There have been several exciting avian finds in Cuba during 2025. Some of these have been mentioned in previous blogs and there are others that I will document here in the next couple of weeks. The most recent of these discoveries was just two months ago today of a Bronzed Cowbird which has just been written up in the Caribbean Journal of Science by the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and made freely available by BioOne DIGITAL LIBRARY.
Bronzed Cowbird © lwolfartist, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons showing the distinctive red iris.
Most Cowbird species are brood parasites like Cuckoos. Shiny Cowbird is a South American species which has extended its range northwards up to Florida and is the only resident species in Cuba. The Brown-headed Cowbird is a rare winter visitor in the Bahamas and has also been recorded as a vagrant in Cuba.
An adult male Bronzed Cowbird was recorded for the first time on the island of Cuba on 24 October 2025 near the Roncali Lighthouse, the western-most point of the island on the Guanahacabibes Peninsular. They are slightly larger than Shiny Cowbird and are found from the SW United States down through Mexico, central America and along the north coast of Columbia. Adults lay their eggs in the nests of many birds including Prevost's Ground-sparrows and White-naped Brush Finches. The young develop rapidly and leave the nest after 10–12 days.
An adult male Bronzed Cowbird was recorded for the first time on the island of Cuba on 24 October 2025 near the Roncali Lighthouse, the western-most point of the island on the Guanahacabibes Peninsular. They are slightly larger than Shiny Cowbird and are found from the SW United States down through Mexico, central America and along the north coast of Columbia. Adults lay their eggs in the nests of many birds including Prevost's Ground-sparrows and White-naped Brush Finches. The young develop rapidly and leave the nest after 10–12 days.
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