Giant Antshrike
Giant Ameisenwürger ( Batara cinerea)
The Giant Ameisenwürger ( Batara cinerea), also giant Ameisenwürger, is the largest species of bird in the family of ant birds. He is the only species of the genus Batara. Belonging to the family of ants birds is suspected based on morphological observations of giant ant shrikes, Compliance testing at the molecular level are pending.
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 External links
Description
The bird is about 34 cm tall and weighs up to 140 grams. Female birds are slightly lighter. The beak is bent like a hook. There are sharp teeth on the horn sheaths of the upper beak. The tail is relatively long. The upper wing, back and tail are dark brown and light brown striated, the body is gray-brown. The male giant Ameisenwürger have crown-shaped protruding black feathers on the head. The top of the head in female birds is rather hazel brown with black lace.
The life and habitat
The giant ant shrike occurs in northern Argentina, Bolivia, south-eastern Brazil and Paraguay. In southeastern Brazil to find the bird in the rainforest with bamboo plants. Towards the Andes Giant Ameisenwürger come to an altitude of 2600 meters above sea level. N.N. before. In the Gran Chaco they are found in the dense undergrowth.
The Giant Ameisenwürger feeds on insects, snails, and small vertebrates, which he imitates with short flights and hops on the ground. For diet includes eggs and juveniles of other species of birds. The song consists of eight most quickly out of beaten flute tones with a kick.
Subspecies
- Batara c. argentina ( Shipton, 1918)
This subspecies occurs in Paraguay, mainly in the departments Boqueron and Presidente Hayes before, and in the north-western Argentina in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta and the north of the province of Tucumán. The plumage coloration in the subspecies argentina is a little paler than the nominate.
- Batara c. excubitor ( Bond & Meyer de Schauensee, 1940)
This subspecies occurs in Bolivia, in the west of the department of Santa Cruz. The plumage coloration in the subspecies excubitor is a little paler than that of the subspecies argentina.
Status
The population of the species is considered not at risk (least concern), since their range is relatively large 600,000 km ².
Giant Ameisenwürger and man
Name
The species name of the scientific name, cinerea, is the feminine form of the Latin word cinereus word and means " ash-gray ". This color name is found, for example, but again in the gray wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), the Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea) and the Terek Sandpiper ( Xenus cinereus ). In the area of distribution his Spanish name is " Batara gigante "; the Portuguese name is " Matracão ".
Stamp
The Giant Ameisenwürger found on a stamp from Liberia in 2000 from the series Tropical birds of the world.