Skip to main content

Photo: Gary L.Clark / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Yellow-breasted Antwren

Herpsilochmus axillaris

Yellow-breasted Antwren (Herpsilochmus axillaris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

See what's near you right now

The Yellow-breasted Antwren (Herpsilochmus axillaris) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 11.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Thamnophilidae Antbirds
  4. Genus Herpsilochmus
  5. Species axillaris

Where it lives

Western Colombia to southeastern Peru

Quick facts

Weight
11.4 g
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Yellow-breasted Antwren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Yellow-breasted Antwren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Yellow-breasted Antwren (Herpsilochmus axillaris) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA w Colombia to se Peru.

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.4 g, with a wing length of about 5.2 cm and a tail of around 4.7 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 109,000 km².

Songs & calls

Yellow-breasted Antwren — Song

Recorded by Carlos Delgado JUMABITA Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Yellow-breasted Antwren?

The Yellow-breasted Antwren is a very small bird that weighs around 11.4 g.

Where does the Yellow-breasted Antwren live?

The Yellow-breasted Antwren is found across South America with a range covering SA w Colombia to se Peru, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Yellow-breasted Antwren belong to?

The Yellow-breasted Antwren (Herpsilochmus axillaris) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Yellow-breasted Antwren eat?

The Yellow-breasted Antwren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Yellow-breasted Antwren migrate?

The Yellow-breasted Antwren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Yellow-breasted Antwren endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Yellow-breasted Antwren make?

1 real field recording of the Yellow-breasted Antwren — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Yellow-breasted Antwren's range?

The Yellow-breasted Antwren has a mapped global range of about 109,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Thamnophilidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Meet the Thamnophilidae

A field guide to the Thamnophilidae family — 240 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

Back to top