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. The Puerto Rican bullfinch has black feathers with orange 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.
| 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 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.
The presumably extinct St. Kitts bullfinch (M. grandis), endemic to St. Kitts, was formerly considered a subspecies.[2]
See also
References
- BirdLife International (2012). "Pyrrhulagra portoricensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-07-29.
Further reading
- Oberle, Mark (2003). Las aves de Puerto Rico en fotografías (in Spanish). Editorial Humanitas. ISBN 0-9650104-2-2.