Ash-throated gnateater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ash-throated gnateater |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Conopophaga
|
| Species: |
peruviana
|
 |
|
The ash-throated gnateater (Conopophaga peruviana) is a small, interesting bird. It belongs to a bird family called Conopophagidae. You can find this bird in parts of South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
Contents
About the Ash-throated Gnateater
How Scientists Group This Bird
Scientists like to organize living things into groups. This helps them understand how different species are related. For the ash-throated gnateater, its exact spot in the bird family tree is still being discussed. Different groups of scientists, like the Clements taxonomy and the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), place it slightly differently. This bird is also monotypic, which means it's the only species in its group that doesn't have different subspecies.
What Does It Look Like?
The ash-throated gnateater is a small bird, about 11 to 12 centimeters (4.3 to 4.7 inches) long. It weighs around 22 to 26 grams (0.78 to 0.92 ounces), which is about the same as a few quarters!
- Male birds: They have a gray face, back, and chest. Their back is a bit darker and looks a little brownish. The top of their head (crown) is brownish. They have a white throat and a cool white tuft of feathers right behind their eye. Their lower belly is brown.
- Female birds: They look a bit different. Their face and chest are a reddish-brown color, and their upper body is brown.
Where Does It Live?
This bird lives in the upper part of the Amazon Basin. This huge area includes eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, a small part of western Brazil, and a tiny bit of Bolivia.
The ash-throated gnateater prefers to live in the open areas under the trees in terra firme forests. These are forests on higher, drier ground that don't flood. They especially like places with lots of vines and fallen trees. You might also find them in várzea forests, which are forests that flood seasonally.
In most places, they live up to about 600 meters (2,000 feet) above sea level. In Bolivia, they usually stay below 400 meters (1,300 feet). But sometimes, in Peru, they can be found as high as 1,000 meters (3,300 feet)!
How Does It Behave?
What Does It Eat?
The ash-throated gnateater is a hunter of small creatures. It looks for tiny arthropods (like insects and spiders) on or very close to the ground.
How Does It Raise Its Young?
Scientists don't know a lot about how these birds raise their babies. The few nests that have been found were shallow, cup-shaped nests. They were built less than 1 meter (3.3 feet) off the ground.
What Does It Sound Like?
The song of the ash-throated gnateater has been described in a few ways. Some say it sounds like "hollow-sounding hwrickik! notes." Others describe it as a "bisyllabic ‘sneezing sound’" [1]. They also have different calls, like this one [2].
Is It Endangered?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the ash-throated gnateater. They have decided that it is a species of "Least Concern." This means that even though you don't see them everywhere, there are enough of them around that they are not currently at risk of disappearing. They also live in several protected areas, which helps keep them safe.
See also
In Spanish: Jejenero peruano para niños
