Cuban Bird Watching: The Top 5 Birds to Spot

One of the greatest pleasures of visiting the island is the wide mix of Cuban wildlife that you won't be able to see anywhere else. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the skies - Cuban bird watching draws people from around the world, and those with the patience will find it a truly wonderful and rewarding activity. So here's a guide to the Cuban wildlife you can expect to take in, while bird watching in Cuba.

The Cuban Trogan should be easy for Cuba's bird watching enthusiasts to spot - it's the country's national bird due to its colourful plumage which matches the Cuban flag: blue, red and white. If you're on the look out for this fine specimen of Cuban wildlife, try in forests near streams and look out for its dark green head feeding on insects by hovering above flowers.

You may struggle to find the Bee Hummingbird - partly because it's labelled as `threatened', and partly because it's the world's smallest bird. Growing to a maximum size of 2.25 inches, you are most likely to find this world renowned example of Cuba's wildlife in the island's valleys, gardens and forests.

If you find the Bee Hummingbird too small to spot when bird watching in Cuba, then perhaps something slightly bigger would be easier. Try the Cuban Finch - a whole inch longer, and with amazing energy! If you want to spot its attractive yellow head, keep an eye on shrubs, where it nests.

There was a time when you were guaranteed to spy the Cuban Parakeet while enjoying the wildlife of Cuba, but it's becoming less and less common thanks to habitat destruction and trapping due to its reputation as a crop pest.

Determined Cuban birdwatchers will most likely find the creature in grasslands with palms, woodland edges and in undisturbed forests. Although rare, you'll know it when you see it: bright green red spots on the head, neck and wing with a white band of flesh around its eyes.

Yet another example of Cuba's wildlife that's endangered, the beautiful Cuban Kite is in a critical state due to loss of habitat. Bird watchers in Cuba should be pleased to see it at all - it was thought extinct for a while, until 3 Cuban Kites were found in the east of the island.

To stand any chance of seeing this bird of prey at all, you should look in heavily forested areas, where it lives mainly off snails.