Rondônia bushbird
The Rondônia bushbird is a bird species in the family Thamnophilidae. It is endemic to Brazil.
Males are blackish and females are mainly rufous. The stubby, hefty bill has a distinctively upcurved lower mandible and a straight culmen.
Very little is known about this species. Its natural habitat appears to be denser sections of tropical moist lowland forest.
It was formerly classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. All suitable habitat has been cleared from the locality where it was discovered in 1986, and many feared it was extinct, until it was discovered at another site in south-eastern Amazonas in 2004. Following the initial rediscovery, it has been located at other sites in Amazonas and sites in Rondônia and Mato Grosso.
These sightings combined with an old record near Alta Floresta considered likely but unconfirmed indicate it is more widespread than previously believed. It was consequently suggested that downlisting it to Vulnerable status may be appropriate, and this was done in 2008.Footnotes
