Bird Guide

Pacific Antwren vs Pygmy Antwren

Pacific Antwren (Myrmotherula pacifica)

Pacific Antwren

Myrmotherula pacifica

Tiny10 gShrubland

The Pacific antwren is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long and weighs 8.5 to 10 g (0.30 to 0.35 oz). It is a smallish bird with a tiny tail. Adult males have a black and white streaked face. Their crown, back, and rump are black with white streaks. They have a narrow white patch between the shoulders. Their tail is black with white edges and tips to the feathers. Their wings are black with white tips on the coverts and white edges on the flight feathers. Their throat, breast, and belly are white and their flanks and crissum grayer. Black streaks extend from the throat to the flanks and belly. Voice: The Pacific antwren's song is "a fast, spritely chipper that rises slightly in pitch, e.g., 'chee-chee-chi-chich-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch' ". Its calls include "chee-pu", "chee-cher", and "a strident, evenly pitched 'chrreee-chrreee-chrreee-chrreee!' ".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Pacific Antwren
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Esmeraldas: 7 km WNW Lita, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Josh Noseworthy · CC BY 4.0
Pygmy Antwren (Myrmotherula brachyura)

Pygmy Antwren

Myrmotherula brachyura

Tiny6 gForest

The pygmy antwren is 7.5 to 8.5 cm (3.0 to 3.3 in) long and weighs 6 to 8 g (0.21 to 0.28 oz). It is a small bird with a tiny tail. Adult males have a black streak through the eye, white cheeks, and a thin black "moustache". 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 throat is white and the rest of their underparts are yellow with sparse black streaks on the sides. Voice: The pygmy antwren's song has been described as a "short, rising, accecelerating series of very high, sharp notes, at start well separated and gradually changing to a descending rattle/trill". It has been written as "chree-chree-chree-chee-chee-ee-ee-ee-ee-rrr".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Pygmy Antwren
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Zamora-Chinchipe: 1-2 km W Shaimi, Nangaritza Valley, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: avocat · 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: Pacific Antwren and Pygmy Antwren.