Cuba Caribbean Endemic Birding 3 rd to 12 th March 2012 (10 days)

Transcription

1 Cuba Caribbean Endemic Birding 3 rd to 12 th March 2012 (10 days) Tour Leader: Forrest Rowland Top Ten Tour Highlights: 1. Cuban Tody 2. Blue-headed Quail-Dove 3. Gundlach s Hawk Cuban Tody by Matthew Matthiessen

2 RBT Cuba Trip Report Stygian Owl 5. Cuban Trogon 6. Bare-legged Owl 7. Zapata Wren 8. Bee Hummingbird 9. Cuban Pygmy-Owl 10. Cuban Amazon Tour Intro Cuba offers some of the best birding in the Caribbean. With no fewer than 28 strict endemics, and another 18 near-endemics, birders have long been coming to this interesting country and enjoying dynamic, fun birds in a dynamic cultural landscape. Our goal with this tour was two-fold: to see as many of these endemics and near-endemics as possible, and to experience and learn more about the culture and history of this unique nation. With this in mind, we focused on the most diverse and productive birding areas in Cuba, allowing access to all endemics save the Cuban Kite, which is localized only in the far east. Infused in the itinerary of birding sites were opportunities to learn more about the history of Cuba. In fact, many of the birding sites we visited were also places of historic significance, such as the caves where Ernesto Che Guevara hid and directed troops during the revolution, while we also scheduled some time in La Havana in order to visit the best sites of Old Town, the first fortress built in the Americas, and relish the sights, sounds and tastes of this iconic city. West Indian Woodpecker by Adam Riley We logged a total of some 870 miles (1400 km) of travel during our ten day overland journey, and 163 species on this amazing tour! All of our targets presented themselves, allowing multiple, prolonged looks in most cases. The array of migrants was also spectacular and we enjoyed endless flocks of migrating warblers and vireos. On our final evening on Cayo Guillermo we were delighted to witness an impressive display of migrating shorebirds as well. In addition, the food was great, the accommodations were decent to very good, while the countryside, people and camaraderie that developed within the group aided in making one of this author s favorite tours all the more memorable! Tour Summary Starting in the capitol city, La Havana, the first part of our birding route led us west through the main part of the city. We had plenty of time to watch Antillean Palm Swifts, Shiny Cowbirds, Greater Antillean Grackles and our first Cuban Blackbirds of the tour. In the process we also had the many government buildings, colonial bastions and various diplomatic and embassy buildings explained to us as we passed to the outskirts. Our first true stop was at a series of lakes and reservoirs about 8kms west of town, where we found Eastern Meadowlark, Snail Kite, Cuban Martins, Brown Pelicans and a variety of herons, egrets and waterfowl. Soroa, Le Reserva Mil Cumbres, the pine forests of La Guira and La Cueva de las Portales were the sites that we visited during our first 48 hours on the island. They were an action-packed initial few

