Scaled Flowerpiercer

The shed breast - hooked beak ( Diglossa duidae ) is a species of bird in the family of tanagers ( Thraupidae ). The species has a large distribution area, which includes the South American country of Venezuela and Brazil. The stock is assessed by the IUCN as endangered not (Least Concern ).

Features

The shed breast - hooked beak reaches a body length of about 14 to 14.5 centimeters and a weight of about 16 grams. The upturned black bill has a hooked tip. The eyes are reddish brown. The top is gray-black, the head is slightly darker. On his shoulders he has a small blue-gray spot, which does not noticeably distinct from the color of the top. The throat and the upper part of the breast are blackish which goes further down the chest in a dark gray and the speckled belly looks like scales. The under tail-coverts vary in color mixed between gray and white.

The plumage of juveniles is on the top of gloomy gray with blackish head. The underside is uniformly gray. The large and middle coverts are white polka dots, so this seems like wing strokes.

Behavior

The birds do not seem to be particularly shy and behave relatively quiet. Your reputation is a short, vocally thin pipes. They are usually alone or in pairs on the go. It is believed that their behavior is very similar to the Strichelhakenschnabel ( Diglossa major). Otherwise known about their behavior much.

Distribution and habitat

One usually finds the shed breast - hook beaks in the cloud forest, forests with Clusiaceae and on the summits of tepuis at altitudes 1400-2600 meters. Furthermore, you can see them in open terrain with scattered small stature trees and bushes.

Subspecies

There are three subspecies have been described which differ mainly in their coloring and their area of ​​distribution:

• Diglossa duidae duidae Chapman, 1929 The nominate subspecies occurs in the central and southern part of the Venezuelan state of Amazonas. Here you can see them on the mountains Paru, Huachamacari, Duida, Marahuaca and de la Neblina. They also come in the southwest of Bolivar on Sarisariñama - tepui and Meseta de Jaua and in the extreme north of Brazil before the Cerro de la Neblina.
• Diglossa duidae hitchcocki Phelps & Phelps, Jr, 1948 This subspecies is present in the north of the Venezuelan state of Amazonas at Cerro Yavi, Cerro Sipapo and Cerro Guanay. The throat is much blacker than in D. duidae d
• Diglossa duidae georgebarrowcloughi Dickerman, 1987 Your home is the Sierra de la Neblina. The bluish glow in the plumage of the nominate, in this Ssp. replaced by a truncated black on the back and gray on the belly.

A wide subspecies called Diglossa duidae parui ( Phelps & Phelps, 1950) is generally considered invalid.

Etymology

The genus name is from the Greek dis, di - ( = two ) and derived glossa ( tongue = ) and refers to the typical U - shaped tongue of this genus. The species name refers to the duidae Erstfundort, the 2350 -meter-high Cerro Duida. The subspecies name are Dedikationsnamen for the ornithologist George Francis Barrowclough and the geographer and photographer Charles Baker Hitchcock ( 1906-1969 ).