! Victor!Emanuel!Nature!Tours!! CUBA! (People-to-people program)! March 4-14, 2015! Bee#Hummingbird,!Mellisuga!helenae.!Photo:#D.

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1 VictorEmanuelNatureTours CUBA Birds and Culture (People-to-people program) March 4-14, 2015 BeeHummingbird,Mellisugahelenae.Photo:D.Ascanio Leader:David Ascanio IE representative: Bolivar Sanchez Cuban guide: Gustavo Pérez Local guides: Odey Martinez, Luis Vera, Orlando Ramirez, Frank Medina Compiled by: David Ascanio VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN TX

2 Cuba continues to offer a unique mix of birds, culture and architecture hardly matched anywhere in the Caribbean. Our first approach to the Cuban birdlife allowed us views of the widespread Cuban Blackbird and the territorial Cuban Emerald. We also saw our first Red-legged Thrush, a distant Cuban Pewee and several Antillean Palm Swifts nesting in the restaurant s entrance roof. From Santa Clara we drove north and across the causeway to reach Cayo Coco, one of the most important birding locations in Cuba. We started the second day with superb views of Key West Quail-Dove followed by shocking views of the endemics Cuban Tody, Cuban Green Woodpecker and Cuban Blackbird. Later, a family of the colorful Western Spindalis reached a low branch of a tree packed with small berries. As the day warmed up we added more endemics including Cuban Gnatcatcher, Cuban Emerald, Black-cowled (Cuban) Oriole, Cuban Vireo, Cuban Martin and Cuban Pewee. Some of the relevant Caribbean specialties were Bahamas Mockingbird and West Indies Whistling-Duck. The afternoon was slower in birdlife but still provided views of a couple of Great Lizard-Cuckoo, active Oriente Warblers and several Neotropical migrants. As the afternoon cooled-off many waders and American Flamingo rounded up an unforgettable day. We continued the tour with a drive to the town of Trinidad and later to Topes del Collante. In Trinidad we learned much of Cuba s history at the time of the sugar mills and its importance in the Caribbean economy. A wait-time in Topes del Collante for checking-in allowed views of three new endemic birds: Cuban Trogon (national bird of the country), Black-cowled (Cuban) Oriole now seen by everyone in the tourand Cuban Parrot. In Topes del Collante we enjoyed a mix of nature contact and culture along with close views to Cuba s national bird, the Cuban Trogon. A visit to the Colorado s family allowed us to understand the Cuban culture and its unique social system. The following location had both an historical and ornithological connotation: The Peninsula de Zapata. From the ornithological point of view this is probably the most important endemic bird area of Cuba. We enjoyed superb views of the astonishingly beautiful Blue-headed Quail-Dove, Bee Hummingbird, Yellow-headed Warbler, Cuban Pygmy Owl and Bare-legged Owl, all of which are restricted to Cuba. In one afternoon we

3 hired three old Chevrolet taxis and drove to La Turba, a location known for the unique Zapata Wren. We came across the territory of two pairs and eventually got everyone to seeing this intriguing species. By watching this interesting Cuban endemic I realized that we have set a milestone in our company s history: we are the first VENT tour ever to see this amazing wren To end the visit to the Zapata Swamp we enjoyed Son Cubano music in the old Chevrolet vehicles. The third location offered beautiful scenery, more endemic birds and more culture: the valley of Viñales with its unique Mogotes and the community of Las Terrazas. In Viñales we nailed a Cuban Solitaire. It was projecting its suit and penetrating voice against the limestone of Cueva de los Indios. Additionally, the community of Las Terrazas offered the opportunity to learn about this Biosphere Reserve and allowed us to appreciate the beauty of the Cuban Grassquit along with interesting art and unique coffee. Once in the capital city we were astonished with the beauty of Old Havana. A full day was deserved to learn about Cuba s colonial time and the importance of this island in the days when Spanish ruled much of the Caribbean and South America. A visit to Hemingway s house rounded up an unforgettable tour filled with unique birds, kids smiles, incredible and charming people, amazing history and a people-to-people contact that will remind in our minds for several years to come. Now that you have enjoyed the Caribbean taste and have birded the tropical region to enjoy its avifauna, I want to invite you to consider joining us in other similar destination rich in endemic birds and unique history. Some of these destinations are:

4 The Lesser Antilles aboard the Sea Clouds. In this cruise we look for much of the endemic species of these tiny but ornithological important islands and we put a strong effort in seeing its endemic parrot species. You can enjoy the images of our 2014 cruise in: The Amazon Cruise. This journey focuses in the riverine forest, oxbow lakes and sedimentary river islands of the rich Amazon biome. Offers unique opportunities to see parrots and macaws as well as antbirds, flycatchers and cotingas You can visit the photo album and video of this year s departures at: There are also several other interesting and unique tours, some in a relaxed and easy pace that still provides you with amazing birds. Some are: Birding the Panama s Canal. The Panama s Canal area is one of the classic birding destinations in Central America. Birding is fairly easy and offers easy access to prime forest areas. Enjoy a wealth of birds and other species seen in our photo gallery at: Costa Rica. Our relaxed & easy tour to this bird rich and efficiently managed country offers the opportunity to see many hummingbirds, visit the famous La Selva reserve and the unique Cerro de la Muerte. Enjoy some of the birds seen last year at: Casa Maria & Hato Piñero. Despite so much bad publicity of Venezuela, our tour to the mountains and the plains of this beautiful country offers a unique introduction to South America s birds and, gives you the opportunity to see macaws, scarlet ibis, sunbitterns and capibaras at very close distance. See the photo álbum at: InternationalExpeditions,Inc.islicensed(CTB19235)bytheUnitedStatesTreasury Department sofficeofforeignassetscontroltoengage,organize,andconduct authorizedpeoplebtobpeopletraveltocubathatengagesparticipantsinmeaningful interactionswithindividualsincuba.internationalexpeditionsisentirelyseparate andindependentofvictoremanuelnaturetours.

5 VENT&IECUBATOUR MAPWITHLOCATIONS

6 THEITINERARY 05 March Arrival to Santa Clara. Drive to Cayo Coco. 06 March Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and Cayo Paredón Grande. 07 March Cayo Coco Trinidad Topes del Collante. 08 March Topes del Collante - Bermejas, Playa Larga. 09 March Zapata Peninsula. 10 March Soplillar Havana Soroa. 11 March Viñales. Soroa. 12 March Soroa Las Terrazas Havana. 13 March Old Havana. 14 March Departure. THEIMAGESANDVIDEO Photo album: Video link: THEBIRDLIST The order, and common and scientific names are those given by the American Ornithologists Union (AOU) Checklist of North American Birds, 7 th edition with all current updates. Waterfowl, Anatidae WestIndianWhistling&Duck.Dendrocygnaarborea.Greatviewsofabout7 individualsincayococo. AmericanWigeon.Anasamericana.50+individualswereobservedinCayo Guillermo. Blue&wingedTeal.Anasdiscors.12+wereseenintwowetlandsalongtheroadto CayoGuillermo. NorthernShoveler.Anasclypeata.30+wereseenintwowetlandsalongtheroadto CayoGuillermo. Red&breastedMerganser.Mergusserrator.Mikesawanindividualalongtoeroadto CayoGuillermo. Flamingos,Phoenicopteridae AmericanFlamingo.Phoenicopterusruber.Closeviewsofthiselegantflamingo allowedparticipants(andmyself)totakeexcellentshots.wediscussedaboutthe originofthenameandwonderedwhatcamefirst,theflamencodance,orthenameof theflamingo Frigatebirds,Fregatidae MagnificentFrigatebird.Fregatamagnificens.CommoninCayoCoco,CayoGuillermo andcayoparedóngrande. Cormorants,Phalacrocoracidae NeotropicCormorant.Phalacrocoraxbrasilianus.CommonaroundCayoCoco.

