Russet Antshrike Thamnistes anabatinus Scientific name definitions

A widespread inhabitant of the Neotropics, the Russet Antshrike ranges from southern Mexico to northeastern Peru. South of the Marañon River it is replaced by the Rufescent Antshrike (T. rufescens) that has historically been considered a subspecies of the present species. Russet Antshrikes have olive-brown upperparts, an olive-yellow supercilium, cinnamon-rufous wings, and pale yellowish-olive underparts. The sexes are very similar, separable only by the orange-rufous interscapular patch of males, a character that is seldom visible in the field. Found individually or in pairs, and usually within mixed-species flocks, they are energetic foragers, frequently hanging upside down or leaning out to glean arthropods from the outer branches of trees or to probe into clusters of dead leaves. In fact, their lively foraging tactics, and rather plain plumage make them more likely to be mistaken for a foliage-gleaner or vireo instead of another antbird. Russet Antshrikes forage at a wider range of heights above the ground than do many antbirds, though seem to spend the majority of their time in the canopy and subcanopy. Across their considerable range they are found from sea level to around 1,500 m, but are generally most common in evergreen foothill forests, from 400 m to 1,000 m. The nest and eggs have been described, but only once, of the Central American subspecies, saturatus. Of this species at their nest, Alexander Skutch (1 Skutch, A. F. (1969). Life histories of Central American birds III. Pacific Coast Avifauna 35:1–580. Close ) had this to say: “It was difficult, even through binoculars, to detect an antshrike in its deep brown pouch so high above my head, except when, in hot sunshine, it sat higher than usual, panting with open bill. Sometimes I would watch for over an hour without detecting a sign of life at the nest.”