Lesser Antillean Tanager Stilpnia cucullata Scientific name definitions

The Lesser Antillean Tanager (Stilpnia cucullata) is part of the genus of small and brightly colored tanagers, Stilpnia. Genetic data strongly suggests that it is most closely related to the Scrub Tanager (Stilpnia vitriolina), and these, in turn, are related to the Burnished-buff Tanager (Stilpnia cayana) and slightly more distantly to the recently described Green-capped Tanager (Stilpnia meyerdeschauenseei). All of these Stilpnia show greenish or warm cinnamon body plumages, and there is a tendency for a rusty cap. The Lesser Antillean Tanager is largely cinnamon to tawny with greenish wings, a dark mask, and a distinct rufous cap. It is restricted to the islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada and, in accordance with molecular data, appears to be an invasion of the Lesser Antilles by a South American group. There are no other Stilpnia in the Caribbean. It is interesting that the Lesser Antillean Tanager appears most closely related to the Scrub Tanager, which is primarily a Colombian species, rather than the more widespread and geographically adjacent Burnished-buff Tanager found in Venezuela. The Lesser Antillean Tanager is reasonably common in moist forests in the highlands of its native islands. It appeared to suffer some immediate population decreases after Hurricane Ivan in 2004, but its numbers quickly bounced, perhaps because its preferred habitat is open forest and the forest edge.