Cuba. Geographically close but historically challenging to reach for visitors from the United States. Its accessibility is shaped by shifting policies and paperwork rather than distance
After plenty of planning, and navigating the necessary permissions, I finally set foot on the island last Spring under the appropriate license.
My trip, after landing in Havana went through Las Terrazas, Viñales, Zapata Peninsula, Girón, Bermeja, Trinidad, Camagüey, Najasa, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and points between. These are some of the birds I encountered along the way.
After overnighting in Havana, I visited some farmland in Las Terrazas. Wide variety of species were found here including La Sagra’s Flycatcher, the cute Cuban Tody, Cuban Grassquit, Cuban Trogon, West Indian Woodpecker, Fernandina’s Flicker, Stygian Owl, and omnipresent Red-legged Thrush.
That evening I reached Viñales, where new species kept the momentum going. Cuban Pewee, Olive-capped Warbler, and Yellow-headed Warbler joined the list, along with more West Indian Woodpeckers actively nesting—always a treat to observe.
I swung my way back east through Matanzas the next day picking up some great views of Cuban Pygmy Owl, Bare-legged Owl, nesting Fernandina’s Flicker, and Gray Kingbird.
The Zapata Peninsula in southern Cuba is a premier Caribbean birding destination, characterized by extensive wetlands, mangrove forests, and sawgrass savannahs. It is globally renowned for harboring rare, endemic species found nowhere else. I spent several days on the peninsula, staying at Playa Giron – it’s a gem of a place with birds ranging from the tropically colorful Cuban Parakeet, shimmering little Bee Hummingbird, three species of quail dove, exceedingly rare Zapata Wren and a lot more.
Some of these birds were on private farmlands outside of the park – this included the already mentioned Cuban Parakeet and Bee Hummingbird – one of the smallest known birds!
A park ranger provided access to a blind that allowed intimate views of Blue-headed and Gray-fronted Quail-Doves—an unforgettable experience. Other species turned up conveniently right on hotel grounds.
And of course, a really big deal was the endemic and endangered Zapata Wren which was found after a long drive through heavily wooded terrain and a flat tire along the way.
The Cuban Tody and Cuban Trogon were found along the way.
After moving on from Zapata, I made my way further east to Trinidad. Along the way adding Great-Lizard Cuckoo, and the Cuban subspecies of American Kestrel.
Trinidad is one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its historical importance as a center of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Camagüey netted me the Cuban subspecies of Eastern Meadowlark, Cuban Martin, Smooth-billed Ani and Black-crowned Night-Heron
On the way through Cuba’s north-central coast, I added the Cuban Gnatcatcher, and Cuban Bullfinch.
Before the long return drive to Havana, I spent two nights on Cayo Coco, a low island off Cuba’s north-central coast. It was a fitting finale—sunlit, windswept, and rich with birdlife—bringing a memorable journey through one of the Caribbean’s most distinctive avian landscapes to a close.
