Photo: Jon Irvine / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-tailed Antbird
Myrmoborus melanurus
Black-tailed Antbird (Myrmoborus melanurus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-tailed Antbird (Myrmoborus melanurus) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 18.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thamnophilidae Antbirds
- Genus Myrmoborus
- Species melanurus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-tailed Antbird 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 Black-tailed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-tailed Antbird (Myrmoborus melanurus) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA w Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.1 g, with a wing length of about 6.2 cm and a tail of around 4 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 33,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-tailed Antbird?
The Black-tailed Antbird is a small bird that weighs around 18.1 g.
Where does the Black-tailed Antbird live?
The Black-tailed Antbird is found across South America with a range covering SA w Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-tailed Antbird belong to?
The Black-tailed Antbird (Myrmoborus melanurus) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-tailed Antbird eat?
The Black-tailed Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-tailed Antbird migrate?
The Black-tailed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-tailed Antbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Black-tailed Antbird make?
1 real field recording of the Black-tailed 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-tailed Antbird's range?
The Black-tailed Antbird has a mapped global range of about 33,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Thamnophilidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.