Herpsilochmus frater
The Rusty-winged Antwren, *Herpsilochmus frater*, is a diminutive and active passerine belonging to the antbird family, Thamnophilidae. Measuring approximately 11.5-12 cm (4.5-4.7 inches) in length and weighing around 9-11.5 grams, it is a quintessential inhabitant of Neotropical forests. Males are striking with a black crown, a prominent white supercilium, black ear-coverts, and gray upperparts, famously distinguished by a rufous patch on the scapulars that gives the species its common name....
Found primarily in humid lowland and foothill evergreen forests, forest edges, and mature second growth, ranging from sea level up to approximately 1000 meters in elevation.
Feeds almost exclusively on small insects and other arthropods, which it actively gleans from the undersides of leaves, twigs, and bark within the forest canopy and mid-story.
This active, diurnal species is constantly on the move, typically foraging in the mid-story and canopy of dense forests. It is a core member of many mixed-species foraging flocks, diligently gleaning insects from foliage, small branches, and vine tangles. Territorial behavior is primarily communi...
The Rusty-winged Antwren (*Herpsilochmus frater*) exhibits a disjunct distribution across Central and northern South America. In Central America, it is found in specific regions of eastern Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Its South American range includes eastern Colombia, most of Ven...
Least Concern
- The Rusty-winged Antwren was only recently recognized as a distinct species, having been 'split' from the Spot-backed Antwren (*Herpsilochmus sticturus*) in 2017 based on vocal and genetic differences. - Despite its small size, it's an incredibly active bird, constantly flitting through the den...