Cuban Bullfinch

The Cuban bullfinch (Melopyrrha nigra) is a species of songbird belonging to the genus Melopyrrha. It is a member of the tanager family Thraupidae falls under the subfamily Coerebinae, which also includes Darwin´s finches.

Distribution and habitat: The Cuban bullfinch (Melopyrrha nigra) is an endemic species found exclusively in Cuba. Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, as well as heavily degraded former forests. The IUCN categorizes it as a near threatened species due to its vulnerable status.

Taxonomy: The Cuban bullfinch was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Loxia nigra. Linnaeus based his short description on Mark Catesby´s "The Little Black Bullfinch" and Eleazar Albin´s "Black Bullfinch ". The type location is Cuba. The specific epithet nigra is Latin meaning "black". The Cuban bullfinch is now one of five species placed in the genus Melopyrrha that was introduced in 1853 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. The Grand Cayman bullfinch (M. taylori) found on the Cayman Islands was once considered a subspecies, but is now considered a full species by IUCN and BirdLife International.