There are 16 species of Eleutherodactylus on the island of Puerto Rico. As the scientific name implies, Eleutherodactylus frogs have individual (non-webbed) fingers and toes. They do not pass through a tadpole stage and thus do not require a water location to reproduce. Instead, after fertilization by the male, eggs are laid by the female in humid areas. When the eggs hatch, a fully-formed “froglet” (a tiny replica of the adult frog) emerges. The genus can be divided into lowland and highland species; however, many lowland species can also be found in the highlands. All Eleutherodactylus frogs are generally known as “Coquí” frogs in Puerto Rico, although only 2 of the 16 known species emit the euphonious “ko-kee” sound.

Coquí de la Montaña
(Eleutherodactylus portoricensis)
A native coquí in Puerto Rico


The Coquí de la Montaña or Forest Coquí, Eleutherodactylus portoricensis has a yellow or tan body with silver or white eyes and a well-defined snout often marked with a white line. It has a white abdomen marked with white dots and red markings on the thighs and groin. Mature males measure 1.3 inches (34 millimeters) from snout to vent. Mature, egg-bearing females are slightly larger at 1.6 inches (41 millimeters). After mating the female lays from 15 to 25 eggs. The male rejects the female during the incubation period (17 to 26 days) and stays with the eggs to protect them from predators.

Although a mountain inhabitant, the Coquí de la Montaña is terrestrial, preferring to spend its life in close proximity to the ground. During the day, it can be found under rocks, logs and leaf litter, under the roots of trees and in holes and crevices in mud banks. At night these tiny frogs come out into the open to forage, and to allow the males to call for mates from the ground or from low tree branches or bushes. Primarily an insectivore, its diet consists mainly of leaf litter insects such as beetles, slugs and so on. The male’s call is the familiar Ko-kee also given by the Common Coquí (E. Coqui), but it is of a higher pitch, and given at much shorter intervals . This coquí is found in the upper mountain forests usually above 500 feet. During the day, look for it under rocks, logs and leaf litter near the edges of the Baño de Oro, El Yunque and Mt. Britton nature trails.

Hedrick's Coqui (Eng.), Eleutherodactylus hedricki (sci.)

E. hedricki was discovered in 1962, when finding a new species of frog seemed very improbable. Named in honor of Hedrick J. Rivero at age 9, who declared himself assistant to his father and followed him through creeks, caves and mountains during any time of the day or night.

Distinctive features are the pronounced constriction in the back of the head (as if the waist were in the back of the head), a shallow furrow along the middle of the back from between the eyes to near the sacral hump, and the short rounded snout. Other distinguishing but not necessarily exclusive characteristics are: the small eyes, with narrow upper eyelids, the uniformerly granular dorsum, the pair of light, externally concave lines on the back (not too distinct in very dark animals), the blackish throat of males, and the absence of dark streaks along the sides of the snout. The basic dorsal color may be brown or dark gray, almost uniform or with obscure variegation or vermiculations of lighter gray. The males averages 32.8 mm in size, while females averages 34.6.

The Tree Hole Coqui is one of the mountain species. It is an arboreal species that rest in and calls from holes and crevices in tree trunks and branches, often as high 20 or 30 ft. from ground.

The voice of E. hedricki is a resonant "ping, ping, ping". The species may be heard during the day time but by midnight most of the callers have become silent. The voice has not been heard below about 1,000 ft.  This coquí can be found in
l ower elevation forests in the Luquillo Mountains of El Yunque, Cayey Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range.

Coquí Melodioso, Eleutherodactylus wightmanae

This coquí is one of the prettiest of the Puerto Rican frogs with a very melodius voice. It is a small frog, only about 19 millimeters (3/4 inch) long, resembling a miniature toad. It is salmon pink colored on top with jet-black spots on the shoulder and lower back. In males the throat is gray with green flecks, the abdomen is greenish-yellow and the upper half of the eye is golden colored.

