Rufous Cacholote Pseudoseisura unirufa Scientific name definitions

Rufous Cachalote is a large Furnariid reminiscent of a thornbird that divides its time between trees and the ground.  This cacholote is almost entirely rufous, with a dusky, bushy crest and yellow-orange irides - it is fairly long tailed and stout bodied.  The species lives in caatinga woodland in northeastern Brazil, and in more humid woodlands further west in Brazil and in northern Bolivia, and can be found in both arboreal and terrestrial situations.   The nest is usually a huge jumble of twigs and sticks placed in a tree or bush.

20–21 cm; 42–57 g. Large, rather uniformly coloured furnariid with crest. Has rather uniform bright reddish-rufous face; crown reddish-rufous, feathers elongated to form slight crest, some feathers with dull greyish tips and margins; upperparts and wings bright reddish-rufous, dark fuscous tips of remiges; tail nearly square, outer pair of rectrices c. 2 cm shorter than rest, shafts of all without barbs for distal 2–3 mm, bright reddish-rufous; underparts almost uniform bright reddish-rufous, slightly paler than back; centre of throat slightly different shade, more orange-tinged; iris yellow to buff-yellow; bill blue-grey to grey, sometimes darker along culmen, usually paler on lower mandible; tarsus and toes olive to greenish-grey. Differs from extremely similar P. cristata in darker plumage coloration, significantly shorter bill (no overlap in measurements). Sexes alike. Juvenile has shorter crest, is less uniform in colour.

NC & E Bolivia (Beni, extreme NW & SE Santa Cruz), SW Brazil (S Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul) and N Paraguay (Alto Paraguay).

Gallery forest, seasonally flooded savannas, often near marshes; regularly near human habitations. At 300–500 m.

Resident.

Little known. Mostly arthropods; recorded items include fruit, and also probably fruit seeds. Usually in pairs. Mainly terrestrial; apparently gleans, probes, and digs for arthropods primarily on ground.

Song usually given as duet that lasts c. 6 seconds, presumed male 4–10 evenly spaced notes followed by accelerating series that becomes a rattle, with overall descending, bouncing-ball pattern (pitch slightly lower than that of P. cristata), presumed female a series of well-spaced “chep” notes (faster than P. cristata series); presumed male also gives chatter c. 1·5 seconds long, often between duet bouts. Call a single “chuk”.

Season presumably during austral spring-summer. Presumably monogamous. Nest an oblong mass, c. 60 × 30 × 30 cm, made of twigs and small branches, some as long as 50–60 cm, large feathers, snail shells, crab carapaces, and bones incorporated into exterior, entrance at bottom, interior tunnel leads upwards and enters spherical inner chamber from above, chamber c. 20 cm in diameter, lined with bark and bits of snakeskin; placed 4–5 m up in tree. No further information available.

Not globally threatened. Common around ranch houses and other human habitations. Not particularly well known.