Phlegopsis
Encyclopedia
Phlegopsis is a genus of bird
in the Thamnophilidae family. They are known as "bare-eyes", which is a reference to a colourful bare patch of skin around their eyes. They are restricted to humid forest in the Amazon
of South America
. They are among the largest ant-follower
s in the family and are only rarely seen away from ant swarms.
genus Skutchia, but based on genetic
evidence it should be placed in Phlegopsis, and this treatment was adopted by the SACC in 2010. Based on a single specimen a fourth species, the Argus Bare-eye
(P. barringeri) has been proposed, but it is a hybrid between P. erythroptera and P. nigromaculata.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Thamnophilidae family. They are known as "bare-eyes", which is a reference to a colourful bare patch of skin around their eyes. They are restricted to humid forest in the Amazon
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. They are among the largest ant-follower
Ant-follower
Ant-followers are birds that feed by following swarms of army ants and take prey flushed by those ants. The best known ant-followers are 18 species of antbird in the family Thamnophilidae, but other families of birds may follow ants including thrushes, chats, ant-tanagers, cuckoos, and...
s in the family and are only rarely seen away from ant swarms.
Taxonomy
The Pale-faced Antbird, sometimes known as the Pale-faced Bare-eye, has often been placed in the monotypicMonotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Skutchia, but based on genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
evidence it should be placed in Phlegopsis, and this treatment was adopted by the SACC in 2010. Based on a single specimen a fourth species, the Argus Bare-eye
Argus Bare-eye
The Argus Bare-eye is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family.Known only from a single male specimen taken in 1951 in Colombia, its taxonomic validity is questionable, and most authorities do not recognize it, following Willis and Graves , where it was shown to be a hybrid between the...
(P. barringeri) has been proposed, but it is a hybrid between P. erythroptera and P. nigromaculata.
- Reddish-winged Bare-eyeReddish-winged Bare-eyeThe Reddish-winged Bare-eye is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
(Phlegopsis erythroptera) - Black-spotted Bare-eyeBlack-spotted Bare-eyeThe Black-spotted Bare-eye is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
(Phlegopsis nigromaculata) - Pale-faced AntbirdPale-faced AntbirdThe Pale-faced Antbird , sometimes known as the Pale-faced Bare-eye, is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family. It has often been placed in the monotypic genus Skutchia, but based on genetic evidence this genus should be merged with Phlegopsis, and this treatment was adopted by the SACC in...
(Phlegopsis borbae)