Chapman's antshrike is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
Region
Tumbesian region (SW Ecuador and NW Peru)
Typical Environment
Inhabits tropical deciduous and semi-deciduous dry forests, scrubby thickets, and forest edges. Most frequently found in dense understory with vine tangles and second-growth thickets near watercourses. It tolerates moderately disturbed habitats but declines where forest is heavily cleared. Typically forages at low to mid-levels, usually within a few meters of the ground.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named for the American ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, this antshrike is a Tumbesian dry-forest specialist of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Males and females look strikingly different, a hallmark of many antshrikes. It often keeps to dense undergrowth, revealing itself more by voice than by appearance. Habitat loss in the Tumbesian region makes it a conservation concern.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through dense cover
Social Behavior
Usually found as pairs maintaining territories in dense understory. Occasionally joins mixed-species flocks along forest edges and thickets. Nest is a small cup placed low in vegetation; both sexes likely share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, whistled notes that can accelerate into a brief rattle or trill. Calls include sharp chips and scolds given from concealed perches. Vocalizations carry well through dry forest understory.
Plumage
Male is mostly slate-gray with contrasting pale wingbars and a subtly barred tail; female is warm rufous-brown with buffy underparts, pale wingbars, and fine tail barring. Both sexes show dense, smooth plumage suited to moving through brush. Bill is stout and hooked, typical of antshrikes.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects and other arthropods, including beetles, ants, spiders, and caterpillars. Uses sit-and-sally and gleaning techniques, picking prey from leaves, twigs, and bark. May occasionally take small vertebrates when available. Sometimes forages near, but is not dependent on, army-ant activity.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense understory and midstory of dry forest, scrub, and overgrown edges. Often works along vine tangles, thorny thickets, and riparian vegetation where prey is concentrated.
