Black-faced Antbird (Myrmoborus myotherinus)

Identification & Behavior: ~13.5 cm (5.2 in). The male Black-faced Antbird has gray upperparts with black wing coverts and white wing bars. The sides of the head and throat are black. The underparts are powdery gray. The female has rufous-brown upperparts with black wing coverts and brown wing bars. It has a broad black mask through the eye. The throat is white but the rest of the underparts are buffy-brown. The iris in both sexes is dark red.  It forages in the understory of terra firme forest. Is similar to the Ash-breasted Antbird but is distinguished by having black coverts with wing bars, and by favoring terra firme forest. Also, see a female White-browed Antbird.

Status: The Black-faced Antbird is common and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1200 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Hormiguero de Cara Negra.

Sub-species: Black-faced Antbird (Myrmoborus myotherinus elegans), (P. L. Sclater, 1857).  S Venezuela (W Bolívar, S Amazonas), extreme NW Amazonian Brazil (N Roraima, NW Amazonas in upper R Negro region), and SE Colombia (Meta, Vaupés) S to C Peru (N of R Amazon, W of R Ucayali).
(Myrmoborus myotherinus myotherinus), (Spix), 1825.  extreme E Peru (E of R Ucayali), SW Amazonian Brazil (W Amazonas, Acre) and NW Bolivia (Pando S to La Paz, Cochabamba and WC Santa Cruz).

Meaning of Name: Myrmoborus: Gr. Murmos= ant and boros= devouring. myotherinus: Gr. muia, muias= fly and theras, therao = hunter, to hunt.

See more of the Family Thamnophilidae