Here's another Blackbird from my upcoming "Blackbirds & Grackles" set. The Jamaican Blackbird is an unusual bird in the sense of evolution and adaptability. In the absence of specialized tree probers such as the woodcreepers, ovenbirds and woodpeckers which occur in similar forests on the mainland, this blackbird has convergently evolved to fill this ecological niche. The majority of the food taken by this species is found on the trunks of trees and their inner branches. It has shorter legs and longer claws that typical icterids, uses its tail for support when climbing tree trunks, both of which are adaptations to its niche, and has a longer bill and stronger jaw muscles than other New World blackbirds used for probing, spreading and hammering. It utilizes a different niche from the other endemic icterids, such as the Jamaican oriole, which forages mainly in the outer branches of the trees. Furthermore, it is also an endangered species with somewhere between 2,500–10,000 mature adults left in the world. The principal threat is habitat loss. There are numerous threats to Jamaican forests, including bauxite mining, charcoal production, forestry, farming and development. This species is particularly vulnerable because it is dependent on large trees which support many epiphytes. Because of these threats it is listed as “Endangered” by the IUCN. It is protected in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, and efforts are underway to stop bauxite mining in Cockpit Country.