Whitebeard ant strangler
| Whitebeard ant strangler | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Whitebeard ant strangler ( Biatas nigropectus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Biatas | ||||||||||||
| Cabanis & Heine , 1860 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Biatas nigropectus | ||||||||||||
| ( Lafresnaye , 1850) |
The whitebeard ant strangler ( Biatas nigropectus ) is a species of ant birds . The species is rare and only occurs in South America. The IUCN classifies the species as endangered ( Vulnerable ) because the habitat of this species is declining due to increasing clearing. The whitebeard ant strangler is the only species in the genus Biatas .
Appearance
The whitebeard ant strangler reaches a body length of 18 centimeters. It weighs between 25 and 35 grams. The sexual dimorphism is very pronounced, as with many ant birds.
The whitebeard ant strangler has a black head cap and a black patch on the chest. The chest patch and head cap are separated from each other by a wide white band. This band runs below the beak. The female lacks the black plumage. The underside is isabel colored, the head cap is maroon. The throat is white.
distribution and habitat
The whitebeard ant strangler is a rare bird in southeast Brazil. It is also occasionally found in northeast Argentina. All Argentine observations are from the Misiones region . The habitat of the whitebeard ant strangler is the lower layer of bamboo-rich evergreen forests and the edge of thickets. It is a habitat specialist and its occurrence is linked to the Guadua trinii bamboo species . There is evidence that this species has always been rare. According to current knowledge, the population numbers are falling due to habitat loss. It is estimated that fewer than 10,000 individuals exist.
behavior
Whitebeard ant stranglers eat insects and their larvae, arachnids, small ants and seeds. According to current knowledge, the breeding season falls between October and January.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Biatas nigropectus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.3. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- ↑ Burnie, p. 350
literature
- David Burnie (Ed.): Birds. Dorling Kindersley, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8310-1272-5 .