Puerto Rican bullfinch
The Puerto Rican bullfinch (Melopyrrha portoricensis) or comeñame in Spanish, is a small bullfinch tanager endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico. These were previously considered Emberizidae.
| Puerto Rican bullfinch | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thraupidae |
| Genus: | Melopyrrha |
| Species: | M. portoricensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Melopyrrha portoricensis Daudin, 1800 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Pyrrhulagra portoricensis | |
The Puerto Rican bullfinch has black feathers with red areas above the eyes, around its throat, and underneath the tail's base. The species measures from 17 to 19 cm and weighs approximately 32 grams.
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.
A subspecies, Melopyrrha portoricensis grandis, endemic to St. Kitts and Barbuda was last collected in 1929 and is considered extinct.[2][3]
See also
- Fauna of Puerto Rico
- List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Rican birds
- List of Vieques birds
- El Toro Wilderness
References
- BirdLife International (2012). "Pyrrhulagra portoricensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Raffaele, H. (1977). "Comments on the extinction of Loxigilla portoricensis grandis in St. Kitts, Lesser Antilles" (PDF). Condor. 79 (3): 389–390. doi:10.2307/1368023. JSTOR 1368023.
- Steadman, D. W. (1997). "The Birds of St. Kitts, Lesser Antilles" (PDF). Caribbean Journal of Science. 33 (1–2): 15–16. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
Further reading
- Oberle, Mark (2003). Las aves de Puerto Rico en fotografías (in Spanish). Editorial Humanitas. ISBN 0-9650104-2-2.