The Puerto Rican bullfinch (Melopyrrha portoricensis) is a small bullfinchtanagerendemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico. The species can be commonly found in heavy forests throughout Puerto Rico, except on the easternmost tip of the island. It consumes seeds, fruits, insects, and spiders. The nest is spherical, with an entrance on the side. Typically three light green eggs are laid.
The Puerto Rican bullfinch has black feathers with orange areas above the eyes, around its throat, and underneath the tail's base. The species measures from 17 to 19cm and weighs approximately 32grams.
Bullfinches are considered to be mainly frugivorous (and appear to prefer fruit when available) but they also consume other plant and animal material. Even though the diet of the nestling bullfinches is unknown, most frugivorous bird species feed large quantities of animal matter to their young, especially during the early portion of the nestling stage. In later stages of development, it is likely that the chicks are also fed fruit and insects. Because of their behavioral flexibility when it comes to food consumption, foraging methods, and foraging site preferences, they are considered a generalist species
Distribution and habitat
Bullfinches are believed to be most common in dense mountain forests but can also be found in lower forests with dense undergrowth, coffee plantations, thick brushy areas, dry coastal thickets, and rarely in mangroves (6) (7). They have also been described as edge or open-canopy species. Even though it has a widespread distribution over the island, it is suspected that there has been a reduction in range and overall population.
Breeding
It is thought that the main breeding time for the Puerto Rican bullfinch is from March to June within the subtropical moist forest and subtropical wet and lower montane wet forest (6). Puerto Rican bullfinches seem to nest irregularly throughout the year in the wetter forests of Puerto Rico, where seasonality is much less pronounced. However, in the dry forests of southwestern Puerto Rico, most species restrict their breeding to the spring and early summer rainy season of approximately late April to July. During the dry season from December to April, resources are probably too limiting for birds to successfully rear young in most years (5). Furthermore, it is hypothesized that bullfinches breed opportunistically in the dry forest as well. Therefore it might be possible that bullfinches and other species attempt to breed again during the shorter annual rainy peak in September and October (5).
The Puerto Rican bullfinch has been observed exhibiting cooperative breeding behavior in the Guanica region. The observation consisted of juveniles collecting nesting material along with adults and adding material to nests (5).
This species usually nests close to the ground on trees or shrubs (9). All species of the genus Melopyrrha, which is endemic to the Caribbean, are described as constructing domed or globular nests and laying clutches of 2–3 dull greenish eggs with dark markings (10). The bird builds a spherical structure with woven plants materials and sticks. The inner part is usually lined with pieces of bark. There is a side entrance, but the nest may also be domed or totally enclosed with side-opening. It is placed in tree fork, on tree branch or in tree cavity, but also in shrub or clump of grass (11). From observations, it is thought that the female incubates for 14 days. At hatching, the chicks are naked for 3-4 days, after which the flight-feathers start to grow 10 days later and they fledge 14-15 days after hatching (11). Their nests are known to be used by frog species, such as the Common coquí.[3]
Nest predation seems to account for most of the nest failures for the species. In the region of Guanica, the pearly-eyed thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) appears to be the most frequent predator. Other possible next predators include red-legged thrushes (Turdus plumbeus), Puerto Rican racers (Borikenophis portoricensis), anoles (Anolis spp.), small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata), green iguanas (Iguana iguana), feral cats (Felis catus) and black rats (Rattus rattus) (5). Nets success is believed to be higher when there is more fruit availability, increased precipitation and decreased nest height (5).
The Puerto Rican dry forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion located in southwestern and eastern Puerto Rico and on the offshore islands. They cover an area of 1,300 km2 (500 sq mi). These forests grow in areas receiving less than 1,000 mm (39 in) of rain annually. Many of the trees are deciduous, losing their leaves during the dry season which normally lasts from December to April.
The common coquí or coquí is a species of frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the family Eleutherodactylidae. The species is named for the loud call the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes. "CO" serves to repel other males and establish territory while the "KEE" serves to attract females. Since the auditory systems of males and females respond preferentially to different notes of the male call, this is an example of a sex difference in a sensory system. The common coquí is a very important aspect of Puerto Rican culture, and it has become an unofficial territorial symbol of Puerto Rico. The frog is also found elsewhere, and is usually considered an invasive species outside Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican tody is a bird endemic to Puerto Rico. It is locally known in Spanish as "San Pedrito" and "medio peso".
The Puerto Rican nightjar or Puerto Rican whip-poor-will is a bird in the nightjar family found in the coastal dry scrub forests in localized areas of southwestern Puerto Rico. It was described in 1916 from bones found in a cave in north central Puerto Rico and a single skin specimen from 1888, and was considered extinct until observed in the wild in 1961. The current population is estimated as 1,400-2,000 mature birds. The species is currently classified as Endangered due to pressures from habitat loss.
The Puerto Rican spindalis is a bird endemic to the island of Puerto Rico, where it is commonly known as reina mora. The species is widely distributed throughout the island and is an important part of the Puerto Rican ecosystem because of its help in seed dispersal and plant reproduction. The Puerto Rican spindalis is the unofficial national bird of Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican woodpecker is the only woodpecker endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico and is one of the five species of the genus Melanerpes that occur in the Antilles. Furthermore, it is the only resident species of the family Picidae in Puerto Rico. The species is common on the main island of Puerto Rico and rare on the island of Vieques.
The Puerto Rican tanager is a small passerine bird endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico. It is the only member of the genus Nesospingus and has historically been placed in the tanager family, but recent studies indicate it as either belonging in its own family Nesospingidae or as being a member of Phaenicophilidae. Its closest relatives are likely the spindalises. The Puerto Rican tanager is known to locals as llorosa, which means 'cryer'.
