Jamaican Blackbird
Encyclopedia
The Jamaican Blackbird is a species of bird
in the New World blackbird and oriole family
Icteridae. It is the only species (monotypic
) in the genus
Nesopsar. The species has sometimes been included in the genus Agelaius
, but molecular systematics have shown it not be closely related to any living blackbird or grackle.
The species is endemic to Jamaica
, where it is restricted to Cockpit Country
, some central areas and the Blue
and John Crow Mountains
.
The Jamaican Blackbird is a small icterid with all black plumage
. It has a short tail that is often frayed (see below). It is strictly arboreal and has a wheezing call. Pairs occupy large territories
in a variety of wet montane forest types, including elfin and mist forests, that have substantial epiphytes and mosses on the trees.
In the absence of specialised tree probers such as the woodcreeper
s, ovenbirds
and woodpecker
s, which occur in similar forests on the mainland, the Jamaican Blackbird has evolved
to fill this ecological niche
. The majority of the food taken by this species is found on the trunks of trees and their inner branches, feeding on animal prey, mostly insects, which it finds in bark or in bromeliads. It has shorter legs and longer claws that typical icterids, uses its tail for support when climbing tree trunks, both of which are adaptations to its niche, and has a longer bill and stronger jaw muscle
s than other New World blackbirds used for probing, spreading and hammering. It utilises a different niche to the other (semi) endemic icterid, the Jamaican Oriole
, which forages mainly in the outer branches of the trees.
The principal threat to the Jamaican Blackbird is habitat loss. There are numerous threats to Jamaican forests, including bauxite mining, charcoal burning, forestry, farming and development. This species is particularly vulnerable because it is dependent on large trees which support lots of epiphytes. Because of these threats it is listed as endangered by the IUCN. It is protected in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
, and efforts are underway to stop bauxite mining in Cockpit Country.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the New World blackbird and oriole family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Icteridae. It is the only species (monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
) in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Nesopsar. The species has sometimes been included in the genus Agelaius
Agelaius
American blackbirds are birds belonging to the genus Agelaius in the New World family Icteridae.This genus includes 11 species of largely insectivorous grassland birds. The males are typically black with some colorful patches, such as on the shoulders or head...
, but molecular systematics have shown it not be closely related to any living blackbird or grackle.
The species is endemic to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, where it is restricted to Cockpit Country
Cockpit Country
Cockpit Country is an area in Jamaica which provided a natural defensive area used by Maroons to establish communities outside the control of Spanish or British colonialists....
, some central areas and the Blue
Blue Mountains (Jamaica)
The Blue Mountains form the longest mountain range in Jamaica. They include the island's highest point, Blue Mountain Peak, at 2256 m . From the summit, accessible via a walking track, both the North and South coasts of the island can be seen...
and John Crow Mountains
John Crow Mountains
The John Crow Mountains are a range of mountains in Jamaica. They extend parallel with the north east coast of the island, bounded to the west by the banks of the Rio Grande, and joining with the eastern end of the Blue Mountains in the southeast...
.
The Jamaican Blackbird is a small icterid with all black plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
. It has a short tail that is often frayed (see below). It is strictly arboreal and has a wheezing call. Pairs occupy large territories
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
in a variety of wet montane forest types, including elfin and mist forests, that have substantial epiphytes and mosses on the trees.
In the absence of specialised tree probers such as the woodcreeper
Woodcreeper
The woodcreepers comprise a subfamily of sub-oscine passerine birds endemic to the Neotropics. They have traditionally been considered a distinct family Dendrocolaptidae, but most authorities now place them as a subfamily of the ovenbirds...
s, ovenbirds
Ovenbird (family)
Ovenbirds or furnariids are a large family of small suboscine passerine birds found in Mexico, and Central and South America. They form the family Furnariidae...
and woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, which occur in similar forests on the mainland, the Jamaican Blackbird has evolved
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
to fill this ecological niche
Ecological niche
In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...
. The majority of the food taken by this species is found on the trunks of trees and their inner branches, feeding on animal prey, mostly insects, which it finds in bark or in bromeliads. It has shorter legs and longer claws that typical icterids, uses its tail for support when climbing tree trunks, both of which are adaptations to its niche, and has a longer bill and stronger jaw muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s than other New World blackbirds used for probing, spreading and hammering. It utilises a different niche to the other (semi) endemic icterid, the Jamaican Oriole
Jamaican Oriole
The Jamaican Oriole is a species of bird in the Icteridae family. It is found in Jamaica and on the Colombian island of San Andrés...
, which forages mainly in the outer branches of the trees.
The principal threat to the Jamaican Blackbird is habitat loss. There are numerous threats to Jamaican forests, including bauxite mining, charcoal burning, forestry, farming and development. This species is particularly vulnerable because it is dependent on large trees which support lots of epiphytes. Because of these threats it is listed as endangered by the IUCN. It is protected in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park is a national park in Jamaica. The park covers 495.2 km2 and accouts for 4.5% of Jamaica's land surface.The park is globally known for its biodiversity...
, and efforts are underway to stop bauxite mining in Cockpit Country.