Grey Antwren
Myrmotherula menetriesii
The Grey Antwren (Myrmotherula menetriesii) is a rare antbirds, antshrikes, antwrens, and antvireo found in 9 countries, weighing about 9 g. The grey antwren is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds".
About the Grey Antwren
The grey antwren is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The grey antwren is 8.5 to 10.5 cm (3.3 to 4.1 in) long and weighs 8 to 9 g (0.28 to 0.32 oz). It is a smallish bird with a short tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies M. m. menetriesii are almost entirely bluish gray, with lighter underparts than upperparts. Their wing coverts have white tips and a black bar just above them. Their tail feathers have narrow white tips. The center of their throat and upper breast are black, sometimes with gray tips on the throat feathers. Adult females have olive-tinged gray upperparts with somewhat darker wings. Voice: The grey antwren's song in Brazil is described as an "ascending series of 6-8 eerie, two-syllabled 'wueeih' notes". In Ecuador it is "a wavering series of 10-12 'ree' or 'shree' notes that rise in pitch and accelerate a bit". The species' calls are "multi-noted include higher-pitched abrupt notes and lower, slightly longer ones in varying combinations"; all are delivered rapidly.
What the Grey Antwren sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Grey Antwren can be seen all year round, with peak activity in July. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Grey Antwren?
- The grey antwren is 8.5 to 10.5 cm (3.3 to 4.1 in) long and weighs 8 to 9 g (0.28 to 0.32 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Grey Antwren?
- The Grey Antwren is a tiny sized bird weighing about 9 g.
- Where can you see a Grey Antwren?
- The Grey Antwren occurs in 9 countries, including Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Guyana.
- What does a Grey Antwren sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Grey Antwren on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Grey Antwren?
- The Grey Antwren is most easily confused with the Pacific Antwren, the Long-winged Antwren and the Amazonian Streaked Antwren.
- Is the Grey Antwren endangered?
- The Grey Antwren is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Grey Antwren for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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