Photo: Rick elis.simpson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Chestnut-backed Antshrike
Thamnophilus palliatus
Chestnut-backed Antshrike (Thamnophilus palliatus) — 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 Chestnut-backed Antshrike (Thamnophilus palliatus) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults measure 16.0 cm and weigh 27 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 palliatus
Quick facts
- Size
- 16.0 cm
- Weight
- 27 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike (Thamnophilus palliatus) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA s Amazonia and se Brazil.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27 g and measures about 16.0 cm in length, with a wing length of about 7.1 cm and a tail of around 6.6 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 2.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Chestnut-backed Antshrike?
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike is a small bird that weighs around 27 g and measures about 16.0 cm.
Where does the Chestnut-backed Antshrike live?
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike is found across South America with a range covering SA s Amazonia and se Brazil, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Chestnut-backed Antshrike belong to?
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike (Thamnophilus palliatus) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Chestnut-backed Antshrike eat?
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Chestnut-backed Antshrike migrate?
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Chestnut-backed 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 Chestnut-backed Antshrike make?
1 real field recording of the Chestnut-backed Antshrike — 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 Chestnut-backed Antshrike's range?
The Chestnut-backed Antshrike has a mapped global range of about 2.5 million 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
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
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.