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Short-billed Leaftosser Sclerurus rufigularis Scientific name definitions

J. V. Remsen, Jr.
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2003

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Introduction

Leaftossers are not often seen by most birders or ornithologists, but probably are more common than is realized. All leaftossers forage on or very near the ground, gleaning for arthropods in the leaf litter. The Short-billed Leaftosser is a small, widespread Amazonian species; it is very similar to the Tawny-throated Leaftosser (Sclerurus mexicanus), but is smaller, with a shorter bill.

Field Identification

15–16 cm; 19–25 g. Nominate race has face dark brownish, faintly grizzled; crown dark brown with reddish tones, very faint darker feather margins; back dark reddish-brown, blending to dark chestnut-brown rump and even darker uppertail-coverts; wings nearly uniform dark reddish-brown; tail rounded, broad, shafts of rectrices stiffened, tips sometimes lacking barbs for distal 1–2 mm, sooty blackish with faint reddish-brown margins; throat and malar area dull orange-rufous, blending to more richly and deeply coloured upper breast with faint, narrow paler shaft streaking; breast becomes darker, less chestnut posteriorly, blending to rich reddish-brown belly and flanks, slightly darker undertail-coverts; iris dark grey-brown to brown; upper mandible black to grey, lower mandible usually bicoloured, distal half black or grey, basal half pinkish or grey; tarsus and toes black to brownish to grey. Distinguished from very similar S. mexicanus mainly by much shorter bill (shortest in genus). Sexes alike. Juvenile has duller, browner rump and uppertail-coverts. Race fulvigularis differs from nominate in having brown areas more olivaceous (less reddish), paler throat, darker upper breast with broad, blurry rufous shaft streaks; brunnescens is like previous but generally darker, less rufescent, especially on underparts; furfurosus is described as generally paler in coloration, both above and below.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Plumage similarities have suggested to most authors that this species and S. mexicanus (which see) are sisters. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Sclerurus rufigularis fulvigularis Scientific name definitions

Sclerurus rufigularis fulvigularis
S. r. fulvigularis

Distribution

S Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar), the Guianas and N Brazil (probably in Roraima).
SUBSPECIES

Sclerurus rufigularis brunnescens Scientific name definitions

Sclerurus rufigularis brunnescens
S. r. brunnescens

Distribution

SE Colombia (S from Meta and Vaupés), W Brazil N of R Amazon (E to possibly right bank of R Negro), E Ecuador and NE Peru (N of R Amazon in Amazonas, Loreto, San Martín and recently recorded in SW Ucayali (1) ).
SUBSPECIES

Sclerurus rufigularis rufigularis Scientific name definitions

Sclerurus rufigularis rufigularis
S. r. rufigularis

Distribution

S of R Amazon in NE Peru (N Loreto), Brazil (Amazonas E to Maranhão, S to N Mato Grosso) and E Bolivia (E Beni, NE Santa Cruz).

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Tropical lowland evergreen forest, terra firme. From near sea-level to 500 m, locally to 900 m; recorded once to 1800 m in Colombia.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Invertebrates; alate termites (Isoptera) recorded. Usually solitary. Terrestrial; hops on ground, does not walk. Gleans items from ground and leaf litter; flakes litter to expose prey.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a high-pitched fast series of notes that descend, then ascend and accelerate, and then level out and decelerate; call a sharp “suip”.

Breeding

Nest not described, apparently similar to that of congeners; territory size near Manaus (Brazil) c. 17 ha from radio-telemetry studies. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Rare to locally uncommon; fairly common in S Venezuela; distribution patchy. Estimated density 1–4 birds/km2 at four sites in French Guiana. Occurs in numerous protected areas. Disappears from fragmented or selectively logged forests.
Distribution of the Short-billed Leaftosser - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Short-billed Leaftosser

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Remsen, Jr., J. V. (2020). Short-billed Leaftosser (Sclerurus rufigularis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.shblea1.01
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