View source for Ihering's antwren

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Ihering's antwren
| image = Myrmotherula iheringi heteroptera Purus Antwren (male); Atalaia do Norte, Amazonas, Brazil (cropped).jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=
Ihering's Antwren ''Myrmotherula iheringi'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T22701517A93833795 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22701517A93833795.en |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref>
| genus = Myrmotherula
| species = iheringi
| authority = [[Emilia Snethlage|Snethlage]], 1914
| synonyms =
| range_map = Myrmotherula iheringi map.svg
}}
'''Ihering's antwren''' ('''''Myrmotherula iheringi''''') is a species of [[bird]] in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family [[Thamnophilidae]], the "typical antbirds". It is found in [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], and [[Peru]].<ref name=IOC14.1>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/antbirds/ |title=Antbirds |website=IOC World Bird List |version =v 14.1 | editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen |date=January 2024 |access-date=January 4, 2024 }}</ref>
==Taxonomy and systematics==
Ihering's antwren has three subspecies, the [[Nominate subspecies|nominate]] ''M. i. iheringi'' ([[Emilia Snethlage|Snethlage]], 1914), ''M. i. heteroptera'' ([[W. E. Clyde Todd|Todd]], 1927), and ''M. i. oreni'' (Miranda, Aleixo, Whitney, Silveira, Guilherme, MPD Santos & MPC Schneider, 2013).<ref name=IOC14.1/> Subspecies ''M. i. oreni'' was initially described as a full species, and the same authors suggested that ''M. i. heteroptera'' also deserved to be treated as a species.<ref name=Miranda>Miranda, L.; Aleixo, A.; Whitney, B.M.; Silveira, L.F.; Guilherme, E.; Santos, M.P.D.; and Schneider, M.P.C. (2013). Molecular systematics and taxonomic revision of the Ihering’s Antwren complex ''(Myrmotherula iheringi'': Thamnophilidae), with description of a new species from southwestern Amazonia. Pp. 268–271 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J. & Christie, D.A. eds. (2013). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Special Volume: New Species and Global Index. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona</ref> At least one other author had earlier suggested that Ihering's antwren as then known included more than one species.<ref>Whittaker, A. (2009). Pousada Rio Roosevelt: a provisional avifaunal inventory in south-western Amazonian Brazil, with information on life history, new distributional data and comments on taxonomy. Cotinga 31:23–46</ref>
The species' English name and [[specific epithet]] honor [[Hermann von Ihering]], a German ornithologist who worked mainly in Brazil.<ref name=IHAN-BOW>Zimmer, K., M.L. Isler, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Ihering's Antwren (''Myrmotherula iheringi''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.iheant1.01 retrieved February 13, 2024</ref>
==Description==
Ihering's antwren is {{convert|8.5|to|9.5|cm|in|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} long and weighs {{convert|7.5|to|9|g|oz|sigfig=2|abbr=on}}. It is a smallish bird with a shortish tail. Adult males of all three subspecies have dark gray upperparts with a hidden white patch between the shoulders. Their wings are dark gray with white-tipped black [[coverts]]. Their tail is dark gray. Their lower cheeks, throat, upper breast, and center of their lower breast are black. The rest of their underparts are a paler gray than the upperparts except for a whitish center to the belly. Adult females of the nominate subspecies have blue-gray upperparts. Their throat is whitish and their underparts pale buff. Subadult males resemble adult females with a blotchy black throat. Females of subspecies ''M. i. heteroptera'' have an [[ochraceous]] tinge to their upperparts and buff tips to their wing coverts. Females of subspecies ''M. i. oreni'' have a pale horn forehead, [[supercilium]], and ring around the eye. Their upperparts are pure gray and the wing coverts' spots are white. The sides of their neck, throat, and belly are yellow-ochre.<ref name=IHAN-BOW/><ref name=vanPerlo>{{cite book | last =van Perlo | first = Ber| title =A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil | publisher =Oxford University Press | date =2009 | location =New York | pages =242–243 | isbn =978-0-19-530155-7 }}</ref>
==Distribution and habitat==
Ihering's antwren is a bird of the western [[Amazon Basin]] south of the Amazon. The nominate subspecies is found in south-central Brazil from the drainages of the rios [[Ji-Paraná River|Jiparaná]] and [[Roosevelt River|Roosevelt]] east to the [[Rio Tapajós]] and south into [[Rondônia]]. Subspecies ''M. i. heteroptera'' is found in southwestern Brazil from the headwaters of the [[Rio Juruá]] east to the [[Rio Madeira]]. Subspecies ''M. i. oreni'' is found in east-central and southeastern Peru, extreme northwestern Bolivia, and far western Brazil's [[Acre (state)|Acre state]].<ref name=IHAN-BOW/>
Ihering's antwren inhabits the understorey to mid-storey of [[evergreen forest]] in the lowlands, of both ''[[Forest#Tropical moist|terra firme]]'' and [[transitional forest]] types. Subspecies ''M. i. oreni'' is very strongly associated with, and possibly restricted to, stands of ''[[Guadua]]'' bamboo. The other two subspecies favor areas with heavy vine tangles with or without bamboo. In elevation the species occurs below about {{convert|400|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=IHAN-BOW/><ref name=vanPerlo/>
==Behavior==
===Movement===
Ihering's antwren is believed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.<ref name=IHAN-BOW/>
===Feeding===
The diet of Ihering's antwren is not known in detail but is probably mostly mostly insects and spiders. It forages singly, in pairs, or in family groups, and usually as part of a [[mixed-species feeding flock]]. It feeds mostly between about {{convert|3|and|10|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} above the ground. It seeks prey by gleaning live leaves, and also takes prey from clusters of dead leaves, vine tangles, and along branches by gleaning, reaching, lunging, and with short sallies from a perch. Subspecies ''M. i. oreni'' apparently mostly takes prey from bamboo leaves and stems.<ref name=IHAN-BOW/>
===Breeding===
The breeding season of Ihering's antwren is almost unknown. Observations in Peru hint that it spans at least July to November there. The species' nest has not been formally described but from photographs appears to be a deep cup. The clutch size is apparently two eggs; both parents incubate the clutch and provision the young. The incubation period and time to fledging are not known.<ref name=IHAN-BOW/>
{{birdsong|url=https://xeno-canto.org/species/Myrmotherula-iheringi |species=Ihering's antwren}}
===Vocalization===
The songs of the three subspecies of Ihering's antwren differ somewhat, but are generally "a countable series of intense, downslurred 'peer' notes". The song of subspecies ''M. i. oreni'' is higher pitched than those of the other two subspecies. The subspecies' calls are apparently alike, "a disyllabic 'pe-weet', second syllable a sharp downslurred whistle".<ref name=IHAN-BOW/>
==Status==
The [[IUCN]] has assessed Ihering's antwren as being of Least Concern. It has a large range; its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified.<ref name=IUCN/> It is considered "uncommon and somewhat local" and occurs in a few large protected areas. "More surveys are needed in order better to assess the species’ distribution and population status in Brazil."<ref name=IHAN-BOW/>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Wikispecies-inline|Myrmotherula iheringi}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1259472}}
[[Category:Myrmotherula|Ihering's antwren]]
[[Category:Birds of the Bolivian Amazon]]
[[Category:Birds of the Brazilian Amazon]]
[[Category:Birds of Peruvian Amazonia]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1914|Ihering's antwren]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Emilie Snethlage|Ihering's antwren]]
[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]]