The antbirds are a large family of passerine birds found in forests
across subtropical and tropical Central and South America, from Mexico
to Argentina. There are more than 200 species, known variously as
antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, fire-eyes, bare-eyes and bushbirds.
They are related to the antthrushes and antpittas (family
Formicariidae), the tapaculos, the gnateaters and the ovenbirds.
Antbirds are generally small birds with rounded wings and strong legs.
They have mostly sombre grey, white, brown and rufous plumage, which is
sexually dimorphic in pattern and colouring. Some species communicate
warnings to rivals by exposing white feather patches on their backs or
shoulders. Most have heavy bills, which in many species are hooked at
the tip. Insects and other arthropods form the most important part of
their diet, although small vertebrates are occasionally taken. Most
species feed in the forest understory and midstory, although a few feed
in the canopy and a few on the ground. To various degrees, around
eighteen species specialise in following columns of army ants to eat
the small invertebrates flushed by the ants, and many others may feed
in this way opportunistically. Thirty-eight species are threatened with
extinction due to human activities. The principal threat is habitat
loss, which causes habitat fragmentation and increased nest predation
in habitat fragments.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antbird>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1885:
Sino-French War: French troops under General François Oscar de Négrier
defeated a numerically superior Chinese force at Nui Bop in northern
Vietnam.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Nui_Bop>
1912:
The Boy Scout Association was incorporated throughout the British
Commonwealth by royal charter.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scout_Association>
1951:
Korean War: Chinese and North Korean troops captured Seoul.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Battle_of_Seoul>
1973:
Last of the Summer Wine, the longest running sitcom in the world,
premiered as an episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_of_the_Summer_Wine>
2006:
Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon suffered a severe hemorrhagic
stroke, leaving Ehud Olmert as Acting Prime Minister.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_Sharon>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
selcouth (adj):
(obsolete) Strange, unusual, rare; marvellous, wondrous
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/selcouth>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up
with you
And I don't know if I can do it.
Oh, no, I've said too much.
I
haven't said enough.
--R.E.M.
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/R.E.M.>