The Guianan streaked antwren is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Northeastern South America (Guianas and adjacent northern Amazonia)
Typical Environment
Occurs across the Guiana Shield region of Brazil (northern), Colombia (extreme east), French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. It inhabits lowland humid forests, edges, vine tangles, and secondary growth, especially along rivers and clearings. The species favors the subcanopy and outer foliage where it actively gleans arthropods. It is generally absent from very open habitats and high-elevation cloud forests.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny, active antbird of the Guiana Shield, the Guianan streaked antwren forages in pairs or small family groups and often joins mixed-species flocks. Males are boldly black-and-white streaked, while females are warm buffy with finer streaking. It typically gleans insects from vine tangles and outer foliage rather than following army ants. Its rapid, high-pitched trills can reveal it even when hidden in dense vegetation.
Illustration by Joseph Wolf, 1858
Temperament
active and somewhat skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between dense tangles
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family groups and frequently joins mixed-species flocks in the subcanopy. Territorial pairs maintain contact with soft calls while foraging. Nest is a small cup placed in low to mid-level vegetation, and both parents attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a rapid, thin series of high-pitched notes that may accelerate into a short trill. Calls include sharp chips and soft tseet notes used for contact within pairs.
Plumage
Male is boldly streaked black-and-white above and below with contrasting wing bars; female is warm buff to cinnamon with finer dark streaking and paler underparts. Both sexes are small, short-tailed, and slim, with fine streaks running along the crown and breast.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small arthropods such as insects and spiders. It gleans prey from leaves, twigs, and vine tangles, occasionally making short sallies to snatch flushed insects. The species probes curled or dead leaves where insects hide. It is not an obligate ant-follower but may take advantage of disturbed prey opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages at forest edges, riverine thickets, and in secondary growth with abundant vine tangles. Most feeding occurs in the lower to mid subcanopy and outer foliage where visibility and access to leaf surfaces are high.
