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This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds.

Patterns of endemism

This region is notable not just for the high number of endemic species, but for endemism in higher-level taxonomic groupings too. This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds.

Family-level endemism

The following families are endemic to the region:

• Palmchat, a passerine family (Dulidae), containing a single species found only on Hispaniola.
• the todies, a family (Todidae) with five species, found only on the Greater Antilles.
• the Cuban warblers, a passerine family (Teretistridae), containing two species on Cuba
• the Hispaniolan tanagers, Phaenicophilidae, a passerine family, containing 4 species in 3 genera on Hispaniola
• the Puerto Rican tanager, a passerine family (Nesospingidae), containing a single species found only on Puerto Rico
• the chat-tanagers (Calyptophilidae) a passerine family, containing 2 species found only on Hispaniola
• the spindalises, a passerine family (Spindalidae), with 4 species found only on the Greater Antilles and nearby islands

Genus-level endemism

In addition to genera in the families above, the following genera are endemic to the region:

• Riccordia, with six species, the blue-headed hummingbird, Puerto Rican emerald, Cuban emerald, Hispaniolan emerald, and the extinct Brace's emerald & Gould's emerald
• Margarops, with one species, the pearly-eyed thrasher
• Priotelus, with two species, the Cuban trogon and Hispaniolan trogon
• Melopyrrha, with four species, the Puerto Rican bullfinch, Cuban bullfinch, Greater Antillean bullfinch, and the extinct St. Kitts bullfinch

Six genera found only on Hispaniola:

• Nesoctites, with one species, the Antillean piculet (also monotypic within the subfamily)
• Dulus, with only one species, the palmchat (also monotypic within the family)
• Phaenicophilus, with two species, the black-crowned tanager and grey-crowned tanager
• Xenoligea, with one species, the white-winged warbler
• Microligea, with one species, the green-tailed warbler
• Calyptophilus, with two species, the western chat-tanager and eastern chat-tanager

Five genera found only on Jamaica:

• Trochilus, with two species, red-billed and black-billed streamertails
• Loxipasser, with one species, the yellow-shouldered grassquit
• Euneornis, with one species, the orangequit
• Nesopsar, with one species, the Jamaican blackbird

Six genera found only on Cuba:

• Ferminia, a genus with only one species, the Zapata wren
• Cyanolimnas, with one species, the Zapata rail
• Margarobyas, with one species, the bare-legged owl
• Starnoenas, with one species, the blue-headed quail-dove (depending on classification, the genus may also be monotypic to the subfamily level)
• Torreornis, with one species, the Zapata sparrow
• Xiphidiopicus, with one species, the Cuban green woodpecker

One genus found only on Puerto Rico:

• Gymnasio, with one species, the Puerto Rican owl (formerly also found in the Virgin Islands, but now likely extirpated there)

One genus found only on the Bahamas:

• Nesophlox, with two species, the Bahama woodstar and Inagua woodstar

The following genera are confined to the Lesser Antilles:

• Ramphocinclus, with a single species, the white-breasted thrasher
• Cinclocerthia, with two species, the gray trembler and the brown trembler
• Allenia, with one species, the scaly-breasted thrasher
• Loxigilla, with two species, the Lesser Antillean bullfinch and the Barbados bullfinch

In addition in the following genera, a high proportions of the member species are endemic to the west Indies:

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

Endemic Bird Areas

Birdlife International has defined a number of Endemic Bird Areas in the West Indies.

They have also defined the following secondary areas:

