A blog dedicated to the thousands of bird species that fly, swim or walk on our planet.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Slaty bristlefront

Merulaxis ater

Photo by Don Robertson (Creagrus)

Common name:
slaty bristlefront (en); entufado (pt); mérulaxe noir (fr); macuquiño negro (es); südlicher stirnhaubentapaculo (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Rhinocryptidae

Range:
This species is endemic to south-eastern Brazil, being found along the coast from south-eastern Bahia to northern Santa Catarina.

Size:
These birds are 17-18,5 cm long and weigh 33-37 g.

Habitat:
The slaty bristlefront is mostly found in moist tropical forests, also using mature secondary forests. They prefer areas with sense undergrowth and occur at altitudes of 800-1.800 m.

Diet:
They usually forage in pair, taking insects and other small invertebrates.

Breeding:
Slaty bristlefronts possibly breed in July-February. They nest in holes in earth banks and are believed to be single-brooded, but there is no other information on the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)
This species has a large breeding range but is described as uncommon. The population is suspected to be declining at a moderate rate, owing to continuing habitat loss and degradation through agricultural conversion and deforestation for mining, urbanization and associated road-building.

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