Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Poliocrania exsul
Chestnut-backed Antbird (Poliocrania exsul) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Chestnut-backed Antbird (Poliocrania exsul) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 26.5 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 Poliocrania
- Species exsul
Quick facts
- Weight
- 26.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Chestnut-backed 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 Chestnut-backed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Chestnut-backed Antbird (Poliocrania exsul) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Nicaragua to w Ecuador.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 26.5 g, with a wing length of about 6.6 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 160,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Chestnut-backed Antbird?
The Chestnut-backed Antbird is a small bird that weighs around 26.5 g.
Where does the Chestnut-backed Antbird live?
The Chestnut-backed Antbird is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Nicaragua to w Ecuador, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Chestnut-backed Antbird belong to?
The Chestnut-backed Antbird (Poliocrania exsul) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Chestnut-backed Antbird eat?
The Chestnut-backed Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Chestnut-backed Antbird migrate?
The Chestnut-backed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Chestnut-backed 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 Chestnut-backed Antbird make?
1 real field recording of the Chestnut-backed Antbird — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Chestnut-backed Antbird's range?
The Chestnut-backed Antbird has a mapped global range of about 160,000 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.