3 RBT Cuba Trip Report days! Aside from getting our first glimpses of old, vintage taxis, horse-drawn carriages and governmental propaganda billboards, we saw a ton of our target species!!! The first to fall was West Indian Woodpecker; this colorful, long-billed Melanerpes was very reminiscent of Red-bellied Woodpecker, its cousin in the continental United States. The following birds then came in quick succession: La Sagra s Flycatcher, Red-legged Thrush, Loggerhead Kingbird, Cuban Emerald, Cuban Pewee and Yellow-headed Warbler. Red-legged Honeycreepers hopped about in branches low overhead, Black-whiskered Vireo was viewed singing through the scope, Northern Waterthrushes were watched foraging streamside, Cuban Green Woodpeckers came in to defend a territory against our playback, and Scaly-naped Pigeons perched at eye-level. We also saw Cuba s national bird the lovely Cuban Trogon. In fact, we had views of several individuals from every angle incomparable!!! This truly is the most distinct member of the Trogonidae family, and certainly one of the most unique birds on the planet. Unfortunately, it was outshined by the #1- voted tour highlight, Cuban Tody, which we located only a few minutes later our first pair of this fabulous bird on the very first day! Thereafter we made it a point to see at least one tody every single day of the tour that we were in their range. We succeeded! A number of these delightful birds came within a few feet of us for photographic opportunities and general enjoyment. This particular bird is the most colorful of an entirely colorful family endemic to the Caribbean. We were all ecstatic to see as many of these special birds as possible during the course of the tour. Two species, in particular, stood out during this first portion of the trip. The first of these was Cuban Grassquit, a bird that has become very difficult to locate and view in recent years. We were fortunate to find a lovely pair foraging in a group with Yellow-faced Grassquits. Though the best views were through the scope, many in the group enjoyed seeing them bounce and pounce from limb to ground among the leaf litter. The fact that Yellow-headed Warbler was nearby for easy viewing between scope-looks at the grassquit, while a Cuban Pewee was perched not 30 feet (10m) away from us, also gave the whole experience a wonderfully light and easy air. Cuban Trogon by Adam Riley The second bird that stood out among this huge array of wonderful species was the Cuban Solitaire. This relatively drab, uniform-colored member of its genus, Myadestes, emanates the most amazing sounds on the island. Among our group, many contested that it elicited some of the most enchanting sounds they had ever heard. Though we saw multiples (one at no more than 12 feet (4m) distance!!!), listening to these amazing creatures belt forth their song that near to our ears was an astonishing experience. In the same region where we enjoyed the wonderful sounds of the solitaire, we had our only chance to bird the higher pine forests of the island. Olive-capped Warblers put on a great show, singing above us and foraging nearby. Our first Cuban Orioles appeared in a group with Tawny-shouldered and Cuban Blackbirds to feast upon a fruiting Gumbo Limbo tree, while Western Spindalis was soon to follow. We then spotted a roosting Stygian Owl, the first of two seen on the tour! By standing in one place for 10 minutes, we added Northern Flicker, Broad-winged Hawk, Zenaida Dove and one of the very best birds of the tour - Great Lizard Cuckoo - to the trip list as well. To put it mildly, we had an incredibly productive visit to the northwest region!

4 RBT Cuba Trip Report Before describing the most bird-prolific part of the tour (if one can believe that what is described above was not!) I must mention the impressive and bizarre Hacienda Cortina ( Curtain Ranch in Spanish). This one-time ranch was near the town in which we were staying at the time, San Diego de los Banos. While we did see some wonderful birds here, most of which were migrants, it was the eerily-hewn, demonic (not to mention somewhat erotic) statues and stone formations that were most captivating. What a bizarre place to bird! The previous owner was a self-proclaimed paganist of sorts, yet a nonetheless influential member of Cuba s senate under Bautista. He had claimed this vast property of various cane-drying buildings, cattle-ranch homesteads, rushing streams and ponds as his playground to entertain the daring elite of that regime. It was told to us that he purportedly held frequent, odd, orgiastic rituals here in the privacy of his vast compound. Though the uniquely outlandish statues still stand, his mansion was burned during the revolution, right down to the pillars and foundation, and the interesting, often bizarre, opulent contents of the house were unfortunately looted. Leaving with a fascinated impression of this region of the island, we then drove to the famed Zapata Swamp in the central-south. This swamp is always the area most discussed in reference to Cuban wildlife and is the highlight of any birding tour on the island. It certainly was one of the clear highlights for us! What also helped was our fantastic local guide who knew every single nook and cranny in the area. Though I had heard all about him before, I was nonetheless still thoroughly impressed by his site knowledge. Our first birding stop in the region was around the Guama tourist complex just before entering the Cienaga de Zapata National Park proper. Here we picked up several new migrants for the tour, the best of which was a lone Cedar Waxwing, a nomadic and cyclical bird in the area and the only one seen on the tour. We also found our first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Louisiana Bare-legged Owl by Adam Riley Waterthrush and Black-throated Blue Warblers. Our second stop was along the trails of Sopillar where we had our first encounters with the confiding Cuban Pygmy Owl within minutes! Our local guide then took us to the nest site of Fernandina s Flicker, which we thoroughly enjoyed seeing peer out of its eye-level nest-hole at us. Cuban Vireo was called out from a mixed-flock it had joined, while another great bird that had been staked out for us was Bare-legged Owl. Our local guide tapped the trunk of a dead palm twice, and up it popped!!! Amazing! We finished up by calling a Greater Antillean Nightjar out of the dense underbrush and into the trail for all to see. To start off at Bermejas, the visiting birder attends the quail-dove feeding station set up by a local birder. It was a spectacle beyond our collective imagination. Do quail-doves come to feeders in other areas? Yes, of course. Do 3 different species come to them? No, they do not. This was unrivalled! We had views of Key West, Blue-headed and Ruddy Quail-Doves, the closest at a mere 15 feet (5m) distance! While we stood there and enjoyed the show, Grey Catbird, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Northern Parula and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher all swarmed above us in the most impressive mixed flock of the tour. All of this, and we had only just gotten the sleep out of eyes. No better way to start the day!

