Streak-backed Antshrike
Thamnophilus insignis
Medium-sized, dark gray bird of tepui highland forest and scrub. Male has blackish back and crown with extensive white spots and streaks on wings and tail; note also grizzled white patch on nape. Female is similar but shows rufous in crown. Found in humid forest understory on tepui slopes, generally above 1000 m. Usually in pairs that forage deliberately at lower and middle levels, hopping between perches and peering about slowly in search of insect prey, like other antshrikes. May join mixed-species flocks. Song is an accelerating series of barking notes ending with an emphasis on the higher-pitched final note, similar to song of Barred Antshrike. Extensive white markings should distinguish this species from other antshrikes, none of which occur at higher elevations in the tepui region.
Identification
The streak-backed antshrike is 16 to 17 cm (6.3 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 22 to 30 g (0.78 to 1.1 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 slight sexual dimorphism. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a black crown and nape with a few white feathers on them. Their upperparts are black with a white patch between the scapulars that shows as spots or streaks. Their wings, scapulars, and wing coverts are black with white spots and edges. Their tail is black with white spots and tips on the outer feathers. Their underparts are gray with a somewhat lighter belly. Adult females resemble males in most ways. Their forehead has faint white spots, their rear crown is dark red-brown, and their underparts are somwhat paler than the male's. Males of subspecies T. i. nigrifrontalis are the same as the nominate; females have an entirely black (unspotted) forehead.
Taxonomy
The streak-backed antshrike has two subspecies, the nominate T. i. insignis (Salvin & Godman, 1884) and T. i. nigrifrontalis (Phelps, WH & Phelps, WH Jr, 1947). The streak-backed and the Acre antshrike (T. divisorius) are sister species.
- Scientific name
- Thamnophilus insignis
- Authority
- Salvin & Godman, 1884
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Genus
- Thamnophilus
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of the streak-backed antshrike is found on the tepuis where southeastern Venezuela's Bolívar and Amazonas states, extreme western Guyana, and extreme northern Brazil meet; most of that range is in Venezuela. Subspecies T. i. nigrifrontalis is found on the Cerro Sipapo massif in southern Amazonas state. The species inhabits the understorey to mid-storey of humid montane evergreen forest. It favors areas of stunted trees with a dense understorey dominated by Melastoma and Clusia vegetation and also occurs in bamboo thickets and Brocchinia scrub. In elevation it ranges between 900 and 2,000 m (3,000 and 6,600 ft), though it is more common above 1,200 m (3,900 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The streak-backed antshrike is presumed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.<p>The streak-backed antshrike's diet has not been detailed but is mostly insects and other arthropods. It usually forages singly and in pairs, mostly between 1 and 5 m (3 and 16 ft) of the ground though sometimes as high as 10 m (33 ft). It hops through vegetation, gleaning prey from leaves, branches, bamboo, and individual vines and vine tangles and captures prey with reaches and lunges from a perch. It occasionally joins mixed-species feeding flocks.<p>Nothing is known about the streak-backed antshrike's breeding biology.<p>Males of the streak-backed antshrike sing "a slowly accelerating, very nasal cunk, cuk cuk-cu-cu-cu-cu-cu-cu 'cu'cu'cucurank"; females sing similarly but at a higher pitch. The species' calls include a variable-length "somewhat downslurred raspy growl" and a "soft squeak or ' peep' ".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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