White-masked Antbird

The white-masked antbird (''Pithys castaneus'') is a Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is endemic to Peru.

Taxonomy and systematics

The white-masked antbird was known only from its type specimen from its discovery in 1937 until 2001 when its status as a species was confirmed. It had been suggested instead to be a hybrid of two antbird species.Lane, D. F., T. Valqui H., J. Alvarez A., J. Armenta, and K. Eckhardt (2006). The rediscovery and natural history of the White-masked Antbird (''Pithys castaneus''). Wilson Journal of Ornithology 118(1):13–22 It shares genus ''Pithys'' with the white-plumed antbird (''P. albifrons''). It has no subspecies.

Description

The white-masked antbird is about long. The sexes are alike. Adults are mostly bright rufous chestnut. Their crown, nape, lower ear coverts, and the sides of their throat are black. Their lores, a wide area around their eye, their chin, and their throat are white. Juveniles are a duller rufous chestnut, with less white on the face and with sooty brown replacing the adult's black on the head. Adults have a brown or dark brown iris and brownish orange or ochre orange legs and feet. Juveniles' iris is dark gray and their legs and feet gray-tinged dirty yellow. All ages have a blackish slate bill with silvery white cutting edges.Schulenberg, T. S. and G. M. Kirwan (2020). White-masked Antbird (''Pithys castaneus''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whmant2.01 retrieved May 24, 2024Schulenberg, T.S., D.F. Stotz, D.F. Lane, J.P. O’Neill, and T.A. Parker III. 2010. ''Birds of Peru''. Revised and updated edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Plate 173

Distribution and habitat

The white-masked antbird is found in northern Peru in a small area from northeastern Amazonas Department into western Loreto. It inhabits a type of stunted forest called ''varillal'' that grows on white sand soil. Its floor typically has a thick layer of humus and dead leaves, and the trees reach a height of about . All of the known sites are below an elevation of .

Behavior

Movement

The white-masked antbird is not known to migrate.

Feeding

The white-masked antbird is an obligate ant follower that feeds on arthropods that flee foraging army ant swarms. It typically forages near the front of the ant swarm, sallying or dropping to the ground from a low perch. Up to four have been observed at a swarm.

Breeding

Juvenile white-masked antbirds have been observed in July but nothing else is known about the species' breeding biology.

Vocalization

The white-masked antbird's song is "a rising, whiny whistled ''huuuuuureee?'' with short, quiet, chiming ''tur'e'e'' notes often interspersed between whistles". Its calls include "a quiet, descending, mewed ''whew'', a harsh, descending ''t'char''...a sharp ''tchip!'' nda low, barely descending, harsh ''grrah''".

Status

The IUCN originally in 1994 assessed the white-masked antbird as Data Deficient and since 2008 as Near Threatened. It is known from only a few sites within a very limited range and its estimated population of between 1500 and 7000 mature individuals is believed to be decreasing. "Rates of habitat loss within its known range are poorly known, but its habitat has been damaged by the construction of an oil pipeline, and several roads are planned. Obligate ant-followers are usually some of the first species to be lost from fragmented forests so this species is likely to be declining due to these pressures."

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1263133

white-masked antbird
white-masked antbird
Birds of Peruvian Amazonia
Endemic birds of Peru
white-masked antbird
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot