Northern Chestnut-tailed Antbird (Sciaphylax castanea) [XC264626]
by Paul Coopmans from Pastaza: Kapawi area, Ecuador (song)
Northern Chestnut-tailed Antbird (Sciaphylax castanea) [XC858941]
by Juan Freile from Calzada (near Moyobamba), Moyobamba Province, San Martin, Peru (song)
Genus appears not to represent a monophyletic grouping, but traditional arrangement maintained pending further phylogenetic study. Closely related to Southern Chestnut-tailed Antbird (Sciaphylax hemimelaena) and until very recently considered conspecific, but differs in, particularly, voice. Racial identity of northern populations in southern Colombia (Putumayo) and at lower elevations in eastern Ecuador (Napo) uncertain, but probably belong to centunculorum.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
centunculorum (Isler, ML et al., 2002) - Extreme southern Colombia (Putumayo), eastern Ecuador (Napo, Pastaza) and north-eastern Peru (Loreto).
castanea (Zimmer, 1932) - South-eastern Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe) and northern Peru (San Martín).