List of endemic birds of the West Indies

This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds.

Patterns of endemism
This region is notable not just for the high number of endemic species, but for endemism in higher-level taxonomic groupings too. This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds.

Family-level endemism
The following families are endemic to the region:


 * Palmchat, a passerine family (Dulidae), containing a single species found only on Hispaniola.
 * the todies, a family (Todidae) with five species, found only on the Greater Antilles.
 * the Cuban warblers, a passerine family (Teretistridae), containing two species on Cuba
 * the Hispaniolan tanagers, Phaenicophilidae, a passerine family, containing 4 species in 3 genera on Hispaniola
 * the Puerto Rican tanager, a passerine family (Nesospingidae), containing a single species found only on Puerto Rico
 * the chat-tanagers (Calyptophilidae) a passerine family, containing 2 species found only on Hispaniola
 * the spindalises, a passerine family (Spindalidae), with 4 species found only on the Greater Antilles and nearby islands

Genus-level endemism
In addition to genera in the families above, the following genera are endemic to the region:


 * Riccordia, with six species, the blue-headed hummingbird, Puerto Rican emerald, Cuban emerald, Hispaniolan emerald, and the extinct Brace's emerald & Gould's emerald
 * Margarops, with one species, the pearly-eyed thrasher
 * Priotelus, with two species, the Cuban trogon and Hispaniolan trogon
 * Melopyrrha, with four species, the Puerto Rican bullfinch, Cuban bullfinch, Greater Antillean bullfinch, and the extinct St. Kitts bullfinch

Six genera found only on Hispaniola:
 * Nesoctites, with one species, the Antillean piculet (also monotypic within the subfamily)
 * Dulus, with only one species, the palmchat (also monotypic within the family)
 * Phaenicophilus, with two species, the black-crowned tanager and grey-crowned tanager
 * Xenoligea, with one species, the white-winged warbler
 * Microligea, with one species, the green-tailed warbler
 * Calyptophilus, with two species, the western chat-tanager and eastern chat-tanager

Five genera found only on Jamaica:
 * Trochilus, with two species, red-billed and black-billed streamertails
 * Loxipasser, with one species, the yellow-shouldered grassquit
 * Euneornis, with one species, the orangequit
 * Nesopsar, with one species, the Jamaican blackbird

Six genera found only on Cuba:
 * Ferminia, a genus with only one species, the Zapata wren
 * Cyanolimnas, with one species, the Zapata rail
 * Margarobyas, with one species, the bare-legged owl
 * Starnoenas, with one species, the blue-headed quail-dove (depending on classification, the genus may also be monotypic to the subfamily level)
 * Torreornis, with one species, the Zapata sparrow
 * Xiphidiopicus, with one species, the Cuban green woodpecker

One genus found only on Puerto Rico: One genus found only on the Bahamas:
 * Gymnasio, with one species, the Puerto Rican owl (formerly also found in the Virgin Islands, but now likely extirpated there)


 * Nesophlox, with two species, the Bahama woodstar and Inagua woodstar

The following genera are confined to the Lesser Antilles:
 * Ramphocinclus, with a single species, the white-breasted thrasher
 * Cinclocerthia, with two species, the gray trembler and the brown trembler
 * Allenia, with one species, the scaly-breasted thrasher
 * Loxigilla, with two species, the Lesser Antillean bullfinch and the Barbados bullfinch

In addition in the following genera, a high proportions of the member species are endemic to the west Indies:

Endemic Bird Areas
Birdlife International has defined a number of Endemic Bird Areas in the West Indies.

They have also defined the following secondary areas:

Near-endemics

 * Zenaida dove
 * Antillean nighthawk
 * White-crowned pigeon
 * Pearly-eyed thrasher
 * Caribbean dove

The following is a list of species endemic to the region as breeding species:

The following is a list of species endemic to the region as non-breeding species:


 * Kirtland's warbler

The following restricted-range species are also found in the region:

The following seabirds are restricted to the region as breeders:


 * Black-capped petrel