White-eyed Foliage-gleaner Automolus leucophthalmus Scientific name definitions

The White-eyed Foliage-gleaner is one of the most geographically widespread foliage-gleaners endemic to the Atlantic Forest, where it ranges from northeast Brazil, in Bahia, south to eastern Paraguay and extreme northeast Argentina. It is a large and highly distinctive species, principally warm brown above with a rufous tail, but the most striking feature (more obvious than the white irides) is the stunningly white throat patch, which contrasts with the buffy breast and belly. The species’ loud and frequently given vocalizations typically provide the first indication of the White-eyed Foliage-gleaner’s presence, and this bold and demonstrative species is relatively easy to observe using playback.

19–20 cm; 25–38 g (1 Reinert, B. L., J. C. Pinto, M. R. Bornschein, M. Pichorim, and M. Â. Marini (1996). Body masses and measurements of birds from southern Atlantic forest, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 13(4):815–820. Close ). Rather plain, dark rufescent foliage-gleaner with striking white throat . Nominate race has dark brownish face, faint rufescent shaft streaks on ear-coverts, lores grizzled reddish brown and buffy; crown dark reddish brown with narrow rufous shaft-streaks; back and rump dark reddish-brown, blending to bright rufous uppertail-coverts; wings dark rufous, pale cinnamon bend of wing; tail slightly rounded, rectrices mostly rounded with slight points, bright rufous; throat, malar area and sides of neck white, blending to whitish centre of upper breast, becoming bright buffy posteriorly and to belly; broad area on side of breast and flanks conspicuously ochraceous tawny; undertail-coverts pale rufous; iris whitish; maxilla brownish to black, mandible greenish grey to pale grey; tarsus and toes greyish. Differs from similar but allopatric A. infuscatus in more rufescent coloration throughout, longer bill on average, white eyes. Sexes alike. Juvenile has more uniform crown and back, shorter crown feathers, darker brown sides and flanks, slightly darker breast and belly. Race <em>sulphurescens</em> has back, rump and tail paler, flanks less extensively reddish brown, belly less brownish (plumage becoming darker in more humid areas, paler in drier interior of range).

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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.

Tropical lowland evergreen forest, also tall second growth; from near sea-level to 1000 m, very locally to c. 1400 m; race sulphurescens below 750 m.

Recorded food items are Coleoptera (including families Erotylidae, Melolonthidae, Chrysomelidae), Formicidae (2 Durães, R. and Marini, M.Â. (2005). A quantitative assessment of bird diets in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with recommendations for future diet studies. Orn. Neotropical. 16(1): 65–83. Close , 3 Lopes, L. E., A. M. Fernandes, and M. Â. Marini (2005) Diet of some Atlantic Forest birds. Ararajuba 13: 95–103. Close ), Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae, Locustidae), Heteroptera (2 Durães, R. and Marini, M.Â. (2005). A quantitative assessment of bird diets in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with recommendations for future diet studies. Orn. Neotropical. 16(1): 65–83. Close ), Lepidoptera (adults and larvae) (2 Durães, R. and Marini, M.Â. (2005). A quantitative assessment of bird diets in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with recommendations for future diet studies. Orn. Neotropical. 16(1): 65–83. Close , 3 Lopes, L. E., A. M. Fernandes, and M. Â. Marini (2005) Diet of some Atlantic Forest birds. Ararajuba 13: 95–103. Close ), Homoptera (2 Durães, R. and Marini, M.Â. (2005). A quantitative assessment of bird diets in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with recommendations for future diet studies. Orn. Neotropical. 16(1): 65–83. Close ), Hemiptera, Dermaptera, Neuroptera larvae (2 Durães, R. and Marini, M.Â. (2005). A quantitative assessment of bird diets in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with recommendations for future diet studies. Orn. Neotropical. 16(1): 65–83. Close ), Araneae (2 Durães, R. and Marini, M.Â. (2005). A quantitative assessment of bird diets in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with recommendations for future diet studies. Orn. Neotropical. 16(1): 65–83. Close , 4 Lima, C. A., P. R. Siqueira, R. M. M. Gonçalves, M. F. Vasconcelos, and L. O. Leite (2010). Dieta de aves da Mata Atlântica: uma abordagem baseados em conteúdos estomacais. Ornitología Neotropical 21(3):425–438. Close ) and Diptera pupae; on one occasion photographed carrying a snail in bill, and gastropods have been recorded in stomach contents (4 Lima, C. A., P. R. Siqueira, R. M. M. Gonçalves, M. F. Vasconcelos, and L. O. Leite (2010). Dieta de aves da Mata Atlântica: uma abordagem baseados em conteúdos estomacais. Ornitología Neotropical 21(3):425–438. Close ). Usually observed in mixed-species flocks, especially those with Xiphorhynchus fuscus and Red-crowned Ant-tanager (Habia rubica), as well as Xenops minutus, Philydor atricapillus and Dendrocincla turdina, perhaps to lesser extent with Anabacerthia amaurotis; mainly in understorey, occasionally to midstorey. Gleans and pulls arthropods from dead leaves and debris (> 75% of observations in one study) (5 Zimmer, K.J. (2008). The White-eyed Foliage-gleaner (Furnariidae: Automolus) is two species. Wilson J. Orn.. 120(1): 10–25. Close ), mainly in dense undergrowth, up to 12 m above ground; one study found evidence that the species regularly forages in epiphytes (6 Cestari, C. and Pizo, M.A. (2008). Utilization of epiphytes by birds in a Brazilian Atlantic forest. Orn. Neotropical. 19(1): 97–107. Close ) and sulphurescens is regularly observed rummaging in leaves trapped in bases of epiphytes, in crowns of understorey palms and in the interiors of climbing bamboo thickets (5 Zimmer, K.J. (2008). The White-eyed Foliage-gleaner (Furnariidae: Automolus) is two species. Wilson J. Orn.. 120(1): 10–25. Close ).

