Rufous-breasted Leaftosser

Overview

The rufous-breasted leaftosser (Sclerurus scansor) is a species of ovenbird in the family Furnariidae, found in parts of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is one of the larger members of the genus Sclerurus and is considered a year-round resident within its range.

Identification

• Length 17.5 to 20.1 cm, weighing 30 to 41 g.
• Dark brownish, grizzled face with a very dark brown, blackish-scalloped crown.
• Rich dark brown back, bright chestnut rump, and a wide ochraceous chestnut band across the breast.
• Throat is pale grayish white with dusky scaling in the nominate subspecies, but clear white and unscaled in S. s. cearensis.
• Legs and feet are blackish brown, with a black maxilla and a mandible that is black with a whitish base.

Habitat

The nominate subspecies inhabits lowland tropical rainforest, montane evergreen forest, and mature secondary forest from near sea level up to 1,600 m across central and southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina. The "Ceara" subspecies is restricted to humid relict forests (brejos de altitude) within the drier Caatinga in northeastern Brazil, at elevations of 550 to 1,050 m.

Diet

Foraging occurs mostly on the ground by flipping aside leaves, probing the ground, and gleaning from leaf litter while hopping rather than walking. The diet has been documented to include beetles, spiders, and true bugs, though it has not been detailed comprehensively. It usually forages singly or in pairs, and occasionally joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Did you know?

The nominate subspecies nests in a burrow, either in an earthen bank or in the root ball of a fallen tree, lining the end chamber with a cup of leaves. Its population is believed to be decreasing because even selective logging leads to a marked reduction in its abundance.