Birding Standard with Nils: Western Cuba and Cayo Coco

Arrival in Havana and transfer to Viñales, visiting the Soroa Orchid Garden and surrounding areas along the route, an excellent starting point for the endemic species list: Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Scaly-naped Pigeon, White-crowned Pigeon, Western Spindalis, West Indian Woodpecker, Cuban Oriole, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Pewee, Yellow-headed Warbler, Western Red-legged Thrush (rusty belly), Cuban Vireo, La Sagra’s Flycatcher, Loggerhead Kingbird, Giant Kingbird, among other migratory species. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Transfer to Viñales, approx. 1.5 hours (2 nights). Visit to Nils’ studio-home, where he will present his original Cuban bird illustrations and share exclusive details about his projects and his upcoming book Birds of Cuba, A Comprehensive Field Guide. Sunset terrace dinner in an intimate, specialized setting, checklist compilation. Accommodation at B&B.

The Viñales Valley, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1999), is one of the most spectacular landscapes in Cuba, surrounded by limestone mogotes and known for its tobacco-growing tradition.

Morning birding around the San Vicente Farm area to locate Scaly-naped Pigeon, Cuban Solitaire, Olive-capped Warbler, Cuban Vireo, Yellow-headed Warbler, Red-legged Honeycreeper.

Exploration of trails within Viñales National Park in search of: Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Cuban Grassquit, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Antillean Palm Swift, Western Spindalis, West Indian Woodpecker, Cuban Pygmy Owl, Cuban Oriole, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Pewee, Yellow-headed Warbler, Cuban Bullfinch, Cuban Vireo, Great Lizard Cuckoo, Eastern Meadowlark, as well as Nearctic migrants (warblers, tanagers, sparrows, and allies).

In the afternoon, birding in the area of the Mural de la Prehistoria. Checklist and dinner at an ecological restaurant with one of the best sunset views in the valley. Accommodation at B&B.

Early departure toward Zapata Swamp (5+ hours), with strategic stops at wetlands along the road to observe: King Rail, Northern Jacana, Snail Kite, as well as different species of ducks, gulls, and shorebirds.

Visit to the Las Terrazas Biosphere Reserve, where excellent views of Cuban endemics and migratory warblers and vireos can be obtained, with a special opportunity to search for target species such as Cuban Grassquit and Stygian Owl.

Countryside lunch at the family ecofarm “El Rocío”, with the possibility of birding in the surrounding areas and searching for Fernandina's Flicker and other Cuban and Caribbean endemics, as well as touring the farm and visiting the breeding area of the Cuban Stingless Bee and tasting its honey with notable medicinal properties.

Arrival in Playa Larga, in the Bay of Pigs. The Zapata Swamp is the largest wetland in the insular Caribbean, a Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Site, with more than 254 recorded species and considered the best birdwatching area in the entire archipelago due to its habitat diversity and high concentration of endemics.

Accommodation at B&B (3 nights). Checklist and dinner.

Exploration of marshes, mangroves, and open wetlands, where it is possible to observe: Cuban Black Hawk, American Flamingo, Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, Reddish Egret (white and dark morphs), American Wood Stork, Osprey, Clapper Rail, Black Skimmer, Yellow Warbler, and the charismatic white morph of the Great Blue Heron, among many other species of gulls, shorebirds, herons, and ducks.

Lunch at the classic and picturesque restaurant “El Ticki”, located in front of the bay in Playa Larga with beautiful views.

In the afternoon, visit to the Casa Ana backyard, where we will be welcomed by our host Adrian, and it will be possible to observe up close the world’s smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird, Cuban Emerald, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Crow, Cuban Pygmy Owl, and numerous migratory warblers, including Cape May Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Then we will visit the “Jardín de Rocío”, located in the rural settlement Los Hondones, a paradise for birds where tranquility prevails, in direct contact with nature and the hospitality of hosts Julio “El Chino” and his wife Yona. Here it is possible to enjoy close encounters with several individuals of Blue-headed Quail-Dove, Zenaida Dove, Cuban Blackbird, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Shiny Cowbird, Bee Hummingbird, among many other Cuban, regional, and migratory species.

Checklist, dinner, and accommodation at B&B.

Departure to La Turba, a sedge grassland habitat within the Ciénaga, where it is possible to find two of Cuba’s rarest and most restricted species: Zapata Wren and Zapata Sparrow, as well as the Red-shouldered Blackbird, along with other endemic and migratory species.

