Fringe-backed Fire-eye
Pyriglena atra
Medium-sized antbird. Males are black with a large white patch on the back and females are brown overall, paler below, with grayish sides of the head. Inhabits the understory of humid forest, including the forest edge and light gaps, and also tall adjacent second growth. Regularly attends army-ant swarms. The song is a loud descending series of “peek” notes, and the call is a rattle.
Identification
This bird is about 17.5 cm long. It has red eyes. The male is black and has a patch of white-edged black feathers on its back. The female is reddish-brown with brown underparts, a black tail, and a white throat. The song is a number of whistling fíu sounds and the alarm call is a loud peerit, rising at the end.
Taxonomy
The fringe-backed fire-eye was described by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1825 and given the binomial name Drymophila atra. The current genus Pyriglena was introduced by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1847.
- Scientific name
- Pyriglena atra
- Authority
- (Swainson, 1825)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Genus
- Pyriglena
Range and habitat
The bird is endemic to Brazil where it is a resident of a small strip of the South American Atlantic Forest biome. It inhabits the understory at the edges of lowland primary and secondary tropical forests. It lives in dense forest habitat, avoiding open and sunny areas. The species' range extends from southern Sergipe to north-eastern Bahia, covering about 5000 km² of fragmented habitat.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The nest is on the ground and well camouflaged. It is spherical with a covering of dry leaves and an internal lining of fibers from piaçava palms. Both male and female incubate and provide parental care.<p>This bird forages in tangled vegetation within three meters of the ground, sometimes feeding higher in the canopy. It may be solitary or it may forage in pairs or small family groups. Food items include cockroaches, grasshoppers, winged ants, caterpillars, and geckos. Frogs are also eaten. The bird may follow army ants, which flush the prey items into the open.
Conservation
The total population is estimated to be between 1000 and 2500 individuals. It is thought to be declining rapidly due to the loss of habitat. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed it as an endangered species in 2010. It is a protected species under Brazilian law.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Tablas Fantail
Rhipidura sauli
A medium-sized, long-tailed bird of lowland forest on Tablas. Dull blue on the head, chest, back, and shoulder with some paler blue streaking on the chest and crown. Has a buff belly, a rufous lower back, rump, outer tail feathers, and wing, and a dark wing edge and dark central tail feathers. Tail often held cocked and fanned while foraging. Similar to Black-naped Monarch, but Tablas Fantail has a rufous rump and tail. Voice includes single nasal “jep” notes given at intervals or speeded up into a rapid series.
Indigo Flowerpiercer
Diglossa indigotica
Small flowerpiercer with restricted range in western Colombia and northwest Ecuador. Entirely ultramarine blue, though can appear dark in poor light. Most distinctive feature is its piercing red eye. Also note the typical flowerpiercer bill: uniquely upswept with a hooked tip. Found in the subtropical zone of the Andes, where singles or pairs forage at all levels of forest and edge, often following mixed-species flocks.
Rusty-backed Antwren
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Small antbird with a long tail. Found in savanna and grasslands with sparse trees and shrubs. Males are richly rufous above and black below with brownish flanks and a white eyebrow, while females have streaking on the face and breast. The song is a long rattle.
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