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

List of species

Species endemic to Cuba

Common name	Binomial	Family	Status	Notes
Cuban kite	Chondrohierax wilsonii	Accipitridae		Sometimes considered a subspecies of hook-billed kite.
Gundlach's hawk	Accipiter gundlachi	Accipitridae
Cuban black hawk	Buteogallus gundlachii	Accipitridae
Zapata rail	Cyanolimnas cerverai	Rallidae
Grey-fronted quail-dove	Geotrygon caniceps	Columbidae
Blue-headed quail-dove	Starnoenas cyanocephala	Columbidae
Cuban parakeet	Psittacara euops	Psittacidae		Extirpated from Isla de la Juventud
Bare-legged owl	Margarobyas lawrencii	Strigidae
Cuban pygmy owl	Glaucidium siju	Strigidae
Cuban nightjar	Antrostomus cubanensis	Caprimulgidae
Bee hummingbird	Mellisuga helenae	Trochilidae		World's smallest bird.
Cuban trogon	Priotelus temnurus	Trogonidae
Cuban tody	Todus multicolor	Todidae
Cuban green woodpecker	Xiphidiopicus percussus	Picidae
Fernandina's flicker	Colaptes fernandinae	Picidae
Giant kingbird	Tyrannus cubensis	Tyrannidae
Cuban martin	Progne cryptoleuca	Hirundinidae		Probably winters somewhere in South America, though this is not confirmed.
Cuban crow	Corvus nasicus	Corvidae
Zapata wren	Ferminia cerverai	Troglodytidae
Cuban gnatcatcher	Polioptila lembeyei	Polioptilidae
Cuban solitaire	Myadestes elisabeth	Turdidae
Cuban vireo	Vireo gundlachii	Vireonidae
Yellow-headed warbler	Teretistris fernandinae	Parulidae
Oriente warbler	Teretistris fornsi	Parulidae
Cuban grassquit	Tiaris canorus	Thraupidae
Zapata sparrow	Torreornis inexpectata	Passerellidae
Red-shouldered blackbird	Agelaius assimilis	Icteridae
Cuban blackbird	Dives atroviolaceus	Icteridae
Cuban oriole	Icterus melanopsis	Icteridae

Species endemic to Hispaniola

Common name	Binomial	Family	Status	Notes
Hispaniolan mango	Anthracothorax dominicus	Trochilidae
Ridgway's hawk	Buteo ridgwayi	Accipitridae
Hispaniolan lizard cuckoo	Coccyzus longirostris	Cuculidae
Bay-breasted cuckoo	Coccyzus rufigularis	Cuculidae		Dominican Republic endemic.
Ashy-faced owl	Tyto glaucops	Strigidae
Least poorwill	Siphonorhis brewsteri	Caprimulgidae
Hispaniolan nightjar	Antrostomus ekmani	Caprimulgidae
Hispaniolan emerald	Riccordia swainsonii	Trochilidae
Hispaniolan trogon	Priotelus roseigaster	Trogonidae
Broad-billed tody	Todus subbulatus	Todidae
Narrow-billed tody	Todus angustirostris	Todidae
Antillean piculet	Nesoctites micromegas	Picidae
Hispaniolan woodpecker	Melanerpes striatus	Picidae
Hispaniolan pewee	Contopus hispaniolensis	Tyrannidae
White-necked crow	Corvus leucognaphalus	Corvidae		Extirpated from Puerto Rico.
Golden swallow	Tachycineta euchrysea	Hirundinidae		Extirpated from Jamaica.
La Selle thrush	Turdus swalesi	Turdidae
Palmchat	Dulus dominicus	Dulidae
Flat-billed vireo	Vireo nanus	Vireonidae
Green-tailed warbler	Microligea palustris	Phaenicophilidae
White-winged warbler	Xenoligea montana	Phaenicophilidae
Black-crowned palm-tanager	Phaenicophilus palmarum	Phaenicophilidae
Gray-crowned palm-tanager	Phaenicophilus poliocephalus	Phaenicophilidae
Hispaniolan spindalis	Spindalis dominicensis	Spindalidae
Western chat-tanager	Calyptophilus tertius	Incertae sedis		Formerly conspecific with eastern chat-tanager.
Eastern chat-tanager	Calyptophilus frugivorus	Incertae sedis		Formerly conspecific with western chat-tanager.
Hispaniolan oriole	Icterus dominicensis	Icteridae
Antillean siskin	Spinus dominicensis	Fringillidae
Hispaniolan crossbill	Loxia megaplaga	Fringillidae
White-fronted quail-dove	Geotrygon leucometopia	Columbidae		Dominican Republic endemic.
Hispaniolan parrot	Amazona ventralis	Psittacidae		Introduced to Puerto Rico.
Hispaniolan parakeet	Psittacara chloropterus	Psittacidae		Various feral populations exist in Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, and Florida.

