CUBA – CARIBBEAN BIRDING PARADISE.
Dates: 13 - 24 March 2010.

Some of Cuba’s endemic birds are quite widespread such as Cuban Trogon (the national bird), the delightful Cuban Tody and Cuban Green Woodpecker. Others, like the tiny Bee Hummingbird, the rare Gundlach’s Hawk and the quail-doves are more difficult and during this tour we’ll focus on these and some of the other regional specialities. The timing of our trip means that there’ll be plenty of migrants around as well as the remaining winter visitors from the north such as the colourful wood warblers and shorebirds to search for too. Local experts with the up-to-date bird information’ll assist us throughout the tour.

Expect warm weather (chance of showers), dry conditions underfoot, a good standard of accommodation, food in Cuba as the country welcomes tourism to its shores. Long sleeve shirts (some might like to bring a sweater for the evenings), a collapsible umbrella and walking shoes should suffice. Bring mosquito repellent for birding in mangrove areas near Cayo Coco. A telescope is useful and photographic opportunities are good. Our birding days will be quite relaxed without any steep climbs, punctuated with a rest period in the midday heat (unless we are travelling). Bring your swimsuit if you enjoy a swim!

Group size: Maximum of 10 participants.

Price: £1590.00 (La Habana / La Habana).

Single room supplement: £160.00

Includes: Ground transport in Cuba, hotel accommodation, meals from dinner on Day 1 through to lunch on Day 12, services of Toucan Birding Tours leader and local guides. Gratuities to local guides and drivers are included.

Not included: International airfare, international departure tax (25 Pesos Convertibles January 2008), Cuban Tourist Visa (contact Toucan Birding Tours office for details), optional city tours in La Havana, drinks and tips to hotel staff etc.

Tour Leader: Colin Bushell.

ITINERARY.

Day 1. Arrival in Havana and transfer to a hotel in the city.

Day 2. This morning we’ll make the journey to San Diego de Los Banos (about an hour). After checking in to the hotel we’ll start birding in La Guira NP. This morning we should see our first Cuban Tody and the national bird, the Cuban Trogon. These species, as well as a few others like Cuban Pewee will become familiar to us over the next two weeks. At this time of the year there are migrants from further north in these forested hills. Black-throated Blue Warbler and Ovenbird are just a few of the species that spend their winter here and pass through on northward migration.

In the mixed pine and semi-deciduous woods we have an opportunity to see Yellow-headed and Olive-capped Warblers, Yellow-faced Grassquit and Cuban Green Woodpecker. Migrants in the shape of Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green and Palm Warblers are common here. We’ll visit some wetland areas where we have seen Pied-billed and Least Grebe, Little-Blue and Green-backed Herons in the past. White-crowned Pigeons, Loggerhead Kingbird, Western Stripe-headed Tanager and Cuban Blackbird will also put in an appearance. Overnight in San Diego de los Banos.

Day 3. Another morning in the La Guira NP to catch up on a few birds we may not have seen the previous day. The tuneful song of the Cuban Solitaire resonates in the cool air of the hills here and a visit to some nearby caves should produce fine views of this endemic as well as the Cave Swallows. After lunch we’ll make our way back to Havana where we’ll have an opportunity to see the city. Overnight Havana.

Day 4. Today we’ll travel to Cayo Coco on the north coast of the island. The journey will take most of the day but we should get some time for some initial exploration of the area this afternoon. Maybe we’ll be able to locate some of the West Indian Whistling-Ducks that frequent this area (even near the hotels), Clapper Rails or migrants from the north like Painted Bunting or Yellow-throated Warbler.

Days 5 & 6.  Two full days to explore the coastal region of Cayo Coco. Cuban Black Hawk, Thick-billed Vireo, Cuban Gnatcatcher, Zapata Sparrow, Key West Quail-Dove, Bahama Mockingbird, West-Indian Whistling-Duck, Gundlach's Hawk and plenty of migrants are our targets here. We have seen Clapper Rails and Snowy Plovers here and this is the site where something unusual may turn up. All nights in a fully inclusive hotel in Cayo Coco.

Day 7. Early departure for Camaguey. We may stop on the causeway between the keys and mainland to scan for gulls, terns or flamingos before leaving the coast. By mid-afternoon we should be near Najasa where we’ll begin birding and search for Cuban and Cuban Palm Crows. We will spend the next 2 nights in the La Belen National Park with birding on our doorstep. Overnight Najasa.

Day 8. A full day to explore La Belen NP where the key birds here include Giant Kingbird and Cuban Grassquit but we'll also see Plain Pigeon, Cuban Parrot and Cuban Parakeet. In the past we have seen nesting Gundlach's Hawk here too as well as plenty of migrant warblers from North America. Overnight Najasa.

Days 9 - 11. This morning we’ll transfer to Playa Giron in the Zapata Peninsula with three full days to explore the Zapata swamp in search of the endemics here and migrants from the north. We'll visit the forest reserve at Bermeja in search of Fernandina's Flicker, Cuban Pygmy-Owl, Bare-legged Owl, Grey-headed and Ruddy Quail-Doves. The rare Blue-head Quail-Dove is a good chance here too and we'll spend some time at the drinking pools hoping that one of the quail-doves will visit.

The peninsula is also the best place to see the tiny Bee Hummingbird and the local guide will know of some of the best places to see this endemic. One day will be spent visiting the swamp where Zapata Sparrow and Zapata Wren can be seen as well as the Cuban Red-shouldered Blackbird. A return visit to this area after dark will allow us to see Cuban Nightjar. A visit to Salinas will boost our bird list and we may see Black Skimmers and a variety of water-associated birds such as Roseate Spoonbills and passage waders from the north.

Day 12. We make our final journey back to Havana this morning. We’ll take lunch just outside the city before our transfer to the airport for flights home.

PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR FLIGHT TO CUBA UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED DEPARTURE CONFIRMATION OF THIS TOUR FROM TOUCAN BIRDING TOURS.

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