Bar-crested Antshrike

About the Bar-crested Antshrike

The bar-crested antshrike (Thamnophilus multistriatus) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Some researchers suspected that the bar-crested antshrike should be treated as a subspecies of the chestnut-backed antshrike (T. palliatus). This treatment was never accepted, and a study published in 2007 confirmed that the bar-crested antshrike is a full species.

The bar-crested antshrike has these four subspecies: T. m. brachyurus Todd, 1927 T. m. selvae Meyer de Schauensee, 1950 T. m. multistriatus Lafresnaye, 1844 T. m. oecotonophilus Borrero & Hernández-Camacho, 1958 The bar-crested antshrike is 15 to 16.5 cm (5.9 to 6.5 in) long and weighs 21 to 23 g (0.74 to 0.81 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits marked sexual dimorphism though both sexes have a crest. Adult males of the nominate subspecies T. m. multistriatus are almost entirely plumaged with alternating black and white bars, including their crest. The exception... Wikipedia →