Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
Based on increasing rates of forest loss and degradation along major rivers of the western Amazon basin, this species is suspected to undergo moderately rapid population declines. It is therefore assessed as Near Threatened.
Population justification
The population size has not been quantified, but descriptions range from rare and uncommon to fairly common (Schulenberg and Kirwan 2020).
Trend justification
There are no data on the population trend, but declines are suspected on the basis of accelerating rates of deforestation along large rivers in the Amazon basin.
Within the range, 7% of tree cover is lost over ten years (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). This value does not account for the impacts of forest degradation and fragmentation, so the overall rate of habitat loss may be larger than this. Deforestation varies greatly locally, with forests particularly in east-central Peru being severely logged while large tracts of undisturbed habitat remain in other parts of the range (Global Forest Watch 2022).
The species is not known to tolerate habitat degradation and is thought to have highly specialised habitat requirements (Schulenberg and Kirwan 2020). The population may therefore be disproportionately affected as its riverine habitat is easily accessible and thus highly susceptible to forest loss and degradation. Precautionarily, population declines are therefore here placed in the band 20-29% over ten years, though an accurate quantification is urgently required.
Myrmoborus melanurus occurs along the Amazon and its tributaries in northern and eastern Peru and adjacent Brazil and Colombia. It is found from ríos Morona and Pastaza in the west along the Marañón and Amazonas to the mouth of río Javari in the east, and south to the Ucayali.
This species occurs in the understory of flooded lowland ('varzea') forest along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes and on river islands (Ridgely and Tudor 1994, Schulenberg and Kirwan 2020). It prefers low bushy forest with profuse vine tangles near water (Schulenberg and Kirwan 2020). Its ecology and behaviour are largely unknown.
The species' habitat is under threat from oil exploration and extraction, logging and increasing human colonisation (Dinerstein et al. 1995, Schulenberg and Kirwan 2020). Large tracts of suitable habitat remain particularly in the northern part of the range, but deforestation is intense along the larger rivers and in east-central Peru (Global Forest Watch 2022).
Conservation Actions Underway
It is listed as Near Threatened at the national level in Peru (SERFOR 2018).
12.5 cm. A uniformly sooty, small antbird. Male all dark slaty grey; paler on belly. Face, throat, wings and tail blackish. Wing-coverts tipped white forming narrow wing-bars. Semi-concealed white dorsal patch. Bright red iris. The female has brown upperparts and tail; indistinct dusky mask. Underparts whitish with buff tinge on breast and some brown on sides. Wing-bars as in male. Similar spp. Male Black-faced Antbird M. myotherinus has a more contrasting black face and a silvery eyebrow; the female also has a black mask and mostly buffy underparts. Voice A loud, fast series of clear descending tew notes. Hints Best located by voice.
Text account compilers
Hermes, C.
Contributors
Butchart, S., Gilroy, J., Lima, D.M., Sharpe, C.J. & Whitney, B.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-tailed Antbird Myrmoborus melanurus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-tailed-antbird-myrmoborus-melanurus on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.