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Bird name:

Western Spindalis

Spindalis zenaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Tanagers (Thraupidae)

Codes: Common Name: WESP Scientific Name: SPIZEN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179897

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Bushes, shrubs, and thickets, Forest

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Rare

Egg Color:

Pale blue with brown flecks

Number of Eggs:

2 - 3

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Lined with fine material., Twigs and plant material.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Western Spindalis: Small tanager with black-gray back and dark rufous nape and rump. Throat patch is yellow, bib is red-black, breast and collar are yellow-orange, and belly is white. Head is black-and-white striped. Bill is dark gray, short and conical. Wings are dark with white patches. Tail is black with white edges. Female and juvenile are gray overall with pale yellow belly and undertail.

Range and Habitat

Western Spindalis: Native of West Indies, occasionally wandering into southeastern Florida and Florida Keys during summer. Preferred habitats include open forests, forest edges, and shrub areas.

Breeding and Nesting

Western Spindalis: Two to three brown-flecked, pale blue eggs are laid in a cup nest made of twigs and plants, lined with finer materials, and built on a branch of a tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Western Spindalis: Eats insects and fruits; forages for food in foliage of trees and shrubs.

Readily Eats

Safflower, Apple Slices, Suet, Millet, Peanut Kernels, Fruit

Vocalization

Western Spindalis: Song is a high-pitched, thin "zee-tit-zee", "tittit-zee." Call is "seeip" or "tsee."

Similar Species

Western Spindalis: None in range.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Western Spindalis

Western Spindalis: Small tanager, black-gray back, dark rufous nape, rump. Throat patch is yellow, bib is red-black, breast and collar are yellow-orange, belly is white. Head is black-and-white striped. Dark gray bill. Wings are dark with white patches. Tail is black with white edges.

● Song: "zee-tit-zee", "tittit-zee", "seeip", "tsee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Western Spindalis: Eats insects and fruits; forages for food in foliage of trees and shrubs.

● Breeding & nesting: Western Spindalis: Two to three brown-flecked, pale blue eggs are laid in a cup nest made of twigs and plants, lined with finer materials, and built on a branch of a tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Western Spindalis: None in range.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight on rapidly beating wings.

Western Spindalis Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Western Spindalis: Native of West Indies, occasionally wandering into southeastern Florida and Florida Keys during summer. Preferred habitats include open forests, forest edges, and shrub areas.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationRare

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight0.7 Ounces

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Collar

Similar to the upper part of the human neck, located at the back of the crown.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

Rump

The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Western Spindalis

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Readily Eats

Vocalization

Similar Species

Western Spindalis

Flight Pattern