7 Anhinga,Anhingidae Anhinga.Anhingaanhinga.Seenon6 th,09 th and10 th March. Pelicans,Pelecanidae AmericanWhitePelican.Pelecanuserythrohynchos.Aflockofabout7individuals wasseeninpondsalongthehighwaybetweensoroaandhavana. BrownPelican.Pelecanusoccidentalis.Seendaily. Herons,4Egrets4&4Bitterns,4Ardeidae4 GreatBlueHeron.Ardeaherodias.Seenon06 th,09 th and12 th March.OnCayo ParedónGrandeweenjoyedviewsofawhitemorphindividual. GreatEgret.Ardeaalba.Seeninmostwetlands. SnowyEgret.Egrettathula.Thiswasoneofthecommonestegretsinthetour.Daily viewswentuptoabout50individuals. LittleBlueHeron.Egrettacaerulea.Thiswasacommonspeciesseenalmostdaily fromindividualstopairs.notrecordedinflocks. TricoloredHeron.Egrettatricolor.CayoCoco. ReddishEgret.Egrettarufescens.ThisspecieswasseenonlytwiceinCayoCoco. CattleEgret.Bubulcusibis.Thisspecieswascommon,numerousandwidespread. GreenHeron.Butoridesvirescens.2individualswereseeninCayoCoco. Yellow&crownedNight&Heron.Nycticoraxnycticorax.Seenthreedifferentdays, usuallyinlownumbers. IbisesandSpoonbills,Threskiornithidae WhiteIbis.Eudocimusalbus.CayoCocoisnamedafterthisspecies.Mostlyseenin CayoCocoand,alongtheroadtoSoroaandViñales. RoseateSpoonbill.Plataleaajaja.ThisonewasseenfirstinCayoGuillermoandlater alongtheroadtosoroa. NewWorldVultures,Cathartidae TurkeyVulture.Cathartesaura.Weobservedthisspecieseverydayofthetour.It wascommonerinopenareas. Osprey,Pandionidae Osprey.Pandionhaliaetus.ItwasseenfirstinCayoParedónGrandeandlateralong theroadtotrinidad. Hawks,Eagles&Kites,Accipitridae SnailKite.Rosthramussociabilis.Threeindividualswereobservedbyallgroup membersonthe11 th March.TherewasalsoanearlierrecordbyJan,thedaywedrove tocayococo. CommonBlack&Hawk.Buteogallusanthracinus.5individualswereobservedinCayo Guillermo.SometaxonomistshavecalledthispopulationanendemicspeciesofCuba. Broad&wingedHawk.Buteoplatypterus.ApairwasseeninTopesdelCollante. Red&tailedHawk.Buteojamaicensis.Severalindividualswereseenthroughoutthe tour. Rails,GallinulesandCoots,Rallidae

