The Inaccessible Island finch (''Nesospiza acunhae''), also known as the Inaccessible bunting, is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae (formerly in Emberizidae). It is endemic to Inaccessible Island of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago where its natural habitats are temperate

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

and subantarctic grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Taxonomy and systematics

The Inaccessible Island finch was previously considered two species, but the three subspecies are now grouped together.

Subspecies

The subspecies of this species are: ''N. a. acunhae''

Cabanis Cabanis is the surname of: * George Cabanis (1815-1892), American politician *Jean Cabanis (1816–1906), German ornithologist * José Cabanis (1922–2000), French writer, historian and magistrate *Pierre Jean George Cabanis Pierre Jean Georges ...

, 1873. Found along the coastline, and has a small beak and drab olive-grey plumage, though the male is slightly brighter than the female. ''N. a. dunnei'' Hagen, 1952. Found on the eastern edge of the island's plateau and the coastline, and has a large beak. It is larger than the other subspecies. ''N. a. fraseri'' Ryan, 2008. Found on the Island's plateau at 300–600 meters (984–1969 feet), and has a small beak and bright yellow plumage. It has a large head long wings.

Description

It ranges from in length and weighs . All subspecies are some shade of olive-green. The call is a repeated series of three to four notes.

Diet

The Inaccessible Island finch eats mainly seeds and insects. The plants consumed vary by subspecies. ''N. a. acunhae'' eats the seeds of '' Spartinia'' grasses, such as '' Sporobolus arundinacea'', as well as '' Carex''. ''N. a. fraseri'' feeds on ''

Nertera ''Nertera'' is a genus of about 15 species of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae, native to the Southern Hemisphere, in South America and Australasia, with one species extending into the Northern Hemisphere in Central America, eastern Asia ...

''. ''N.a. dunnei'' feeds on ''

Phylica ''Phylica'' is a genus of plants in the family Rhamnaceae. It contains about 150 species, the majority of which are restricted to South Africa, where they form part of the '. A few species occur in other parts of southern Africa, and on islands ...

''. All subspecies of ''N. acunhae'' use flies as their main source of prey.

Reproduction

It breeds from November to February. They are usually monogamous, and partners remain together for successive breeding attempts. Females lay one or two eggs in a cup nest close to the ground.

References

* BirdLife International 2004.
Nesospiza acunhae2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Downloaded 26 July 2007. ;Specific

Inaccessible Island finch The Inaccessible Island finch (''Nesospiza acunhae''), also known as the Inaccessible bunting, is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae (formerly in Emberizidae). It is endemic to Inaccessible Island of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago wher ...

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{TristandaCunha-stub