Stresemann’s Bristlefront

The tapaculos family of birds, Rhinocryptidae, includes the highly endangered Stresemann's Bristlefront. It only exists in Brazil. One of the rarest birds in the world is the Stresemann's Bristlefront. It is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. The species was last observed in a small patch of forest that has since been designated as the Mata do Passarinho Reserve after a thorough search was conducted in 2019. There are, in the opinion of the IUCN, fewer than 50 mature individuals left.

A medium-sized, long-tailed bird with unique forehead bristles is the Stresemann's Bristlefront. Its length is 20 cm. The male's entire body is slaty gray, with the vent, upper tail coverts, and rump being dark rufous-chestnut. The long, pointed bristles on the forehead are the eponymous characteristics. The female is brilliant cinnamon underneath and cinnamon-brown top with a duskier tail.

This Critically Endangered bird can only be found in one of the Americas' most fragmented, degraded, and vulnerable forests. The bristly-looking tuft of feathers on its forehead gave the long-tailed, ground-nesting songbird known as Stresemann's Bristlefront its name. It is a member of the enormous family of tapaculos, the Rhinocryptidae, which is native to Central and South America and is infamous for its elusive behaviors and unclear taxonomy. Without serious conservation efforts, it appears that this endangered species may go extinct.