Chestnut-backed Thornbird
Phacellodomus dorsalis
Handsome bird with a highly restricted range in the Marañon Valley of northern Peru. Back and tail are chestnut with a paler throat, head, and belly; breast is streaked with white. Inhabits arid mountain slopes, often around scrubby ravines. Usually found in pairs that often vocalize together, giving sharp chips in a short series, and sometimes in a much longer cascade.
Identification
The chestnut-backed thornbird is 19 to 21 cm (7.5 to 8.3 in) long and weighs about 33 to 39 g (1.2 to 1.4 oz). It is the longest member of its genus and has the longest bill. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a light gray-brown supercilium that extends beyond the eye and spreads, a thin dark brownish "mask", and dull tawny brownish ear coverts. Their crown is dark gray-brown with dull rufous streaks, their upper back grayish brown blending to their chestnut lower back, their rump grayish brown, and their uppertail coverts reddish brown-tinged grayish brown. Their wings are mostly shades of brown with some rufescence and chestnut flight feathers that have fuscous tips. Their tail's central pair of feathers are dull chestnut with browner inner webs and the rest rufous-chestnut with dull brown tips. Their throat and malar area are white, their upper breast tawny brownish with rufous sides and whitish spots that form an irregular band, their lower breast and belly mottled whitish and brownish, and their undertail coverts rufescent brownish with vague mottling. Their iris is gray, their maxilla dark olive-horn to dark horn, their mandible silver-gray to olive-gray, and their legs and feet gray to blue-gray.
Taxonomy
The chestnut-backed thornbird is monotypic. It and the spot-breasted thornbird (P. maculipectus) are sister species.
- Scientific name
- Phacellodomus dorsalis
- Authority
- Salvin, 1895
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Phacellodomus
Range and habitat
The chestnut-backed thornbird is endemic to Peru. It is known only from a few locations in the upper valley of the Marañón River, in the departments of Cajamarca, La Libertad, and possibly Ancash. It inhabits arid montane scrublands, typically those with short Prosopis or Acacia macracantha trees. In elevation it mostly ranges between 1,800 and 3,100 m (5,900 and 10,200 ft) but occasionally occurs as high as 3,400 m (11,200 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The chestnut-backed thornbird is a year-round resident throughout its range.<p>The chestnut-backed thornbird's diet has not been studied but appears to be arthropods. It usually forages singly or in pairs, gleaning prey from branches and foliage up to about 4 m (13 ft) above the ground.<p>The chestnut-backed thornbird's breeding season is not known. It is thought to be monogamous. It builds a large cylindrical nest of sticks near the tip of a tree branch. Nothing else is known about its breeding biology.<p>The chestnut-backed thornbird's song is a "series of ticking 'chit-chit-chit-chit-chit' notes given for long periods and varying in intensity, either alone or accelerating and breaking into a loud, even loudsong 'chup-chup-chupchupchupchuppppp' accelerating at the end".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pangani Longclaw
Macronyx aurantiigula
A large and relatively colorful member of the pipit family with a black necklace, a yellow-orange throat, a yellow breast, and whitish sides with long streaks. The white corners of the dark tail are conspicuous during its weak, fluttering flight. Found in grassland with some bushes and trees. Similar to Yellow-throated Longclaw, though there is only minor overlap in range; orange-throated birds are easily identified, but some individuals have a yellow throat, and these can be separated by their paler and much more heavily streaked flanks. Brownish immatures can be confused with pipits, but are larger and more robust. Not very vocal, but gives a high-pitched whistle and a simple song of doubled phrases.
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosus
Plumage relatively dull and dark: grayish brown to grayish above with weak darker streaking; dingy whitish below with heavy and rather blurry dark streaking. Also note the dark legs (pink on smaller and buffier Meadow Pipit, which often occurs in coastal grassland adjacent to Rock Pipits). Song is a bland, repetitive, high-pitched series, often accelerating towards the end. Call a high, lisping, slightly harsh "ssiip", very similar to that of Water Pipit. Like other pipits, walks strongly and often pumps its tail a little. Found along rocky coasts; infrequent inland. Often seen on rocks and adjacent areas with short grass.
Madagascar Buttonquail
Turnix nigricollis
Tiny, complexly patterned quail-like bird. Female has rufous sides, gray underparts, and black facial markings. Male is duller and browner. Found on the ground in a wide variety of habitats, including grassland, scrub, spiny forest, and western deciduous forest. Somewhat shy, though more approachable than quail. The song is a quick, pulsing series of low “hwo” notes. Male is similar to female quail, but smaller, and has weaker and less direct flight when flushed.
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