Custom Tours & Day Trips
With more than 350 species of birds including 22 endemics Cuba is well worth a visit if you are a birder. Cuba with it’s many small islands and keys is the largest tropical island in the Caribbean, you will find plenty of opportunities for excellent birding especially if you are guided by an experienced local guide, who not only knows the local hotspots, but offer a an opportunity to experience the culture and it’s people.
Our tours are flexible, safe and the use of a local guide lets you participate in the planning. You select the date and length for a trip to suit yourself. If your time is limited, we’ll design a tour to fit your needs. The guide can customize your tour, and you will see the birds you want. Your guide is also your travel companion, who will make sure you experience the native people, scenery, culture, history and food, first hand.
8 Day birding tour of Cuba
On the 8 day birding tour of Cuba we begin our tour by vi sting the Viñales Valley where we search for the Cuban Trogan, the national bird. It is also possible to see the Cuban Grassquit and the Cuban Pygmy Owl there. We will hear many Cuban Toddies calling in the forest and search for their jewel-like colors. At La Güira National Park we will visit Cueva de los Portales where it is possible to hear the beautiful voice of the Cuban Solitaire echoing.
Next we will spend a couple days in Zapata Swamp. It is the largest and best-conserved wetland in Cuba and home to the Zapata Wren, Gray-fronted Quail dove and Zapata Rail. In Cayo Coco we will visit several locations to look for the Zapata Sparrow, Oriente Warbler, and Cuban Gnatcatcher. Lastly, we drive to La Belen Farm, because is the best place to see very rare birds such as the Palm Crow, Giant Kingbird, Plain Pigeon, Fernandina’s Flicker, Gundlach’s Hawk, Whistling Duck and many wintering warblers.
10 Day birding tour of Cuba
On the 10 day birding tour of Cuba we include all the places visited in the 8 day tour with a additional days spent exploring Zapata Swamp and the protected reserve of La Belen, the only place to see the rare Cuban Palm Crow and the easiest place to see the endangered Giant Kingbird, which is now endemic to Cuba. We begin our tour by visiting Soroa, where we will find many endemic birds, such as Fernandina's Flicker and the Antillean Palm Swift. Later we will visit the Maravillas de Soroa, a trail with lots of interesting birds, including the Cuban Trogon, the Cuban Grassquit and the Cuban Pygmy Owl.
We will find many Cuban Toddies calling in the forest. The Red-legged Honey Creeper is a noisy bird that moves in flocks looking for food in flowers and ripe fruits. The striking Western Spindalis is quite common. To find the White-eyed Vireo, we will follow its melodious call. The Key West Quail-Dove is a rare bird that will require a careful search. Zenaida Doves are easy to observe. It is likely that we will also see the Cuban Vireo, an endemic species.