Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird
Sciaphylax hemimelaena
Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird (Sciaphylax hemimelaena) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird (Sciaphylax hemimelaena) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 16 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 Sciaphylax
- Species hemimelaena
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Southern Chestnut-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 Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird (Sciaphylax hemimelaena) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA s Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16 g, with a wing length of about 5.5 cm and a tail of around 3.8 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 2.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird?
The Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird is a small bird that weighs around 16 g.
Where does the Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird live?
The Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird is found across South America with a range covering SA s Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird belong to?
The Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird (Sciaphylax hemimelaena) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird eat?
The Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird migrate?
The Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Southern Chestnut-tailed 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 Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird make?
1 real field recording of the Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird — including its duet — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird's range?
The Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird 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.
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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.