Silvery-flanked Antwren (Myrmotherula luctuosa) |
Synonyms: Myrmotherula axillaris luctuosa, Myrmotherula“fluminensis”, Rio de Janeiro Antwren |
Myrmotherula luctuosa (or M. axillaris luctuosa) occurs in the coastal region eastern and southeastern Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte to Rio de Janeiro. It inhabits mid- and understorey of moist tropical forests, including secondary growth, up to 800 m. The male has grey upperparts with silvery-gray lower flanks, a black throat and belly. The female has an ashy-grey head, grey-brown back and wings, and ochre underparts. Length 9-10.5 cm. M. luctuosa breeds during austral spring and summer. The nest is a cup of leaves and leaf skeletons suspended from a horizontal fork in a bush or sapling 0.2-4 m above the ground; 2 eggs. This species feeds on insects, spiders, and other arthropods. Forages in pairs, or family groups; joins mixed species flocks.