Chestnut-breasted whiteface
| Chestnut-breasted whiteface | |
|---|---|
 | |
| near Strzelecki Track, South Australia, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Acanthizidae |
| Genus: | Aphelocephala |
| Species: | A. pectoralis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aphelocephala pectoralis (Gould, 1871) | |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aphelocephala pectoralis. |
The chestnut-breasted whiteface (Aphelocephala pectoralis) is a species of bird in the Acanthizidae family. It is endemic to Australia and found primarily in northern South Australia.
Habitat
The species's preferred habitat is open terrain in hilly areas such as tablelands, with a stony landscape and a patchy cover of perennial chenopod shrubs. The species is most frequently seen in areas where the topographic relief gives rise to creek lines, in which there tends to be denser shrubby vegetation. It feeds on the ground and takes seeds and arthropods. It is threatened by habitat loss. Bulgunnia Station in the North West region of the state is a stronghold for the species and has been classified as an Important Bird Area.
Threats
Grazing by livestock and rabbits is the primary long-term threat as it reduces the recruitment of perennial shrubs, particularly low bluebush Maireana astrotricha, upon which the species depends. Heavy grazing of the chenopod shrubland has almost certainly caused the species to vacate previously used sites. Ironically, a recent reduction in rabbit numbers may have allowed a sufficient buildup of fuel for fire to be a threat, particularly if occurring over a large area simultaneously. Some patches of habitat are threatened by opal mining. There has been a large increase in mining activity in South Australia in recent years, some of which is known to have directly impacted areas that have supported relatively high densities of the species
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Aphelocephala pectoralis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.