Straight-billed reedhaunter  (Limnoctites rectirostris)

Description

After its discovery by Charles Darwin in 1833, this species became known as “Darwin’s lost bird”, as it took almost a century before further specimens were located (3) (4). The straight-billed reedhaunter is slender-bodied, with greyish-brown upperparts, becoming greyer on the crown, and with an indistinct whitish band running above the eye. By contrast, the wings and long, pointed tail are reddish-brown, while the underparts are white becoming buff on the flanks (2) (5). Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the straight-billed reedhaunter is the very long, straight bill (5), which may be an adaptation for extracting insect prey from amongst the leaves and flower heads of spiny plant species (3).

Darwin Now is the British Council's contribution to the international celebration of the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150 year anniversary of the publication of On The Origin of Species
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