The Wildlife In Cuba Birdwatching And The Island s Indigenous Land Mammals

T he Caribbean is known for       They feed on insects, fruits and   its wildlife, and naturally     by hovering on flowers.            Cuba is no exception.                                              However, if you don’t know what       Bee Hummingbird                    you’re looking for, you can miss                                         an awful lot – especially with        The world’s smallest bird is       the world’s smallest humming          endemic to the island, and a       bird, and a frog smaller than a       highlight of Cuba’s birdwatching   penny are endemic to the island!      scene. Growing to a maximum        Here’s a guide to the animals of      length of 2.25 inches, it’s        Cuba that you should look out for     typically found in valleys,        on your visit to the island.          gardens and forests but has been                                         labelled as ‘threatened’ since     Firstly, birdwatching in Cuba is      2000 due to a loss of its natural  reason to visit in itself, and        habitats.                          the Caribbean’s avian life is                                            both graceful and colourful. Here     Cuban Finch                        are some of the more memorable                                           birds you might see amidst Cuba’s     Another small species, the Cuban   wildlife:                             Finch is 3 and a half inches of                                          impressive energy! Nesting in      The Cuban Trogan                      shrubs, it is best known for its                                         beautiful yellow head, which       Known as Cuba’s national bird,        males can fluff up to attract      because it shares the same            mates!                             colours as the Cuban flag – blue,                                        red and white. Found in forests       Cuban Parakeet                     near streams, it is notable for                                          its dark green head and wings,        The Cuban Parakeet, once a common  bright red belly and white chest.     sight for those birdwatching in    Cuba has now become something of      Moving away from the               a rarity thanks to destruction of     opportunities for birdwatching     habitat and trapping, as it was       that Cuba offers, the wildlife of  regarded as a crop pest.              the island is equally impressive,                                        though sadly in many cases the     Those birdwatching in Cuba will       animals of Cuba are equally        likely find it in grasslands with     endangered.                        palms, woodland edges and in                                             undisturbed forests. You should       Cuban Hutia                        be able to spot it easily enough                                         – it is bright green with red         The Cuban Hutia is the largest     spots on the head, neck and           endemic land animal that Cuba has  breast with red on the bend of        to offer, growing on average to    the wing, and a white band of         be around 60 centimetres in        flesh around the eyes.                length. If you’re looking to                                             catch a sight of one of these      Cuban Kite                            during your Cuban travel, you’re                                         best off looking around the        In a distressingly familiar           forests and rocky areas of the     theme, the beautiful Cuba Kite is     island, where you may spy the      classified as ‘critically             animal going about its daily       endangered’ due to habitat loss.      business. It’s an omnivore and     In fact, it was thought extinct       eats a combination of fruits,      until 3 Cuban Kites were found on     small reptiles, small mammals and  the east of the island.               leaves.                                                                                                     The bird of prey lives in heavily     Cuban Solenodon                    forested land, and is thought to                                         feed mainly on snails.                This insectivore was, like the                                           Cuban Kite, once thought to be     extinct, but has now been             be around at night, when it is     ‘upgraded’ to endangered status.      active. It’s carnivorous, and      You are unlikely to spy this          will eat pretty much anything it   sample of Cuba’s wildlife by          can catch, but even though it’s    chance, as it is largely              the largest species of treefrog    nocturnal, and spends its days        in North America, that doesn’t     hiding in trees and under rocks,      extend to humans!                  mainly in forests and thick shrub                                        habitats.                             Monte Iberia Dwarf Eleuth                                                                                   Cuban Boa                             The text for its name in this                                            article actually takes up more     Listed as near threatened, those      space than the frog itself!        with a fear of snakes shouldn’t       Growing to just 0.8mm long, you    worry about running into one of       could fit 2-3 of these endangered  these by chance! Also known as        frogs on a single penny piece.     the Cuban Tree boa, thanks to the     It’s small size and endangered     amount of time it spends up in        status isn’t the only reason       trees, those looking to see one       you’re unlikely to spy one on      in the wildlife of Cuba are best      holiday – they’re also nocturnal,  of searching in woodland and          finding cover in the daytime.      rocky habitats.                                                                                                The animals of Cuba are simply     Cuban Treefrog                        breathtaking, and the endangered                                         nature of many of the creatures    Also up in the trees                  means that seeing some of the      (unsurprisingly) is the Cuban         species is likely a once in a      Treefrog. If you’re hoping to         lifetime experience. Whether       catch sight of one amongst the        you’re in Cuba for birdwatching,   Cuban wildlife, you will need to      or simply taking in the history,   an exploration of the wildlife is     days.                              a fascinating way to spend a few       About the Author: Emma Lelliott is the general manager of Captivating Cuba, an independent Cuba holiday specialist. With offices in Havana and the UK, Captivating Cuba can design tailor made Cuba bird watching holidays to ensure you see the fascinating avian life in their amazing natural habitat. Published At: www.Isnare.com