Myrmotherula urosticta
The Band-tailed Antwren, Myrmotherula urosticta, is a diminutive and distinctive member of the antbird family (Thamnophilidae), showcasing a fascinating disjunct distribution across South America. Averaging around 9-10 cm (3.5-3.9 inches) in length and weighing a mere 7-9 grams, its small size belies its striking plumage. Males boast a glossy black head, throat, and breast, contrasting sharply with a dark grey back and prominent white wing-bars formed by white-tipped coverts. Their most defin...
This antwren exclusively inhabits the understory and mid-story of humid, lowland evergreen rainforests, typically below 600 meters (2,000 feet) in elevation. It shows a preference for areas near forest edges, clearings, or along watercourses within these dense tropical environments.
The diet of the Band-tailed Antwren consists almost entirely of insects and other small arthropods, which they primarily obtain by gleaning from foliage and small branches.
Band-tailed Antwrens are diurnal and generally observed foraging actively during daylight hours, often participating in mixed-species flocks, a common strategy among tropical insectivores to enhance foraging efficiency and predator detection. Their foraging technique involves meticulously gleanin...
The Band-tailed Antwren has a remarkable disjunct distribution across South America. One population is found in western Amazonia, spanning southeastern Colombia (primarily Putumayo), eastern Ecuador (Napo and Pastaza provinces), northeastern Peru (Loreto and Amazonas departments), and western Bra...
Least Concern
- The 'urosticta' in its scientific name translates to 'tail-spotted' or 'tail-patterned,' aptly describing its most distinctive feature. - Despite the 'antwren' name, this species does not typically follow army ant swarms like some other antbirds, instead gleaning insects directly from vegetatio...