Ash-throated Gnateater
Conopophaga peruviana
Looks like a ball of fluff with legs and a stubby beak; very short-tailed, with a compact body. Males are grayish brown with a gray face and eyebrow; females are orangey tan with a tan eyebrow. Both sexes have unique white head plumes that they raise when agitated. Its call is often overlooked but is a good way to find one: listen for a single short, explosive note: “shrECK.”
Identification
The ash-throated gnateater is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 22 to 26 g (0.78 to 0.92 oz). The male's face, back, and breast are gray, with the back being darker and having a brownish wash. The crown is brownish, the throat white, and there is a white tuft behind the eye. The lower belly is brown. The female's face and breast are rufous and the upper parts are brown.
Taxonomy
The placement of ash-throated gnateater in a linear sequence remains unsettled. The Clements taxonomy places it between chestnut-belted gnateater (Conopophaga aurita) and Ceara gnateater (C. cearae), while the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) places it between hooded gnateater (C. roberti) and Ceara gnateater, with chestnut-belted gnateater preceding hooded. It is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Conopophaga peruviana
- Authority
- des Murs, 1856
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Conopophagidae
- Genus
- Conopophaga
Range and habitat
The ash-throated gnateater is found in the upper Amazon Basin in eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, far western Brazil, and slightly into Bolivia's La Paz Department. It primarily inhabits the open understory of terra firme forest, especially vine tangles and treefalls. It can also be found in várzea forest and on slopes and ridgetops. In much of its range it is found up to 600 m (2,000 ft), but usually only up to 400 m (1,300 ft) in Bolivia and occasionally as high as 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in Peru.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Cyprus Wheatear
Oenanthe cypriaca
Striking small wheatear. Males are black and white with some dark markings on central crown and often buff or even brighter orange underparts. Females are almost as dark as males with dark brown and warm tones. Endemic breeder to Cyprus, where it breeds in holes and crevices in a variety of habitats. During migration, found in open, scrubby habitats. Winters in open habitats with sparse vegetation. Smaller and more delicate than similar Pied Wheatear. Song is a remarkable series of high-pitched buzzing notes. Call is a dry “chek, chek.”
American Flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber
Unmistakable but very local wading bird with very long, ‘coat-hanger’ neck and very long legs. Adult is hot pink, but 1st-year birds are brown and white overall, attaining fully adult colors in 2-3 years. Usually found in flocks in shallow, saline lagoons. Flamingoes fly in straggling lines, much like geese, and their honking and braying calls can also sound rather like geese. Beware that many people use ‘flamingo’ for Roseate Spoonbill, another (much more widespread) pink wading bird, which other than color is very differently shaped than a flamingo.
Streaky-breasted Flufftail
Sarothrura boehmi
Small rail of grassland habitats. Very shy and elusive bird that is unlikely to be seen unless expressly searched for. Male has a rufous head and black body with heavy white streaks. Female is dark brown with barring below. Found mainly in seasonally flooded grassland, and sometimes in drier grassland. Main call is a simple, repeated hoot. Also gives quicker series of calls with a similar quality. Similar to Striped and Red-chested Flufftails, but males have more white below, with less rufous on the chest than Red-chested, and more than Striped. Females are darker below.
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