Spotted Bamboowren

Overview

The spotted bamboowren (Psilorhamphus guttatus) is a species of suboscine passerine bird in the tapaculo family Rhinocryptidae, notable for being the sole member of its genus. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though its population is believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss in the Atlantic Forest biome.

Identification

• Measures 13.5 cm in length with males weighing 10.5–13 g and females around 11.5 g.
• Adult males have grey heads and upper backs, while females feature brown head tops; both have brownish lower backs and whitish to buff throats transitioning to buff breasts and bellies.
• The back, wings, and belly are speckled with small white, brown, or black spots.
• Song consists of a "wood-wood-wood" phrase repeated for up to 20 seconds with varying pitch and volume.

Habitat

Endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome in southeastern Brazil, far northeastern Argentina, and possibly Paraguay, ranging from Minas Gerais to Rio Grande do Sul and Misiones Province. It typically inhabits bamboo thickets at the edges of dense forests, as well as tangles of vines and other dense foliage, found at elevations between 300 m and 1,000 m depending on location.

Diet

It feeds primarily on insects and insect larvae, foraging mostly 2 m above ground in bamboo and branches but reaching up to 7 m in vine tangles, with occasional foraging on the ground.

Did you know?

Despite its common name suggesting a relation to wrens, the spotted bamboowren has historically been placed in families such as antthrushes, warblers, and gnatcatchers before genetic studies firmly established it as a tapaculo, making it the only species in the genus Psilorhamphus.