Peruvian Plantcutter

The Peruvian Plantcutter is classified as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Peruvian Plantcutter (Phytotoma raimondii) is an endangered species of bird in the Cotingidae family. As the other plantcutters, this species is sexually dimorphic and folivorous. It is endemic to scrub and woodland in north-western Peru, and is threatened by habitat loss. References - * BirdLife International 2005. Phytotoma raimondii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 26 July 2007. More

In 1992 Peruvian plantcutters could be found in 14 sites along the north Peruvian coast; in 1998 Engblom revisited these sites but found plantcutters at only three. He then found three new sites southward. Never very widespread, the Peruvian plantcutter is adapted to the native arid scrub forest of northwestern Peru, most of which has nearly disappeared or been degraded by goat grazing, extraction of firewood and timber, and conversion of land to sugarcane fields. More

The situation for the last remaining Peruvian Plantcutter is extremely perilous, saving it from extinction will depend on saving its habitat in Talara. - By Ian Hinze From the late 1800s, the attractively colored Peruvian plantcutter's (Phytotoma raimondii) habitat was 14 sites along the north Peruvian coast (Collar et al. 1992). More

Images A pair of Peruvian plantcutters A pair of Peruvian plantcutters Species related by - * Family group * Habitat * Conservation status * * View image slideshow * Link to this image * Email to a friend * * MyARKive menu header More

The number of Peruvian plantcutters living in the wild is estimated at 250 to 1,000 birds and declining. Recent records are from only four areas, and the Peruvian plantcutter is absent from much apparently suitable habitat. The species inhabits an extremely small and fragmented range, and its remaining habitat is subject to rapid and continuing destruction and degradation. The International Council for Bird Preservation petitioned to list this species as Threatened or Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1991. More

Geographic range: The Peruvian plantcutter lives only in coastal northwestern Peru, from the city of Tumbes south to the capital, Lima. Habitat: Adapted to the dry environment known as the Tumbesian ecosystem, the Peruvian plantcutter prefers desert scrub, low woodlands (both open and dense), and occasionally thickets near or next to rivers. Its habitat is always populated with caper shrubs, acacia (uh-KAY-shah) trees, the Prosopis tree, and climbing vines in the cucumber family. More

Peruvian Plantcutter, Peru, Casma 2009-08-03 © Bjorn Anderson Poor dawn light, but still much enjoyed. Apparently a declining bird because its tiny forest patches are being chopped/burned. More

alarmed to find the Peruvian plantcutter in only three of its previous 14 sites. There are only three species of plantcutter in the world, and all are found in South America. They derive their name from their fondness for young leaves and buds, which their bills are specially adapted for cutting, but they also feed on berries, drupes (stony fruits) and small seeds. One of the sites in which the Peruvian plantcutter was spotted by Engblom is Rafan, near Chiclayo. More

Peruvian Plantcutter Courtesy of Murray Cooper The 7.28-inch ash-gray Peruvian plantcutter, with white-tipped wings and a reddish-brown band down its belly, has a raspy, mechanical-sounding call that has been compared to the sound of a rusty hinge moving back and forth. More

to one of the last thousand or so Peruvian plantcutters on earth. And this land where its song blends so well into the setting represents the last hope for the survival of the species. The plantcutter is about the size of a bluebird, but gray with white wing marks and a striking, rufous-colored belly. Since the 1800s the bird has been either seen or heard at some 14 sites along Peru's northern coast. Since the 1930s, however, plantcutter sightings have become increasingly rare. More

The Peruvian plantcutter is endemic to the dry scrublands of northwestern Peru. The rufous-tailed and red-breasted plantcutters live from temperate southern Argentina and Chile, northward to subtropical Paraguay and Bolivia. Habitat The Peruvian plantcutter lives in near-desert conditions. The rufous-tailed and red-breasted plantcutters prefer a mix of open forest, scrubland, grassland, and farmland. Behavior Herbivory is a rare lifestyle among birds. Herbivorous birds tend to be rather passive and slow-moving. More