# Puerto Rican Vireo

Scientific name: Vireo latimeri

Bird group: [vireo](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/vireo)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/224/Puerto-Rican-Vireo

## Identification

The Puerto Rican vireo (Vireo latimeri) is a small bird endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico and one of the 31 species belonging to the genus Vireo of the family Vireonidae. Its local name is bien-te-veo ("see-you-well", after the call), not to be confused with the unrelated great kiskadee - also known as bien-te-veo - which is found elsewhere.


## Distribution and habitat

The Puerto Rican Vireo is endemic in Puerto Rico and 
widespread and common 
throughout forest habitats at 
all elevations, except in the 
east where it is uncommon 
or rare (Oberle 2018, Raffaele 
1989a). The species is usually 
associated with montane forests, 
coffee plantations, coastal karst 
limestone, and thorn forests 
with vine tangles (Oberle 2018). 
It has also been reported in 
the haystack hills of the north 
coast and among the hills of the 
south coast (Faaborg and others 
1997, Raffaele 1989a). Only an 
unconfirmed record of the vireo 
exists for Vieques (Gemmill 
2015). The atlas fieldwork 
yielded a total of 362 records 
within 210 hexagons or 44 percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 210 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition 
of confirmed in 4 percent (8) of 
the hexagons, probable in 29 
percent (61), and possible in 67 
percent (141) (see map). Puerto Rican Vireo distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

## Breeding

The Puerto Rican Vireo makes a deep cup-shaped nest made 
of grass, twigs, moss, and other 
vegetation, usually in the fork of 
branches. Previously published 
reports indicate that construction 
of the nest begins in March and 
peaks in May, with the juveniles 
fl edging in June (Raffaele and 
others 1998). Atlas results show 
that this species breeding 
season extends throughout the 
year with the most breeding       215Puerto Rican Vireo/Bienteveoactivity from March to June (see chart). Results show that this 
species breeds mostly within the 
subtropical moist forest life zone 
(53 percent of the hexagons), 
and in the subtropical wet and 
lower montane wet forest life 
zones at higher elevations (30 
percent of the hexagons) (see 
table and map). However, results 
show that it also breeds in the 
coastal plains of the southern 
region within the subtropical dry 
forest life zone (17 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table and map).

## Conservation

The population trend for the Puerto Rican Vireo has not been quantified or assessed, 
but it is described as fairly 
common (Stotz and others 
1996). This species is currently 
listed as a species of least 
concern by the IUCN (BirdLife 
International 2016). However, 
a current major threat is nest 
parasitism by the Shiny Cowbird 
(Molothrus bonariensis), which 
has been shown to reduce 
breeding success especially in 
the subtropical dry forest in 
Guánica (Faaborg and others 
1997, Woodworth 1997) and 
perhaps elsewhere in the 
lowlands. However, cowbird 
parasitism is less of a threat 
to the Puerto Rican Vireos breeding in the montane forests 
of Maricao (Tossas 2008), 
which may serve as a source 
population to maintain the 
heavily parasitized populations 
(sink populations) in the 
lowlands (Tossas 2002). Locally, 
this species is not listed in any 
of the threatened categories of 
PRDNER and USFWS. In Puerto 
Rico, the Puerto Rican Vireo has 
a protected habitat in land of 16 
percent or 810 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons 
where evidence of breeding 
was found for this species 
(5025 km2). 

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_224_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_224_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.