Striped Treehunter
Encyclopedia
Introduction
The Striped Treehunter (Thripadectes holostictus) is a species of birdBird
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...
in the Furnariidae family with a dusky-brown coloring with prominent buff streaking on the wings, throat, and breast. Found in humid to wet montane forests that range locally in 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...
from west 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...
to west Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
(Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, 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...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, 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...
) most often found at elevations of 1500-2500m. Most often mistaken for and with the larger Flammulated Treehunter
Flammulated Treehunter
The Flammulated Treehunter is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
due to many physical and behavioral similarities.
Taxonomy
The Striped Treehunter belongs to the order Passeriformes in the family Furnariidae. Passeriformes encompasses more than half of the known avian species which are known as perching birds. The Furnariidae are ovenbirds which are native to Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
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...
which are a diverse group of insectivores known for their “oven-like” nests. The genus Thripadectes
Thripadectes
Thripadectes is the genus of typical treehunters, birds in the family Furnariidae. It contains the following species:* Flammulated Treehunter, Thripadectes flammulatus* Buff-throated Treehunter, Thripadectes scrutator...
contains six close relatives off the Striped Treehunter. While locations not given, there are three subspecies of Striped Treehunters:
- Thripadectes holostictus holostictus
- Thripadectes holostictus moderatus
- Thripadectes holostictus striatidorsus
Physical
Average size is 20–21 cm in length. Dorsally, the Striped Treehunter has prominent streaks with buffing on the wings and a rufescent rump and tail. Venterally, the Striped Treehunter is rufous with buff streaking on the throat and breast. The straight beak is black in color. One distinguishing characteristic from woodcreeperWoodcreeper
The woodcreepers comprise a subfamily of sub-oscine passerine birds endemic to the Neotropics. They have traditionally been considered a distinct family Dendrocolaptidae, but most authorities now place them as a subfamily of the ovenbirds...
s is the rounded rectrices tips while woodcreepers have spines at the tips
Vocalizations
- Song can be described as a fast-paced, rising and falling tone “tr’r’r’R’E’E’E’E’E’R’r’r’r’r.”
- Call is a sharp “kwi-di-dik.”
Habitat
Commonly found in the undergrowthUndergrowth
Undergrowth usually refers to the vegetation in a forest, which can obstruct passage through the forest. The height of undergrowth is usually considered to be 0.3 – 3 m . Undergrowth can also refer all vegetation in a forest, which isn't in the canopy....
of montane forests in subtropic and temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
zones of both 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...
slopes with abundant mosses, epiphytes, and dense understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
. Most often seen at elevations of 1500-2500m but varies by country (2000-2300m in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, 100-2700m 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...
, 1800-2000m in 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...
).
Distribution
The Striped Treehunter greatly varies in abundance where it ranges from uncommon to fairly common locally and regionally. It is most common in EcuadorEcuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
(especially in Pichincha Province
Pichincha Province
Pichincha is a province of Ecuador located in the northern sierra region; its capital and largest city is Quito. It is bordered by Imbabura & Esmeraldas to the north, Cotopaxi & Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas to the south, Napo & Sucumbíos to the east, and Esmeraldas & Santo Domingo de los...
) where it is uncommon 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...
. Being a shy bird, it is most often noticed through its vocalizations instead of visual observation.
Diet
Hunts in dense cover one to two meters above the ground favoring Chusquea Bamboo stands. Not commonly found in mixed flocks, favoring being sepolitary. Being a furtive species, it is difficult to see, often exhibiting similar behavior as the Flammulated TreehunterFlammulated Treehunter
The Flammulated Treehunter is a species of bird in the Furnariidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
.