San Pedrito, Puerto Rican Tody, Todus mexicanus

The todies are most closely related to the motmots and more distantly to kingfishers. Though the family is now confined to the Greater Antilles, it is believed to have originated from a Central American stock now extinct. Todies have a voracious appetite; a captive specimen ate about 40% of its body weight in insects each day. The average number of insects caught by a single bird is about 1.8 per minute, from dawn through to dusk. Todies have one of the highest rates of feeding young ever recorded in an insectivorous bird.

Cotorra Puertorriqueña, Puerto Rican Parrot, Amazona vittata

Parrots form a distinctive family common in warmer climates. They are easily recognized by their raucous squawks, large heads and extremely heavy bills. Parrots regularly seen in the region are primarily green with blue primary feathers.
The Puerto Rican Parrot is one of the rarest birds in the world. In 1972, four years after multi-agency efforts were started to save the endangered parrot population, there were only 13 individual Puerto Rican Parrots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest. The parrot population had been decimated over the years by hunting, capturing immature birds for pets, predation and loss of habitat. Today, the population has increased to more than 40 birds living in the wild. The Caribbean National Forest is home to the Puerto Rican Parrot Aviary, managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The aviary raises captive immature birds while they fledge, then preparing them for release into the wild. Releases have been implemented regularly over the past years with encouraging results.

The Cotorra Puertorriqueña is about 30 cm (12”) long with a green body and wings. It weighs between 200 and 300 grams (7 to 10 Ounces). It can be easily identified by its bright-white eye-rings, red forehead and two-toned blue primary wing feathers. Its voice is a wide variety of squawks including a distinctive “bugle” sound made only when it is flying.

It nests in the rotting cavities of large, old trees, in particular the Palo Colorado tree (Cyrilla racemiflora) common in the higher mountains. A normal clutch is formed of 3 to 4 white eggs. The female incubates the eggs for 26 days. The young fledge at about 9 weeks of age. Breeding occurs from late February to late May. They travel in pairs or small flocks and feed on the seeds and fruit of the Sierra Palm (Prestoea montana) and Tabonuco tree (Dacryodes excelsa). They can be found only in the upper western sections of the Luquillo mountains in the Caribbean National Forest. They are very hard to find. They can sometimes be seen in the late afternoon from the Tradewinds trail and at the Río Espiritu Santo overlook on PR 186.

Reinita de Bosque Enano, Elfin-woods Warbler, Dendroica angelae

Cameron and Angela Kepler noticed a warbler of peculiar appearance while conducting intensive studies with the Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata) and the Puerto Rican Tody (Todus mexicanus) back in 1968. On May 18, 1971 one individual was captured in the high slopes of El Yunque Peak, and it proved to be an undescribed species. More individuals were collected and prepared for museum studies. A new species was discovered and named: Reinita de Bosque Enano or The Elfin Woods Warbler, (Dendroica angelae).

An adult specimen is entirely black and white, it is distinguished by the thin, white eyebrow stripe, white patches on ear coverts and neck, incomplete eyering and black crown.

Young (Immature) specimen - Similar in pattern to the adult, but black is replaced by grayish-green on the back and yellowish-green on the head and underparts. It is very similar to the Black and White Warbler, a non-breeding resident of the West Indies.

This Reinita is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is uncommon and local in distribution. It’s habitat is the dense vines of the canopy in humid, mountain dwarf forests on ridges and summits, sometimes ranging to lower elevation Palo Colorado Forest. It breeds from March to June and the nest have been described as a compact cup, usually close to trunk and well hidden among epiphytes of a small tree. (Raffaele).

Its song is a series of short, rapidly uttered, rather unmusical notes on one pitch, swelling in volume and terminating with a short series of distinct double syllables sounding slightly lower in pitch. Contact note is similar to the song, but lacks the terminal syllables. The call not is a single, short, metallic chip. It is found in the east, it is known from Carite and Luquillo Mountains. In the west it is restricted to the upper elevation of the Maricao State Forest.

Mucarito Puertorriqueño, Puerto Rican Screech-Owl, Otus nudipes

Owls are nocturnal predators (night hunters). They have large heads, forward looking eyes, fly silently and swallow their food whole, regurgitation bones, feathers, etc.

