Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
Loxigilla noctis
A tame and often conspicuous resident of thickets and tangles in a wide variety of habitats. Males are black with a red throat and vent, and females are buff and gray with rust on the wings and vent. The male is similar to the St. Lucia Black Finch, which has pale legs rather than black and lacks the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch’s red throat and vent. The female could be mistaken for a St. Lucia Black Finch or a female Black-faced Grassquit. The female black finch has a gray rather than brown crown and has pale (not dark) legs. Female grassquits are olive, not brown above and are smaller. The typical song is a series of three to seven “wheet” notes. Common calls include “chuk” and “tseet.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Loxigilla noctis
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thraupidae
- Genus
- Loxigilla
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
Small, long-legged owl of open grassy habitats. Appears brown at a distance with irregular white spotting. Yellow eyes. Typically found on the ground or perched on low fence posts or rocks. Active during day and night when it hunts mainly for insects and small mammals. When agitated, it stands erect and abruptly bows down. Nests in a burrow, often dug by a prairie dog or tortoise.
White-throated Thrush
Turdus assimilis
Widespread large thrush of woodland and forest, mainly found in foothills and highlands, but some wander to lowlands in winter. White collar across front of neck can be difficult to see. Populations north of Isthmus of Tehuantepec and in highlands to the south are rather dull, gray-brown overall with a dull pale greenish-yellow bill and pinkish legs. Birds on Atlantic slope south of Isthmus look very different: slaty blackish above with yellow bill, eyering, and legs.
Tinkling Cisticola
Cisticola rufilatus
Medium-sized, streak-backed, long-tailed cisticola of uplands. Note the rufous cap and pale stripe above the eye. Found in miombo, other types of woodland, and savanna. Inconspicuous, and usually seen singly or in pairs. Song is a series of very high-pitched notes. Calls include quick trills and ascending slurs. Similar to Rattling Cisticola, but smaller, longer-tailed, and brighter rufous on the head, with a more prominent stripe above the eye. As with all cisticolas, habitat and voice are important cues in identification.
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