Yellow-throated Antwren

Overview

The yellow-throated antwren, Myrmotherula ambigua, is a small passerine bird classified in the subfamily Thamnophilinae of the antbird family. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a stable population despite having a somewhat restricted range.

Identification

• Males feature a black and white streaked face with whitish cheeks, a black and white streaked crown and back, and a distinctive light yellow patch between the shoulders.
• Females differ by having tawny-buff to buff streaks on the head and upperparts, lacking the yellow shoulder patch, and having tawny-buff to buff underparts.
• The species is smallish, measuring 8 to 8.5 cm in length, with a short tail.
• Its song is described as a monotone, slow, very high 'pew-pew--'.

Habitat

Found in southwestern Venezuela, eastern Colombia, and the upper Rio Negro basin in Brazil, the species inhabits the subcanopy and canopy of lowland evergreen forests. It typically occurs on white sand to mixed soils at elevations below 350 m, though it can reach 1,100 m on tepuis.

Diet

The diet consists of insects and likely spiders and other arthropods, though it is not fully detailed. The bird forages in pairs or as part of mixed-species flocks, actively gleaning leaves, reaching, lunging, and hovering in dense foliage, vine tangles, and along branches.

Did you know?

The species is believed to inhabit one of the regions in South America that has been least affected by humans, despite the presence of illegal gold mining in nominally protected areas.