<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='359665'>Large-tailed Antshrike
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En bref
- Scientific Name: Thamnophilus melanurus
- Spanish Name: Batará colilargo
- Family: Thamnophilidae
- Known Nicknames: Large-tailed Antshrike, Black-tailed Antshrike
- Average Length: 16–18 cm / 6.3–7.1 in
- Average Weight: 24–30 g / 0.85–1.06 oz
- Envergure : N/A
- Key Feature: Long, graduated tail with white tips on outer rectrices
- Régime alimentaire principal : Principalement insectivore
- Range: Amazon Basin and Guianas (northern South America east of the Andes)
- Habitat: Understory and edges of humid lowland rainforest and várzea
- Social Structure: Usually seen in pairs or small family groups
- Nesting/Breeding: Cup-shaped nest in a fork of a small tree or shrub
- Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
- Évolution démographique : Stable
The Large-tailed Antshrike (*Thamnophilus melanurus*) is a striking passerine bird of Central and South American lowland forests, named for its notably long, graduated tail that often cocks upward as it moves through dense undergrowth. Males are a sleek charcoal black with fine white speckling on the wings and a bold, white-tipped tail, while females are a warm rufous-brown above with a buffy underside and a faintly streaked throat. A special feature is its persistent, nasal “kaw-kaw-kaw” duet, sung by mated pairs as they forage for insects and small arthropods in the tangled thickets, making them more often heard than seen.
Faits amusants
The Large-tailed Antshrike has a bizarre, almost comical habit of “anting”—it will deliberately crush ants and rub them through its feathers, using the formic acid as a natural pesticide and fungicide. Despite its name, its tail isn’t exceptionally long; the “large-tailed” moniker actually refers to the male’s distinctive, oversized white tail tips that flash conspicuously during its slow, deliberate wing-flicking displays. It’s also a vocal mimic, capable of perfectly copying the calls of other Amazonian birds to confuse rivals or lure in curious prey.
Habitats et répartition
The Large-tailed Antshrike inhabits dense, humid lowland forests, including terra firme and várzea forests, as well as forest edges, secondary growth, and overgrown plantations. It strongly favors areas with thick understory vegetation, often near watercourses like streams and rivers. Its geographical range spans across the western and central Amazon Basin, occurring in southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil, extending eastward to the Rio Negro and Rio Madeira. The species is generally resident and non-migratory within this region.
Comportements & Reproduction
The Large-tailed Antshrike is typically observed in monogamous pairs, which maintain a permanent territory and engage in cooperative behaviors such as duet calling to reinforce pair bonds and defend resources. Mating occurs during the rainy season, with the male performing a courtship display involving wing-flicking and low, soft calls while offering nesting material. The female constructs a deep, cup-shaped nest in a thorny bush or vine tangle, where she lays two white eggs marked with reddish-brown spots. Both parents share incubation duties for about 14–16 days, and after hatching, they cooperatively feed the chicks, which fledge at roughly 12–14 days. A notable reproductive strategy is the species’ tendency to reuse and refurbish old nests from previous breeding attempts, reducing energy expenditure on construction. Brood parasitism by the Striped Cuckoo has been documented, though the antshrike exhibits no specific anti-parasite defenses, suggesting a reliance on nest concealment and parental vigilance.
Alimentation
The Large-tailed Antshrike is an insectivorous bird whose diet consists primarily of a wide variety of arthropods, with a strong preference for large insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, katydids, and caterpillars. It also regularly consumes spiders, and occasionally small lizards or frogs. An interesting dietary fact is that this species is a gleaning specialist, meaning it forages by methodically hopping through dense understory vegetation and vine tangles, plucking prey directly from leaves and bark rather than catching it in flight. It often joins mixed-species foraging flocks, where it benefits from the disturbance created by other birds, which flushes hidden insects into view. Additionally, the antshrike will sometimes follow army ant swarms to snap up insects and other small creatures fleeing the advancing column, a behavior known as "ant-following."
Couleurs
The male Large-tailed Antshrike is primarily dark gray to black with a black tail broadly tipped white, while the female is warm brown above and buffy below, both sexes showing bold white spots on the wing coverts and a white stripe through the eye. This countershading and disruptive patterning helps them blend into the shadowy understory of humid forests, with the white tail tips aiding in flushing prey or signaling.
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