Spindalis portoricensis
The Puerto Rican Spindalis, *Spindalis portoricensis*, is a captivating and vibrantly colored songbird endemic to the island of Puerto Rico. Males are particularly striking, boasting a black head adorned with brilliant white superciliary and malar stripes, an incandescent orange-yellow throat and breast that fades to yellow on the belly, and an olive-green back. Their black wings feature distinct white bars, while the rump is a conspicuous yellow. Females, in contrast, display a more subdued ...
This species thrives in a variety of forested and semi-open habitats, including moist montane and lowland forests, coffee plantations, secondary growth, and even suburban gardens, from sea level up to higher elevations.
Primarily frugivorous, its diet consists predominantly of small fruits and berries from a wide variety of native and introduced plants, supplemented with a small number of insects and spiders, typically gleaned from foliage.
The Puerto Rican Spindalis is a diurnal bird, typically observed foraging actively from early morning to late afternoon, often roosting communally in dense foliage at night. They employ a 'pluck and swallow' foraging strategy, mainly consuming fruits directly from branches, occasionally gleaning ...
The Puerto Rican Spindalis is strictly endemic to the island of Puerto Rico and is a resident species, meaning it does not undertake seasonal migrations. It is widely distributed across the entire main island, inhabiting various forest types and successional stages from coastal lowlands up into t...
Least Concern
- The Puerto Rican Spindalis was formerly classified in the tanager family (Thraupidae) but was reclassified into its own family, Spindalidae, in 2017. - Its local name in Puerto Rico is 'Reina Mora', which translates to 'Moorish Queen', likely due to the male's regal black and yellow plumage. - ...