Forest Understory Insectivores

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Forest Understory Insectivores

• Including Focal Species for Costa Rica and
  Nicaragua Field Work

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Study SpeciesDot-winged Antwren (Microrhopias
quixensis)

• Diagnostics
• Small (4.25) bird with single, broad white wing
  bar white dots down shoulder and broad, white
  tail tips
• Male similar to white-flanked antwren, but lacks
  white flanks
• Male looks vaguely similar to male Western
  Slaty-antshrikes or Dusky Antbirds, but the
  antwren is smaller and more active.
• Habitat and Behaviour
• Found in mixed flocks in lower to middle levels
  of mature wet forest and adjacent advanced second
  growth. Foraging heights range 2-30m, average
  13.5, at BCI.
• Often forages in dense vine tangles, sometimes
  (but not always) in dead aerial leaf litter
  clusters. Gleans insects off leaf undersides.
• Series of high, fast notes, which rise initially
  in pitch and intensity before descending, also
  does a sharp speEa

Male
Female
Click to hear vocalizations
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Study SpeciesWhite-flanked Antwren(Myrmotherula
axillaris)

• Diagnostics
• Very small (3.5) bird.
• Male similar to dot-winged antwren, but with
  narrower white wingbar and fluffy white flanks
• Femaledark iris, gray cap, white flanks.
  Similar to female checker-throated antwren, but
  with lighter breast belly, dark eye, grayer
  head, and thinner bill.
• Habitat and Behaviour
• Found in mixed flocks. Forages actively in lower
  to middle levels of mature wet forest and
  advanced adjacent second growth. Gleans insects
  off leaf undersides.
• Both habitat and microhabitat use appear to be
  more variable than other antwren species found
  foraging at a wide range of heights in a range of
  forest types and ages. Prefers open understory
  at BCI, unlike the other two antwren species,
  which prefer dense vine tangles.
• Song
• Series of high tswee notes that drop in pitch and
  intensity

Male
Female
Click to hear vocalizations
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Study SpeciesChecker-throated Antwren(Myrmotheru
la fulviventris)

• Diagnostics
• Small (4) bird with pale iris and blackish wing
  coverts
• Male has black white throat pattern
• Female is similar to female white-flanked
  antwren, but with darker, rufous breast belly,
  light eye, and heavier bill.
• Habitat and Behaviour
• Found in mixed flocks. Forages in lower to
  middle levels of mature wet forest and adjacent
  second growth.
• Forages almost exclusively in dead aerial leaf
  litter clusters caught in dense vine tangles,
  gleaning insects from within the leaf clusters.
• Foraging height ranges 0.5-25m, average 10.5m at
  BCI.
• Song
• Monosyllabic series of high, thin tsit notes, the
  first few notes somewhat more emphatic

Click to hear vocalizations
Male Female
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Study SpeciesGolden-crowned Spadebill

• Diagnostics
• Tiny (3.25) bird with greenish back and obvious
  golden-rust crown.
• Male and female indistinguishable in the field
• Habitat and Behaviour
• Found in the understory of lowland wet forests
  and advanced second growth.
• Forages by sitting and waiting in the understory,
  then making upward strikes to capture insects on
  the undersides of large leaves (e.g., palms,
  Heliconias)
• Song
• High pitched, rapid, hissing trill that undulates
  slightly and lasts about two seconds could
  easily be mistaken for an insect call.

Click to hear vocalizations
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Study SpeciesRuddy-tailed Flycatcher(Terenotricc
us erythrurus)

• Diagnostics
• Very small (3.5) bird with rufous wings, tail,
  and underparts, and a fairly distinctly-contrastin
  g gray head
• Male and female indistinguishable in the field
• Habitat and Behaviour
• Found in lower and middle understory of lowland
  wet forest.
• Periodically raises wings above back, then lowers
  them, in one quick motion, often while calling.
• Active hunter at La Selva this species was
  found to forage near-exclusively on plant-hoppers
  (HemipteraFulgoroidae), which they would flush
  from leaf undersides and actively chase until
  capture.
• Song
• High speeee spit

Click to hear vocalizations
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Other Understory Insectivores

• The following species are not included as focal
  species in my study, but are also understory
  insectivores, and so are species of particular
  interest. Many of these species have also
  experienced declines at La Selva and elsewhere
  (e.g., BCI) following isolation. These species
  will be targeted during nest-searching.
• Species marked with a star following the
  scientific name have declined at La Selva since
  the 1960s (per Sigel et al. 2006).

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White-whiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila
panamensis)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Scaly-throated Leaftosser (Sclerurus
guatemalensis)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Fasciated Antshrike (Cymbilaimus lineatus)
Female
Male
Click to hear vocalizations
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Great Antshrike (Taraba major)
Female
Male
Click to hear vocalizations
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Russet Antshrike (Thamnistes anabatinus)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Western Slaty-antshrike(Thamnophilus atrinucha)
Male
Female
Click to hear vocalizations
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Spectacled Antpitta (Hylopezus perspicillatus)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Bare-crowned Antbird (Gymnocichla nudiceps)
Male
Female
Click to hear vocalizations
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Chestnut-backed Antbird (Myrmeciza exsul)
Female
Male
Click to hear vocalizations
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Dusky Antbird(Cercomacra tyrannina)
Male
Female
Click to hear vocalizations
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Streak-crowned Antvireo (Dysithamnus
striaticeps)
Picture unavailable see field guide
Click to hear vocalizations
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Bright-rumped Attila (Attila spadiceus)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Tawny-chested Flycatcher (Aphanotriccus
capitalis)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher (Myiobius
sulphureipygius)
Note Also has distinct yellow rump patch not
seen in this picture
Click to hear vocalizations
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Black-capped Pygmy-tyrant (Myiornis
atricapillus)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Northern Bentbill (Oncostoma cinereigulare)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Eye-ringed Flatbill (Rhynchocyclus brevirostris)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Striped-breasted Wren (Thryothorus thoracicus)
Click to hear vocalizations
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White-breasted Wood-wren (Henicorhina
leucosticta)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Song Wren (Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus)
Picture unavailable see field guide
Click to hear vocalizations
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Tawny-faced Gnatwren (Microbates
cinereiventris)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Long-billed Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Tawny-crowned Greenlet (Hylophilus ochraceiceps)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Dusky-faced Tanager (Mitrospingus cassinii)
Click to hear vocalizations
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Tawny-crested Tanager (Tachyphonus delatrii)
Male and Female
Male
Click to hear vocalizations
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QUIZ TIME!

• Test your ID skills with the following pictures.
  Answers are in the notes at the bottom of the
  screen.

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Now, its time to test your knowledge of
vocalizations. Here are the vocalizations of the
focal species see how many you can identify
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