Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us in our virtual “From the Nest” edition! Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy nature with your family at home. 
Endemic Bird of the Day: Cuban Pygmy-Owl
The Cuban Pygmy-Owl is one of the two pocket-sized owls of the Cuban archipelago. At just 17.5 cm, it is considered the smallest West Indian owl. It is the most common of Cuban owls. There are two color phases: one with grayish-brown upper-parts (more common) and one with cinnamon-brown upper-parts. Their underparts are off-white with brown spots and streaks. The head is dark brown with tufts of white and it has large yellow eyes. Their short legs and feet are yellow, covered with white feathers. The Cuban Pygmy Owl can turn its head almost completely around, showing markings on the back that look like two dark, menacing eyes. This adaptation of “eye” markings is meant to ward off predators of the owl. Cuban Pygmy-Owls live in woodlands across the main island, the Isle of Youth and some northern cays. Like most pygmy-owls It is active during the day so easy to see and hear. You can easily find it by listening for its call, a low repeating whistle uh, uh, uh… or an increasingly loud and shrill hui-hui-chiii-chiii-chi-chi-chi... It is usually found in pairs, spread out from one another. Cuban Pygmy-Owls nest from December to May. They lay 3-4 almost round white eggs in tree-holes, often palm trees, that have already been used and abandoned by woodpeckers. Their diet is lizards, large insects (such as moths and beetles), and small birds. Other species commonly “mob” the owl with vigorous jabbering and chasing, attempting to scare it off from the area. It is a curious bird, often allowing humans to approach within 2 meters from its perch! Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here.
Colour in the Cuban Pygmy-Owl!
Download the page from Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book. Use the drawing above or photo below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the call of the Cuban Pygmy-Owl
The Cuban Pygmy-Owl’s call is a low, repeating a short uh, uh, uh… (you can also hear a Bare-legged Owl hooting in the recording) Cuban Pygmy-Owl second call, an increasingly loud hui-hui-chiii-chiii-chi-chi-chi… often given when alarmed.
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS & ADULTS: Learn about Caribbean endemic birds and how to draw them with our talented artist, Josmar Esteban Marquez. Josmar is based in Venezuela and studies and monitors shorebirds on the offshore cays and islands of Venezuela. He loves working with communities and children on wildlife art projects. He’s a fantastic teacher!!! (subscribe to our Youtube channel to follow the video series!) Click on the “CC” at the bottom to see the subtitles in English.