[3][4][5] However, the proposal did not advance, largely due to the scientific name of the bird which erroneously identifies it as a native of Mexico.

[6][7] In 2023, the assembly approved a petition to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) seeking the renaming of the tody as Todus borinquensis.

The Puerto Rican tody makes up one of the five endemic Todus species of the Greater Antilles.

[10][11] The Puerto Rican tody is a small, brightly colored, non-passerine forest bird.

[12][13] It is one of the smallest representative of the order Coraciiformes, with an average body length of 11 cm and weight of 5 to 6 g.[12][13] The upperparts of the Puerto Rican tody are an emerald green color, and it has light-yellow flanks and underside tail coverts, and a white belly and chest.

[13] The "San Pedrito", also known as "Medio Peso" by the local people, has a red throat and lower bill, which in itself is long and broad.

[13] Breeding territories are centered around the nest burrow and are smaller than their home ranges which are defended by the pair year-round.

The majority of these territorial defense displays is reserved for other todies, as they tend to be very tolerant of other species.

Todies eats katydids, grasshoppers, crickets, earwigs, dragonflies, flies, beetles, spiders (8.2%), and occasionally small lizards (3.5%) and frogs.

[14][13] When they leaf feed they sit quietly in high perches and scan the surface below with fast, jerky head motions, often tilting their bills upwards.

Adults primarily feed their nestlings with the insect families Homoptera (30%), Coleoptera (25%) and Lepidoptera (16%), but they have been found to supplement the hatchling's diet with Clusia krugiana fruit (18.4%).

During an eight week period, the male and female todies excavate a 25 to 35 cm long, narrow burrow with a right angle in an earth bank.

An unusual fact is that to enter their burrow they have a favorite perching spot on which they land before heading to their nest.

[14] The Puerto Rican tody, unlike other Coraciiformes, roosts alone in trees both during the day and at nighttime.

[18] During this torpid stage, they are unresponsive, have their eyes closed and erected plumage, but are capable of taking flight soon after an increase in temperature.