- White-flanked Antwren
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White-flanked Antwren 
Male in NW Ecuador Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Thamnophilidae Genus: Myrmotherula Species: M. axillaris Binomial name Myrmotherula axillaris
(Vieillot, 1817)The White-flanked Antwren (Myrmotherula axillaris) is a passerine bird in the antbird family.
Contents
Taxonomy
The subspecies M. a. luctuosa, the Silvery-flanked Antwren, is sometimes split as a full species.
Distribution and habitat
It is a resident breeder in tropical Central and South America from El Salvador and Honduras south to Amazonian Bolivia and southern Brazil, and on Trinidad. The White-flanked Antwren is found throughout the entire Amazon Basin as well as to the southeast in the adjacent Tocantins-Araguaia River drainage, and then in disjunct groups on the southeast coast of Brazil; it also ranges through the Guyanas on the northeast of South America to Pacific and Caribbean coastal regions of Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela; also, the entire eastern Venezuela Orinoco River grouping is part of the northern Amazon range. The northern Andes cordillera bifurcates the Central American and coastal groups of the northwest from the Amazonian range.
Description
The White-flanked Antwren is typically 10.7 cm long, and weighs 8.1 g. The adult male has dark grey upperparts, black underparts, and black wings with bars of white spots. The flanks and underwings are white. The female and immature male have brown upperparts, yellowish-buff underparts and weakly barred rufous wings. Her flanks and underwings are white, much like the male.
Males of the distinctive western race M. a. melaena have black upperparts and underparts, and the female is darker than nominate M. a. axillaris.
Behaviour
This is a common and confiding bird of primary and second growth forest, usually found in small groups. The female lays two purple-marked white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 16 days to hatching, in a small plant fibre and dead leaf cup nest low in a tree or shrub.
The White-flanked Antwren feeds on small insects and other arthropods taken from twigs and foliage in the lower branches of trees. It has a queep whistle followed by a trilled trrrrrr. M. a. melaena has a two note call, naa-who and a whistled descending pee pee pee-pee-pee-pee-pee-puu-puu call. Given the differences in plumage and vocalisations, the two forms may possibly be different species.
References
- BirdLife International (2009). "Myrmotherula axillaris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/145584. Retrieved 22 August 2011. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- ffrench, Richard (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd edition ed.). Comstock Publishing. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2.
- Hilty, Steven L (2003). Birds of Venezuela. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5.
- Stiles, F. Gary; Skutch, Alexander Frank (1989): A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Comistock, Ithaca. ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
External links
- White-flanked Antwren videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps (for Nicaragua) with RangeMap
- White-flanked Antwren photo gallery VIREO
- White-flanked Antwren Photo; Article www.ib.usp.br
Categories:- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Myrmotherula
- Birds of Brazil
- Birds of the Amazon Basin
- Birds of the Guianas
- Birds of French Guiana
- Birds of Guyana
- Birds of Suriname
- Birds of Colombia
- Birds of Venezuela
- Birds of Ecuador
- Birds of Peru
- Birds of Bolivia
- Birds of Trinidad and Tobago
- Birds of South America
- Birds of Central America
- Birds of El Salvador
- Birds of Honduras
- Birds of Nicaragua
- Birds of Costa Rica
- Birds of Panama
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