Barbados bullfinch

Barbados bullfinch
A Barbados bullfinch
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Loxigilla
Species: L. barbadensis
Binomial name
Loxigilla barbadensis
Cory, 1886

The Barbados bullfinch (Loxigilla barbadensis) is a seedeater bird that is found only on the Caribbean island-nation of Barbados, where it is the only endemic bird species.

Taxonomy

The Barbados bullfinch was previously considered a subspecies of the Lesser Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis), which is found on neighboring islands.[2] Despite the misleading nature of its name, the Barbados bullfinch is not a bullfinch at all but a seedeater. The bird is known locally as a Sparrow or a Sparky.

Description

The Barbados bullfinch is a small bird, 14–15 cm (5.5–6 in). The upperparts are a dark olive-grey, the wings are mostly brown, underparts are greyish, while the under tail-coverts are tawny. The species is not sexually dimorphic, with females and males having similar plumage. The birds' calls include simple twittering, an occasional harsh petulant note, and a sharp trill.

Distribution and habitat

The Barbados bullfinch is found only on the island of Barbados. The birds' habitat includes shrubbery and forest undergrowth; the species has adapted well to humans, often being found in close proximity to areas of human habitation, such as gardens.

Reproduction

Barbados bullfinches construct a globular nest, with a side entrance, in a tree or shrub. The species lays two to three spotted eggs.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Loxigilla barbadensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. ↑ Birdlife International, What's new (2007), archived from the original on 28 August 2007, retrieved 2007-09-05

External links

Media related to Loxigilla barbadensis at Wikimedia Commons