Puerto Rican tanager

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Puerto Rican tanager
Puerto Rican Tanager.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Superfamily: Emberizoidea
Family: Nesospingidae
Barker, Burns, Klicka, Lanyon, & Lovette, 2013
Genus: Nesospingus
P.L. Sclater, 1885
Species:
N. speculiferus
Binomial name
Nesospingus speculiferus
(Lawrence, 1875)
Nesospingus speculiferus map.svg

The Puerto Rican tanager (Nesospingus speculiferus) 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 (family Spindalidae, sometimes also considered a member of the Phaenicophilidae). [2] The Puerto Rican tanager is known to locals as llorosa, which means 'cryer'.

Contents

Description

Identification

The Puerto Rican tanager is a small passerine, typically measuring between 18 and 20 cm (7–8 in) in length and weighing around 36 g. Both males and females are olive-brown above with pale grey to white underparts. Adults typically have faint dusky striping on the beast and pure white throats. Adults also have a conspicuous white spot on the wing and a dark crown and face which obscures the eye. [3] Undertail coverts are pale fulvous. Males have a brown-black maxilla and white mandible and females have entirely black bills. Immatures are similar in appearance to adults, but are brownish underneath and lack the white wing spot.

Voice

The most frequently heard noise emitted by the Puerto Rican tanager is a harsh call note often described as a chewp or chuck. This is often heard while feeding in flocks and may be extended into a longer chi-chi-chit of varying lengths. The breeding song of the species is light, sweet rapidly sung tswet-tswet-tswet-tswet. Other interaction calls include a soft sigh similar to a heavy exhale and a light tsip-tsip-tsip. [3]

Behavior

Puerto Rican tanagers are known to roost communally in large bamboo clumps or palms. [3] [4] They are typically the nucleus species in mixed feeding flocks, especially in the winter when neotropical migrants are present in Puerto Rico. During the breeding season, tanagers become very territorial and defend nesting territories. [5] Puerto Rican tanagers are strong flyers, but don't often fly long distances, preferring to make short flights through the canopy or brush.

Feeding

Puerto Rican tanagers feed mainly on invertebrates and fruits. [6] [7] The species has been reported to occasionally consume lizards and the nestling of other birds, but most of its diet consists of spiders, insects, centipedes, snails, and various fruits. [6] Fruit consumption is determined by season, but they often feed on fruits of the genus Cecropia and Clusia . [7] Eleutherodactylus tree frogs, such as the common coquí, are also an important component of the Puerto Rican tanager's diet. [6]

Breeding

Clumps of bamboo in a Puerto Rican subtropical wet forest. Typical roosting habitat for the Puerto Rican tanager. Bamboo in Puerto Rico.jpg
Clumps of bamboo in a Puerto Rican subtropical wet forest. Typical roosting habitat for the Puerto Rican tanager.

The breeding season lasts from January to late-July, though individuals have been recorded breeding at other times of the year. [3] [5] During this time the males become strongly territorial. Nests are located at the ends of branches 2–10 m off the ground and are usually cup-shaped and approximately 9.2 cm across. They are typically constructed of vines, ferns, roots, and palm fibers and lined with feathers and palm leaves. Females have a clutch of two or three elliptical white eggs with reddish-brown splotches. [5]

Predators

Communal roosting makes the species an easy target for owls on the island, such as the Puerto Rican owl. [8] They are also a common prey item of the Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk. [9]

Distribution and habitat

The Puerto Rican tanager is restricted to mid- to high-elevation (300–1350 m) montane forests on the island of Puerto Rico. [3] It typically inhabits mature and second growth montane subtropical rain and wet forests, as well as subtropical lower montane forests. [10] Much of the population is concentrated on the eastern and western sides of the central cordillera of Puerto Rico, with populations in El Yunque National Forest and Maricao State Forest. Deforestation has contributed to fragmentation of the population, which once stretched across the entire central cordillera, but is now confined to the preserved areas and higher peaks.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanager</span> Family of birds

The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has a Neotropical distribution and is the second-largest family of birds. It represents about 4% of all avian species and 12% of the Neotropical birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tody</span> Family of birds

The todies are a family, Todidae, of tiny Caribbean birds in the order Coraciiformes, which also includes the kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. The family has one living genus, Todus, and one genus known from the fossil record, Palaeotodus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet tanager</span> Species of bird

The scarlet tanager is a medium-sized American songbird. Until recently, it was placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), but it and other members of its genus are now classified as belonging to the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species' plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family, although the Piranga species lacks the thick conical bill that many cardinals possess. The species resides in thick deciduous woodlands and suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican amazon</span> Parrot endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rican amazon, also known as the Puerto Rican parrot or iguaca, is the only extant parrot endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico, and belongs to the Neotropical genus Amazona. Measuring 28–30 cm (11.0–11.8 in), the bird is a predominantly green parrot with a red forehead and white rings around the eyes. Its closest relatives are believed to be the Cuban amazon and the Hispaniolan amazon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican emerald</span> Species of hummingbird

The Puerto Rican emerald, or zumbadorcito de Puerto Rico in Spanish, is species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican tody</span> Species of bird

