Bird of the day
Barred antshrike
Thamnophilus doliatus
The barred antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) is a passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in the Neotropics in Mexico, every country in Central America, Trinidad and Tobago, and every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay. There is also one accepted record from southern Texas.
The barred antshrike is 15 to 18.5 cm (5.9 to 7.3 in) long and weighs 24 to 32 g (0.85 to 1.1 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits marked sexual dimorphism though both sexes have a bushy crest. Adult males of the nominate subspecies T. d. doliatus are almost entirely plumaged with alternating black and white bars. The black bars on their upperparts are thicker than the white bars; on their underparts the black bars are thinner than the white ones. Their face, throat, and chin have thin black and white streaks. Their crest is black with white bases on the middle feathers. Adult females have a cinnamon-rufous crest and upperparts. The sides of their head and neck are streaked black and white or buff. Their chin is buff and their underparts ochraceous-buff. Adults of both sexes have a pale yellow iris, a black maxilla, a bluish gray mandible, and lead-gray legs and feet. Juvenile males are barred with black and light yellowish brown.
The other subspecies of the barred antshrike differ from the nominate and each other thus:
T. d. intermedius: males are darker and have wider black bars than the nominate
T. d. nigricristatus: males' bellies have faint or no bars; females have unstreaked throats
T. d. nesiotes: similar to nigricristatus but more deeply colored
T. d. eremnus: similar to nigricristatus but more deeply colored
T. d. albicans: males have a white belly and few bars on their underparts; females have a white throat and pale underparts
T. d. nigrescens: very dark, with all black bars wider than the white ones
T. d. tobagensis: males have whiter underparts and females darker underparts than the nominate
T. d. radiatus: males have white spots on the forehead, whiter underparts than the nominate, and few to no black bars on the belly
T. d. difficilis: males are similar to radiatus with a whiter forehead and grayer underparts
T. d. capistratus: males have an entirely black crown and white spots on the tail. Females' throats are streaked, their breast is faintly barred, and their bellies are white. Both sexes have reddish or chestnut irises. (These differences led Assis et al to propose it as a species)
T. d. cadwaladeri: males are paler than the nominate with minimal barring on the belly; females have mostly white underparts with buff on the sides and breast
Aliases
Thamnophilus doliatus
Range
