Wikipedia / Formicivora
Wikipedia / Formicivora
Formicivora is a genus of insectivorous birds in the antbird family, Thamnophilidae. These relatively small, long-tailed antbirds are strongly sexually dichromatic. They are found in semi-open habitats in woodland and shrub in South America. They have several rows of white spots on the wings. Males are usually darker below than they are above, and sometimes have a fringe of white on the side.
The genus Formicivora was introduced by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1824. The type species is the southern white-fringed antwren. The name of the genus Formicivora combines the Latin words formica for "ant" and -vorus "eating" from vorare "to devour".
The Sincorá antwren was first described in 2007. While initially placed in its own genus Stymphalornis, the marsh antwren belongs in Formicivora. In contrast, the black-hooded antwren is not closely related to other Formicivora and may be better placed in its own genus.
There are nine species:
Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
Formicivora iheringi | northern Atlantic Forest | ||
Formicivora erythronotos | southern Atlantic Forest | ||
Formicivora grisea | northern South America | ||
Formicivora intermedia | Colombia and Venezuela | ||
Formicivora serrana | mid Atlantic Forest | ||
Formicivora melanogaster | Brazil and eastern Bolivia | ||
Formicivora rufa | Brazil, eastern Bolivia and southern Amazonia | ||
Formicivora grantsaui | |||
Formicivora acutirostris | southern Atlantic Forest |
References