The Puerto Rican tody is a bird endemic to Puerto Rico. It is locally known in Spanish as "San Pedrito" and "medio peso".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican nightjar</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican spindalis</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elfin woods warbler</span> Small bird of the New World warbler family endemic to Puerto Rico

The elfin woods warbler is a species of bird endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is local and uncommon. Discovered in 1968 and described in 1972, it is the most recently described New World warbler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-shouldered blackbird</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver-throated tanager</span> Species of bird from South America

The silver-throated tanager is a species of passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and northeastern Peru. It inhabits mossy forests, montane evergreen forests, tropical lowland evergreen forests and forest edges, along with tall secondary forests and disturbed habitat with remnant trees and forest. It is 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long and weighs 22 grams (0.78 oz) on average, and shows slight sexual dimorphism, with duller female plumage. Adult males are mainly bright yellow, with a silvery-white throat bordered above with a black stripe on the cheeks, black streaking on the back, and green edges to the wings and tail. Juveniles are duller and greener.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican bullfinch</span> Species of bird

The Puerto Rican bullfinch is a small bullfinch tanager endemic 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.

<i>Spindalis</i> Genus of birds

Spindalis is a genus consisting of four non-migratory species of bird. It is the only genus in the family Spindalidae. The species are mostly endemic to the West Indies; exceptions include populations of western spindalises on Cozumel Island, off the Yucatán Peninsula's east coast, and in extreme southeastern Florida. The species were traditionally considered aberrant members of the tanager family Thraupidae. Taxonomic studies recover them as a sister group to the Puerto Rican tanager, and some group Spindalidae and Nesospingidae within the Phaenicophilidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispaniolan parakeet</span> Species of bird

The Hispaniolan parakeet is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In the former country it is called "perico" and in the latter "perruche".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emerald tanager</span> Species of bird from South America

The emerald tanager is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. Described by the English ornithologists PL Sclater and Osbert Salvin in 1869, it is a medium-sized species that has a length of 10.6–13 cm (4.2–5.1 in) and a mass of 18–20.5 g (0.63–0.72 oz). It can be identified by its bright green plumage, with black streaking on the back and wings, and a black auricular patch and beak. It also has yellow on the crown and rump. The species shows slight sexual dimorphism, with the females being duller and having yellow-green in place of yellow on the head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk</span> Subspecies of bird

The Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk, falcón de sierra or gavilán pecho rufo in Spanish, is an endemic subspecies of the North American sharp-shinned hawk, occurring only in Puerto Rico. Discovered in 1912 and described as a distinct sub-species, it has been placed on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered species because of its rapidly dwindling population in Puerto Rico. It can be found in the Toro Negro State Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carite State Forest</span> Forest in southeastern Puerto Rico

Carite State Forest is a state forest and nature reserve located in the Sierra de Cayey mountain range in southeastern Puerto Rico. The forest extends over approximately 2,600 hectares and is located in the municipalities of Caguas, Cayey, Guayama, Patillas and San Lorenzo. The forest is located along the Ruta Panorámica, which offers access to the forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guilarte State Forest</span> State forest in Puerto Rico

Guilarte State Forest is one of the 20 forests that make up the public forests system in Puerto Rico. The forest is located in the eastern half of the Central Mountain Range or Cordillera Central. The main geographical feature of the forest reserve is Monte Guilarte, which is Puerto Rico's 7th highest mountain at 3,950 feet above sea level. While Monte Guilarte is located in the municipality of Adjuntas, the forest's borders also include parts of Guayanilla, Peñuelas and Yauco.

References

External audio
Bird Call
Nuvola apps arts.svg Puerto Rican tanager vocals with coqui in background
  1. BirdLife International (2022). "Nesospingus speculiferus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T22722159A209284090. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  2. Oliveros, C.H.; et al. (2019). "Earth history and the passerine superradiation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. 116 (16): 7916–7925. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1813206116 . PMC   6475423 . PMID   30936315.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Raffaele, H., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
  4. Wetmore, A. 1927. The Birds of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. New York Academy of Sciences Scientific Survey Of Porto Rico and Virgin Islands 9(3&4): 254-406.
  5. 1 2 3 Pérez-Rivera, R. A. 1993. Notes on the Breeding of the Puerto Rican Tanager (Nesospingus speculiferus). Caribbean Journal of Science 29(3-4): 262-264.
  6. 1 2 3 Pérez-Rivera, R. A. 1997. The Importance of vertebrates in the diet of tanagers. Journal of Field Ornithology. 68(2): 178-182.
  7. 1 2 Carlo, A. T., Collazo, A. J., and Groom, J. M. 2004 Influences of Fruit Diversity and Abundance in Bird Use of Two Shade Coffe Plantations. Biotropica 36(4): 602-614.
  8. Wetmore, A. 1922. Bird remains from the caves of Puerto Rico. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 46: 297-333.
  9. Delannoy, A. C., Cruz, A. 1999. Patterns of Prey Abundance and Use by Male and Female Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawks. Caribbean Journal of Science 35(1-2): 38-45.
  10. Collazo, A. J., Bonilla-Martínez, G. I. 1988. Comparación de la riqueza de aves entre plantaciones de pino hondureño (Pinus caribaea) y areas de bosque nativo en el Bosque Estatal de Carite, Cayey, Puerto Rico 24(1-2): 1-10.