Ruby-throated Tangare
| Ruby-throated Tangare | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ruby- throated Tangare ( Nemosia rourei ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nemosia rourei | ||||||||||||
| Cabanis , 1870 |
The Rubinkehltangare or Rotkehltangare ( Nemosia rourei ) is a very rare songbird from the family of tanagers . It is endemic to Espírito Santo , Brazil and was thought to be lost between 1870 and 1941 and between 1941 and 1998.
description
It reaches a length of 14 cm. The wing length is 8.5 cm and the tail length 6.2 cm. The top has an ash gray color, the back is darker. The belly is white. The tail and wings are black, with the large upper wing covers having a bluish tinge. The inner arm wings have a black inner wheel and a gray outer flag. A broad, dark stripe of eyes runs from the forehead through the region of the eyes and ears to the back of the buttocks. The hood is gray. The chin and throat have a cherry-red tint that extends to the center of the chest. The iris is orange and the legs are pink. Her singing consists of a complex sequence of thin trills and double whistles.
distribution
Their occurrence is currently limited to a breeding area of 31 km² in the region of Fazenda Pindobas IV in Espírito Santo . It used to be common in the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro .
Way of life
Until its rediscovery in 1998 nothing was known about the way of life. Today we know that it occurs in the canopy of damp mountain forests at heights of 900 to 1,100 m above sea level. The birds search for food within the canopy of tall trees. At the edge of the forest you can occasionally observe them in lower tree regions. She seems to prefer branches with moss and lichen growth. It is often found in flocks with other bird species. Their diet apparently consists of arthropods. Nest building was observed in late November.
Rediscovery and endangerment
For a long time, the ruby- throated tangar was only known from a single male specimen that was discovered in 1870 by the bird collector Jean de Roure, according to his own statements, in Muriahié on the north bank of the Rio Parahyba do Sul , Minas Gerais , and via the Swiss ornithologist Carl Hieronymus Euler to the German ornithologist Jean Louis Cabanis was sent to the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin .
Today it is theorized that the place of origin of the holotype could not have been Muriahié, but probably Macaé in Rio de Janeiro , since the specified height information from Muriahié of 210 m does not correspond to today's. The Ruby- throated Tangare was rediscovered for the first time in 1941 by Helmut Sick , who was able to observe eight specimens near Itarana in the Jatibocas region of Espírito Santo . Then it was lost again until 1995 by the ornithologist Dereck A. Scott another sighting. Scott wasn't sure, however, that he'd really discovered this species. On February 22, 1998, six Brazilian researchers finally succeeded in rediscovering ten specimens of the Ruby-throated Tangar in the region of Fazenda Pindobas IV in Espírito Santo, photographing them and recording their song.
The ruby-throated tangar is still threatened with extinction due to the destruction of its habitat. Large parts of their former distribution area have been destroyed by clearing. Birdlife estimates their population between 50 and 250 specimens.
literature
- Dieter Luther: The extinct birds of the world. (= Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei. Volume 424). A. Ziemsen Verlag, Wittenberg Lutherstadt 1986
Web links
- Saíra apunhalada (Port.)
- Birdlife - New Plans for rare Tanager (Engl., With photo)
- Nemosia rourei in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 31 of 2009.