I spent about a week on a group trip with Arturo Kirkconnell Jr in late October/early November 2018 and what a Fabulous week of birding. I enjoyed it immensely and learned so much! We saw about 140 different species, and around 50 were life birds for me. And we saw almost all of the 25 endemic species, including the elusive Zapata wren, and my personal favorite – the bee hummingbird. Although that bare-legged owl was beyond cute too…..


We covered a lot of territory and therefore a lot of habitats – from Vinales and Las Terrazas in the west to Camaguey in the east, and from the Zapata peninsula to Cayo Coco. Many of the places we visited were National Parks and other reserves. The local rangers & guides were also very knowledgeable.


This trip focused on birds but we still saw a lot of Cuba because of our peregrinations – my only regret is that I didn’t stay an extra day in Havana for a city tour. Bad decision on my part.
On the logistics side, everything ran smoothly. The bus (~18 passenger size for our group of 11) was new and comfortable. Accommodations varied from small B&Bs to all-inclusive resorts to standard hotels. The Hostal Luis in Playa Giron, Hostal San Rafael in Camaguey and Hostal Calis in Havana were especially nice.