Other Scientific Names
Hylophylax poecilinota [Stotz et al. (1996)], Hylophylax poecilonota [BirdLife International (2004)], Hylophylax poecilonota [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)], Hylophylax poecilonotus, Hylophylax poecilinotus
Other Names (World)
Common Scale-backed Antbird, Scale-backed Antbird
Common Scale-backed Antbird (Willisornis poecilinotus) [XC258498]
by Jonas Nilsson from Sucumb\u00edos: 'La Selva Jungle Lodge', n bank R\u00edo Napo, Ecuador (alarm call)
Common Scale-backed Antbird (Willisornis poecilinotus) [XC556672]
by Felipe Arantes from Linha C-30, Brazil (canto)
Possibly not closely related to other members of genus. Relationships uncertain, but may prove to be part of an obligate ant-following clade. Scientific name often spelt erroneously as poecilonota. Some subspecies possibly constitute separate species and other subspecies appear to intergrade. Major taxonomic study is under way.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
poecilinotus (Cabanis, 1847) - Central and south-eastern Venezuela (Bolívar, northern Amazonas), the Guianas and north-eastern Amazonian Brazil (Roraima and east from lower R Negro to Amapá).
duidae (Chapman, 1923) - East-central Colombia (Meta, Guianía, Vaupés), south-western Venezuela (southern Amazonas) and north-western Brazil (upper and western bank of lower R Negro).
lepidonota (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1880) - South-eastern Colombia (eastern Cauca, Caquetá, Putumayo, Amazonas), eastern Ecuador and northern and east-central Peru (south, west of R Ucayali, to Cuzco).
gutturalis (Todd, 1927) - North-eastern Peru (Loreto south of R Amazon and east of lower R Ucayali) and adjacent western Brazil (east to lower R Juruá).
griseiventris (Pelzeln, 1868) - East-central and south-eastern Peru (Ucayali east of middle R Ucayali, Madre de Dios, eastern Puno), south-western Amazonian Brazil (east from R Juruá to both banks of R Madeira and drainage of R Aripuaní, Rondônia, and western Mato Grosso west of R Teles Pires) and northern Bolivia (Pando, La Paz, northern Beni, north-eastern Santa Cruz).
nigrigula (Snethlage, 1914) - South-central Amazonian Brazil (extreme eastern Amazonas east to both banks of R Tapajós, and on eastern bank of R Teles Pires south to northern Mato Grosso).
vidua (Hellmayr, 1905) - Eastern Amazonian Brazil south of R Amazon (east from R Xingu to western Maranhío, south to northern Tocantins). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Xingu Scale-backed Antbird (Willisornis vidua).