Hylophylax punctulatus
The Dot-backed Antbird (*Hylophylax punctulatus*) is a small, striking passerine belonging to the antbird family Thamnophilidae, typically measuring 11.5-12.5 cm (4.5-4.9 in) in length and weighing 12-16 grams. Its most distinctive feature is its olive-brown upperparts boldly marked with black spots, especially on the mantle and back, giving it its common name. Males exhibit a black crown, a contrasting whitish supercilium, and streaked black and white underparts, while females are generally ...
Found in humid lowland evergreen forest, particularly in areas near water such as stream banks, oxbow lakes, and swampy sections, often favoring dense undergrowth and bamboo thickets, at elevations typically below 600 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on ants, beetles, orthopterans, spiders, and other arthropods, mostly acquired by gleaning from foliage or flushed by army ants.
This diurnal antbird primarily forages in the dense understory, often at ground level or just above it. Its most characteristic behavior is following army ant swarms, such as *Eciton burchellii*, to capture insects and other arthropods flushed by the ants' progression. When not associated with an...
The Dot-backed Antbird is endemic to the western Amazon basin of South America, with a widespread but somewhat localized distribution. Its range extends across the eastern lowlands of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, southward into northern Bolivia, and eastward into western Brazil. In Brazil, its di...
Least Concern
- Its common name, 'Dot-backed Antbird,' is a direct reference to the distinctive black spots adorning its olive-brown back. - This species is a facultative army ant-follower, meaning it frequently forages alongside army ant swarms to catch prey. - Despite its striking appearance, the Dot-backed ...