Plumbeous Antbird

About the Plumbeous Antbird

The plumbeous antbird (Myrmelastes hyperythrus) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The plumbeous antbird was described by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1855 and given the binomial name Thamnophilus hyperythrus. The specific name combines the Ancient Greek words hupo "beneath" and eruthros "red". Alternatively, the name may be from the Greek word huperuthros for "reddish". The current genus Myrmelastes was introduced by Sclater in 1858 with the plumbeous antbird as the type species. This placement was confirmed by a genetic study published in 2013.

The plumbeous antbird is monotypic. The plumbeous antbird is 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 38 to 44 g (1.3 to 1.6 oz). Males are mostly dark slaty gray. Their wings and tail are blackish gray with white spots at the tips of the wing coverts. They have a large area of bare light blue skin around their eye. Females have dark slaty gray upperparts, wings, and tail like males. Their underparts are bright rufous with a brown tinge on their flanks and... Wikipedia →