Birdwatching at Cienaga de Zapata

Ornithologists say that thr Zapata Peninsula is one of the best place for bird watching in Cuba. 280 of the 350 species of bords that have been reported in Cuba -62 percent of the total- can be seen on the Peninsula. In general, the ornithofauna of this area constitutes 86 are resident permanent of our country, 104 migratory and 28 bimodal resident. It is of highlighting the great wealth of endemic species of the Marsh of Zapata, since it harbors 20 of them that constitute 78% of the endemic birds of our country.

In this area they are also, six of the seven Cuban endemic Goods and three endemic local the Fermina, the Gallinuela of Santo Tomas and the subspecies of the Goatherd of the Swamp T. i. inexpectata. Keeping in mind the birds in extinction danger reported for Cuba by LLanes et to the one. (2002), live 22 species in the Cienaga de Zapata that represent 55% in the threatened ways of birds of our country, being nine endemic, standing out the goods Cyanolimnas, Ferminia, Torreornis and Starnoenas.

Between December and April Zapata is home to numerous North American migrants, particularly warblers. This is the time to come for great displays of water birds, including Caribbean Flamingo, Roseate Spoonbill, Herons, Ibis, Jacana, Anhinga, Night-Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Grebe, Coots, Gallinules, Limpkin, Clapper, Spotted and King Rails, Sora, Wilson’s Plover , Yellow-breasted Crake and Chuck-wills Widow.

Raptors are well represented with Snail Kite, American Kestrel and Common Black, Grub and Bautista Hawk, the rare Gundlach’s Hawk, Bare-legged Owl or Cuban Screech-Owl and Cuban Pygmy-Owl, Bare-legged and Stygian Owl and Greater Antillean (Cuban) Nightjar.

Birdwatching Sites in Cienaga de Zapata

The whole territory is a great observation place, the opportunities to observe birds are very good, they extend from seeing the bee hummingbird until to a phenomenal flamenco. There are good places of observation of birds defined as the Refuge of Fauna like: The Bermejas area, La Salina Nature Reserve and Departure to Santo Tomás Refuge in the National Park of Zapata.

In this area one can see the Cuban Green Woodpecker, all four of Cuba’s species of Quail-dove, Zenaida Dove, West Indian Woodpecker, the endemic race of Northern Flicker and the rare and declining endemic Fernandina`s Woodpecker.

Wildlife Reservoir of Bermejas

One of the natural sites with the biggest count of endemic birds in Cuba, located in the Zapata Marshlands Park. Some 5 to 7 species of woodpeckers can be watched here, as well as interesting species. The following birds are part of the list of endemic birds: ordinary woodpecker, woodpecker escapularios, woodpecker Jabado, green woodpecker, woodpecker de paso, motley parrot, dwarf owls, ground pigeons, parrots, sparrowhawks, ringdove, long-tail hawk.

Santo Tomás

Small isolated area in the Zapata Marshlands, where there are three endemic birds hailing exclusively from that site, quite similar in their behavior (low-flying species that build their nests in the ground and walk rather than fly). These birds are fermina de Santo Tomas, cabrerito de la cienaga and gallinuela de Santo Tomás. The camao pigeon, also an edemic species, can be watched.

The Salinas Wetlands

Area which extend throughout the southwestern side of Bay of Pigs. It represents a safe haven, feeding ground and nest site for hundreds of migratory birds, such as water-habitat birds of several genres and species. Pink flamingos, for instance, find in the coast a safe site for their colonies. Some other endemic birds can also be found, such as grey cranes.