Dusky antbird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dusky antbird |
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_-NW_Ecuador-8.jpg) |
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| female in NW Ecuador | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cercomacroides
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| Species: |
tyrannina
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| Synonyms | |
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Cercomacra tyrannina |
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The dusky antbird (also called the tyrannine antbird) is a small bird that sings. It belongs to the antbird family. You can find this bird living in warm, tropical areas. Its home stretches from southeastern Mexico through Central America and South America. It lives as far south as western Ecuador and across the Amazon Basin in Brazil.
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Meet the Dusky Antbird
The dusky antbird is about 14.5 centimeters (about 5.7 inches) long. It weighs around 18 grams, which is about as much as three nickels.
What Does It Look Like?
Adult male dusky antbirds are mostly dark grayish-black on their backs. Their undersides are a lighter gray. They also have two white stripes on their wings.
Female dusky antbirds look a bit different. They have brown feathers on their backs. Their undersides are a warm reddish-brown color, like cinnamon. Young birds, especially males, tend to be darker than the adults.
The exact colors of their feathers can change a little depending on where they live. This is because there are different types, or subspecies, of the dusky antbird.
Where Does It Live?
This bird loves to live in thick, wet forests. You can often find it in the dense bushes and plants close to the ground. It especially likes forest edges and clearings. It also lives in areas where tall new plants are growing after older trees were cut down.
Home and Family Life
Dusky antbirds build a small, deep nest. They make it from plant fibers and dead leaves. The nest hangs from a thin branch or vine, usually low in a tree.
The female bird lays two white eggs. These eggs have reddish-brown spots. Both the male and female parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. After the chicks hatch, both parents work together to feed them.
Sounds and Habits
The dusky antbird has a special whistle call that sounds like "kick." When they sing, the male and female sing together! It's a duet. The male sings a rising whistle, like "pu pu pe pi pi." The female answers with a softer, choppy sound, like "juu-ut juu-ut juu-ut juu-ut juu-ut."
What Do They Eat?
Dusky antbirds usually live in pairs all year long. They don't join big groups of different bird species when they look for food. They mainly eat insects and other small creatures like spiders. They find their food by picking it off twigs and leaves in the thick bushes and tangled vines.
It can be tricky to spot a dusky antbird because they live in such dense places. You'll often hear them before you see them!
How Scientists Study Them
Scientists give every living thing a special name. This helps everyone know exactly which animal they are talking about. The dusky antbird was first described by an English zoologist named Philip Sclater in 1855. He gave it the scientific name Pyriglena tyrannina.
Over time, scientists learn more about animals. They use new tools, like studying DNA, to understand how different species are related. Because of new studies, scientists realized that the group of birds the dusky antbird was in, called Cercomacra, needed to be split. So, the dusky antbird and five other species were moved to a new group called Cercomacroides. This helps scientists organize birds more accurately based on their family trees.
