Natterer's Slaty-Antshrike
Thamnophilus stictocephalus
Fairly small antshrike with a graduated, white-tipped tail. Males are gray overall with a black cap and a whitish center to the belly. Females have a cinnamon cap and back and are gray-buff below. Found in the lower levels of short transitional deciduous forests and white sand forests, avoiding humid forests. Sings a series of up to 20 clear notes, starting slowly and accelerating toward the end, finishing with a rattle. Very difficult to distinguish from the male of the Amazonian Antshrike, but differs in habitat. Female Amazonian Antshrike has a bright cinnamon head, not just the cap.
Identification
Natterer's slaty antshrike is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 19 to 22 g (0.67 to 0.78 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a black forehead with gray spots and a black crown. Their back is mixed black and gray with a hidden white patch between their scapulars. Their face is gray. Their wings and wing coverts are black with white spots and edges. Their tail is black with white tips on the feathers. Their underparts are gray with a whitish belly. Adult females have a rufous crown and reddish yellow-brown upperparts with dark brown scapulars. Their wings are dark brown with white spots on the coverts and clay colored edges on the flight feathers. Their tail is dark brown with white tips on the feathers. Their underparts are a mix of light clay and light gray that is paler on the throat and belly. Males of subspecies T. s. parkeri have a gray forehead, a gray back with a few black spots, and paler underparts than the nominate; their belly center is white. Females have less reddish upperparts than the nominate.
Taxonomy
Natterer's slaty antshrike was described by the Austrian ornithologist August von Pelzeln in 1868 and given its current binomial name Thamnophilus stictocephalus.<p>Natterer's slaty antshrike has two subspecies, the nominate T. s. stictocephalus (Pelzeln, 1868) and T. s. parkeri (Isler, ML, Isler, PR & Whitney, 1997). The nominate subspecies previously had long been treated as a subspecies of T. punctatus, which was then called the slaty antshrike. Following the results of a study published in 1997, the slaty antshrike was split into six species. One of them is Natterer's slaty antshrike; the same study determined that the former T. p. stictocephalus was actually the two subspecies that make up Natterer's. To avoid confusion the remnant T. punctatus was given its present name of northern slaty antshrike.
- Scientific name
- Thamnophilus stictocephalus
- Authority
- Pelzeln, 1868
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Genus
- Thamnophilus
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of Natterer's slaty antshrike is found in Brazil south of the Amazon between the Madeira and Tocantins rivers and southwest into Rondônia and northern and western Mato Grosso Brazilian states and northern Beni Department in extreme northern Bolivia. Subspecies T. s. parkeri is found only in the Serranía de Huanchaca in extreme northeastern Bolivia's Santa Cruz Department. The species inhabits different landscapes across its range. Along the Amazon it mostly occurs in patches of forest on white-sand soil, on the edges of humid evergreen forest, and in forest clearings such as those caused by fallen trees. At the southern end of its Brazilian range it occurs in semi-deciduous forest and gallery forest. In the Serranía de Huanchaca it occurs on the edges of evergreen forest within grasslands and cerrado. In elevation it ranges from near sea level to 700 m (2,300 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Natterer's slaty antshrike is presumed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.<p>The diet of Natterer's slaty antshrike has not been detailed but includes insects and other arthropods. It usually forages singly or in pairs and is not known to join mixed-species feeding flocks. It usually forages in the understorey to mid-storey, mostly between 1 and 10 m (3 and 33 ft) of the ground. It hops through vegetation, gleaning prey while reaching or lunging from a perch; it also makes short upward sallies. It takes prey from leaves, branches, and vines. It occasionally follows army ant swarms in its territory.<p>Nothing is known about the breeding biology of Natterer's slaty antshrike.<p>The song of Natterer's slaty antshrike is a "series of level, nasal notes, starting slowly, but accelerating to a level, bouncing rattle (3-4 sec)". Its calls include "short and long 'caw' notes" and an "abrupt growl".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Louisiana Waterthrush
Parkesia motacilla
Brown-and-white denizen of bubbling streams and brooks. Look for white underparts with dark streaks, light buffy wash on the rear flanks, and bold white eyebrow. Stays on or near the ground, constantly bobbing its rear end up and down. Males sometime perch up high to sing. A very early migrant: arrives on the breeding grounds in eastern North America before most other warblers have even dreamed of starting migration, and arrives back on the wintering grounds as early as July or August. During the breeding season, favors fast-moving streams with lots of rocks to hop on. In the northern parts of its range, often in steep hemlock-lined ravines. Winters primarily in Middle America and the Caribbean, where it’s slightly less picky about habitat, and can be found around slower-moving water. Very similar to Northern Waterthrush, but whiter base color below, brighter pink legs, and broader white eyebrow. Also look for clean white throat (usually streaked on Northern). Best distinguished by song: several piercing clear whistles followed by a complex jumble of notes. Call note very similar to Northern: a loud, metallic chip.
Collared Aracari
Pteroglossus torquatus
An attractive small toucan of tropical lowland forest and edge. Usually found in small groups moving through the canopy of fruiting trees or seen flying, one at a time, across clearings and between trees. Flight rather direct and fast, when long-tailed and long-billed shape is distinctive. Note the yellow body with red and black markings, and the serrated pattern on the big bill.
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
Squat-looking bird with short legs and low-profile body. Adults are mostly sandy-brown with white belly, sometimes with blurry streaks on sides of breast. Look for bold head pattern, especially black mask and chest band. Throat color varies from yellow to white. Namesake horns on head are sometimes visible at close range. Juveniles can be confusing; they are messy-looking, grayish-brown with bold white spots and scallops on the upperparts. Note bill shape to help separate from sparrows or longspurs. Widespread in open habitats throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Typically seen in flocks, sometimes mixed in with other open-ground songbirds, running along the ground in open areas with little to no vegetation. Listen for lovely jumbled song, as well as variable high-pitched calls when flying over.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.