Spot-backed Antbird (Hylophylax naevius)

Identification & Behavior: ~11.5 cm (4.3 in). The male Spot-backed Antbird has a gray head and a brown back dotted with large white spots. The wing coverts are black with white wing bars. The breast is white broadly streaked with black. The belly is tawny. The female has a white throat bordered on the sides by black. The dots on the back and wing bars are tawny. The underparts are tawny with black streaks on the breast. It forages in the understory of the forest. It is similar to the Dot-backed Antbird but is distinguished by lacking the white mask through the eye and the white breast of the female Dot-backed Antbird.

Status: The Spot-backed Antbird is uncommon and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1200 m along the east slope of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Hormiguero de Dorso Moteado.

Sub-species: Spot-backed Antbird (Hylophylax naevius naevius), (J. F. Gmelin), 1789.  S Venezuela (S Bolívar, Amazonas), the Guianas, SE Colombia (S from Meta and Vaupés), extreme NE Ecuador and N Peru (N of R Napo), and Brazil N of R Amazon.
(Hylophylax naevius theresae), (Des Murs), 1856.  S of R Napo in E Ecuador and lowland NE Peru (Loreto), and SW & SC Amazonian Brazil (E to R Tapajós, S to S Amazonas and Rondônia).
(Hylophylax naevius peruvianus), Carriker, 1932.  N Peru foothills (Amazonas, San Martín).
(Hylophylax naevius inexpectatus) Carriker, 1932.   EC & SE Peru (Ucayali S to Puno, possibly extending W to the base of Andes in Huánuco and Junín), extreme SW Amazonian Brazil (Acre) and NW Bolivia (W Pando, La Paz and S Beni S to extreme SW Santa Cruz).

Meaning of Name: Hylophylax: Gr. Hule= woodland, forest and phulax, phulakos= watcher, sentinel. naevius: L. naevus= spot, blemish, naevius= spotted, marked.

See more of the Family Thamnophilidae