Bananaquit

Overview

Bananaquit: Small and short-tailed with short, decurved black bill. Black above with white underparts. Belly washed with yellow with bold white stripe over eyes. Rump is yellow. Legs and feet are black. Weak fluttering flight, alternates rapid wing beats with brief periods of wings pulled to sides.

Range and Habitat

Bananaquit: Common in wooded areas and gardens of the Carribean, Mexico, Central and South America. A rare visitor to southern Florida, most often recorded in gardens containing exotic flowers.

INTERESTING FACTS

Bananaquits build nests with side entrance holes. Several nests may be built, with some used only as sleeping quarters.
It uses its sharp beak to pierce a flower from the side, taking the nectar without actually pollinating the plant. They cannot hover like a hummingbird, and must always perch while feeding.
Its nickname, the sugar bird, comes from its affinity for bowls or bird feeders stocked with granular sugar, a common method of attracting these birds in the USVI.
A group of bananaquits are collectively known as a "bunch" of bananaquits.

The Bananaquit has a fairly large global range, reaching up to 11 million square kilometers. This bird is native to numerous countries throughout the world. Prior to 2000, the Bananaquit had a rating of Lower Risk. Since that time it has been downgraded to Least Concern due to its range and population size. While the exact population of the Bananaquit has not been quantified, experts are not concerned about possible population decline over the next several years, which has resulted in the Least Concern rating.