Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner

The Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, Dendroma rufa, is a robust member of the Furnariidae family, measuring 18 to 19 cm in length and weighing between 25 to 36 grams. Exhibiting no sexual dimorphism, both males and females don similar plumage. The adult's most striking feature is the ochraceous forehead that extends into a broad supercilium, contrasted by a dark brownish-gray line behind the eye and similar-hued lores. The crown is a muted brownish-gray with subtle pale streaks, transitioning to an ochraceous brown on the lower back, and a slightly lighter shade on the rump and uppertail coverts. Wings are predominantly bright rufous with darker primary coverts, while the tail is a dull rufous-brown with pointed tips. The underparts radiate with an ochraceous glow, fading to a duller shade towards the belly and undertail coverts. Eyes range from grayish brown to chestnut, the maxilla is blackish to dark grayish, the mandible is silvery gray to olive, and legs and feet are olive to grayish green. Juveniles present a paler crown and darker underparts, with a narrower forehead band.

Identification Tips

To identify the Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner, look for the distinctive ochraceous forehead and supercilium, the rufous wings, and the pointed tail feathers. The bird's overall ochraceous and brownish-gray plumage is also a key characteristic. Subspecies vary slightly in color intensity and crown hue, with some exhibiting more olivaceous or grayish tones.

Habitat

This species thrives in humid foothill and montane forests in Central America and northern South America, as well as tropical lowland evergreen and gallery forests in the southeast. Elevations range from 600 to 2,500 meters, depending on the region.

Distribution

The Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner has a disjunct distribution across several regions, including the highlands of Costa Rica and Panama, the Andes and Serranía de San Lucas in Colombia, parts of Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil's Mato Grosso and Goiás states, and extending into eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina.

Behaviour

A year-round resident, this species is often observed foraging alone or in pairs, and it frequently joins mixed-species feeding flocks. It primarily searches for food in the subcanopy and canopy, adeptly gleaning arthropods from various surfaces, including live and dead leaves, bark, and moss.

Song & calls

The Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner's vocalizations include a fast, accelerating series of staccato, metallic notes, described as "whi-ki-ki-ki-ke-ke-ke-kuh-kuh," with a slight descent at the end. In Costa Rica, its song is a squeaky "woika-woika-woika…". Calls consist of a unique, squeaky but harsh "shirrr" or "chur", and sharp, metallic "skik" or "chik".

Breeding

Details on the breeding season are not fully defined, but it includes June in Colombia and January in Argentina. The species is presumed monogamous, nesting in holes within earthen banks, trees, or walls, lined with fine grass. Clutch size is typically two or three eggs, though incubation periods and parental care specifics remain undocumented.

Similar Species

The Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner can be confused with other foliage-gleaners, but its distinct ochraceous forehead and supercilium, along with its rufous wings and tail, help differentiate it from its congeners.

Diet and Feeding

Its diet consists of a variety of adult and larval arthropods. The bird's foraging technique is acrobatic, often hanging upside down to reach the undersides of leaves and other surfaces.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner as Least Concern, with an estimated population of at least 500,000 mature individuals. Although the population is believed to be decreasing, there are no immediate threats identified. The species is considered uncommon to rare in most of its range but fairly common in the southeast and is present in numerous protected areas.