8 ClapperRail.Ralluslongirostris.WeenjoyedviewsofasingleindividualinCayo Guillermo.ThispopulationisapparentlycloselyrelatedwiththeoneinPuertoRico. ClapperRailiscurrentlybelieved(bysometaxonomists)tobethreeseparatespecies. PurpleGallinule.Porphyriomartinicus.Apairwasobservedonawetlandalongthe roadfromsoroatohavana. CommonGallinule.Gallinulagaleata.Observedseveraltimesinwetlands. AmericanCoot.FulicaAmericana.500+wereobservedinCayoGuillermo.Also,seen inawetlandalongtheroadfromsoroatohavana. Limpkin,Aramidae Limpkin.Aramusguarauna.HeardinTopesdelCollante. StiltsandAvocets,Recurvirostridae Black&neckedStilt.Himantopusmexicanus.AcommonspeciesinCayoGuillermo. PloversandLapwings,Charadriidae Black&belliedPlover.Pluvialissquatarola.3ind.wereseeninCayoGuillermo. Wilson splover.charadriuswilsonia.wecameacrossasmallgroupof12individuals nearcayoguillermo. SemipalmatedPlover.Charadriussemipalmatus.Thisspecieswasthecommonest ploverinncuba.wesaw120+ind. Killdeer.Charadriusvociferous.Wecameacrossthespeciesonlytwiceduringthe tour. SandpipersandAllies,Scolopacidae SpottedSandpiper.Actitismacularia.Twoindividualswereseeninawetland towardstheendofthetour. Willet.Tringasemipalmata.8+CayoGuillermo. LesserYellowlegs.Tringaflavipes.AsingleoneinCayoGuillermo. RuddyTurnstone.Arenariainterpres.JeanobservedtwopairsinCayoGuillermo. LeastSandpiper.Calidrisminutilla.AsingleindividualwasobservedinCayo Guillermo.. Short&billedDowitcher.Limnodromusgriseus.Iassumethiswasthedowitcherseen quitedistantincayoguillermo. Gulls,TernsandSkimmers,Laridae LaughingGull.Leucophaeusatricilla.Acommonspeciesinbeachesandwetlands nearcayococo. Ring&billedGull.Leucophaenusdelawarensis.Adistantindividualwasobservedfrom themalecónofhavana. RoyalTern.Thalasseusmaximus.AcommonspeciesinCayoCocoandalsoalongthe causeway. SandwichTern.Thalasseussandvivensis.Asingleindividualwasseenfromthe MalecónofHavana. PigeonsandDoves,Columbidae Feral(Rock)Pigeon(I).Columbalivia.Acommonspeciesinurbanareas. Scaly&napedPigeon.Patagioenassquamosa.TopesdelCollanteandLasTerrazas.

9 White&crownedPigeon.Patagioenasleucocephala.CommoninSoroaandinBermeja. EurasianCollared&Dove(I).Streptopeliadecaocto.Weobservedseveralindividuals infarmlandandurbanareas. White&wingedDove.Zenaidaasiatica.Commoninlowlandlocations. ZenaidaDove.Zenaidaaurita.SeenwellinBermeja,alongwiththequaildove species. MourningDove.Zenaidamacroura.Acommonspeciesinlowlandsaandinurban areas. CommonGround&Dove.Columbinapasserina.Acommonspeciesinlowlandopen areas. KeyWestQuail&Dove.Geotrygonchrysa.FirstseeninCuevadelosJabalíesinCayo Coco.Later,seeninBermeja,Zapatapeninsula. Gray&frontedQuail&Dove.Geotrygoncaniceps.Weenjoyedastonishingviewsof aboutfourindividualsinbermeja. RuddyQuail&Dove.Geotrygonmontana.Wewereshockedtofindtwoindividualsin twoconsecutivedaysinsoroa.greatviews Blue&headedQuail&Dove.Starnoenascyanocephala.Apairwasobservedintwo consecutivedaysinbermeja.afavoriteamongtourparticipants Cuckoos,Cuculidae GreatLizard&Cuckoo.Coccyzusmerlini.Thisamazingcuckoowasseenalmostdaily Smooth&billedAni.Crotophagaani.CommoninfarmlandnearBermejaandother openareas. Owls,Strigidae Bare&leggedOwl(E).Margarobyaslawrencii.WeoweabigthankyoutoOrlandoand theguideinbermejasforshowingusthispeculiarowlonlyfoundincuba.wewere honoredwithviewsoftwodifferentnests CubanPygmy&Owl(E).Glaucidiumsiju.WesawthisgorgeousowltwiceintheZapata peninsula.itwasvotedamongthefavoriteforthetour Swifts,Apodidae AntilleanPalm&Swift.Tachornisphoenicobia.Awidespreadspecies.Anicebreeding colonywasobservedinthefirstafternooninloscaneyes. Hummingbirds,Trochilidae BeeHummingbird(E).Mellisugahelenae.Weobservedthreeindividualsofthe smallesthummingbirdintheworld:anadultmale,ajuvenilemaleandafemale. CubanEmerald.Chlorostilbonricordii.ThisisthecommonesthummingbirdinCuba. Weenjoyedviewsofitoneveryday Trogons,Trogonidae CubanTrogon(E).Priotelustemnurus.ThisisthenationalbirdofCuba.Thenational birdofcubawasobservedinmostlocationsincentralandwestcuba.thegenus Priotelusmeansanaccomplishedorcompletesawandreferstotheruggedappearance ofthetailfeathers. Todies,Todidae

