Cuba cinco – Viñales NP, February 16, 2018

male Western Spindalis Spindalis zena (pretrei)

female Western Spindalis Spindalis zena (pretrei)

Cuban Emerald Chlorostilbon ricordii

Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivaceus

Cuban Solitaire Myadestes elisabeth

Cuban Solitaire Myadestes elisabeth

Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani

Cuban Vireo Vireo gundlachii

Northern Parula Setophaga americana

Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum

La Sagra’s Flycatcher Myiarchus sagrae

'red' American Kestrels Falco sparverius (sparveroides)

Killdeer Charadrius vociferous

Snowy Egret Egretta thula

  Finally got up into the outback of Viñales NP on the 16th, and had an awesome morning out. Matt French (co-worker from Jeju) and his bud Doug Watts were spotting birds left and right, in a target-rich environment. Picked up quite a few Cuba specials, including the Cuban Tody, a spectacular little gem that merits its own post. By midday, that tropical sun sure can be an ass-kicker – good thing there was a little mojito shack on the way out.
  The Cuban Solitaire was a talented songster, singing what the field guide described as a "...far-carrying song, said to sound like a wet finger rubbed on the rim of a fine porcelain cup." Ooh la-la.

Great White Egret-3
Snowy Egret-2
Cattle Egret-5
Turkey Vulture-20+
American Kestrel-2 dark phase birds seen mating
Killdeer-14
Zenaida Dove-2
Mourning Dove-4
Common Ground Dove-8+
Smooth-billed Ani-6
Antillean Palm Swift-50+
Cuban Emerald-1
Cuban Tody-2
Cuban Pewee-3
La Sagra’s Flycatcher-3
Cuban Vireo-1
Cuban Solitaire-2
Red-legged Thrush-1
Northern Mockingbird-15+
Northern Parula-2
Yellow-rumped Warbler-3
Prairie Warbler-1
Palm Warbler-20+
American Redstart-1
Western Spindalis-3
(Rose-breasted Grosbeak-1 female possibly seen)
House Sparrow-6+
Yellow-faced Grassquit-18+
Cuban Blackbird-8
Greater Antillean Grackle-20+