Rufous-capped Antshrike Thamnophilus ruficapillus Scientific name definitions

Taxonomic note: Lump. This account is a combination of multiple species accounts originally published in HBW Alive. That content has been combined and labeled here at the subspecies level. Moving forward we will create a more unified account for this parent taxon. Please consider contributing your expertise to update this account.

The Rufous-capped Antshrike has an interesting distribution. The nominate subspecies is widespread in eastern South America, where it primarily occurs at low and middle elevations. There also are four subspecies in the Andes, most of which occur between southern Peru and northwestern Argentina; but one subspecies, jaczewskii, occurs in a small region in northern Peru, far removed from all other populations. Both sexes, in all populations, indeed have rufous crown. Males narrowly are barred white and black on the breast and belly, with reddish brown wings; the rest of the plumage usually is light brown or light gray, but is dark slaty gray in the subspecies of southern Peru (marcapatae). The underparts of the female have little or no barring, and usually are whitish or buff, but the underparts are bright buff in the subspecies of the Andes between northern Peru and northern Bolivia. Rufous-capped Antshrikes forage singly or in pairs at the edge of humid forest, in second growth, and in dense scrub, but the biology of this species is not well known.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Northern)

15–17 cm. Compared to the formerly conspecific T. ruficapillus, male has denser barring on breast , which also extends onto belly and throat, while female is rufous instead of whitish on underparts, and both sexes have shorter tail. Race <em>jaczewskii</em> male has head-sides and throat grey and faintly barred, upperparts olive-tinged dark grey, wings chestnut, underparts barred white and black, flanks tinged olive, female olivaceous above, bright buff below, belly paler; marcapatae is similar to previous, but upperparts, sides of head and flanks dark grey, throat more distinctly barred, black bars below heavier, female dark olive-grey above, strong reddish yellow-brown below with throat and belly paler, admixed grey on flanks; nominate male very similar to jaczewskii, while female resembles marcapatae but slightly paler.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Southern)

15–17 cm; 16·3–25 g. Male nominate race has crown chestnut, sides of head and throat pale buffy brown, mottled and faintly barred dusky brown; upperparts dark brown, wings rufous-brown; graduated tail brownish black, tips and inner webs of outer feathers barred white; underparts white, tinged buff, narrow irregular black bars across breast and sides, buff flanks and undertail-coverts tinged olive. Distinguished from similar T. torquatus by chestnut crown, somewhat darker plumage, larger size. Female differs from male in cinnamon-brown crown, rufous-brown tail without white markings, only hint of barring across breast. Race <em>cochabambae</em> male has head-sides and throat buffy white, edged and streaked light grey, upperparts mid-grey, tail more barred, buffy breast and sides barred black, belly buffish white, flanks and undertail-coverts mixed light buff and grey, female is olivaceous above, whitish below, with buff tinge on breast and sides, olivaceous-buff tinge on flanks and undertail-coverts.

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Rufous-capped Antshrike (Northern)

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Southern)

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Northern)

Understorey of montane evergreen forest-edge in Andes, also secondary scrub, regenerating clearings, and isolated thickets and patches of woodland in otherwise open country. At 1750–3050 m. Found in the densest forest understorey in N Peru; further S in Andes inhabits semi-humid forest and second growth, but also occurs in patches of dense shrubs and trees bordering watercourses in predominantly open areas of intermontane valleys.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Southern)

Inhabits semi-humid forest and second growth, but also patches of dense shrubs and trees bordering watercourses in predominantly open areas in E Andes of Bolivia. In N Argentina and extreme SE Brazil, at lower elevations, commonly in isolated thickets of shrubby vegetation and small trees (canopy less than 5 m) growing on slight rises in middle of grassy marshes; also in second growth, scrub, hedgerows, brush piles, sometimes even in comparatively urban areas; not inside forest. Further N, on mountain tops of SE Brazil, found in impenetrable thickets on windswept brushy grassland. Race cochabambae at 600–2700 m in Bolivia, descending lower in Argentina; and nominate race from sea-level to 2400 m, at higher elevations in N, lower in S.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Northern)

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Southern)

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Northern)

