Rufous Gnateater
Conopophaga lineata
The Rufous Gnateater (Conopophaga lineata) is a uncommon gnateater found in 4 countries, weighing about 25 g. The rufous gnateater is a passerine bird of the gnateater family, Conopophagidae.
About the Rufous Gnateater
The rufous gnateater is a passerine bird of the gnateater family, Conopophagidae. It is found in forest understory and bushes in eastern Brazil from Rio Grande do Sul north to central Brazil. Its range also extends into eastern Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina and it has recently been recorded in Uruguay. It is often elusive and hard to see, but is commoner and less shy than other gnateaters.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
It is a small, rounded bird, 13 cm in length with a short tail and fairly long legs. The plumage is mostly reddish brown. There is a white stripe above the eye (grey in the female) which ends in a tuft of feathers which can be hidden. The call is a series of quiet cheeps which become faster and higher-pitched. At dusk and dawn the males make a buzzing sound with their wing feathers as they fly around their territory. The rufous gnateater feeds by moving quickly from one perch to another through undergrowth close to the ground.
What the Rufous Gnateater sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Rufous Gnateater can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Rufous Gnateater?
- It is a small, rounded bird, 13 cm in length with a short tail and fairly long legs. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Rufous Gnateater?
- The Rufous Gnateater is a small sized bird weighing about 25 g.
- Where can you see a Rufous Gnateater?
- The Rufous Gnateater occurs in 4 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
- What does a Rufous Gnateater sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Rufous Gnateater on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Rufous Gnateater?
- The Rufous Gnateater is most easily confused with the Black-cheeked Gnateater, the Chestnut-crowned Gnateater and the Ceara Gnateater.
- Is the Rufous Gnateater endangered?
- The Rufous Gnateater is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Rufous Gnateater 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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