Slaty Gnateater
Conopophaga ardesiaca
Small, compact bird found in the understory of humid, mossy mid-elevation montane forest. Males are dark gray with a brown back and cap; females are similar, with a reddish-orange face. Both sexes have white head plumes that are raised when agitated. Smaller and darker than antpittas, which are similar in body structure. Forages singly or in pairs. Listen for the male’s song, a series of raspy rising “bree?” notes, typically given early in the morning or at dusk.
Identification
The slaty gnateater is 12.5 to 14 cm (4.9 to 5.5 in) long, and 57 specimens had a mean weight of 26.3 g (0.93 oz). The plumage is variable, but the typical male's head is mostly dark gray that continues through most of the underparts. The crown and upper parts are brown and the flanks and lower belly are brownish gray. It has a white tuft behind the eye. Birds in the Cochabamba Department of Bolivia are much darker. The female has more brown on the face, the white tuft is much smaller, and there is a white patch on the belly. The upper parts can be dark brown, olive brown, or rufous brown.
Taxonomy
The position of the slaty gnateater in linear format is unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and the Clements taxonomy place it differently within the gnateater family. There are several color variants, and "Further research and, probably, taxonomic revision [are] required." The slaty gnateater has two subspecies, the nominate Conopophaga ardesiaca ardesiaca (D'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837) and C. a. saturata (von Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1906).
- Scientific name
- Conopophaga ardesiaca
- Authority
- d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Conopophagidae
- Genus
- Conopophaga
Range and habitat
The slaty gnateater inhabits the narrow band of the Yungas on the eastern slope of the Andes. C. a. saturata is found in Peru from southeastern Cusco Province south towards Bolivia. C. a. ardesiaca is found from the Department of Puno in southeastern Peru to Bolivia's Tarija Department. The species inhabits dense growth in rainforest, typically around treefalls, road edges, and similar openings. In elevation it typically ranges from 800 to 1,800 m (2,600 to 5,900 ft) but is found locally to 2,450 m (8,040 ft) in Peru.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The slaty gnateater forages for arthropods in leaf litter and foliage on and near the ground.<p>Very little is known about the slaty gnateater's breeding phenology. Specimens collected during June, July, and November in Bolivia were in breeding condition. In Peru, fledglings were observed in November.<p>The slaty gnateater's song is a "frog-like...'g-reep' or 'w-reeep'" [1]. Its most common call is a "tseet" [2].
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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