Guttulate Foliage-gleaner
Syndactyla guttulata
Streaked, rufous-brown bird, medium-sized with upturned bill, buffy eyebrow and throat, and long, rufous tail. Obvious buffy streaks on head, back, and underparts. Sexes similar. Fairly common (easiest to find by voice) in dense understory of cloud forest from medium to high elevations, often in bamboo patches. Usually alone or in pairs or mixed species flocks foraging at low levels, moving fast and examining bromeliads and dry leaves. Call is a harsh, nasal note; song is a series of accelerating, harsh, and noisy notes. Endemic to the Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela.
Identification
The guttulate foliage-gleaner is 17 to 19 cm (6.7 to 7.5 in) long and weighs 34 to 38 g (1.2 to 1.3 oz). It is a largish furnariid with a more wedge-shaped bill than many others of its genus. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a faint dull ochraceous supercilium that fades on its way to the nape, and dark brown ear coverts with narrow buff streaks on an otherwise pale-spotted dark brown face. Their crown is dark rufescent brown with thin rusty streaks, and paler rusty spots on the forehead. Their back is dark rufescent brown wide black-edged rusty to whitish buff streaks. Their rump, uppertail coverts, and tail are reddish chestnut. Their wings are dark rufescent brown with reddish chestnut tips on the flight feathers. Their throat is yellowish with dark brown at its lower edge, their breast and belly dark brown with buffy streaks that fade by the lower belly, and their undertail coverts more rufescent brown. Their iris is dark brown, their maxilla dark gray to blackish, their mandible pale horn-gray with some dark at the base, and their legs and feet olive-gray. Subspecies S. g. pallida is similar to the nominate with paler edges on the upperparts' feathers and a paler rufous rump and tail.
Taxonomy
The guttulate foliage-gleaner was originally described as Anabazenops guttulatus. It early acquired the English name "guttulated foliage-gleaner", a name which persisted until it was pointed out that the word guttulated does not exist in English. "Webster's International indeed states that the English noun guttula is an obscure word for a drop-shaped spot, and the adjectival form is guttulate, not "guttulated".<p>The guttulate foliage-gleaner has two subspecies, the nominate S. g. guttulata (Sclater, PL, 1858) and S. g. pallida (Zimmer, JT & Phelps, WH, 1944).
- Scientific name
- Syndactyla guttulata
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL, 1858)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Syndactyla
Range and habitat
The guttulate foliage-gleaner is found near the north coast of Venezuela. The nominate subspecies occurs in Sierra de San Luis in Falcón state and in the western part of the Venezuelan Coastal Range as far east as Aragua state. S. g. pallida is found disjunctly in the eastern part of the Coastal Range between Anzoátegui and Monagas states. The species inhabits primary montane evergreen forest and secondary forest at elevations between 900 and 2,100 m (3,000 and 6,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Chatham Albatross
Thalassarche eremita
A medium-sized albatross with a thin black border outlining the white underside of the wing with extensive black wingtips. Dark gray head is lighter on the crown. Note bright yellow bill with conspicuous black spot at tip of lower mandible. Only breeds on The Pyramid, an isolated island in the Chatham Islands. Similar to Salvin’s Albatross, which has a grayish bill and a lighter gray head and neck. Buller’s Albatross is smaller and has a broad black leading edge on the underwing. Immature Salvin’s, Bullers, and Chatham Island Albatrosses all look similar, but the Chatham Albatross has the darkest gray head, with some yellow shown on bill.
New Zealand Pigeon
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Large pigeon endemic to New Zealand with distinctive blue-green iridescent plumage, white belly, and red eye. Makes conspicuous display flights in breeding season; often seen feeding on heavily fruiting trees or fresh leaves and flower buds in spring. Widespread where food is available. Only emits soft “oo” calls, but note distinctive wingbeat sound, especially when alighting or taking off. Chatham Island Pigeon, the only similar species, is larger and confined to Chatham Islands.
Patagonian Mockingbird
Mimus patagonicus
Fairly common in Argentine Patagonia, but local and scarce in southern Chile. Favors semiopen habitats, from shrub-steppe to farmland with hedges and shrubby patches. Often perches atop bushes and on roadside wires and posts. Runs well on the ground, usually with tail cocked; at times can be rather elusive, skulking in bushes. Identified by bold pale eyebrow, buffy-gray underparts, white wingbars, and white tail corners; compare with White-banded Mockingbird, which has much more white in wings and tail.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.