The dusky leaftosser or South American leaftosser is a bird in subfamily Sclerurinae, the leaftossers and miners, of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Giana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Northern South America and Panama
Typical Environment
Found from eastern Panama through northern and western South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and much of the Brazilian Amazon. Prefers humid lowland and foothill evergreen forests with deep leaf litter and a shaded understory. It frequents terra firme and tall secondary forests, forest edges, and steep ravines with earthen banks. Sensitive to heavy fragmentation, it persists best in large tracts of mature forest. Often keeps close to the ground and avoids open habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy forest floor specialist, the dusky (South American) leaftosser flips aside leaf litter with quick, purposeful flicks of its bill to uncover hidden prey. It belongs to the ovenbird family (Furnariidae), subfamily Sclerurinae, alongside miners. It typically nests in short burrows excavated in earthen banks or sloping ground. Its persistent, whistled song often betrays its presence in otherwise dim, dense understory.
Temperament
solitary and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats close to the ground
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, maintaining territories on the forest floor. Forages by tossing leaves aside with quick lateral flicks of the bill to expose invertebrates. Breeding pairs often excavate a short burrow in an earthen bank where they place a nest chamber. Both sexes are believed to participate in territory defense and nest care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, penetrating series of thin, whistled notes delivered at intervals, often from low perches. Calls include sharp chips and soft whistles, most frequent at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Mostly uniform dark brown to sooty-brown with warmer rufescent tones on the rump and tail; feathers plain, lacking strong streaking.
Diet
Primarily small invertebrates taken from leaf litter, including beetles, ants, spiders, and other arthropods. It probes among damp leaves, moss, and soil and snaps up exposed prey. Occasionally takes small snails or other soft-bodied invertebrates. Feeding is methodical, with brief pauses between energetic leaf-flicks.
Preferred Environment
Dense, shaded forest floor with abundant leaf litter, fallen logs, and tangled roots. Often along ravines, streambanks, and earthen slopes that also provide nesting sites.
