List of endemic birds of the West Indies
This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds .
Patterns of endemism
This region is notable not just for the high number of endemic species, but for endemism in higher-level taxonomic groupings too.
This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds .
Family-level endemism
The following families are endemic to the region:
Palmchat , a passerine family (Dulidae), containing a single species found only on Hispaniola .
the todies , a family (Todidae) with five species, found only on the Greater Antilles .
the Cuban warblers , a passerine family (Teretistridae), containing two species on Cuba
the Hispaniolan tanagers, Phaenicophilidae , a passerine family, containing 4 species in 3 genera on Hispaniola
the Puerto Rican tanager , a passerine family (Nesospingidae), containing a single species found only on Puerto Rico
the chat-tanagers (Calyptophilidae) a passerine family, containing 2 species found only on Hispaniola
the spindalises , a passerine family (Spindalidae), with 4 species found only on the Greater Antilles and nearby islands
Genus-level endemism
In addition to genera in the families above, the following genera are endemic to the region:
Riccordia , with six species, the blue-headed hummingbird , Puerto Rican emerald , Cuban emerald , Hispaniolan emerald , and the extinct Brace's emerald & Gould's emerald
Margarops , with one species, the pearly-eyed thrasher
Priotelus , with two species, the Cuban trogon and Hispaniolan trogon
Melopyrrha , with four species, the Puerto Rican bullfinch , Cuban bullfinch , Greater Antillean bullfinch , and the extinct St. Kitts bullfinch
Six genera found only on Hispaniola :
Nesoctites , with one species, the Antillean piculet (also monotypic within the subfamily)
Dulus , with only one species, the palmchat (also monotypic within the family)
Phaenicophilus , with two species, the black-crowned tanager and grey-crowned tanager
Xenoligea , with one species, the white-winged warbler
Microligea , with one species, the green-tailed warbler
Calyptophilus , with two species, the western chat-tanager and eastern chat-tanager
Five genera found only on Jamaica :
Six genera found only on Cuba :
Ferminia , a genus with only one species, the Zapata wren
Cyanolimnas , with one species, the Zapata rail
Margarobyas , with one species, the bare-legged owl
Starnoenas , with one species, the blue-headed quail-dove (depending on classification, the genus may also be monotypic to the subfamily level)
Torreornis , with one species, the Zapata sparrow
Xiphidiopicus , with one species, the Cuban green woodpecker
One genus found only on Puerto Rico :
One genus found only on the Bahamas :
The following genera are confined to the Lesser Antilles :
In addition in the following genera, a high proportions of the member species are endemic to the west Indies:
Endemic Bird Areas
Birdlife International has defined a number of Endemic Bird Areas in the West Indies .
They have also defined the following secondary areas :
List of species
Species endemic to Cuba
Species endemic to Hispaniola
Species endemic to Jamaica
Species endemic to Puerto Rico
Other insular endemics of the West Indies
Other species endemic to the Greater Antilles
Common name
Binomial
Family
Distribution
Status
Notes
Antillean palm-swift
Tachornis phoenicobia
Apodidae
Jamaica , Cuba , and Hispaniola
Vervain hummingbird
Mellisuga minima
Trochilidae
Hispaniola and Jamaica , occasional vagrant to Puerto Rico .
Plain pigeon
Patagioenas inornata
Columbidae
Jamaica , Puerto Rico , Cuba , and Hispaniola .
Tawny-shouldered blackbird
Agelaius humeralis
Icteridae
Cuba and Haiti , occasionally a vagrant to the United States .
Greater Antillean elaenia
Elaenia fallax
Tyrannidae
Hispaniola and Jamaica .
Stolid flycatcher
Myiarchus stolidus
Tyrannidae
Hispaniola and Jamaica .
Palm crow
Corvus palmarum
Corvidae
Hispaniola and Cuba .
Rufous-throated solitaire
Myadestes genibarbis
Turdidae
Dominica , Hispaniola , Jamaica , St. Vincent , St. Lucia , and Martinique , though the St. Vincent subspecies is sometimes classified as its own species.
Bahama mockingbird
Mimus gundlachii
Mimidae
Bahamas , Jamaica , Cuba , and Turks and Caicos .
Occasional vagrant to the United States .
Greater Antillean bullfinch
Melopyrrha violacea
Thraupidae
The Bahamas , Hispaniola , Jamaica , and Turks and Caicos .
Cuban bullfinch
Melopyrrha nigra
Thraupidae
Cuba and Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman subspecies sometimes considered a distinct species
Other species endemic to the Lesser Antilles
Common name
Binomial
Family
Distribution
Status
Notes
Lesser Antillean swift
Chaetura martinica
Apodidae
Dominica , Guadeloupe , Martinique , Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent .
Possible records from Nevis .
Purple-throated carib
Eulampis jugularis
Trochilidae
Antigua , Dominica , Guadeloupe , Martinique , Montserrat , Saba , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Lucia , Saint Vincent and Sint Eustatius .
It has occurred as a vagrant in Barbados , Barbuda , Grenada and the Virgin Islands .
Blue-headed hummingbird
Riccordia bicolor
Trochilidae
Dominica and Martinique .
Grenada flycatcher
Myiarchus nugator
Tyrannidae
Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines .
Lesser Antillean flycatcher
Myiarchus oberi
Tyrannidae
Barbuda , Dominica , Guadeloupe , Martinique , Saint Kitts and Nevis , and Saint Lucia .
Forest thrush
Turdus lherminieri
Turdidae
Grenada , Dominica , Montserrat , and Saint Lucia .
