Short-billed Leaftosser

Overview

The short-billed leaftosser, Sclerurus rufigularis, is a species of bird in the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, although its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Plumage: The nominate subspecies features a dark brown face with a reddish-cast crown, dark reddish brown back, and chestnut-brown rump. The throat and upper breast are dull orange-rufous with narrow pale streaks, transitioning to a rich reddish brown belly. Subspecies vary in colour, with some being more olive-brown or paler than the nominate.
• Size: A stocky bird with a short tail, measuring 15 to 16 cm in length and weighing between 19 and 25 g. It has the shortest bill among Sclerurus leaftossers.
• Bill: The mandible is bicoloured, while the maxilla is black to grey.
• Song: Described as a high-pitched, fast series of notes that successively descend, ascend, and accelerate before becoming level and slower; calls include a 'suip' and an extremely high 'siew siew'.

Habitat

The short-billed leaftosser inhabits lowland tropical terra firme evergreen forest, ranging from near sea level up to 1,800 m, though usually found lower. It is distributed across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The species shuns fragmented and selectively logged forests.

Diet

This bird forages mostly on the ground, flipping aside leaves and gleaning from leaf litter while hopping rather than walking. Its diet consists of invertebrates, including spiders, insect egg cases, ants, beetle larvae, adult beetles, and winged termites.

Did you know?

Breeding biology is almost unknown, but it is assumed to nest in a burrow similar to other members of its genus. Despite a very large range, the species is generally locally uncommon to rare, though it is fairly common in Venezuela.