10 CubanTody(E).Todusmulticolor.Fossilevidencesuggeststhattodiesevolvedfrom CentralAmericabutbecameextinctforunknownreasons.Fivespeciesremaininthe GreatAntillesandoneisfoundinCuba.Todiesarerelativesofthemotmotsandmore distantlytothekingfishers.weenjoythiscomicalspeciesalmostateverydayofthe tour Kingfishers,Alcedinidae BeltedKingfisher.Megacerylealcyon.SeennearCayoCocoandnearSoroa. Woodpeckers,Picidae WestIndianWoodpecker.Melanerpessuperciliaris.ThisspeciesisarelativeofRedB belliedwoodpecker(ofnorthamerica)andrebcrownedwoodpecker(ofsouth America).Wesawsinglesandpairsalmostineveryday. Yellow&belliedSapsucker.Sphyrapicusvarius.Mostofthegroupmemberssawthis speciesnearsoroa. CubanGreenWoodpecker(E).Xiphidiopicuspercussus.Withoutadoubt,thisisthe mostbeautifulpicidaeincuba.itwasfirstseenincayococoandthereweremany wowexpressionswhenitcameclosetous.despitethatwesawitagaintowardsthe endofthetour,wenevergottiredofseeingitoverandover NorthernFlicker.Colaptesauratus.ItwasseeninCayoCocoandinLasTerrazas. Fernandina'sFlicker(E).Colaptesfernandinae.Weoweabigthankyoutothepark managerforspottinganestingpairtous.everyonesawit FalconsandCaracaras,Falconidae CrestedCaracara.Caracaracheriway.AsingleindividualwasobservedinCayoCoco. NoticethansometaxonomisttreatstheCaribbeanandNorthernSouthAmerica populationsasaseparatespecies,andnameitnortherncrestedcaracara. AmericanKestrel.Falcosparverius.Thisisacommonandwidespreadspeciesin Cuba.Wesawitseveraltimes. PeregrineFalcon.Falcoperegrinus.Wefoundasingleindividual(potentiallyafemale duetoitssize)flyingnearthehotelnacionaldecuba. Parrots,Psittacidae CubanParakeet(E).Aratingaeuops.Fewindividualswereobservedinflightin Bermeja. CubanParrot.Amazonaleucocephala.Weenjoyedastonishingviewsofthisamazing parrotinthezapatapeninsula. TyrantFlycatchers,Tyrannidae CubanPewee.Contopuscaribaeus.ThiswasanothercommonendemicofCubaseen almosteveryday. LaSagra'sFlycatcher.Myiarchussagrae.Thisgenuscomprisesverysimilarspecies thatarefoundfromsouthernusatoargentina.incubathere sonlyonespecies,soits identificationisstraightforwardwecameacrossthisflycatchertowardstheendof thetourinsoroaandviñales.itscommonandspecificnameisafterramóndela Sagra(1801B1871),aCubanwriterandnaturalist.HeauthoredHistoriafísica,política ynaturaldelaisladecuba,in1837.

