Jamaican Tody

Overview

The Jamaican tody (Todus todus) is a small, chunky bird species endemic to Jamaica. It belongs to the genus Todus and is commonly known by local names such as rasta bird, robin, and robin redbreast.

Identification

• A compact bird measuring approximately 9 cm in length and weighing around 6.4 grams.
• Features a bright green head, red throat, and a long, broad, flat red bill.
• Displays a whitish breast blended with green, transitioning to a slightly yellow abdomen and under-tail coverts, with blue-grey subauricular feathers.
• Produces a loud, nasal beep and a rapid, harsh throat-rattle, especially during the breeding season.

Habitat

Found throughout Jamaica, the Jamaican tody inhabits a variety of forested environments, including second-growth and untouched habitats such as mesic and arid limestone forests, montane forests, shaded coffee plantations, and mangroves. They occur near both semi-arid coasts and humid mountains, with individuals generally travelling in pairs.

Diet

The species primarily feeds on insects and their larvae, occasionally consuming fruit, using a sit-and-watch foraging strategy. From a perch below nine-tenths of the maximum canopy height, they swoop to catch prey, swallowing small insects in mid-air and smashing larger ones against twigs. Foraging is nearly continuous throughout the day, with consumption rates reaching 1 to 2 insects per minute when available.

Did you know?

In a single observed copulation event, a male Jamaican tody performed 29 cloacal contacts with the female in just 35 seconds. The species also plays a significant role in agricultural pest control, ranking among the top five birds on Blue Mountains coffee farms for managing coffee berry borers.