Birding with Nils: Full Western Cuba Experience

Arrival in Havana and transfer toward Viñales, with a stop en route at the Soroa Orchid Garden and surrounding areas, an excellent site to begin the list of Cuban endemics: 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, Red-legged Thrush, Cuban Vireo, La Sagra's Flycatcher, Loggerhead Kingbird, and the elusive Giant Kingbird, along with several 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 bird illustrations and share exclusive details of his projects and his upcoming book Birds of Cuba, A Comprehensive Field Guide. Dinner on the terrace at sunset in an intimate and specialized setting, checklist compilation. Accommodation in a B&B.

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

Morning birding in the surroundings of Finca San Vicente to locate Scaly-naped Pigeon, Cuban Solitaire, Olive-capped Warbler, Cuban Vireo, Yellow-headed Warbler, and Red-legged Honeycreeper.

Exploration of trails within Viñales National Park in search of Cuban Trogon, Cuban Tody, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Cuban Grassquit, Antillean Palm Swift, Western Spindalis, West Indian Woodpecker, Cuban Pygmy Owl, Cuban Oriole, Tawny-shouldered Blackbird, Cuban Pewee, Negrito (Cuban Bullfinch), Great Lizard Cuckoo, and Eastern Meadowlark, along with migratory Nearctic species (warblers, tanagers, sparrows, and allies).

In the afternoon, birding in the area of the Mural de la Prehistoria. Checklist. Dinner at an eco-restaurant with one of the best sunset views in the valley. Accommodation in a B&B.

Early departure toward the Ciénaga de Zapata (approx. 5+ hours), with strategic stops in wetlands along the road to look for King Rail, Northern Jacana, and Snail Kite, as well as various 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. Special opportunity to search for targets such as the Cuban Grassquit and Stygian Owl.

Picnic lunch at the family eco-farm “El Rocío”, with opportunities for birding in the surrounding areas and searching for Fernandina's Flicker and other Cuban and Caribbean endemics. The visit also includes an introduction to a Cuban stingless bee farm, the Cuban Stingless Bee, with honey tasting.

Arrival in Playa Larga, Bahía de Cochinos. The Ciénaga de Zapata is the largest wetland in the insular Caribbean, a Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Site, with over 254 recorded species and the richest birding area in the entire archipelago due to its habitat diversity and high concentration of endemics.

Accommodation in a B&B (3 nights). Checklist and dinner.

Exploration of marshes, mangroves, and open wetlands, where it is possible to find: 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 white morph of the Great Blue Heron, among many other gulls, shorebirds, herons, and ducks.

Seafood 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 bird paradise 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, and Bee Hummingbird, among other Cuban, regional, and migratory species.

Checklist, dinner, and accommodation at B&B.

Departure to La Turba, a sedge-dominated 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 involved in ex-situ conservation programs for threatened aquatic 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 observe: 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 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 en route (La Cuchilla and Babiney rice fields) to observe Red-shouldered Blackbird, Limpkin, Glossy Ibis, and King Rail, along with other waterbirds and shorebirds.

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

Continuation along the southern coastal highway with scenic Caribbean views, with stops to observe Cuban Gnatcatcher, White-collared Swift, Black Swift, and a potential hybrid between Yellow-headed Warbler and Oriente Warbler.

Accommodation at Villa Guajimico (1 night), a coastal enclave between hills and reefs with scenic sunsets over the Caribbean Sea, nearby cave systems, and endemic birdlife. Checklist and dinner.

Early morning departure toward Camagüey, with lunch at a local restaurant en route (approx. 4.5 hours), followed by a visit to the city’s historic center.

Accommodation at a hotel or B&B (2 nights), checklist, and dinner at a local restaurant.

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

Lunch at a local restaurant and continuation toward Cayo Coco (approx. 4 hours), accommodation at an all-inclusive hotel (2 nights). Checklis and dinner.

Early breakfast and sunrise departure to Cayo Paredón (approx. 50 min), where the main target will be the elusive Thick-billed Vireo, along with a wide diversity of waterbirds that will further enrich the trip list, including resident and migratory species. In the area it is common to observe Cuban Black Hawk, Osprey (Caribbean), and the white morph of the Great Blue Heron.

Visit to Cayo Guillermo (approx. 1.5 hours) to search for Bahama Mockingbird and West Indian Whistling Duck. Depending on the season, it is also possible to observe the Bahama Swallow, along with a wide variety of waterbirds in the coastal lagoons, increasing the total species count.

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

Short rest at the hotel and departure to the Cueva del Jabalí, with opportunities to observe Key West Quail-Dove, Zapata Sparrow, Mangrove Cuckoo, and other resident and migratory species.

Night excursion with opportunities for Cuban Nightjar and Chuck-will's-widow.

Early breakfast, departure to the Chambas rice fields (approx. 1.5 hr), an excellent site for aquatic bird species such as: Gallinuela Escribano/Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maculatus), Gallinuelita Amarilla (Laterallus flaviventer), Yaguasín/Fulvous Whisthling Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor), Gallinuela de Agua Dulce (Rallus elegans ramsdeni), Coco Prieto/Glossy Ibis (Plegadis facinellus), among many other aquatic bird species such as sandpipers, ducks, and gulls. Lunch at a local restaurant and continuation to Havana.

Arrival in Havana in the late afternoon-evening (approx. 6 hr), accommodation in B&B, checklist, dinner.

Discover Havana in style, touring the beautiful streets of Cuba’s capital aboard an elegant classic American car from the 1950s. After breakfast, the iconic American cars will pick you up for a drive through Old Havana, making stops at the main points of interest. Next, a guided walking tour will begin through the five most important colonial squares, around which the city was founded and later expanded.

As you walk with your guide through the narrow streets of Havana, 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 Morro. You will enjoy lunch and have the afternoon free, or you may choose to dedicate it to birdwatching at Playa del Chivo (optional), the city’s most renowned site for shorebird observation.

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

Transfer to the airport.