The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2008 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.
| Species |
Red List |
Season (year/s of estimate) |
Size |
IBA criteria |
| Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus |
NT |
resident (2005) |
unknown |
A1 |
| West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea |
NT |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A1, A3 |
| American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber |
LC |
resident (1996) |
3,000 birds |
A4i |
| White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala |
NT |
resident (2005) |
unknown |
A1 |
| Plain Pigeon Patagioenas inornata |
NT |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A1, A3 |
| Key West Quail-Dove Geotrygon chrysia |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Gray-fronted Quail-Dove Geotrygon caniceps |
VU |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A1, A3 |
| Blue-headed Quail-Dove Starnoenas cyanocephala |
EN |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A1, A3 |
| Antillean Nighthawk Chordeiles gundlachii |
LC |
breeding (2006) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Cuban Nightjar Antrostomus cubanensis |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Antillean Palm Swift Tachornis phoenicobia |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Bee Hummingbird Mellisuga helenae |
NT |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A1, A3 |
| Cuban Emerald Riccordia ricordii |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Cuban Lizard-cuckoo Coccyzus merlini |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis |
EN |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A1 |
| Zapata Rail Cyanolimnas cerverai |
CR |
resident (1982) |
rare |
A1, A2, A3 |
| Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis |
LC |
resident (1999) |
120 birds |
A4i |
| Cuban Pygmy-owl Glaucidium siju |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Bare-legged Owl Margarobyas lawrencii |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Gundlach's Hawk Accipiter gundlachi |
EN |
resident (2003) |
10 birds |
A1, A3 |
| Cuban Trogon Priotelus temnurus |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Cuban Tody Todus multicolor |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Fernandina's Flicker Colaptes fernandinae |
EN |
resident (2005) |
150 pairs |
A1, A3 |
| Cuban Green Woodpecker Xiphidiopicus percussus |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| West Indian Woodpecker Melanerpes superciliaris |
LC |
resident (2006) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Cuban Amazon Amazona leucocephala |
NT |
resident (2003) |
100 birds |
A1, A3 |
| Cuban Parakeet Psittacara euops |
VU |
resident (2001) |
8 birds |
A1, A3 |
| Cuban Pewee Contopus caribaeus |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Loggerhead Kingbird Tyrannus caudifasciatus |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Giant Kingbird Tyrannus cubensis |
EN |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A1, A3 |
| La Sagra's Flycatcher Myiarchus sagrae |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Cuban Vireo Vireo gundlachii |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Cuban Crow Corvus nasicus |
LC |
resident (2005) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Cuban Martin Progne cryptoleuca |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Zapata Wren Ferminia cerverai |
EN |
resident (2004) |
present |
A1, A2, A3 |
| Zapata Sparrow Torreornis inexpectata |
NT |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A1, A2, A3 |
| Yellow-headed Warbler Teretistris fernandinae |
LC |
resident (2005) |
unknown |
A2, A3 |
| Cuban Oriole Icterus melanopsis |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Tawny-shouldered Blackbird Agelaius humeralis |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Red-shouldered Blackbird Agelaius assimilis |
LC |
resident (2003) |
4 birds |
A2, A3 |
| Cuban Blackbird Ptiloxena atroviolacea |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Greater Antillean Grackle Quiscalus niger |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Western Spindalis Spindalis zena |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Painted Bunting Passerina ciris |
LC |
winter (2005) |
unknown |
A1 |
| Cuban Grassquit Phonipara canora |
LC |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
| Cuban Bullfinch Melopyrrha nigra |
NT |
resident (2007) |
unknown |
A3 |
