Pteroptochos castaneus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Tyranni
Infraordo: Tyrannides
Parvordo: Furnariida
Superfamilia: Formicaroidea

Familia: Rhinocryptidae
Genus: Pteroptochos
Species: Pteroptochos castaneus
Name

Pteroptochos castaneus Philippi & Landbeck, 1864

Type locality: Hacienda la Puerta, 5000 ft (c. 1500 m), Colchagua, Chile.

References

Philippi, R.A. & Landbeck, C.L. 1864. Contribuciones a la Ornitolojía de Chile. Anales de la Universidad de Chile 25 no.3: 408–439. BHL Reference page. Original description p. 408 BHL

Vernacular names
English: Chestnut-throated huet-huet
español: Hued-hued castaño

The chestnut-throated huet-huet (Pteroptochos castaneus) is a large passerine bird of the family Rhinocryptidae. At an average mass of 165 grams (5.8 oz), it is, with the related black-throated huet-huet, the largest rhinocryptid and the third-heaviest tracheophone suboscine behind the giant and great antpittas.[2] It is a stockily-built bird, averaging 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length[2] with a predominantly dark brown plumage except for a dark red throat and a pale buff bar on its wind – lacking in the black-throated species. For many decades intense debate existed as to whether these two were one species or two,[3] but molecular studies in the 1990s demonstrated that the two species had been separated since before the Patagonian Ice Sheet first formed in southern Chile.[4]

The species is found in temperate forest of Nothofagus species and Austrocedrus chilensis[5] on the humid fringe of the Mediterranean climate zone of Chile, chiefly in Biobío, Maule and parts of O'Higgins Regions, and also in a small adjacent area of Neuquén Province in Argentina.

The species sometimes occurs in exotic Pinus radiata plantations, but only if there is a dense understory of shrubs, as it cannot move across habitat without dense understory as shown by a study of the fragmented Maulino forest.[6] The Chestnut-Throated Huet-Huet feeds on insects and their larvae, and also a substantial number of seeds and fruit,[7] which it digs for in the forest floor with its long claws. It may be important in the dispersal of certain forest plants.[8]

Breeding occurs in spring between September and December, but the burrows ordinarily used to nest are dug during the winter rainy season when the soil is loosest.[3] The burrows can be as much as 3 metres (9.8 ft) deep and contain two oval white eggs, which are very large for the bird's size, typically averaging 35.6 millimetres (1.4 in) long and 27.9 millimetres (1.1 in) wide with a mass of 14 grams (0.5 oz). It is believed both sexes incubate the eggs (as is usual for tracheophone suboscines), but the incubation period is not documented.

The huet-huets are well known for their vocalisations, and the song of the chestnut-throated huet-huet is a series of resonant “hoots”[9] that unlike its more southerly counterpart, is typically given as a duet between pairs.[2] The song is higher, softer and faster than the black-throated species,[9] and the call is a “wehk, wehk, wehk” given in alarm.
References

BirdLife International (2018). "Pteroptochos castaneus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22703421A130328965. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22703421A130328965.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
del hoyo, Joseph; Elliott, Andrew and Christie, David; Handbook of the Birds of the World: Volume 8 – Broadbills to Tapaculos; p. 765. ISBN 9788487334504
Johnson, Alfredo William; The Birds of Chile and Adjacent Regions of Argentina, Peru and Bolivia (volume II), pp. 201-210.
Chesser, R. Terry; ‘Molecular Systematics of the Rhinocryptid Genus Pteroptochos’; The Condor, vol. 101, no. 2 (May 1999); pp. 439-446
Meynard, Christine N.; Howell, Christine A. and Quinn, James F.; ‘Comparing alternative systematic conservation planning strategies against a politically driven conservation plan’; Biodiversity conservation, 18 (2009); pp. 3061-3083
Vergara, Pablo M.; Simonetti, Javier A. (2006). "Abundance and movement of understory birds in a Maulino forest fragmented by pine plantations" (PDF). Biodiversity & Conservation. 15 (12): 3937–3947. doi:10.1007/s10531-005-2355-2. S2CID 21227605.
Correa Rueda, Alejandro and Figueroa, Javier A.; ‘Observaciones de agresividad y territorialidad entre especies de Rhinocryptidae en un fragmento de bosque templado húmedo del sur de Chile’ (‘Observations of aggressiveness and territoriality among species of Rhinocryptidae in a rain forest fragment in Southern Chile’); Ornithologia Neotropical, 14 (2003); pp. 121-125
del Hoyo, Elliott and Christie; Handbook of the Birds of the World (volume 8); p. 758
Howell, Steve N.G. and Webb, Sophie; ‘Species status of the chestnut-throated huet-huet Pteroptochus castaneus’; Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, vol. 115 (1995), pp. 171-177