Bird Guide

Chestnut-backed Antshrike vs Uniform Antshrike

Chestnut-backed Antshrike (Thamnophilus palliatus)

Chestnut-backed Antshrike

Thamnophilus palliatus

Small23 gUrban

The lined antshrike is 16 to 17 cm (6.3 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 26 to 28 g (0.92 to 0.99 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits some sexual dimorphism though both sexes have a crest. Adult males of the nominate subspecies T. p. palliatus have a black crown with white spots on the forehead. Their face and nape are black with white spots. Their upperparts, wings, and tail are rufous-brown. Voice: The chestnut-backed antshrike's song is "a moderately long...accelerating series of similar, rapidly delivered, somewhat nasal notes, pitch rising slightly initially, more clearly falling towards end, terminating in longer, firmly accented, downslurred note". It has been written as kah kah-kah-kah-ka'ka'ka'kaka'pah".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: filipeprates · CC BY 4.0
Uniform Antshrike (Thamnophilus unicolor)

Uniform Antshrike

Thamnophilus unicolor

Small24 gForest

The uniform antshrike is 14.5 to 17 cm (5.7 to 6.7 in) long and weighs about 24 g (0.85 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. Adult males of the nominate subspecies are mostly deep gray or blackish gray. They sometimes have white tips on their outer tail feathers. Adult females have a rufous crown and a gray face. Their upperparts are rufous brown and their underparts pale rufous brown. Immatures of both sexes are similar to adult females. Voice: The uniform antshrike's song has been described as "a simple short series of nasal notes, each note sometimes with rising inflection, 'anh, anh, anh, anh' (sometimes 3 or 5 notes)" and as "a slightly accelerating and rising, slow series of 4–8 high, descending notes NYAH NYAH-nyah-nyah". The song of subspecies T. u. caudatus is similar to that of the other two but higher pitched.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Uniform Antshrike
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Zamora-Chinchipe: Chinapinza at 1700 m, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: José Loaiza, Aves y Conservación · Public domain

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Chestnut-backed Antshrike and Uniform Antshrike.