Slate-colored Antbird

The slate-colored antbird (''Myrmelastes schistaceus'') is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 4 March 2024. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved March 5, 2024

Taxonomy and systematics

The slate-colored antbird has a complicated taxonomic history. It was described by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858 and given the binomial name ''Hypnocmenis schistacea''. Later authors placed it successively in genera '' Sclateria'', '' Schistocichla'', and ''Percnostola''.Schulenberg, T. S. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Slate-colored Antbird (''Myrmelastes schistaceus''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.slcant3.01 retrieved July 27, 2024 Some time after its initial description it was assigned several subspecies, but a 1924 study determined that some of them were species in their own right and a 1931 study confirmed that ''schistacea'' is monotypic. A 2013 study finalized its move to genus ''Myrmelastes'', and because that name is masculine, the change of its specific name to ''schistaceus''.Isler, M.L., Bravo, G.A. and Brumfield, R.T. (2013). Taxonomic revision of ''Myrmeciza'' (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) into 12 genera based on phylogenetic, morphological, behavioral, and ecological data. Zootaxa 3717(4): 469–497.

Description

The slate-colored antbird is long and weighs . Males are mostly dark bluish gray or slate gray. Their wings and tail are blackish gray with small white spots at the tips of the wing coverts. Females have a dark chestnut crown with thin rufous streaks. Their back and wings are olive brown with wide ochraceous buff tips on the wing coverts. Their tail is slate gray, Their face and underparts are orangish rufous or rufous. Both sexes have a gray iris and leaden to bluish gray legs and feet. Males have a black bill; females have a gray maxilla and a black mandible.Schulenberg, T.S., D.F. Stotz, D.F. Lane, J.P. O’Neill, and T.A. Parker III. 2010. ''Birds of Peru''. Revised and updated edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Plate 171.

Distribution and habitat

The slate-colored antbird is found in the lowlands of the western Amazon Basin. It occurs in southern Colombia, far northeastern Ecuador, northeastern to east-central Peru, and western Brazil east to central Amazonas state. It inhabits the understorey of ''terra firme'' forest. In elevation it reaches in Ecuador and in Colombia.

Behavior

Movement

The slate-colored antbird is believed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.

Feeding

The slate-colored antbird's diet has not been detailed but is known to include insects. It forages as individuals, pairs, and small family groups and mostly within about of the ground and only rarely with mixed-species feeding flocks. They hop along the ground and among low branches, and take prey mostly by picking from leaf litter and by reaching to leaves and twigs from the ground or a low perch. They occasionally attend army ant swarms to capture prey disturbed by the ants.

Breeding

Nothing is known about the slate-colored antbird's breeding biology.

Vocalization

The slate-colored antbird's song has been described as "a simple series of penetrating but semimusical notes, 'peeyr-peeyr-peeyr-peeyr-peeyr' " and "a slow, accelerating, rising series of clear whistles: ''heew hew-hew-hew-hew'', rarely with a buzzy terminal note".

Status

The IUCN has assessed the slate-colored antbird as being of Least Concern. It has a large range; its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered uncommon in Colombia and Peru and local in Ecuador. "As is true of all species that occupy forested habitats, Slate-colored Antbird is vulnerable to habitat loss or degradation; this species may be particularly vulnerable, as it is suspected to avoid second growth or forests that have been subjected to disturbance, such as from logging operations."

References

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slate-colored antbird
Birds of the Amazon rainforest
Birds of Peruvian Amazonia
slate-colored antbird
slate-colored antbird
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot