Henna-hooded Foliage-gleaner
Clibanornis erythrocephalus
Attractive foliage-gleaner found in dry and semi-humid forest in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Plumage is brown with an orange to reddish hood and chestnut wings and tail. Usually stays quite low and sometimes hunts for food on the ground. It stays in dense cover, and is easier to see in the dry season when many trees and bushes lose their leaves. Song is a short burst of odd, nasal notes repeated every several seconds. Threatened by habitat loss.
Identification
The henna-hooded foliage-gleaner is about 21 cm (8.3 in) long and weighs about 48 g (1.7 oz). It is a large, boldly-patterned foliage-gleaner with a thick, slightly decurved, bill. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a unique henna (orange-rufous) head, neck, wings, and tail. Their back is brownish olive. Their underparts are mostly pale brownish gray with a rufous crissum. Their iris is variable from yellow to gray-brown, their maxilla gray or blackish gray, their mandible whitish or horn with a dusky end, and their legs and feet olive or gray. Subspecies C. e. palamblae is a paler rufous where the nominate is henna, and has a grayer (less brownish) back and a paler buff breast and belly.
Taxonomy
The henna-hooded foliage-gleaner has previously been placed in genera Automolus and Hypocryptus but genetic data place it firmly in Clibanornis. It has two subspecies, the nominate C. e. erythrocephalus (Chapman, 1919) and C. e. palamblae (Zimmer, JT, 1935).
- Scientific name
- Clibanornis erythrocephalus
- Authority
- (Chapman, 1919)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Furnariidae
- Genus
- Clibanornis
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of the henna-hooded foliage-gleaner has a disjunct distribution. One population is found in west-central Ecuador's Manabí and Guayas provinces. The other is from far southern Guayas and Auzuay provinces south through El Oro and Loja into Peru's extreme northwestern Department of Tumbes. Subspecies C. e. palamblae is found further south, in the Peruvian departments of Piura and Lambayeque. The species inhabits deciduous and semihumid forests and woodlands, mostly on the lower slopes of the west side of the Andes. It favors areas with many species of Malvaceae, the mallow family. In Ecuador it mainly occurs between elevations of 400 and 1,800 m (1,300 and 5,900 ft) and in Peru between 400 and 1,500 m (1,300 and 4,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The henna-hooded foliage-gleaner is a year-round resident throughout its range.<p>The henna-hooded foliage-gleaner's diet has not been studied but appears to be terrestrial invertebrates; isopods are a known component. It forages singly and in pairs and often joins mixed-species feeding flocks. It hunts its prey on and near the ground, noisily flicking aside leaves and probing among leaf litter, clusters of dead leaves, and vine tangles.<p>The henna-hooded foliage-gleaner's breeding season is from January to May. Both adults excavate a burrow in a shaded earthen bank and build a nest of rootlets and other fibers in a chamber at its end. All known clutches have been of three eggs. The incubation period is 16 to 19 days; the time to fledging and details of parental care are not known.<p>The henna-hooded foliage-gleaner's song is far-carrying, "a persistent, staccato churring, 'kree-kruh-kruh-kruh-kruh-kruh-kruh-kurr' with [an] odd, mechanical-sounding quality". It also has a distinctive call, "a short, sharp, high note".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
West Mexican Chachalaca
Ortalis poliocephala
Noisy, long-tailed game bird of tropical forest and edge, usually found in small groups. Most often detected by its raucous song, which carries well. It feeds on fruit and plant material on the ground and also high in trees, where it runs along branches. For a big bird, it can be surprisingly hard to see. It is wary in areas where it is hunted and it slips away from view quite easily. In southwest Chiapas, the smaller White-bellied Chachalaca lives in coastal lowlands, while the West Mexican Chachalaca lives in foothills.
Little Rock-Thrush
Monticola rufocinereus
A small rock-thrush with blue-gray upperparts and hood and an orange belly. The tail has a black-and-orange “T” pattern that is conspicuous in flight. Males and females vary slightly: males are cleaner blue-gray above, while females are more brownish. Found locally in a variety of habitats with a mix of rocks, trees, and bushes. Sometimes also on and around human structures. Similar to redstarts, but easily distinguished by the clean gray hood and the lack of black on the face. Also similar to male Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush, but smaller, lacking white on the back, and with a more extensive gray hood. The quiet song consists of musical phrases that can be short or quite long.
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus tyrannulus
Fairly large flycatcher with large hooked bill. Brownish with paler gray throat, pale yellow belly, and rufous edges on flight feathers and tail. Similar to Ash-throated Flycatcher but has larger bill and different voice. Appears more washed out than Great Crested Flycatcher. Without a good view or hearing it well, sometimes best left unidentified. Widespread throughout Central and South America with limited range in US; found in woodland habitats especially near water. Variety of call notes include a liquid "whip" and various churs and trills.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.