Cuban Endangered Birds

Abstract

Although Cuba has strict hunting regulations and protective laws, as well as an excellent system of preserves, some species and races of Cuban birds are endangered. Here, I discuss the current status of these and bring the Red Data Book up-to-date for Cuban birds. Most of the endangered races are those inhabiting keys off the coast of Cuba. Endemic Cuban species are, as a whole doing well and benentting from newly established preserves. Two endemics, the Cuban Kite and the Zapata Wren are very rare and, perhaps, nearly extinct. The wren may recover now that its Zapata Swamp habitat is protected. Gundlach's Hawk is more common than reported by earlier workers. The Bachman's Warbler, although recently sighted, is essentially extinct as a non-breeding bird on Cuba. RESUMEN. A pesar de que Cuba posee regulaciones estrictas para la caza y leyes de protection, asi como un excelente sistema de reservas, algunas especies y razas de aves cubanas estan en peligro de extincidn. En el presente trabajo discuto la situaci6n actual de estas aves y actualizo el Libro Rojo de Datos (Red Data Book) para las aves cubanas. La mayoria de las razas que estan en peligro de extincidn son aquellas que habitan en los cayos fuera de la costa de Cuba. Las especies endemicas cubanas, en general, se encuentran bien, y aprovechando del nuevo sistema de reservas establecido. Dos especies endemicas, el Gavilan Caguarero y la Fermina son muy raros y posiblemente cercanos a su extinci6n. La poblaci6n de la Fermina podria recuperarse ahora que la cienaga de Zapata esta protegida. El Gavilan Coliargo es mas comun ahora que lo que habian manifestado otros autores anteriormente. La Bijirita de Bachman, aunque ha sido vista recientemene, se le puede considerar virtualmente extinguida, aunque no cria en Cuba. Most countries are proud of their natural heritage and are concerned about the conservation of their natural resources. Many countries have created programs to protect these natural resources, including the creation of sanctuaries, natural reservations, and national parks that provide refuges for plants and animals. Cuba, during the past two decades, has increased its efforts to protect its native flora and fauna. Several reservations have been created and many more are planned, supported by protective laws, forest guards, and staff that guarantee that these areas shall function effectively for conservation. In Cuba, birds are the most diverse and important faunal element; the mammalian fauna is meager, and other groups are not as well known as are the birds. Garrido and Garcia Montana (1975) reported 380 avian forms for the Cuban Archipelago. Some small keys and islets harbor endemic races with limited distributions; many of these have been described only recently and do not appear in the Red Data Book for Birds (King 1981) even though some are more threatened than some mainland Cuban birds. Four compilations of endangered Cuban birds have been published in the last 21 years, mainly by Bond who has largely relied upon my information (Bond 1961, 1968, 1978; King 1981). Here, I add to the list of known endangered birds, including those species or subspecies that are threatened with decline because they are very locally distributed or vulnerable through habitat loss. This information is derived from my own observations over the last 20 years. I follow the Catalogue of Cuban Birds (Garrido and Garcia Montana, 1975), updated to include an unpublished supplement covering the last seven years.