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Black-tailed Leaftosser
A species of Leaftossers Scientific name : Sclerurus caudacutus Genus : Leaftossers
Black-tailed Leaftosser, A species of Leaftossers
Botanical name: Sclerurus caudacutus
Genus: Leaftossers
Content
Description General Info
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Description
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Leaftossers are small, plump, ground-dwelling birds with dark plumage and short legs and tails. The sexes are similar in the black-tailed leaftosser, and it grows to a length of about 18 cm (7 in). The beak is long and straight, and the lower mandible is turned up at its tip. The head and upper parts of the body are a deep brown, the rump is chestnut-brown and the tail black. The throat is white, the feathers being edged with brown which gives the throat a scaled appearance, and the rest of the underparts are dark brown. Some other species of leaftossers overlap its range but it can be distinguished by the white throat; the short-billed leaftosser (Sclerurus rufigularis) has a short beak and reddish throat; the tawny-throated leaftosser (Sclerurus mexicanus) has a downwardly-curved beak and cinnamon throat; and the grey-throated leaftosser (Sclerurus albigularis) has a straight beak and a pale grey throat bordered by a cinnamon band. The voice of this bird is a series of loud "queet" sounds which first accelerates and then slows down and fades away.
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Size
18 cm
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Black-tailed Leaftosser primarily feeds on invertebrates such as cockroach oothecae, beetles, annelid worms, and ants. Occasionally consumes fallen fruit. Observed foraging alone, black-tailed Leaftosser hops along the ground and employs flaking of leaf litter to expose prey.
Habitat
The black-tailed Leaftosser is typically found in tropical lowland evergreen forests known as 'terra firme,' which are characterized by dense, humid forest environments on non-flooded land. These birds inhabit regions with a lush understory layer that is rich in leaf litter, providing them with ample ground cover for their distinctive foraging behavior.
Dite type
Insectivorous
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General Info
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Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Distribution Area
The black-tailed leaftosser is found in the tropical rainforests of South America to the east of the Andes Mountains. Its range includes Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and the northern tip of Bolivia. Its altitudinal range is up to about 1,100 m (3,600 ft).
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Species Status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the conservation status of S. caudacutus as being of "least concern", because it has a very wide range and is common in some locations. However, its Amazon rainforest habitat is being degraded and it is likely that the total population of this bird is in slow decline.
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Scientific Classification
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Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Ovenbirds Genus
Leaftossers Species
Black-tailed Leaftosser