Yellow-browed Antbird

Hypocnemis hypoxantha

The Yellow-browed Antbird (Hypocnemis hypoxantha) is a diminutive and engaging member of the antbird family (Thamnophilidae), known for its distinctive facial markings. Measuring approximately 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 inches) in length and weighing around 11-14 grams, its most striking feature is a bright yellow supercilium (eyebrow) contrasting sharply with a dark eye-line and often a grayish crown. The upperparts are generally olive-green, while the underparts are a bright yellow, sometimes duller...

Habitat

Found primarily in the understory of lowland evergreen forests, favoring both terra firme (non-flooded) and várzea (seasonally flooded) forest types, typically up to 800 meters in elevation.

Diet

Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods such as insects, spiders, and their larvae, typically gleaned from foliage or captured in short sallies.

Behavior

Yellow-browed Antbirds are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging in the forest understory, usually in pairs or as members of mixed-species foraging flocks. They employ a 'hop-and-glean' foraging strategy, systematically moving through vegetation to snatch insects and other arthropods fro...

Range

The Yellow-browed Antbird is resident throughout the western and south-central Amazon Basin, with a widespread distribution that spans several South American countries. Its breeding range extends across eastern Ecuador, northeastern and southeastern Peru, northwestern Bolivia, and vast areas of w...

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Fun Facts

- The Yellow-browed Antbird is a 'true' antbird (family Thamnophilidae) but is NOT an army-ant follower, a trait that distinguishes it from many other antbird species. - Its scientific name 'Hypocnemis hypoxantha' literally means 'yellow under-thigh' in ancient Greek, referring to the yellowish f...

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