| Spot-backed antshrike | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Thamnophilidae |
| Genus: | Hypoedaleus Cabanis &Heine, 1860 |
| Species: | H. guttatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Hypoedaleus guttatus (Vieillot, 1816) | |
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Thespot-backed antshrike (Hypoedaleus guttatus) is a species ofbird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of familyThamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found inArgentina,Brazil, andParaguay.[2]
The spot-backed antshrike wasdescribed by the French ornithologistLouis Pierre Vieillot in 1816 and given thebinomial nameThamnophilus guttatus.[3] The genusHypoedaleus was erected by the German ornithologistsJean Cabanis andFerdinand Heine in 1860 with the spot-backed antshrike as thetype species.[4][5] The name of the genus is from the Ancient Greekhupoidaleos meaning "somewhat swollen". Thespecific epithet is from the Latinguttatus meaning "spotted" or "speckled".[6]
The spot-backed antshrike is the only member of genusHypoedaleus and it has no subspecies.[2]
The spot-backed antshrike is a large antbird, 20 to 21 cm (7.9 to 8.3 in) long. The species exhibits slightsexual dimorphism. Both sexes have a short, heavy, gray bill with a hook at the end like trueshrikes. Adult males have a black crown, nape, and upperparts spotted with white and a brownish black tail with white bars. Their throat and breast are white and their sides pale gray. Their belly andcrissum are nearly white in the northern part of their range and gradually darken to brownish yellow to the south. Adult females have a similar pattern as males, but with buff spots on their upperparts and more extensive brownish yellow on their underparts.[7][8][9]
The spot-backed antshrike is found from easternAlagoas in eastern Brazil south to northernRio Grande do Sul and southwest through eastern Paraguay and into northeastern Argentina'sMisiones Province. It is a bird of theAtlantic Forest, where it inhabits the subcanopy and canopy of lowlandevergreen forest. It almost exclusively stays in wetter areas with dense vines and other vegetation. In elevation it ranges from sea level to about 900 m (3,000 ft).[7][8][9]
The spot-backed antshrike is presumed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.[7]
The spot-backed antshrike feeds on a variety of insects and otherarthropods; its diet also includes snails and possibly small vertebrates like tree-frogs and lizards. It usually forages in pairs, mostly about between 8 and 15 m (25 and 50 ft) above the ground, and sometimes joinsmixed-species feeding flocks. It hops sluggishly through dense vines and other vegetation, reaching from a perch to glean prey from leaves, especially those ofbromeliads andepiphytic ferns, and also from stems and branches. It was once observed following anarmy ant swarm, staying low to the ground to capture prey disturbed by the ants.[7]
The spot-backed antshrike's eggs are white with lilac dots and larger blackish spots. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding biology.[7]
| Songs and calls |
The spot-backed antshrike's song is a "very high, slow, at first rising then descending, shivering rattle" that lasts four or five seconds.[8] Its calls include a "long, downward-inflected whistle", a "shorter, slightly descending churr", and an "abrupt 'chip' ".[7]
TheIUCN originally in 1988 assessed the spot-backed antshrike as Near Threatened, then in 1994 as unknown, and since 2004 as of Least Concern. Its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified.[1] It occurs in several protected areas but appears to be generally rare outside them. "Although not currently considered threatened, its relatively small range and the highly fragmented nature of remaining Atlantic Forest are causes for concern for this species, which seems to require large territories."[7]
Media related toHypoedaleus guttatus at Wikimedia Commons
