Recurve-billed Bushbird
Encyclopedia
The Recurve-billed Bushbird (Clytoctantes alixii) is a Thamnophilid antbird
that inhabits dense stands of secondary vegetation
at the northern end of the Andes
in Colombia
and Venezuela
. It is named for its extraordinary bill, which curves upwards. Until 2007, the bird was almost unknown in life and apart from earlier specimens it had only been seen in life once at an army ant
swarm in Colombia in 1965.
from a specimen obtained from the Rio Napo. He named the species after Dr. Edouard Alix (1823–1893) of Paris.
A significant effort in Colombia
failed to find the bird. However, in April 2004 the species was found in Venezuela in the foothills of Sierra de Perijá close to the border with Colombia, during a Conservation International
-financed Rapid Assessment (RAP) expedition consisting of ornithologists Miguel Lentino, Jorge Perez-Eman, Irving Carreño and Chris Sharpe working under the auspices of the Venezuela Audubon Society and the Phelps Ornithological Collection. The first photographs were taken of a pair of birds. Four months later the first sound recordings were made and behavioral notes taken by British
ornithologist Chris Sharpe.
Working in parallel, Colombian ornithology student Oscar Laverde rediscovered Bushbirds in Norte de Santander, Colombia in July 2005. The birds were subsequently studied in detail by Laverde, F. Gary Stiles and ornithology students of the Natural Sciences Institute of the National University of Colombia
. Their findings are published in issue No. 5 of Ornitología Colombiana. They are better located using their call which is made up of four short whistling notes.
The first published photos of the species were circulated by the in June 2007 from images taken by Fundacion ProAves at a new reserve in Colombia to protect this species.
and a bamboo
specialist.
The outlook for the Bushbird in the foothills of Sierra de Perijá in Venezuela seems positive, and certainly much better than scientists had guessed before 2004. The bird appears to be not uncommon in regenerating swidden ("slash-and-burn") plots. A significant area of extremely important, uninhabited primary forest is being rapidly invaded in the foothills of this range where the forest is being felled to plant short-term cash crops. There appears to be little attempt to control or regulate illegal deforestation
there by the Venezuelan government and local political support for the invasion. Despite the long-term consequences for the survival of the forest and its species, in the short term this may lead to creation of further Bushbird habitat.
The Bushbird should now be looked for in suitable area elsewhere. Sierra de Perijá is one of the top conservation priorities for birds in Venezuela, not just for this species but for several other threatened birds.
Unfortunately, sightings have become rare in the Colombia locality, which has been the site of heavy recent collecting by museum ornithologists, reportedly including 5 taken by ornithologist Gary Stiles, despite large series of old museum specimens. Similar declines or local extinction due to unethical collecting has occurred with the Jocotoco Antpitta at a remote site in northern Peru and Three-toed Jacamar in Brazil.
Antbird
The antbirds are a large family, Thamnophilidae, of passerine birds found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 200 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire-eyes, bare-eyes and bushbirds...
that inhabits dense stands of secondary vegetation
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
at the northern end of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It is named for its extraordinary bill, which curves upwards. Until 2007, the bird was almost unknown in life and apart from earlier specimens it had only been seen in life once at an army ant
Army ant
The name army ant is applied to over 200 ant species, in different lineages, due to their aggressive predatory foraging groups, known as "raids", in which huge numbers of ants forage simultaneously over a certain area, attacking prey en masse.Another shared feature is that, unlike most ant...
swarm in Colombia in 1965.
Discovery and rediscovery
The species was first described in 1870 by Daniel Giraud ElliotDaniel Giraud Elliot
Daniel Giraud Elliot was an American zoologist.Elliot was one of the founders of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the American Ornithologists' Union. He was also curator of zoology at the Field Museum in Chicago.Elliot used his wealth to publish a series of sumptuous...
from a specimen obtained from the Rio Napo. He named the species after Dr. Edouard Alix (1823–1893) of Paris.
A significant effort in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
failed to find the bird. However, in April 2004 the species was found in Venezuela in the foothills of Sierra de Perijá close to the border with Colombia, during a Conservation International
Conservation International
Conservation International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to ensure the health of humanity by protecting Earth's ecosystems and biodiversity. CI’s work focuses on six key initiatives that affect human well-being: climate, food security, freshwater...
-financed Rapid Assessment (RAP) expedition consisting of ornithologists Miguel Lentino, Jorge Perez-Eman, Irving Carreño and Chris Sharpe working under the auspices of the Venezuela Audubon Society and the Phelps Ornithological Collection. The first photographs were taken of a pair of birds. Four months later the first sound recordings were made and behavioral notes taken by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ornithologist Chris Sharpe.
Working in parallel, Colombian ornithology student Oscar Laverde rediscovered Bushbirds in Norte de Santander, Colombia in July 2005. The birds were subsequently studied in detail by Laverde, F. Gary Stiles and ornithology students of the Natural Sciences Institute of the National University of Colombia
National University of Colombia
The Universidad Nacional de Colombia , also called UNAL or just UN, is a public, national, coeducational, research university, located primarily in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, Colombia...
. Their findings are published in issue No. 5 of Ornitología Colombiana. They are better located using their call which is made up of four short whistling notes.
The first published photos of the species were circulated by the in June 2007 from images taken by Fundacion ProAves at a new reserve in Colombia to protect this species.
Features and conservation status
The Bushbird is 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) long and unmistakable. The male is slate gray, the female rufescent brown. It inhabits well-developed secondary growth at 150–1750 m. It is insectivorousInsectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
and a bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
specialist.
The outlook for the Bushbird in the foothills of Sierra de Perijá in Venezuela seems positive, and certainly much better than scientists had guessed before 2004. The bird appears to be not uncommon in regenerating swidden ("slash-and-burn") plots. A significant area of extremely important, uninhabited primary forest is being rapidly invaded in the foothills of this range where the forest is being felled to plant short-term cash crops. There appears to be little attempt to control or regulate illegal deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
there by the Venezuelan government and local political support for the invasion. Despite the long-term consequences for the survival of the forest and its species, in the short term this may lead to creation of further Bushbird habitat.
The Bushbird should now be looked for in suitable area elsewhere. Sierra de Perijá is one of the top conservation priorities for birds in Venezuela, not just for this species but for several other threatened birds.
Unfortunately, sightings have become rare in the Colombia locality, which has been the site of heavy recent collecting by museum ornithologists, reportedly including 5 taken by ornithologist Gary Stiles, despite large series of old museum specimens. Similar declines or local extinction due to unethical collecting has occurred with the Jocotoco Antpitta at a remote site in northern Peru and Three-toed Jacamar in Brazil.
External links
- National Geographic photographs
- BirdLife Species Factsheet.
- First published photographs of the Recurve-billed Bushbird by Fundacion ProAves.
- Photographs of the Recurve-billed Bushbird from first rediscovery.
- Wildlife Extra.com First ever photos of the Recurve-billed Bushbird.