Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-and-white Antbird
Myrmochanes hemileucus
Black-and-white Antbird (Myrmochanes hemileucus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-and-white Antbird (Myrmochanes hemileucus) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 12.5 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 Myrmochanes
- Species hemileucus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-and-white Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-and-white Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-and-white Antbird (Myrmochanes hemileucus) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA w Amazon and tributaries.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.5 g, with a wing length of about 5.4 cm and a tail of around 3.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 261,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-and-white Antbird?
The Black-and-white Antbird is a very small bird that weighs around 12.5 g.
Where does the Black-and-white Antbird live?
The Black-and-white Antbird is found across South America with a range covering SA w Amazon and tributaries, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-and-white Antbird belong to?
The Black-and-white Antbird (Myrmochanes hemileucus) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-and-white Antbird eat?
The Black-and-white Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-and-white Antbird migrate?
The Black-and-white Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-and-white Antbird 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 Black-and-white Antbird make?
1 real field recording of the Black-and-white Antbird — 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 Black-and-white Antbird's range?
The Black-and-white Antbird has a mapped global range of about 261,000 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.