Scale-backed Antbird
Encyclopedia
The Common Scale-backed Antbird (Willisornis poecilonotus) is a species of bird
in the Thamnophilidae family, the antbird
s. It has often been included in the genus Hylophylax
, but is now known to be part of a different clade
, leading to its placement in the genus Willisornis
. It was briefly placed in Dichropogon, but this name is preoccupied by a genus of asilid flies
(Dichropogon Bezzi, 1910). It formerly included the Xingu Antbird
as a subspecies
.
It is found in the Amazon
of Bolivia
, Brazil
, Colombia
, Ecuador
, French Guiana
, Guyana
, Peru
, Suriname
, and Venezuela
.
Its natural habitat
is tropical moist lowland forest
s. As many other species of antbirds, it regularly follows swarms of army ant
s.
In addition to being sexually dimorphic, the plumage
s of the subspecies are highly variable, leading to speculations that the Common Scale-backed Antbird as presently defined may include more than a single species. Males of all subspecies, and females of some (but not all) subspecies have white bars on the back, leading to its common name
Common Scale-backed Antbird.
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, the antbird
Antbird
The antbirds are a large family, Thamnophilidae, of passerine birds found across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico to Argentina. There are more than 200 species, known variously as antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire-eyes, bare-eyes and bushbirds...
s. It has often been included in the genus Hylophylax
Hylophylax
Hylophylax is a genus of bird in the Thamnophilidae family.-Species:* Spotted Antbird, Hylophylax naevioides* Spot-backed Antbird, Hylophylax naevius* Dot-backed Antbird, Hylophylax punctulatus...
, but is now known to be part of a different clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
, leading to its placement in the genus Willisornis
Willisornis
Willisornis is a genus of birds in the Thamnophilidae family. These small, strongly sexually dichromatic birds are native to the Guianas and Amazon Rainforest in South America, and often follow army ants.-Taxonomy:...
. It was briefly placed in Dichropogon, but this name is preoccupied by a genus of asilid flies
Asilidae
Insects in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly called robber flies. The family Asilidae contains about 7,100 described species worldwide....
(Dichropogon Bezzi, 1910). It formerly included the Xingu Antbird
Xingu Antbird
The Xingu Antbird is a species of antbird from the southeastern Amazon in Brazil. Until 2011, it was usually included as a subspecies of the Scale-backed Antbird. Its English name refers to the Xingu River. In addition to the nominate subspecies, it includes the subspecies W. v. nigrigula....
as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
.
It is found in the 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...
of Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, 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...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
, Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
, and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s. As many other species of antbirds, it regularly follows swarms of army ant
Army ant
The name army ant is applied to over 200 ant species, in different lineages, due to their aggressive predatory foraging groups, known as "raids", in which huge numbers of ants forage simultaneously over a certain area, attacking prey en masse.Another shared feature is that, unlike most ant...
s.
In addition to being sexually dimorphic, the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
s of the subspecies are highly variable, leading to speculations that the Common Scale-backed Antbird as presently defined may include more than a single species. Males of all subspecies, and females of some (but not all) subspecies have white bars on the back, leading to its common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
Common Scale-backed Antbird.
External links
- Scale-backed Antbird photo gallery VIREO
- Photo; Article chandra.as.utexas.edu