11 GrayKingbird.Tyrannusdominicensis.Onlyseenonce.Weird LoggerheadKingbird.Tyrannuscaudifasciatus.Thisfancykingbirdwithadistinctive contratingcapwasobservedinmostlocationsalthoughdecidedlycommonerin Soroa,ViñalesandLasTerrazas.Oneindividualwasobservedfeedingonakatydid. Vireos,Vireonidae Thick&billedVireo.Vireocrassirostris.ApairwasobservednearCayoCoco.Therace wesawiscubensisandisrestrictedtonecuba. CubanVireo(E).Vireogundlachii.Thiswasanothercommonendemicspeciesof Cuba.Nevertheless,itcandedifficulttosee.ItwasfrequentlyheardinCayoCocoand seeninthreedifferentdays. Black&whiskeredVireo.Vireoaltiloquus.PairswereobservedinSoroa. Crows,JaysandMagpies,Corvidae CubanCrow.Corvusnasicus.ApairwasseenintheZapatapeninsula. Swallows,Hirundinidae CubanMartin.Prognecryptoleuca.WesawseveralindividualsinCayoCocoandin OldHavanna. TreeSwallow.Tachycinetabicolor.ReportedbyJanalongtheroadtoSoroa. NorthernRough&wingedSwallow.Stelgidopteryxserripennis.AlannearLaTurba observedaboutthreeindividuals. CliffSwallow.Petrochelidonpyrrhonota.Dorothycalledthisspeciesonthe7 th March. BarnSwallow.Hirundorustica.LaTurba. Wrens,Troglodytidae4 ZapataWren(E).Ferminiacerverai.WeenjoyedsuperbviewsoftwopairsinLa Turba.WeareofficiallythefirstVENTtourevertoseethisspecies.Whatamilestone 4 Gnatcatchers,Polioptilidae CubanGnatcatcher(E).Polioptilalembeyei.Thiselusivebirdissometimeshardto see.wenailedapairincayococoand,sawitwell ThrushesandAllies,Turdidae CubanSolitaire(E).Myadesteselisabeth.Wescopedanindividualprojectingits uniqueandprofoundwhistleandwelearnhowtheyusethecaveacousticto reverberateitthespecificnameofthisspecieswasgivenafterqueenisabeliof CastileandSpain(1451B1504).Itremainsunknownwhythepersonwhodescribed thisspecies(lembeye)usedtheenglishequivalent(elisabeth)ratherthanthe Spanishway(Isabel). Red&leggedThrush.Turdusplumbeus.TheracetooccurinCubaisthemostcolorful one.wesawthisspecieseveryday. MockingbirdsandThrashers,Mimidae GrayCatbird.Dumetellacarolinensis.Seensporadically. BahamaMockingbird.Mimusgundlachii.Wewereastonishedtoseeanindividualso closetousandforsuchlongperiodabigthankstoodeyforfindingthisspeciestous. NorthernMockingbird.Mimuspolyglottos.AcommonspeciesinCuba.

12 NewWorldWarblers,Parulidae Ovenbird.Seiurusaurocapilla.Aborealmigrantseenaboutfivetimes.Seenwelland lengthilyinbermeja. LouisianaWaterthrush.Parkesiamotacilla.CayoCoco. Black&and&whiteWarbler.Mniotiltavaria.About8individualswerereportedduring thetour.locationswerecayococo,playalarga,soplillar,soroaandviñales. CommonYellowthroat.Geothlypistrichas.FirstseeninTopesdelCollantewith nestingmaterial.later,seeninsoroaandviñales. AmericanRedstart.Setophagaruticilla.AcommonborealmigrantinCuba.Seen daily.themaleofthisspeciesisknowninsouthamericaandmuchofthespanish speakingcaribbeanascandelita(candela=fire),givenitsflashesofredwhen spreadingthetail. CapeMayWarbler.Setophagatigrina.ApairwasobservedinCayoCocoandin TopesdelCollante. NorthernParula.Setophagaamericana.Singleindividualsorpairswereseenduring thetour. MagnoliaWarbler.Setophagamagnolia.ApairwasobservedinCayoCoco. Black&throatedBlueWarbler.Setophagacaerulescens.Cubaisaregularstopover islandforseveralneotropicalmigrantsandthisspeciesisonethatspendmuchofthe Borealwinterinthisisland.Wesawitalmostdaily. PalmWarbler.Setophagapalmarum.ThecommonestneotropicalmigrantinCuba.It wasseeninalllocationsandineveryday. Olive&cappedWarbler.Setophagapityophila.AnotherspecialtyofCuba.Weenjoyed greatviewsnearviñales. Yellow&rumpedWarbler.Setophagacoronata.Billsawthisoneonthe06thMarch.It wasalsoseeninlasterrazas. Yellow&throatedWarbler.Setophagadominica.AcommonNeotropicalmigrantseen incayococoandinsoroa. PrairieWarbler.Setophagadiscolor.Reportedonlytwice. Black&throatedGreenWarbler.Setophagavirens.Asingleindividualwasobserved insoroa. Yellow&headedWarbler(E).Teretistrisfernandinae.Threepairswereseennear Viñales.ThisisthesisterspeciesoftheallopatricCubanendemicOrienteWarbler. Althoughplacedinthisfamily,itiscurrentlyconsideredIncertadeSedis. OrienteWarbler(E).Teretistrisfornsi.SeveralpairswereseeninCayoCocoandthe PeninsuladeZapata. TanagersandAllies,Thraupidae WesternSpindalis.Spindaliszena.ThespindalisareendemictotheGreaterAntilles. Sometaxonomistsconsiderthistobepartofthecardinalsratherthantothetanagers. Fromourfirstsightweimmediatelyfeltinlovewitit.WhatabeautyItwasseenin almosteverylocation. Red&leggedHoneycreeper.Cyanerpescyaneus.AsmallgroupwasseennearLas Terrazas. Buntings,SparrowsandAllies,Emberizidae

