The rusty-backed antwren is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname.
Region
Amazon Basin and Cerrado, South America
Typical Environment
Occurs across central and northern South America in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname. Prefers open to semi-open habitats including cerrado scrub, gallery woodland edges, seasonally flooded thickets, and river-island vegetation. Frequently uses secondary growth and disturbed margins where low shrubs and tangles provide cover. Typically forages within a few meters of the ground and avoids dense interior forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small antbird favors scrubby savannas, river-island thickets, and forest edges, often foraging in pairs close to the ground. Males and females look different, with the male showing stronger contrast and the female more subdued tones. It seldom attends army-ant swarms and instead gleans insects from foliage and twigs. Its duet-like songs help pairs maintain territories year-round.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups maintaining year-round territories. Nests are placed low in shrubs, with both sexes often involved in care. It generally avoids mixed-species flocks and forages methodically in low vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a quick series of thin, high-pitched notes that accelerate or end in a brief trill. Calls include sharp chips used for contact between pair members, often delivered antiphonally.
