Black-tailed Leaftosser
Sclerurus caudacutus
The Black-tailed Leaftosser (Sclerurus caudacutus) is a rare ovenbirds and woodcreeper found in 9 countries, weighing about 36 g. The black-tailed leaftosser is a species of bird in the subfamily Sclerurinae, the leaftossers and miners, of the ovenbird family Furnariidae.




About the Black-tailed Leaftosser
The black-tailed leaftosser is a species of bird in the subfamily Sclerurinae, the leaftossers and miners, of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black-tailed leaftosser is the darkest and dullest member of genus Sclerurus. It is 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 34 to 42 g (1.2 to 1.5 oz). The sexes are alike. The nominate subspecies S. c. caudacutus has a dark rufescent face with a faint scallop effect on its malar. Its crown is dark brown with a slight scalloped appearance. Its back, rump, and uppertail coverts are very dark reddish brown. Its tail is sooty blackish, though not significantly blacker than those of other leaftossers, and has some faint dark reddish brown. It wings are dark reddish brown. Voice: The black-tailed leaftosser's song is "a series of 10–12 loud, ringing, descending 'kweet' or 'whee' notes" that is usually started with a "low sputtering trill". Its call is "a sharp 'skweeup' ".
What the Black-tailed Leaftosser sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Black-tailed Leaftosser can be seen all year round, with peak activity in July. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-tailed Leaftosser?
- The black-tailed leaftosser is the darkest and dullest member of genus Sclerurus. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-tailed Leaftosser?
- The Black-tailed Leaftosser is a small sized bird weighing about 36 g.
- Where can you see a Black-tailed Leaftosser?
- The Black-tailed Leaftosser occurs in 9 countries, including Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and French Guiana.
- What does a Black-tailed Leaftosser sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Black-tailed Leaftosser on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Black-tailed Leaftosser?
- The Black-tailed Leaftosser is most easily confused with the Short-billed Leaftosser, the Dusky Leaftosser and the Grey-throated Leaftosser.
- Is the Black-tailed Leaftosser endangered?
- The Black-tailed Leaftosser is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black-tailed Leaftosser for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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