The Alagoas foliage-gleaner is an extinct passerine bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It was endemic to Brazil.
Region
Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Northeast Brazil)
Typical Environment
Historically restricted to humid lowland and foothill Atlantic Forest fragments in Alagoas and adjacent Pernambuco. It favored mature and well-structured secondary forest with abundant epiphytes and dead-leaf clusters. The species foraged in the understory to midstory along vine tangles and dense foliage. Ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation eliminated most suitable tracts, leading to its disappearance.
Altitude Range
50–600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Alagoas foliage-gleaner was a secretive ovenbird of Brazil’s northeastern Atlantic Forest, historically found in tiny, isolated remnants. It specialized in probing dead leaf clusters and dense foliage for arthropods. Intensive deforestation for agriculture, particularly sugarcane, drove its rapid decline. It is now considered extinct, with no confirmed records in recent years.
Temperament
skulking and furtive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, often joining mixed-species flocks in the understory. Nesting was presumed in concealed cavities or dense vegetation typical of furnariids, with both parents likely involved in care. Territorial around rich foraging patches within small forest remnants.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Quiet, dry series of chips and trills, sometimes a rattling sequence delivered from low perches. Call notes were sharp and ticking, aiding contact within dense foliage.
