Recurve-billed Bushbird (Clytoctantes alixii)

show additional data

EN	Recurve-billed Bushbird Clytoctantes alixii

2010 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Endangered

Justification This species has been recently rediscovered in both Venezuela and Colombia, following 40 years without any records. Its range and population are poorly known, but presumed to be very small. Habitat loss is continuing throughout its range, and has been rapid over the last five years in an area that was probably a stronghold. Consequently its range and population are likely to be declining. The species is therefore classified as Endangered.

Family/Sub-family Thamnophilidae

Species name author Elliot, 1870

Taxonomic source(s) SACC (2005 + updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996)

Synonyms Clytoctantes alixi Stotz et al. (1996)

Identification 16.5 cm. Chunky, short-tailed antbird with bizarrely large, recurved bill. Very large, pale horn-bill laterally compressed with sharp-ridged culmen. Wedge-shaped lower mandible upturned. Large, strong feet and legs, with long, straight hindclaw. Concealed white interscapular patch. Male mainly slaty-grey, black lores, throat, and upper breast. Faintly dotted white wing-coverts. Female rufescent-brown, rufous-chestnut forehead, sides of head and sides of body. Dusky tail and wings. Voice A loud, mid-range whistling peeeuw peeeuw peeuw-pweet-pweet-pweet

Population estimate	Population trend	Range estimate (breeding/resident)	Country endemic?
250-999	decreasing	170 km²	No

Range & population Clytoctantes alixii is known only from extreme north-west Venezuela and north Colombia. Known historical localities are the Sierra de Perijá, Zulia, Venezuela, and in Colombia, the foothills of the Magdalena valley: in Santander and Cesar (north-east); the Serranía de San Lucas, Bolívar (north-west); Caldas (south-west); and four foothill sites north of the Andes in Antioquia and Córdoba. It was known from specimens taken between the 19^th century and the 1950s, but following sightings in 1965 in the Serranía de Abibe there were no further reports until its rediscovery in 2004. The security risk posed by paramilitary factions and narcotics traffickers, together with the species's inconspicuousness and the lack of knowledge of its voice hindered rediscovery of a species which, judging by the large series of museum specimens and the scatter of reports from a fairly wide area, was once fairly common. It was finally refound in April 2004 in the Sierra de Perija, Venezuela, on the third trip specifically planned to relocate it¹¹. Shortly afterwards, in 2005 it was rediscovered in Colombia, at Ocaña, Norte de Santander¹². Here it appeared to be fairly common (6-7 pairs heard along a 2-km stretch of road) between 1,600 m and 1,750 m, much higher than previous records¹². In 2007 it was found above San Vicente de Chucuri in the Serranía de los Yariguíes, Santander¹³ and in Antiquoia¹⁶. It may well turn out to be more common and widespread than previously thought, especially as it appears to favour areas of secondary growth.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It inhabits lowland and foothill forests (185-1,750 m), favouring dense undergrowth, thickets, forest borders and young secondary growth. The recent observations at Ocaña were in mature secondary growth with a strong bamboo component between 1,600 m and 1,750 m¹¹, but in the Serranía de los Yariguíes it was observed in an overgrown boulder-strewn gulley with no bamboo¹³. In Venezuela it has been found in secondary habitats such as old swidden plots¹⁴ and seems to favour steep slopes with high water runoff in decaying secondary woodland¹⁵. In the west, breeding occurs during April-May. It feeds on insects obtained by pecking the stems of rotting branches¹⁵.

Threats The lower Magdalena valley had largely been converted to agricultural land as early as the 18th century, and the middle portions were rapidly opened up, colonised, logged and farmed during the 1960s and 1970s, although regeneration is beginning following land abandonment in some foothill areas⁹. Similarly, the lower Cauca valley and foothill areas at the northern end of the West and Central Andes have long been deforested, although some extensive forests survive⁴. This includes Paramillo National Park, where human settlement and activity pre-dates creation of the park and continues to threaten the forest⁷. The species had been not uncommon in the vast, pristine forest of the Serranía de San Lucas. However, a gold-rush began in 1996, and most of the eastern slopes have since been settled, logged and converted to agriculture and coca production^1,2,3,7. In the Sierra de Perijá there has been severe deforestation below 2,000 m for cattle-ranching and narcotics cultivation⁸. However, if the species does in fact favour secondary growth then increased farming of middle elevations in the Sierra de Perijá, although detrimental to primary forest specialists, may in fact be creating more suitable habitat for the species¹⁴.

Conservation measures underway Several specimen localities are now within Paramillo (Antioquia and Córdoba) and Perijá (Zulia) National Parks. It occurs in the recently purchased ProAves Recurve-billed Bushbird Reserve at Agua de la Virgen and by the Cerulean Warbler Reserve in the Serranía de los Yariguíes.

Conservation measures proposed Search for it using tapes of the song and calls, as well as mist-nets, targeting any areas of extensive, well-developed secondary growth at 150-1,750m, especially where bamboo abounds. Assess its status in Paramillo and Perijá⁶ National Parks, particularly the relatively inaccessible and unexplored southern part of the latter. Increase the area of suitable habitat that has protected status.

References Collar et al. (1992). 1. A. Cuervo in litt. (1999). 2. L. Dávalos in litt. (1999). 3. Donegan and Salaman (1999). 4. Forero (1989). 5. M. Isler and P. Isler in litt. (1999). 6. Rodríguez and Rojas-Suárez (1995). 7. P. G. W. Salaman in litt. (1999). 8. C. J. Sharpe in litt. (1995, 1997, 2000). 9. Stiles et al. (1999). 10. Renjifo et al. (2002). 11. C. J. Sharpe in litt. (2006). 12. O. Laverde in litt. (2006). 13. D. Willis in litt. (2007). 14. C. J. Sharpe in litt. (2007). 15. D. Ascanio in litt. (2007). 16. R. Clay in litt. (2007).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species account from the Threatened birds of the Americas: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 1992). Please note, taxonomic treatment and IUCN Red List category may have changed since publication.

Recuento detallado de la especie tomado del libro Aves Amenazadas de las Americas, Libro Rojo de BirdLife International (BirdLife International 1992). Nota: la taxonomoía y la categoría de la Lista Roja de la UICN pudo haber cambiado desde esta publicación.

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Isabel Isherwood (BirdLife International), Rob Pople (BirdLife International - European Division), Tom Stuart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors David Ascanio, Rob P Clay (BirdLife International), A. Cuervo, L. Dávalos, M Isler, P Isler, Oscar Laverde, Paul G. W Salaman (World Land Trust-US), Chris J. Sharpe, David Willis

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Clytoctantes alixii. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 30/7/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums