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Summary

The black-crowned antshrike (Thamnophilus atrinucha) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in every Central American country except El Salvador and in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Taxonomy and systematics

What is now the black-crowned antshrike was long included as a subspecies of Thamnophilus punctatus, which at that time was called the slaty antshrike. Following the results of a study published in 1997, the slaty antshrike was split into six species. The remnant T. punctatus was named the northern slaty antshrike and the new T. atrinucha was named the western slaty antshrike. By 2012 taxonomists determined that T. atrinucha was not closely related to other slaty antshrikes so its English name was changed to black-crowned antshrike and its position within a linear presentation of genus Thamnophilus was adjusted. The black-crowned and black-hooded antshrike (T. bridgesi) are sister species.

The black-crowned antshrike has two subspecies, the nominate T. a. atrinucha (Salvin & Godman, 1892) and T. a. gorgonae (Thayer & Bangs, 1905).

Description

The black-crowned antshrike is 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 20 to 28.5 g (0.71 to 1.0 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have slaty gray upperparts with a gray forehead, a black crown and nape, a hidden white patch between their scapulars, and white-tipped black uppertail coverts. Their face is grizzled gray. Their wings are black with white tips on the coverts and white or gray edges on the flight feathers. Their tail is black with a white spot at the end of each feather. Their underparts, including the underside of their tail, are slaty gray. Adult females have brown to buffy brown upperparts. Their wings are...