Plain Antvireo
Dysithamnus mentalis
The Plain Antvireo (Dysithamnus mentalis) is a uncommon antbirds, antshrikes, antwrens, and antvireo found in 17 countries, weighing about 15 g. The plain antvireo is a passerine bird species in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds".
About the Plain Antvireo
The plain antvireo is a passerine bird species in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Mexico, every Central American country except El Salvador, on both Trinidad and Tobago, and in every mainland South American country except Chile, French Guiana, Suriname, and Uruguay.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The plain antvireo is 10 to 13 cm (3.9 to 5.1 in) long and weighs 12 to 16 g (0.42 to 0.56 oz). It is a rather chunky bird with a large head and short tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies D. m. mentalis have a dark gray forehead and crown and blackish ear coverts. Their upperparts are grayish olive with a hidden white patch between the scapulars. Their wings are dark grayish olive with olive edges on the flight feathers, white tips on the grayish olive greater coverts, blackish median coverts with white tips, and blackish lesser coverts. Voice: The plain antvireo's song is generally a "short...series starting with a few...evenly paced, countable notes at same pitch, notes then gradually becoming more abrupt and dropping in pitch, ending in accelerating roll". Authors have described it as a "high nasal watje watjwatwaturururu sounding as a rattle" and as "a nasal barking series...weu-weu-weu-Weu-Weu-Weu-Weu-Weu'weu'wru'weu'u'u'u".
What the Plain Antvireo sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Plain Antvireo can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Plain Antvireo?
- The plain antvireo is 10 to 13 cm (3.9 to 5.1 in) long and weighs 12 to 16 g (0.42 to 0.56 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Plain Antvireo?
- The Plain Antvireo is a tiny sized bird weighing about 15 g.
- Where can you see a Plain Antvireo?
- The Plain Antvireo occurs in 17 countries, including Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina.
- What does a Plain Antvireo sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Plain Antvireo on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Plain Antvireo?
- The Plain Antvireo is most easily confused with the Spot-breasted Antvireo, the Spot-crowned Antvireo and the Streak-crowned Antvireo.
- Is the Plain Antvireo endangered?
- The Plain Antvireo is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Plain Antvireo for real
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