The Puerto Rican tody, locally known in Spanish as San Pedrito, is a bird endemic to the main island of Puerto Rico. In 2022, the tody was approved as the official national bird of Puerto Rico by the legislative assembly. However, the proposal did not advance, largely due to the scientific name of the bird which erroneously identifies it as a native of Mexico. In 2023, the assembly approved a petition to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) seeking the renaming of the tody as Todus borinquensis.
Region
Caribbean
Typical Environment
Endemic to Puerto Rico, it occupies a wide range of wooded habitats including mature forests, secondary growth, shaded coffee plantations, and forest edges. It favors dense understory and thickets where it can sally for insects from low perches. The species is common in karst forests of the north, moist montane areas of the Cordillera Central, and coastal lowland forests. It tolerates some habitat disturbance provided patches of wooded cover remain.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Puerto Rican tody, locally called San Pedrito, is a tiny, brilliant-green insect-eater found only on the island of Puerto Rico. It excavates nesting burrows in earthen banks or rotten embankments, where it lays a small clutch and both parents care for the young. Lawmakers have proposed it as Puerto Rico’s national bird, and a petition has sought changing its scientific name to Todus borinquensis to better reflect its origin, though the accepted name remains Todus mexicanus. It hunts by sallying from low perches and often beats prey against branches before swallowing.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick dashing sallies
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories year-round. Pairs excavate a tunnel nest in earthen banks or rotten embankments, where they lay a small clutch and both adults feed the chicks. Courtship includes bill-clicking and short display flights near the nest site.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Its voice is a rapid series of dry ticks and rattles, often described as insect-like. It also gives sharp, metallic calls during foraging and soft chatter between mates near the nest.
Plumage
Glossy green upperparts with clean whitish underparts and yellowish flanks; bright red throat patch edged with pale and bluish tones.
Diet
Primarily small insects and other arthropods, including beetles, grasshoppers, flies, wasps, and spiders. It hunts by sallying from low perches, snatching prey in short flights or gleaning from leaves and twigs. Prey is often beaten against a perch to subdue it before swallowing.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shaded understory and along forest edges, often a few meters above ground. It readily forages in secondary woodland and traditional shade coffee plantations where dense foliage provides perches and cover.
