My wife and I recently had the pleasure of participating in a group birding expedition led by Arturo Kirkconnell, Jr. Thanks to Arturo’s keen ears and vision, as well as his knowledge of where to find the birds of Cuba, we saw 143 different species and collected 55 life birds, including all but 2 of… read more

I run a small tour company that operates exclusively in North America. I was invited to be “host/assistant guide” on a Kirkconnell tour. The tour was exceptionally well organized, and our lodging was uniformly good. Meals, in particular, were memorable. And the birding- well, Arturo, Jr. was totally accommodating and knew all the places to… read more

Outstanding Cuban bird watching guide If you are going to Cuba and want to see the wildlife, Arturo is your man. Just came back from a holiday in Cuba. Since I had limited free time, and as a keen birdwatcher wanted to see some of Cuba’s famous endemic birds. A friend recommended me to use… read more

We have wanted to visit Cuba and do some birding there for years. We had only 7 hours in Havana, but Arturo was gracious enough to arrange a taxi and driver for us and took us to Cueva Los Portales. We had an opportunity to see birds along the highway as well as at the… read more

Thank you Arturo Kirkconnell Jr for working hard to make our Cuba birding trip so successful.  I’m sure I speak for the four of us when I say that we enjoyed Cuba, its nature, and culture surrounded by joy.  I’ve been at a loss to think of a single negative comment to balance out all… read more

My ten-day tour with Arturo Jr, my first organized birding tour outside the U.S., was well represented and organized. What called my attention to it was being in the “out back” of Cuba, seeing the countryside and getting to know the people outside of the cities. I was not disappointed. At every destination, we had… read more

After a truly wonderful trip to Cuba led by Arturo (Jr.), I can’t sing his praises highly enough. As I expected, the guiding was superb. It was all the extra efforts to make the trip as enjoyable as possible that really made a difference. In addition to fantastic bird watching, we had culture, sightseeing, and… read more

I cannot say enough about the fantastic birding in Cuba, thanks to our guide Arturo Kirkconnell, Jr. Arturo made sure that we all heard the calls, saw the birds and were able to get good photos as well. Arturo has great contacts and was able to put us on even the most reticent birds. The… read more

What a great time I had birding in Cuba! The birds are stunning – from the diminutive bee hummingbird to the endless flocks of flamingos, they will take your breath away. Exploring the countryside to find these birds was equally thrilling. Our guide, Arturo Jr., took us on a journey across this stunning landscape to… read more

My sister and I signed up for this Cuba birding tour from a site we found on the Internet. What we hoped for was to see a few Cuban endemics and maybe add in some snorkeling. What we got was way beyond our expectations. Our companions (luck of the draw) were hilarious. Our driver, Hernan,… read more

Arturo: I am not very good at the computer thing, and could not get the reference you sent for the testimonies to work on my computer. But I wanted for sure to send you a message of thanks for one of the best trips of my life (and my sister’s too) We have been to… read more

I had a great time visiting Cuba with Arturo. We had great views of lots of endemics. The places we stayed at were great and the food was always delicious. The driver of our van was friendly and got us safely to where ever we needed to go. There was time to visit museums, old… read more

What a wonderful tour! Arturo’s keen eyes and ears led us to see so many endemics. His knowledge made the journey a true cultural learning experience. His humor put all of us in a good mood no matter how early in the morning we were off to bird.   Thank you so much!!  read more

My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful first-time trip to Cuba in early February. Thanks to Arturo’s lifelong experience with local habitats and species’ ranges, we were able to document even some of the most uncommon endemics. His sharp eye and persistence yielded sightings of species that we would otherwise have missed entirely. Since Arturo… read more

I have so enjoyed reading the testimonials posted by other birders who, like me, have so thoroughly enjoyed a birding experience with Arturo! Everything that the others have said applies equally to my trip in Cuba February 1-10, 2017. Arturo is such an incredibly talented birder (and photographer), locating and identifying the endemic and migratory… read more

Thank you for a fantastic trip in Cuba. Arturo’s skills are legendary. He was able to locate the important endemic birds for us. We were treated to great looks at the Cuban trogon, Fernandina flicker, Cuban solitaire, Cuban gnatcatcher and bee hummingbird and more! His ability to hear the birds was so important in finding… read more

Arturo and his great assistant, Adrian, led a small group, two-week tour, with six of us on board.  The ostensible purpose of the trip was birding – Arturo excels at that! – so we saw tremendous birds throughout Cuba…endemics and many others.  Highlights we still remember are the cuban tody, bee hummingbird,  trogon, a variety… read more

My wife and I recently went on a Cuban 11 day birding trip with Arturo Kirkconnell, Jr., his driver Hernan, and our master helper, Adrian. We were very impressed with every facet of the trip. Arturo is keenly aware of the sites for all of the endemics and other near endemics. The weather was gorgeous,… read more

Thanks to Arturo Jr and our driver, Rodolfo, my wife and I had a great two weeks Birding in Cuba.   Arturo’s knowledge of where (and when) to go regarding the different places to find birds enabled us to see every endemic possible. His zesty sense of tongue-in-cheek humor, and ease in speaking English made… read more

1. What went well?  What exceeded your expectations? One week before our scheduled trip I had an accident that cause me serious mobility issues. my participation in the trip was very questionable. Charles and Arturo had the problems solved in no time. they brought in the most delightful young man who helped me every step of the… read more

Amazing birding trip to Cuba! We saw 22 of 23 Cuban endemics and had great looks at all the birds. Arturo Kirconnell Jr. is an astounding guide tremendous.. read more

Many times finding birds, watching their behavior and getting a sharp photo is luck. To increase the odds of a successful birding expedition, a professional guide is key. Arturo Kirkconnell Jr. is that guide for Cuba. He knows where to find the birds and once at the right habitat, his ability to identify bird call… read more

Cuba is blessed with beautiful and interesting birds, and our recent trip there did not disappoint. Our guide, Arturito Kirkconnell Jr was everything one could want in a bird guide–great at spotting the birds, explaining the intricacies of identifying them by plumage and calls, good at logistics, and great fun to be with. He was… read more

Trip to Cuba with Arturo Kirkconnell Jr. Andrea and I very much enjoyed our 10-day birding tour with Arturo. Very few people combine the ability to quickly find birds by sight and by ear to the extent that Arturo does. His deep knowledge helped us find the endemics and near-endemics and also a great number… read more

This was the trip of a lifetime for us and we are so happy to have experienced Cuba in such a personal manner. Arturo Jr. was a great birding guide and we enjoyed his company very much. The birding was spectacular. We had exceptional views of all of the birds we encountered. The small group… read more

Thank you, Arturo. We had a wonderful 10-day bird watching trip with you in June of 2015. It was great to travel around Cuba (in a rental car) from Havana to the Viñales Valley to Camaguey to Cay Coco and back again, with our additions of Trinidad and Santa Clara and stops along the way.… read more

Arturo, We did not know quite what to expect on our Cuban birding adventure, but it surpassed our expectations in every way. Not only did we see and hear an abundance of beautiful birds but also we met some lovely people and covered great distances of interesting country in the car. It was a pleasure… read more

We had never used birding Pals before, but we luckily managed to arrange a trip with Arturo Kirkconnell Jr, a Cuban Birding Pal Professional Guide. We were totally pleased with our 14 day trip. Arturo, like all great birders, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and could name that spot in… read more