Yapacana antbird

Yapacana antbird
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Thamnophilidae
Genus:	Aprositornis Isler, Bravo & Brumfield, 2013
Species:	A. disjuncta
Binomial name
Aprositornis disjuncta (Friedmann, 1945)
Synonyms
Myrmeciza disjuncta

The Yapacana antbird (Aprositornis disjuncta) is a species of passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". ^[2] It is found Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. ^[3]

Taxonomy and systematics

The Yapacana antbird was originally described by the American ornithologist Herbert Friedmann in 1945 and given the binomial name Myrmeciza disjuncta. ^[4] A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2013 found that the genus Myrmeciza , as then defined, was polyphyletic. In the resulting rearrangement to create monophyletic genera the Yapacana antbird was moved to its own genus Aprositornis. ^[5] The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words aprositos "unapproachable" or "hard to get at" and ornis "bird". ^[5] The species' English name comes from the type locality, Cerro Yapacana on the upper Orinoco River in Venezuela. ^[4]

The Yapacana antbird is monotypic. ^[2]

Description

The Yapacana antbird is 13 to 13.5 cm (5.1 to 5.3 in) long and weighs 14 to 15 g (0.49 to 0.53 oz). Adult males have a mostly gray face. Their crown, neck, back, and rump are dark gray with a white patch between the shoulders. Their tail is blackish gray. Their wings are blackish gray with narrow white tips on the flight feathers and wing coverts. Their underparts are white with a light gray tinge on the breast, flanks, and crissum. Adult females have upperparts like the male's but without the white tips on the flight feathers and wing coverts. Their underparts are light reddish yellow-brown with a paler throat and a gray tinge on the flanks. Both sexes have a blackish maxilla, a pale mandible, and pale pinkish gray legs. Subadult males are like adults with a light reddish yellow-brown tinge on their underparts. ^{[6] [7] [8] [4]}

Distribution and habitat

The Yapacana antbird has a disjunct distribution. It is found locally in eastern Colombia's Guainía Department, in southwestern Venezuela's Amazonas state, and in the northwestern Brazilian states of Amazonas and Roraima. It inhabits the ground and understorey of low, dense, forest growing on white-sand soils that are seasonally flooded. In elevation it is found only as high as 150 m (500 ft) above sea level. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

Behavior

Movement

The Yapacana antbird is believed to be a year-round resident throughout its range. ^[6]

Feeding

The Yapacana antbird feeds on arthropods, especially insects and spiders. It typically forages singly, in pairs, or in family groups and does not join mixed-species feeding flocks. It forages mostly on the ground under dense vegetation though it will feed as high as 1.5 m (5 ft) above the ground. It actively roots through ground litter in short pauses between hops and also gleans from foliage and branches while on a low perch. It occasionally attends army ant swarms to capture prey fleeing from the ants. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

Breeding

Almost nothing is known about the Yapacana antbird's breeding biology. It appears to be territorial and to breed in the wet season. ^[6]

Songs and calls Listen to Yapacana antbird on xeno-canto

Vocalization

The Yapacana antbird's song is a "curious, rapid sequence of 1 or 2 almost toneless, rising gratings, immediately followed by very high 'pipip' or 'pi', the total as 'grrrrr-pipip-grrrrr-pi' ". ^[7] Its calls include a "single long harsh note at higher pitch" than the song, an "abrupt 'squip' ", and a "soft rattle". ^[6]

Status

The IUCN originally in 1988 assessed the Yapacana antbird as Near Threatened and since 2004 as being of Least Concern. It has a restricted range and an unknown population size whose trend is also unknown. No immediate threats have been identified. ^[1] It is thought to be locally abundant but highly specific in its habitat requirements. It occurs in Venezuela's Yapacana National Park and in Brazil's Jaú and Pico da Neblina National Parks. "Continued protection of the national parks in which this thamnophilid is known to exist is critical, particularly with regard to exclusion of illegal gold-mining operations." ^[6]

References

1. BirdLife International (2016). "Yapacana Antbird Aprositornis disjuncta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22701820A93850190. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22701820A93850190.en . Retrieved 3 February 2024.
2. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2024). "Antbirds". IOC World Bird List. v 14.1. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
3. Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 26 November 2023. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved November 27, 2023
4. Friedmann, Herbert (1945). "A new Ant-thrush from Venezuela". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 58: 83–84.
5. Isler, M.L.; Bravo, G.A.; Brumfield, R.T. (2013). "Taxonomic revision of Myrmeciza (Aves: Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) into 12 genera based on phylogenetic, morphological, behavioral, and ecological data" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3717 (4): 469–497. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3717.4.3. PMID   26176119.
6. Zimmer, K. and M.L. Isler (2020). Yapacana Antbird (Aprositornis disjuncta), 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.yapant1.01 retrieved February 3, 2024
7. van Perlo, Ber (2009). A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 258–259. ISBN   978-0-19-530155-7.
8. McMullan, Miles; Donegan, Thomas M.; Quevedo, Alonso (2010). Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Bogotá: Fundación ProAves. p. 139. ISBN   978-0-9827615-0-2.