Visit to an ecological station where ex-situ conservation projects are being developed for threatened species such as the Cuban Gar and the Cuban Slider.

In the afternoon, exploration of the savannas of Soplillar in search of Cuban Amazon and Cuban Parakeet.

A nocturnal excursion will be conducted to look for: Bare-legged Owl, Cuban Nightjar, American Barn Owl, and Stygian Owl.

Checklist, dinner, and accommodation at B&B.

Departure at 6:30 a.m. toward Cienfuegos with a stop at Bermejas Refuge (approx. 50 min) to observe Blue-headed Quail-Dove, Gray-fronted Quail-Dove, Cuban Parakeet, Fernandina's Flicker, Northern Flicker, Cuban Pygmy Owl, among other endemic and migratory species.

Two additional stops along the way (La Cuchilla and Babiney rice fields) to observe Red-shouldered Blackbird, Limpkin, and Green Heron (dark morph, brunescens). In the Babiney rice fields, large concentrations of Glossy Ibis, King Rail, and other waterbirds and shorebirds can be observed.

Arrival in Cienfuegos (approx. 45 min), a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Pearl of the South.” Lunch at a local restaurant. Alternatively, a visit to the Botanical Garden may be arranged in search of Gundlach's Hawk.

Heading east along the southern coastal road with scenic views of the Caribbean Sea (45 min), with stops to observe Cuban Gnatcatcher, White-collared Swift, Black Swift, and potential hybrids between Yellow-headed Warbler and Oriente Warbler.

Accommodation at Villa Guajimico (1 night), a coastal enclave between hills and reefs with endemic bird presence and nearby cave systems. Checklist and dinner.

Early departure toward Najasa for birdwatching and a meeting with a local guide. Target species include Giant Kingbird, Cuban Palm Crow, Plain Pigeon, and Oriente Warbler, as well as other endemic and migratory species, with an opportunity to search for Gundlach's Hawk.

Lunch at a local restaurant and continuation to Cayo Coco (approx. 4 hours). Accommodation at an all-inclusive hotel (2 nights). Checklist and dinner.

Early breakfast and departure at dawn to Cayo Paredón (approx. 50 min), where the main target will be the Thick-billed Vireo, a very difficult species to observe, along with a wide diversity of waterbirds that will add to the trip list, including resident and migratory species.

In the area it is common to observe Cuban Black Hawk, Osprey (Caribbean form), as well as the white morph of the Great Blue Heron.

Visit to Cayo Guillermo (approx. 1.5 hr) to search for Bahama Mockingbird and West Indian Whistling Duck. It is also possible to observe the Bahama Swallow and a wide variety of waterbirds in the coastal lagoons, offering an opportunity to increase the species count for the trip.

Lunch at the hotel (all inclusive). In the afternoon, visit to Playa Las Coloradas for shorebird observation, with special focus on the Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher, timing dependent on tides.

Short rest at the hotel followed by a night excursion to Cueva del Jabalí, with opportunities to observe Key West Quail-Dove, Zapata Sparrow, Oriente Warbler, Mangrove Cuckoo, among other resident and migratory species.

Optional nocturnal session for Cuban Nightjar and Chuck-will's-widow.

Early breakfast and departure to the Chambas rice fields (approx. 1.5 hours), an excellent site for freshwater species such as Spotted Rail, Yellow-breasted Crake, Fulvous Whistling Duck, King Rail, and Glossy Ibis, among many other waterbirds such as shorebirds, ducks, and gulls.

Lunch at a local restaurant and continuation toward Havana.

Arrival in Havana in the late afternoon/evening (approx. 6 hours), accommodation at B&B, checklist, and dinner.

Discover Havana in style, traveling through the beautiful streets of the Cuban capital aboard an elegant 1950s classic American car.

After breakfast, the iconic vintage cars will pick you up for a tour of Old Havana, with stops at the main points of interest. This will be followed by a guided walking tour of the five most important colonial squares, around which the city was founded and later expanded.

While walking through the narrow streets of Havana with your guide, you will immerse yourself in the colonial atmosphere and visit majestic buildings such as the Cathedral of San Cristóbal, the Fortress of La Cabaña, and the Castle of El Morro.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and have the afternoon free, or alternatively dedicate it to birdwatching at Playa del Chivo (optional), the city’s most recognized site for shorebird observation.

The day concludes with a farewell dinner at the restaurant “Guajirito”, an excellent venue to enjoy Cuban music, where the Buena Vista Social Club band (Grammy winners) often performs.

Transfer to the airport.