Ash-winged Antwren

Overview

The ash-winged antwren, Euchrepomis spodioptila, is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae, the typical antbirds. It has a disjunct distribution across parts of South America and is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, although its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Size and Weight: Small birds measuring 9.5 to 11 cm in length and weighing approximately 6.5 to 7.5 g.
• Plumage: Sexes are distinct; adult males of the nominate subspecies have a black crown and nape, rufous-chestnut back, and pale gray underparts, whereas females have a yellowish-brown crown and buffy-brown tinges on the supercilium and breast.
• Wings: Males feature black wing coverts with white tips that form two bars on the closed wing, alongside black flight feathers with pale gray edges.
• Song: Characterised by a very high, thin, bouncing, descending trilled rattle ending in three well-separated notes, described as 'tsee-tsee-tsee-tsititrtrtr-tuut-tuut-tuut'.

Habitat

The species inhabits lowland evergreen forest, primarily on terra firme, and remains almost exclusively within the forest subcanopy and canopy. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela, with its presence in Peru considered hypothetical. Elevations typically range below 600 m, though it can reach up to 1,100 m in the tepuis of Venezuela and Brazil.

Diet

The ash-winged antwren feeds on arthropods, though specific dietary details are lacking. It typically forages in pairs, though single birds and small family groups have been observed, and is almost always seen as part of a mixed-species feeding flock. Foraging behaviour is high in the canopy, moving quickly and acrobatically through dense foliage.

Did you know?

The species' breeding season appears to include November and December, yet almost no other information is currently known about its breeding biology. Despite being fairly common in much of its range, the ash-winged antwren is notably scarce in Ecuador and considered rather uncommon in Colombia.