Schwartz's Antthrush

Overview

Schwartz's antthrush (Chamaeza turdina), also known as the scalloped antthrush, is a species of bird in the family Formicariidae. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the rufous-tailed antthrush but was split based on song analysis in 1992.

Identification

• Length of 19 to 19.5 cm with sexes that are alike.
• Plumage features a rufescent olive-brown crown, white lores and streaks on the neck, and a white throat with small blackish spots.
• Underparts are white with a heavy blackish scallop pattern on the breast and belly, and olive-brown flanks.
• Song consists of long series of whistled 'cu' notes that increase in volume, tempo, and pitch, or abrupt descending 'cuu' notes winding into a laughlike series.

Habitat

Found in Colombia and Venezuela, the species has a highly disjunct distribution across the Andean ranges in Colombia and the Aroa Mountains and Coastal Range in northern Venezuela. It inhabits the interior and edges of humid to wet montane forest, favouring areas with much moss and tangled understory vegetation at altitudes between 1,100 m and 2,800 m.

Diet

The diet and foraging behaviour are not known in detail, though the bird probably feeds on insects and spiders. It is almost entirely terrestrial, slowly walking and running on the forest floor.

Did you know?

The species honours ornithologist Paul A. Schwartz, who was the first to recognise how strikingly different its song sounds compared to that of the rufous-tailed antthrush.