Barbados Bullfinch

Taxobox
name = Barbados Bullfinch
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1

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image_caption = A Barbados Bullfinch
image_width = 200px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Thraupidae
genus = "Loxigilla"
species = "L. barbadensis"
binomial = "Loxigilla barbadensis"
binomial_authority = Cory, 1886

The Barbados Bullfinch ("Loxigilla barbadensis") is a Barbadian Seedeater. The Barbados Bullfinch was elevated to species level; formerly it was considered a subspecies of the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch ("Loxigilla noctis") [Citation | last= Birdlife International | title = What's new (2007) | url=http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/global_species_programme/whats_new.html | accessdate = 2007-09-05] , found on neighboring islands. The Barbados Bullfinch is the island's only endemic bird species.

Taxonomy

Once thought to be a subspecies of the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, the Barbados Bullfinch was elevated to species level. Despite the misleading nature of its name, the Barbados Bullfinch is not a Bullfinch at all but a Seedeater.

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