Sep 26

Bird of the day

Grey antwren

Myrmotherula menetriesii

The grey antwren (Myrmotherula menetriesii) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

The grey antwren is 8.5 to 10.5 cm (3.3 to 4.1 in) long and weighs 8 to 9 g (0.28 to 0.32 oz). It is a smallish bird with a short tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies M. m. menetriesii are almost entirely bluish gray, with lighter underparts than upperparts. Their wing coverts have white tips and a black bar just above them. Their tail feathers have narrow white tips. The center of their throat and upper breast are black, sometimes with gray tips on the throat feathers. Adult females have olive-tinged gray upperparts with somewhat darker wings. Their throat is buff and the rest of their underparts rich olive-buff. Juveniles look like a darker version of the adult female. Subadult males have a buff tinge on the wings, gray and pale buff patches on the breast, buff-tinged olive sides and flanks, and a buff crissum.

Males of subspecies M. m. berlepschi are similar to the nominate but less bluish, and with a blackish band near the end of the tail. Females' upperparts are more cinnamon-rufous and their underparts a richer tawny-ochraceous than the nominate's; they have cinnamon edges on the flight feathers. Males of M. m. cinereiventris have a gray throat and breast with at most a few black spots on the latter. Females have brownish olive upperparts. Males of M. m. omissa are like cinereiventris males; females have yellow-ochre underparts. Males of M. m. pallida are a paler version of cinereiventris and omissa but with a whitish crissum. Females are similar to the nominate.

Aliases

Grey Antwren

Range

Range map of Grey antwren

Data retrieved on September 27, 2026 at 5:47 PM