Slaty antwren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slaty antwren |
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Myrmotherula
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| Species: |
schisticolor
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The slaty antwren is a small bird. It belongs to a group called "typical antbirds." You can find this bird in many places. Its home stretches from Mexico in the north, through Central America, and down to countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Contents
About the Slaty Antwren
Different Types of Slaty Antwrens
The slaty antwren has three main types, called subspecies. They are a bit different depending on where they live. These types are M. s. schisticolor, M. s. sanctaemartae, and M. s. interior.
Some other antwrens, like the Rio Suno antwren and Salvadori's antwren, look and act very similar to the slaty antwren. They might even be closely related.
What Does the Slaty Antwren Look Like?
The slaty antwren is a small bird. It is about 9 to 12 centimeters (3.5 to 4.7 inches) long. It weighs about 8.5 to 10 grams (0.3 to 0.35 ounces). This bird has a short tail.
Male Slaty Antwrens
Adult males of the most common type are mostly dark gray. They have a hidden white patch between their shoulders. Their tail is dark gray with thin white edges. Their wings are dark gray with white tips on some feathers. Their throat and upper chest are black.
Female Slaty Antwrens
Adult females have grayish-olive feathers on their upper body. Their tail is a bit browner. Their wings are browner than their back. Their throat is a pale cinnamon color. Their sides and belly are olive-brown, turning yellowish-brown near their tail.
Differences in Subspecies
- Males of the M. s. sanctaemartae type are lighter gray than other males. Their black chest patch is smaller. Females of this type have grayer upper parts and more yellowish-brown underparts.
- Males of the M. s. interior type are somewhere in between the other two types. Their white shoulder patch is small. Females of this type are darker and more blue-gray than sanctaemartae females.
Where Slaty Antwrens Live
The slaty antwren lives in different areas that are not connected. This is called a disjunct distribution.
Main Living Areas
- One group lives from southern Mexico, through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
- Another group lives mostly along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama.
- A third group is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
- The M. s. sanctaemartae type lives in parts of Colombia and Venezuela.
- The M. s. interior type lives in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Forest Homes
Slaty antwrens live in different kinds of moist forests. They usually prefer higher places than other birds of their kind. They like cloudforests and other evergreen forests. They can also be found in secondary woodland, which is forest that has grown back after being cut down.
In Central America, they live from sea level up to about 1,250 meters (4,100 feet) high. In Costa Rica, they can be found up to 2,000 meters (6,560 feet). In Colombia, they live between 1,000 and 2,300 meters (3,280 and 7,550 feet). In Ecuador, they live between 400 and 1,700 meters (1,300 and 5,580 feet) high.
Slaty Antwren Behavior
Movement and Travel
Slaty antwrens are believed to stay in the same area all year round. They do not migrate to different places.
What Slaty Antwrens Eat
Slaty antwrens mostly eat insects and spiders. They look for food alone, in pairs, or with their family. They often join mixed-species feeding flocks. These are groups of different bird species that hunt for food together.
They usually search for food in thick plants, about 1 to 6 meters (3 to 20 feet) above the ground. They also look on the ground or as high as 12 meters (39 feet) up. They find prey by looking closely at leaves, dead leaf clusters, and branches. They might also quickly fly out from a perch to catch an insect. Sometimes, they follow army ant swarms to catch insects that the ants stir up.
Reproduction and Family Life
The breeding season for slaty antwrens changes depending on the location. In Costa Rica, they breed from March to July. In Venezuela, they breed in January and February.
Nests and Eggs
Their nest is a deep cup shape. It is made from thin fungal parts and held together with spider silk. The nest usually hangs from a branch fork or between two branches. It is often in a small tree, about 2 meters (6.5 feet) above the ground.
A female slaty antwren usually lays two eggs. The eggs are white or cream colored with reddish or purplish marks. One egg took about 15 days to hatch. Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs during the day. The female sits on them alone at night. The young birds leave the nest after about nine days. Both parents bring food to the nestlings.
Slaty Antwren Sounds
The slaty antwren's song is an "upslurred whistle." It sounds like "wheet." They sing single notes a few seconds apart or faster, with two to four notes. Their calls include a "downslurred nasal whine" and "sharp 'chip' notes." Sometimes, these chip notes are repeated quickly like a twitter.
Slaty Antwren Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says the slaty antwren is of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
The bird lives in a very large area. There are at least 50,000 adult slaty antwrens, but their numbers are thought to be going down. No immediate big threats have been found. The bird is common in some areas and less common in others. It lives in many protected areas.
However, the forests where these birds like to live are sometimes affected by human activity. This could put some groups of slaty antwrens at risk in the future.
