CubaPLUS Magazine

Mountains, valleys and large swathes of vegetation in the central Cuban province of Sancti Spíritus are currently breeding grounds and refuge for a large number of endemic wild birds.

In a conversation with CubaPLUS Magazine, Abel Hernández, representative of the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Man, commented that the current map of the territory’s birdlife has an important impact on human wellbeing, both physical and mental.

According to local studies, over 600 species of fauna are registered in the province -90 of them birds-, which requires monitoring by specialists to learn about mating, nesting, reproduction and even preferred habitat locations, he added.

Being monitored currently are the parakeet and parrot species in the Lomas de Banao Ecological Reserve, as well as on the colony of more than 1,000 species of pink flamingos in the Tunas de Zaza Flora and Fauna Refuge, in southern Sancti Spíritus.

Another important place in this territory is the Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes, in the Escambray mountain range, with a rich biodiversity: more than 50% of the birds are endemic, and there are abundant natural forests of pine and eucalyptus, among others.

In addition to Caguanes National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located in Yaguajay municipality, significant sites in the region include the Caguanes keys, the Guayaberas marshes and the inlets known as Piedras keys.

 Hernández, a master in Ecological Sciences and author of more than a dozen texts on birds, highlighted the populations of cranes - the largest and least common wild bird in Cuba - in the Guayaberas marshes and the pigeon species, as well as the hummingbird, the world’s smallest bird, in all natural and urban environments.

According to studies carried out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are 31 endangered species in the province, most of them in the vulnerable and endangered categories, and some in a crucial stage.