Very little known. Diet presumably similar to that of T. ruficapillus. Forages in pairs or singly, mostly 0–2 m above ground, occasionally to 7 m, progressing slowly by short hops separated by pauses of, on average, 2–4 seconds, frequently longer. Perch-gleans from all live leaf, stem and branch surfaces with quick stabbing motion of the bill; sometimes makes short, jumping, upward-directed sallies to take prey from undersides of overhanging vegetation; frequently drops from a low perch to pounce on prey on ground.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Southern)

Little published. Feeds on various insects and other arthropods, including beetles (Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae), moths (Noctuidae), ants (Formicidae), Hemiptera, unidentified insect larvae and flies (Diptera). Apparently feeds not uncommonly on fruit (e.g. Trema) and mistletoe (Rapanea) in SE Brazil. Forages in pairs or singly, mostly 0–2 m above ground, occasionally to 7 m, progressing slowly by short hops separated by pauses of, on average, 2–4 seconds, frequently longer. Perch-gleans from all live leaf, stem and branch surfaces with quick stabbing motion of the bill; sometimes makes short, jumping, upward-directed sallies to take prey from undersides of overhanging vegetation; frequently drops from a low perch to pounce on prey on ground. In SE Brazil, often inspects and probes in bases of bromeliads and large Cattleya orchids, the capture of all but small items being followed by deliberate wiping of the bill on a branch.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Northern)

Loudsong is an accelerating , and rising then falling, series of nasal notes ending in a lower-pitched bark, e.g. “wah, nyah, nyah-nyah-nya-nya-nya’nya-arr”; call a rasping snarl, “aarrrr”, or a rising whine. No differences in loudsong or calls between this species and the formerly conspecific T. ruficapillus have been described to date, although regional differences are believed to exist.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Southern)

Loudsong a moderately long (e.g. 13 notes, 3·3 seconds, nominate race) accelerating series of nasal notes, initial note long and drawn out, followed by increasingly shorter notes, ending in longer downslurred note, similar to that of T. torquatus; pace and number of notes may vary regionally (differences remain to be analysed). Calls include upslurred whistle, also loud raspy “chirr” upslurred at end, likened to sound of canvas being torn; calls may differ regionally.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Northern)

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Southern)

Season Oct–Dec (once in Feb) in Argentina and Oct–Nov in Brazil; birds in breeding condition in E Bolivia (W Santa Cruz) in Jan–Feb, whereas a female had already laid in mid Nov in Chuquisaca, Bolivia. Nest a cup with external diameter 10 cm, internal diameter 6 cm, height 6 cm, depth 5 cm, composed of irregular strips of straw, grasses and short, wrinkled fragments of club-rush (Scirpus), lined with very fine straw, rootlets and some horsehair, with some strands projecting from the bulk of the nest up to 11 cm, the whole decorated with bits of wool and generally straw-yellow in colour, suspended by rim from horizontal fork or parallel branches, to which bound by spider webs, 1–2 m above ground in bush or sapling (most often Scutia or Celtis); an unusual nest in Brazil was a deep cup (outside height 9 cm, inside depth 6 cm) attached to a vertical fork in such a way that the rim was free and the two branches held the entire length of the side wall, approximately like a flag on a pole. Normal clutch (known only for nominate race) three eggs, sometimes two, whitish, with violet-brown and purplish-grey spots and sometimes lines most dense around large end. Brood parasitism by Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis) recorded in Argentina.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Northern)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Fairly common throughout most of its highly disjunct range. Ability of most races to utilize shrubby thickets, forest edge and other forms of second growth renders them of low sensitivity to disturbance. In N Peru, race jaczewskii is rare and poorly known, and is possibly threatened as a result of forest destruction.

Rufous-capped Antshrike (Southern)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Fairly common throughout most of its highly disjunct range, although it is apparently rare and occurs at only low density in Paraguay, where there were no records between the mid 1990s and 2005. Occurs in several protected areas, including Itatiaia, Serra do Cipó, Serra dos Órgãos, Serra do Caparaó and Aparados da Serra National Parks, and Augusto Ruschi Biological Reserve, in Brazil, and El Rey and Calilegua National Parks, Ingeniero Otamendi Reserve and Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, in Argentina. Ability to utilize shrubby thickets, forest edge and other forms of second growth renders species of low sensitivity to disturbance.