From Opus

Photo by Jan Van den Broeck

Todus todus

[edit] Identification

It is a small (9cm), chunky bird. It is bright green above with a red throat and long, broad, reddish bill. The flanks are pink, and the abdomen and sides of breast are pale yellow.

[edit] Distribution

Jamaica

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species¹.

[edit] Habitat

Forest both dry and wet at all elevations.

[edit] Behaviour

Usually found low in the forest where it sits on a look out before plucking off a large insect or a larva usually from the underside of a leaf. May occasionally take fruit.

It excavates burrows on earth banks or rotten tree trunks to make its nest and lays 1-4 eggs. It breeds Dec-July.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Raffaele et al. 1998. Birds of the West Indies. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0713649054

[edit] External Links