The plain antvireo is a passerine bird species in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Mexico, every Central American country except El Salvador, on both Trinidad and Tobago, and in every mainland South American country except Chile, French Guiana, Suriname, and Uruguay.
Region
Mesoamerica and northern–central South America, including Trinidad and Tobago
Typical Environment
Found from southern Mexico through most of Central America (except El Salvador), on Trinidad and Tobago, and widely across tropical South America except Chile, French Guiana, Suriname, and Uruguay. It inhabits humid and semi-humid forests, edges, second growth, and thickets. Prefers dense understory with vine tangles and saplings where it forages quietly. It tolerates some disturbance and can persist in secondary forests and shaded plantations near forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The plain antvireo is a small, understory antbird that forages methodically in dense foliage. Pairs often duet, giving simple, evenly spaced notes that carry through forest thickets. Unlike obligate ant-followers, it mostly gleans insects from leaves and twigs, only occasionally attending army-ant swarms. It has many subspecies with subtle regional plumage differences.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups maintaining territories in the understory. Often joins mixed-species flocks while foraging but stays low and inconspicuous. Nest is a small cup suspended in a fork of slender stems or vines, with both sexes participating in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Simple series of clear, evenly spaced notes or a soft, accelerating sequence; calls are sharp chips. Pairs may duet, with phrases exchanged between male and female from concealed perches.
Plumage
Plain, smooth-textured plumage with subtle contrasts; males gray to slate above and paler gray below, females more brownish or olive with warmer underparts. Typically shows faint, pale wingbars and minimal streaking.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods including beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and other insects gleaned from leaves and twigs. It inspects vine tangles and leaf clusters methodically, occasionally sallying short distances to snatch prey. Only rarely does it attend army-ant swarms and it is not an obligate follower.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory of humid forest, secondary growth, and forest edges. Forages 0.5–3 m above ground in vine tangles, saplings, and shaded thickets.
