Straight-billed Reedhaunter
Encyclopedia
The Straight-billed Reedhaunter (Limnoctites rectirostris) is a South America
n bird
species
in the family
Furnariidae. It is today placed in the monotypic
genus
Limnoctites.
Formerly it was – and in some works it still is – placed in Limnornis with the Curve-billed Reedhaunter
(Limnornis curvirostris) which lives in the same general region and habitat
, and thus shares some adaptation
s with L. rectirostris. But L. rectirostris seems closer to the typical spinetails (Cranioleuca
) than to the Curve-billed Reedhaunter. The modern treatment thus makes Limnornis monotypic also. As using monotypic genera if not really necessary is eschewed by most taxonomists today, the Straight-billed Reedhaunter is liable to be placed in Cranioleuca if further studies verify its placement.
This bird is found in north-eastern Argentina
, south-eastern Brazil
and Uruguay
. In its range it is essentially limited to marshy areas in the pampas and planalto
grassland
s. In Brazil, it is found in Rio Grande do Sul
and Santa Catarina States. In Argentina, it occurs in Entre Ríos
and the extreme nort-east of Buenos Aires Province
s. In Uruguay, it is limited to the erastern and southern part of the country. In recent years, it has been recorded in Cerro Largo
, Canelones
, Maldonado
– where Charles Darwin
recorded it in 1833 at Laguna José Ignacio and Laguna del Diario, where it can still be found –, Rocha
, San José
and Treinta y Tres Department
s. From Lavalleja Department
, there are only records from 1994, but the bird probably is still found there.
This species prefers marsh
y and swamp
y localities between sea level
and 1,100 m ASL
, and also occurs in more wooded habitat
if suitable wetlands are nearby. A key feature of prime habitat is an abundant growth of caraguata (spiny eryngos, Eryngium
spp.), such as E. pandanifolium which it utilizes particularly in upland localities. It is sometimes claimed that the two reedhaunters differ in microhabitat preference, occurring sympatrically in the same region but not within the same locality, but this seems to be incorrect.
As with many of its relatives, rather little is known about its reproductive habits. In the south of Uruguay, a juvenile was observed in mid-January (i.e. midsummer).
The Straight-billed Reedhaunter may be common in suitable habitat, but globally its numbers are decreasing and is becoming rare due to habitat loss. Significant threats are pollution
and the draining of wetlands, particularly for construction on the outskirts of larger towns. Invasive
willow
s (Salix spp.) as well as plantation
s of eucalypt
(Eucalyptus spp.) and pine
(Pinus spp.) are also detrimental to habitat quality. The species occurs in some protected area
s, such as Área Protegida Quebrada de los Cuervos in Uruguay's Treinta y Tres Department.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Furnariidae. It is today placed in the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Limnoctites.
Formerly it was – and in some works it still is – placed in Limnornis with the Curve-billed Reedhaunter
Curve-billed Reedhaunter
The Curve-billed Reedhaunter is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family. It is found marshy areas of north-eastern Argentina, south-eastern Brazil, and Uruguay. It occupies a similar ecological niche to some reed warblers.The Curve-billed Reedhaunter is placed in the monotypic genus Limnornis...
(Limnornis curvirostris) which lives in the same general region and habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
, and thus shares some adaptation
Adaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
s with L. rectirostris. But L. rectirostris seems closer to the typical spinetails (Cranioleuca
Cranioleuca
The typical spinetails, Cranioleuca, are a genus of birds in the Furnariidae family. It may include the Straight-billed Reedhaunter.-Species:* Creamy-crested Spinetail, Cranioleuca albicapilla...
) than to the Curve-billed Reedhaunter. The modern treatment thus makes Limnornis monotypic also. As using monotypic genera if not really necessary is eschewed by most taxonomists today, the Straight-billed Reedhaunter is liable to be placed in Cranioleuca if further studies verify its placement.
This bird is found in north-eastern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, south-eastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. In its range it is essentially limited to marshy areas in the pampas and planalto
Planalto
-Buildings:* Palácio do Planalto, Brasília, the official seat of the President of Brazil.** The staff and offices of the Executive branch of the Brazilian Government, by metonymy-Places:*Planalto, Bahia *Planalto, Paraná *Planalto, Rio Grande do Sul...
grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s. In Brazil, it is found in Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
and Santa Catarina States. In Argentina, it occurs in Entre Ríos
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
and the extreme nort-east of Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
s. In Uruguay, it is limited to the erastern and southern part of the country. In recent years, it has been recorded in Cerro Largo
Cerro Largo Department
Cerro Largo Department is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Melo.-History:During the 19th and early 20th centuries, when intermittent periods of civil war occurred in Uruguay, the department was a stronghold of the Blanco party...
, Canelones
Canelones Department
The Canelones Department , with an area of and 485,240 inhabitants, is located to the south of Uruguay. Its capital is Canelones.-Geography and climate:...
, Maldonado
Maldonado Department
The Maldonado Department , with an area of and 140,192 inhabitants, is located to the southeast of Uruguay. Its capital is Maldonado.-Geography and climate:...
– where Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
recorded it in 1833 at Laguna José Ignacio and Laguna del Diario, where it can still be found –, Rocha
Rocha Department
Rocha is a department in the east of Uruguay. It has natural beauties like Cabo Polonio, Valizas, Santa Teresa. Rocha is well known for its beach towns which swell during the summer holidays...
, San José
San José Department
San José Department is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is San José de Mayo.-Population and Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 103,104 people and 33,063 households in the department. The average household size was 3.0...
and Treinta y Tres Department
Treinta y Tres Department
Treinta y Tres is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Treinta y Tres.-History of name:'Treinta y Tres' is Spanish for 'Thirty-Three'. The department is named after 33 19th century patriots honoured by Uruguayans.-Population and Demographics:...
s. From Lavalleja Department
Lavalleja Department
The Department of Lavalleja is a department of Uruguay. The capital is Minas. It is located in the southeast of the country, bordered to the north by the department of Treinta y Tres to the east with Rocha, to the south with Canelones and Maldonado, and to the west to Florida.The department is...
, there are only records from 1994, but the bird probably is still found there.
This species prefers marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
y and swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
y localities between sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and 1,100 m ASL
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, and also occurs in more wooded habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
if suitable wetlands are nearby. A key feature of prime habitat is an abundant growth of caraguata (spiny eryngos, Eryngium
Eryngium
Eryngium is a genus in the family Apiaceae of about 230 species of annuals and perennials with hairless and usually spiny leaves, and dome-shaped umbels of flowers resembling those of thistles. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the centre of diversity in South America. Some species...
spp.), such as E. pandanifolium which it utilizes particularly in upland localities. It is sometimes claimed that the two reedhaunters differ in microhabitat preference, occurring sympatrically in the same region but not within the same locality, but this seems to be incorrect.
As with many of its relatives, rather little is known about its reproductive habits. In the south of Uruguay, a juvenile was observed in mid-January (i.e. midsummer).
The Straight-billed Reedhaunter may be common in suitable habitat, but globally its numbers are decreasing and is becoming rare due to habitat loss. Significant threats are pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
and the draining of wetlands, particularly for construction on the outskirts of larger towns. Invasive
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s (Salix spp.) as well as plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s of eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
(Eucalyptus spp.) and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
(Pinus spp.) are also detrimental to habitat quality. The species occurs in some protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s, such as Área Protegida Quebrada de los Cuervos in Uruguay's Treinta y Tres Department.