Alternative name: Dusky Leaftosser
- Sclerurus obscurior
Identification
15–17 cm (6-6¾ in)
- Long thin bill
- Dark brown overall plumage
- Rufous on throat to breast and rump
- Upperside of tail is dusky
Variation
Several features vary among the subspecies. For example, the rump is much less contrasting in obscurior than in andinus. Vocalizations distinguish at least three of the subspecies.
Similar species
Compared to Middle American Leaftosser, this species has a shorter bill, and less rufous on throat and breast. It also has a faster song.
Distribution
South America: Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil
Taxonomy
Photo © by COLOMBIA Birding
Montezuma, Western Andes, Colombia, April, 2012
This species was formerly considered a part of Tawny-throated Leaftosser together with Middle American Leaftosser
Subspecies
Five subspecies are recognized[1].
- S. m. andinus - from tropical estern Panama to Colombia
- S. m.s obscurior - in the foothills of western Andes of Colombia and western Ecuador as well as lowlands to the west of this.
- S. m. peruvianus - in the tropical western Amazon basin
- S. m. macconnelli - from southern Venezuela to the Guianas and eastern Amazonian Brazil
- S. m. bahiae - in Atlantic eastern Brazil (Alagoas to north-eastern São Paulo)
Habitat
Differs among subspecies with some in lowlands and others in montane areas, all in humid forest.
Behaviour
Hops on the ground and moves leaf litter around in search of invertebrates.
Vocalisation
The maximum pitch reached is generally lower than in Middle American Leaftosser (especially the closest populations). Notes are shorter and more notes are delivered, with each note generally increasing in pitch rather than falling. Several of the subspecies differ in song characteristics[3].
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- SACC proposal detailing the arguments for splitting Tawny-throated Leaftosser into two or more species
- Paper by Cooper and Cuervo (2017) describing vocal differences in Rufous-throated and Tawny-throated Leaftossers
- Hilty, S.L. 2021. Birds of Colombia. Lynx and Birdlife International Field Guides, Lynx Editions, Barcelona. ISBN 978-84-16728-24-4
- Cooper, J. C., D. F. Barragán, R. C. Juárez-Jovel, and P. F. D. Boesman (2021). South American Leaftosser (Sclerurus obscurior), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.soalea1.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) South American Leaftosser. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/South_American_Leaftosser
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
