Birds · Passeriformes · Parulidae
Elfin Woods Warbler
Setophaga angelae
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The elfin-woods warbler is one of the most recently discovered birds in the Caribbean: it was not described until 1971, in the elfin woodland of the summits of the Sierra de Luquillo, in Puerto Rico. It is black and white and lives in a tiny habitat: the stunted, moss-covered vegetation of the wettest summits of the island.
Weight
8 g – 12 g
Size
12 cm – 13 cm
Lifespan
7 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Estimated population
Fewer than 2,000 mature individuals
Fun facts
- It is one of the last birds described in the Caribbean: it was not discovered until 1971, in a forest a few hours from San Juan and on an island that had been studied for centuries.
- It lives in the elfin woodland of the summits, a stunted, moss-covered vegetation that exists only above 600 metres in a few sierras of Puerto Rico.
- Hurricane María in 2017 flattened much of its habitat, and later monitoring is still assessing how far the population has recovered.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Elfin woodland of the summits of the Sierra de Luquillo and the Cordillera Central of Puerto Rico
- Sexual maturity
- 12 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 13 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 3 eggs
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setophaga_angelae
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Elfin Woods Warbler — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Cuban Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei
Common Coqui
Eleutherodactylus coqui
Puerto Rican Barn Owl
Tyto cavatica
Pallas's Mastiff Bat
Molossus molossus
Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat
Artibeus jamaicensis
Cuban Treefrog
Osteopilus septentrionalis
How to help
The elfin woods warbler is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about elfin woods warbler.
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