Spotted antbird

Spotted antbird
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thamnophilidae
Genus: Hylophylax
Species: H. naevioides
Binomial name
Hylophylax naevioides
(Lafresnaye, 1847)
Female - Panama

The spotted antbird (Hylophylax naevioides) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family. In southern Central America, it is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama; also Colombia and Ecuador of northwestern South America. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Description

A smallish bird, measuring 11 cm (4.3 in) and weighing 16–19.5 g (0.56–0.69 oz). The male spotted antbird's plumage is a distinctive combination of large black spots on a white chest, chestnut back, grey head with black throat. The female is dull, but also distinctive with large chest spots and two wide buffy wing-bars.[2]

Range and habitat

Forages as individuals or pairs in lower levels of mature, humid forests. Found in lowlands and foothills up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[2][3]

Diet

Spotted antbirds are known to follow army ant swarms to catch insects and other small animals trying to flee. They eat spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, katydids, crickets, centipedes, sowbugs, moths, beetles, caterpillars, ants, bristletails and, on occasion, lizards and frogs.

Nesting

This bird is an open-cup nesting species that lays an average clutch of 2 maroon-splotched white eggs,[4][5] which both adults incubate.[6] The nestling period is 11 days.[4][6]

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Hylophylax naevioides". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Angehr, George R.; Dean, Robert (2010). The Birds of Panama: A Field Guide. Zona Tropical. pp. 214–215. ISBN 978-0-8014-7674-7.
  3. ↑ Garrigues, Richard; Dean, Robert (2007). The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide. Zona Tropical. pp. 180–181. ISBN 978-0-8014-7373-9.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Skutch, A.F. 1945. Incubation and nestling periods of Central American birds. Auk 62: 8-37.
  5. ↑ "Life History - Spotted Antbird". http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/''. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Skutch, A.F. 1969. Life histories of Central American birds III. Pacific Coast Avifauna 35: 1-580.

External links

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