Sincorá Antwren
Encyclopedia
The Sincorá Antwren is a small passerine
bird
of the genus Formicivora
in the family Thamnophilidae, the typical antbirds. It is endemic to a small area of eastern Brazil
. The bird was not described as a new species until 2007 (coincidentally, another species was also described from the same region in 2007, the Diamantina Tapaculo
). The binomial name commemorates the German
-born naturalist
Rolf Grantsau who collected a specimen in 1965 that was recently identified as this species.
It weighs 8.5-11.5 grams. The adult male has brown upperparts. The face, throat, breast and upper belly are black bordered with white. The lower belly and vent are grey and the flanks are brown. The upperwing-coverts are black with white spots while the underwing-coverts are grey and white. The tail feathers are grey below with white tips and a black subterminal band. The bill is black and the feet are grey with yellowish soles. Adult females are paler above than the males and have a white face and underparts with heavy black streaking. The Rusty-backed Antwren
(F. rufa) is similar to the Sincorá Antwren but has paler and more rufous upperparts, yellowish flanks and entirely white underwing-coverts.
The bird has several calls. The alarm call typically consists of three notes, a single note followed by two short notes. Other related antwrens usually have a two-note alarm call. The song
is a series of repeated short notes uttered at a rate of about 2.1 notes per second, much slower than the song of the Rusty-backed Antwren. Pairs have a distinctive short duetting call, often given after singing. Birds also give a soft whistling distress call and a harsh scolding call.
It is found in the Serra do Sincorá, part of the Espinhaço Mountains
located at the eastern edge of the Chapada Diamantina
region in the Bahia
state. So far it has been recorded from four areas between 850 and 1100 metres above sea-level. It inhabits rocky outcrops in the scrubby savanna known as campo rupestre
.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
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...
of the genus Formicivora
Formicivora
Formicivora is a genus of birds in the Thamnophilidae family. These relatively small, long-tailed antbirds are strongly sexually dichromatic. They are found in forest, woodland and shrub in South America, although a single species also occurs in Panama.-Species:The Sincorá Antwren was only...
in the family Thamnophilidae, the typical antbirds. It is endemic to a small area of eastern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The bird was not described as a new species until 2007 (coincidentally, another species was also described from the same region in 2007, the Diamantina Tapaculo
Diamantina Tapaculo
The Diamantina Tapaculo is a species of bird in the Rhinocryptidae family. It was described as a new species in 2007, and is endemic to Chapada Diamantina in Bahia, Brazil. In the same region, another species, the Sincorá Antwren, was described in 2007...
). The binomial name commemorates the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
Rolf Grantsau who collected a specimen in 1965 that was recently identified as this species.
It weighs 8.5-11.5 grams. The adult male has brown upperparts. The face, throat, breast and upper belly are black bordered with white. The lower belly and vent are grey and the flanks are brown. The upperwing-coverts are black with white spots while the underwing-coverts are grey and white. The tail feathers are grey below with white tips and a black subterminal band. The bill is black and the feet are grey with yellowish soles. Adult females are paler above than the males and have a white face and underparts with heavy black streaking. The Rusty-backed Antwren
Rusty-backed Antwren
The Rusty-backed Antwren is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname....
(F. rufa) is similar to the Sincorá Antwren but has paler and more rufous upperparts, yellowish flanks and entirely white underwing-coverts.
The bird has several calls. The alarm call typically consists of three notes, a single note followed by two short notes. Other related antwrens usually have a two-note alarm call. The song
Bird song
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs are distinguished by function from calls.-Definition:The distinction between songs and calls is based upon...
is a series of repeated short notes uttered at a rate of about 2.1 notes per second, much slower than the song of the Rusty-backed Antwren. Pairs have a distinctive short duetting call, often given after singing. Birds also give a soft whistling distress call and a harsh scolding call.
It is found in the Serra do Sincorá, part of the Espinhaço Mountains
Espinhaço Mountains
The Espinhaço Mountains is a mountain range in Brazil. The range runs roughly north and south through the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, and forms the divide between the upper watershed of the São Francisco River and those of the shorter rivers which flow east into the Atlantic, including the...
located at the eastern edge of the Chapada Diamantina
Chapada Diamantina
Chapada Diamantina is a region of Bahia state, in the Northeast of Brazil.The Chapada Diamantina has a dramatic landscape with high plains, table-top mesas, and steep cliffs or towers known as 'tepuy.' Before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 19th century, the only local inhabitants of the...
region in the Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
state. So far it has been recorded from four areas between 850 and 1100 metres above sea-level. It inhabits rocky outcrops in the scrubby savanna known as campo rupestre
Campos Rupestres montane savanna
The Campos Rupestres montane savanna is a montane subtropical savanna ecoregion of eastern Brazil, a part of the cerrado ecoregion.-Setting:The ecoregion lies between 700 and 2000 meters elevation, forming several discontinuous enclaves in the Serra do Espinhaço, Serra da Mantiqueira, Serra dos...
.