Birds of Ecuador

    PASSERIFORMES: Thamnophilidae (Antbirds)  
Genus: Myrmelastes (3 species, 8 worldwide)


Plumbeous Antbird
Plumbeous Antbird (Myrmelastes hyperythrus) Male
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Plumbeous Antbird
Plumbeous Antbird (Myrmelastes hyperythrus) Female
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Spot-winged Antbird
Spot-winged Antbird (Myrmelastes leucostigma) Male
Reserva Natural La Isla Escondida, Orito, Putumayo, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Spot-winged Antbird
Spot-winged Antbird (Myrmelastes leucostigma) Female
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia
  Note grey head compared to Slate-colored Antbird.
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Often common in 'tierra firma' unflooded forest, and up to 1000m on Andean slope. Usually near water in dense brush close to the ground.

Slate-colored Antbird
Slate-colored Antbird (Myrmelastes schistaceus) Male
Puerto Nariño, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Slate-colored Antbird
Slate-colored Antbird (Myrmelastes schistaceus) Female
Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Similar to Spot-winged Antbird, but female does not have grey head, and this species has a distinctive song. But both species make similar foragins sounds, The Slate-colored seems to prefer primary forest, while the Spot-winged is often near water or degraded thicker forest. The spots on this species may be finer/smaller than the Spot-winged.


© Tom Friedel - All Rights Reserved, except for images and data otherwise noted.       Colombia       Panama       Ecuador       Costa Rica       Mexico
Experimental sites:       Peru       Venezuela       The World       Brazil       Bolivia
Really Experimental sites:       Guyana       Cuba