White-lined Antbird

Overview

The Myrmoborus lophotes is a monotypic species of bird belonging to the subfamily Thamnophilinae of the typical antbirds. It inhabits the floor and understorey of várzea and transitional forests in South America, showing a complex taxonomic history that involved multiple reclassifications before its current placement in the genus Myrmoborus.

Identification

• Size ranges from 14 to 14.5 cm in length with a weight of 28 to 31 g, and both sexes possess a prominent crest.
• Adult males are mostly blackish gray with a distinct white patch between the scapulars, while females exhibit a cinnamon-rufous crown and reddish yellow-brown upperparts with a grayish face.
• The song is described as a descending, accelerating series of hollow whistles featuring a long initial pause, often followed by a hollow, musical chew note.

Habitat

Restricted to southeastern Peru, far western Acre in Brazil, and northwestern Bolivia, the species typically resides in the understorey of várzea and transitional riverine forests. It strongly prefers dense stands of Guadua bamboo, or Heliconia and Costus in their absence, generally occurring below 750 m but occasionally reaching 1,450 m.

Diet

The diet is primarily composed of insects and likely spiders, captured by foraging on the ground or low in vegetation. It hops between feeding stops, raising and lowering its crest and bobbing its tail, often reaching into leaves or vigorously rooting through leaf litter, and it has been observed scavenging prey from army ant swarms.

Did you know?

The original specimen used to describe the species was likely a subadult male, whose plumage closely resembles that of an adult female, leading to confusion when a later adult male specimen was initially misidentified as a separate species.