Patagonian forest earthcreeper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Patagonian forest earthcreeper |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Upucerthia
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| Species: |
saturatior
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| Synonyms | |
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Upucerthia dumetaria saturatior |
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The Patagonian forest earthcreeper (Upucerthia saturatior) is a cool bird that lives in the forests of Argentina and Chile. It's part of the ovenbird family called Furnariidae. These birds are known for building interesting nests. This bird is also called the forest earthcreeper.
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Discovering the Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper
For a long time, scientists thought the Patagonian forest earthcreeper was just a type of another bird. It was first described in 1900 by W.E.D. Scott. However, in 2009, new research showed that it is actually its own unique species. This means it's not a subspecies, but a completely separate kind of bird.
What Does the Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper Look Like?
This bird is about 20 to 22 centimeters (8 to 9 inches) long. It's a fairly large earthcreeper with a bill that curves downwards a bit. Both male and female birds look very similar.
Feathers and Colors
Their face is mostly grayish-white with some dark grayish-brown parts. They have a whitish stripe above their eye, called a supercilium. The top of their head is a dull dark grayish-brown. Their back, rump, and upper tail feathers are dark brownish-gray with a hint of olive green.
Their tail feathers in the middle are dusky brown, while the outer ones are blackish-brown. Their wings are grayish-brown, and the main flight feathers have dull reddish-brown bases.
Underneath and Other Features
Their chin is whitish, and their throat is whitish with thin dark lines. Their chest is dark grayish with a scaly, brown look. Their belly is grayish, and their sides are grayish-brown. The feathers under their tail are dull gray-brown.
Their eyes are dark brown, and their bill is blackish. Their legs and feet are dark brown. Young birds look a lot like adults, but their bill is even shorter.
Where Do Patagonian Forest Earthcreepers Live?
You can find the Patagonian forest earthcreeper in central Chile and western Argentina. In Chile, they live between Concepción and Valdivia provinces. In Argentina, they are found between Neuquén and Chubut provinces. Sometimes, they are seen as far north as Santiago in Chile.
Preferred Homes
These birds like to live at the edges of forests, especially near clearings or open areas within the forest. They often stay close to water. They really like forests with Nothofagus trees, but they can live in other types of forests too.
During the southern winter, they might move to drier forests and scrubland near the Chilean coast. They live at different heights, from about 250 meters (820 feet) up to 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above sea level.
How Do Patagonian Forest Earthcreepers Behave?
Seasonal Movements
Scientists are still learning about how these birds move around. However, it seems very likely that they breed only in Argentina. After breeding, they cross the Andes mountains to spend the winter in Chile.
What Do They Eat?
We don't know exactly what the Patagonian forest earthcreeper eats. But it's thought they mostly eat insect larvae and adult arthropods (like insects and spiders).
They usually look for food alone or in small pairs. They always search on the ground, often near tall trees, bushes, or wet, boggy areas at the forest edge. They dig into the earth with their bills to find prey. Sometimes, they even flip over small pieces of soil or stones. When they're not eating, they often perch in trees. They might even take their food from the ground up to a perch to eat it.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Not much is known about how the Patagonian forest earthcreeper reproduces. However, there's strong evidence that they breed during the southern summer. They seem to only breed in Argentina.
Their Calls and Songs
The Patagonian forest earthcreeper sometimes sings from a high spot in a tree. Their song starts with one or two sharp, short, and lower-pitched notes. After that, they make a series of quick, repeated sounds, like "p-p-tirik-tirik-tirik-tirik-tirik-tiruk." Their call, which they use to communicate, sounds like a hollow "pep." They might say it once or several times in a row.
Is the Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper Safe?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has evaluated the Patagonian forest earthcreeper. They have listed it as a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in immediate danger of disappearing.
Even though their population size isn't fully known, and it's thought to be decreasing, there are no big threats identified right now. People generally believe there are a good number of these birds throughout the areas where they live. They also live in several protected natural areas, which helps keep them safe.
