Bertoni's Antbird

Overview

Bertoni's antbird, Drymophila rubricollis, is a small passerine bird classified in the subfamily Thamnophilinae. Previously considered a subspecies of the ferruginous antbird, it was named after the ornithologist Arnoldo de Winkelried Bertoni.

Identification

• Length between 12.5 and 13.5 cm with a weight of approximately 10 g.
• Adult males feature a black crown, white supercilium, and a wide black eye band, with white cheeks speckled in black.
• Upperparts are reddish yellow-brown with a rufous rump, while underparts are rufous with a white, black-speckled chin.
• Song consists of 6 to 10 thin, sharp notes that descend steeply and accelerate, resembling "cheep cheep cheep chip chip chewy chewy".

Habitat

Found in southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina, this species inhabits the understorey to mid-storey of bamboo stands in evergreen forests. Elevation ranges from near sea level in the south to 2,000 m in the north, though dependence on bamboo decreases in southern populations.

Diet

Feeds primarily on arthropods, foraging individually, in pairs, or in family groups within 15 m of the ground. It gleans prey from live leaves and stems and probes dead leaf clusters, often joining mixed-species flocks but not following army ants.

Did you know?

The only known nest is a cup of plant material suspended from crossed bamboo stems and almost completely concealed by leaves. The species is named after Arnoldo de Winkelried Bertoni, an ornithologist active in the late 19th century.