Ash-breasted Antbird (Myrmoborus lugubris)

Identification & Behavior: ~13.5 cm (5.2 in). The male Ash-breasted Antbird has gray upperparts with poorly defined whitish wing bars. The sides of the head and throat are black. The underparts are powdery gray. The female has rufous-brown upperparts. The wing coverts are concolor with the back with brown and poorly defined wing coverts.  It has a broad black mask through the eye. The throat and rest of the underparts are whitish. The iris in both sexes is bright red.  It forages nearly exclusively in the understory of wooded river islands. Is similar to the Black-faced Antbird but is distinguished by having only poorly defined whitish wing bars and by being restricted to wooded river islands.

Status: The Ash-breasted Antbird is fairly common large wooded river islands on major rivers in Amazonia. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Br.

Name in Spanish: Hormiguero de Pecho Cenizo.

Sub-species: Ash-breasted Antbird (Myrmoborus lugubris berlepschi), (Hellmayr), 1910.

Meaning of Name: Myrmoborus: Gr. Murmos= ant and boros= devouring. lugubris: L. lugere= to mourn, lugubris= mournful, plaintive.

See more of the Family Thamnophilidae