![]() Its bill, although proportional to its body, is comparatively longer and narrower than those of other Icteridae. The adult has a black bill with dark eyes its legs and feet are also black. The wing primaries appear slightly browner than the rest of the body. This blue gloss is entirely absent on the belly. True to this description, it is a medium-sized bird of around 7 to 8 inches long with entirely black plumage, but with a blue gloss noticeable on the head, upper-parts, and wing coverts. The Jamaican blackbird has been described as looking and behaving like a black oriole. ( "Important Bird Areas in the Caribbean -Jamaica", 2016 Bond, 1993 Cruz, 1978 Downer and Sutton, 1990 Jamarillo and Burke, 1999) Jamaican blackbirds are found in Cockpit Country, John Crow Mountains, and Dolphin Head, which boast wet limestone forests, and the Port Royal Mountain, Hardwar Gap and, Blue Mountain Peak, which are montane forests. However, the species apparently avoids ridge forest of higher elevation or exposed sites. These include wet limestone forest, lower montane rainforest, montane mist forest, and elfin forest. Optimal Jamaican blackbird habitats are described as being places with abundant precipitation and heavy epiphytic growth. Its local name “wild pine sergeant” is indicative of its preference for the epiphytic plant locally called the "wild pine" (a bromeliad). Like many other species, the abundance and presence of food is indicative of habitat. The Jamaican blackbird is usually confined to areas of above 575 m and is rarely seen in lowland areas. Preferred habitat of the Jamaican blackbird is very specific and the range is highly fragmented as a result. ( "Important Bird Areas in the Caribbean -Jamaica", 2016 Barker, et al., 2013 Lanyon and Omland, 1999) Although there is not enough information to reliably estimate the current population size, the species is considered endangered because of its restricted range and particular habitat needs. Subsequent phylogenetic research has placed Nesopsar in the same group as Agelaius and Dives, but it still in its own distinct lineage. Evolutionarily, this species is a part of the grackles and allies within the New World blackbirds. It is restricted to the Blue Mountains in the east and the Cockpit Country in the west. ![]() The Jamaican blackbird is an endangered species endemic to its namesake island, Jamaica. ![]()
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