St. Lucia Black Finch Melanospiza richardsoni

A small seed-eating species of forests with dense understory. Commonly found in pairs feeding on the ground. Males are entirely jet-black, whereas females have a largely buff-brown body and a gray head. Females of the similar-looking Lesser Antillean Bullfinch are grayish below with a browner head. The male Lesser Antillean Bullfinch is mostly black but has a small red throat patch that male St. Lucia Black Finches lack. Both sexes of bullfinch also have a smaller bill than that of the black finch. Vocalizations include a high “tseea-ts-ts-tsew” and a slightly squeaky “tsip.”