Mouse-colored Antshrike

Overview

The Thamnophilus murinus, commonly known as the mouse-colored antshrike, is a species of bird belonging to the subfamily Thamnophilinae within the family Thamnophilidae. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, although its population is believed to be decreasing despite having a large range.

Identification

• Measures 13 to 14 cm in length and weighs between 17 and 20 g.
• Exhibits significant sexual dimorphism; adult males of the nominate subspecies have gray upperparts with a hidden white patch between the scapulars, while females possess a dull rufous forehead and crown with olive-brown upperparts.
• Features a stout bill with a hook, characteristic of the genus Thamnophilus, and has a gray or brown iris depending on the subspecies.
• Vocalisations include a song described as a slightly accelerating series of up to 15 similar notes written as "arr arr arr-arr wee'AWR", along with nasal and abrupt calls.

Habitat

Primarily inhabits lowland terra firme and white-sand evergreen forest, favouring the understorey to mid-storey, usually in the forest interior but also at its edges. The range spans across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela, typically found below elevations of 1,300 m.

Diet

The diet consists mostly of insects and other arthropods, though it is not known in detail. The bird usually forages singly or in pairs, hopping among branches to glean prey from leaves, stems, vines, and branches, sometimes using short sallies or brief hovering. It occasionally joins mixed-species feeding flocks and has been recorded following army ant swarms to catch fleeing prey.

Did you know?

The nest is a cup constructed mainly from fungal rhizomorphs, with dried leaves and twigs on the outside, typically suspended by its rim in a branch fork 2 to 3 m above the ground.