Fun Lesser Antillean Bullfinch Facts For Kids

The lesser Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) is among the non-migratory resident birds of the world that lives in tropical and sub-tropical, dry or wet forests in the Lesser Antilles range of islands, which include Dominica, Guadeloupe, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Lucia, the British Virgin Island, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a solitary bird and is usually seen alone or in pairs. The male is black or slate-gray in color, with a red throat patch and lores, while the female is a sandy brown color with reddish-brown wings. Their breeding season is from January to February and February to August. The female lays two bullish white eggs and incubates them for two weeks in the nest. The taxonomy of a lesser Antillean bullfinch, belonging to the Thraupidae family, has eight subspecies; L. n. coryi, L. n. ridgwayi, L. n. desiradensis, L. n. dominicana, L. n. noctis, L. n. sclateri, L. n. crissalis, and L. n. grenadensis. The male lesser Antillean is similar to the St. Lucia Black Finch, and the female lesser Antillean bullfinch looks similar to a St. Lucia Black Finch or a female Black-faced Grassquit. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List; it has more than 10,000 mature birds of the world.

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What type of animal is a lesser Antillean bullfinch?

The lesser Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) is a bird.

What class of animal does a lesser Antillean bullfinch belong to?

The lesser Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) belongs to the class of bird Aves.

How many lesser Antillean bullfinches are there in the world?

The exact number of lesser Antillean bullfinch is unknown; judging by their conservation status, more than 10,000 mature individuals are there.

Where does a lesser Antillean bullfinch live?

This species is endemic to the lesser Antilles range of islands, including Dominica, Guadeloupe, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Lucia, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What is a lesser Antillean bullfinch's habitat?

The lesser Antillean bullfinch natural habitats are dry forest, mangroves, rainforest, second growth, forest understorey, and urban gardens. They can be found at all elevations between sea level and 2952 ft (900 m). They are comfortable in areas inhabited by humans.

Who does a lesser Antillean bullfinch live with?

The lesser Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) is usually spotted in pairs but can also be seen singly.

How long does a lesser Antillean bullfinch live?

The exact lifespan of a lesser Antillean bullfinch is unknown. The average lifespan of other bullfinch birds of the world is five years.

How do they reproduce?

The lesser Antillean bullfinch reproduces by laying eggs. This species of bullfinch can breed all year round, but a peak in breeding is seen in February to August and January to February. They form monogamous pairs, and the female lays two to four bluish-white eggs with red specks in spherical nests made of twigs, leaves, and grass. The nest is built between 3.2-16.4 ft (1-5 m) above the ground.

What is their conservation status?

The lesser Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List; it has more than 10,000 mature birds of the world.

What does a lesser Antillean bullfinch look like?

The male lesser Antillean bullfinch is black or slate-gray in color and has a reddish-brown patch on the throat, in front of the eye (lores), under tail coverts, and a black bill. The female lesser Antillean bullfinch has a sandy gray-brown body and head with reddish-brown wings and tail, gray underparts, and a yellowish bill. Both sexes have grayish-black legs. The juvenile initially resembles the female.

How cute are they?

The lesser Antillean bullfinches are very fluffy and cute. Their small size and sweet calls are very attractive.

How do they communicate?

The typical lesser Antillean bullfinch song is a series of four to seven 'wheet' notes followed by four to five rising whistles that ends with a buzz. Calls include 'chuk' and 'tseet' sounds.

How big is a lesser Antillean bullfinch?

The lesser Antillean bullfinch is 5.5-6.2 in (14-16 cm) long; medium-sized amongst other bullfinch species. Its size is the same as a fox sparrow and twice the size of a rufous hummingbird.

How fast can a lesser Antillean bullfinch fly?

The lesser Antillean is a good flier, but the exact speed is not known.

How much does a lesser Antillean bullfinch weigh?

The lesser Antillean bullfinch weighs 0.45-0.8 oz (13-23 g). Its weight varies in its subspecies. It weighs the same as a mourning warbler.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Both sexes are called lesser Antillean bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis); the sexes do not have any particular names.

What would you call a baby lesser Antillean bullfinch?

The baby lesser Antillean bullfinch does not have a specific name but can be referred to as baby, chick, or juvenile.

What do they eat?

The diet of a lesser Antillean bullfinch consists of insects, nectar, fruits, and seeds. It drinks nectar from flowers by piercing the base of the flower.

Are they dangerous?

No, this birds species is not a threat to humans; they cannot harm us.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, lesser Antillean bullfinches, of the Thraupidae family, are tame birds that can be kept as pets. They are comfortable near humans and often nest in areas inhabited by humans. They can also be taught to imitate a particular whistle or song.

Did you know...

The lesser Antillean bullfinch species is called 'noctis' because nox meaning 'night' in Latin. The dark-colored plumage served as inspiration for its name.

Its taxonomy includes eight subspecies of the lesser Antillean bullfinch birds of the world that are recognized; L. n. coryi (northwest Lesser Antilles), L. n. ridgwayi (US Virgin Islands and north the Lesser Antilles), L. n. desiradensis (north-central Lesser Antilles), L. n. dominicana (north-central Lesser Antilles), L. n. noctis (Martinique), L. n. sclateri (Saint Lucia), L. n. crissalis (Saint Vincent), and L. n. grenadensis (Grenada).

How many eggs do lesser Antillean bullfinches lay? 

Breeding seasons are January to February and February to August. The female lays two to four bluish-white eggs and incubates them for two weeks.

How to spot the lesser Antillean bullfinch 

The plumage of a male lesser Antillean is similar to the St. Lucia Black Finch; the black finch lacks the distinctive red throats and has pale legs. The female lesser Antillean bullfinch looks similar to a St. Lucia Black Finch or a female Black-faced Grassquit; the female black finch has a gray crown, pale legs, and smaller olive bodies.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our owl facts and rhinoceros hornbill facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable lesser Antillean bullfinch coloring pages.