Herpsilochmus stictocephalus
Todd's Antwren (Herpsilochmus stictocephalus) is a diminutive and active member of the antbird family (Thamnophilidae), measuring a mere 10.5-11.5 cm in length and weighing around 8-10 grams. Males are striking with a jet-black cap, prominent white supercilium, black ear coverts, and clean white underparts, contrasting with olive-grey upperparts and two crisp white wing-bars. Females share the same overall pattern but sport a rufous crown and buffier underparts, making sexual dimorphism a key...
Primarily inhabits humid lowland evergreen 'terra firme' forest, occasionally found in secondary growth, typically at elevations below 500 meters, rarely up to 1000 meters.
Feeds mainly on small insects and spiders, which it gleans from leaves and small branches in the forest understory and canopy.
Todd's Antwren is a diurnal, highly active species, spending its day foraging predominantly in the mid-story and canopy. It employs a gleaning foraging strategy, hopping and flitting among foliage and small branches to snatch insects and spiders. This species is typically encountered in pairs, wh...
Todd's Antwren is a resident species found exclusively in northeastern South America. Its extensive range encompasses eastern Venezuela, specifically states like Bolívar, Delta Amacuro, and Monagas, extending eastward through all three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Southward, its ...
Least Concern
- Its common name honors Walter Edmond Clyde Todd, a prominent American ornithologist who described the species in 1927. - Despite its small size, it's a very active component of mixed-species foraging flocks, a common and effective strategy in tropical forests. - It belongs to the Thamnophilidae...