Streak-breasted treehunter

Streak-breasted treehunter
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Furnariidae
Genus:	Thripadectes
Species:	T. rufobrunneus
Binomial name
Thripadectes rufobrunneus (Lawrence, 1865)

The streak-breasted treehunter (Thripadectes rufobrunneus) is a passerine bird which is endemic to the Talamancan montane forests.

This large treehunter is found in hills and mountains from 700 m up to 2500 m altitude, rarely to 3000 m, in damp epiphyte-laden forests and adjacent old second growth, especially in shady ravines. It builds a wide saucer nest of rootlets in a 60 cm long burrow in a steep bank, and lays two white eggs between February and August.

The adult streak-breasted treehunter is typically 21.5 cm long, weighs 54 g and has a stout black bill. It has a black-scaled dark brown crown and rich brown upperparts shading to rufous on the rump and tail. It has an ochre throat and otherwise tawny underparts which are streaked with ochre, especially on the breast. Young birds are paler with more extensive but less distinct breast streaking. The call is a loud zeck. The song is a buzzy chi-wawr, chi-wowr.

Streak-breasted treehunter is easily distinguished from its relatives by its large size, heavy bill and breast streaking.

The streak-breasted treehunter forages for large insects, spiders, amphibians and lizards in dense undergrowth and vines, searching through leaf litter, plant debris, bromeliads and other epiphytes for its prey. It is usually seen alone, but sometimes as part of a mixed-species feeding flock.

References

• Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4