The yellow-shouldered blackbird, known in Puerto Rican Spanish as mariquita de Puerto Rico or capitán, is a species of blackbird endemic to Puerto Rico. It has black plumage with a prominent yellow patch on the wing. Adult males and females are of similar appearance. The species is predominantly insectivorous.
Bullfinch is a name given to two groups of passerine birds.
The fauna of Puerto Rico is similar to other island archipelago faunas, with high endemism, and low, skewed taxonomic diversity. Bats are the only extant native terrestrial mammals in Puerto Rico. All other terrestrial mammals in the area were introduced by humans, and include species such as cats, goats, sheep, the small Indian mongoose, and escaped monkeys. Marine mammals include dolphins, manatees, and whales. Of the 349 bird species, about 120 breed in the archipelago, and 47.5% are accidental or rare.
Coquí is a common name for several species of small frogs in the genus Eleutherodactylus native to Puerto Rico. They are onomatopoeically named for the very loud mating call which the males of two species, the common coqui and the upland coqui, make at night. The coquí is one of the most common frogs in Puerto Rico, with more than 16 different species found within its territory, including 13 in El Yunque National Forest. Other species of this genus can be found in the rest of the Caribbean and elsewhere in the Neotropics, in Central and South America. The coquí is an unofficial national symbol of Puerto Rico; there is a Puerto Rican expression that goes, "Soy de aquí, como el coquí", which translates to "I'm from here, like the coquí."
Melopyrrha is a genus of passerine birds in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is made up of four extant species endemic to the Greater Antilles, along with 1 possibly extinct species from the island of Saint Kitts in the Lesser Antilles.
Cambalache State Forest and Reserve is a nature reserve and one of the 20 state forests in the territory of Puerto Rico. The Cambalache State Forest is located in the municipalities of Arecibo and Barceloneta in northern Puerto Rico.
The St. Kitts bullfinch, known locally as the mountain blacksmith, is a possibly extinct songbird species of the genus Melopyrrha which was endemic to the island of Saint Kitts.
Los Tres Picachos State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The forest is located in the Central Mountain Range or Cordillera Central, along the Los Tres Picachos mountain ridge, one of the island's highest mountains, named after the distinctive three peaks of the highest mountain in the forest. The state forest is located in the municipalities of Jayuya and Ciales.
San Patricio State Forest, also known as the San Patricio Urban Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. This is a secondary or second-growth forest is located in the Gobernador Piñero district of San Juan, between the neighborhoods of Villa Borinquen, Caparra Heights and Borinquen Towers complex. The urban forest has entrances on Roosevelt Avenue and Ensenada Street. The forest extends to almost 70 acres and it is the smallest protected area in the Puerto Rico state forest system. One of the most distinctive features of the forest is the mogote on its northern edge which can be observed from many parts of San Juan and Guaynabo. The forest is part of the Northern Karst.
Guajataca State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forest system of Puerto Rico. The Guajataca Forest is located in the northwestern part of Puerto Rico, along the Northern Karst zone in the municipality of Isabela and municipality of Quebradillas, and is near Camuy and San Sebastián. The forest is renowned for its ecological diversity, the mogotes and karstic formations, and its numerous caves and canyons. It also has the largest trail system of any Puerto Rican state forest.
Vega State Forest is a state forest of Puerto Rico located in the municipalities of Vega Alta and Vega Baja. The subtropical moist forest is located in the northern coast of Puerto Rico in the middle of the karst zone known as the Carso Norteño, and it contains features typical of such geography such as sinkholes, caves and mogotes. It was designated a nature reserve in 1952 and it is fully protected by the Puerto Rico Forest laws of 1975. The forest has a total area of 1,150 acres divided into six forest units throughout the municipalities of Vega Alta and Vega Baja.
↑ "The Ecology of Eleutherodactylus coqui". issg Database. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
(3) Pérez-Rivera, R. A. 1994. Feeding ecology of the Puerto Rican Bullfinch (Loxigilla portoricensis) in the Carite and Guánica forests. Caribbean Journal of Science 30:242-249.
(4) Carlo, T. A., J. A. Collazo, and M. J. Groom. 2004. Influences of fruit diversity and abundance on bird use of two shaded coffee plantations. Biotropica 36:602-614
(5) Amber N. M. Wiewel, Stephen J. Dinsmore, and Jaime A. Collazo "Nest survival and breeding biology of the Puerto Rican Bullfinch (Loxigilla portoricensis) in southwestern Puerto Rico," The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 125(4), 720-730, (1 December 2013). https://doi.org/10.1676/12-175.1
(6) Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
(7) Garcia, M. A., J. A. Crus-Burgos, E. Ventosa-Febles, and R. Lopez-Ortiz. 2005. Puerto Rico comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy. Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
(8) Recher, H. F. 1970. Population density and seasonal changes of the avifauna in a tropical forest before and after gamma irradiation, p. E69-E93. In H. T. Odum and R. F. Pigeon [eds.], A tropical rain forest: a study of irradiation and ecology at El Verde, Puerto Rico. Division of Technical Information, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
(9) Biaggi, V. 1983. Las Aves de Puerto Rico. Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, PR.
(10) Raffaele, H. A. AND D. Roby. 1977. The Lesser Antillean Bullfinch in the Virgin Islands. Wilson Bulletin 89: 338–342.
(11) Handbook of the birds of the world Vol 16 by Josep del Hoyo- Andrew Elliot-David Christie – Lynx Edicions – ISBN9788496553781
Further reading
Oberle, Mark (2003). Las aves de Puerto Rico en fotografías (in Spanish). Editorial Humanitas. ISBN0-9650104-2-2.
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