Family Typical Antbirds (Thamnophilidae)
Least Concern
Variable Antshrike (Thamnophilus caerulescens)
Taxonomy
French: Batara bleuâtre German: Wechselameisenwürger Spanish: Batará variable
Taxonomy:
Thamnophilus cærulescens
Vieillot
, 1816,Paraguay
.
Subspecies and Distribution
T. c. melanochrous
P. L. Sclater & Salvin, 1876 – E slope of Andes in Peru (from Amazonas S of R Marañón S to N Puno).
T. c. aspersiventer
d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 – SE Peru (SE Puno) and WC Bolivia (N slope in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz).
T. c. dinellii
Berlepsch, 1906 – EC & S Bolivia on S & E Andean slopes (Santa Cruz S to Tarija), and NW Argentina (E slope from Jujuy S to La Rioja and, at lower elevations, E to Formosa and S to N Córdoba and Santa Fe).
T. c. paraguayensis
Hellmayr, 1904 – SE Bolivia (lowlands of Santa Cruz), NW & NC Paraguay (W of R Paraguay and, to E, in Concepción, Amambay and San Pedro) and S Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul).
T. c. gilvigaster
Pelzeln, 1868 – NE Argentina (E of R Paraná except Misiones), extreme SE Brazil (E Paraná and SE São Paulo S to Rio Grande do Sul) and Uruguay.
T. c. caerulescens
Vieillot, 1816 – SE Paraguay (E of R Paraguay except Concepción, Amambay and San Pedro), extreme N Argentina (Misiones), and N part of SE Brazil (Minas Gerais and SE Bahia S to W Paraná, W & NE São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro).
T. c. ochraceiventer
E. Snethlage, 1928 – EC Brazil (S Tocantins, Goiás, Distrito Federal, SC Bahia).
T. c. cearensis
(Cory, 1919) – NE Brazil (Ceará, Pernambuco, Alagoas).
Descriptive notes
14–16 cm; 15–24 g. Male nominate race has forehead and crown black, side of head grey, upperparts dark grey, mixed with black on lower back, white interscapular... read more
Voice
Loudsong a simple countable series of usually 6–7 plaintive, evenly spaced whistles of same... read more
Habitat
Understorey and mid-storey of evergreen forest, second-growth woodland, and patches of thickets and... read more
Food and feeding
Little published. Feeds primarily on insects, including moths and larval lepidopterans, katydids (Tettigoniidae), grasshoppers (Acrididae... read more
Breeding
Oct–Feb in Brazil, Aug–Nov in Bolivia and Peru and Oct–Dec in Argentina. Nest of dinellii a well-woven cup,... read more
Movements
Ringing at a site in N Argentina (Salta) suggests some movement in S; presumed resident throughout... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Fairly common over most of its extensive range, which includes a number of protected areas. This species’ adaptation to edge habitats, second-... read more
Closest to T. unicolor, these two species, with T. aethiops and T. aroyae, forming a well-supported clade#R; previously considered close to T. amazonicus, but such a relationship now appears unfounded. Although complex plumage variation and unusual geographical distribution suggest present species may merit taxonomic splitting, an innovative study of vocal characters#R found that variation in pace (notes per second) of male loudsongs was clinal and, moreover, that geographical pattern of clines accorded with genetic variation found in molecular study#R. Other proposed races seem indistinguishable or plumage differences appear clinal: thus, subandinus (N Peru) synonymized with melanochrous; connectens (EC Bolivia) with dinellii; albonotatus (EC Brazil) with nominate; and pernambucensis (NE Brazil) with cearensis. Further study required to examine if there is any parapatry without intergradation among accepted races. Eight subspecies recognized.