Bird Guide

Pygmy Antwren vs Slaty Antwren

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
Slaty Antwren (Myrmotherula schisticolor)

Slaty Antwren

Myrmotherula schisticolor

Tiny10 gForest

The slaty antwren is 9 to 12 cm (3.5 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 8.5 to 10 g (0.30 to 0.35 oz). It is a smallish bird with a short tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies are mostly dark gray with a hidden white patch between the shoulders. Their tail is dark gray with thin white edges to the feathers. Their wings are dark gray with white tips on the coverts. Their throat and upper breast are black; their crissum is dark gray with whitish tips on the feathers. Adult females have grayish olive upperparts with a browner tail. Voice: The slaty antwren's song is an "upslurred whistle sounding like 'wheet' " that is given as single notes a couple of seconds apart or more quickly as two to four interations. Its calls include a "downslurred nasal whine", the "same type of note turned into nasal 'chirr' by overtones", and "sharp 'chip' notes" that are sometimes repeated as a twitter.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Slaty Antwren
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Morona-Santiago: w-slope Cord. de Cutucú, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Pygmy Antwren and Slaty Antwren.