Plain-winged or Cinereous Antshrike, Brazil (1 Viewer)

[arthurgrosset]

I attach 3 photos of male Antshrikes taken at Carajás, Pará, Brazil. I think that the first one is Cinereous Antshrike Thamnomanes caesius and that the other two are Plain-winged Antshrike Thamnophilus schistaceus. Can anyone confirm these ids, please?

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

I agree entirely on all three, which also show a feature not frequently mentioned: The lower mandible of the adult male Cinereous (as is also the case in ad. males of the remaining Thamnomanes spp) is largely black, with at most grey on the basal third (typically even less) and/or along the cutting edge. In ad. male Plain-winged the lower mandible is largely grey, with at most the outer third blackish (and often even less). However, it should be mentioned that this feature is unreliable in sub-ad. males (which usually have a few female-like brownish feathers, esp. among the remiges), as sub-ad. male Cinereous may show more extensive grey to the lower mandible (similar to the female Cinereous). The only slight hesitation I have in regards of above photos is the 2nd, where I, from the available photo, wouldn't be able to exclude White-shouldered with absolute certainty (neither wing-coverts nor cap are visible, and the angle of the bill is potentially misleading in regards of judging its size).

 

[arthurgrosset]

Rasmus,
Many thanks for that confirmation. Photo 3 was taken only 8 minutes after photo 2 and I suspect they are of the same individual. I attach a photo of a female that seemed to be attached to the individual in photo 2 which, I think, confirms the Plain-winged Antshrike id.

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

I attach a photo of a female that seemed to be attached to the individual in photo 2 which, I think, confirms the Plain-winged Antshrike id.

Yes, if it was seen together with 2, I'd consider the ID entirely safe.