Where to See Birds Now: CUBA |
||||||||
|
As Cuba becomes easier to visit it is rapidly becoming a hot “bucket-list” destination for travelers. For birdwatchers it offers a variety of habitats and over 20 endemic birds – birds that can only be found in Cuba. If you are keeping a list of the birds you see, this tropical island certainly will add to your growing list. And part of the allure is that these endemic birds are only recently able to be seen after many decades of isolation. If seeing birds your friends haven’t seen appeals to you, then book a birding trip to Cuba! The best time to visit to see birds is in spring – March
and April are especially good. You will see some of the same warblers and songbirds we get in the eastern US overwintering there. But by spring, if they haven’t left for their northern nesting ranges, they will be in their best mating plumage. I was there in March 2016 and saw a number of migrants like Black-throated Blue, Black and White and others all looking terrific. While intact habitat is feeling the pressure from the new wave of construction, the birds are fairly easy to see and photograph. To get the most out of the time you are spending, book with a reputable birding tour company which will take you to as many locations and habitats as possible during your time there.
No birding trip to Cuba is complete without visiting Zapata which is a terrific wetlands area with some interesting endemic birds. Part of this visit will be by boat to access areas these birds frequent but which are not easily accessible by foot. Your trip also should take you to the coast like Cayo Coco, where amidst construction on new tourist hotels, you may see waders, waterfowl, some of our overwintering Osprey and flocks of American Flamingos. Whatever your itinerary, you are definitely going to want to see Cuban Tody, Zapata Sparrow, Cuban Quail-Dove, Cuban Green Woodpecker and the incomparable Bee Hummingbird — but these famous species are just the beginning!
Cuba is getting much easier to reach, and you don’t have to go very far to have the chance to see some really beautiful and special birds which have not been easily seen in a long time. And if the rest of your family or group of friends aren’t birders, that’s OK too – there are lots of other things to see and do where the birds are. Everyone can enjoy this trip!
|
