Distribution Of Cuban Gnatcatcher (Polioptila Lembeyei) In The South-East Of Cuba, Implications For Conservation

The Cuban Gnatcatcher (Polioptila lembeyei) is endemic to Cuba and has a restricted distribution. Little is known of this species beyond a few aspects of its natural history. This research was carried out in southeastern Cuba in areas where the species is relatively abundant. At present, the characteristics of its distribution are unknown, which makes it difficult to implement effective conservation actions. We studied gnatcatchers in the 377 km long x 10 km wide coastal strip between Cabo Cruz and Punta de Maisi, Cuba. We sampled a total of 141 localities using variable radius point counts combined with play-back, and obtained reports of the species at 85 localities. Cuban Gnatcatcher was found at an altitude nearly 400 m and at the distance of more than the 8000 m from the coastline. The specie was observed in nine plant cover, 88 % of the locality's whit presence were grouped in coastal desert scrub, coastal and precoastal evergreen forest, compact wed without thorns and artificial grasses. A deductive model was made based on field observations, published literature and the expert's experience. The presence ' s area cover 1063 km(2) and are fragmented in 274 patches of the suitable habitat. The validation values were good for the statistical test Kappa and True Skill Statistic (TSS). The model predicted the Cuban Gnatcatcher presence in smaller area than the considered in the literature. The results indicate that the small patches of suitable habitat present in the southeastern Cuba are vulnerable to transformation to the human effects and the climate change, which could interrupt the connectivity between the largest suitable habitat patches.