Lineated Foliage-gleaner

Overview

The lineated foliage-gleaner (Syndactyla subalaris) is a species of ovenbird found in the subtropical and foothill zones of the mountains in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated population of at least 500,000 mature individuals.

Identification

• Size and weight: 17 to 19 cm long and 26 to 40 g, with legs and feet that are olive-green to greenish gray.
• Plumage: Adult nominate subspecies display a discontinuous light buff supercilium extending to the nape, a dark brown crown with thin buff streaks, and rich dark brown backs with long thin buff streaks.
• Song: A fast, accelerating series of 6–10 dry, harsh, scratchy, nasal notes that may ascend or descend, described as "bzert, bzert, jzut, jzut-jj-jj".
• Call: Dry and harsh sounds variously described as "tzuk", "tcheck", or "skanh".

Habitat

The species inhabits evergreen forest in the subtropical and foothill zones, particularly favouring areas along streams with dense undergrowth. It mostly occurs at elevations between 1,000 and 2,300 m, though locally ranging from 600 m to 2,800 m in Colombia.

Diet

It feeds mostly on arthropods including insects and spiders, and occasionally on small vertebrates like frogs and lizards. The bird forages singly or in pairs, gleaning and probing among live and dead leaves, debris, moss, and epiphytes in the understory and mid-levels, often hanging almost upside down to reach the bottom of branches.

Did you know?

The species' nesting biology is largely unknown, with the only fully described nest being a cup of soft fibers on a twig platform built inside a tree hole and containing two eggs.