Bird Guide

Black-capped Antwren vs Rufous-margined Antwren

Black-capped Antwren (Herpsilochmus atricapillus)

Black-capped Antwren

Herpsilochmus atricapillus

Tiny10 gForest

The black-capped antwren is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 8 to 11 g (0.28 to 0.39 oz). Adult males have a black crown and nape, a long white to pale gray supercilium, and a black streak through the eye. The rest of their upperparts are gray with white-edged blackish scapulars and a white patch between them. Their wings are black with white tips on the coverts and white edges on the flight feathers. Their tail is black with large white feather tips and white edges on the outermost. Their underparts are mostly gray to pale gray with a white belly. Voice: The black-capped antwren's song varies somewhat across its range but is generally "1–2 (rarely 3) distinct notes leading into rapid series (e.g. 24 notes, 2·3 seconds) rising and falling in pitch and slowing, initial notes at same pitch or higher than abrupt notes that follow". It also has a rattle song, "a series of short but complex notes, more rarely a shorter series of simpler notes".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Celso Henrique Varela Rios · CC BY 4.0
Rufous-margined Antwren (Herpsilochmus rufimarginatus)

Rufous-margined Antwren

Herpsilochmus rufimarginatus

Tiny11 gForest

The rufous-margined antwren is 10 to 12.5 cm (3.9 to 4.9 in) long. Adult males have a black crown and nape, a wide whitish supercilium, a black stripe through the eye, and black and white or pale yellow mottled ear coverts. Their upperparts are mostly olive-gray with scattered black patches, yellow uppertail coverts, and white tips on their outer scapulars. Their wing coverts are black with white tips; their flight feathers are olive-brown tinged dark gray with bright cinnamon-rufous edges. Their tail is mostly dark gray with white tips on the feathers and an entirely white outermost pair. Voice: The rufous-margined antwren's song is "3‒4 slow-paced notes which rise in frequency, after which a series of fast notes gradually decelerates and drops again in pitch". Pairs often sing in duet. Its most common call is a "melodious whistled note tew" that may be repeated up to five times in a burst or irregularly over a longer period.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Rufous-margined Antwren
Recorded by maria belotti · Song · São Lourenço da Serra, São Lourenço da Serra, São Paulo, Brazil · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Marcelo Schmidt Roberti · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-capped Antwren and Rufous-margined Antwren.