Scaly-throated foliage-gleaner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scaly-throated foliage-gleaner |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Anabacerthia
|
| Species: |
variegaticeps
|
 |
|
The scaly-throated foliage-gleaner (scientific name: Anabacerthia variegaticeps) is a type of bird. It's also called the spectacled foliage-gleaner. This bird belongs to the ovenbird family called Furnariidae. You can find it in Mexico, most Central American countries (but not Nicaragua), and in Colombia and Ecuador.
Contents
About the Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaner
What is a Subspecies?
Scientists are still figuring out the best way to classify the scaly-throated foliage-gleaner. Different groups of scientists have slightly different ideas. Most agree there are three main types, or subspecies, of this bird:
- A. v. variegaticeps
- A. v. schaldachi
- A. v. temporalis
A subspecies is like a special group within a species. Birds in a subspecies are a bit different from others in the same species, often because they live in different places.
What Does This Bird Look Like?
The scaly-throated foliage-gleaner is about 15 to 17 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) long. It weighs between 19 and 25 grams (0.7 to 0.9 ounces). It's a medium-sized bird with a bill shaped like a wedge. Both male and female birds look the same.
Adult birds of the main subspecies have:
- A wide, light yellow ring around their eyes.
- A dark brown line behind their eyes.
- A dull grayish-brown head with faint streaks.
- A dark dull brown neck and upper back.
- The rest of their back and rump are a rich reddish-brown.
- Their tail is chestnut-colored.
- Their wings are mostly reddish-brown.
- Their throat and neck sides are pale whitish with a faint wavy pattern.
- Their chest is light brown with faint streaks.
- Their belly is plain medium brown.
- Their legs and feet are dull yellowish-green.
Younger birds have a more noticeable wavy pattern on their throat and chest.
The A. v. schaldachi subspecies has a grayer head and upper body. The A. v. temporalis subspecies looks quite different. It is much darker and has more markings. It has almost black markings on its face and clear streaks on its head. Its back is more chestnut-colored.
Where Do Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaners Live?
The A. v. schaldachi subspecies lives in southwestern Mexico. The main subspecies, A. v. variegaticeps, is found in parts of southern Mexico down to western Panama. The A. v. temporalis subspecies lives in the Andes mountains of Colombia and Ecuador.
This bird lives in different kinds of forests depending on the area.
- In northern Central America, it lives in forests that lose some leaves, rainforests, and cloud forests. It usually lives at elevations between 350 and 2,500 meters (1,150 to 8,200 feet).
- In Costa Rica, it mostly lives between 800 and 1,800 meters (2,600 to 5,900 feet).
- In Colombia and Ecuador, it lives in mountain evergreen forests. It can be found at elevations between 600 and 2,000 meters (2,000 to 6,600 feet) in Colombia and 700 to 1,700 meters (2,300 to 5,600 feet) in Ecuador.
Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaner Behavior
Movement and Migration
Most scaly-throated foliage-gleaners stay in the same area all year. However, in some places, they might move to lower elevations after they have raised their young.
What Do They Eat?
This bird eats many different kinds of arthropods, which are creatures like insects and spiders. It usually looks for food alone or in pairs. Often, it joins groups of different bird species that are feeding together. It searches for food at all levels of the forest, from the ground to the tops of the trees. It climbs and hops along branches, skillfully picking its prey from leaves, plants growing on other plants (like epiphytes), and moss.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Scientists believe that scaly-throated foliage-gleaners stay with one partner for breeding. Only one nest has ever been found. It was in an old woodpecker hole in a tree. The nest had two eggs. Not much else is known about how these birds raise their young.
What Do They Sound Like?
The song of the scaly-throated foliage-gleaner has been described in a few ways:
- "15–20 squeaky, sharp 'squeak' or 'skew' notes that lasts several seconds, sometimes ascending and then descending."
- "A trilling tser'u'u'u'u!"
- "A fast-paced series of up to 15-20 piercing and harsh 'skee' or 'tjik' notes."
Their calls include sounds like "an explosive, dry 'squeak!' or 'squeer!'" and "scratchy, squeaky 'kweeeah'".
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says the scaly-throated 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. Scientists estimate there are at least 50,000 adult birds, though this number might be going down. No major threats have been found for this bird. It is considered uncommon in some places and common in others. It can live in protected areas and also in forests that have been broken up into smaller pieces.
Images for kids
-
A scaly-throated foliage-gleaner perched on a branch.
-
Map showing the distribution of the scaly-throated foliage-gleaner.