The Saint Lucia population may be extinct.
White-breasted thrasher
Ramphocinclus brachyurus
Mimidae
St. Lucia and Martinique .
Scaly-breasted thrasher
Allenia fusca
Mimidae
Antigua and Barbuda , Barbados , Dominica , Grenada , Guadeloupe , Martinique , Montserrat , Netherlands Antilles , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines .
May be extirpated from Barbados , Barbuda , and Sint Eustatius .
Brown trembler
Cinclocerthia ruficauda
Mimidae
St. Kitts , Nevis , Montserrat , Guadeloupe , Dominica and St. Vincent .
Extirpated from Sint Eustatius .
Gray trembler
Cinclocerthia gutturalis
Mimidae
St. Lucia and Martinique .
Plumbeous warbler
Setophaga plumbea
Parulidae
Dominica and Guadeloupe .
Lesser Antillean tanager
Tangara cucullata
Thraupidae
St. Vincent and Grenada .
Lesser Antillean saltator
Saltator albicollis
Thraupidae
Saint Kitts and Nevis , Dominica , Saint Lucia , and Martinique
Lesser Antillean bullfinch
Loxigilla noctis
Thraupidae
Saint Barth , Saint Martin , Anguilla , Antigua and Barbuda , Dominica , Grenada , Guadeloupe , Martinique , Montserrat , Netherlands Antilles , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Lucia , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , the British Virgin Islands , and the U.S. Virgin Islands .
Trinidad motmot
Momotus bahamensis
Momotidae
Trinidad and Tobago
Other species endemic to the West Indies
Common name
Binomial
Family
Distribution
Status
Notes
Puerto Rican mango
Anthracothorax aurulentus
Trochilidae
the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico .
West Indian whistling duck
Dendrocygna arborea
Anatidae
Primarily in the Bahamas , though significant numbers exist in northern Hispaniola , Cuba , Cayman Islands , Antigua and Barbuda , and Puerto Rico .
Loggerhead kingbird
Tyrannus caudifasciatus
Tyrannidae
Hispaniola , Jamaica , Cuba , Bahamas , Cayman Islands , and Puerto Rico
Greater Antillean grackle
Quiscalus niger
Icteridae
Hispaniola , Cuba , Cayman Islands , Jamaica , and Puerto Rico .
Scaly-naped pigeon
Patagioenas squamosa
Columbidae
Most of the West Indies except for Jamaica .
Key West quail-dove
Geotrygon chrysia
Columbidae
Puerto Rico , the Bahamas , Hispaniola , and Cuba .
Formerly bred on Key West , occasional vagrant to Florida .
Caribbean martin
Progne dominicensis
Hirundinidae
Puerto Rico , Hispaniola , Cayman Islands , Jamaica , and almost all of the Lesser Antilles .
Occasional vagrant to Turks and Caicos and Cuba .
Antillean euphonia
Euphonia musica
Fringillidae
Hispaniola , Puerto Rico , and most of the Lesser Antilles .
Lesser Antillean pewee
Contopus latirostris
Tyrannidae
Puerto Rico , Dominica , Guadeloupe , Martinique , and Saint Lucia .
Occasional records from Saint Kitts .
Red-legged thrush
Turdus plumbeus
Turdidae
Hispaniola , Bahamas , Dominica , Cuba , and Puerto Rico .
Extirpated from Swan Islands .
Cuban amazon
Amazona leucocephala
Psittacidae
Cuba , Bahamas , and Cayman Islands .
West Indian woodpecker
Melanerpes superciliaris
Picidae
Cuba , Bahamas , and Cayman Islands .
La Sagra's flycatcher
Myiarchus sagrae
Tyrannidae
Cuba , Bahamas , and Cayman Islands .
Occasional vagrant to the United States .
Great lizard cuckoo
Coccyzus merlini
Cuculidae
Cuba and the Bahamas
Cuban emerald
Riccordia ricordii
Trochilidae
Cuba and the Bahamas
Cuban pewee
Contopus caribaeus
Tyrannidae
Cuba and the Bahamas
Olive-capped warbler
Setophaga pityophila
Parulidae
Cuba and the Bahamas
Western spindalis
Spindalis zena
Spindalidae
Cozumel , Cayman Islands , Cuba , the Bahamas , and Turks and Caicos
Casual vagrant to southern Florida .
Bridled quail-dove
Geotrygon mystacea
Columbidae
The Lesser Antilles north from Saint Lucia , as well as Puerto Rico .
Green-throated carib
Eulampis holosericeus
Trochilidae
All of the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico .
Antillean crested hummingbird
Orthorhyncus cristatus
Trochilidae
All of the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico .
Thick-billed vireo
Vireo crassirostris
Vireonidae
Bahamas , Turks and Caicos Islands , Cayman Islands , Tortuga Island in Haiti and Cuba .
Occasional vagrant to Florida
Vitelline warbler
Setophaga vitellina
Parulidae
Swan Islands and Grand Cayman .
Extinct birds
Near-endemics
The following is a list of species endemic to the region as breeding species:
The following is a list of species endemic to the region as non-breeding species:
The following restricted-range species are also found in the region:
The following seabirds are restricted to the region as breeders:
References
^ "Cuban Martin" . Cornell Lab of Ornithology Neotropical Birda . Cornell University. Retrieved 22 March 2019 .
^ "Jamaican Pauraque" . Cornell Lab of Ornithology Neotropical Birds . Cornell University. Retrieved 23 March 2019 .
External links