Notes on the vocalizations of Black-chinned Antbird (Hypocnemoides melanopogon) and Band-tailed Antbird (Hypocnemoides maculicauda)

In the following we briefly analyze and compare voice of Black-chinned Antbird (Hypocnemoides melanopogon) and Band-tailed Antbird (Hypocnemoides maculicauda). We also try to quantify the extent of any vocal differences using the criteria proposed by Tobias et al. (2010), as a support for taxonomic review. We have made use of sound recordings available on-line from Xeno Canto (XC).

Black-chinned Antbird (Hypocnemoides melanopogon) and Band-tailed Antbird (Hypocnemoides maculicauda) have long been considered separate species, but reasons therefore are generally considered rather weak (Zimmer 2003), and a comparative vocal analysis has apparently never been carried out.

Loudsong of both species is similar but shows a number of clear and very constant differences, for which they can be separated easily: loudsong of Black-chinned Antbird is a series of notes, initially rising than falling and (only) slightly accelerating. End notes occasionally slightly buzzy (probably when excited), but never drawn-out. Loudsong of Band-tailed Antbird is a long series of notes, initially rising and accelerating a lot, then dropping and ending in several long scratchy notes.

We obtained the following measurements (n= 10 for both):

Hypocnemoides melanopogon

# notes                                   10-19

total length                            1.8-2.4s

max. pitch                              3850-4550Hz

fastest pace                           0.105-0.15

longest note                           0.086-0.12s

Hypocnemoides maculicauda

 # notes                                  19-34

total length                            3.6-5.3s

max. pitch                              4000-5000Hz

fastest pace                           0.07-0.12

longest note                           0.2-0.47s (the long scratchy notes at end, which are always present)

Main measured differences are thus length of song (score 2-3), length of longest note (score 2-3), number of notes (score 2) and maculicauda has a slightly faster acceleration and reaches on average slightly higher frequencies. Also note shape of central and ending notes is quite different.

-> total score about 5

These differences are very constant over the entire range of both species.

This note was finalized on 8th May 2015, using sound recordings available on-line at that moment. We would like to thank in particular the many sound recordists who placed their recordings for these species on XC.

References

Tobias, J.A., Seddon, N., Spottiswoode, C.N., Pilgrim, J.D., Fishpool, L.D.C. & Collar, N.J. (2010). Quantitative criteria for species delimitation. Ibis 152(4): 724–746.

Zimmer, K. and M. Isler (2003). Family Thamnophilidae (typical antbirds). Pages 448-681 in J. del Hoyo, A. Elliot, and D. A. Christie, editors. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 8. Broadbills to Tapaculos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

More Information: on61_black-chinned_and_band-tailed_antbird.pdf