Black-headed Antthrush

SCI Name:  Formicarius nigricapillus
Protonym:  Formicarius nigricapillus Proc.U.S.Natl.Mus. 16 p.670,675
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Formicariidae / Formicarius
Taxonomy Code:  blhant1
Type Locality:  Buena Vista, Costa Rica.
Author:  Ridgway
Publish Year:  1893
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

FORMICARIUS
(Formicariidae; Ϯ Rufous-capped Ant-thrush F. colma) Mod. L. formicarius  of the ant  < Med. L. formicarium  ant-hill  < L. formica ant. The antbirds received their name from the habit of a few species of trailing ant armies and feeding on the insects thus disturbed or put to flight; “This bird inhabits South America  ...  in the neighbourhood of large ant-hills, on the inhabitants of which it chiefly feeds, as do several other species; many sorts of which unite together into bands: but what is observable in this species, it is seldom seen except one in a flock of the others, or at most a pair. These birds for the most part keep on the ground, and appear less active than those which it keeps company with” (Latham 1783). The ant-thrushes are shy, terrestrial birds, much more often heard than seen and sometimes occur on the periphery of ant swarms; "700.  1.Palikour BUFF. VIII. p. 238. BRISS. Ornith. o. LINN. o. Formicarius torquatus, mihi.  2.Carillonneur BUFF. VIII. p. 246. BRISS. Ornith. o. LINN. o. Formicarius Cantatar, mihi.   ...   703. 1.Colma, BUFF. VIII. p. 241. BRISS. Ornith. o. LINN. o. Formicarius Colma.   ...   821. Tetema de Cayenne, BUFF. VIII. p. 240. BRISS. Ornith. o. LINN. Gen. o. Formicarius Cayanensis." (Boddaert 1783); "Formicarius Boddaert, Tabl Pl. enlum., 1783, p. 43, 44, 50. Type, by subsequent designation, Formicarius cayanensis Boddaert = Formicarius colma Boddaert (G. R. Gray, List Gen. Bds., 1840, p. 26)." (Peters, 1951, VII, p. 239). 
Synon. Eriodora, Formicicapa, Myiothera, Myocincla, Myrmecophaga, Tetema.

nigricapilla / nigricapillus
L. niger black; -capillus -capped < capillus hair of the head.
● ex “Merle à Calotte Noire” of Levaillant 1802, pl. 108 (Lioptilus).

SUBSPECIES

Black-headed Antthrush (nigricapillus)
SCI Name: Formicarius nigricapillus nigricapillus
nigricapilla / nigricapillus
L. niger black; -capillus -capped < capillus hair of the head.
● ex “Merle à Calotte Noire” of Levaillant 1802, pl. 108 (Lioptilus).

Black-headed Antthrush (destructus)
SCI Name: Formicarius nigricapillus destructus
destructus
L. destructus ruined, destroyed  < destruere  to destroy.