Moustached Antwren (Myrmotherula ignota)

Identification & Behavior: ~8 cm (3.1 in). The male Moustached Antwren has the head and rest of the upperparts broadly streaked with black and white. The throat is white. The rest of the underparts are bright yellow with broad black streaks on the sides of the breast. The tail is very short and black without a white terminal band. The female is very similar to the male but has the head and upperpart streaked with buffy and black. It forages on the sides of trees that face open or semi-open areas in the canopy. It is very similar to the Pygmy Antwren but is distinguished by having a short black tail without a white terminal band and a more prominent malar stripe.

Status: The Moustached Antwren is fairly common and widespread in northern Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1000 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Br.

Name in Spanish: Hormiguerito Bigotudo.

Sub-species: Moustached Antwren (Myrmotherula ignota obscura), J. T. Zimmer, 1932.

Meaning of Name: Myrmotherula: Gr. Combination word myrmothera= a genus (Velliot,1916, antpitta) Myrmotherula= diminutive of Myrmothera. ignota: L. ignotus= obscure, unknown.

See more of the Family Thamnophilidae