Nesospingus speculiferus
The Puerto Rican Tanager (Nesospingus speculiferus) is a captivating, medium-sized passerine, measuring approximately 16-18 cm (6.3-7.1 inches) in length and weighing around 30-40 grams. This distinctive bird presents a rather drab but characterful appearance, featuring an olive-brown back and wings, with a contrasting grayish head and nape, a clean white throat, and a subtle white crescent just below the eye. Its most striking and identifiable field mark is the small but prominent white spec...
Found primarily in dense, moist montane forests, cloud forests, and shade coffee plantations, typically at mid to high elevations (200-1300 meters) across Puerto Rico.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of invertebrates such as caterpillars, beetles, and spiders, supplemented with small fruits and berries, all gleaned from vegetation.
This diurnal species is an active and restless forager, spending most of its time gleaning insects from foliage and bark within the dense understory and mid-story vegetation. Puerto Rican Tanagers are often observed as a core member of mixed-species foraging flocks, moving rapidly alongside other...
The Puerto Rican Tanager is strictly endemic and a resident throughout the montane forests of Puerto Rico. Its distribution encompasses the central mountainous regions, including the Sierra de Luquillo (home to El Yunque National Forest), the Cordillera Central, and the Sierra Bermeja. It is cons...
Least Concern
- The Puerto Rican Tanager is a prime example of island endemism, found nowhere else in the world. - Despite its common name, genetic studies have shown it is not a true tanager but belongs to its own unique family, Nesospingidae. - Its white wing speculum is a crucial field mark that helps diffe...