The ash-breasted antbird is an insectivorous bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs along major white-water rivers and their islands in the Amazon lowlands of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It favors early-successional river-island vegetation, especially cane (Gynerium), young willow and Cecropia thickets, and other dense shrub layers near sandy beaches. The species also uses seasonally flooded várzea edges and river margins with tangled undergrowth. It is generally absent from mature terra firme forest interiors. Local presence can shift as river channels change and islands erode or form.
Altitude Range
0–400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A specialist of Amazonian river islands and young river-edge scrub, this antbird often occupies newly formed sandbars with cane and Cecropia before forests mature. It is an insect-eater that forages low and skulks through dense thickets, usually in pairs. Unlike some antbirds, it is not an obligate follower of army ants, though it may take advantage of their raids opportunistically.
Temperament
skulking and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats low to the ground
Social Behavior
Usually found as pairs or small family groups that maintain territories along river margins. Nests are placed low in dense vegetation, and both sexes participate in nesting duties. It may join loose mixed-species foraging assemblages in river-edge scrub but often forages independently.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, ringing whistles delivered in a steady or slightly accelerating cadence, often carrying through dense scrub. Calls include sharp chips and short, buzzy notes used in contact between mates.
Plumage
Males are dusky slate to blackish above with an ash-gray breast that contrasts with darker lower underparts; females are warmer brown above with buffy to tawny underparts and a softer gray wash on the chest. Both sexes appear fairly plain overall in the field, with subtle pale edging on wing coverts and a dark tail. The plumage is tight and sleek, suited to moving through dense shrubbery.
Diet
Feeds primarily on arthropods such as ants, beetles, spiders, and other small insects gleaned from leaf litter, stems, and low foliage. It picks prey from the ground and low perches and may make short dashes to seize moving insects. Although it can attend army-ant swarms occasionally, it is not dependent on them.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense river-island cane beds, young willow/Cecropia thickets, and tangled river-edge shrubs. It stays within the shaded understory, typically below 2 meters, and often near sandy or silty substrates along riverbanks.
