Lesser Antillean Bullfinch

Overview

The Lesser Antillean Bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae, found along the Lesser Antilles island chain from the Virgin Islands to Grenada. Assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, its population is believed to be stable despite a relatively small range.

Identification

• Adults are sexually dimorphic: males of the nominate subspecies are mostly black with a short red supercilium and an orangish red throat, while females have warm brown upperparts and warm grey underparts with rusty undertail coverts.
• The species measures 14 to 15.5 cm (5.5 to 6.1 in) in length and weighs between 13.1 and 23.4 g (0.46 to 0.83 oz).
• Males possess a black or dark brown bill, whereas females usually have a blackish maxilla and a brownish or horn mandible; both sexes have dark brown irises and dark greyish, brown, or black legs and feet.
• Highly vocal, it can be identified by sound when out of sight through a short, crisp trill, a harsh chuk, a thin, wiry tseep, and a lengthy twitter.

Habitat

The bird inhabits shrubbery, gardens, thickets, and forest understory at all elevations, ranging across tropical evergreen forest, deciduous woodlands, second growth, and occasionally dry areas or mangrove swamps. It is distributed across most main islands and several smaller ones of the Lesser Antilles, from the Virgin Islands to Grenada.

Diet

Feeding primarily on fruits and insects, the species also consumes seeds, flowers, and nectar. It forages mostly in trees, with an average height of 6.6 m (22 ft) above the ground, and is found in pairs, small flocks, and as a member of mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

Both sexes build a ball or dome-shaped nest with a side entrance using twigs, leaves, and coarse materials, often incorporating human-made items such as string and paper.