Photo: Ana Agreda, Aves y Conservación / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Scale-backed Antbird
Willisornis poecilinotus
Common Scale-backed Antbird (Willisornis poecilinotus) — 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 Common Scale-backed Antbird (Willisornis poecilinotus) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 18.4 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 Willisornis
- Species poecilinotus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.4 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 Common Scale-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 Common Scale-backed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Common Scale-backed Antbird (Willisornis poecilinotus) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.4 g, with a wing length of about 6.5 cm and a tail of around 4.3 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 5.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Scale-backed Antbird?
The Common Scale-backed Antbird is a small bird that weighs around 18.4 g.
Where does the Common Scale-backed Antbird live?
The Common Scale-backed Antbird is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Common Scale-backed Antbird belong to?
The Common Scale-backed Antbird (Willisornis poecilinotus) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Common Scale-backed Antbird eat?
The Common Scale-backed Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Common Scale-backed Antbird migrate?
The Common Scale-backed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Common Scale-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 Common Scale-backed Antbird make?
1 real field recording of the Common Scale-backed 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 Common Scale-backed Antbird's range?
The Common Scale-backed Antbird has a mapped global range of about 5.2 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.
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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.