Lark-like brushrunner

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lark-like brushrunner

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Furnariidae
Genus: Coryphistera
Burmeister, 1860
Species:
C. alaudina
Binomial name
Coryphistera alaudina

The lark-like brushrunner (Coryphistera alaudina) is a species of

Furnariidae.[2] It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.[3]

Taxonomy and systematics

The lark-like brushrunner is genetically most closely related to the

Todd, 1915).[2]

Description

The lark-like brushrunner is 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 27 to 42 g (0.95 to 1.5 oz). It is an unusual

primary coverts blackish, and their flight feathers blackish with rufescent inner edges and pale buff outer edges. Their tail's central pair of feathers are dark fuscous brown with buff edges; the rest are mostly rufous with progressively less dark fuscous brown on their edges to the outermost. Their chin and throat are whitish with dull rufous streaks on the latter. Their breast is whitish with wide blurry rufous streaks that fade and become browner on the upper belly, flanks, and undertail coverts; the belly's center is mostly unstreaked. Their iris is dark brown to light grayish brown, their maxilla browish to pinkish brown (usually with a darker tip), their mandible pinkish gray to yellow-brown (sometimes with a darker tip), and their legs and feet dull orange to grayish tan to light brown. Juveniles have a shorter crest and less distinct streaks than adults. Subspecies C. a. campicola has some pale rufous edges at the base of the crest feathers, and more buff edging on the upperparts' feathers and paler streaks on the underparts than the nominate.[7][8][9]

Distribution and habitat

The nominate subspecies of the lark-like brushrunner is the more widespread of the two. It is found in southern Bolivia, northern and eastern Argentina, northwestern Uruguay, and slightly into the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Subspecies C. a. campicola is found in southeastern Bolivia and western Paraguay.[7] The species inhabits open to semi-open landscapes including arid lowland scrublands, arid Gran Chaco woodlands, savanna, pastures with trees, and to a lesser extent agricultural fields. In elevation it ranges from near sea level to 500 m (1,600 ft).[7][8][9]

Behavior

Movement

The lark-like brushrunner is mostly a year-round resident throughout its range but some of the southernmost move north in the austral winter.[7]

Feeding

The lark-like brushrunner feeds mostly on

mixed-species feeding flocks. It is mostly terrestrial, gleaning prey while walking along the ground and scratching to expose it. It also tosses mammal dung aside or turns it over.[7][9]

Breeding

The lark-like brushrunner breeds in the austral spring and summer, roughly September to January or beyond. It is thought to be monogamous, but observations of groups that do not appear to be nest helpers possibly suggest otherwise. It builds a globular nest up to about 100 cm (39 in) across by weaving thorny sticks and branches. A tunnel leads to a chamber floored with grass and feathers; often the tunnel is "decorated" with butterfly chrysalids, bits of colored glass, and other objects. It is typically placed on a tree branch between 2 and 5 m (7 and 16 ft) above the ground. The usual clutch size is three or four eggs but sometimes five. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.[7]

Dickcissel male perched on a metal pole singing, with neck stretched and beak open.

Songs and calls
Listen to lark-like brushrunner on xeno-canto

Vocalization

What is thought to be the lark-like brushrunner's song is "a high-pitched, tremulous, tinkling trill, 'rrrrrew' or 'croe, criiii' ". Its calls include a "variety of low buzzy trills and squeaky notes".[7]

Status

The

IUCN has assessed the lark-like brushrunner as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range and an unknown population size that is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified.[1] It is considered fairly common to abundant in much of its range and occurs in several protected areas.[7]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22702664A93885480.en
    . Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  2. ^
    Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2023). "Ovenbirds, woodcreepers"
    . IOC World Bird List. v 13.2. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  3. ^ Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 31 May 2023. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved May 31, 2023
  4. ^ Moyle, R. G., R. T. Chesser, R. T. Brumfield, J. G. Tello, D. J. Marchese, and J. Cracraft (2009). Phylogeny and phylogenetic classification of the antbirds, ovenbirds, woodcreepers, and allies (Aves: Passeriformes, infraorder Furnariides). Cladistics 25(4):386–405. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.2009.00259.x
  5. ^ Derryberry, E. P., S. Claramunt, G. Derryberry, R. T. Chesser, J. Cracraft, A. Aleixo, J. Pérez-Emán, J. V. Remsen, Jr., and R. T. Brumfield. (2011). Lineage diversification and morphological evolution in a large-scale continental radiation: the Neotropical ovenbirds and woodcreepers (Aves: Furnariidae). Evolution 65(10):2973–2986. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01374.x
  6. S2CID 228084618. A high resolution version of the phylogenetic tree in Figure 1 is available from the first author's website here
    .
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Remsen, Jr., J. V. (2020). Lark-like Brushrunner (Coryphistera alaudina), 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.lalbru1.01 retrieved September 22, 2023
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-530155-7
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 0691090351
    .
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lark-like_brushrunner&oldid=1195945687"