Black-bellied Antwren

About the Black-bellied Antwren

The black-bellied antwren (Formicivora melanogaster) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. The black-bellied antwren was described by the Austrian ornithologist August von Pelzeln in 1868 and given its current binomial name Formicivora melanogaster. It and the serra antwren (F. serrana) are sister species. The black-bellied Antwren has two subspecies, the nominate F. m. melanogaster (Pelzeln, 1868) and F. m. bahiae (Hellmayr, 1909).

The black-bellied antwren is 12 to 14 cm (4.7 to 5.5 in) long. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a wide white supercilium that extends down the neck, along the side of the breast, and widens on the flanks. Their crown and upperparts are dark grayish brown with white edges on the outer scapulars and a hidden white patch between them. Their wings are blackish with white tips on the coverts. Their tail is black with white feather tips that increase in size from the central to the outer feathers. Their face, throat, and underparts are black with white underwing coverts. Adult females have a browner... Wikipedia →