13 CubanBullfinch.Melopyrrhanigra.Variouspairswereobservedduringthetour.This isoneofthedullestofallthebullfinchesoccurringinthecaribbean. CubanGrassquit(E).Tiariscanorus.HowcanIgiveyouapostaboutthisbird withoutthankinggisela,ourguideinlasterrazas,fortakingustoseeit?wewere rewardedwithviewsofabout5individuals.thiswasthelastcubaendemicforthe tour. Yellow&facedGrassquit.Tiarisolivaceus.AcommonandwidespreadspeciesinCuba. Itwasseeneveryday. ZapataSparrow(E).Torreornisinexpectata.Odeymadeitagainforthisbird.We enjoyedviewsofapairperchedforawhileateyelevelincayococo. CardinalsandAllies,Cardinalidae BlueGrosbeak.Passerinacaerulea.AmalewasobservedinSoroa. IndigoBunting.Passerinacyanea.AmalewasseeninLasTerrazas. TroupialsandAllies,Icteridae Red&shoulderedBlackbird(E).Agelaiusassimilis.Twoindividualsinfemale plumagewereseeninthezapatapeninsula. Tawny&shoulderedBlackbird.Agelaiushumeralis.AcommonspeciesinZapataand Soroa. CubanBlackbird(E).Divesatroviolaceus.AnotherCubanendemicseenalmostevery day. GreaterAntilleanGrackle.Quiscalusniger.AnotherCaribbeanspecialtyfoundin Cuba.Weenjoyeddailyviewsofthisspeciesinthetour. ShinyCowbird.Molothrusbonariensis.Apairwasfoundinthegardensofthehotelin ZapatapeninsulabyJan. Black&cowledOriole.Icterusprosthemelas.Wecameacrossthisspeciesalmostevery day.accordingtoclements,thisspeciesisfoundincentralamericaandthe Caribbean.NoticethatsometaxonomistsconsiderthepopulationsoftheCaribbeanto beaseparatespecies.thisonehasbeencalledcubanoriole,icterusmelanopsis. OldWorldSparrows,Passeridae HouseSparrow(I).Passerdomesticus.Observedinseveralurbanareasincluding SantaClaraandHavana. OTHERSPECIESLIST JamaicanFruit&eatingBat.Artibeusjamaicensis. Cubancrocodile.Crocodylusrhombifer. CubanFalseChameleon.Chamaleolissp. Curly&tailedLizard.Leiocephaluscubensis.Trinidad. HouseGecko.Hemidactylusmabouia. AmericanBullFrog.Lithobatescatesbeianus.HeardinTopesdelCollante. Coquí(frog).Eleutherodactyluscoquí.HeardinTopesdelCollante. Arborealtermite.Nasutitermes. LeafBcuttingant.Attasp.orAcromyrmexsp.