Pale-faced Antbird
Encyclopedia
The Pale-faced Antbird (Phlegopsis borbae), sometimes known as the Pale-faced Bare-eye, is a species of bird
in the Thamnophilidae family. It has often been placed in the monotypic
genus Skutchia, but based on genetic
evidence this genus should be merged with Phlegopsis
, and this treatment was adopted by the SACC in 2010. It is endemic to humid forest in the south-central Amazon
in Brazil
. It is an obligate ant-follower
only rarely seen away from ant swarms.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Thamnophilidae family. It has often been placed in the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Skutchia, but based on genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
evidence this genus should be merged with Phlegopsis
Phlegopsis
Phlegopsis is a genus of bird in the Thamnophilidae family. They are known as "bare-eyes", which is a reference to a colourful bare patch of skin around their eyes. They are restricted to humid forest in the Amazon of South America...
, and this treatment was adopted by the SACC in 2010. It is endemic to humid forest in the south-central Amazon
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is an obligate ant-follower
Ant-follower
Ant-followers are birds that feed by following swarms of army ants and take prey flushed by those ants. The best known ant-followers are 18 species of antbird in the family Thamnophilidae, but other families of birds may follow ants including thrushes, chats, ant-tanagers, cuckoos, and...
only rarely seen away from ant swarms.