Formicariidae Totally Explained

Everything about Ant-pitta totally explained

The Formicariidae, formicariids, or ground antbirds are a family of smallish passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America. They are between 10 and 20 cm (4-8 in) in length, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gnateaters, Conopophagidae. This family contains probably (see below) some 100–120 species in 1 or 2 large and a number of fairly small genera.
These are forest birds that tend to feed on insects at or near the ground since many are specialist ant eaters. Most are drab in appearance with shades of (rusty) brown, black, and white being their dominant tones.
They lay two or three eggs in a nest in a tree, both sexes incubating.

Systematics

The Formicariidae are traditionally divided into two groups, which are supported by a wide range of morphological, molecular and other evidence. The antthrushes in the genera Formicarius and Chamaeza are similar in appearance to small rails. Their sexes are alike in plumage, and they walk like starlings. The thrush part of the name refers only to the similarity in size (and in Chamaeza also coloration) to true thrushes, not to an evolutionary relationship.
   The antpittas in the genera Grallaria, Hylopezus, Myrmothera and Grallaricula are also sexually monomorphic; they resemble the true pittas in that they're virtually tailess; they hop like thrushes, and are much easier to hear than see – although their vocalizations may be rather atypical for perching birds.
   Recent research (Irestedt et al. 2002, Rice 2005a,b) indicates that the Formicariidae as previously delimited are highly paraphyletic, judging from comparison of several mt and nDNA sequences. The aberrant bar-bellied "antpittas" of the genus Pittasoma, which were formerly placed here, belong to the gnateater family (which initially was also considered part of the Formicariidae); as the gnateaters proper, they're sexually dichromatic. On the other hand, at least a large proportion of the Rhinocryptidae (tapaculos), including the type genus Rhinocrypta, seem to be closer to the antthrushes than these are to the antpittas.
   Very little molecular data is currently available for rhinocryptids, which are moreover rather non-diagnostic morphologically. As relationships with related groups such as ovenbirds have not been fully resolved, it's certain that the systematics of the group will be revised soon, but it isn't clear how exactly the new systematic lineup will be. On the other hand, morphological, behavioral and molecular analyses of the true antpittas agree astoundingly well as regards their internal systematics, considering the high amount of lifestyle-related homoplasies in the birds discussed here.
   Barring a closer relationship of any of the three groups – antthrushes, tapaculos, and antpittas – to other suboscines, three basic approaches are possible:

Some or all Rhinocryptidae would be merged into the Formicariidae. "Rhinocryptidae" would have to be abolished as a family-level taxon, and if that group isn't entirely merged into the Formicariidae, the remaining genera would receive a new family name. The Formicariidae would then contain an antthrush-tapaculo subfamily, possibly with two separate tribes, and one or two antpitta tribes as per option 2 in another subfamily.
It is alternatively possible to split the group into two families, of which one would contain the antthrushes and some or all tapaculos and their allies in two subfamilies and bear the name Formicariidae. The other family would contain the antpittas and receive a new name; it would also contain two subfamilies, one consisting of the typical Grallaria antpittas and the other of the usually smaller species of the remaining genera.
Finally, all three major lineages – antthrushes, tapaculos and allies, and antpittas – could be considered separate families. Phylogenetically, it might even be deemed appropriate to split the antpittas into two families (one containing only Grallaria and the other the remaining genera) though this would probably be considered oversplitting.

Altogether, a layout with two subfamilies and four families (option 1) or an analogous one with two tribes and four subfamilies (option 2) seems to represent the phylogeny of these birds best; a three-lineage approach (option 3) might be warranted if some other families are also part of the Formicariidae-Rhinocryptidae clade. Whether the typical antthrushes and tapaculos should be separated from the antpittas at the family level isn't yet clear. It depends on whether or not the gnateaters and true antbirds are closer to the true antpittas than to the antthrush-tapaculo clade; there's some – albeit very tentative – indication that splitting off the true antpittas as a distinct family (option 2) is indeed more warranted (Rice 2005a).

