Spot-winged Antbird Myrmelastes leucostigma Scientific name definitions

Sometimes placed in the genus Percnostola, or in Schistocichla, Spot-winged Antbird is a widespread inhabitant of Amazonian forests, from southern Venezuela and the Guianas south to Brazil and northeastern Peru. It inhabits terra firme forest, albeit often in poorly drained areas, principally below 500 m, but to 1700 m in the pantepui region, where it is often found in steep-sloped terrain. Spot-winged Antbird principally forages at ground level, searching for insects and other invertebrates, usually by perch-gleaning but sometimes by flicking leaves over. It regularly follows army ant swarms, but like congenerics this species is not a ‘professional’ antbird. The species’ plumage is typical of the genus. Males are largely gray, with pink legs and a couple of rows of white spots on the wing coverts, while females are largely orange-rufous below and on the wing coverts, becoming browner over the back and head, with a gray face.

14–16 cm; 22–28·5 g (nominate), 20·3–25·6 g (race infuscatussubplumbeus). Male nominate race is rather dark grey above; wings and tail blackish grey, wing-coverts broadly tipped white; head-sides, throat and underparts pale grey to grey, darker on sides and posteriorly; underwing-coverts grey; legs pinkish. Female has crown dark grey, upperparts dark cinnamon-brown, wings and tail blackish brown, wing-covert tips pale cinnamon-rufous; sides of head grey, throat and underparts tawny, paler on throat and belly, becoming olive-brown on flanks and undertail-coverts; underwing-coverts light tawny. Juvenile apparently resembles female; subadult male resembles female or male (appears to vary among races). Races vary mainly in plumage darkness and coloration, size of wing-covert spots, and leg colour: <em>subplumbeus</em> male is darker below than nominate (little contrast with upperparts), white wing-covert tips smaller, legs bluish-grey, female throat and underparts rufous-brown; intensus is similar to previous but darker, female with blackish crown contrasting with deep brown upperparts; and infuscatus has legs bluish grey or pinkish, male has wing-covert spots small, female has sides of head brownish olive.

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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.

Inhabits understorey and floor of humid, lowland, foothill and montane evergreen forest; mostly occurs below 500 m, but found up to 1650 m in Peruvian Andes (lower in Ecuador). In lowlands usually associated with dense understorey vegetation along forest streams (igarapés in Brazil) or in low-lying, poorly drained areas inside terra firme or transitional forest; occasionally recorded in seasonally flooded forest.

Little information published. Feeds on variety of insects, also arachnids; stomach contents of birds in extreme SW Venezuela were insects, including beetles, small lizard parts and large spiders. Recorded prey in Brazil (Amapá) include homopterans, hymenopterans, orthopterans, beetles (Coleoptera), ants (Formicidae) and an unidentified vertebrate. Closely associated pair-members, individuals, or family groups forage mostly 0–1 m above ground, usually apart from mixed-species flocks. Forages mostly on the ground, along rotting logs or from low perches, in dense vegetation (particularly ferns, Heliconia, and other broad-leaved herbaceous plants), treefalls and piles of organic debris, usually along forest streams or in swampy depressions within forest. Active but methodical forager ; progresses by short hops, mostly on ground, but regularly hopping up to low perches (horizontal, inclined or vertical), where it frequently pauses for 1–3 seconds to scan for prey; often clings laterally (with lower leg extended, upper leg flexed) to slender vertical stems; regularly flicks tail upwards to just above horizontal, then dips it slowly to 30 degrees below horizontal. Perch-gleans prey mostly from undersides of overhanging leaves, or from stems and branches, by reaching or by short (less than 15 cm) jump-gleans; just as commonly from leaf litter and root tangles on floor, by hopping along ground or by hanging “upside-down” from perches just above ground, sometimes by flipping leaves with its bill; sometimes probes curled dead leaves trapped in bases of ferns or shrubs, or on logs; occasionally flutter-chases prey flushed from litter (mostly moths or orthopterans). Regularly follows swarms of army ants in pursuit of flushed arthropods (published records available from Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela), although not a “professional” follower, and more often seen away from ants; subordinate to obligate ant-following species, and typically relegated to foraging around periphery of swarm; when foraging over ants, usually takes low perches and hops or sallies to the ground to seize prey, then rapidly hops back up to a perch; also sometimes remains on ground between columns of ants, and tosses leaves in order to expose hidden prey.

Loudsong nominate race a long rapid trill (e.g. 40 notes, 4·8 seconds) of musical notes, evenly paced and flat in pitch (or nearly so), sometimes rising very slightly at beginning and slightly falling and decelerating at end, rendered “pi’i’i’i’i’i’I’I’I’i’i’i’i’i’i’i’i’ (race intensus); close analysis of recordings suggests that loudsong of race subplumbeus decline more sharply in peak frequency across final quarter. Calls includes long, downslurred, typically frequency-modulated whistle, abrupt unclear note given singly or in series of 2–5, and short rattle.

Little known. Nest-building observed in Oct at two sites in French Guiana; fledgling seen in early Jan in Brazil (near Manaus); season in Ecuador (at Limoncocha) inferred as Mar–Oct on basis of gonadal condition of females, presence of juveniles, and moult patterns; in SW Amazonas (Venezuela) at least some birds in breeding condition in Feb. In French Guiana, male brought small rootlets to a nest under construction beneath large rotten log crossing a creek inside forest (nest not completed owing to heavy rain and consequent flooding). See also comments under M. saturatus.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon throughout most of its range. Range includes a number of protected areas, examples of which are Serranía de la Neblina and Jaua-Sarisariñama National Parks, Caura Forest Reserve, Imataca Forest Reserve and El Dorado, and Alto Orinoco-Casiquiare Biosphere Reserve, in Venezuela; Iwokrama Forest Reserve, Guyana; Brownsberg and Kabalebo Nature Reserves, Suriname; Amacayacú National Park, in Colombia; Yasuní National Park, in Ecuador; and Serra do Divisor and Jaú National Parks, Roraima and Caxiuanã National Forests, and Palmarı ́Natural Reserve, in Brazil. Regions inhabited by species also encompass extensive areas of intact habitat which are not formally protected, but seem unlikely to be threatened by development in the near future.