The Cuban Pines are iconic for having a large set of diverse species of birds. They differ in size, color, call, etc. Despite conservation efforts, there are still many birds that are endangered or threatened in this geographical location. Some of them are listed below.
For a complete Avifauna Species List: Click Here
Polioptila lembeyei
Common Name: Cuban Gnatcatcher
Family: Polioptilidae
Order: Passeriformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
The Cuban Gnatcatcher was described by the most famous of this island’s ornithologists, the naturalised Juan (Johannes) Gundlach, for one of his predecessor’s, Juan Lembeye, who published an early catalog of the country’s avifauna. This delightful gnatcatcher, whose plumage recalls most Polioptila in being principally blue-gray and white, is distinguished by the crescentic black auricular mark. The only other gnatcatcher found on Cuba, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) is a usually uncommon winter visitor to the island. Usually found in pairs, the Cuban Gnatcatcher is distributed in dense coastal scrub discontinuously east from central Cuba, and is also found on several small offshore islands, where its habitat is coming under increasing pressure from ongoing tourist developments. Nonetheless, the species remains reasonably common, at least locally, and is not currently perceived to be at particular risk of extinction. The Cuban Gnatcatcher breeds, like most resident landbirds on the island, from around March to July, and constructs a deep, cup-shaped nest, in which it lays 3–5 eggs.
Source: http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=542636
Vireo gundlachii
Common Name: Cuban Vireo
Family: Vireonidae
Order: Passeriformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
The Cuban Vireo is endemic to and widespread over Cuba, where it is represented by as many as four subspecies, two of which are entirely restricted to offshore islands of the archipelago and some of them only rather marginally differentiated. This species is probably the most commonly encountered Vireo on Cuba, with the possible exception of Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus), which is a summer visitor to the country, rather than a permanent resident. These two species are easily separated by vocalisations and plumage, with Cuban Vireo having a large-eyed appearance, no eyestripe, but possessing one or two faint wingbars, as well as creamy lores and a postocular crescent. The Cuban Vireo prefers forested areas, but can also be found in bushy thickets, and is mainly confined to lower elevations. Like other vireos, the nest is cup-shaped, and the breeding season commences in March and continues to August. The species usually lays three eggs.
Source: http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=507276
Accipiter gundlachi
Common Name: Gundlach’s Hawk
Family: Accipitridae
Order: Falconiformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: Yes
Redlist Category: Endangered (EN)
Facts:
Gunlach’s Hawk is endemic to the Island of Cuba. As with most Accipiter, its habitat preferences are not highly specialized. Minimally, it requires forests in which it can conceal its hunting approaches to avian prey items, which include parrots, pigeons, doves, crows, nighthawks and thrushes. Though never common, Gundlach’s Hawk was distributed throughout Cuba, but unfortunately much of the suitable habitat has been heavily degraded and the species only persists in five isolated populations that, in total, habor between 150-200 pairs. The Gundlach’s Hawk is closely related to the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) of North America, and forms a superspecies with it and the Bicolored Hawk (Accipiter bicolor) of Central and South America.
Source: http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=123036
Sula leucogaster
Common Name:Brown Booby
Family: Sulidae
Order: Pelecaniformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
“This species was formerly known from upland areas throughout western Cuba in Pinar del Río and Matanzas Provinces, Cuba, but its range has now decreased significantly. It has been recorded from 70-155m asl.This species occurs in a few protected areas, but there is insufficient management of these for conservation, and the habitat continues to be degraded. Improved protection of the existing protected areas network is needed, as is urgent research to determine the cause of the decline.” http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/56988/0
Anhinga anhinga
Common Name: Anhinga
Family: Anhingidae
Order: Pelecaniformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
“This is a large species that is found in rock crevices and caves in mesic broadleaf forest. It has not been recorded outside forest habitat and is always associated with limestone. It breeds by direct development. This species has a restricted range in the Sierra de los Organos and the Sierra del Rosario, in western Cuba. It has been recorded from 75-182m asl. The main threat is infrastructure development for tourism, and the disturbance of habitat by tourist activities. Its range includes several protected areas (such as Parque Nacional Viñales), but there is a need to improve the management of these reserves for conservation.” http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/57065/0
Pelecanus occidentalis
Common Name: Brown Pelican
Family: Pelecanidae
Order: Pelecaniformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
