A photograph of the tocororo in mid-flight, holding an insect in its beak, earned the Cuban photographer Yadiel Veunes Alonso the Grand Prize at the 2026 Online Digital Nature Photography Contest, organized by the Gaviota Tourism Group based in the Topes de Collantes Protected Natural Landscape in Sancti Spíritus.
The result was announced this Friday via the social media of Topes de Collantes Cuba, where the other awardees in the Flora and Fauna category were also revealed.
In that category, Veunes took first place, followed by the Panamanian Essdras M. Suárez in second place, the Cuban Sandra Robaina in third, and a special mention for the also Cuban César Prado.
The winning image captures the tocororo (Priotelus temnurus) with its wings spread against a blurred black background, showcasing its characteristic colors —bluish-green on the head, white on the chest, and deep red on the belly— along with the green insect between its beak, taken in an extremely high-speed shot with exceptional clarity.
Veunes dedicated the award to a deceased loved one in an emotional post on Facebook. "This award bears my name, but in my heart, I know it is also yours, angel who watches over me and blesses me from heaven. Thank you, Topes de Collantes - Gaviota Turismo, for always being the home that welcomes us with such love, for the magic that always takes hold of all the nature photographers in Cuba," he wrote.
The achievement is not coincidental. In August 2025, Veunes had already published notable images of the tocororo, after dedicating months to studying the bird's habits from a distance, noting that capturing it in flight was one of his major challenges of the year.
The tocororo has been the national bird of Cuba since 1982, when the Ministry of Agriculture issued Resolution No. 81 to prohibit its hunting and capture. It was declared a national symbol precisely because the colors of its plumage—blue, white, and red—match those of the Cuban flag.
It is also an endemic species; it only exists on the main island, the Isla de la Juventud, Cayo Guanaja, and Cayo Sabinal, and it cannot survive in captivity. It inhabits dense forests with tall trees, ranging from pine forests to mountainous areas such as the Escambray, the Ciénaga de Zapata, and the Sierra Maestra.
The International Digital Nature Photography Contest has both online and in-person formats, and its categories include Landscape, Flora and Fauna, Man and Nature, and Macro Photography.
In previous editions, the in-person phase took place in October in Topes de Collantes, one of the richest natural areas in Cuba, located about 20 kilometers from Trinidad.
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