5 RBT Cuba Trip Report We then wandered further into the forest, quickly finding another mixed flock, this one more understory by nature, which included two wonderful species: Worm-eating Warbler and the very rarely seen Swainson s Warbler. Cuban Amazon was the next amazing endemic to show well. We had a lovely pair, perched close by, that was attending a nearby nest hole this gorgeous pair let us watch them for ages. The final target bird this forest would yield to our efforts was the difficult Grey-headed Quail-Dove, which came out onto the trail before us. Excellent! Thereafter we wandered through the small village adjacent to the forest we had just birded. Two more mixed flocks entertained us by coming closer than any had done before (within 9 feet (3m)!!) and we were delighted by a small flock of Cuban Parakeets preening and socializing with each other in a crop of mango trees. Then, we found ourselves viewing one of the most anticipated birds of the tour: Bee Hummingbird! We had 4 individuals singing from perches, defending flower patches, and generally buzzing around right in front of us. We marveled at the unique shade of greenish-blue on the back, the extended gorget and the short, stubby bill. We had scope-filled views, which is quite something for a bird 2.2 inches (less than 6 cm) long! This was another clear highlight of the tour. Our next stop of the morning, before some wonderful downtime at the beach, was perhaps our local guide s crown jewel. He took us to this site with the caveat that none of us could speak of it to other birders at our hotel. We weren t to tell anyone what we were about to see, nor where we were about to see it. With this injunction, he took us to the nest sight of the rare and seldom-seen Gundlach s Hawk!!! Here we were privileged to witness the female defending her nest fervently from anything that approached from above. Whether it was a Turkey Vulture or Crested Caracara, we stood watching her chase off any and every intruder. Yet she certainly didn t mind us, seemingly knowing that we posed no threat and could not reach up to her nest, high above our heads. Though voted only #3 on the trip highlights, this experience was very, very special! Bee Hummingbird by Adam Riley The remainder of our time in the Zapata area was spent searching its marshes and wetland areas. Wind was an unfortunate enemy in our efforts in the swamp, and we failed in our first attempt to find the Zapata Wren. Our second attempt, however, was so successful that this failure was forgotten altogether. We stopped at a very particular spot in a vast marsh, seemingly uniform to its surroundings, and played tape. An immediate response seemed distant and unlikely to approach. We waited. The response repeated, slightly closer. We hit the playback one more time. 15 seconds later we spotted the wren as it climbed to an exposed perch, a foot above the surrounding reeds, and began to sing a full chorus to us from only 8 meters away! This excitable individual continued its song for a full 2 minutes as we delighted in our views of it. Shortly after finishing, the bird flew across the road where we were standing and took up a hidden position behind us. It did not resurface, but I noticed an odd sound coming from where this bird had appeared originally. It continued to grow in strength and persistence until we saw a bird fly low across the open water towards the road right where we stood. It was a juvenile!!! This recently fledged bird was completely unabashed in approaching us and stayed relatively in the open, climbing over branches on the ground to within a few feet of our feet! Despite the flocks of flamingoes, ibis and spoonbills, the scores of Cuban Black Hawks, singing Red-shouldered Blackbirds, wonderful dancing Reddish

