The spotted barbtail (''Premnoplex brunnescens'') is a species of bird in the family Furnariidae. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
Taxonomy
The spotted barbtail was described in 1856 from a type specimen collected in Bogota, Colombia. It was previously considered to be the same species as the white-throated barbtail (''Premnoplex tatei'') of Venezuela, and is now classified as a sister species to that bird. Five
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
are recognized within ''P. brunnescens'', although they are considerably differentiated genetically, and may constitute separate species. The five subspecies are ''P. b. brunneicauda'', found in Costa Rica and Western Panama; ''P. b. brunnescens'', found in Eastern Panama, the neighboring regions of Western Colombia, and the mountains of Western Venezuela south to Ecuador and Peru; ''P. b. coloratus'', restricted to the
Santa Marta Mountains
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: ''Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha'') is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of ...
in Northern Colombia; ''P. b. rostratus'', restricted to the coastal mountains of Northern Venezuela; and ''P. b. stictonotus'', found in the Andes from Southern Peru to Western and central Bolivia.
Description
The spotted barbtail ranges from in length, and from 14 to 19 grams in weight. The species does not exhibit sexual dimorphism; males and females are alike. Within its family the spotted barbtail is small and dark, with rich patterning on its underside. The forehead is dark greyish-brown, with spots that are tawny or ochraceous in color. The bird has a narrow
supercilium
The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head.Dunn and Alderfer (2006), p. 10 Also ...
, formed by a series of closely spaced spots above and behind the eye. Similar lines of spots extend down the neck from the supercilium. The crown of the head is also grey brown, with dark-edged feathers, giving the bird a scalloped appearance. The spots on the forehead fade into the crown. The back is dark brown, blackish-edged feathers, similar to but less conspicuous than on the crown. The
rump
Rump may refer to:
* Rump (animal)
** Buttocks
* Rump steak, slightly different cuts of meat in Britain and America
* Rump kernel, software run in userspace that offers kernel functionality in NetBSD
Politics
*Rump cabinet
* Rump legislature
* Ru ...
has the same scalloped appearance, and has a slight chestnut hue.
The uppertail
coverts
A covert feather or tectrix on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts (or ''tectrices''), which, as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail. Ear coverts
The ear coverts are sm ...
are chestnut-brown in color, while the wings are largely dark brown. The primary coverts are darker than the rest of the wing, while the other coverts have darker centers. The central feathers of the tail are somewhat stiffened. The tips of all the tail feathers lack barbs, giving the tail a "spiny" appearance. The bird's throat is also tawny in color, with brownish edging to the feathers. Birds within the subspecies ''albescens'' have a paler whitish throat. The belly and breast of the bird are dull brown with elongated spots that are tawny in color and outlined in dark brown. The spots are largest on the breast, becoming smaller and less visible approaching the vent, while they fade into streaking on the flanks. The undertail coverts are also dull brown with a faint spots. The upper mandible of the bird's beak is black or dark brown, while the lower mandible varies between greyish-pink to
horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
-colored, and occasionally has a darker tip. The iris is black. The spotted barbtail is similar in appearance to the white-throated barbtail, but is distinguished by having spots that are tawny rather than white, smaller and less dense spots on its breast, and a shallower beak.
Feeding
The spotted barbtail has been reported to feed on beetles, various
hymenoptera
Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...
n insects, cockroach eggs, and spiders. The foraging behavior of the species seems to vary regionally; it has been reported as feeding alone, as feeding in pairs or family groups, and in mixed-species flocks. The spotted barbtail feeds in the forest understorey, though it may infrequently venture higher up some trees. It may be seen climbing along branches, including very thin ones. It often uses its tail for support, and sometimes may be seen hanging upside-down, or hanging on the underside of a branch. It is a
gleaner
A gleaner(Noun) is a person who engages in gleaning, utilizing crops and resources left behind in a harvest.
Newspapers
*''The Gleaner'', a newspaper of record in Kingston, Jamaica, published by:
**The Gleaner Company, a newspaper publishing enter ...
, searching for food on mossy sections of trees, crevices in tree bark, and among epiphytes.
Reproduction
The spotted barbtail is thought to be a monogamous species. It has been observed to breed largely from March to June in the Central American parts of its range, while in the Andes, eggs have been observed in March and June, and nestlings in April. Two eggs are laid at a time; the eggs are completely white, and are approximately long by wide, making them disproportionately large relative to the bird itself. They are usually incubated for 27 days. Nestlings are looked after for approximately three weeks. Both sexes participate in parental care. The nest of the species is described as a "massive ball" made of
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.liverworts, and moss, along with tiny roots, that is approximately in diameter. The ball has a tube-like entrance at its base, with a short tunnel leading to a central space across that is lined with fibres and moss. The nest is usually placed in a shaded area close to a stream, and is built in a crevice in a tree or rock, or hanging under a branch or fallen log. It is usually within a couple of meters of the ground.
Habitat and distribution
The spotted barbtail is found in evergreen montane forest : in the Talamancan montane forests and throughout the northern Andes. It exhibits a preference for areas with moss and epiphytes. In Central America it occurs between above sea level, whereas in the Andes it is found from , extending occasionally up to , and down to in the Western Andes. It is common across its distribution, and has been found in fragmented as well as intact habitat. It is not considered threatened globally. It is a sedentary species.