The broad-billed tody is a species of bird in the family Todidae, and one of two Todus species found on Hispaniola, along with the narrow-billed tody. They are small insectivorous birds, characterized by their bright green feathers, pink flanks and red throats.
Region
Hispaniola (Greater Antilles)
Typical Environment
Found widely across Hispaniola in a variety of wooded habitats including humid and semi-dry broadleaf forests, forest edges, thickets, plantations, and shade coffee. It favors low to mid-level perches along trails, streamside vegetation, and secondary growth where it can sally for insects. It adapts well to mosaic landscapes and can occur near human-altered areas with sufficient shrub cover. Nesting typically occurs where earthen banks or road cuts allow burrow excavation.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Endemic to the island of Hispaniola, the broad-billed tody is a tiny, bright green insect hunter with a vivid red throat and pink-tinged flanks. It often gives dry rattles and audible bill snaps as it makes short sallies from low perches. Like other todies, it excavates a burrow in an earthen bank for nesting. It co-occurs on Hispaniola with the narrow-billed tody, from which it differs by its stouter bill and habitat preferences.
Broad-billed tody nest entrance, Los Limones, Dominican Republic. This nest was a half-meter down in the vertical wall of a 2m x 2m x 1 m-deep sinkhole in the backyard of a residence.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick, darting sallies and brief hovering
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories. During breeding, pairs excavate a tunnel in a dirt bank ending in a nesting chamber, where they lay a small clutch of white eggs. Both sexes participate in incubation and feeding of nestlings. Outside of breeding, it remains in territories and does not form large flocks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a dry rattling trill and sharp ticking notes, often interspersed with audible bill snaps. Vocalizations are quick and insect-like, delivered from low perches within dense foliage.
Plumage
Bright green upperparts with whitish underparts washed pink on the flanks; throat vivid red bordered by a fine white malar line. Feathers are smooth and compact, giving a neat, glossy look. The bill is broad and flattened, with a reddish lower mandible.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods such as beetles, flies, grasshoppers, and spiders. It hunts by sallying from a perch to snatch prey in the air or gleaning from leaves and twigs. Prey is often beaten against a perch before swallowing. Occasionally takes small fruits when insects are scarce.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in understory and midstory of forests, edges, hedgerows, and shaded plantations. Often forages along shaded stream corridors and in dense shrub layers near clearings. Uses exposed but low perches to launch short foraging flights.
