Rufous-throated Antbird

Overview

The rufous-throated antbird (Gymnopithys rufigula) is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae, known as the typical antbirds. It is found across the Guianan Shield in northern South America.

Identification

• Length of 11.5 to 14 cm with a weight of 26 to 32 g.
• Males feature a brownish black forehead and lores, an olive-brown crown, and bare blue skin around the eye, with rufous-chestnut cheeks and upper throat.
• Wings and tail are dark yellow-brown, while the back and rump are olive-brown with a hidden white patch between the scapulars.
• Song described as a high, whinnylike series of notes that quickly rise and fall, often transcribed as 'we-whe-whee-HE-He-he'hu'we'we'.

Habitat

This species primarily inhabits humid lowland and foothill terra firme evergreen forest, almost entirely remaining in the undergrowth and seldom entering open areas. It is found from the drainage of the Rio Cuyuní in Venezuela east through the Guianas and into northern Brazil, typically occurring below 900 m in elevation.

Diet

An obligate ant follower, it feeds on a wide variety of arthropods that flee foraging army ant swarms, particularly those of Eciton burchelli, and also consumes small lizards. It typically forages individually, in pairs, or in family groups, perching near the ground and sallying after prey.

Did you know?

The genus name Gymnopithys combines the Ancient Greek for 'bare' or 'naked' with the antbird genus Pithys, reflecting the species' distinct bare blue skin around the eye.