Black-bellied Gnateater

The Western Schwarzkopf mosquito eater ( Conopophaga melanogaster ), sometimes called black belly mosquito eater, is a species of bird in the ( single ) Genre Conopophaga within the family of mosquito eater ( Conopophagidae ). The species has a large distribution area, which includes the South American countries Brazil and Bolivia. The stock is assessed by the IUCN as endangered not (Least Concern ).

Features

The Western Schwarzkopf mosquito eater reaches a body length of about 14.5 centimeters. The beak is black, his legs blue-gray. When compared to its congeners it has a relatively long tail. The head of the male is completely black. Most of the bottom is black. Behind the eye, it has a long white- silvery wispy streaks. The top shines reddish brown to chestnut -colored. The flanks and the rear part of the belly are grayish. The female has a dark gray crown, while the rear crown and nape is dark brown. The postokulare stripe is white. The top shines like the male red-brown to chestnut -colored. The underside is predominantly light gray, but it is whitish on the throat and in the central abdominal area.

Distribution and habitat

The bird occasionally occurs in the undergrowth of humid forests. He usually moves in areas up to 400 meters above sea level, which are not regularly flooded by rivers, called the Terra Firme forests. The bird comes in Brazil south of the Amazon, on the banks of the Rio Tocantins to the west of the outflow of the Rio Madeira, respectively. To the south extends the area of ​​distribution according to Rondônia and Mato Grosso to the north. In Bolivia, it is present in the north of Beni Departementos.

Behavior

Usually the bird is individually or in pairs on the go. He usually sits in the branches of the deeper strata. Here he moves preferably in dense thickets near rivers and their river banks. From its seats from he looks for insects, which he captured by leaves or on the ground.

Etymology and History of Research

Ménétries Édouard (1802-1861) described the Western Schwarzkopf mosquito eaters already below the currently valid protonym. The type specimen was collected by Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff (1774-1852) near Cuiabá.

» Conopophaga " is composed of the Greek words " kōnōps " for " mosquito, gnat " and " - phagos " for " - eating " together. The Greek epithet " melanogaster " is a word formations from " melas " for " black " and " gaster " for " belly ".