Barbados bullfinch

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.

Barbados bullfinch
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Loxigilla
Species:
L. barbadensis
Binomial name
Loxigilla barbadensis
Cory, 1886

Taxonomy

The Barbados bullfinch was previously considered a subspecies of the Lesser Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis), which is found on neighboring islands.[2][3] 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 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.

Behavior

Barbados bullfinches are extremely innovative[4][5][6] and tame birds. Barbados bullfinches living in urban environments were found to have better problem-solving skills and a better immunocompetence than the ones living in rural areas of Barbados.[7] As for their temperament, urban Barbados bullfinches were found to be bolder but more neophobic than their rural counterparts.[7]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Loxigilla barbadensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Buckley, P.A.; Buckley, F.G. (2004). "Rapid speciation by a Lesser Antillean endemic, Barbados Bullfinch Loxigilla barbadensis". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 125: 108–123.
  3. Banks, R.C.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J.L.; Kratter, A.W.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Remsen, J.V.; Rising, J.D.; Stotz, D.F. (2006). "Forty-Seventh Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-List of North American Birds". The Auk. 123 (3): 926–936. doi:10.1093/auk/123.3.926.
  4. Reader, Simon M.; Nover, Daniel; Lefebvre, Louis (2002-01-01). "Locale-Specific Sugar Packet Opening by Lesser Antillean Bullfinches in Barbados (Individuos de Loxigilla noctis abren paquetes de azúcar en una área localizada de Barbados)". Journal of Field Ornithology. 73 (1): 82–85. doi:10.1648/0273-8570-73.1.82. hdl:1874/12407. JSTOR 4131071.
  5. Ducatez, S.; Audet, J. N.; Lefebvre, L. (2013-02-14). "Independent appearance of an innovative feeding behaviour in Antillean bullfinches". Animal Cognition. 16 (3): 525–529. doi:10.1007/s10071-013-0612-4. ISSN 1435-9448. PMID 23408337.
  6. Lefebvre, Louis; Ducatez, Simon; Audet, Jean-Nicolas (2016-03-19). "Feeding innovations in a nested phylogeny of Neotropical passerines". Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 371 (1690): 20150188. doi:10.1098/rstb.2015.0188. ISSN 0962-8436. PMC 4780530. PMID 26926278.
  7. Audet, Jean-Nicolas; Ducatez, Simon; Lefebvre, Louis (2016-03-01). "The town bird and the country bird: problem solving and immunocompetence vary with urbanization". Behavioral Ecology. 27 (2): 637–644. doi:10.1093/beheco/arv201. ISSN 1045-2249.

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