Animalia Life
Sclerurus rufigularis
SUBFAMILY
Philydorinae
TAXONOMY
Sclerurus rufigularis Pelzeln, 1868.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Short-billed leafscraper; French: Sclйrure а bec court;
German: Kurzschnabel-Laubwender; Spanish: Raspahojas de
Pico Corto.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Body length is about 6 in (16 cm). Bill is short, straight, and
pointed. The body is stout, and the tail is moderately long.
The sexes are similar. The upperparts are dark-brown, the tail
is blackish brown, the underparts are cinnamon-brown, and
there is a tan stripe over the eye.
DISTRIBUTION
A widespread species that occurs in the Guianas, southern
Venezuela, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern
Peru, northern Bolivia, and Amazonian Brazil.
HABITAT
Inhabits humid, lowland, tropical forest and humid montane
forest. Mostly occurs up to about 1,650 ft (500 m), and rarely
as high as 5,900 ft (1,800 m).
BEHAVIOR
A non-migratory species. Occurs singly, or as a breeding pair.
Sometimes associates with mixed-species foraging flocks. The
song is a long trill or chatter.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
A furtive species that forages in dense foliage on or near the
ground for insects and other invertebrates. It searches among
leaf litter, often tossing debris with its bill to search beneath
for prey.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Constructs a nest within a long burrow dug into an earthen
bank. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and rear the
nestlings.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. A widespread but uncommon species.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
Photo Gallery of - Short-billed leaftosser
