Black-tailed Leaftosser (Sclerurus caudacutus) [XC664787]
by A. Bennett Hennessey from Parque Nacional da Amazonia, Itaituba, State of Par\u00e1, Brazil (alarm call, call)
Black-tailed Leaftosser (Sclerurus caudacutus) [XC586604]
by Jerome Fischer from Esta\u00e7\u00e3o Ecol\u00f3gica de Murici, Murici, Alagoas, Brazil (call, song)
Subspecies
Plumage similarities and parapatric ranges have suggested to most authors that this and Scaly-throated Leaftosser (Sclerurus guatemalensis) are sister-species. Validity of subspecies insignis, described from a single locality, seems questionable. Geographical distribution of subspecies, particularly north of R Amazon, not well understood, and individual variation in many of the characters used to describe most of them may lead to substantial revision of boundaries. Specimens from R Purús (western Brazil) intermediate between pallidus and brunneus.
Proposed subspecies olivascens (from south-central Peru) evidently not diagnosable, probably represents clinal variation within latter (specimens from south-western Amazonia less reddish on average than those farther north). Critical revision of subspecies and their boundaries badly needed.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
brunneus Sclater, PL, 1857 - Western Amazonia from south-eastern Colombia (southern from western Meta and Vaupés) and southern Venezuela south to eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, western Brazil (western Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia) and northern Bolivia (Pando, north-western La Paz).
caudacutus (Vieillot, 1816) - The Guianas.
insignis Zimmer, JT, 1934 - Northern Brazil north of R Amazon (north-western Pará; probably more widespread).
pallidus Zimmer, JT, 1934 - Central Brazil south of R Amazon (eastern from at least R Madeira to western Maranhío).
umbretta (Lichtenstein, MHK, 1823) - Coastal eastern Brazil (Alagoas south to Espírito Santo).
caligineus Pinto, 1954 - Eastern Brazil.
olivascens Cabanis, 1873 - Eastern Peru (Ayacucho) to extreme northern Bolivia (Pando).