Justification This species is listed as Vulnerable principally because of rapid deforestation within its range, particularly at lower altitudes. The range and population are now small and severely fragmented.

Family/Sub-family Furnariidae

Species name author Chapman, 1919

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

Synonyms Automolus erythrocephalus Collar and Andrew (1988)

Identification 21 cm. Large and brightly patterned furnariid. Largely orange-rufous upperparts, with brownish-olive back. Pale orange-rufous throat, with rest of underparts pale brownish-grey. Long bill and orange-brown iris. Voice Metallic, staccato tok-tok-tok... is most common vocalisation.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

2,500-9,999

decreasing

15,400 km²

No

Range & population Hylocryptus erythrocephalus occurs in south-west Ecuador (Manabí, Guayas, El Oro and Loja) and north-west Peru (Tumbes, Piura and Lambayeque). Probably the largest population occurs in Peru, on forested ridges between the río Tumbes and the Ecuadorian border⁴. It is rare to uncommon and very local, being moderately common in only a few areas of suitable habitat⁶.

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

Ecology: It inhabits understorey in deciduous, semi-deciduous and moist evergreen forest, at 150-1,350 m, occasionally to 1,800 m ⁵. It frequents secondary woodland and forest edge, occasionally even narrow woodland strips along watercourses and disturbed scrub near forest⁶, but viable populations cannot persist in severely degraded habitats⁸. It may undertake seasonal elevational movements. It is insectivorous, and characteristically forages on the forest floor or in dense vine-tangles, tossing dead leaves and twigs and probing leaf clusters. It is usually seen alone or in pairs. It nests at the end of a c.1 m-long burrow in an earth bank, principally during the wet season, in January-May.

Threats Below 900 m, the rate of deforestation in west Ecuador in 1958-1988 was 57% per decade². Significant habitat loss is ongoing, and will soon remove almost all remaining lowland forest. Disturbance and degradation through heavy grazing by goats and cattle also pose a significant threat to the understorey of deciduous forests. Even protected areas are affected by illegal settlement and deforestation, livestock-grazing and habitat clearance by people seeking land rights.

Conservation measures underway Significant populations occur in three protected areas, Machalilla National Park and Cerro Blanco Protection Forest, Ecuador, and Tumbes Reserved Zone, Peru¹, and it was recently discovered in the Laquipampa Reserved Zone, in east Lambayeque⁷. It also occurs in the large (>45,000 ha) Manglares-Churute Ecological Reserve, and the smaller Loma Alta Communal Reserve, Tumbesia-La Ceiba Natural Reserve and Jatumpamba-Jorupe Protected Forest⁸. The 776 km² partially forested Chongón-Colonche Protection Forest forms the nucleus of a reforestation project³, and may support the species.

Conservation measures proposed Locate additional populations, especially in Piura and Lambayeque. Research its ecology, particularly seasonal movements and the extent to which viable populations can persist in secondary and degraded habitats. Strengthen effective habitat protection in Tumbes Reserved Zone and Machalilla National Park. Map forest in the Cordillera Chongón-Colonche to identify sites for future protection³.

References Collar et al. (1992). Best et al (1993). 1. Best and Kessler (1995). 2. Dodson and Gentry (1991). 3. E. Horstmann in litt. (2000). 4. Parker et al. (1995). 5. Pople et al. (1997). 6. Ridgely and Tudor (1994). 7. J. Flanagan in litt. (2001). 8. J. Freile in litt. (2008).

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 Haase, Matt Harding (BirdLife International), Isabel Isherwood (BirdLife International), Rob Pople (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors Jeremy Flanagan (ProAvesPerú), Juan Freile (Fundación Numashir), Eric Horstman (Fundación Pro-Bosque)

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Hylocryptus erythrocephalus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

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.

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