ANTBIRDS   -   THAMNOPHILIDAE   -   PART II

Spot-breasted Antvireo Dysithamnus stictothorax Reserva Ecoligica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Male. Two shots of the same bird. A common bird of the Atlantic Rainforest region, both in lowlands and mountains. (S5f)		Spot-breasted Antvireo Dysithamnus stictothorax Reserva Ecoligica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Male. (S5f)

Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis aequatorialis Jorupe reserve, Loja province, Ecuador. Male. A common bird in tropical forests throughout much of the Neotropics, but for some reason it is absent from the Amazon. (S5)

Spot-crowned Antvireo Dysithamnus puncticeps flemmingi Near Pedro Vicente Maldonado, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male. The way he was acting, I suspect there was a nest nearby, but I never found it. I took this shot at a range of a few feet with a point-and-shoot camera! (P1f)

Rufous-backed Antvireo Dysithamnus xanthopterus Vale das Taquaras, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Male. A striking antvireo endemic to the highlands of Southeast Brazil. (S5f)

Dusky-throated Antshrike Thamnomanes ardesiacus ardesiacus Yasuní Research Station, Orellana province, Ecuador. Male. Like many individuals, this bird shows very little dusky on the throat, making it appear pretty much identical to the sympatric Cinereous Antshrike T. caesius. However, this bird was singing, so there was no doubt about the ID. (S6)		Dusky-throated Antshrike Thamnomanes ardesiacus ardesiacus Yasuní Research Station, Orellana province, Ecuador. Female. She was probably the mate of the bird to the left. (S6)

Spot-winged Antshrike Pygiptila stellaris occipitalis Mitú, Vaupés department, Colombia. Male. An odd, monotypic genus common through much of the Amazon and Guianan rainforests. It's normally in the subcanopy, but this bird came down almost into the understory. (S6)

Checker-throated Antwren Epinecrophylla fulviventris fulviventris Buenaventura reserve, El Oro province, Ecuador. Male. All of the so-called "stipple-throated" antwrens have recently been separated from the Myrmotherula antwrens. See here for a summary of the rationale. (S5)

Rufous-tailed Antwren Epinecrophylla erythrura erythrura Yasuní Research Station, Orellana province, Ecuador. Male. Unlike others of the genus, it shows little or no markings on the throat. It's restricted to the western half of the Amazon region. (S6)

Pacific Antwren Myrmotherula pacifica Finca Exito I, 20 km north of Puerto Quito, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Female. The male is pale below with gray streaks. (S5)

Cherrie's Antwren Myrmotherula cherriei Mitú, Vaupés department, Colombia. Female. This species occurs in the northwestern Amazon; it shows a preference for white-sand forest, but is not restricted to that habitat. The female is more distinctive than the male, having buffy underparts with black streaks. (S6)

Cherrie's Antwren Myrmotherula cherriei Mitú, Vaupés department, Colombia. Male. (S6)

White-flanked Antwren Myrmotherula axillaris luctuosa Reserva Ecológica de Saltinho, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Male. This is the race endemic to the lowlands of eastern Brazil, which will eventually be split, based mainly on its completely different vocalizations. I don't yet have any other shots to compare it with though. (S6)

Slaty Antwren Myrmotherula schisticolor schisticolor Buenaventura reserve, El Oro province, Ecuador. Male. Common and widespread in montane forest, both in Central and South America. (S5)

Salvadori's Antwren Myrmotherula minor Fazenda Angelim, Ubatuba, São Paulo state, Brazil. Male. A rare antwren that's endemic to lowland and foothill Atlantic Forest of Southeast Brazil. (S6)

Unicolored Antwren Myrmotherula unicolor Folha Seca, São Paulo state, Brazil. Male. Endemic to lowland Atlantic Rainforest of SE Brazil. (S6)

Stripe-backed Antbird Myrmorchilus strigilatus strigilatus Palmeiras, Bahia state, Brazil. Female. (S6)

Caatinga Antwren Herpsilochmus sellowi Chapada de Araripe, Ceará state, Brazil. Male. It was only described to science in 2000. This photo was published in the first volume of Neotropical Birding. (D3)

Black-capped Antwren Herpsilochmus atricapillus RPPN Frei Caneca, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Male. It has a rather large range from eastern Brazil to Bolivia, south of the Amazon basin. (S6)

Black-capped Antwren Herpsilochmus atricapillus RPPN Frei Caneca, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Female. (S6)

Pectoral Antwren Herpsilochmus pectoralis Jeremoaba-Canudos road, Bahia state, Brazil. Male. A poor shot of a rare and very local northeastern Brazil endemic. The black spot on the breast is barely visible in this photo. It has an odd distribution; it is found in both humid Atlantic Rainforest and also dry caatinga woodland. Despite that, it is absent from many areas that appear to be suitable habitat. (S6)

Black-hooded Antwren Formicivora erythronotos North of Perequê, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Male. This endangered species is endemic to a tiny area of Southeast Brazil. (S6)

Black-hooded Antwren Formicivora erythronotos North of Perequê, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Female. (S6)

White-fringed Antwren Formicivora grisea hondae El Paujil reserve, Santander department, Colombia. Male. Some orntithologists consider the races of far northern South America (including this one) to be a distinct species from those farther south. However the plumage differences are in the female, so not noticeable in these photos. (D3)

Serra Antwren Formicivora serrana interposita Carmo, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Male. Endemic to interior mountains of Southeast Brazil. There are two subspecies; the nominate has chestnut, not brown back. (S6)

Serra Antwren Formicivora serrana interposita Carmo, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Female. (S6)

Restinga Antwren Formicivora littoralis Praia Seca, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Male. This endangered species has a tiny range in coastal scrub in far southeastern Brazil, a habitat that severely threatened due to seaside development. It is very similar to the interposita subspecies of Serra Antwren (see above), with an identical voice, which suggests that they may be conspecific. Due to the potential negative conservation ramifications of lumping them, I hope it never happens! (S6)

Black-bellied Antwren Formicivora melanogaster bahiae Monte Santo, Bahia state, Brazil. Male. This beautiful antwren prefers drier habitats in the interior of Brazil, also reaching Bolivia and Paraguay. It is similar to the southern races of White-fringed Antwren F. grisea, but has a much wider eyebrow, especially behind the eye. (S6)

Sincora Antwren Formicivora grantsaui Chapada Diamantina, Bahia state, Brazil. Male. This species was only described in 2007 (link to paper), having previously been overlooked due to it's similarity with Rusty-backed Antwren F. rufa.  Sincora Antwren differs from that species in voice and habitat; it occurs in rocky, grassy, upland savanna called campo rupestre. So far it is known from only a tiny area in and around the Chapada Diamantina in Bahia. (S6)

Sincora Antwren Formicivora grantsaui Chapada Diamantina, Bahia state, Brazil. Same individual as in the previous photo. (S6)

Sincora Antwren Formicivora grantsaui Chapada Diamantina, Bahia state, Brazil. Female. (S6)