Amazonian Antshrike

Thamnophilus amazonicus

Medium-sized, sluggish bird of tall rainforest. Males mostly gray and black; females very different, with dull to bright cinnamon head and breast, which can aid identification since this species generally occurs in pairs. Often found along river edges and in areas with much vine growth in the mid-story. Hops slowly through vegetation, searching for insects; found alone or with mixed-species flocks. Told from other antshrikes by song and brightly colored female; males have more extensive white wing markings than most other antshrikes. Song is a rapid series of notes with a trogon-like quality.

识别特征

The Amazonian antshrike is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 17 to 21 g (0.60 to 0.74 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 T. a. amazonicus are black on the center of the forehead and crown; the rest of their head is gray. Their back is mostly black with a gray rump and a hidden white patch between the scapulars. Their wings, scapulars, and wing coverts are black with white spots and edges. Their tail is black with white tips and spots on the outer feathers. Their underparts are gray. Adult females have a bright rufous crown. The rest of their head and their underparts to the belly are bright yellowish red-brown; their belly is buff. Their back is deep olive. Their wings and tail are similar to the male's but browner with pale olive edges on the flight feathers.<p>Both sexes of subspecies T. a. cinereiceps are smaller and paler than the nominate. Males have a gray crown and gray upperparts with a few black feathers. Females have gray mixed into their yellowish red-brown breast, olive-gray flanks, and buff-tinged smoky white belly and crissum. Males of subspecies T. a. divaricatus have a blackish gray face and a mixed black and gray back. Females have paler and grayer underparts than the nominate. Subspecies T. a. obscurus is the darkest of all. Males have nearly or entirely black upperparts and dark gray underparts. Females are dark and their tail feathers often lack pale tips. Males of T. a. paraensis have paler underparts than the nominate and often have faint white bars on their belly. Females have a reddish tinge on their tail and pale cinnamon-buff belly and crissum.

分类信息

The Amazonian antshrike was described and illustrated by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858 and given its current binomial name Thamnophilus amazonicus. It has these five subspecies:<p>Subspecies T. a. cinereiceps was originally described as a species and some early twentieth century authors maintained that treatment when others recognized it in its current subspecies status. What is now the northern slaty antshrike subspecies T. punctatus huallagae was for a time included as a subspecies of the Amazonian antshrike.

学名
Thamnophilus amazonicus
命名信息
Sclater, PL, 1858
Passeriformes
Thamnophilidae
Thamnophilus

分布与栖息地

The Amazonian antshrike is found throughout the Amazon Basin. The subspecies are distributed thus:<p>The Amazonian antshrike inhabits somewhat different landscapes across its range. In general they are evergreen forest and secondary forest. In all forest types it is found from the understorey to the mid-storey. Subspecies T. a. cinereiceps occurs mostly in areas of sandy soil such as low-stature savanna woodlands on white sand and the edges of taller terra firme and igapó forest. Subspecies T. a. divaricatus primarily occurs in terra firme that is heavy with vines but also near the summits of tepuis and along rivers. The nominate T. a. amazonicus is almost confined to seasonally flooded várzea and igapó, where it favors to viny edges and interior light-gaps such as those caused by fallen trees. T. a. obscurus also inhabits edges but occurs as well in the forest interior, dense secondary forest, and stands of Guadua bamboo in terra firme and transitional forest. T. a. paraensis occurs mostly in secondary forest, less often in light-gaps within terra firme and igapó, and rarely in várzea. In elevation it occurs below 400 m (1,300 ft) in Colombia, below 200 m (700 ft) in Ecuador, and below 400 m (1,300 ft) in Venezuela but for a single record at 1,300 m (4,300 ft).

迁徙
Resident species

行为

The Amazonian antshrike is presumed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.<p>The Amazonian antshrike's diet has not been detailed but is mostly insects and other arthropods. It usually forages singly and in pairs, mostly between 5 and 17 m (15 and 55 ft) of the ground though sometimes as low as 1 m (3 ft). It hops through thickets and vine tangles, gleaning prey from leaves, branches, bamboo, and individual vines and vine tangles. It reaches and lunges from a perch and makes short upward sallies to capture prey. It often joins mixed-species feeding flocks as they move through its territory and has occasionally been observed following army ant swarms.<p>The Amazonian antshrike breeds between May and January in Brazil; its season elsewhere has not been defined. Its nest is a deep cup made from a wide variety of plant and fungal fibers and often covered with moss on its outside. It is suspended by its rim from a branch fork, typically between 1 and 3 m (3 and 10 ft) above the ground. The clutch size is two eggs. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.<p>The Amazonian antshrike's song is "a long...uncountable series that typically increases in speed and pitch initially, gradually levels off, then most often descends". The final notes are somewhat variable in quality and volume. One author writes it as "kur kur kur-kur-kur-kur-kur'ke'ke'ke'ke'kahkahkahkah". Its calls include a "long, downslurred, complaining 'caw' ", "an emphatic note with quality of a bark", and a "long raspy growl resembling a short rattle".

保护状况

种群趋势
stable

照片

分布

鸟叫声

其他鸟类

Tongan Megapode

Tongan Megapode

Megapodius pritchardii

A plump, mostly ground-dwelling bird with long yellowish legs and a dark gray body with slightly browner wash on the wings and back. Head mostly dark gray, with bright orange beak and whitish crest. Good views may show blood-red bare skin around the eye and throat. Found in mature woodland with open understory. Nests on crater lake islands. Resident, with no record of vagrancy. Very vocal, most frequently heard in groups giving chorus of loud piping whistles and shrill cries. Calls are usually a staccato one-note whistle. Unmistakable, as it is the only scrubfowl in its range.

Black Honey-buzzard

Black Honey-buzzard

Henicopernis infuscatus

A distinctive raptor confined to New Britain. Entirely blackish-brown with indistinct dark markings and a beady pale eye. In flight appears long-tailed and broad-winged, with well-pronounced “fingers” on the outer wing; from below, note bold white bars on the tail, outermost wing feathers, and trailing edge of the wings. Juveniles resemble adults. Found in forest from lowlands to hills. Unmistakable in its limited range, where no other similar raptors occur. Call consists of a series of upslurred whistles, rapidly gaining in pace.

Southern Hyliota

Southern Hyliota

Hyliota australis

Mid-sized, generic-looking warbler-like bird. Males have a matte black back, a white wing patch, and very pale yellowish underparts. Females are similar, but browner on the back. Found mainly in broadleaf savanna, and locally in humid forest. Usually in pairs or small groups, which will join mixed-species feeding flocks. The quiet vocalizations include chatty calls and trills. Very similar to Yellow-bellied Hyliota. In most of the range, Southern males distinguished by the smaller white patch on the wing, and females by their browner upperparts. In Uganda and Kenya, males are extremely similar, but Southern can still be recognized by its non-glossy black back.

开始您的观鸟之旅

在户外识别鸟类,并在下一次观察时随手查阅鸟类图鉴。