Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Dot-backed Antbird
Hylophylax punctulatus
Dot-backed Antbird (Hylophylax punctulatus) — 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 Dot-backed Antbird (Hylophylax punctulatus) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 12.4 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 Hylophylax
- Species punctulatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Dot-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 Dot-backed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Dot-backed Antbird (Hylophylax punctulatus) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.4 g, with a wing length of about 5.9 cm and a tail of around 3.1 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 3.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Dot-backed Antbird?
The Dot-backed Antbird is a very small bird that weighs around 12.4 g.
Where does the Dot-backed Antbird live?
The Dot-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 Dot-backed Antbird belong to?
The Dot-backed Antbird (Hylophylax punctulatus) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Dot-backed Antbird eat?
The Dot-backed Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Dot-backed Antbird migrate?
The Dot-backed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Dot-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 Dot-backed Antbird make?
1 real field recording of the Dot-backed Antbird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Dot-backed Antbird's range?
The Dot-backed Antbird has a mapped global range of about 3.1 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
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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.