(CNS): The Grand Cayman Bullfinch has been reclassified as a separate species, Melopyrrha taylori, having previously been considered a subspecies of a monotypic West Indian genus. As of this month, the American Ornithological Society now recognises the Cayman bullfinch and the Cuban bullfinch (Melopyrrha nigra) as two endemic species. The decision was a belated response to a 2014 paper by four authors from Cuba and two from the Cayman Islands, the National Trust for the Cayman Islands said in a release.

Local wildlife expert and one of the authors, Patricia E. Bradley, said the endemic split had already been recognised by other world ornithological councils. As a single-island endemic species of restricted range, the bullfinch is likely to be reclassified on the IUCN Red List of endangered species to a near-threatened species of global concern.

In modern times, the bullfinch…