we dream on.
Have a great Spring.
Eric

John Holmes

... great shots!

nfelix

Quote:

Original posted by EricB at 16/3/2012 03:23 AM
Thanks for sharing these excellent photos. Cracking Bee Hummer. Who was your guide and which month did you go in?
I was half expecting a Cuban Kite by the time I got to the bottom of the photos!Alas w ...

Eric, our team was led by a bird guide called Jean from Costa Rica and the trip was between this mid-February and early March. Cuban Kite is not listed in our checklist nor the reference book we used.  Thus, we were not expecting to watch and didn't put this critically endangered raptor in our wish list.  And our itinerary did not even cover the eastern mountains of Cuba, where was the most recent discovery by Ernesto Reyes, Nils Navarro and Gerardo Begué in 2009 as far as I know. The same applies to Zapata Rail and even the local keen bird guide said it has not been sighted for years and become a legend.

By the way, we didn't use the service from El Chino, who was said to the first bird guide in the area and now too famous to be met.  We stayed in a house next to his but we were told that he was not working there and his house is now open to the tourist instead.  In Zapata, we were accompanied by a very good bird guide, Mario Morejon, and his contact can be found from the bird report prepared by Jos Wanten.



[ Last edited by nfelix at 25/03/2012 22:21 ]

nfelix

Those who are interested in birding in Cuba should not miss a programme called Cuba Accidential Eden first run in a local TV channel tomorrow (May 8) evening.

Giant Kingbird (one of 7 new endemics defined in fatbirder)



http://programme.tvb.com/lifestyle/cubaaccidentaleden?lang=en
{Quote}Cuba may have been restricted politically and economically for the past 50 years, but its borders have remained open to wildlife for which Cuba’s undeveloped islands are an irresistible draw. While many islands in the Caribbean have poisoned or paved over their ecological riches on land and in the sea in pursuit of a growing tourist industry, Cuba’s wild landscapes have remained virtually untouched, creating a safe haven for rare and intriguing indigenous animals, as well as for hundreds of species of migrating birds and marine creatures.

As the possibility of an end to the U.S. trade embargo looms, Cuba’s wildlife hangs in the balance. Most experts predict that the end of the embargo could have devastating results as tourism booms and habitats are destroyed. Or Cuba could set an example for development and conservation around the world, defining a new era of sustainability well beyond Cuba’s borders.{Quote}

[ Last edited by nfelix at 5/02/2013 00:10 ]

cchristina

Very very nice trip and bird photos!

nfelix

Thanks all for your compliment.  Another 6 endemics listed in fatabirder

Gray-fronted Quail-Dove


Cuban Palm Crow


Cuban Crow


The differentiation of Cuban Palam Crow and Cuban Crow in field is difficult except by voice. There are records in Xeno-Canto for Cuban Crow (http://www.xeno-canto.org/66816) and Cuban Palm Crow (http://www.xeno-canto.org/82990) for reference.

Cuban Nightjar (Great Antillean Nightjar)


Cuban Oriole


Cuban Black-Hawk


Another informative web site recommended for everything about birding in Cuba is http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/carcuba.htm


[ Last edited by nfelix at 5/02/2013 00:13 ]