Slaty Bristlefront
Merulaxis ater Lesson, RP, 1831
18 cmLength35 gWeight
The slaty bristlefront (Merulaxis ater) is a member of the Neotropical bird family Rhinocryptidae, the tapaculos.
Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Brazil
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Brazil
Slaty Bristlefront has been recorded at 23 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- PE IntervalesBrazil397 records
- Ubatuba – Sítio Folha SecaBrazil278 records
- PN do Itatiaia – Parte BaixaBrazil214 records
More places
- Tapiraí – Trilha dos Tucanos LodgeBrazil190 records
- Santo André – Estrada do TaquarussuBrazil152 records
- PN de Itatiaia – Hotel do YpêBrazil128 records
- Ubatuba – Fazenda AngelimBrazil120 records
- PE Intervales – Pousadas e arredoresBrazil114 records
- PN do Itatiaia – Trilha dos Três PicosBrazil106 records
- Área do Projeto DacnisBrazil106 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The slaty bristlefront (Merulaxis ater) is a member of the Neotropical bird family Rhinocryptidae, the tapaculos. It is endemic to south-east Brazil.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Slaty Bristlefront?
The Slaty Bristlefront is about 18 cm long and weighs around 35 g.
Where does the Slaty Bristlefront live?
Its breeding range: South America: southeastern Brazil. It is most often recorded in Brazil.
When is the best time to see the Slaty Bristlefront?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Slaty Bristlefront endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Slaty Bristlefront as Least Concern.
What does the Slaty Bristlefront eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Slaty Bristlefront in?
It belongs to the family Tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 18 cm
- Weight
- 35 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 66 mm
- Tail
- 83 mm
- Bill
- 21 mm
- Tarsus
- 26 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: southeastern Brazil
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Tapaculos Rhinocryptidae
- Genus
- Merulaxis
Other birds in the genus Merulaxis
Stresemann's BristlefrontMerulaxis stresemanni
Ocellated TapaculoAcropternis orthonyx
Chestnut-throated Huet-huetPteroptochos castaneus
Black-throated Huet-huetPteroptochos tarnii
Moustached TurcaPteroptochos megapodius
White-throated TapaculoScelorchilus albicollis
Chucao TapaculoScelorchilus rubecula
Crested GallitoRhinocrypta lanceolata
Sandy GallitoTeledromas fuscus
Rusty-belted TapaculoLiosceles thoracicus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Hudson Martins Soares. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.