From Opus

Male
Photo by raulqc
Maricao, Puerto Rico, December 2007

Euphonia musica

[edit] Identification

The female is more or less identical in the three subspecies, mostly greenish with lighter underside and bluish crown and hindneck and a small yellow spot above the bill.

The male in the Lesser Antillean race is more or less identical to the female (this observer have seen both sexes in the Lesser Antilles as more yellowish on the underside than described in the field guide, but do not have the photos to show that). Male of the Puerto Rico form is mostly dark above, with sky-blue crown and rear neck, and rich yellow on the rump, above the bill, and on the underside.

Male of the Hispaniolan form is similar to the Puerto Rican form, but the yellow is replaced with a more orange color, and the throat is dark according to Raffaele et al. Birds of the West Indies. The combination of color and shape is rather unique within the range.

[edit] Distribution

This species is divided into three subspecies: nominate form is found in Hispaniola and Gonâve Island, sclateri in Puerto Rico, while flavifrons is known from Barbuda, Antigua, Guadeloupe, La Desirade, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Antillean Euphonia is additionally known as a vagrant from other islands in the Lesser Antilles; it is believed to be extirpated from Saba.

[edit] Taxonomy

Antillean Euphonia, Elegant Euphonia Euphonia elegantissima, and Golden-rumped Euphonia Euphonia cyanocephala have previously been considered parts of the same species Euphonia musica.

Rumors among Caribbean birdwatchers claim that the data have been obtained but not published (yet) to split the Lesser Antillean form from the Greater Antillean form.

[edit] Habitat

Forested areas both drier and wet and in various elevations.

[edit] Behaviour

Feeds mainly on mistletoe berries.

[edit] External Links