Endemic birds of the Ciénaga de Zapata. There are many endemic birds that live in the forests and, like them, they are constantly threatened by man, directly or indirectly. Appreciate beautiful forms that shows us the nature we can protect and preserve it in all its beauty splendid. The endemic species of Cuba are those that only inhabit the Cuban archipelago, and also have no subspecies or races outside it. We can, for this reason, consider them as the most interesting winged inhabitants of the territory.
Summary
[ hide ]
- 1 Ciénaga de Zapata and environmental problems
- 2 Fauna species by habitat
- 1 Gallinuela de Santo Tomás (Cyanolimnas cerverai)
- 2 Little Swamp Cabrerito (Torreornis inexpectata)
- 3 Ferminia (Ferminia cerverai)
- 3 Related link
- 4 Sources
Zapata swamp and environmental problems
The Ciénaga de Zapata constitutes the largest and best preserved wetland in the insular Caribbean , with the largest area of swamps and marshes in Cuba and considerable extensions of forests. It is known as a phytogeographic district due to its particular flora and fauna, it stands out for the diversity of bird species, mainly migratory, and for the existence of local endemics threatened with a restricted distribution of their habitat.
Fauna species by habitat
It is the habitat of four local endemic species: Mesocapromys nanus ( Jutía Enana ), Torreornis inexpectata ( Cabrerito de la Ciénaga ), Ferminia cerverai ( Fermina ) and Cyanolimnas cerverai ( Gallinuela de Santo Tomás ). There are other species here such as Crocodylus rhombifer ( Cuban Crocodile ), Trachemys decussata ( Jicotea ).
Gallinuela de Santo Tomás (Cyanolimnas cerverai)
The upper parts, brownish olive; forehead and sides of head dark gray; the lower parts, leaden, which turn white in the center of the throat and chin; the sides, grayish brown, the tips of the feathers are white; under the tail, white; the beak, green, red at the base; feet, red; wings, very short, and the tail, poor. When this chicken is discovered it emits a cry similar to guareao: “kuok” and usually runs quickly a few feet before standing still with its tail raised. Its flight is short and weak. This chicken is found in the part of the Cienaga de Zapata located directly north of the forested territory known as Santo Tomás , approximately 1.5 km from the highlands.
Cienaga Goat (Torreornis inexpectata)
The little goat is olive gray above; the back is streaked with black, the upper part of the head is chestnut; the tail, blackish; the throat and a spot in front of the eye, white; under the eyes it has three black stripes. The underparts pale yellow; It is olive gray on the sides. It is not afraid and does not like to take flight, although this is strong for a bird with such disproportionately small wings .
During the winter months , the little goat can be found in small groups, looking for food in the grasses of the Cienaga, or in small bushes in places with less vegetation . It builds its nest in the shape of a cup very hidden among the grass grasses. The eggs are spotted. His family is, according to ornithologists, the most recent on Earth .
Ferminia (Ferminia cerverai)
Species located in Santo Tomás , in the Zapata Swamp . The small bird is about 160 mm long, grayish brown with spots on the head and black barred on the back, wings and tail, and its whitish underparts. Presents black bars on the sides. The eyes are brown, and the beak is horny.
Small lizards have been found in his stomach. It is one of our rarest birds with the most restricted habitat, since the area where it lives is very small. It flies very short flights, and usually moves from bush to bush on foot. It is considered among the three birds with the best song in Cuba , the other two are the Nightingale and the Mockingbird .
