Birdwatching

More than 80% of Cuba's bird species can be viewed in the Zapata National Park, about 4 hours drive south east from Havana. Highlights for birders include the Cuban Solitaire, the Cuban Tody, the Zapata Wren, and the Bee Hummingbird, the world's smallest bird weighing less than two grams and just one and a half inches long!

Cuba is also a favoured stopover for many migratory birds, particularly spoonbills and flamingos which can be seen in their thousands feeding in the mudflats and enclosed lagoons of Cayo Coco. The mountains of eastern Cuba are an excellent site for birdwatching as well, containing several biosphere reserves designed to protect endangered species, particularly the ivory-billed woodpecker which was discovered there only recently.