Roraiman Antwren

Overview

The Roraiman antwren (Herpsilochmus roraimae) is an insectivorous bird belonging to the family Thamnophilidae. It is a year-round resident of the tepui region in South America and is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Size: 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) in length, possessing the longest tail within the genus Herpsilochmus.
• Plumage: Males of the nominate subspecies display a black crown and nape, a long pale grey to white supercilium, a black streak through the eye, and dark grey backs with white feather edges.
• Tail: Black with white feather tips, white spots on central feathers, and white edges on outer feathers.
• Vocalisation: Song consists of a very high, loud, fast chipping series of about 12 notes, with the last three to four descending and decelerating.

Habitat

Found in southern Venezuela, western Guyana, and northwestern Brazil, the species inhabits the subcanopy and canopy of wet evergreen forest at elevations between 700 and 2,000 m. It also occupies more stunted forest towards the tops of tepuis and the ecotone between this forest and the brushy savanna above it.

Diet

The diet consists primarily of insects and probably spiders. The bird forages singly, in pairs, or in mixed-species flocks, typically gleaning prey from leaves, stems, and vines by reaching or lunging from a perch, though it occasionally performs short sallying hover-gleaning.

Did you know?

The species is assessed as being highly sensitive to human disturbance, yet it remains locally fairly common across a vast range of intact habitat where the current level of threat is considered low.