White-bearded Antshrike
Encyclopedia
The White-bearded Antshrike (Biatas nigropectus) is a species of bird
in the Thamnophilidae family, the only member of the genus
Biatas. It is endemic to the Atlantic forest of Argentina
and Brazil
.
The White-bearded Antshrike is a bamboo
specialist. It is threatened by habitat loss.
bamboo, especially yatevo (Guadua trinii). It feeds on insects that it gleans
from bamboo. It is a cryptic species that rarely sings so very little is known about its ecology.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the Thamnophilidae family, the only member of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Biatas. It is endemic to the Atlantic forest of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
The White-bearded Antshrike is a bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
specialist. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Ecology
In Argentina, the White-bearded Antshrike has been found only in GuaduaGuadua
Guadua is a Neotropics genus of thorny clumping bamboo, ranging from moderate to very large species. Physically, Guadua angustifolia is noted for being the largest Neotropics bamboo. The genus is similar to Bambusa and is sometimes included in Bambusa...
bamboo, especially yatevo (Guadua trinii). It feeds on insects that it gleans
Gleaning (birds)
Gleaning is a term for a feeding strategy by birds in which they catch invertebrate prey, mainly arthropods, by plucking them from foliage or the ground, from crevices such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses, or even, as in the case of ticks and lice, from living animals. This behavior is...
from bamboo. It is a cryptic species that rarely sings so very little is known about its ecology.