Fringe-backed fire-eye

Photo by Sidnei dos Santos (Biodiversitas)

Common name:
fringe-backed fire-eye (en); papa-taoca-da-Bahia (pt); alapi noir (fr); ojodefuego de Bahía (es); fleckenmantel-feuerauge (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family  Thamnophilidae

Range:
This species is only found in a narrow coastal area in the Brazilian state of Bahia, between Salvador and Aracaju.

Size:
These birds are 17-18 cm long and weigh 35 g.

Habitat:
The fringe-backed fire-eye is mostly found in dense undergrowth of lowland tropical moist forests, also using second growths and other semi-open areas. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 250 m.

Diet:
They follow army ant swarms, especially Eciton burchellii, hunting the animals flushed by the ants including spiders, grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetles, crickets and moths.

Breeding:
The fringe-backed fire-eye nests on an open cup made of twigs, plant fibres and dry leaves, placed on the ground. The female lays 2 eggs, which are incubated for 18-20 days. The chicks fledge about 13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status – EN (Endangered)
This species has a relatively small breeding range and a global population estimated at just 600-1.700 individuals. The population is declining rapidly due to ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation.