Checker-throated Stipplethroat

Overview

The checker-throated stipplethroat, Epinecrophylla fulviventris, is a small passerine bird belonging to the subfamily Thamnophilinae of the typical antbirds. It is found across Central and South America, ranging from Honduras to Ecuador.

Identification

• Size: 10 to 11 cm in length, weighing between 8.5 and 11.5 g.
• Plumage: Males have a gray face and a black throat with large white spots, while females have a brownish buff face and throat; both sexes have gray-brown upperparts and reddish tails.
• Song: A series of abrupt, staccato notes that accelerate and intensify initially, often described as a descending series of high-pitched 'seee, seee, seeu, seeu' sounds.

Habitat

This species inhabits evergreen lowland and foothill forests as well as adjacent mature secondary forest, with a strong preference for areas featuring dense vine tangles that collect debris. Its range extends from far southeastern Honduras through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, reaching into western Colombia and Ecuador.

Diet

The bird feeds primarily on arthropods, including cockroaches, crickets, katydids, and spiders, as well as spiders. It forages mostly in forest understory and mid-story vine tangles, hitching along thin branches and searching through dead leaves and moss.

Did you know?

Males defend their territory by displaying to one another from perches just 30 cm apart, where they lower their heads, puff up their plumage, and sway back and forth while continuously vocalising.