Frederickena viridis

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Tyranni
Infraordo: Tyrannides
Parvordo: Thamnophilida

Familia: Thamnophilidae
Genus: Frederickena
Species: Frederickena viridis
Name

Frederickena viridis (Vieillot, 1816)
Synonyms

Thamnophilus viridis (protonym)

References

Vieillot, L.P. 1816. Nouveau Dictionnaire d’Histoire naturelle, appliquée aux arts, à l'agriculture, à l'économie rurale et domestique, à la médecine, etc. Par une société de naturalistes et d'agriculteurs. Avec des figures tirées des trois règnes de la nature. Tome 3: 560 pp. + 10 tt. Déterville, Paris. p. 318 BHL Reference page.

Vernacular names
English: Black-throated antshrike
español: Batará gorginegro
português: Borralhara-do-norte

The black-throated antshrike (Frederickena viridis) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds".[2] It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.[3]
Taxonomy and systematics

The black-throated antshrike shares genus Frederickena with the undulated antshrike (F. unduliger) and fulvous antshrike (F. fulva). It is monotypic.[2]
Description

The black-throated antshrike is a large dark antbird, 19 to 22 cm (7.5 to 8.7 in) long and weighing 65 to 75 g (2.3 to 2.6 oz). The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism, though both sexes have a crest (that usually is flattened), red irises, and a heavy black bill with a hook at the end like true shrikes. Adult males are mostly slate gray with a black head, throat, and breast, a usually hidden small white patch between their scapulars, and faint white bars on their tail. Adult females have a rufous crest, nape, upperparts, and wings. Their forehead, sides of their head, underparts, and tail are barred with pale buff to white and blackish brown; their flanks have a rufous tinge. Subadult males have mixed gray and brown upperparts and underparts like adult females'.[4][5][6]
Distribution and habitat

The black-throated antshrike is found from eastern Bolívar state in Venezuela east through the Guianas and through northeastern Amazonian Brazil north of the Amazon from the lower Rio Negro east to the Atlantic in Amapá. It inhabits lowland evergreen forest, typically those on sandy soils and in terra firme. It favors dense vegetation in the understorey, especially at openings such as those formed by fallen trees. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 700 m (2,300 ft) in most of its range but only to 500 m (1,600 ft) in Venezuela.[4][5][6]
Behavior
Movement

The black-throated antshrike is presumed to be a year-round resident throughout its range.[4]
Feeding

The black-throated antshrike's diet has not been detailed but is known to include large insects and other arthropods. It forages singly or in pairs, mostly low to the ground or on it in dense foliage and vine tangles. It hops deliberately from branch to branch and along the ground, reaching or jumping from a perch to glean prey from leaves, stems, branches, leaf litter, and rotten logs. It occasionally follows army ant swarms to catch prey disturbed by the ants.[4][6]
Breeding

The black-throated antshrike breeds between October and March in Suriname but its season is not known elsewhere. The one known nest was a basket suspended in a branch fork in a low shrub. It contained two eggs that were creamy white with purplish markings. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.[4][6]

Dickcissel male perched on a metal pole singing, with neck stretched and beak open.

Songs and calls
Listen to black-throated antshrike on xeno-canto
Vocalization

The black-throated antshrike's song is a "slow series of 10-15 first rising, then leveling out, fluted 'tuh' notes" that span six to seven seconds.[5] It has also been described as "a slow, almost hypnotic [series] of clear, insistent whistles, peeeur, peeeur, peeur... at a steady pace".[6] Its call is "a long (e.g. 1 second), nasal, downward-inflected churr".[4]
Status

The IUCN has assessed the black-throated antshrike as being of Least Concern. It has a large range; its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified.[1] It is considered uncommon to rare in most of its range. It occurs in at least two protected areas in Venezuela, and its range "includes large areas of intact suitable habitat".[4]
References

BirdLife International (2016). "Black-throated Antshrike Frederickena viridis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22701241A93819323. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22701241A93819323.en. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2024). "Antbirds". IOC World Bird List. v 14.1. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 4 March 2024. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved 5 March 2024
Zimmer, K. and M.L. Isler (2020). Black-throated Antshrike (Frederickena viridis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bltant3.01 retrieved 17 April 2024
van Perlo, Ber (2009). A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 230–231. ISBN 978-0-19-530155-7.
Hilty, Steven L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela (second ed.). Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. Plate 40.