Wing-banded Antbird

The Wing-banded Antbird (Myrmornis torquata), a member of the Thamnophilidae family, is a passerine bird known for its distinctive plumage and robust body shape. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with males and females sporting different feather patterns. The bird's compact stature, short tail, and legs are notable among its antbird relatives.

Identification Tips

Adult males of the nominate subspecies are characterized by a speckled black and white face and neck, with a reddish-brown crown and nape. They possess a grayish-brown back with black spots and a rufous tail with dark tips. The wings are blackish-brown with a pale cinnamon band. Females are paler with a cinnamon rufous upper breast. Both sexes have dark brown irises, black bills, and dark gray to fuscous legs and feet. Juveniles are predominantly chocolate brown with a paler rump and uppertail coverts.

Habitat

The Wing-banded Antbird is found in humid lowland and foothill evergreen forests, primarily inhabiting the forest floor. It shows a preference for terra firme forests, often in hilly areas.

Distribution

This bird has a disjunct distribution across Latin America, from southeastern Honduras and northeastern Nicaragua to northwestern Colombia, and from central Colombia through the Amazon basin to the Atlantic coast of Brazil.

Behaviour

The Wing-banded Antbird is a year-round resident in its range, known for its ground-dwelling habits. It forages alone, in pairs, or in small family groups, but does not typically join mixed-species flocks or follow army ant swarms.

Song & Calls

The song of the nominate subspecies is a series of ringing 'weew' notes that gradually rise in pitch. The call is a nasal 'chirr' or 'churr'.

Breeding

The nesting season appears to be extended, with records from March to May and July to October. The species constructs a cup nest suspended in a shrub or sapling, with a clutch size of one egg. Incubation and fledging periods, as well as parental care details, remain largely undocumented.

Similar Species

Subspecies M. t. stictoptera is darker and more richly colored than the nominate, with more restricted black and white speckles on the face and broader, darker bands on the wings and wing coverts.

Diet and Feeding

The diet consists mainly of arthropods and small molluscs. The Wing-banded Antbird hops on the ground, flipping over leaf litter to find food.

Conservation Status

The IUCN classifies the Wing-banded Antbird as Least Concern. While the population size is unknown and believed to be decreasing, no immediate threats have been identified. The species is considered fairly common in Brazil, uncommon in Panama, and rare to uncommon elsewhere. It is present in several protected areas, and gaps in its distribution may be due to low densities or under-sampling.