| Puerto Rican Vireo | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Vireonidae |
| Genus: | Vireo |
| Species: | V. latimeri |
| Binomial name | |
| Vireo latimeri (Baird, 1866) |
|
The Puerto Rican Vireo (Vireo latimeri) is a small true vireo endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico and one of the 31 species belonging to the Vireo genus of the Vireonidae family. Its local name is bien-te-veo ("see-you-well", after the call), not to be confused with the unrelated Bienteveo tyrant flycatcher which is found elsewhere.
The Puerto Rican Vireo has a gray head, a white breast and a yellowish belly. The species measures, on average, 12 cm (4.72 in) and weighs from 11 to 12 grams (0.388–0.423 oz).
An insectivore, the species's diet consists of grasshoppers, caterpillars, cicadas, beetles and aphids and is complemented with spiders, Anolis, and berries.
From 1973–1996 the species suffered a population decline in the Guánica State Forest. The primary reason for this decline was brood parasitism by the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis).[2]
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| Bird Call | |
| Click here to listen to the Puerto Rican Vireo bien-te-veo call | |