From Opus

Photo by shadowman
Mayflower Bocawina National Park, Belize, February 2006

Henicorhina leucosticta

[edit] Identification

10 cm. Chestnut brown upperparts, darker crown, pale supercilia, and black-and-white streaked sides of the head and neck. White underparts becoming buff on the lower belly. The wings and very short tail are barred with black. Young birds have duller upperparts and grey underparts.

[edit] Similar species

Compare to Gray-breasted Wood-Wren which however is mostly a high altitude species.

[edit] Distribution

Central Mexico to northeastern Peru, Brazil and The Guianas.

[edit] Taxonomy

Twelve subspecies are recognized. Genetic data suggest that this species should be split into 3-4 species, here presented as groups:
Mexican and Central American group (prostheleuca); this form might need to be further subdivided

• decolorata
• prostheleuca
• tropaea
• smithei
• costaricensis
• pittieri
• darienensis

Colombian-Ecuadorian group (inornata)

• albilateralis
• eucharis
• inornata

Amazonian group (leucosticta)

• hauxwelli
• leucosticta

[edit] Habitat

Lowlands and foothills in tropical wet forest and adjacent tall second growth.

[edit] Behaviour

It builds a roofed nest on the ground, concealed by dense vegetation. The female alone incubates the eggs for about 14 days, and after a further 14 days, the young fledge.

The diet includes insects and other invertebrates.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. SACC proposal dealing with taxonomy of the genus Henicorhina

• List of references

[edit] External Links