Howdy, friends. Our bird this week is from the same family as last week’s subject, the long-wattled umbrellabird. Both are in the family Contigidae and while browsing through member species, I knew I needed to bring more of these striking birds to you all. We are again in the tropics of the western hemisphere, this week visiting with the scaled fruiteater. This is a small, flat-headed bird measuring 19–20 cm (7.5–7.9 in) in length. Males have a black head, while females have an olive one and somewhat muted colors. These birds are found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, in a series of contiguous-ish bands of Andean mountain rainforest. It does not migrate from these forests and is a year-round resident.
The scaled fruiteater is typically found at elevations of 1,000 to 3,500 meters (3,300 to 11,500 ft). They live below the forest canopy and are often found near streams or other bodies of water. The fruiteater’s pointy little beak is well-suited to tearing into fruits, seeds and the occasional unlucky insect. These last are especially sought after during the breeding season, when they serve as a vital source of protein. Most of the year these birds can be found in and around fruiting trees, and occasionally form flocks with other birds moving through the forest canopy. During the breeding season, males will establish a territory and attempt to attract a mate through calls and flying displays. I think this is at least the second recent bird that has flying as part of its mating behavior, I will have to find more info on that as we make our way through Contigidae. The birds construct a nest in trees, consisting of a shallow cup made of fibrous local plants. The female will usually lay two eggs, which are incubated for two weeks. Both parents will work to feed and care for the chicks until they are old enough to fledge and depart the nest.
The scaled fruiteater is rated as of “least concern” by the IUCN. Although it is famously hard to find due to its most excellent speckled camouflage and the population appears to be decreasing, it is not decreasing dramatically enough to merit reappraisal. Its large range is also largely contiguous, which should help it keeps numbers up. A mercifully hard to find bird and short entry this week, I’m on the road to see Ma Killsock after working a full week. Be good to yourselves and others, friends.
Links: https://tinyurl.com/2ur4s4a7, https://tinyurl.com/4998b4f6, https://tinyurl.com/5btf28f8, https://tinyurl.com/4pt4yr3x, https://tinyurl.com/5ftm9jt5, https://tinyurl.com/s7k9fad9, https://tinyurl.com/35rupz2p