The ash-throated gnateater is a species of bird in the family Conopophagidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland humid forests of eastern Ecuador, northern and central Peru, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil (notably Acre and adjacent Amazonas). It favors terra firme and seasonally flooded forest edges with dense understory, especially vine tangles and bamboo thickets. Birds keep close to the ground or low midstory, often along stream corridors and in shady gullies. It avoids open areas and heavily disturbed habitats but may persist in selectively logged forest with intact understory.
Altitude Range
100–900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy understory specialist of the western Amazon, the ash-throated gnateater often keeps to dense vine tangles and bamboo, flicking its wings and tail as it forages. Males show a striking white eyebrow and an ashy throat contrasting with rufous-brown body plumage. It is more often heard than seen, delivering clear, whistled phrases from low perches. The species is non-migratory and typically found in pairs within well-defined territories.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low to the ground
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs that maintain small territories year-round. Nests are placed low in dense understory or tangles, with both sexes involved in territory defense. The species is generally skulking, moving with short hops and brief sallies to snatch prey.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, whistled notes that may accelerate or slightly descend in pitch, delivered from a concealed low perch. Calls include soft chips and a brief, ringing whistle used for contact between mates.
Plumage
Compact bird with smooth, close-fitting feathers; upperparts warm rufous-brown with paler underparts and an ashy gray throat. Males have a contrasting blackish face with a bold white supercilium; females are browner-headed with a buffier eyebrow and less contrasty throat.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small insects and other arthropods, including beetles, ants, spiders, and small orthopterans. It gleans from foliage and leaf litter, makes short sallies to capture airborne prey, and occasionally snaps prey from trunks and vines. Foraging is deliberate, with frequent pauses and wing-flicks.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory of humid lowland forest, especially vine tangles, bamboo stands (Guadua), and streamside thickets. Often forages within 0.5–3 m of the ground in shaded microhabitats and along forest edges with thick cover.
