Local Birding Guides Orestes & Angel Martinez

Orestes Martinez (El Chino de Zapata)

Chino is a biologist, a naturalist and native of the Zapata Swamp with 40 years of experience as a natural history guide specializing in birds. He has published several articles relating to endangered species in the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and in Ciencias Biológicas de la Universidad de la Habana; a journal of the University of Havana. He has been guiding for more than 40 years for thousands of ornithologists and scientists who have visited Cuba.

El Chino has completed a diploma in environmental education for sustainable development on the island of Cuba and has taken postgraduate courses in conservation and the study of birds as well as participating in several international meetings on ornithology in different countries. He has also received recognition from various international conservation organizations: National Wildlife Federation, WWF and national recognition by the Scientific Council due to his work on the conservation of flora and fauna of the Zapata Swamp and other parts of Cuba. He is currently an environmental education project leader for children from the schools of the Zapata area.

Cuba Birding with Chino — Trip Reports & References

  Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Bird Watching in Cuba After Fidel Castro

  Nautilus: Chasing James Bond’s Hummingbird: I venture to Cuba in search of the world’s smallest bird.

  The Globe and Mail: Cuba's last refuge

  Lonely Planet Gran Parque Natural Montemar Activities

  Wikipedia Citation for the Bee Hummingbird

Angel Martinez

Angel is a trained forest protection officer and native of the Zapata Swamp, who currently works as a specialist guide in the Zapata National Park. He has been guiding for 30 years and has shown the birdlife of Zapata to hundreds of birdwatchers who have visited the region. He has completed several postgraduate studies of the conservation of birds, as well as ecotourism courses and also presented work in different specialized publications. He has worked with the National Museum of Natural Sciences of Cuba as well as on a voluntary basis in environmental education work in schools of the Zapata area and has several awards for his dedication to nature conservation.