Gray Antbird (Cercomacra cinerascens)

Identification & Behavior: ~15 cm (6 in). The male Gray Antbird is uniformly slaty-gray with small dots on the wing coverts that form poorly defined wing bars. The female is gray-brown with warmer brown underparts. The wing coverts also have white dots that form wing bars. The tail in both sexes is long, strongly graduated, and tipped with large white spots. It forages in thick foliage and vine tangles in the mid-story and sub-canopy of the forest. It is very similar to the Blackish Antbird and Black Antbird but is distinguished by having the tail tipped with large white spots. Also, see Manu Antbird.

Status: The Gray Antbird is fairly common and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1150 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Hormiguero Gris.

Sub-species: Gray Antbird (Cercomacra cinerascens cinerascens), (P. L. Sclater), 1857.   S Venezuela (W & S Bolívar, Amazonas), SE Colombia, E Ecuador, NE Peru (N of R Amazon and R Marañón) and NW Amazonian Brazil (N Amazonas, Roraima, N Pará W of R Nhamunda).
(Cercomacra cinerascens sclateri), Hellmayr, 1905.  E Peru (mainly S of R Amazon and R Marañón but also occurs N of latter), SW Amazonian Brazil (S of R Amazon, E to R Madeira) and NW Bolivia (Pando, La Paz, Beni).

Meaning of Name: Cercomacra: Gr. Kerkos= tail and makros= long. cinerascens: L. cinis, cineris= ashes, cinerescens, cinerescentis= ashen.

See more of the Family Thamnophilidae