Bird Guide

Black-bellied Antwren vs Rusty-backed Antwren

Black-bellied Antwren (Formicivora melanogaster)

Black-bellied Antwren

Formicivora melanogaster

Tiny11 gWoodland

The black-bellied antwren is 12 to 14 cm (4.7 to 5.5 in) long. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a wide white supercilium that extends down the neck, along the side of the breast, and widens on the flanks. Their crown and upperparts are dark grayish brown with white edges on the outer scapulars and a hidden white patch between them. Their wings are blackish with white tips on the coverts. Their tail is black with white feather tips that increase in size from the central to the outer feathers. Their face, throat, and underparts are black with white underwing coverts. Voice: The black-bellied antwren's song is a "slow series of high, nasal 'tjew' notes (2/sec over 8 sec)". Its calls may vary geographically and include "a short series of complaining squeals...also sharp high-pitched 'seek' notes and lower-pitched, short downslurred notes".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thomaz de Carvalho Callado · CC BY 4.0
Rusty-backed Antwren (Formicivora rufa)

Rusty-backed Antwren

Formicivora rufa

Tiny11 gGrassland

The rusty-backed antwren is 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) long and weighs 11.5 to 14 g (0.41 to 0.49 oz). The males of all three subspecies have a tawny rufous crown and upperparts. They have a white supercilium and the rest of the face and the throat are black. The middle of the breast is black with a white edge separating it from the cinnamon-buff flanks; the belly is white. The folded wings show lines of white dots. The tail feathers are black with chestnut fringes, white sides, and white tips. The nominate female has paler rufous upperparts than the male. Voice: The rusty-backed antwren's song is "a long rattle of evenly pitched harsh or sharp notes, often increasing in intensity" that appears to vary geographically. Common calls are "an explosive or strident 'chip cheep' or 'tit-tweep'".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vincent A. Vos · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-bellied Antwren and Rusty-backed Antwren.