6 RBT Cuba Trip Report Egrets, Tricolored Herons, and all the rest we saw during the course of our time in the wetlands, this was undisputedly the premier bird this juvenile Zapata Wren! Before heading to the north coast for birding the strand of keys that line Cuba s coastline, we headed to La Belen and the Sierra Najasa region. Though a long drive, we found all of our target birds and had great views of each. The main species to search out around the Racho La Belen, in particular, are Cuban Crow, Plain Pigeon and Giant Kingbird. Not only did we have wonderful encounters with good numbers of each, but we also had repeat views of Cuban Parakeet, Cuban Amazon, Great Lizard Cuckoo, Cuban Green Woodpecker and a ton of migrant warblers as well. As a government game preserve, it offered just basic accommodation, but the food was delicious! It was certainly our only Antelope Stew of the tour. Before leaving the area we stopped at a nearby cemetery where the localized Cuban Palm Crow resides in good numbers. We were rewarded with views of it, right next to Cuban Crow for comparison. Vocalization is certainly the best way to tell them apart! From La Belen we then headed to the final birding area of our journey Cayo Coco. From our allinclusive resort hotel on a beautiful white sand beach, we would seek out the last target birds of our tour while hoping to have more encounters with migrants of various makes and models. These keys are known to be migrant traps of the first order. Our strategy here was to seek out the endemic target birds in the morning, enjoy a rest in the afternoon (bathing and enjoying the sun), and then return to the field for a bit of light birding in the afternoon. It worked! Cayo Coco itself yielded up stunning encounters with Cuban Gnatcatcher, Oriente Warbler, Cuban Vireo, Cuban Bullfinch and Zapata Sparrow. We didn t have to drive more than 15 minutes from the hotel for these great species! A drive of almost an hour, however, was required to reach the lighthouse key known as Cayo Paredon Grande. Here we found our main target Thick-billed Vireo in good numbers. Several were seen by the group, and all had at least one definitive view of this skulker before we left. Western Spindalis were in multitudes here, as were Yellow Warbler, Cuban Emerald, various migrant passerines and the odd frigatebird loafing overhead. A drive of an hour in the opposite direction then took us to Cayo Guillermo. Here we sought out and found with ease Bahama Cuban Amazon by Jonathan Rossouw Mockingbird, before heading to some salt flats to boost our shorebird numbers. After calling out a Clapper Rail and having more time with flocks of American Flamingoes, we waited at the bridge connecting Guillermo to Coco as shorebirds flocked in to roost. The remainder of the afternoon and evening was spent here, sifting through numbers of migrant shorebirds that included one real rarity American Golden Plover, a lifer bird for our local guide! Thus our Cuban adventure came to a close. We returned to Havana for one last hurrah in the capital: lobster, champagne and a tour of the old town were our fine send off to a fine tour. Postscript One of the most difficult aspects of being Cuban is perhaps one of the greatest benefits to being a visitor to Cuba. That is, tourism is one of the only professions that allow direct access to foreign currency and exchange. It is therefore a very valued and highly-respected profession to be a tour

7 RBT Cuba Trip Report guide, bird guide, or even a tour bus driver. This was entirely evident in the amazing service and quality that visitors to Cuba receive. The local bird guides were some of the best any of us had ever enjoyed, providing for the first of our main goals! The general tour guide that accompanied us throughout the tour was equally impressive, providing all sorts of fascinating information, visual aids and explanations of what we, as visitors, did and did not see while in his country. He more than satisfied the second goal for our time in Cuba. From the history of discovery and colonization by the Spaniards, through Castro s revolution, right down to the fall of Russia and the effects this had on the nation, we all left knowing much more than when we arrived. We got to see and know a bit of Cuba from both the perspective of a birding tourist and the perspective that some of the locals share. Annotated List of Birds recorded Nomenclature and taxonomy follows the IOC List of Gill, F. and M. Wright. Birds of the World: Recommended English Names. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press. Total species recorded: 163 GUINEAFOWL Numididae Helmeted Guineafowl (I) Numida meleagris Several obviously feral groups were noted. DUCKS, GEESE & SWANS Anatidae Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis GREBES Podicipedidae Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicus We saw only one at Hacienda Cortina. Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps FLAMINGOS Phoenicopteridae American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber 100s of this breathtaking bird were seen. STORKS Ciconiidae Wood Stork Mycteria americana Two small groups were seen around Zapata. IBISES & SPOONBILLS Threskiornithidae [American] White Ibis Eudocimus albus Numerous in saline habitats. Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja

8 RBT Cuba Trip Report We saw several of these beauties. BITTERNS & HERONS Ardeidae Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax One was seen flying over the lake at km 8. Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea Several seen on Cayo Guillermo. Green Heron Butorides virescens Seen almost daily in small numbers. [Western] Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Many seen daily. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Seen most days. [Western] Great Egret Ardea alba Numerous and ubiquitous. Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Numerous at Salinas and the keys. Tricoloured Heron Egretta tricolor Seen in similar habitats to Reddish Egret. Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Widespread in small numbers. Snowy Egret Egretta thula Seen in decent numbers almost daily. Magnificent Frigatebird Regular around the keys. American White Pelican One group at Salinas. Brown Pelican Widespread near the coast. FRIGATEBIRDS Fregatidae Fregata magnificens PELICANS Pelecanidae Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Pelecanus occidentalis CORMORANTS Phalacrocoracidae Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Numerous, most common in freshwater habitats. Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Widespread. ANHINGAS, DARTERS Anhingidae Anhinga Anhinga anhinga A few seen at swampy, freshwater sites. NEW WORLD VULTURES Cathartidae Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 100s seen, very widespread.

9 RBT Cuba Trip Report OSPREYS Pandionidae [Western] Osprey Pandion haliaetus Seen almost daily in small numbers. KITES, HAWKS & EAGLES Accipitridae Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis Seen well at various freshwater sites. Northern (Hen) Harrier Circus cyaneus Several seen over farmed areas. Gundlach's Hawk (E) Accipiter gundlachi AMAZING! Seen at a nest site near Zapata. Cuban Black Hawk (E) Buteogallus gundlachii Fairly numerous at Zapata and the keys. Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus Two seen over highland sites. Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Seen almost daily in small numbers. CARACARAS, FALCONS Falconidae [Northern] Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway (plancus) Mostly along the North Coast American Kestrel Falco sparverius Numerous and widespread. Merlin Falco columbarius One was seen chasing pigeons at Camaguey. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus One was spotted moving fast over Cueva de Portales. RAILS, CRAKES & COOTS Rallidae Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris Responsive and seen well at Cayo Guillermo. Sora (Rail) Porzana carolina Heard at Zapata. Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica A few of these pretty birds were seen at Zapata. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Widespread. American Coot Fulica americana Widespread. LIMPKIN Aramidae Limpkin Aramus guarauna One was seen flying over farmland, heard elsewhere. Black-necked Stilt Common on the keys. STILTS, AVOCETS Recurvirostridae Himantopus mexicanus

10 RBT Cuba Trip Report PLOVERS Charadriidae American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica A vagrant to Cuba (!), we had one at Cayo Guillermo. Grey (Black-bellied) Plover Pluvialis squatarola Several seen at coastal sites. Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus 100s at Cayo Guillermo Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Fairly widespread. SANDPIPERS, SNIPES Scolopacidae Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Small groups at Salinas and Cayo Guillermo. Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Fairly numerous at Salinas and other sites. Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Less numerous than the previous species. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius We had a few at various freshwater sites. Willet Tringa semipalmata Numerous at Salinas and the keys. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Numerous on Cayo Paredon Grande. Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla 100s on Cay Guillermo. Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla A few at various sites. Dunlin Calidris alpina Numerous on Cayo Guillermo. Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus One group on Cayo Coco. GULLS, TERNS & SKIMMERS Laridae Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Widespread, the default gull! Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis A few were seen along the causeway to the keys. [American] Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus (argentatus) One at Cayo Guillermo and along the causeway. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus A small group at Cayo Paredon Grande. Black Tern Childonis niger Very rare in Cuba (!), we saw two over a lake at km 8. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica A few on the keys. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Numerous at Salinas and on the keys. Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Numerous, the default tern.

