Typical Antbirds (Thamnophilidae) - HBW 8
Variable Antshrike (Thamnophilus caerulescens)
French: Batara bleuâtre
German: Südlicher Tropfenameisenwürger
Spanish: Batará Variable
Taxonomy: Thamnophilus cærulescens Vieillot, 1816, Paraguay.
Relationships uncertain; has been treated as forming a superspecies with T. amazonicus, but such a relationship considered unlikely. Complex plumage variation and unusual geographical distribution suggest that this species is a prime candidate for systematic study. Other described races seem indistinguishable or have plumage differences that appear to be clinal; thus, subandinus (N Peru) synonymized with melanochrous, connectens (EC Bolivia) with dinellii, albonotatus (EC Brazil) with nominate, and pernambucensis (NE Brazil) with cearensis.. View all taxonomy...
Relationships uncertain; has been treated as forming a superspecies with T. amazonicus, but such a relationship considered unlikely. Complex plumage variation and unusual geographical distribution suggest that this species is a prime candidate for systematic study. Other described races seem indistinguishable or have plumage differences that appear to be clinal; thus, subandinus (N Peru) synonymized with melanochrous, connectens (EC Bolivia) with dinellii, albonotatus (EC Brazil) with nominate, and pernambucensis (NE Brazil) with cearensis. Documentation needed in order to establish whether any parapatry without intergradation exists among races listed below. Eight subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- melanochrous P. L. Sclater & Salvin, 1876 - E slope of Andes in Peru (from Amazonas S of R Marañón S to N Puno).
- aspersiventer d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 - SE Peru (SE Puno) and WC Bolivia (N slope in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz).
- dinellii Berlepsch, 1906 - EC & S Bolivia on S & E Andean slopes (Santa Cruz S to Tarija), and NW Argentina (E slope from Jujuy S to La Rioja and, at lower elevations, E to Formosa and S to N Córdoba and Santa Fe).
- melanochrous P. L. Sclater & Salvin, 1876 - E slope of Andes in Peru (from Amazonas S of R Marañón S to N Puno).
- aspersiventer d’Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 - SE Peru (SE Puno) and WC Bolivia (N slope in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz).
- dinellii Berlepsch, 1906 - EC & S Bolivia on S & E Andean slopes (Santa Cruz S to Tarija), and NW Argentina (E slope from Jujuy S to La Rioja and, at lower elevations, E to Formosa and S to N Córdoba and Santa Fe).
- paraguayensis Hellmayr, 1904 - SE Bolivia (lowlands of Santa Cruz), NW & NC Paraguay (W of R Paraguay and, to E, in Concepción, Amambay and San Pedro) and S Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul).
- gilvigaster Pelzeln, 1868 - NE Argentina (E of R Paraná except Misiones), extreme SE Brazil (E Paraná and SE São Paulo S to Rio Grande do Sul) and Uruguay.
- caerulescens Vieillot, 1816 - SE Paraguay (E of R Paraguay except Concepción, Amambay and San Pedro), extreme N Argentina (Misiones), and N part of SE Brazil (Minas Gerais and SE Bahia S to W Paraná, W & NE São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro).
- ochraceiventer Snethlage, 1928 - EC Brazil (S Tocantins, Goiás, Distríto Federal, SC Bahia).
- cearensis (Cory, 1919) - NE Brazil (Ceará, Pernambuco, Alagoas).
- Least Concern
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A male moving on a bush Theodoro Trail, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (ssp caerulescens)
Keith Blomerley 10 September 2005 3 years ago 10 sec 3.9 -
A male searching in dead vegetation Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru (ssp melanochrous)
Josep del Hoyo 26 July 2005 4 years ago 23 sec 3.7 -
A male in the rain, calling softly and moving on branches. Serra de Baturité, Ceará, Brazil (ssp cearensis)
Josep del Hoyo 2 October 2008 38 weeks ago 31 sec 3.5 -
Two slow motion views of a perched male Tambo Area, Santa Cruz, Bolivia (ssp dinellii)
Frank Witebsky 2004 2 years ago 9 sec 3.1 -
A female moving among branches Itatiaia National Park, Brazil (ssp caerulescens)
Josep del Hoyo 3 July 2004 3 years ago 9 sec 3.1 -
A female in a tree, finally catching a prey from a spider web Inca Trail, Cusco, Peru (ssp melanochrous)
Josep del Hoyo 26 July 2005 4 years ago 23 sec 3.1
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A male on a branch. Serra de Baturité, Ceará, Brazil (ssp cearensis)
Nick Athanas 6 January 2006 1 year ago 3.5 -
mist-netted male in hand Lomas de Olmedo, Salta, Argentina
handford 16 August 2004 32 weeks ago 3.3
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Loudsong Formosa, Argentina
Nacho Areta 15 weeks ago 3
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