Setophaga angelae
The Elfin Woods Warbler (*Setophaga angelae*) is a captivating and highly localized New World warbler endemic to the montane forests of Puerto Rico. Measuring a mere 12-13 cm (4.7-5.1 inches) in length and weighing 6.5-8 g, this tiny avian jewel exhibits a striking pattern of slate-gray upperparts, bright white underparts, and distinct black streaking on its flanks. Key identification marks include a prominent black mask, interrupted by crisp white crescents above and below the eye, and two n...
This specialized warbler inhabits dense, epiphyte-laden montane rainforests and dwarf "elfin" forests (or cloud forests) at high elevations, typically above 600 meters (2,000 feet) in Puerto Rico.
Primarily insectivorous, the Elfin Woods Warbler feeds on small arthropods, including caterpillars, spiders, beetles, and other insects, which it gleans from foliage, mosses, and bark.
The Elfin Woods Warbler is a diurnal and highly active insectivore, constantly gleaning for arthropods among the dense foliage, mosses, and epiphytes of its high-elevation forest home. It typically forages in the lower to mid-story, often hanging upside down to inspect leaf undersides and crevice...
The Elfin Woods Warbler is a non-migratory resident strictly endemic to the island of Puerto Rico. Its distribution is highly restricted to only a few isolated montane forest patches at high elevations, typically above 600 meters (2,000 feet), reaching up to 1,070 meters (3,500 feet). The primary...
Endangered
- Discovered as recently as 1968, making it one of the newest bird species described in the Americas. - It is one of only two bird species truly endemic to Puerto Rico, alongside the Puerto Rican Tanager. - Its common name directly refers to its preferred habitat: the dwarf "elfin" forests found ...