13 NOTES Florida Field Naturalist 29(1):13-25, 2001. STATUS, DISTRIBUTION, AND TAXONOMY OF THE SPINDALIS COMPLEX (“STRIPE-HEADED TANAGER”) IN FLORIDA BILL PRANTY1,3 AND P. WILLIAM SMITH2 1475 Easy Street, Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida 33825-8003 2Post Office Box 1992, Ocean Shores, Washington 98569 E-Mail: [email protected] 3Current address: Audubon of Florida 410 Ware Boulevard, Suite 702, Tampa, Florida 33619 E-Mail: [email protected] The spindalis group of tanagers, until recently considered a single species, the “Stripe-headed Tanager” (Spindalis zena), arguably is the most frequently-claimed West Indian vagrant to Florida. We have located 50 published and previously unpublished but verifiable reports from the state since 1957, involving 61 individuals (Table 1). This paper discusses only these observations, most of which are unverifiable (sensu Robert- son and Woolfenden 1992). There are possibly a dozen or more additional, unpublished reports from Florida, e.g., see Bonney (1961) and Robertson and Woolfenden (1992). Twelve reports from the state can be verified on the basis of specimen, videotape, or photographic records archived at Tall Timbers Research Station at Tallahassee. Spindalis tanagers reside throughout the Bahamas and Greater Antilles, on Grand Cayman, and on Isla Cozumel off the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico (Garrido et al. 1997, AOU 1998). Following Garrido et al. (1997), the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU 2000) recently has restored part of the historical taxonomy and nomenclature of this group (Ridgway 1902, Bond 1936) by splitting S. zena (sensu AOU 1998) into four spe- cies. As we discuss below, all verifiable records in Florida pertain to the Western Spinda- lis (Spindalis zena, Fig. 1). On geographical grounds we doubt that any of the other three spindalises recognized by AOU (2000) has occurred in Florida (cf. Robertson and Kushlan 1984). DNA studies in progress may recommend further splitting of the West- ern Spindalis (N. Klein in litt.). Results of these studies conceivably could restore the entire taxonomic treatment of Ridgway (1902), who considered S. zena (sensu AOU 2000) itself to consist of four species. We discuss the possible implication of such action, should it ever occur, on Florida reports. Spindalises have been observed in Florida in every month of the year except July (Ta- ble 1), with most reports occurring in April, May, and December (Fig. 2). It seems prema- ture to speculate whether these peaks of occurrence represent distinct “pulses” of visitation by spindalises, or are the result of peaks in observer activity. We note, for ex- ample, that five of the 14 spindalises found during December were discovered on Christ- mas Bird Counts. Sex of the 61 individuals was: 65% males, 26% females, and 8% not specified (Table 1). The preponderance of reports of males possibly simply reflects the distinctiveness of their plumage. Five reports in the state represent multiple individu- als, the most being seven birds at Hypoluxo Island in spring 1973 (Table 1). Contrary to Terres (1980), we know of no reports of spindalises nesting or breeding in the state. All published reports in Florida through 1998 were in counties along the southeast coast or in the Keys. In April 1999, a Western Spindalis was photographed in Manatee County (Fig. 1), the first published record for the Gulf coast (Pranty 1999c), and the first report 14 FLORIDAFIELDNATURALIST Table 1. Published or previously unpublished but verifiable spindalis reports in Florida, arranged chronologically. Sex: F = female, M = male, and U = unspecified. No. Year(s) Date(s) County Location #/sex Reference(s) Archived evidence 1 1957 28 Dec Miami-Dade Cutler 1M Bonney 1961 2 1961 12-28 May Monroe Marathon 1M Abramson and Stevenson 1961, Bonney 1961 3 1962 ? May Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1M Paulson and Stevenson 1962 4 1962 22-23 Dec Monroe Tavernier 1M Sprunt 1963, Stevenson 1963a 5 1963 early Jan-19 Mar Monroe Tavernier 1F Stevenson 1963a 6 1963 30 Mar-6 Apr Monroe Plantation Key 1M Stevenson 1963a 7 1963 11 May Palm Beach Palm Beach 1M Langridge 1963, Stevenson 1963b 8 1963 17 Jun Monroe Upper Key Largo 1M Stevenson 1963c Specimen: TTRS 2815 9 1963-1964 21 Dec-28 Jan Palm Beach West Palm Beach 1M Langridge 1964, Stevenson 1964, sex fide H. Langridge pers. comm. 10 1965-1966 22 Nov-27 Mar Miami-Dade Greynolds Park 1U1 Stevenson 1966, Cunning- ham 1966 1Four published observations over a four-month period, perhaps not necessarily all of the same individual. 2Observed during count week of the West Palm Beach Christmas Bird Count held on 20 December 1972 and not published elsewhere; 1 individ- ual presumed. 3Published in certain literature as an immature male, although not obviously so based on Ridgway (1902). Plumage succession in this group is poorly understood and is beyond the scope of this paper. 4As reported, another individual (sex not specified) may have been present at Miami in February 1977. 5Description appears to be that of a first-fall male Pheucticus grosbeak (see text). 6Single males observed three days and “5-6 mi” apart (Ogden 1992) presumably were different individuals. Table 1. (Continued) Published or previously unpublished but verifiable spindalis reports in Florida, arranged chronologically. Sex: F = female, M = male, and U = unspecified. No. Year(s) Date(s) County Location #/sex Reference(s) Archived evidence 11 1967 28 Mar-3 Apr Palm Beach Hypoluxo Island 1M Robertson 1967, Stevenson 1967a 12 1967 12-16 Apr Monroe Key West 1M Stevenson 1967a 13 1967 3 Jun Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1U Stevenson 1967b 14 1967 2 Dec Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1U Stevenson 1968 15 1971-1972 21 Dec-26 Mar Monroe Grassy Key 1M Crane 1972, Stevenson Photograph: TTRS P726 1972 (G. Hall), 8 Mar 1972 16 1971 29 Dec Monroe Islamorada 1U Sprunt 1972 17 1972 ? Dec Palm Beach West Palm Beach area 1U2 Langridge 1973 18 1973 20 Jan-? Feb Monroe Islamorada 1M Woolfenden 1973, R. Pittell N in litt. OTES 19 1973 19 Mar-28 May Palm Beach Hypoluxo Island 3F, 4M Kale 1973, Woolfenden 1973, sex fide H. Langridge pers. comm. 20 1975-1976 11 Dec-6 Jan Broward Fort Lauderdale 1F3 Bolte 1976, Stevenson Photographs: TTRS 1976, Sykes 1976 P293-294 (R. Plockel- man), 14 Dec 1975 21 1976 3 May Palm Beach Hypoluxo Island 1F Kale 1976 1Four published observations over a four-month period, perhaps not necessarily all of the same individual. 2Observed during count week of the West Palm Beach Christmas Bird Count held on 20 December 1972 and not published elsewhere; 1 individ- ual presumed. 3Published in certain literature as an immature male, although not obviously so based on Ridgway (1902). Plumage succession in this group is poorly understood and is beyond the scope of this paper. 4As reported, another individual (sex not specified) may have been present at Miami in February 1977. 5Description appears to be that of a first-fall male Pheucticus grosbeak (see text). 15 6Single males observed three days and “5-6 mi” apart (Ogden 1992) presumably were different individuals. 16 FLORIDAFIELDNATURALIST Table 1. (Continued) Published or previously unpublished but verifiable spindalis reports in Florida, arranged chronologically. Sex: F = female, M = male, and U = unspecified. No. Year(s) Date(s) County Location #/sex Reference(s) Archived evidence 22 1976-1977 ? Dec-29 Apr Miami-Dade Matheson Hammock 1M4 Kale 1977, Stevenson 1977 23 1979 15 Dec Palm Beach West Palm Beach 1M Langridge 1980, Sykes 1980 24 1979 28 Dec Monroe Islamorada 1M Paul 1980, Sykes 1980 25 1983 22-23 Feb Palm Beach Hypoluxo Island 1M Hoffman 1983 26 1983 29 Apr Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1M Kale 1983, Powell 1986 Description: FOSRC 83- 043 (B. Neville) 27 1983 17 May Palm Beach Delray Beach 1F, 1M Kale 1983 5 28 1983 17 Oct Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1M Atherton and Atherton 1984, Description: FOSRC 83- Powell 1986 058 (B. Neville) 29 1985 14 Oct Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1M Atherton and Atherton 1986 30 1988 28 Apr Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1F Langridge 1988, sex fide D. Description: FOSRC 88- Lysinger in litt. 149 (M. Lysinger) 31 1988 5 Sep Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1F Atherton and Atherton 1989 32 1990 14-25 Dec Monroe Everglades National 1F Cox 1991a, Ogden 1991, Photographs: Birding Park, Snake Bight Trail Gustafson 1992 24:317, TTRS P709, and FOSRC 91-221 (all by M. Gustafson), 14 Dec 1990 1Four published observations over a four-month period, perhaps not necessarily all of the same individual. 2Observed during count week of the West Palm Beach Christmas Bird Count held on 20 December 1972 and not published elsewhere; 1 individ- ual presumed. 3Published in certain literature as an immature male, although not obviously so based on Ridgway (1902). Plumage succession in this group is poorly understood and is beyond the scope of this paper. 4As reported, another individual (sex not specified) may have been present at Miami in February 1977. 5Description appears to be that of a first-fall male Pheucticus grosbeak (see text). 6Single males observed three days and “5-6 mi” apart (Ogden 1992) presumably were different individuals. Table 1. (Continued) Published or previously unpublished but verifiable spindalis reports in Florida, arranged chronologically. Sex: F = female, M = male, and U = unspecified. No. Year(s) Date(s) County Location #/sex Reference(s) Archived evidence 33 1991 1-6 Apr Miami-Dade Key Biscayne 1M Cox 1991b, Langridge 1991 Photograph: TTRS P734 (C. Miles), 2 Apr 1991 34 1991 30 Nov Palm Beach Delray Beach 1F West and Wamer 1993 35 1991 7 Dec Palm Beach Delray Beach 1M6 Ogden 1992 36 1991 10 Dec Palm Beach Delray Beach 1M6 Cox 1992a, Ogden 1992 37 1992 3 Jan-3 Mar Miami-Dade Goulds 1M Cox 1992a, b; Photograph: American Langridge 1992, Birds 46:256 and TTRS Ogden 1992 P735 (both by L.