| Curve-billed reedhaunter | |
|---|---|
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| atMontevideo,Uruguay. | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Furnariidae |
| Genus: | Limnornis Gould, 1839 |
| Species: | L. curvirostris |
| Binomial name | |
| Limnornis curvirostris Gould, 1839 | |
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Thecurve-billed reedhaunter (Limnornis curvirostris) is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbirdfamilyFurnariidae. It is found inArgentina,Brazil, andUruguay.[2]
The curve-billed reedhaunter and the superficially similarstraight-billed reedhaunter (Limnoctites rectirostris) were long thought to be closely related; some authors mergedLimnoctites intoLimnornis. Genetic studies in the early 2000s refuted this approach by finding that the two species of genusLimnoctites were instead closely related to the spinetails of genusCranioleuca.[3][4] The curve-billed reedhaunter is instead most closely related to thewren-like rushbird (Phleocryptes melanops).[5]
The curve-billed reedhaunter is the only member of its genus and has no subspecies.[2]
The curve-billed reedhaunter is 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 27 to 30 g (0.95 to 1.1 oz). It is a smallfurnariid whose plumage closely resembles that of someOld World reed warblers of genusAcrocephalus. It has a long and quite decurved bill. The sexes' plumages are alike. Adults have a whitishsupercilium, an ill-defined dark brown band behind the eye, lighter brown earcoverts with some thin whitish streaks, and a whitishmalar area. Their crown, nape, back, rump, and uppertail coverts are rich brown; the brown is darkest on the crown and gradually becomes morerufescent to the uppertail coverts. Their wings and tail are rufescent brown. Their throat is whitish, their breast more buffy, their belly creamy buff, their flanks cinnamon-buff, and their undertail coverts a rich buff. Their iris is brown, theirmaxilla brown to blackish, theirmandible a whitish and brownish mix, and their legs and feet grayish.[6]
The curve-billed reedhaunter is found in the Brazilian state ofRio Grande do Sul, in southern Uruguay, and in eastern Argentina'sEntre Ríos andBuenos Aires provinces. It primarily inhabits freshwater marshes and also occurs in brackish ones such as coastal lagoons. Their vegetation is often dominated by the sedgeScirpus giganteus and the grassZizaniopsis bonarinsis. It is essentially coastal, with an elevation range from sea level to only about 100 m (330 ft).[6]
The curve-billed reedhaunter is a year-round resident throughout its range.[6]
The curve-billed reedhaunter feeds on a variety of adult and larvalarthropods that it gleans from marsh vegetation. It usually forages by itself.[6]
The curve-billed reedhaunter is assumed to breed during the austral spring and summer, and is thought to be monogamous. It constructs a ball-shaped nest of grass, leaves, and other fibers and lines it with softer plant material. The nest has a side entrance, usually with an overhanging "awning". It attaches the nest to reeds or atop vegetation. The clutch size is two eggs. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.[6]
| Songs and calls |
The curve-billed reedhaunter's song is a "fast series of harsh notes that ascend and then descend in pitch, fading towards [the] end". Its call is "a hollow 'took' ".[6]
TheIUCN originally assessed the curve-billed reedhaunter as Near Threatened, but since 2004 has classed it as being of Least Concern. It has a limited range and an unknown population size that is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified.[1] It is thought to be uncommon. It occurs in several protected areas but its "[n]arrow habitat requirements appear to render it potentially vulnerable".[6]