Song a loud, vigorous, fast series of c. 5 (range 2–8) squeaky, syncopated “ki-dee” or “tu-wút” notes, while that of race sulphurescens consists of a fast-paced (5–7 doublets/second) series of 2–12 closely spaced doublets; call “téh-koee”, with that of race sulphurescens typically commencing with a prelude of 1–3 differentiated notes that rise and fall in frequency and then settles into an uncountable series of 5–10 identical, closely spaced notes, before decreasing in frequency and slowing with two or more slightly differentiated terminal notes. Also gives single-noted “kwek” and double-noted “kwek-kwaah” calls.

Season presumably during austral spring-summer, based on birds in breeding condition in Rio Grande do Sul (S Brazil); eggs in Oct (Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro) and Jan (São Paulo) in SE Brazil, and young in Dec in same country, with birds with incubation patches trapped in Sept–Dec (Minas Gerais) (7 Marini, M. Â., T. M. Aguilar, R. D. Andrade, L. O. Leite, M. Anciães, C. E. A. Carvalho, C. Duca, F. S. Maldonado-Coelho, and J. Gonçalves (2007). Biologia da nidificação de aves do sudeste de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 15:367–376. Close ). Presumably monogamous. Nest a broad, shallow cup c. 8 cm in diameter made of dry plant stems, often rachides of compound leaves, also some mammal hair, placed at end of horizontal tunnel c. 50–60 cm long excavated in dirt bank, nest-chamber c. 20 cm in diameter, sited c. 0·6–2 m above ground level (7 Marini, M. Â., T. M. Aguilar, R. D. Andrade, L. O. Leite, M. Anciães, C. E. A. Carvalho, C. Duca, F. S. Maldonado-Coelho, and J. Gonçalves (2007). Biologia da nidificação de aves do sudeste de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 15:367–376. Close ). One nest had previously been occupied by Philydor rufum in the previous season (7 Marini, M. Â., T. M. Aguilar, R. D. Andrade, L. O. Leite, M. Anciães, C. E. A. Carvalho, C. Duca, F. S. Maldonado-Coelho, and J. Gonçalves (2007). Biologia da nidificação de aves do sudeste de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 15:367–376. Close ). Clutch 3–4 white eggs, size 25·5–26·5 mm × 19·5–20 mm (race sulphurascens). No further information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon to common. In Brazil, race sulphurascens common in Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve and Itatiaia and Iguaçu National Parks; fairly common in Sooretama Biological Reserve and Serra dos Órgãos National Park, uncommon in Tijuca and Serra da Canastra National Park, and rare in Poço das Antas Biological Reserve. Only recently recorded in Pantanal ecoregion (8 Nunes, A.P., Silva, P.A. and Tomas, W.M. (2008). Novos registros de aves para o Pantanal, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 16(2): 160–164. Close ). In Paraguay, common in Caaguazú and Ybicuí National Parks, uncommon in Cerro Corá National Park, and present in San Rafael National Park. Fairly common in Iguazú National Park, in Argentina. Extensive deforestation within its range has dramatically reduced area of habitat available to this species, but it persists in small and degraded forest fragments, and appears to be reasonably tolerant of second growth. Nominate race, known from few localities in Bahia, is very poorly known and merits threatened status (5 Zimmer, K.J. (2008). The White-eyed Foliage-gleaner (Furnariidae: Automolus) is two species. Wilson J. Orn.. 120(1): 10–25. Close ).