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.
