Birdfinding.info ⇒ The Cayman Islands’ endemic form of Bananaquit is generally abundant and easy to find throughout its small range, including Botanic Park, the Mastic Trail, George Town, and gardens along Seven Mile Beach. Probably the most numerous native songbird on all three islands.
“Cayman Bananaquit”
Coereba flaveola sharpei
Endemic to the Cayman Islands, where it is widespread and abundant in most habitats.
Identification
Like all Bananaquits, readily recognized by its curved, sharp-tipped bill, broad white eyebrows, dark brown mask and upperparts, and yellow breast.
Other distinctive features include a pink gape, yellow rump, yellow shoulders, and a large white spot at the base of the primaries.
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei. (Guy Banks Road, Little Cayman; February 18, 2017.) © Holly Kleindienst
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei, showing typical blackish tone of the upperparts. (North Side, Grand Cayman; May 5, 2018.) © Peter Davey
The “Cayman Bananaquit” closely resembles the Bananaquit forms that inhabit the Bahamas, Cozumel, Providencia, and San Andrés. These forms all have a whitish throat that extends down to the upper chest and blends into the yellow of the breast—whereas the “Greater Antillean”, “Lesser Antillean”, and “Continental” forms have a smaller, dark gray throat that contrasts sharply with the vivid yellow chest.
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei. (Cayman Brac.) © Cayman Compass
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei. (Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Grand Cayman; April 15, 2017.) Anonymous eBirder
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei. (Colliers Wilderness Reserve, Grand Cayman; November 21, 2015.) © Greg Bodker
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei, apparently in worn plumage—with faded-looking brownish upperparts—showing the yellow rump. (Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Grand Cayman; May 13, 2008.) © Marbry Hopkins
Immatures are similar to adults but have paler brown upperparts and dirty-yellow underparts and eyebrows.
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei, immature. (Old Robin Road, East End, Grand Cayman; July 28, 2018.) © Graham Gerdeman
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei, immature. (Colliers Wilderness Reserve, Grand Cayman; April 2, 2019.) © Steven Mlodinow
“Cayman Bananaquit”, C. f. sharpei, immature. (Colliers Wilderness Reserve, Grand Cayman; April 2, 2019.) © Steven Mlodinow
“Cayman Bananaquit,” C. f. sharpei, molting into adult plumage—note yellow tinge remaining in the brow. (West Bay, Grand Cayman; March 20, 2017.) © Charmaine Anderson
Voice. The commonly heard song has two parts, each with a regular, rhythmic pattern: first, a “squeaky wheel,” like successive rotations of a pulley or clothesline, and second, a faster, high-pitched series that sounds like the electric starter of an engine.
The song is discernible in the background of this recording of a Northern Mockingbird:
Notes
Monotypic form, one of approximately five to ten potentially distinct forms of Bananaquit. The Cayman form is not widely recognized as distinct, but this seems to be an oversight. It appears to be peculiarly intermediate between the “Greater Antillean” and “Bahama” forms: according to genetic analysis (Bellemain et al. 2008), it is most closely related to “Greater Antillean”, but it visually resembles “Bahama”, and its voice appears to differ from both of them. The Cayman form also closely resembles the “Cozumel” and “Providencia” forms in appearance, and its voice differs from theirs as well.
Frontiers of Taxonomy: Bunches of Bananaquits. The 43 or so subspecies of Bananaquit vary significantly in plumage and voice, and it seems clear that what has traditionally been recognized as a single species consists of several distinguishable forms, and likely two or more species, but it is a complex puzzle.
Mitochondrial DNA analysis (Bellemain et al. 2008) indicates that the oldest splits are among three lineages: “Bahama” (bahamensis, plus the “Cozumel” subspecies, caboti); “Greater Antillean” (Jamaican flaveola, Hispaniolan bananivora, “Cayman” sharpei, and possibly also the similar “Providencia” form, which includes tricolor and oblita); and the rest (which can be subdivided into “Lesser Antillean” and “Continental” groups).
References
Bellemain, E., E. Bermingham, and R.E. Ricklefs. 2008. The dynamic evolutionary history of the bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) in the Caribbean revealed by a multigene analysis. Evolutionary Biology 8:240.
Bellemain, E., O.E. Gaggiotti, A. Fahey, E. Bermingham, and R.E. Ricklefs. 2012. Demographic history and genetic diversity in West Indian Coereba flaveola populations. Genetica 140:137-148.
BirdLife International. 2016. Coereba flaveola. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22722080A94747415. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22722080A94747415.en. (Accessed April 15, 2021.)
eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, N.Y. http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed April 15, 2021.)
Howell, S.N.G., and S. Webb. 1995. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Kirwan, G.M., A. Levesque, M. Oberle, and C.J. Sharpe. 2019. Birds of the West Indies. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Seutin, G., N.K. Klein, R.E. Ricklefs, and E. Bermingham. 1994. Historical Biogeography of the Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) in the Caribbean Region: A Mitochondrial DNA Assessment. Evolution 48:1041-1061.
Xeno-Canto. 2021. Bananaquit – Coereba flaveola. https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Coereba-flaveola. (Accessed April 15, 2021.)