Cuban Bullfinch

Description:

On Grand Cayman the "Black Sparrow", as it is locally known, is common. Cuban Bullfinch prefers tropical dry forest and thickets, scrubby vegetation and forested areas, and is more common at sea level and up to 300 m. This is a small, round winged finch with a short, thick and strong curved bill with a convex culmen. Males are largely black with a heavy bill and a white wing patch, obvious both at rest and in flight, while females and immatures are duller, more charcoal (less shiny) black, and possess a smaller white wing patch. Two subspecies are recognized, the one on Grand Cayman characterized by its slightly larger bill size and the obviously paler olive gray plumage of females compared to the Cuban subspecies.

Habitat:

Queen Elizabeth Botanic Garden