Typical Antbirds (Thamnophilidae)

Northern Slaty Antshrike (Thamnophilus punctatus) - HBW 8, p. 557

French: Batara tacheté German: Nördlicher Tropfenameisenwürger Spanish: Batará Pizarroso Punteado
Other common names: Eastern/Guianan Slaty Antshrike; Slaty Antshrike (when merged with others of superspecies); Peruvian Slaty Antshrike (leucogaster)

Taxonomy: Lanius punctatus Shaw, 1809, Cayenne.
Forms a superspecies with T. stictocephalus, T. sticturus, T. pelzelni and T. ambiguus; all formerly considered conspecific, with T. atrinucha traditionally included too (see page 450). Race leucogaster (with huallagae) has sometimes been treated as a separate species. Race huallagae was originally placed with T. amazonicus. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • punctatus (Shaw, 1809) - E & S Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar, Sucre, Monagas, Delta Amacuro), the Guianas, and Brazil N of R Amazon and E of R Negro (in NE Amazonas, Roraima, N Pará, Amapá); sight records from extreme E Amazonian Colombia (Guianía, Vaupés) probably this race.
  • interpositus Hartert & Goodson, 1917 - E base of Andes in W Venezuela (Táchira, Apure, Barinas) and Colombia (Boyacá, Meta, W Caquetá).
  • huallagae Carriker, 1934 - R Huallaga drainage in N Peru (San Martín).
  • leucogaster Hellmayr, 1924 - R Marañón drainage in extreme S Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe) and N Peru (Amazonas, Cajamarca).