Animalia Life
Trichastoma rufescens
SUBFAMILY
Timaliinae
TAXONOMY
Turdirostris rufescens Reichenow, 1878, Liberia. Monotypic. Endemic
African genus Illadopsis has been merged by various authors
into Asian genera Malacocincla or Trichastoma.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Rufous-winged illadopsis; French: Akalat а ailes
rousses; German: Rostschwingen-Buchdrossling.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
7.2 in (18 cm); 1.2 oz (35 g). Profoundly nondescript thrushlike
bird, as are most of the other six African members of the
genus. Sexes alike. Rufous-brown dorsally, whitish ventrally,
with indistinct brown wash on chest and brownish gray sides.
Eyes dark; legs and feet pale.
DISTRIBUTION
Endemic to Upper Guinea forest, from southern Senegal to
Togo.
HABITAT
Undergrowth in primary and disturbed forest.
BEHAVIOR
Ground dweller. Found in pairs or small flocks, sometimes associates
with other species of insectivorous passerines. Territorial.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Actively searches the ground for insects and tiny frogs, scratching
at substrate with feet.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Undescribed.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Near Threatened due to former paucity of observations, and
continuous destruction of forests throughout narrow range.
Recent surveys have found species common in some localities,
and occurring in areas where previously unrecorded. Population
densities in logged forest are a fraction of those in primary
HABITAT
, but has been found in plantations and open
thickets.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.