Band-tailed Antwren (Myrmotherula urosticta)

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VU	Band-tailed Antwren Myrmotherula urosticta

2010 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Vulnerable

Justification This species qualifies as Vulnerable as it has a small, fragmented and declining range, and a small and rapidly declining population. Its survival probably depends on the preservation of forest at key sites.

Family/Sub-family Thamnophilidae

Species name author (Sclater, 1857)

Taxonomic source(s) SACC (2005 + updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996)

Identification 9.5 cm. Small, pale, relatively long-tailed antwren. Male plumbeous. Black wings with two bold white wing-bars. Black tail with broad white terminal band. Underparts paler with black bib. Female similar, but paler above. Grey wings with whitish wing-bars, creamy-buff underparts, whitish on throat and greyish on flanks. Similar spp. Tail-band is distinctive. Sympatric White-flanked Antwren M. axillaris luctuosa can show white tip to tail, but never as extensively. Also much darker with less contrasting bib. Voice Nasal descending beer bin.

Population estimate	Population trend	Range estimate (breeding/resident)	Country endemic?
2,500-9,999	decreasing	3,000 km²	Yes

Range & population Myrmotherula urosticta occurs in east Brazil, from 25 km north of Valença, east-central Bahia, south through south-east Bahia, Espírito Santo, to Fazenda União, near Rocha Leão, east-central Rio de Janeiro, with one old specimen from extreme east Minas Gerais. It appears to be largely dependent on forest at nine or ten sites in south-east Bahia^5,6, and Sooretama Biological Reserve and Linhares Forest Reserve, north Espírito Santo. Even at these sites its range is restricted but, where present, it is uncommon to fairly common³. Recently discovered sites in Bahia include: the Serra das Lontras, Helvécia - rio Peruíbe, forests between Ituberá and Camamu (southern Bahia) and the remnant forests of Santo Amaro and Cachoeira (in the Reconcavo area of Bahia)^5,6.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It inhabits the lower growth of primary or moderately disturbed coastal Atlantic forest (below 100 m), but not second growth with a canopy height of less than c.15-20 m. It is encountered almost exclusively with mixed-species flocks, foraging from 3-9 m above ground, mostly 5-7 m, in live vegetation and vines⁴. It is much more common at Sooretama (situated on a plateau with sandy soil and with a variable dry season) than the adjacent Linhares (very slightly lower-elevation forest), but the significance of this is unknown³.

Threats Virtually all lowland Atlantic forest outside protected areas has been cleared within its historical range, and even some of the protected areas in which it occurs are not secure³. Its habitats are historically threatened by agricultural conversion and deforestation for mining and plantation production, and current key threats are urbanisation, agricultural expansion, colonisation and associated road-building^1,2.

Conservation measures underway It occurs in six protected areas, three of which (Sooretama Biological Reserve, Monte Pascoal National Park and Una Biological Reserve) are afforded the highest legal protection³. Appropriate habitat within these reserves is limited, but some secondary growth may regenerate sufficiently³. The unprotected Fazenda União, Rio de Janeiro, is the only site where the species occurs with both Salvadori's Antwren M. minor and Unicolored Antwren M. unicolor.

Conservation measures proposed Carry out surveys to obtain an estimate of the species's population size. Monitor the decline and degradation of suitable habitat. Protect Fazenda União. Ensure de facto protection of existing reserves by hiring, training and maintaining guards from local communities. Actively pursue all measures to stimulate environmental awareness in communities near reserves.

References 1. Dinerstein et al. (1995). 2. Fearnside (1996). 3. Whitney and Pacheco (1995). 4. Whitney and Pacheco (1997). 5. P. Develey and L. F. Silveira in litt. (2003). 6. P. C. Lima in litt. (2003).

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), David Capper (BirdLife International), Rob P Clay (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors Andre De Luca (SAVE Brasil), Pedro Develey (SAVE Brasil), P. C. Lima

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Myrmotherula urosticta. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/9/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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