The IAS is offering an exclusive, US led and managed birding program to Cuba for 12 days, March 1 - 12, 2010. This program is managed by the Caribbean Conservation Trust, Inc. (CCT), an organization whose staff has more than 15 years experience offering bird conservation programs in Cuba. We will be traveling under a specific license issued for this project by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The primary purpose of this trip is to assess winter neotropical bird populations in Cuba. CCT is the designated licensee, and all qualified participants will be considered legal travelers under this license. Qualifications may include past experience participating in birding excursions such as population surveys (local or otherwise), Christmas bird counts, field studies, workshops, etc., as well as IAS membership, which can be acquired at registration for this program. You do not need to be a professional ornithologist or have scientific credentials to be considered as qualified.
The program will be led by Cuban ornithologist Dr. William Suarez. Chuck Mills, who has extensive birding, experiences in the Caribbean and Central America, will also be accompanying the tour. We will explore rarely visited parts of Cuba.
Expect to see over 130 bird species, as well as most of the 30 endemics. There are at least 15 more species that are endemic to the West Indies. Some of the areas visited will be the Western Mountains, Zapata Peninsula, Northern Archipelago, and Eastern Endemic Ranges of Cuba. While this trip is not tourist oriented there will still be opportunities to observe both cultural and educational aspects of Cuban life.
The survey will be 12 days long with an option to extend for an extra day in Havana. The cost will be $4,100.00 per person if you room with another person, with an additional supplement of $ 400.00 for a single. The trip will be limited to 14 participants who must be members of the IAS. If you are not a member you may still go - all you have to do is join.