Species endemic to Jamaica

Common name	Binomial	Family	Status	Notes
Ring-tailed pigeon	Patagioenas caribaea	Columbidae
Crested quail-dove	Geotrygon versicolor	Columbidae
Yellow-billed amazon	Amazona collaria	Psittacidae
Black-billed amazon	Amazona agilis	Psittacidae
Jamaican lizard cuckoo	Coccyzus vetula	Cuculidae
Chestnut-bellied cuckoo	Coccyzus pluvialis	Cuculidae
Jamaican owl	Asio grammicus	Strigidae
Jamaican poorwill	Siphonorhis americana	Caprimulgidae	Possibly extinct	Possibly extinct, hasn't been definitively seen since 1860.
Jamaican mango	Anthracothorax mango	Trochilidae
Black-billed streamertail	Trochilus scitulus	Trochilidae
Red-billed streamertail	Trochilus polytmus	Trochilidae
Jamaican tody	Todus todus	Todidae
Jamaican woodpecker	Melanerpes radiolatus	Picidae
Jamaican elaenia	Myiopagis cotta	Tyrannidae
Jamaican pewee	Contopus pallidus	Tyrannidae
Sad flycatcher	Myiarchus barbirostris	Tyrannidae
Rufous-tailed flycatcher	Myiarchus validus	Tyrannidae
Jamaican becard	Pachyramphus niger	Tyrannidae
Jamaican crow	Corvus jamaicensis	Corvidae
White-eyed thrush	Turdus jamaicensis	Turdidae
White-chinned thrush	Turdus aurantius	Turdidae
Jamaican vireo	Vireo modestus	Vireonidae
Blue Mountain vireo	Vireo osburni	Vireonidae
Arrow-headed warbler	Setophaga pharetra	Parulidae
Jamaican euphonia	Euphonia jamaica	Fringillidae
Yellow-shouldered grassquit	Loxipasser anoxanthus	Fringillidae
Jamaican spindalis	Spindalis nigricephala	Spindalidae
Orangequit	Euneornis campestris	Thraupidae
Jamaican blackbird	Nesopsar nigerrimus	Icteridae
Jamaican oriole	Icterus leucopteryx	Icteridae		Formerly found on Grand Cayman, currently extant on San Andrés.
Jamaican petrel	Pterodroma caribbaea	Procellariidae	Possibly extinct	Possibly extinct; formerly would have bred on Dominica and Guadeloupe. Last specimen collected in 1879. Surveys have been conducted, though nocturnal petrels are renowned for how hard they are to study.

Species endemic to Puerto Rico

Common name	Binomial	Family	Status	Notes
Puerto Rican amazon	Amazona vittata	Psittacidae		Currently being reintroduced to parts of the island.
Puerto Rican lizard cuckoo	Coccyzus vieilloti	Cuculidae
Puerto Rican owl	Gymnasio nudipes	Strigidae
Puerto Rican nightjar	Antrostomus noctitherus	Caprimulgidae
Green mango	Anthracothorax viridis	Trochilidae
Puerto Rican emerald	Riccordia maugaeus	Trochilidae
Puerto Rican tody	Todus mexicanus	Todidae
Puerto Rican woodpecker	Melanerpes portoricensis	Picidae
Puerto Rican flycatcher	Myiarchus antillarum	Tyrannidae
Puerto Rican vireo	Vireo latimeri	Vireonidae
Adelaide's warbler	Setophaga adelaidae	Parulidae
Elfin woods warbler	Setophaga angelae	Parulidae
Puerto Rican spindalis	Spindalis portoricensis	Spindalidae
Puerto Rican tanager	Nesospingus speculiferus	Nesospingidae
Puerto Rican bullfinch	Melopyrrha portoricensis	Thraupidae
Yellow-shouldered blackbird	Agelaius xanthomus	Icteridae
Puerto Rican oriole	Icterus portoricensis	Icteridae

