Animalia Life

Pygarrhichas albogularis
SUBFAMILY
Philydorinae
TAXONOMY
Pygarrhichas albogularis King, 1831.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Picotelle а gorge blanche; German: Spechttцpfer; Spanish: Picolezna Patagуnico.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Body length is about 6 in (14.5–15 cm). Bill is of medium length, slightly upturned, and sharply pointed. The body is chunky, and the tail is short and tipped with short spines emanating from the tips of the tail-feathers. The sexes are similar. The back and the top of the head are colored brown, the tail is rufous, the wings have rufous patches, the belly is brown spotted with white, and the throat and chest are bright white.
DISTRIBUTION
Occurs in central and southern Chile and adjacent western Argentina through most of Tierra del Fuego. Occurs on many coastal islands.
HABITAT
Inhabits deciduous temperate forest dominated by southern beech (Nothofagus species), as well as clearings having some mature trees present. Occurs as high as about 3,950 ft (1,200 m).
BEHAVIOR
Non-migratory. Occurs singly or as pairs. Often occurs with other birds in mixed-species flocks. Can be quite tame with humans. The song is a loud, repeated, metallic, one- or twosyllable note.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Forages nuthatch-like for insects and other invertebrates on the trunks of trees and branches, sometimes moving downwards head-first.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Constructs a nest within a cavity dug into rotten wood of a branch. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and rear the nestlings.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. A locally abundant species within its habitat.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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