Peruvian Recurvebill

Overview

The Peruvian recurvebill (Syndactyla ucayalae) is a near-threatened species of ovenbird found in the western Amazon Basin of southeastern Peru, northern Bolivia, and far western Brazil. It is a bamboo specialist that inhabits tropical lowland evergreen and riverside forests in and near thickets of Guadua bamboo.

Identification

• 19 to 20 cm long and weighing 39 to 55 g, with a heavy, wedge-shaped, slightly upturned bill.
• Plumage is predominantly reddish-brown on the upperparts and orange-rufous on the underparts, with a faint narrow rufous supercilium and grizzled ear coverts.
• Legs and feet are olive to olive-green, with a brown to dark brown iris.
• Song consists of a short, loud, harsh, ascending rattle lasting 2-3 seconds, sometimes with the last note lowered, and a loud, hoarse, irritated 'chack' call.

Habitat

The Peruvian recurvebill resides in tropical lowland evergreen and riverside forests in and near thickets of Guadua bamboo, with local occurrences in riverside thickets of Gynerium cane. Its range covers the western Amazon Basin in southeastern Peru, northern Bolivia, and far western Brazil, reaching elevations up to 1,300 m.

Diet

This species feeds on a variety of arthropods, including spiders, beetle larvae, and earwigs. It forages singly or in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks, and finds prey by hammering, excavating, flaking, and gleaning, primarily on bamboo but also on cane, vines, and other plants.

Did you know?

Its song is described as a short, loud, harsh, ascending rattle that can last 2-3 seconds, with the last note sometimes lowered, while its call is a loud, hoarse, irritated 'chack'.