A 2026 study treats the “sclateri” lineage, formerly in the Gray Antbird complex, as the separate species Cercomacra sclateri. Its diagnosis describes loud raspy-clear one-note phrases whose length, pace, and share of raspy notes do not overlap with the other four lineages.
A 2012 paper covering four forms, including former C. c. sclateri, described males as gray and females as brownish olive, with long white-tipped tails in both sexes. This predates the 2026 elevation and describes the broader former group, not a unique mark of the current species.
The 2026 study describes its loud song as raspy-clear one-note phrases. It reports no overlap with the other four lineages in note length, pace, or the share of raspy notes.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.