Cercomacra Antbirds

Cercomacra is a genus of passerine birds in the antbird family Thamnophilidae. They are insect-feeding birds that mainly inhabit tropical and subtropical forest areas of South America, extending into Central America. Cercomacra is distinguished from other bird genera by its sexual dimorphism and communication patterns. They often forage close to the ground or in low vegetation. A molecular phylogenetic study has shown that the traditional genus Cercomacra is not monophyletic but is divided into two distinct lineages: the "nigricans group", which retains the original genus name, and the "tyrannina group", now recognized as the separate genus Cercomacroides.