The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 124(2):420-427, 2012 
Ornithological Literature 
Margaret A. Voss, Book Review Editor 
AVES DE CUBA. By Orlando H. Garrido and 
Arturo Kirkconnell. Illustrations by Roman Com¬ 
pany. Foreword by John W. Fitzpatrick. Comstock 
Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York, USA. 
2011: 287 pages, 51 color plates, I figure, range 
maps. ISBN: 13-978-0-8014-7691-4. $35.00 (pa¬ 
perback).—Cuba, as the largest island in the 
Caribbean (105,007 km’), has 26 endemic species, 
second only to Jamaica (30) in species endemic to a 
Caribbean island. In addition. 61 races or subspe¬ 
cies inhabit the Cuban archipelago. Eight of Cuba’s 
unique species occur in seven endemic genera 
including Cyanolimnas (Zapata Rail). Suimoencis 
(Blue-headed Quail-Dove), Xiphidiopiats (Cuban 
Green Woodpecker), Ferniinia (Zapata Wren), 
Teretistris (Oriente anil Yellow-headed warblers), 
and Torreomis (Zapata Sparrow). The genus ToUus 
is endemic to the region although the endemic 
Cuban Tody multicolor) shares congeners with 
the other Greater Antillean islands. Cuba also has 
the world's smallest bird, the endemic Cuban Bee 
Hummingbird ( Mellisuga helenae), which has a 
mass ol only 1.7 g. Another 343 species, in addition 
to the endemics, are known from Cuba and its 
satellite islands. Two hundred and eighty-seven 
occur regularly and 152 or 41% of the total breed 
on the island or associated islands. Non-breeding 
species, primarily Nearctic-neotropica! migrants, 
visit the island during passage (50 species) or as 
winter residents (115 species) as they take 
advantage ot Cuba’s position relative to North 
America, just south of the Tropic of Cancer. Thus, 
Cuba's aviluana. rich in numbers of species 
including taxa unique to the archipelago as well 
as many unique to the Caribbean, is justly 
deserving of a modem field guide for Cubans anil 
visitors. 
Orlando H. Garrido and Arturo Kirkconnell. 
both at the National Museum of Natural History 
of Cuba, are uniquely qualified to write Aves do 
Cuba, given their in-depth knowledge of Cuba's 
avifauna as well as other aspect’s of the island’s 
natural history. Much of this knowledge is 
presented in the Introduction, which briefly 
summarizes Cuba’s geography and the island’s 
origin; its climate and habitats; fossil birds and the 
origins of the avifauna; migration; history of 
Cuban ornithology; tips on where to watch birds: 
safety concerns in the field; and threatened 
species and conservation issues. Included in the 
Introduction are maps showing the island’s 
provinces and key birding sites, location of Cuba 
relative to neighboring islands and the Yucatan 
Peninsula, and the major vegetation types of Cuba 
and the Isle of Youth (formerly Isle of Pines). The 
Introduction also includes a section that summa¬ 
rizes the key field marks required to distinguish 
species within various taxa. The Introduction also 
provides recommendations for using the guide 
including summaries and definitions of families 
and species, how birds are described for identifi¬ 
cation along with diagrams illustrating passerine 
topography. Ornithological terms used in the 
Introduction and elsewhere are defined in a 
glossary at the end of the book. The various 
categories used to describe each species’ status in 
the species accounts are also defined in detail, 
1 he species accounts arc organized phylogenet- 
ically within 20 Orders and 63 families, the trails of 
which are each summarized in a short synopsis, 
which precedes each family’s species accounts. 
The accounts summarize breeding period, egg 
traits and clutch size, and nest characteristics for 
each resident species. A range map depicting 
distribution on Cuba and satellite islands is 
provided for each resident species. Additional 
range descriptions for endemic species and sub¬ 
species are provided in the Appendix. The species 
accounts include the scientific name. Cuban and 
English names, the species’ description as well a> 
species with which it might be confused, descrip¬ 
tion ol its entire geographic range, status, habitat, 
voice, and diet. Earliest and latest dates found in 
Cuba are provided under status for the more 
common migrants, whereas dates of occurrence 
arc included where available for rare transients and 
visitors. Vagrants observed only a few times and 
not documented with a specimen or photo are also 
described in the text. Thus, the species accounts 
provide information beyond the usual minimalist 
descriptions required for species identifications in 
most modem field guides. 
The book contains 51 color plates with 662 
images by the late Roman Company, who was 
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