Stresemann's bristlefront

      One of the rarest bird on earth 

Stresemann's bristlefront 

The Stresemann's bristlefront is one of the rarest birds on earth. The IUCN has assessed it as Critically Endangered.

Distribution and habitat

Stresemann's bristlefront's natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss, and the Mata do Passarinho Reserve is the last known area to house Stresemann's bristlefront. The Atlantic forest reserve is in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia and contains primary forest as well as secondary forest, and is an island of forest surrounded by farmland.

Description

Stresemann's bristlefront is a medium-sized, long-tailed bird with distinctive forehead bristles. It measures 20 cm (7.9 in) long. The male is all slaty gray with a dark rufous-chestnut rump, uppertail-coverts, and vent. The namesake features are long, pointed bristles on the forehead. The female is cinnamon-brown above, with a duskier tail, and is bright cinnamon below.

Behavior Feeding

A Stresemann's bristlefront was observered "foraging on the ground and on fallen tree trunks in an area of drier forest between two humid valleys". It has been seen to feed on insects.

Breeding

The first known Stresemann's bristlefront nest site was a tunnel estimated to be 6 ft (1.8 m) long. The nest itself was not described.