Other insular endemics of the West Indies

Common name	Binomial	Family	Status	Notes
Species endemic to the Bahamas
Bahama woodstar	Nesophlox evelynae	Trochilidae
Inagua woodstar	Nesophlox lyrura	Trochilidae
Bahama swallow	Tachycineta cyaneoviridis	Hirundinidae
Bahama nuthatch	Sitta insularis	Sittidae		Possibly extinct following Hurricane Dorian
Bahama oriole	Icterus northropi	Icteridae
Bahama yellowthroat	Geothlypis rostrata	Parulidae
Bahama warbler	Setophaga flavescens	Parulidae
Species endemic to Grenada
Grenada dove	Leptotila wellsi	Columbidae		National bird of Grenada.
Species endemic to Dominica
Imperial parrot	Amazona imperialis	Psittacidae		National bird of Dominica.
Red-necked amazon	Amazona arausiaca	Psittacidae
Species endemic to St. Lucia
St. Lucia amazon	Amazona versicolor	Psittacidae
St. Lucia oriole	Icterus laudabilis	Icteridae
Semper's warbler	Leucopaza semperi	Parulidae		After not being reliably reported since 1961, some have speculated that Semper's warbler is already extinct.
St. Lucia warbler	Setophaga delicata	Parulidae
St. Lucia black finch	Melanospiza richardsoni	Fringillidae
Species endemic to St. Vincent
St. Vincent amazon	Amazona guildingii	Psittacidae
Whistling warbler	Catharopeza bishopi	Parulidae
Species endemic to Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe woodpecker	Melanerpes herminieri	Picidae
Species endemic to Barbuda
Barbuda warbler	Setophaga subita	Parulidae
Species endemic to Barbados
Barbados bullfinch	Loxigilla barbadensis	Thraupidae
Species endemic to Montserrat
Montserrat oriole	Icterus oberi	Icteridae
Species endemic to Martinique
Martinique oriole	Icterus bonana	Icteridae
Species endemic to San Andrés
San Andres vireo	Vireo caribaeus	Vireonidae
Species endemic to Trinidad
Trinidad motmot	Momotus bahamensis	Momotidae
Trinidad piping guan	Pipile pipile	Cracidae

Other species endemic to the Greater Antilles

Common name	Binomial	Family	Distribution	Status	Notes
Antillean palm-swift	Tachornis phoenicobia	Apodidae	Jamaica, Cuba, and Hispaniola
Vervain hummingbird	Mellisuga minima	Trochilidae	Hispaniola and Jamaica, occasional vagrant to Puerto Rico.
Plain pigeon	Patagioenas inornata	Columbidae	Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Hispaniola.
Tawny-shouldered blackbird	Agelaius humeralis	Icteridae	Cuba and Haiti, occasionally a vagrant to the United States.
Greater Antillean elaenia	Elaenia fallax	Tyrannidae	Hispaniola and Jamaica.
Stolid flycatcher	Myiarchus stolidus	Tyrannidae	Hispaniola and Jamaica.
Palm crow	Corvus palmarum	Corvidae	Hispaniola and Cuba.
Rufous-throated solitaire	Myadestes genibarbis	Turdidae	Dominica, Hispaniola, Jamaica, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Martinique, though the St. Vincent subspecies is sometimes classified as its own species.
Bahama mockingbird	Mimus gundlachii	Mimidae	Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, and Turks and Caicos.		Occasional vagrant to the United States.
Greater Antillean bullfinch	Melopyrrha violacea	Thraupidae	The Bahamas, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos.
Cuban bullfinch	Melopyrrha nigra	Thraupidae	Cuba and Grand Cayman		Grand Cayman subspecies sometimes considered a distinct species

Other species endemic to the Lesser Antilles

Common name	Binomial	Family	Distribution	Status	Notes
Lesser Antillean swift	Chaetura martinica	Apodidae	Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent.		Possible records from Nevis.
Purple-throated carib	Eulampis jugularis	Trochilidae	Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Sint Eustatius.		It has occurred as a vagrant in Barbados, Barbuda, Grenada and the Virgin Islands.
Blue-headed hummingbird	Riccordia bicolor	Trochilidae	Dominica and Martinique.
Grenada flycatcher	Myiarchus nugator	Tyrannidae	Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Lesser Antillean flycatcher	Myiarchus oberi	Tyrannidae	Barbuda, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia.
Forest thrush	Turdus lherminieri	Turdidae	Grenada, Dominica, Montserrat, and Saint Lucia.		The Saint Lucia population may be extinct.
White-breasted thrasher	Ramphocinclus brachyurus	Mimidae	St. Lucia and Martinique.
Scaly-breasted thrasher	Allenia fusca	Mimidae	Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.		May be extirpated from Barbados, Barbuda, and Sint Eustatius.
Brown trembler	Cinclocerthia ruficauda	Mimidae	St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica and St. Vincent.		Extirpated from Sint Eustatius.
Gray trembler	Cinclocerthia gutturalis	Mimidae	St. Lucia and Martinique.
Plumbeous warbler	Setophaga plumbea	Parulidae	Dominica and Guadeloupe.
Lesser Antillean tanager	Tangara cucullata	Thraupidae	St. Vincent and Grenada.
Lesser Antillean saltator	Saltator albicollis	Thraupidae	Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Martinique
Lesser Antillean bullfinch	Loxigilla noctis	Thraupidae	Saint Barth, Saint Martin, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Trinidad motmot	Momotus bahamensis	Momotidae	Trinidad and Tobago

