Ash-breasted Antbird

Overview

The ash-breasted antbird, Myrmoborus lugubris, is an insectivorous bird classified in the subfamily Thamnophilinae of the typical antbirds. It is a year-round resident found along the Amazon river and its major tributaries across South America.

Identification

• Length of 12 to 13.5 cm with a weight of 20 to 23 g.
• Male nominate subspecies feature grey upperparts, a whitish forehead, and a black face and throat, while females exhibit rufescent-tinged brown upperparts and a white throat.
• Both sexes possess a red iris, and males have an entirely black bill whereas females have a black maxilla and grey mandible.

Habitat

Found almost exclusively on river islands in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, usually those with somewhat mature forest and dense undergrowth. The species also occurs in várzea along riverbanks, where it is locally fairly common.

Diet

The diet consists of insects and spiders, though it has not been detailed extensively. It forages singly or in pairs in dense vegetation near the ground, capturing prey by gleaning, jumping, lunging, and making short sallies from a perch.

Did you know?

The vocalisation of the M. l. berlepschi subspecies has been transcribed as "JEE-JEE-jee-jee-jee-jee-jee-jee-jee-jer". It is believed to be vulnerable to changes in flooding patterns caused by dam construction or climate change, which could affect its specific island habitat.