“This species has a restricted range in the Sierra del Rosario, the Sierra de Camarones, and Pan de Matanzas, in western and central Cuba. It has been recorded from 155-390m asl. It is a terrestrial species found in mesic broadleaf forest, and has not been recorded outside forest habitat. At the Sierra de Camarones locality it is found on rocks. Eggs are laid on the ground, and it breeds by direct development. The major threat is habitat loss and degradation due to agriculture, infrastructure development for human settlement, and tourism; agricultural pollution may also be having a negative impact on populations.” http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/57069/0
Passerina ciris
Common Name: Painted Bunting
Family: Emberizidae
Order: Pelecaniformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Near Threatened (NT)
Facts:
“This species has a restricted range and patchy distribution on the Peninsula de Guanahacabibes, Alturas de la Habana-Matanzas, and Isla de Juventud, in Cuba. It has been recorded from sea level up to 381m asl. It is found in rocky areas, coastal cliffs and caves in mesic forest. It has not been recorded outside forest habitat, and it breeds by direct development. It occurs in Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes, which is a well-protected area, as well as several other protected areas.” http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/56859/0
Starnoenas cyanocephala
Common Name: Blue-headed Quail-Dove
Family: Columbidae
Order: Columbiformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Endangered (EN)
Facts:
“Often found in pairs, the blue-headed quail-dove is a predominantly ground-dwelling species which spends much of its time foraging in the leaf litter. The blue-headed quail-dove is endemic to Cuba. The blue-headed quail-dove is protected under Cuban national law in the Zapata Swamp. However, the law is not currently enforced and hunting there continues to contribute significantly to this species’ decline. The only known highland population of the blue-headed quail-dove is protected within the La Güira National Park.” http://www.arkive.org/blue-headed-quail-dove/starnoenas-cyanocephala/
Dendroica fusca
Common Name: Blackburnian Warbler
Family: Parulidae
Order: Passeriformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
“This species has a restricted range in the Sierra de los Organos and the Sierra del Rosario, Cuba. It has been recorded from 75-182m asl. It occurs in rocky areas, and sometimes retreats to terrestrial bromeliads in closed-canopy mesic forest; it has not been recorded outside forest habitat. It calls from rock crevices, or sometimes on vegetation. Eggs are laid on the ground, and it breeds by direct development.Its range includes Parque Nacional Viñales, which is a well-managed protected area, and several nearby.” reserves.http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/56693/0
Larus delawarensis
Common Name: Ring-billed Gull
Family: Laridae
Order: Charadriiformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
Familiar acrobats of the air, Ring-billed Gulls nimbly pluck tossed tidbits from on high. Comfortable around humans, they frequent parking lots, garbage dumps, beaches, and fields, sometimes by the hundreds. These are the gulls you’re most likely to see far away from coastal areas—in fact, most Ring-billed Gulls nest in the interior of the continent, near freshwater. A black band encircling the yellow bill helps distinguish adults from other gulls—but look closely, as some other species have black or red spots on the bill.
Source: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ring-billed_gull/id
Icterus galbula
Common Name: Baltimore Oriole
Family: Icteridae
Order: Passeriformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
The rich, whistling song of the Baltimore Oriole, echoing from treetops near homes and parks, is a sweet herald of spring in eastern North America. Look way up to find these singers: the male’s brilliant orange plumage blazes from high branches like a torch. Nearby, you might spot the female weaving her remarkable hanging nest from slender fibers. Fond of fruit and nectar as well as insects, Baltimore Orioles are easily lured to backyard feeders.
Source: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole/id
Tyrannus cubensis
Common Name: Giant Kingbird
Family: Tyrannus cubensis
Order: Passeriformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Endangered (EN)
Facts:
“The giant kingbird (Tyrannus cubensis) belongs to the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. The tyrants owe their name to the notoriously aggressive behaviour of some species within the family, a trait which is particularly true of the kingbirds. The giant kingbird is native to Cuba and the Isle of Pines. A project to discover more about the breeding ecology of the giant kingbird is currently being carried out in the Sierra de Najasa region of Cuba, while surveys are also underway to define the species’ precise distribution, especially around Moa and in Pinar del Río province.” http://www.arkive.org/giant-kingbird/tyrannus-cubensis/
Gallinago gallinago
Common Name: Common Snipe
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Class: Aves
Endemic: No
Redlist Category: Least Concern (LC)
Facts:
Common in Cuba, this is a medium sized bird with generally grey-brownish plumage. It possesses a very long, straight bill and four whitish lines on its back. Its size ranges from 23-28cm.
Cuban Pines 
