The subtropical doradito (''Pseudocolopteryx acutipennis'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

in subfamily Elaeniinae of family

Tyrannidae The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds known to exist in the world, with more than 400 species. They are the most diver ...

, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, Colombia,

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 28 September 2024. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved September 29, 2024

Taxonomy and systematics

The subtropical doradito is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

. However, it has been suggested that more than one species may be present within it.Smith, P., Lesterhuis, A.J. and Clay, R.P. (2014). Status and distribution of the doraditos (Tyrannidae: ''Pseudocolopteryx'') in Paraguay, including a new country record. Rev. Bras. Orn. 22(2): 180–188.

Description

The subtropical doradito is long and weighs . Both sexes have a short shaggy crest, and both have the same plumage. Adults have a mostly bright olive head, upperparts, and tail; their cheeks are dusky. Their wings are olive-brown with light gray edges on the flight feathers and dull cinnamon tips on the wing

coverts A covert feather or tectrix on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts (or ''tectrices''), which, as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail. Ear coverts The ear coverts are s ...

; the last show as two faint

wing bar The following is a glossary of common English language terms used in the description of birds—warm-blooded vertebrates of the class Aves and the only living dinosaurs, characterized by , the ability to in all but the approximately 60 extant ...

s. Their throat and underparts are golden-yellow. Both sexes have a dark brown iris, a slender, black, warbler-like bill, and dark gray legs and feet. Immatures are similar to adults but with more prominent buffy wing bars and a pale base to the

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bon ...

.Bostwick, K. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Subtropical Doradito (''Pseudocolopteryx acutipennis''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.subdor1.01 retrieved October 23, 2024

Distribution and habitat

The subtropical doradito has a

disjunct distribution In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but considerably separated from each other geographically. The causes are varied and might demonstrate either the expansion or contraction of a s ...

. It is found in Colombia's

Central Andes Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center (disambiguation), center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa ...

, in the central Andean valley of Ecuador between Imbambura and

Chimborazo Chimborazo () is a currently inactive stratovolcano in the Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known eruption is believed to have occurred around 550 A.D. Chimborazo's summit is the farthest point on the Earth's surface from the ...

provinces, locally in Peru's central Andes, and from Peru's southern Andes south through central Bolivia, western Paraguay, and southern Brazil into northwestern Argentina. It primarily inhabits reedbeds, marshes, wet pastures and fields with sedges, and brushy areas near water. It also occurs in grassy areas that have few sedges. In elevation it ranges between in Colombia, between in Ecuador, between in central Peru, below in southern Peru, and below in Brazil.

Behavior

Movement

The subtropical doradito is found year-round along the Andes. At least part of the populations from central Peru south move east into the Amazonian lowlands in the non-breeding season; some of the southernmost also move north in the Andes. The species occurs in Brazil only in the non-breeding season.

Feeding

The subtropical doradito feeds on insects. It forages singly or in small family groups, typically low in the vegetation but sometimes at its tips. It takes prey by gleaning while perched and with short flights to hover-glean.

Breeding

The subtropical doradito breeds between December and April in Bolivia; its season elsewhere is not known. Its nest is a deep cup made of grass and other plant fibers with a feather lining built in marsh vegetation. The clutch is three eggs; the incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.

Vocalization

The subtropical doraditos' song is described as "tzit-tzit-tzit t-konk followed by a wing-whir" and its call while foraging is a single "tzit".

Status

The IUCN has assessed the subtropical doradito as being of Least Concern. It has a large range; its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered rare in Colombia and Ecuador. It is a local breeder and rare

austral Austral means 'southern', often in reference to the Southern Hemisphere. Austral may also refer to: Businesses *Austral Líneas Aéreas, an Argentine airline *Air Austral, an airline based in Réunion *Austral (bus manufacturer), a defunct Aust ...

migrant in Peru. One author considers it a

vagrant Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, tempora ...

in Brazil. It is considered fairly common in Argentina.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1271610 subtropical doradito Birds of the Andes Birds of Argentina Birds of Paraguay subtropical doradito subtropical doradito subtropical doradito Taxonomy articles created by Polbot