Tiny Caribbean birds with a surprising evolutionary history and record-breaking parental dedication

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Todies are small, colourful birds endemic to the Greater Antilles, often mistaken for kingfishers. Despite their diminutive size—weighing just 5 to 7 grams—these birds exhibit remarkable behaviors, including the highest known feeding rate for nestlings among all birds, and a complex, shifting history of classification within the avian world.

The todies, family Todidae, are a group of five extant species currently classified within the order Coraciiformes. Their taxonomic journey has been long and varied; they were originally grouped with kingfishers in 1760 by Mathurin Jacques Brisson, though they have historically been linked to diverse groups ranging from nightjars to passerines. Genetic analysis indicates these birds diverged approximately 6 to 7 million years ago. While they are now restricted to the Caribbean, fossil evidence of the extinct genus Palaeotodus in North America, Germany, and France suggests the family was once significantly more widespread.

Today, these birds are found exclusively on the islands of the Greater Antilles. Each main island hosts one species, with the notable exception of Hispaniola, which supports two: the broad-billed tody in the lowlands and the narrow-billed tody in the highlands. They share a distinct morphology, characterized by long, flattened bills and vibrant green plumage with red throats. Their foraging behavior is highly specialized; they typically wait on low branches in the forest understory before making short, diagonal flights to glean insects from the undersides of leaves.

Their reproductive habits are equally fascinating. Like many of their relatives, todies excavate tunnels in banks or rotten wood to create nest chambers. While they are surprisingly inattentive during the incubation of their four white eggs, their behavior shifts dramatically once the chicks hatch. Both parents become intensely dedicated, feeding their altricial young up to 140 times per day. This extreme level of care stands in stark contrast to their otherwise sedentary and territorial nature, marking them as a unique subject of study in avian biology.

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