Mato Grosso Antbird

Cercomacra melanaria

Medium-sized antbird with a long graduated tail. Males are black with a white-tipped tail and wing coverts. Females are olive-gray, paler below, with the same tail and wing patterns as the male. Inhabits the dense understory of gallery forest, swampy woodland, and deciduous dry forests, usually remaining deep in cover. Song is often a duet, with the male giving three buzzy frog-like notes and the female uttering high-pitched “chip-chip” notes.

Identification

The Mato Grosso antbird (Cercomacra melanaria) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Taxonomy

Genus: Cercomacra; Family: Thamnophilidae; Order: Passeriformes.

Scientific name
Cercomacra melanaria
Authority
(Ménétriés, 1835)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Thamnophilidae
Genus
Cercomacra

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Behavior

Migration pattern: Resident species.

Conservation

Population trend: declining.

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

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