Spindalises - Zénas

The spindalises are a newly recognized family of songbirds endemic to the Caribbean region.  Formerly classified as “tanagers”, they generally resemble many of the birds that still bear that name.  This family consists of four non-migratory species of bird. The species are mostly endemic to the West Indies; exceptions include populations of western spindalises on Cozumel Island, off the Yucatán Peninsula's east coast, and in extreme southeastern Florida. 

The spindalises were traditionally regarded as races of a single species, the Stripe-headed Tanager, as the males share similar plumage patterns dominated by bold black-and-white stripes on the head, with splashes of richer color on the nape, rump, and breast.  There are, however, conspicuous differences among them, including the details of those colorful patches, their vocalizations, and the female plumages.

The Spindalidae are now regarded as comprising at least four species (Western, Jamaican, Hispanolian, and Puerto Rican).   

Spindalises are somewhat omnivorous with reasonably heavy bill, but feed heavily on fruit or (seasonally) insects.. 

Did you know ??

The spindalises have been reclassified as a separate family based largely on genetic studies of relatedness showing that they diverged from their nearest relatives about ten to twelve million years ago.