Chapman's Antshrike

About the Chapman's Antshrike

Chapman's antshrike (Thamnophilus zarumae) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Chapman's antshrike was originally described as a species but was soon transferred to be a subspecies of the barred antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus). At the same time a new taxon was described as another subspecies of the barred antshrike (T. d. palamblae). In the late twentieth century Chapman's antshrike again began to be recognized as a separate species with palambae as a subspecies, and a few years later a phylogenetic study showed that it was not closely related to the barred antshrike.

The two subspecies of Chapman's antshrike are therefore T. d. zarumae and T. d. palamblae. Chapman's antshrike is 14 to 15.5 cm (5.5 to 6.1 in) long and weighs about 22 g (0.78 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 bushy crest. Adult males of the nominate subspecies T. d. zarumae have a black and white streaked... Wikipedia →