Parker's Antbird

About the Parker's Antbird

Parker's antbird (Cercomacroides parkeri) is a species of passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is endemic to Colombia. The type specimen of what is now Parker's antbird was collected in 1951 but not recognized as a species at that time. The American ornithologist Gary Graves studied it and other specimens and in 1997 formally described it as a species, Cercomacra parkeri. Graves chose the specific epithet and English name to honor the American ornithologist Theodore A. Parker III (1953—1993), "the most talented field ornithologist of our generation". A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that genus Cercomacra was polyphyletic. The genus was therefore split to create two monophyletic genera, and six species including Parker's antbird were moved to the newly erected genus Cercomacroides. Parker's antbird is monotypic.

Parker's antbird is 13.5 to 15 cm (5.3 to 5.9 in) long. Males are almost entirely slate gray, with somewhat lighter underparts than upperparts. They have a hidden white patch between their scapulars and narrow white tips on their wing coverts and... Wikipedia →