Grey-tailed piha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grey-tailed piha |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Snowornis
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| Species: |
subalaris
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| Synonyms | |
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Lathria subalaris (P.L.Sclater, 1861) |
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The grey-tailed piha (Snowornis subalaris) is a type of bird that belongs to the Cotingidae family. You can find this bird in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It naturally lives in moist, tropical montane forests, which are forests found in mountain areas.
Contents
What Does the Grey-Tailed Piha Look Like?
This bird grows to be about 23 centimeters (9 inches) long. Both male and female grey-tailed pihas look quite similar. They have a dull grey head. Around each eye, there is a thin, pale yellow ring of bare skin.
Their upper body is olive-green. They have a greyish area near their tail, called a rump. Their tail is a plain grey color. The underside of their body is pale olive-green with lighter stripes. Their belly is a pale grey. The feathers under their wings are pale yellow.
This bird can sometimes be confused with the olivaceous piha (Snowornis cryptolophus). However, the grey-tailed piha has a yellower belly. Its tail is also grey, not olive like the olivaceous piha's tail.
Where Does the Grey-Tailed Piha Live?
The grey-tailed piha lives on the eastern side of the Andes mountains. This area stretches across southern Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. These birds live at heights between about 600 and 1,400 meters (about 2,000 to 4,600 feet) above sea level.
This bird is usually rare or not very common. It prefers to live in the middle and lower parts of the forest canopy. The canopy is the upper layer of the forest, made up of tree branches and leaves.
The grey-tailed piha is an elusive bird. This means it is hard to spot. It often stays very still for long periods. Its colors help it blend in with the tree branches. It usually lives alone. Sometimes, it might join a group of different bird species looking for food.
What Does the Grey-Tailed Piha Eat?
This bird mainly eats insects. It also enjoys eating fruits. It often sits quietly on a branch for a long time. Then, it might suddenly fly out to catch an insect in the air. It can also hover in place to pick insects off leaves.
What is the Grey-Tailed Piha's Status?
The grey-tailed piha is currently listed as "near threatened." This means it might become endangered in the future. This is because of deforestation happening in the Amazon Basin. Deforestation is when forests are cut down.
Scientists expect the number of these birds to drop by 25-30% over the next three generations. This decline is a big concern for the species. Protecting their forest homes is important to help these birds survive.
