# Puerto Rican Tanager

Scientific name: Nesospingus speculiferus

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

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/268/Puerto-Rican-Tanager

## Identification

The Puerto Rican tanager (Nesospingus speculiferus) is a small passerine bird endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico. It is the only member of the genus Nesospingus and has historically been placed in the tanager family, but recent studies indicate it as either belonging in its own family Nesospingidae or as being a member of Phaenicophilidae. Its closest relatives are likely the spindalises (family Spindalidae, sometimes also considered a member of the Phaenicophilidae). The Puerto Rican tanager is known to locals as llorosa, which means 'cryer'.


## Distribution and habitat

The Puerto Rican Tanager is endemic to Puerto Rico and 
is placed in its own family 
(Nesospingidae), representing the 
only endemic family known from 
Puerto Rico. It is commonly found 
in humid montane forests in the 
Sierra de Luquillo, Toro Negro 
State Forest, and the western mountain region surrounding 
Maricao and Los Tres Picachos 
State Forest (Miranda-Castro and 
others 2000). In addition, it has 
also been documented in the 
Carite Forest (Raffaele 1989a), 
other higher montane forests, 
and a second-growth forest near 
Cidra (Raffaele 1989a). In the early 
1900s, it was restricted to montane 
regions at a limited number of 
locations such as Maricao, Toro 
Negro and Carite State Forests, 
El Yunque National Forest, and 
near Cidra. Nevertheless, this 
species has recently expanded its 
distribution range to other suitable 
habitats in municipalities such as 
Comerío, Aibonito, Baranquitas, 
Adjuntas, and the haystack hills of 
Ciales (Oberle 2018). The species 
occurs primarily in undisturbed 
mountain forests but can also be 
seen in disturbed second-growth forests (Raffaele and others 
1998) and is restricted mainly to 
the subtropical moist, wet, and 
montane forest life zones (Biaggi 
1997, Raffaele 1989a). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 82 
records within 41 hexagons or 8.5 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 41 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition of 
confirmed in 15 percent (6) of the 
hexagons, probable in 37 percent 
(15), and possible in 49 percent 
(20) (see map). Puerto Rican Tanager 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

Previously published reports 
indicate that the Puerto Rican 
Tanager breeding extends from 
January through August (Raffaele 
1998), but active nests have also 
been seen in September (Pérez-      259Puerto Rican Tanager/LlorosaRivera 1993). The nests are cup-shaped, built from 2 to 10 m above 
the ground (Raffaele 1998), and 
are usually made of vines, roots 
of epiphytes, and fibers of sierra 
palm leaves (Pérez-Rivera 1993). Formation of pairs starts in May, 
and nesting is usually completed 
by August (Recher and Recher 
1966). The nesting territories 
are usually defended from late 
December to the end of July 
(Pérez-Rivera 1993). Atlas results indicate that the breeding season 
extends from November through 
July (see chart). The breeding 
pattern peaks during May at the 
onset of the rainy season, and 
the breeding activity mostly takes 
place in humid montane areas 
within the subtropical wet forest 
life zone. However, an unusual observation at the eastern coast of 
the island suggests that this species 
also breeds in the subtropical dry 
forest life zone during December. 
Results show that this species 
breeds mostly at high elevations 
in the subtropical wet and lower 
montane wet forest life zones (71 
percent of the hexagons), as well 
as other mountain regions within 
the subtropical moist forest life 
zone (24 percent of the hexagons) 
(see table and map). It also breeds 
in the subtropical rain and lower 
montane rain forest life zones 
located in the Sierra de Luquillo 
(2 percent of the hexagons), and 
in a coastal locality at the eastern 
region within the subtropical dry 
forest life zone (2 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table and map).

## Conservation

The population size for the Puerto 
Rican Tanager 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). Locally, this 
species is not listed in any of the 
threatened categories of PRDNER 
and USFWS. In Puerto Rico, 
the Puerto Rican Tanager has a 
protected habitat in land of about 
21 percent (205 km2) of the total area covered by the hexagons 
where evidence of breeding was 
found for this species (980 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_268_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_268_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.