The Jamaican euphonia (''Euphonia jamaica'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the family

Fringillidae The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where the ...

. Jamaican euphonias are small and have a varying appearance depending on their sex and age. They are the only species of

Euphonia Euphonias are members of the genus ''Euphonia'', a group of Neotropical birds in the finch family. They and the chlorophonias comprise the subfamily Euphoniinae. The genus name is of Greek origin and refers to the birds' pleasing song, meaning ...

that reside in

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

and have received the nickname of "Short-Mouth Bluequit" from Jamaican locals. These birds do not migrate anywhere and can be found throughout the island in wooded areas, shrublands, gardens, orchards, and hilly lowlands.

_Appearance

The appearance of the Jamaican Euphonia is different for males and females. Males are a bluish-grey color with a yellow belly and pale undertail coverts, females are bicolored and have grey foreparts and olive backs and tails. Both males and females have short, thick bills. The appearance of a Jamaican Euphonia between the juvenile and adult stages are similar to the appearance of the female, although the coloration of a bird in this stage is not as bright. The average Jamaican Euphonia is 11 centimeters (about 4.33 in) in length and weighs 17 grams.

_Habitat

Jamaican Euphonias do not migrate anywhere and only live on the island of Jamaica. These birds live in various topographical regions on the island including wooded areas, shrublands, gardens, and orchards. Of the various locations the Jamaican Euphonia lives, it is found most often in hilly lowlands. They can be found anywhere from altitudes of 0 meters at sea level to 2250 meters (about 1.4 mi) at the height of the tallest mountain in Jamaica, Blue Mountain Peak.While they are not migratory, Jamaican euphonias have been reported to undertake seasonal movements around the island.

_{Diet and Foraging}

The diet of the Jamaican Euphonia consists mostly of fruits and berries. Mistletoe berries, also known as

Loranthaceae Loranthaceae, commonly known as the showy mistletoes, is a family of flowering plants. It consists of about 75 genera and 1,000 species of woody plants, many of them hemiparasites. The three terrestrial species are '' Nuytsia floribunda'' (the ...

, compose a major portion of their diet. Fruit of figs (''

Ficus ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family (biology), family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few spe ...

'', ''

Cecropia ''Cecropia'' is a Neotropical genus consisting of 61 recognized species with a highly distinctive lineage of dioecious trees. The genus consists of pioneer trees in the more or less humid parts of the Neotropics, with the majority of the speci ...

'', '' Dunalia''), fruit of cho-cho vines ('' Sechium''), and guava (''

Psidium ''Psidium'' is a genus of trees and shrubs in the family Myrtaceae. It is native to warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere (Mexico, Central and South America, the West Indies the Galápagos islands). Many of the species bear edible fruits, and ...

)'' are also part of their diet. To find food, they may forage in a small flock or gather with other birds at feeding sights. In a study done on the winter fat storage of migrant and resident birds in Jamaica, researchers found that the Jamaican Euphonia has greater fat storage than other species. Due to their fruit-based diet, flocks of Jamaican Euphonias can damage cultivated fruit crops in gardens and orchards.

_{Nesting Behavior}

The breeding season of the Jamaican Euphonia is between February and May while the nesting season is between March and May. Both males and females build nests, which are made from a mixture of grass and plant stems and concealed in

Spanish Moss Spanish moss (''Tillandsia usneoides'') is an Epiphyte, epiphytic flowering plant that often grows upon large trees in tropical and subtropical climates. It is native to much of Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Central America, South America (as far ...

(''

Tillandsia ''Tillandsia'' is a genus of around 650 species of evergreen, perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the family (biology), family Bromeliaceae, native to the forests, mountains and deserts of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics, from northe ...

''). The nest is structured as a dome and has an entrance on one side. During the nesting period, females will lay 3–4 white eggs with lavender, red, and brown markings. These markings are concentrated at the larger end of the egg.

_{Conservation Status}

The Jamaican Euphonia is listed by the 2016

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

of threatened species as of "Least Concern" in the most recent evaluation. The current population trend is listed as stable, although the total population is unknown. While these birds are not individually protected, they inhabit land and water areas that are protected. The lifespan of a Jamaican Euphonia is 3.5 years, and the species faces no known threats.

References

Jamaican euphonia Endemic birds of Jamaica Jamaican euphonia Jamaican euphonia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{fringillidae-stub