11 RBT Cuba Trip Report Cabot's (Sandwich) Tern Thalasseus acuflavidus (sandvicensis) One at Old Havana Harbor and another on Cayo Coco. PIGEONS, DOVES Columbidae Common (Rock) Pigeon (I) Columba livia White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala A few were seen along various drives. Scaly-naped Pigeon (NE) Patagioenas squamosa A few were seen at various places. Plain Pigeon (NE) Patagioenas inornata A few were spotted at La Belen. Eurasian Collared Dove (I) Streptopelia decaocto Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura Seen daily in good numbers over farmland. Zenaida Dove Zenaida aurita Seen in small numbers in forested areas. White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Seen on most days in forested areas. Common Ground Dove Columbina passerina Seen daily in small numbers. Grey-fronted (-headed) Quail-Dove (E) Geotrygon caniceps One seen well at Bermejas. Key West Quail-Dove (NE) Geotrygon chrysia Beautiful!!! One was seen from only 3m away at Bermejas. Ruddy Quail-Dove. Geotrygon montana A surprise showing, we saw one feeding at Bermejas! Blue-headed Quail-Dove (E) Starnoenas cyanocephala We saw a stunning pair from a mere 3m away at Bermejas! Beautiful!! PARROTS Psittacidae Cuban Parakeet (E) Aratinga euops A few groups were seen at various places. Cuban Amazon (Parrot) (E) Amazona leucocephala Several pairs were seen at La Belen plus a few at Bermejas. CUCKOOS Cuculidae Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani Widespread. Great Lizard Cuckoo (E) Saurothera merlini Several seen in places with suitable habitat. OWLS Strigidae Bare-legged (Cuban Screech) Owl (E) Gymnoglaux lawrencii Two of these marvels were seen on their roost. Cuban Pygmy Owl (E) Glaucidium siju A few were seen in the Zapata area. Stygian Owl Asio stygius Two handsome individuals were also seen on their roost!

12 RBT Cuba Trip Report NIGHTJARS Caprimulgidae Greater Antillean Nightjar (NE) Caprimulgus cubanensis One was called in to sit on the trail at Sopillar. Antillean Palm Swift (NE) Seen daily in good numbers SWIFTS Apodidae Tachornis phoenicobia HUMMINGBIRDS Trochilidae Cuban Emerald (E) Chlorostilbon ricordii Seen daily in good numbers. Bee Hummingbird (E) Mellisuga helenae We say four of these little gems at Bermejas. TROGONS Trogonidae Cuban Trogon (E) Priotelus temnurus A few of these delightful birds were seen every day! KINGFISHERS Alcedinidae Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon Seen in small numbers almost daily. TODIES Todidae Cuban Tody (E) Todus multicolor Confiding, spectacular, seen almost daily!!! WOODPECKERS Picidae West Indian Woodpecker (NE) Melanerpes superciliaris Seen daily in decent numbers. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius A few were seen in the Zapata area. Cuban [Green] Woodpecker (E) Xiphidiopicus percussus Several pairs were seen in various places. Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus Only was one seen at La Guira. Fernandina's Flicker (E) Colaptes fernandinae Seen at nest holes in the Zapata area. TYRANT FLYCATCHERS Tyrannidae Cuban Pewee (E) Contopus caribaeus Seen daily in small number. Giant Kingbird (E) Tyrannus cubensis We saw a few pairs at La Belen. Loggerhead Kingbird (NE) Tyrannus caudifasciatus Seen daily and in good numbers. La Sagra's Flycatcher (NE) Myiarchus sagrae Seen daily and in decent numbers.

