Tag Archives: Myrmotherula fluminensis

Myrmotherula fluminensis Gonzaga

Rio de Janeiro Antwren (Myrmotherula fluminensis)  

This enigmatic species of bird was described in 1988 on the basis of a single individual, which was caught during ornithological field studies in an isolated and intensely disturbed woodlot in the Magé District in the center of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.  

The species may possibly exist in the nearby Guapi Açu Ecological Reserve, since in the 1990s some birds were seen here, that could turn out to be of this species – these sightings, however, remain unconfirmed.  Since the region is now lacking most intact wooded areas, the survival of this species is questionable.  

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The Rio de Janeiro Antwren may in fact not even be a distinct species but may be a local variant of the Silvery-flanked Antwren (Myrmotherula (axillaris ssp.) luctuosa Pelzeln) or a hybrid of this and the Unicolored Antwren (Myrmotherula unicolor (Ménétriés)) (see photo).

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Unicolored Antwren (Myrmotherula unicolor)

Photo: Dario Sanches

(under creative commons license (2.0))
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0

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edited: 31.08.2019