Chasing Endemic Avifauna: A 24-hour Birding Adventure | Birds of Cuba

Welcome to my 24-hour birding trip in Cuba, a paradise for bird enthusiasts. Explore the unique avian wonders of this captivating Caribbean island, home to over 354 bird species, including 28 endemics. Marvel at the charming Cuban Tody, encounter the majestic Cuban Trogon (the national bird), and meet a variety of Caribbean specialties. Don't miss the opportunity to witness the Bee Hummingbird, the tiniest bird on the planet.

During my 24-hour itinerary, I observed a total of 90 bird species. This video showcases 54 of them, and I hope you thoroughly enjoy the experience.

The video has Mandarin commentary and English subtitles for everyone to follow along. Don't forget to enable HDR on your viewing device for a more immersive experience of light and color. All footage captured using Nikon Z9 and AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR.

The ⓔ after the bird's name means it's an endemic species and bird names with (Cuban) indicate subspecies in Cuba.

The first 12 hours:

Hotspot: Casa Ana Birding, Matanzas, CU
Bee Hummingbird ⓔ
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Cuban Pygmy-Owl ⓔ
Common Gallinule
Cuban Emerald
Cuban Tody ⓔ
Bare-legged Owl ⓔ
Cuban Vireo ⓔ
American Redstart
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Tawny-shouldered Blackbird
Cuban Black Hawk ⓔ
Cuban Crow
Cuban Parrot (Cuban)
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Cuban Blackbird ⓔ
Red-legged Thrush (Cuban)
La Sagra's Flycatcher
Loggerhead Kingbird
Prairie Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler

Hotspot: Soplillar, Matanzas, CU
Yellow-headed Warbler ⓔ
Great Lizard-Cuckoo (Cuban)
Fernandina's Flicker ⓔ
Smooth-billed Ani
Cuban Green Woodpecker ⓔ
Western Spindalis (Cuban)
Palm Warbler (Western)
White-crowned Pigeon
Greater Yellowlegs
Cuban Pewee
Greater Antillean Grackle

The second 12 hours:

Hotspot: Casa Ana Birding, Matanzas, CU
Cuban Nightjar ⓔ

Hotspot: PN Ciénaga de Zapata--Santo Tomas, Matanzas, CU
Gray-fronted Quail-Dove ⓔ
Cuban Bullfinch
Zapata Sparrow ⓔ
Turkey Vulture
American Kestrel (Cuban)
Limpkin
Crested Caracara
Cuban Trogon ⓔ

Hotspot: Casa Ana Birding, Matanzas, CU
Bee Hummingbird ⓔ
Cape May Warbler
Northern Parula

Hotspot: Las Salinas de Brito, Matanzas, CU
Swainson's Warbler
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Plover
Little Blue Heron
White-cheeked Pintail
Spotted Sandpiper
Tricolored Heron
Laughing Gull
Common Ground Dove
Reddish Egret
Magnificent Frigatebird
American Flamingo

00:00 - Intro
00:27 - The first 12 hours
07:55 - The second 12 hours