Antillean Euphonia

Jilguero, Canario del País

Antillean Euphonia

Jilguero, Canario del país

Conservation: An uncommon, localized forest species. Until the mid-twentieth century, the Euphonia was marketed as a popular cage bird in southern Puerto Rico because of its beautiful plumage and song. It sold for .05 to .10 cents a piece in markets at the beginning of the 20^th Century.  However, all native birds in Puerto Rico are now protected by law, and it is illegal to keep any native species as a pet. After severe hurricanes, such as Hurricane George in 1998, euphonias abandon many forests, since the fruit that they depend on are destroyed by high winds or tree fall. The Antillean Euphonia recently appeared on 32-cents US postage stamp (1998 Tropical Bird stamp series # 445915).

In this limited geographic area of 100 x 35 miles, over 320 species of birds have been reported of which 14 endemic species are found nowhere else in the world.

- Puerto Rico Birds in Photographs. Mark W.Oberle.
 

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