Biology:Saint Lucia black finch
| Saint Lucia black finch | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thraupidae |
| Genus: | Melanospiza |
| Species: | M. richardsoni
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| Binomial name | |
| Melanospiza richardsoni (Cory, 1886)
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The Saint Lucia black finch (Melanospiza richardsoni) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae.[1] It is endemic to Saint Lucia,[1] where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and plantations.
Taxonomy
The Saint Lucia black finch was formally described as Loxigilla richardsoni in 1886 by the American ornithologist Charles B. Cory based on a specimen collected from the "mountains of St. Lucia". The species is named after William Blaney Richardson, an American collector who worked in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is most closely related to the black-faced grassquit.[2]
Description
The Saint Lucia black finch is a small (13–14 cm; 18–23 g) brown or black finch-like bird with a strong black bill. The male is all black with pink legs, the female is brown above with a contrasting grey crown and beige underparts.[1] Juveniles are similar to the females.[2]
The similar lesser Antillean bullfinch is larger but has a smaller bill and lacks the pink on the legs. The call is a somewhat bananaquit-like but rough "tick-zwee-swisiwis-you", with emphasis on the second and last notes.[1]
Distribution and habitat
The Saint Lucia black finch is endemic to the island of Saint Lucia in the southern Lesser Antilles. It inhabits lowland evergreen forest and secondary growth with dense undergrowth and humid environments. It is usually found in more montane forests because of its habitat preferences and is found at elevations of up to 950 m (3,120 ft).[2]
Status
This species has a very small population of only an estimated 250–1,000 adults. It is threatened by habitat destruction and predation by invasive species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorizes the species as critically endangered.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 BirdLife International (2020). "Melanospiza richardsoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22723725A180219096.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22723725/180219096. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rising, James D.; Jaramillo, Alvaro (2020). "St. Lucia Black Finch (Melanospiza richardsoni), version 1.0" (in en). Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.slbfin1.01. ISSN 2771-3105. https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/slbfin1/cur/introduction.
Wikidata ☰ Q1589875 entry
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