Other species endemic to the West Indies

Common name	Binomial	Family	Distribution	Status	Notes
Puerto Rican mango	Anthracothorax aurulentus	Trochilidae	the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
West Indian whistling duck	Dendrocygna arborea	Anatidae	Primarily in the Bahamas, though significant numbers exist in northern Hispaniola, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and Puerto Rico.
Loggerhead kingbird	Tyrannus caudifasciatus	Tyrannidae	Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Puerto Rico
Greater Antillean grackle	Quiscalus niger	Icteridae	Hispaniola, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Scaly-naped pigeon	Patagioenas squamosa	Columbidae	Most of the West Indies except for Jamaica.
Key West quail-dove	Geotrygon chrysia	Columbidae	Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Hispaniola, and Cuba.		Formerly bred on Key West, occasional vagrant to Florida.
Caribbean martin	Progne dominicensis	Hirundinidae	Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and almost all of the Lesser Antilles.		Occasional vagrant to Turks and Caicos and Cuba.
Antillean euphonia	Euphonia musica	Fringillidae	Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and most of the Lesser Antilles.
Lesser Antillean pewee	Contopus latirostris	Tyrannidae	Puerto Rico, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Lucia.		Occasional records from Saint Kitts.
Red-legged thrush	Turdus plumbeus	Turdidae	Hispaniola, Bahamas, Dominica, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.		Extirpated from Swan Islands.
Cuban amazon	Amazona leucocephala	Psittacidae	Cuba, Bahamas, and Cayman Islands.
West Indian woodpecker	Melanerpes superciliaris	Picidae	Cuba, Bahamas, and Cayman Islands.
La Sagra's flycatcher	Myiarchus sagrae	Tyrannidae	Cuba, Bahamas, and Cayman Islands.		Occasional vagrant to the United States.
Great lizard cuckoo	Coccyzus merlini	Cuculidae	Cuba and the Bahamas
Cuban emerald	Riccordia ricordii	Trochilidae	Cuba and the Bahamas
Cuban pewee	Contopus caribaeus	Tyrannidae	Cuba and the Bahamas
Olive-capped warbler	Setophaga pityophila	Parulidae	Cuba and the Bahamas
Western spindalis	Spindalis zena	Spindalidae	Cozumel, Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos		Casual vagrant to southern Florida.
Bridled quail-dove	Geotrygon mystacea	Columbidae	The Lesser Antilles north from Saint Lucia, as well as Puerto Rico.
Green-throated carib	Eulampis holosericeus	Trochilidae	All of the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico.
Antillean crested hummingbird	Orthorhyncus cristatus	Trochilidae	All of the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico.
Thick-billed vireo	Vireo crassirostris	Vireonidae	Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands, Tortuga Island in Haiti and Cuba.		Occasional vagrant to Florida
Vitelline warbler	Setophaga vitellina	Parulidae	Swan Islands and Grand Cayman.

Extinct birds

Near-endemics

• Zenaida dove
• Antillean nighthawk
• White-crowned pigeon
• Pearly-eyed thrasher
• Caribbean dove

The following is a list of species endemic to the region as breeding species:

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

The following is a list of species endemic to the region as non-breeding species:

• Kirtland's warbler

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

The following restricted-range species are also found in the region:

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

The following seabirds are restricted to the region as breeders:

• Black-capped petrel

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

References

1. "Cuban Martin". Cornell Lab of Ornithology Neotropical Birda. Cornell University. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
2. "Jamaican Pauraque". Cornell Lab of Ornithology Neotropical Birds. Cornell University. Retrieved 23 March 2019.

External links

• The Endemic Birds of Hispaniola

• Lists of endemic birds by region
• Birds of the Caribbean
• Endemic birds of the Caribbean