Western spindalis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western spindalis |
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| Male Spindalis zena pretrei Viñales, Cuba |
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| Female Spindalis zena pretrei Ciego de Ávila, Cuba |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Spindalis
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| Species: |
zena
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| Synonyms | |
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Fringilla zena Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The western spindalis (Spindalis zena) is a beautiful songbird species. It used to be grouped with three other types of spindalises. Back then, they were all called the stripe-headed tanager.
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What the Western Spindalis Looks Like
Male western spindalises are very colorful. They have a black and white striped head. Their throat, chest, and the back of their neck are a bright orange color. The rest of their belly is light gray.
There are two main color types for males:
- Some have a green back (usually in northern areas).
- Others have a black back (also usually in northern areas).
Female western spindalises have similar head markings. However, their colors are much softer, appearing as a medium gray. Their upper body is olive-gray, and their underside is grayish-brown. They might have a little bit of orange on their chest, rump, and shoulders.
These birds are about 15 centimeters (6 inches) long. They weigh around 21 grams (0.74 ounces).
Where the Western Spindalis Lives
You can find the western spindalis in a few places. They live in southeastern Florida and the western Caribbean. This includes islands like Cozumel, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
They are rare visitors to the very southern part of Florida. In 2009, a group of them successfully raised young there.
These birds prefer certain places to live. Their natural homes are warm, wet lowland forests. They also live in warm, wet montane forests (forests on mountains). Sometimes, they can be found in areas where forests used to be, even if they are now changed by people. One type of western spindalis, called zena, lives in pine forests.
Different Types of Western Spindalises
Just like people can have different looks depending on where they are from, birds can have different types too. These are called subspecies. Here are the different subspecies of the western spindalis:
- Spindalis zena zena: Found in the central Bahamas.
- Spindalis zena townsendi: Lives on Grand Bahama Island, the Abacos, and Green Turtle Cay.
- Spindalis zena pretrei: Found in Cuba, the Isle of Pines, and nearby small islands.
- Spindalis zena salvini: Lives on Grand Cayman Island.
- Spindalis zena benedicti: Found on Cozumel Island.
Protecting the Western Spindalis
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) keeps track of how many animals are left in the wild. They do not consider the western spindalis to be an threatened species. This means there are enough of them for now, and they are not in danger of disappearing.
