Russet-mantled Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla dimidiata Scientific name definitions

Recently transferred to the genus Syndactyla following an protracted period in Philydor, the Russet-mantled Foliage-gleaner is a rather poorly known bird, whose main range is still not subject to extensive fieldwork by ornithologists. The species is found mainly in south-central Brazil as well as adjacent Paraguay, where it inhabits mainly the understory of gallery forests and tropical evergreen forests, to 1200 m. It is most readily detected by its staccato, ‘chattering’ song, but can be difficult to see even with playback. The Russet-mantled Foliage-gleaner is largely rufescent, with the rather long, slightly upturned and pointed bill being the most striking feature of the bird. The species occasionally joins mixed-species flocks and probably feeds largely on arthropods, but very few natural history observations are available to date. It seems to be rare or at best locally common.

17 cm; 27–32 g. The most uniformly rufescent Philydor; rather long, pointed bill with lower mandible slightly upturned. Nominate race has comparatively plain face rufescent orange, deeper on side of neck and on anterior supercilium, somewhat darker auriculars; crown and upperparts bright cinnamon-tinged rufescent brown; wings mostly dark rufescent brown, brighter outer edges of primaries (broad wingband); tail slightly graduated, rectrices with blunt tips, rufous-chestnut; throat and underparts mostly uniform ochraceous rufous, faint pale shaft streaks on breast , flanks more olive; iris brown; upper mandible dark brown, lower mandible horn with pinkish base; tarsus and toes olive. Sexes alike. Juvenile has shorter bill, whitish throat with faint brown spots, brown bars on breast feathers, narrower and more pointed rectrices. Race baeri has bright olive-brown back, wings not so rufescent (tinged more olive-brown), also duller ochraceous below.

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Song a brief, soft, accelerating chatter followed by series of harsh, metallic, staccato “check” notes, concluding with brief decelerating chatter (thus different in rhythm and more strident tone from congeners, more like Syndactyla). Contact call a loud, nasal “cheh”, single or doubled.

Not globally threatened (LEAST CONCERN). Cerrado endemic. One of the least known species in the Americas (5 Robbins, M.B. and Zimmer, K.J. (2005). Natural history and relationships of Philydor dimidiatum. MS. Close ). It appears to be naturally rare over its entire range; locally uncommon and absent from many areas of apparently suitable riparian habitat (6 Lopes, L.E. and Gonzaga, L.P. (2014). Taxonomy, distribution, natural history and conservation of the Russet-mantled Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla dimidiata (Pelzeln, 1859) (Aves: Furnariidae). Zootaxa. 3754(4): 435-449. Close ). It appears to prefer well preserved, seasonally-flooded gallery forest within a cerrado matrix and may not tolerate very disturbed forests (6 Lopes, L.E. and Gonzaga, L.P. (2014). Taxonomy, distribution, natural history and conservation of the Russet-mantled Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla dimidiata (Pelzeln, 1859) (Aves: Furnariidae). Zootaxa. 3754(4): 435-449. Close ). A model of distribution in response to climate change predicts that this species will lose 69% of its range by 2099 (7 Marini, M.Â., Barbet-Massin, M., Lopes, L.E. and Jiguet, F. (2009). Predicted climate-driven bird distribution changes and forecasted conservation conflicts in a neotropical savanna. Conservation Biology. 23(6): 1558-1567. Close ) and, together with other factors, it has been suggested that it should be considered Vulnerable (6 Lopes, L.E. and Gonzaga, L.P. (2014). Taxonomy, distribution, natural history and conservation of the Russet-mantled Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla dimidiata (Pelzeln, 1859) (Aves: Furnariidae). Zootaxa. 3754(4): 435-449. Close ). Present in Das Emas Brasília and Serra da Canastra National Parks, in Brazil. In Paraguay, rare in Cerro Corá National Park and present in San Luis National Park.