Bearded Tachuri (Polystictus pectoralis)

[order] Passeriformes | [family] Tyrannidae | [latin] Polystictus pectoralis | [UK] Bearded Tachuri | [FR] Tyranneau barbu | [DE] Streifenkinn-Grastyrann | [ES] Tachuri Barbado | [IT] Tachuti barbuto | [NL] Baardtiran

Subspecies

Physical charateristics

Male has a short earth-brown crest with white bases. A brown-yellowish area between base of bill and eye. Mantle dull brown, upper tail tinged rufous. Wings and tail blackish brown with two rufous-buff wingbars. Throat pale yellow, breast and flanks tawny. Belly and undertail yellow. Female has no obvious black on head, with chin and throat buffy white.

Listen to the sound of Bearded Tachuri

[audio:http://www.aviflevoland.nl/sounddb/B/Bearded Tachuri.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

Range

The species has a disjointed and very localized range in the Andes of Colombia (subspecies bogotensis); north-east Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guyana and the extreme north of Brazil (subspecies brevipennis); as well as the east of Bolivia, south of Brazil, Paraguay, north of Argentina and Uruguay (subspecies pectoralis). In surinam only found in the Sipaliwini area.

Habitat

Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss. It inhabits a variety of grassland types, all with varying amounts of shrubby vegetation, with the presence or proximity of water an apparently important factor. Conversion to agriculture for Eucalyptus plantations, soybeans and pastures for exportable crops (encouraged by government land reform) have had a severe impact on its habitat in Brazil, where two-thirds of cerrado had been heavily or moderately altered by 1993, with most destruction having occurred since the 1950s. Grasslands in Paraguay and Argentina face similar threats combined with extensive cattle-ranching. Elsewhere, intensive grazing and frequent burning has reduced suitable habitat to a few scattered sites.

Reproduction

Nest is an open cup cup made out of grass and plant fibres. It is built low above ground, about 1 meter. Clutch size is 3 eggs, no further data.

Feeding habits

Forages for insects by perch-gleaning. Mostly found alone or in pairs, only flies short distances while hunting.

Conservation

Polystictus pectoralis has a very localised and disjunct distribution in the Andes of Colombia, where it was known from the upper rio Dagua valley (Valle del Cauca), and Bogota swamp (Cundinamarca) (race bogotensis); north-east Colombia (Meta), Venezuela (from Barinas to Bolivar in the south; also Carabobo), Guyana, south Suriname (Sipaliwini), north French Guiana (Sinnamary), and extreme north Brazil (Roraima, north Para, and Amapa) (race brevipennis); central-south Brazil (Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, south Goias, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul, but relatively few sites), Paraguay (uncommon in the extreme south Oriente, but generally rare and unrecorded in extreme eastern regions), south Uruguay and east Bolivia (several old specimens from Santa Cruz) (nominate race). It is an austral summer visitor to central-east Argentina (south to Mendoza, La Pampa and west Buenos Aires). Though widespread and fairly common at a few localities, it is generally scarce with no recent records from Bolivia or of race bogotensis. It inhabits a variety of grassland types, all with varying amounts of shrubby vegetation, with the presence or proximity of water an apparently important factor. Conversion to agriculture for Eucalyptus plantations, soybeans and pastures for exportable crops (encouraged by government land reform) have had a severe impact on its habitat in Brazil, where two-thirds of cerrado had been heavily or moderately altered by 1993, with most destruction having occurred since the 1950s. Grasslands in Paraguay and Argentina face similar threats combined with extensive cattle-ranching. Elsewhere, intensive grazing and frequent burning has reduced suitable habitat to a few scattered sites.

Migration

In the east-central region of Argentina (Mendoza, La Pampa, and western Buenos Aires) the species is a southern summer visitor. To the north, in Misiones, Argentina, and the Oriental region of Paraguay, some populations seem to be resident, while others are migratory. Most records in Brazil take place during the wintering period.

Distribution map