The Mucarito Puertorriqueño is the only small owl found in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, measuring only 9 to 10 inches (23 to 25 centimeters) and weighs 3.6 to 5.4 ounces (103 to 154 grams). It is grayish brown above, white below marked with heavy brown streaks and has no ear tufts. The eyes are brownish with the eyebrows lighter than the rest of the face. The beak is greenish-yellow. A raptor, this bird is completely nocturnal and is seldom seen during the day. It was once local folklore that eating the freshly cooked heart of this bird would cure asthma.

This bird eats mainly insects and small mammals. They breed from April to June nesting in hollow trees and cliff crevices. The female lays 2 to 3 white eggs and is fed by her mate while she incubates them.

They live in dense woodlands, thickets and caves in Puerto Rico, Isla Vieques, Isla Culebra and the Virgin Islands.  It is difficult to see during the daytime hours. Their voice can be heard in the early morning and early evening hours.

Playero Coleador, Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia

The Spotted Sandpiper is a common winter visitor to the Caribbean National Forest and the Caribbean islands.

This bird has an olive-brown back, a white eye line and white under parts with tiny round spots. In winter when the Spotted Sandpiper visits Puerto Rico, the round spots are gone. It has a reddish-orange black tipped bill. It is 7 to 7 ¾ inches (18 to 20 centimeters) in length and females weigh 1 ½ to 1 ¾ ounces (43 to 50 grams) while males weigh 1 ¼ to 1 ½ (34 to 43 grams).

The Spotted Sandpiper has an endearing habit of endlessly bobbing the rear parts of its body up and down. When flushed from cover near a stream or river bank, it is easily identified by it's distinctive flight; short bursts of rapid wing beats followed by short glides. This bird is one of the few bird species, where the male and female sex roles are reversed. The female is larger and more aggressive in courting and is polyandrous having up to four mates when breeding. Each male defends it's own nest. The Spotted Sandpiper's voice is a whistling we-weet sound.

They are found by streams and river banks in the Tabonuco, Palm and Palo Colorado forest types.

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Comeñame de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, Loxigilla portoricensis

The Puerto Rican Bullfinch is an endemic (native) species on the island. It is very common in the woodlands and heavy forests throughout Puerto Rico.

The adult bird has a black body, wings and tail with a rufous (reddish) colored band on the crown, throat and under the tail. Young birds are dark olive-green, with only the undertail coverts reddish in color. Beak-to-tail length is 6.5 to 7.5 inches (16.5 to 19 centimeters). Its call is a very distinctive series of rising whistles followed by buzzing sound.

The Comeñame de Puerto Rico nest is either open or domed with and entrance on the side. The female lays up-to three dull-green eggs with dark spots. Primary breeding is from February to June, but can occur in other seasons as well.

It is found in heavy forests and wooded areas throughout the island at all elevations.

Pitirre, Gray Kingbird, Tyrannus dominicensis; Native from coastal Georgia and Florida through the Caribbean Islands to southern Columbia and Venezuela.

One of the commonest birds in Puerto Rico, the Gray Kingbird has adapted well to human settlement.

The Gray Kingbird is gray above and white below with a black “mask” over the eyes. The tail has a slightly forked tip and rarely visible red crown feathers. It is 8.6 to 9.8 inches (22 to 25 centimeters) in length and weighs 1.4 to 1.6 ounces (42 to 48 grams).

The common call of the Gray Kingbird is very familiar to natives of Puerto Rico. It sounds very much like its Spanish name “Pitirre”. It starts singing before dawn. It sits on an exposed perch such as a dead branch and catches insects in flight or by gleaning them from leaves. Its prey includes wasps, flies, dragonflies, beetles and caterpillars. It may also eat lizards and small hummingbirds! During the breeding season the Kingbird is very aggressive towards neighboring pairs and predators such as hawks, cats or even humans. A popular local expression is “Cada guaraguao su Pitirre tiene” meaning “Every hawk has its Kingbird to pester it”. The Kingbird lays 2 to 5 pink mottled eggs in a stick nest on a bush or a small tree.

It is found at the forest’s edge anywhere there is a perch and open areas to catch insects in the air.