| Stresemann's bristlefront | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Rhinocryptidae |
| Genus: | Merulaxis |
| Species: | M. stresemanni |
| Binomial name | |
| Merulaxis stresemanni Sick, 1960 | |
 | |
Stresemann's bristlefront (Merulaxis stresemanni) is a critically endangered species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae, the tapaculos. It is endemic to Brazil. [2] [1]
Stresemann's bristlefront and the slaty bristlefront (Merulaxis ater) form a superspecies, and the two might actually be one species. It has no subspecies. It is known only from three specimens and a few photographs, audio recordings, and sight records. [3] [4]
Stresemann's bristlefront is a medium-sized, long-tailed bird with distinctive forehead bristles. It measures 20 cm (7.9 in) long. The male is all slaty gray with a dark rufous-chestnut rump, uppertail-coverts, and vent. The namesake features are long, pointed bristles on the forehead. The female is cinnamon-brown above, with a duskier tail, and is bright cinnamon below. [5]
Stresemann's bristlefront's natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss, and the Mata do Passarinho Reserve is the last known area to house Stresemann's bristlefront. The Atlantic forest reserve is in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia and contains primary forest as well as secondary forest, and is an island of forest surrounded by farmland. [6]
A Stresemann's bristlefront was observered "foraging on the ground and on fallen tree trunks in an area of drier forest between two humid valleys". It has been seen to feed on insects. [5]
The first known Stresemann's bristlefront nest site was a tunnel estimated to be 6 ft (1.8 m) long. The nest itself was not described. [5]
The Stresemann's bristlefront song starts with clicks followed by a trill. It is similar to that of the closely related slaty bristlefront but lower pitched. It readily responds to playback. [4]
The Stressemann's bristlefront is one of the rarest birds on earth. The IUCN has assessed it as Critically Endangered. An extensive search was performed in 2019, and the species was last seen in a tiny forest remnant, now set aside as the Mata do Passarinho Reserve. The IUCN believes that fewer than 50 mature individuals survive. [1] "The species' known range is tiny (35 km2 (14 sq mi))...and the little remaining forest is disappearing rapidly; although this species is legally protected, there seems little hope for its survival." [4]
The tapaculos or tapacolos are a family, Rhinocryptidae, of small suboscine passerine birds, found mainly in South America and with the highest diversity in the Andean regions. Three species are found in southern Central America.
The slaty bristlefront is a member of the Neotropical bird family Rhinocryptidae, the tapaculos. It is endemic to south-east Brazil.
The slaty-tailed trogon is a near passerine bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found in Mexico, throughout Central America, and in Colombia and Ecuador.
The rufous motmot is a near-passerine bird in the family Momotidae. It is found from northeastern Honduras south to western Ecuador, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil.
The golden-bellied starfrontlet is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
The buff-winged starfrontlet is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The hook-billed hermit is an threatened species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is endemic to a small area of Brazil.
The grey-chinned hermit is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The glaucous-blue grosbeak, also known as the indigo grosbeak, is a species of bird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals or cardinal grosbeaks. It is found in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The maroon-chested ground dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
The Cabanis's seedeater is a species of bird in the cardinal family Cardinalidae that the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) accepted as a species in 2015. It is found southern Mexico and Central America.
Merulaxis is a genus of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It contains the following species:
The Atlantic royal flycatcher is a passerine bird in the family Tityridae according to the International Ornithological Committee (IOC). It is endemic to Brazil.
The white-breasted tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil.
The Bahia tapaculo is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to lowland Atlantic forest in Bahia, Brazil.
The dusky-backed jacamar is a species of bird in the family Galbulidae. It is found in Colombia and Panama.
The black-tailed trogon is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found Panama and northern South America.
Una Biological Reserve is a Biological reserve in Brazil.
The Inagua woodstar, also called the lyre-tailed hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is endemic to the two islands of the Inagua district of the Bahamas.
The Mata do Passarinho Reserve is an Atlantic Forest nature reserve in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Bahia. The reserve is the last known area to contain Stresemann's bristlefront, a bird which is endemic to Brazil and listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Data related to Merulaxis stresemanni at Wikispecies
