Buff-fronted foliage-gleaner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buff-fronted foliage-gleaner |
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| at Reserva Guainumbi, São Luis do Paraitinga, São Paulo State, Brazil | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Dendroma
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| Species: |
rufa
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| Synonyms | |
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Philydor rufus (Vieillot, 1818) (lapsus) |
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The buff-fronted foliage-gleaner (Dendroma rufa) is a type of bird found in parts of South and Central America. It belongs to the ovenbird family called Furnariidae. You can find this bird in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Contents
About the Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner
How Scientists Classify This Bird
Scientists often group animals based on their features. For the buff-fronted foliage-gleaner, most experts agree it belongs to the Dendroma group. However, some still place it in the Philydor group. This shows how science can sometimes have different ideas as new information comes out!
This bird has seven different types, called subspecies. They are all slightly different but are still the same species. Here are their scientific names:
- D. r. panerythra
- D. r. riveti
- D. r. columbiana
- D. r. cuchiverus
- D. r. boliviana
- D. r. chapadensis
- D. r. rufa
What Does This Bird Look Like?
The buff-fronted foliage-gleaner is about 18 to 19 centimeters (7 to 7.5 inches) long. It weighs between 25 and 36 grams (about 1 ounce). Both male and female birds look the same.
They have a bright, yellowish-brown forehead. This color extends into a wide stripe above their eye. They have a dark brownish-gray line behind their eye. Their cheeks and ear feathers are also yellowish-brown.
The top of their head is dull brownish-gray. Their back is dull brownish-gray, turning more yellowish-brown lower down. Their wings are mostly bright reddish-brown. Their tail is a dull reddish-brown with pointed tips.
Their throat and chest are a bright yellowish-brown. This color fades to a duller yellowish-brown on their belly and under their tail. Their eyes can be grayish-brown to dark brown. Their beak is dark on top and silvery-gray or olive underneath. Their legs and feet are olive to grayish-green.
Young birds have a narrower forehead band than adults. Their crown (top of the head) is paler, and their underparts are darker and more reddish.
Differences in Subspecies
Each subspecies has small differences in color:
- D. r. chapadensis has a deeper yellowish-brown forehead and a paler gray crown.
- D. r. boliviana has a paler, more olive-colored crown.
- D. r. riveti is smaller, with a darker crown and back. Its tail is more reddish.
- D. r. columbiana has a duller, narrower forehead band. Its crown is olive, and its belly is much paler.
- D. r. cuchiverus is similar to columbiana but has a yellowish-brown forehead.
- D. r. panerythra has a paler, more grayish crown and back. Its underparts are a deeper, more even yellowish-brown.
Where Does the Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner Live?
This bird lives in many different places, spread out across Central and South America. Each subspecies lives in a specific area:
- D. r. panerythra: Lives in the highlands of Costa Rica and Panama. Also found in the Andes mountains of Colombia.
- D. r. riveti: Found in Colombia's Western Andes and south through western Ecuador.
- D. r. columbiana: Lives in northern Venezuela's Sierra de San Luis and Coastal Range.
- D. r. cuchiverus: Found in southern Venezuela on Cerro Calentura and Cerro El Negro.
- D. r. boliviana: Lives on the east side of the Andes, from Ecuador south through eastern Peru into central Bolivia.
- D. r. chapadensis: Mostly found in Brazil's Mato Grosso and Goiás states. It has also been seen in Tocantins.
- D. r. rufa: Lives in eastern and southeastern Brazil. Its range extends south to Rio Grande do Sul and west into Mato Grosso do Sul, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina.
What Kind of Home Do They Like?
In Central America and the Andes, these birds live in humid forests on hills and mountains. They are found at elevations between 800 and 2500 meters (2,600 to 8,200 feet). In northern and western South America, they live between 600 and 2000 meters (2,000 to 6,600 feet) high.
In the southeast, they prefer tropical lowland evergreen forests and gallery forests. These are forests that grow along rivers. They live from near sea level up to about 1000 meters (3,300 feet), and sometimes up to 1200 meters (3,900 feet).
How Does the Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner Behave?
Staying in One Place
The buff-fronted foliage-gleaner does not migrate. It stays in the same area all year round.
What Do They Eat?
This bird eats many different kinds of arthropods. Arthropods include insects and spiders, both adults and their young (larvae). They usually look for food alone or in pairs. Often, they join groups of different bird species that are feeding together.
They mostly search for food high up in the forest, in the middle and top layers of trees. They move along branches and cleverly pick their prey from leaves, dead leaves, tree bark, moss, and other plant bits. Sometimes, they even hang upside down to reach the underside of leaves!
How Do They Raise Their Young?
Scientists are still learning about the breeding habits of this bird. In Colombia, they breed in June, and in Argentina, in January. It is thought that they stay with one partner for life (monogamous).
They build their nests in holes. These holes can be in earthen banks, trees, or sometimes even walls. They probably use holes that are already there, instead of digging new ones. They line the inside of their nest with fine grass. A female usually lays two or three eggs. We don't know how long the eggs take to hatch or when the young birds leave the nest. We also don't know much about how the parents care for their chicks.
What Sounds Do They Make?
The song of the buff-fronted foliage-gleaner sounds similar across most of South America. It's described as a fast, quick series of metallic notes. It sounds like "whi-ki-ki-ki-ke-ke-ke-kuh-kuh." Sometimes the sound goes down slightly at the end.
In Costa Rica, their song is described as a "squeaky 'woika-woika-woika...'." Their calls are "a peculiar, squeaky but harsh 'shirrr' or 'chur'," which sounds almost like a frog. They also make sharp, metallic "skik" or "chik" sounds.
Is This Bird in Danger?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says the buff-fronted foliage-gleaner is a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. It lives across a very large area.
There are at least 500,000 adult birds, but their numbers are thought to be slowly going down. No immediate big threats have been found. It is considered uncommon or rare in most places it lives. However, it is fairly common in the southeastern parts of its range. It might seem rare because it lives high in the treetops, making it hard to spot. Luckily, it lives in many protected areas, which helps keep it safe.
