The yellow-rumped antwren is Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Euchrepomidinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia and Peru.
Region
Southwestern Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland rainforest and floodplain mosaics of southeastern Peru and northern Bolivia, especially where dense Guadua bamboo forms extensive stands. Favors river-edge forests, secondary growth, and bamboo-dominated understory within terra firme and seasonally flooded forests. The species is highly localized and patchy, tracking suitable bamboo patches across the landscape. It typically forages a few meters above ground inside tangled bamboo. Because bamboo stands are cyclical, local occupancy can shift over time.
Altitude Range
100–900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A bamboo specialist of the western Amazon, the yellow-rumped antwren is often tied to dense Guadua thickets along rivers and in floodplain forests. Its distribution is patchy and localized in southeastern Peru and northern Bolivia. It is assessed as Near Threatened due to habitat loss and the ephemeral nature of bamboo stands. Pairs keep contact with very high-pitched calls that can be hard to detect.
Temperament
skulking and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered in pairs or small family groups, often joining mixed-species flocks within bamboo. Forages by gleaning and probing along bamboo culms and leaves, occasionally making short sallies for flushed insects. Nests are presumed to be small cups placed low in dense vegetation, though breeding biology is poorly documented.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives very high, thin tsee notes and rapid, slightly accelerating trills that can be easily overlooked. Calls are sharp chips and high-pitched contact notes used to keep pairs together within bamboo.
Plumage
Small, compact antwren with a bright yellow rump contrasting with darker upperparts; wings dark with pale wingbars; underparts washed yellow-olive. The head and mantle are dusky to grayish with a subtle pale supercilium, and the tail is dark with narrow pale edging.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small arthropods such as insects and spiders. Picks prey from bamboo leaves, twigs, and culms, and occasionally snatches flying insects in short sallies. Often follows ant swarms opportunistically but is not an obligate ant follower.
Preferred Environment
Dense bamboo thickets and adjacent tangles within lowland rainforest and floodplain edges. Frequently forages 1–5 meters above ground inside shaded, cluttered understory.
