Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Band-tailed Antshrike
Thamnophilus melanothorax
Band-tailed Antshrike (Thamnophilus melanothorax) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Band-tailed Antshrike (Thamnophilus melanothorax) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 31.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thamnophilidae Antbirds
- Genus Thamnophilus
- Species melanothorax
Quick facts
- Weight
- 31.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Band-tailed Antshrike 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 Band-tailed Antshrike is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Band-tailed Antshrike (Thamnophilus melanothorax) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA ne Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 31.8 g, with a wing length of about 7.8 cm and a tail of around 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 302,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Band-tailed Antshrike?
The Band-tailed Antshrike is a small bird that weighs around 31.8 g.
Where does the Band-tailed Antshrike live?
The Band-tailed Antshrike is found across South America with a range covering SA ne Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Band-tailed Antshrike belong to?
The Band-tailed Antshrike (Thamnophilus melanothorax) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Band-tailed Antshrike eat?
The Band-tailed Antshrike is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Band-tailed Antshrike migrate?
The Band-tailed Antshrike is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Band-tailed Antshrike 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 Band-tailed Antshrike make?
1 real field recording of the Band-tailed Antshrike — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Band-tailed Antshrike's range?
The Band-tailed Antshrike has a mapped global range of about 302,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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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.
Meet the Thamnophilidae
A field guide to the Thamnophilidae family — 240 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.