Antthrushes and Tapaculos (Formicariidae sensu stricto)

Typical antthrushes - tribe Formicariini/subfamily Formicariinae

Genus Formicarius

Rufous-capped Antthrush, Formicarius colma
Black-headed Antthrush, Formicarius nigricapillus
Black-faced Antthrush, Formicarius analis
Rufous-fronted Antthrush, Formicarius rufifrons
Rufous-breasted Antthrush, Formicarius rufipectus

Genus Chamaeza

Striated Antthrush, Chamaeza nobilis
Short-tailed Antthrush, Chamaeza campanisona
Brazilian Antthrush, Chamaeza ruficauda
Schwartz's Antthrush, Chamaeza turdina
Such's Antthrush, Chamaeza meruloides
Barred Antthrush, Chamaeza mollissima

Tapaculos – possibly tribe Rhinocryptini/subfamily Rhinocryptinae (tentatively placed here)

Genus Pteroptochos

Genus Scytalopus

Genus Rhinocrypta

Genus Liosceles and probably other genera

True antpittas (possibly own family N.N.)

Typical antpittas – tribe Grallariini/subfamily Grallariinae

Genus Grallaria

Undulated Antpitta, Grallaria squamigera
Giant Antpitta, Grallaria gigantea
Great Antpitta, Grallaria excelsa
Variegated Antpitta, Grallaria varia
Scaled Antpitta, Grallaria guatimalensis
Moustached Antpitta, Grallaria alleni
Táchira Antpitta, Grallaria chthonia
Plain-backed Antpitta, Grallaria haplonota
Ochre-striped Antpitta, Grallaria dignissima
Elusive Antpitta, Grallaria eludens
Santa Marta Antpitta, Grallaria bangsi
Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, Grallaria ruficapilla
Cundinamarca Antpitta, Grallaria kaestneri
Watkins' Antpitta, Grallaria watkinsi
Stripe-headed Antpitta, Grallaria andicola
Bicolored Antpitta, Grallaria rufocinerea
Chestnut-naped Antpitta, Grallaria nuchalis
Jocotoco Antpitta, Grallaria ridgelyi
Pale-billed Antpitta, Grallaria carrikeri
Yellow-breasted Antpitta, Grallaria flavotincta
White-bellied Antpitta, Grallaria hypoleuca
Rusty-tinged Antpitta, Grallaria przewalskii
Bay Antpitta, Grallaria capitalis
Red-and-white Antpitta, Grallaria erythroleuca
White-throated Antpitta, Grallaria albigula
Gray-naped Antpitta, Grallaria griseonucha
Rufous Antpitta, Grallaria rufula
Chestnut Antpitta, Grallaria blakei
Rufous-faced Antpitta, Grallaria erythrotis
Tawny Antpitta, Grallaria quitensis
Brown-banded Antpitta, Grallaria milleri

Lesser antpittas – possibly tribe Myrmotherini/subfamily Myrmotherinae

Genus Hylopezus

Spotted Antpitta, Hylopezus macularius
Streak-chested Antpitta, Hylopezus perspicillatus
Masked Antpitta, Hylopezus auricularis
Fulvous-bellied Antpitta, Hylopezus dives
White-lored Antpitta, Hylopezus fulviventris
Amazonian Antpitta, Hylopezus berlepschi
White-browed Antpitta, Hylopezus ochroleucus
Speckle-breasted Antpitta, Hylopezus nattereri

Genus Myrmothera

Thrush-like Antpitta, Myrmothera campanisona
Tepui Antpitta, Myrmothera simplex

Genus Grallaricula

Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Grallaricula flavirostris
Rusty-breasted Antpitta, Grallaricula ferrugineipectus
Scallop-breasted Antpitta, Grallaricula loricata
Hooded Antpitta, Grallaricula cucullata
Peruvian Antpitta, Grallaricula peruviana
Ochre-fronted Antpitta, Grallaricula ochraceifrons
Slate-crowned Antpitta, Grallaricula nana
Crescent-faced Antpitta, Grallaricula lineifrons

Further Information

Get more info on 'Ant-pitta'.

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