Cercomacra iterata Zimmer 1932, stat. nov.
Abstract
Cercomacra iterata Zimmer, 1932 stat. nov. Cercomacra cinerascens iterata (partim) Zimmer, 1932: 19. Cercomacra sclateri (partim) [non Cercomacra sclateri Hellmayr, 1905] – Hellmayr (1905: 288). Holotype. AMNH 286595. Female. Type locality. Caxiricatuba, Rio Tapajoz, Brazil. Diagnosis. Identified as the southern Amazonian light gray morphotype with a loudsong typically consisting of compound disyllabic phrases with intercalated clear and raspy notes, similar to C cinerascens ’ loudsong. Distribution. Endemic to Brazil, this species occurs south of the Amazon River, on the right bank of the Tapajos River, east to Turiaçu, northeastern Pará, and east to the Tocantins River in Imperatriz, Maranhão. Remarks. Both sexes resemble the other three southern species and cannot be distinguished by morphology alone but are readily distinguished from the overall lighter C. cinerascens. Females show significantly larger tail length and tail tips compared to C. cinerascens, while males are also larger in those measurements as well as in culmen, tarsus and wing compared to the same species. Females also show significantly narrower tail tips compared to C. raucisona sp. nov. Males are significantly larger in all measurements compared to C. cinerascens, and show larger tarsus compared to C. mura sp. nov. and larger wings compared to C. raucisona sp. nov. (Fig. S 6). All measurements overlap. Significant vocal features differ compared to all species, except for C. cinerascens (Table S 7). Some males have a grayer back (MCZ 134866), although this falls within the normal variation seen in larger series. Females display a range of orange tones and can be as dark or darker (MCZ 134865) than their own holotype. A male and a female collected at the Arauepa Lake, on the right bank of the Tapajos River, Pará (LACM 32005, 32006), has white on the edges of their flight feathers, a feature not observed in any other individual, indicating a rare individual plumage variation.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Avian ecology and behavior
Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
Evolution and Paleontology Studies
Publication details
- Publication date
- 6 February 2026