Individual arrivals in Havana today. Hotel check in is 3pm.

After breakfast, meet your guide, driver, and Cuban ornithologist, who will accompany you throughout the entire program and will help facilitate meaningful interactions with the local community at each location. This morning, visit Quinta de los Molinos and learn how this urban park is used to connect residents with nature. Get a walking tour through Old Havana before dinner at a local paladar. (A paladar is a small, family-run restaurant. Many paladares appear and operate much like any other restaurant, but in some cases are a converted part of the family's home.) Please make sure to wear comfortable shoes! Thanks in part to history and ideology, Cuba-and especially Havana-is a treasure trove of architectural styles spanning six centuries. With buildings dating from the 16th through the 19th centuries, Havana is perhaps one of the most authentic colonial cities in the Americas. Since 1982, when the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the government has embarked on an ambitious preservation and restoration program concentrated in the Old City. However, a severe lack of funding and materials has hampered efforts. Therefore, the decay and neglect of the past 40 years, coupled with the destructive tropical weather, continue to claim buildings every year. Stroll through the Plaza de Armas, a scenic, tree-lined plaza formerly at the center of influence in Cuba. It is surrounded by many of the most historic structures in Havana, as well as important monuments. Continue through the Plaza de San Francisco, a cobbled plaza surrounded by buildings dating from the 18th century and dominated by the baroque Iglesia and Convento de San Francisco, dating from 1719. Also visit the Plaza Vieja; it dates from the 16th century and is one the oldest plazas in Havana. Learn about the massive historical preservation program that began in this plaza under the leadership of the city historian, Eusebio Leal.

Depart for Vinales. Along the way, stop for birding at Las Terrazas, a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve, guided by Fidel Hernandez from the Ecological Station of Las Terrazas. Target species are Cuban Grassquit, Cuban Tody, and Olive-capped Warbler. Meet with community residents who helped save this site, now a model of sustainability and ecotourism. This afternoon drive through La Guira National Park, 54,000 acres of mountain wilderness, picturesque valleys, and hidden caves, and home to species such as Cuban Solitaire, Cuban Tody, Cuban Bullfinch, and Cuban Pewee.

This morning search for Cuban Solitaire and Scaly-naped Pigeon in the limestone cafe area that was Che Guevara's headquarters during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This afternoon enjoy some additional time birding & taking photos in the area.

This morning, explore Las Maravillas trail. There you can see the Red-legged Honeycreeper, Western Spindalis, Yellow-faced Grassquit, and Cuban Solitaire. Afterwards visit a fish nursery to see aquatic birds, mainly the Snail Kite, Black-necked Stilt, Osprey, egrets, and terns. After lunch, walk in the area around Cueva del Indio.

Depart early for the long drive to the Zapata Swamp. The Zapata area consists of scrub, mangrove swamp, and coastline. Over 200 species have been recorded here including the endemic Zapata Wren and Zapata Sparrow. We will also look for species such as Cuban Blackbird, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Greater Antillean Oriole, and Cuban Emerald. Stop at Casa de Zunzuncito, a private garden, in search of the Bee Hummingbird. Late afternoon birding if time permits.

After an early breakfast, depart for the Santo Tomás area, where you may find Zapata Wren and Zapata Sparrow. After lunch, go birding at Salinas, an area frequented by many species of waterbirds that live in mangrove swamps, coastal lagoons, and woods. Over 165 indigenous and migratory birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates are found here. Expect to see flamingos, Roseate Spoonbill, Glossy and White Ibis, herons, pelicans, Peregrine Falcon, Cuban Black Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, and others. Dine at a local restaurant this evening.

After breakfast, leave for the Bermejas site. Target species include the Cuban Parakeet, Cuban Pygmy-Owl, Bee Hummingbird, Cuban Green Woodpecker, Fernandina's Flicker, Cuban Trogon, and Cuban Tody. A mosaic of dry forest, swamp, mangrove and mudflats, the Zapata Peninsula is one of the best-preserved ecosystems on the island. Other species you might encounter are the Bare-legged Owl, Blue-headed Quail-Dove, and Gray-fronted Quail-Dove. Time permitting visit the town of Palpite, where a special visit with artists of the Korimacao Project has been arranged. The Korimacao Community Project consists of residents from Cuban communities who are given the opportunity to develop and improve their performing skills such as singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Learn about the program's development and interact with the talented artists. Tonight, dine at a paladar and meet the owners, who provide insight about their entrepreneurial activities.

Early departure for the airport in Havana for flight back to U.S. (flights should not depart before noon)