Acropternis orthonyx
TAXONOMY
Merulaxis orthonyx Lafresnaye, 1843, Colombia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Mйrulaxe ocellй; German: Perlenmanteltapaculo;
Spanish: Churrнn Ocelado.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
8.5 in (21.5 cm); 2.9–3.5 oz (81–100 g). Hindclaw very long
and straight. Bill elevated at base. Mainly black with large
white spots. Rump and flanks chestnut. Forehead, face, throat
and upper breast rufous.
DISTRIBUTION
A. o. orthonyx: Andes of northwest Venezuela, and eastern and
central chains of Colombia. A. o. infuscata: Andes of Ecuador
and northern Peru.
HABITAT
Mainly bamboo thickets in humid forest.
BEHAVIOR
Almost invariably in close pairs rummaging slowly on the forest
floor or hopping lethargically through tangles of bamboo,
occasionally onto mossy trunks and thick branches several meters
above the ground.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Digs with both feet simultaneously in an awkward jump. Food
includes both arthropods and plant material.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Unknown.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known. A single individual in New York Zoo survived a
few months in captivity.
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