Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike

About the Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike

The Sooretama slaty antshrike (Thamnophilus ambiguus) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is endemic to Brazil. The Sooretama slaty antshrike was described by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1825 and given its current binomial name Thamnophilus ambiguus. It was later treated as a subspecies of T. punctatus, which was then called the slaty antshrike. Following the results of a study published in 1997, the slaty antshrike was split into six species, of which the Sooretama slaty antshrike is one. To avoid confusion the remnant T. punctatus was given its present name of northern slaty antshrike.

The Sooretama slaty antshrike is monotypic. The Sooretama slaty antshrike is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long. 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 significant sexual dimorphism. Adult males have a black forehead and crown with a few gray spots on the former. Their back is gray with a black spot in the middle and a hidden white patch between the scapulars... Wikipedia →