Black-backed Antshrike

Thamnophilus melanonotus

The black-backed antshrike (Thamnophilus melanonotus) is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.The black-backed antshrike was described by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1855 and given the binomial name Thamnophilus melanonotus. It was subsequently placed in the genus Sakesphorus. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2007 found that Sakesphorus was polyphyletic and that three species including the black-backed antshrike were embedded within a clade containing members of Thamnophilus. The black-backed antshrike was therefore moved back to its original genus.