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Spot-winged Antbird | Myrmelastes leucostigma
Vlekvleugelmiervogel | Hormiguero alimoteado | Formigueiro-de-asa-pintada
The Spot-winged Antbird is an antbird of streams and poorly drained spots in Amazonian terra firme forest. It used to be treated more broadly; on the basis of song differences, Humaita Antbird and Brownish-headed Antbird of south-western Amazonia have been split as separate species. Pairs forage on or just above the ground, often along the water's edge.
Voice
The song is a rapid, fairly even series of ringing notes that drops slightly in pitch and pace at the end. Calls are a long, descending whistle, a short, abrupt note, single or in series of two to five, and a short rattle.
Recording: Juan Freile — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
14–16 cm, with a black bill and, in the guide area, bluish-grey legs. The male is dark grey, with blackish-grey wings and tail and white tips to the wing coverts; in the guide area the underparts are almost as dark as the upperparts and the white spots are smaller than in the Guianas. The female has a grey to blackish crown, a dark cinnamon-brown to deep brown back, blackish-brown wings with pale cinnamon tips to the coverts and a rufous throat and underparts, with olive-brown flanks.
Confusion species
Slate-colored Antbird Myrmelastes schistaceus has smaller white wing spots and a plainer plumage in the male; the female has a chestnut crown; the song is a rising series of whistles. Plumbeous Antbird Myrmelastes hyperythrus is larger, with blue bare skin around the eye. Silvered Antbird Sclateria naevia has a long bill, pink legs and white underparts. In south-eastern Peru and in Bolivia live Humaita Antbird Myrmelastes humaythae and Brownish-headed Antbird Myrmelastes brunneiceps, which are told apart mainly by song.
Habitat
Floor and understorey of evergreen terra firme forest, especially on poorly drained ground and along small streams; mostly in the lowlands, up to about 600 m in Ecuador (locally 1100 m), 1100 m in Colombia and 1650 m in Peru. It forages in pairs close to the ground, often on twigs and trunks just above the water, taking insects and spiders; it seldom follows army ants or mixed flocks. Little is known about its breeding.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
Colombia: in the east, at the foot of the Andes and in the Amazonian lowlands. Ecuador: in the eastern lowlands and at the foot of the Andes. Peru: in the north and centre of the country (Huánuco, Pasco, Junín, Ucayali). Not confirmed in Bolivia; older reports may refer to Brownish-headed Antbird. Absent from the Galápagos. Outside the guide area in southern Venezuela, the Guianas and northern and western Amazonian Brazil.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
In terra firme forest follow a narrow stream through the understorey and listen for the ringing series; the birds often perch on twigs and roots just above the water.
Conservation status
Least Concern. Fairly common in suitable forest, but tied to intact forest streams.
Scientific name
Myrmelastes leucostigma | (Pelzeln, 1868) (GBIF: Schistocichla leucostigma)
Pelzeln described the species in 1868 as Percnostola leucostigma; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Myrmelastes was introduced in 1858 by Sclater. The genus name combines Greek murmēx, 'ant', and lēistēs, 'robber'. The species name comes from Greek leukos, 'white', and stigma, 'spot', after the white spots on the wing coverts. The specimen the first description was based on came from Manaus, Brazil.