Cincloramphus whitneyi
The Santo Thicketbird (*Cincloramphus whitneyi*) is a moderately sized passerine bird, measuring approximately 18-20 cm in length with a wingspan of 22-25 cm and weighing between 25-35 grams. Its plumage is cryptically colored, characterized by an olive-brown back heavily streaked with darker brown, a paler buffy-white underside with subtle streaking on the flanks, and a distinctive pale supercilium above a dark eye-stripe. The long, graduated tail is dull brown, often flicked when foraging. ...
Primarily found in dense undergrowth, secondary growth scrub, and the forest edge of lowland tropical moist broadleaf forests, extending into overgrown clearings and disturbed areas. It typically occurs from sea level up to elevations of approximately 800 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide range of invertebrates including beetles, crickets, spiders, and caterpillars. It forages by gleaning from foliage and probing leaf litter.
The Santo Thicketbird is a generally secretive and elusive species, active during daylight hours and roosting communally in dense thickets at night, sometimes in small family groups. Foraging occurs predominantly on the ground or within low-lying vegetation, where it meticulously gleans insects a...
The Santo Thicketbird (*Cincloramphus whitneyi*) is strictly endemic to the island of Espiritu Santo, the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, located in the South Pacific. Its breeding range encompasses the forested lowlands and lower montane slopes across the island, from coastal scrub up t...
Near Threatened
- The Santo Thicketbird was first documented in 1926 during the renowned Whitney South Sea Expedition, named in honor of the expedition's benefactor, Harry Payne Whitney. - Despite its "thicketbird" moniker, it's a member of the Old World grass warbler family (Locustellidae), showcasing its evolu...