Hispaniolan crossbill
Hispaniolan crossbill | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Fringillidae |
Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
Genus: | Loxia |
Species: | L. megaplaga
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Binomial name | |
Loxia megaplaga Riley, 1916
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The Hispaniolan crossbill (Loxia megaplaga) is a
Taxonomy & evolution
It was formerly regarded as
There is general acceptance that the origin of L. megaplaga can be traced to southern populations of L. leucoptera that were stranded on the highest pine-forested mountains in Hispaniola (the highest in all of the Caribbean) when the
Ecology
The bird feeds almost exclusively on the
Conservation
Because of its restricted range, small population size, and reliance on threatened Hispaniolan pine forests, this species is listed as Endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources; BirdLife International 2008).[2] The population is highly fragmented and is currently thought to be declining, primarily due to increased agricultural clearance and habitat loss. The mature population, which is thought to range somewhere between 400 - 2300 individuals, is concentrated primarily in the Sierra de Baoruco National Park, which lacks any active protection.
References
- . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- S2CID 216496569.
- Dod, Annabelle Stockton (1978). Aves de la República Dominicana. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Dod, A. S. (1992). Endangered and Endemic Birds of the Dominican Republic. Cypress House ISBN 1-879384-12-4
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet Archived 2009-01-02 at the Wayback Machine