Bird Guide

Long-winged Antwren vs Moustached Antwren

Long-winged Antwren (Myrmotherula longipennis)

Long-winged Antwren

Myrmotherula longipennis

Tiny9 gForest

The long-winged antwren is 9 to 10.5 cm (3.5 to 4.1 in) long and weighs 8 to 10 g (0.28 to 0.35 oz). It is a smallish bird with a short tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies M. l. longipennis have dark gray upperparts with a hidden white patch between the shoulders and white tips on the scapulars. Their wings are dark gray with white-tipped black coverts. Their tail is gray with white tips on the feathers. Their throat and upper breast are black; the rest of their underparts are a paler gray than the upperparts. Voice: The songs of the long-winged antwren subspecies differ, though the differences between adjoining ones are slight to moderate. The nominate subspecies' song is "a series of harsh upslurred notes...initially gains in intensity but nearly constant in pitch and pace" like "high, nasal 'suee' notes". The songs of M. l. zimmeri and M. l. garbei are "a deliberate series...

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Long-winged Antwren
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call · Pastaza: Churunalpi, 5 km N Canelos, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Bakker Paiva · CC BY 4.0
Moustached Antwren (Myrmotherula ignota)

Moustached Antwren

Myrmotherula ignota

Tiny7 gForest

The moustached antwren is 7.5 to 8 cm (3.0 to 3.1 in) long. It is a small bird with a tiny tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have the eponymous wide black "moustache", a black streak through the eye, and white cheeks. Their crown, back, rump, and tail are black with thin white streaks that are faintly yellow except on the crown. They have a white patch between the shoulders. Their wings are black with white tips on the coverts and white edges on the flight feathers. Their underparts are yellow with sparse black streaks. Voice: The moustached antwren's song is "an accelerating series of short notes increasing and then decreasing in pitch and intensity". Its call is "a short, uneven, downslurred whistle", and M. i. obscura also makes "an abrupt note".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Moustached Antwren
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Esmeraldas: Humedal de Yalare, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dario Taraborelli · CC0

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Long-winged Antwren and Moustached Antwren.