Castelnau's Antshrike

Overview

Castelnau's antshrike is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae, also known as the typical antbirds. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, though its population is believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss.

Identification

• Length of 16 to 18 cm with a weight of 30 to 35 g.
• Adults have stout bills with a hook, brown irises, and blue-gray legs.
• Males are mostly black with a hidden white patch on the scapulars and white wing edges, while females have entirely black scapulars and wing coverts.
• Song is described as a short, fast, accelerating series of notes with a nasal, bouncing-ball quality.

Habitat

Found along the upper Amazon River and its major tributaries in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, it inhabits dense understorey and mid-storey vegetation up to 300 m in elevation. The species is almost exclusively associated with river islands and adjacent riparian forests.

Diet

The diet consists of insects and other arthropods, and foraging typically occurs singly or in pairs rather than in mixed-species flocks. It forages between 1 and 3 m above the ground, occasionally reaching up to 9 m, by hopping among branches and gleaning prey.

Did you know?

The species is particularly susceptible to human encroachment because its reliance on river islands and riparian forest makes it easily accessible for logging activities.