Broad-billed tody

Species of bird endemic to Hispaniola

The broad billed tody (Todus subulatus) is a species of bird in the family Todidae, and one of two Todus species found on Hispaniola, along with the narrow billed tody. They are small insectivorous birds, characterized by their bright green feathers, pink flanks and red throats. They occur at elevations lower than 1700 meters and prefer drier habitats to that of wet rainforests. The broad billed tody does not migrate and occupies very small territories. These birds are often seen hopping along perches, foraging for insects with their long bills among the leaves. Broad billed todies have two principle vocalizations, the first being their general call which sounds like a whistle and the second call sounding more trilly, when they encounter a predator. They can also create a rattling noise by running wind through their feathers. Their breeding season runs from April to July, in which the female will lay one clutch of eggs, containing one to four eggs. The nestlings take three weeks to mature into juveniles and then fly off to establish their own territory. Broad billed todies are not a threatened species, and are therefore of least concern to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUNC).

The broad billed tody is one of five species in the genus Todus, which is the only genus in the monotypic family Todidae. The ancestors of the broad billed tody migrated to the island two to three million years ago, meaning they have always been distinct species. Its body measures 11.5 centimeters tall and it weighs approximately 7.5 grams, making it the largest bird in the genus Todus. in which case the broad billed tody will forage at significantly higher heights, approximately 5.2 meters off the ground. These broad billed todies will fly into more open canopies, and catch larger prey, also using more broad and horizontal maneuvers to catch prey, rather than short, jerky movements.

The broad billed tody's wings are short and rounded making them inefficient for long distance flight. However, due to the nature of the tody's sedentary lifestyle, feeding techniques and small territory size, elaborate wings are not necessary. Their wing chord measures 5.0 centimeters, with their average flight distance being 2.2 meters, giving them the largest wing chord and the longest flight distance of all the todies, owing to the fact they forage higher off the ground, in more open canopies. Despite this advantage, they are the least active of all the todies. The broad billed tody rarely flies, and instead hops sideways along perches for movement, by flapping its wings one to two times to barely lift its body off the surface. This method is the least expensive in terms of energy expenditure. Furthermore, broad billed todies rarely visit the ground, preferring to hop along the ground instead of walking if they do. Since the broad billed tody spends most of its life hopping along perches, it has tiny feet able to grasp the slimmest of branches or twigs, its average perch diameter being 1.1 centimeters. During foraging, the broad billed tody will fly less than 1.5 meters per maneuver, and then have to sit for several seconds before attempting to fly again.

According to the IUCN Red List, the broad billed tody is categorized as a least concern species. The species occupies a large area on Hispaniola, estimated to be 121,000 square kilometers. Furthermore, the population does seem to be in decline, but not at a fast enough rate to be considered threatened. Human development has partly helped the broad billed tody in some ways, the building of ditches and trail sides having created the embankments that the todies seem to prefer to dig their burrows, as well as the growth of coffee plantations grown under canopies providing more shelter and food for the broad billed tody. However, coffee corporations have realized that growing coffee directly under the sun creates a more economical, but lower quality product, which, coupled with the use of pesticides for local hotel resorts, has accelerated the habitat destruction of broad billed todies. In regards to the conservation of this species, efforts must be made to protect wooded habitats and prevent further deforestation. Finally, encouraging population growth in wooded areas would be simple, needing only the return to canopy grown coffee plantations and providing man made embankments to encourage reproductive success.