Cuban Tody (Photo: PE Hart/Flickr Creative Commons)
Located a mere ~100 miles from the United States, Cuba is home to 371 species of birds, including a number of endemics found nowhere else on earth. From the exceptional biodiversity to the extraordinary culture, Cuba has long been at the top of my “most wanted” list of places to visit. But there were always questions that got in the way–Is it legal? Is it safe? How do you find birding tour to take you on an adventure like this?
Today I have answers to all of those questions. Yes (it is legal), yes (it is safe), and here!
The ABA is excited to offer two tours to Cuba with the Partnership for International Birding, in April and in September, and want you—yes, YOU, dear reader—to join us. To help entice you, I’ve put together this short list of some of the things we’re most looking forward to:
| #5 | Havana! From salsa to cigars to classic cars, the capital city of Cuba has a rich and unique history to explore. | ||
| #4 | The opportunity to bird the Zapata Peninsula—where we could see all but three of Cuba’s endemic birds, Viñales—home to 130 species of birds, Cayo Coco—one of the most important migratory stopover sites in the Caribbean, and many other spectacular locations. | ||
| #3 | A chance of seeing Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world. Say it with me: awww. | ||
| #2 | Twenty-six endemic bird species! We’ll have a chance of seeing all of Cuba’s endemic birds, plus many of the twenty-two West Indian endemics: Cuban Tody, Cuban Trogon, Cuban Crow, Gundlach’s Hawk, Cuban Parakeet, Zapata Wren, and more! | ||
| #1 | Bird with the man who literally wrote the book: Arturo Kirkconnell, author or coauthor books including the Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba and The Birdwatcher’s Guide to Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Caymans, and Bird Curator at the National Museum of Natural History of Cuba. | ||
Interested? Check out the trip overview or download a detailed itinerary here. And we hope to see you in 2018 in Cuba!
Cuban Crow (Photo: Sue/Flickr Creative Commons)