13 RBT Cuba Trip Report VIREOS, GREENLETS Vireonidae White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus We found one in the Zapata Area. Thick-billed Vireo (NE) Vireo crassirostris Great views were had of several at Cayo Paredon Grande. Cuban Vireo (E) Vireo gundlachii Seen most days in small numbers. Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus One was seen in the Zapata Area. Black-whiskered Vireo Vireo altiloquus We saw several singing on their territory in suitable habitat. CROWS, JAYS Corvidae Cuban Palm Crow (E) Corvus minutus A few were seen near La Belen. Cuban Crow (E) Corvus nasicus Numerous and vociferous around La Belen. WAXWINGS Bombycillidae Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum A loner was spotted in the Zapata area. SWALLOWS, MARTINS Hirundinidae Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Fairly numerous and widespread. Cuban Martin (NE) Progne cryptoleuca We saw a few around Havana and the keys. Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Two in the Zapata Area. Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva Numerous near suitable habitat. WRENS Troglodytidae Zapata Wren (E) Ferminia cerverai We saw one adult and one juvenile at Zapata, amazing views!! Blue-grey Gnatcatcher We had one at Bermejas. Cuban Gnatcatcher (E) Seen within 5m on the keys! GNATCATCHERS Polioptilidae Polioptila caerulea Polioptila lembeyei MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS Mimidae Grey Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Heard often, seen a few times. Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos Numerous and widespread. Bahama Mockingbird (NE) Mimus gundlachii

14 RBT Cuba Trip Report One was seen singing on Cayo Guillermo. THRUSHES Turdidae Cuban Solitaire (E) Myadestes elisabeth A few were seen very well at Cueva Portales. Red-legged Thrush (NE) Turdus plumbeus Seen most days in decent numbers. House Sparrow (I) OLD WORLD SPARROWS Passeridae Passer domesticus NEW WORLD WARBLERS Parulidae Northern Parula Parula americana Fairly common and widespread. Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia A few were seen on the keys. Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia A few were seen in flocks in the Zapata Area. Cape May Warbler Dendroica tigrina A few were seen in flocks in the Zapata Area. Black-throated Blue Warbler Dendroica caerulescens Seen almost daily in small numbers. Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Individuals were seen at various places. Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Small numbers were seen daily. Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor We saw several in the Zapata Area and on the keys. Olive-capped Warbler (NE) Dendroica pityophila We saw a few in the pines at La Guira. Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum Numerous and widespread. Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Widespread in small numbers. American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla Numerous and widespread. Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum One seen at Zapata. Swainson's Warbler Limnothlypis swainsonii One seen well (!) at Zapata. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla Two seen well, including one feeding at Bermejas. Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis Two seen on the tour. Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla Several seen at various places. Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Widespread in small numbers. Yellow-headed Warbler (E) Teretistris fernandinae

15 RBT Cuba Trip Report Widespread in decent numbers in the west. Oriente Warbler (E) Gregarious and beautiful, seen on the keys. Teretistris fornsi OROPENDOLAS, ORIOLES & BLACKBIRDS Icteridae Cuban (Greater Antillean) Oriole (E) Icterus melanopsis (dominicensis) Now considered a separate species. Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis Seen in both populous areas and farms. Cuban Blackbird (E) Dives atroviolaceus Numerous, seen almost daily. Red-shouldered Blackbird (E) Agelaius assimilis Several seen in the Zapata Area. Tawny-shouldered Blackbird (NE) Agelaius humeralis Seen in good numbers on most days. Greater Antillean Grackle (NE) Quiscalus niger Widespread and numerous. Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Several seen in farming areas. BUNTINGS, NEW WORLD SPARROWS & ALLIES Emberizidae Zapata Sparrow (E) Torreornis inexpectata We had two very responsive pairs on Cayo Coco!!! TANAGERS & ALLIES Thraupidae Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus Several seen in the west. Summer Tanager Piranga rubra One was seen in the Zapata area, another La Belen. Cuban Bullfinch (NE) Melopyrrha nigra Most numerous on the keys. Cuban Grassquit (E) Tiaris canorus One pair was seen wonderfully near Soroa. Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivaceus Fairly numerous throughout. Western Spindalis (NE) Spindalis zena Seen most days in small numbers gorgeous! GROSBEAKS, SALTATORS & ALLIES Cardinalidae Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea We found a small group at La Belen. REPTILES and AMPHIBIANS Cuban Iguana Knight Anole Cuban Brown Anole Cuban White-fanned Anole Cuban Wood Snake Cycluta nubila Anolis equestris Anolis saguei Anolis homolechis Tropidophis melanurus

16 RBT Cuba Trip Report Cuban Slider Trachemys decussata Rockjumper Birding Tours CC Worldwide Birding Adventures Registration number 2001/059480/23 PO Box 13972, Cascades, 3202, South Africa Tel: Fax: Alternative Website: