El Yunque National Forest

Puerto Rican Tody (Eng.), San Pedrito (Sp.), Todus mexicanus (sci.)
Information compiled by Víctor M. Cuevas, Biological Scientist, EYNF/LEF

General Notes:
TODIES: Family TODIDAE 

The todies are most closely related to the motmots and more distantly to kingfishers. Though the family is now confined to the Greater Antilles, it is believed to have originated from a Central American stock now extinct. Todies have a voracious appetite; a captive specimen ate about 40% of its body weight in insects each day. The average number of insects caught by a single bird in the EYNF was 1.8 per minute, from dawn through to dusk. Todies have one of the highest rates of feeding young ever recorded in an insectivorous bird.

Description:
It is 11 cm (4.25”) in size. A diminutive, chunky forest bird. It is the only small species on Puerto Rico, other than the hummingbirds, that is primarily bright green. The red throat; long, broad, red bill; yellow flanks and short, non-hovering flights of about one meter readily distinguish this species. Immature lacks the bright red throat and has a shorter bill.

The voice is a loud, nasal beep or bee-beep. Wing rattles in flight using the narrow-tipped primaries, mostly during courtship and territorial net defense.

CLICK HERE to hear the voice of this bird.

Natural History:
The Puerto Rican Tody is endemic to Puerto Rico, but there are also other endemic Todies in each of the Greater Antilles: one in Cuba, two in Hispaniola, and one in Jamaica.

It nest in earth banks in where excavates a curved burrow with a terminal nest chamber, but twice as many burrows are abandoned as are actually used. Parents are sometimes assisted in raising their nestlings by one or two additional adults, probably offspring from previous brood fo nesting pair. This assistance increases the number of offspring which eventually fledge. Eggs (1-4, average is 2.3) are shiny white, with breeding occuring primarily form March to July.

Distribution:
Puerto Rican Tody is a common and widespread endemic to Puerto Rico from the coast to the Mountains. It’s habitat are forested areas, including damp forests of hills and mountains, shade coffee plantations and dense thickets in the arid lowlands of the south coast.

Look for it in the EYNF:
It is dificult to see, but often heard. When perched this Tody have the habit of pointing its bill upward and with rapid, jerky movements of the head scans the undersurface of leaves for insects. On spying its prey, the Tody sallies out, snaps up the morsel and proceeds to a new perch all in one short, curved arc. Look for it along trails, specially in mud banks areas.

Additional Information:
Raffaele, Herbert A. 1998. A guide to the Birds of the West Indies. P. 406 Princeton University Press