Western Spindalis

Spindalis zena (Linnaeus, 1758)

Western Spindalis, Spindalis zena, is a passerine of the Greater Antillean tanager family that breeds in the Bahamas, Cuba, the Cayman Islands and Cozumel. It was first described by Linnaeus in 1758. The male has a striking head pattern of black and white stripes, with burnt orange on the throat, breast and nape, while the rest of the underparts are light grey. Females show the same head markings in a softer grey, with olive-grey upperparts and greyish-brown underparts. The species was once treated as part of a single wider group of spindalises.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Phaenicophilidae — Greater Antillean Tanagers

Breeding range

North America: Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Is. and Cozumel I. (Mexico)