Willisornis vidua
The Xingu Scale-backed Antbird, *Willisornis vidua*, is a striking member of the antbird family (Thamnophilidae) endemic to the lower Amazonian region of Brazil. Measuring approximately 12.5-13.5 cm (5-5.3 inches) in length and weighing around 16-18 grams (0.56-0.63 ounces), this small, robust passerine is characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males are predominantly sooty black, adorned with distinctive white, scale-like markings across their back and scapulars, a feature giving the...
This species exclusively inhabits the understory of humid, lowland evergreen forests, preferring areas with dense foliage and often found near watercourses or in terra firme forest. It typically occurs at elevations ranging from near sea level up to approximately 200 meters.
Its diet consists primarily of small insects, including beetles, orthopterans, and various larvae, along with spiders and other small arthropods, which it gleans from foliage or snatches from army ant swarms.
The Xingu Scale-backed Antbird is a diurnal species, typically observed in pairs or small family groups, actively foraging throughout the day within the forest understory. While not obligate army-ant followers, they frequently associate with swarms of *Eciton burchellii* and *Labidus praedator* a...
The Xingu Scale-backed Antbird is endemic to a restricted region within Amazonian Brazil, specifically occurring south of the Amazon River between the Xingu and Tapajós rivers in the states of Pará and Mato Grosso. Its distribution spans the interfluvial region from the eastern bank of the Tapajó...
Least Concern
- The Xingu Scale-backed Antbird was only recently recognized as a distinct species in 2009, having previously been considered a subspecies of the widespread Scale-backed Antbird (*Willisornis poecilinotus*). - Its scientific name, *vidua*, is Latin for "widow," possibly referring to the male's p...