White-flanked Antwren (Myrmotherula axillaris)

Identification & Behavior: ~10.5 cm (4.1 in). The male White-flanked Antwren is mostly dark gray with black throat, breast, and belly. It has white dots on the wing coverts, which form wing bars. The sides and flanks are white, which is flashed as the bird flicks the wing. The female is brown above and rufous-brown below with dotted rufous wing bars and also white on the sides and flanks. It forages in the mid-story of the forest in Amazonia often along with mixed-species flocks. It is similar to the Long-winged Antwren but the male is distinguished y being darker and by showing white on the sides and flanks. The female White-flanked Antwren is distinguished by having rufous wing bars and white on the sides and flanks. Also, see Ihering’s Antwren.

Status: The White-flanked Antwren is common 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: Hormiguerito de Flanco Blanco.

Sub-species: White-flanked Antwren (Myrmotherula axillaris melaena), (P. L. Sclater), 1857.  Santa Marta Mts and Colombia E of Andes, W Venezuela (Andean slopes E to Mérida and Barinas and, S of R Orinoco, E to R Caura), NW Brazil (upper R Negro S to N bank of R Amazon), E Ecuador and NE Peru (Amazonas, San Martín, Loreto).
(Myrmotherula axillaris heterozyga), J. T. Zimmer, 1932.   EC Peru (Ucayali S to Madre de Dios) and SW Amazonian Brazil (W of R Madeira).
(Myrmotherula axillaris fresnayana) (d’Orbigny), 1835. extreme SE Peru (Puno) and NW Bolivia (W of R Mamoré, and along the base of the Andes E to W Santa Cruz).

Meaning of Name: Myrmotherula: Gr. Combination word myrmothera= a genus (Velliot,1916,
antpitta) Myrmotherula= diminutive of Myrmothera. axillaris: L. axilla= armpit, axillaris= of the armpit.

See more of the Family Thamnophilidae