Automolus exsertus
The Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner (Automolus exsertus) is a captivating, medium-sized passerine, measuring approximately 18-19 cm (7-7.5 inches) in length and weighing around 30-36 grams. Its plumage is predominantly rufous-brown, with a darker, somewhat olive-tinged crown and back contrasting with richer, more uniform rufous underparts, particularly on the throat and belly. Distinctive field marks include its rather stout, slightly hooked bill, the lack of prominent streaking, and an indistinct r...
This foliage-gleaner primarily inhabits the dense understory and borders of humid montane evergreen forests and cloud forests. It is typically found at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 meters, occasionally descending to 800m or ascending to 2,500m.
Its diet consists almost exclusively of insects and other small invertebrates, including beetles, spiders, and orthopterans, meticulously gleaned from vegetation and bark.
The Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner is a diurnal and highly active bird, spending its days methodically foraging in the lower to mid-story of its forest habitat. Its foraging strategy involves systematically gleaning insects and other invertebrates from dense foliage, tangled vines, moss-covered branche...
The Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner is a true endemic of the Talamanca mountain range, with its entire distribution confined to the highlands of western Panama and adjacent southwestern Costa Rica. In Panama, it is found primarily in Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro provinces, while its Costa Rican range is ...
Near Threatened
- The Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner is one of the most geographically restricted bird species in Central America, endemic to a tiny portion of the Talamanca mountain range. - Its common name directly references the Chiriqui province of western Panama, the heart of its known range. - This species belon...