The black-throated antbird is a species of passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Amazon Basin and Guiana Shield
Typical Environment
Occurs widely in lowland tropical forests of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Prefers dense understory of terra firme and várzea forests, forest edges, and secondary growth with tangled vines and thickets. Frequently forages near swarms of army ants in shaded leaf-littered areas. Also uses gallery forests and swampy patches where cover is dense.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A typical antbird of the Amazonian lowlands, it often attends army-ant swarms to seize insects flushed from the leaf litter. Males show a distinctive black throat and breast that give the species its name, while females are warmer rufous-brown. Formerly placed in the genus Myrmeciza, it is now classified as Myrmophylax. It is a shy understory specialist that is more often heard than seen.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, darting flights
Social Behavior
Usually found as solitary individuals or in monogamous pairs that maintain year-round territories in dense understory. Often follows army-ant swarms to feed but spends much time quietly foraging near the ground. Nests are typically low cups placed in dense vegetation; both parents attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Male gives a clear, whistled series that may accelerate slightly and then trail off, carrying well through the understory. Calls include sharp tchik notes and soft scolds when disturbed.
Plumage
Male with slate-gray upperparts and a contrasting black throat and breast; wings show warm rufous tones. Female is mostly rufous-brown above and below with a duskier throat patch and less contrast overall. Both sexes have short, rounded wings and a relatively long tail for an antbird.
Diet
Primarily captures insects and other arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and roaches. Takes prey flushed by army ants and also gleans from leaves, vines, and the forest floor. Will make short sallies to snatch moving prey and probes into leaf litter and tangles.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense understory, vine tangles, and along shaded forest trails and stream edges. Most activity occurs within a meter or two of the ground, often near active army-ant swarms.
