The red-fronted antpecker is a species of songbird found in Western Africa. Like all antpeckers, it is placed in the estrildid finch family, Estrildidae. Jameson's antpecker has sometimes been considered as a subspecies.
Region
West Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in the Upper Guinea forests from Guinea and Sierra Leone through Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire to Ghana. Prefers lowland evergreen and moist semi-deciduous forest, including mature secondary growth and forest edges with dense understory. Often keeps to vine tangles, sapling thickets, and areas with abundant dead leaves where insects accumulate. Tolerates selectively logged forest but avoids open country and heavily degraded habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy understory songbird of West Africa’s lowland forests, the red-fronted antpecker belongs to the estrildid finch family yet feeds largely on insects. Males show a distinctive bright red forecrown, a key field mark in dim forest light. It forages quietly through vine tangles and dead leaf clusters, gleaning small arthropods. Jameson’s antpecker has sometimes been treated as a subspecies, reflecting close affinities within Parmoptila.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through understory
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups, moving quietly through dense understory. Likely monogamous, with nests placed low in thick vegetation or vine tangles. Outside breeding, may associate loosely with mixed-species understory flocks but remains unobtrusive.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Soft, thin, high-pitched tsee notes and short trills, often delivered from concealed perches. Vocalizations are understated and easily overlooked amid forest ambient noise.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with paler, buffy to grayish underparts and fine mottling. Male shows a bright red forecrown and forehead, with subtle rufous tones on the face; female is duller with reduced or absent red and more uniform brown tones. Wings and tail are brownish with slight rufous wash.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods, including ants, beetles, termites, spiders, and insect larvae. Gleans prey from dead leaves, bark, and vine tangles, and probes clusters of suspended leaf litter. May occasionally take small seeds or berries, but insects dominate the diet.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in dense understory of intact and lightly disturbed forest, especially where lianas and dead leaf clusters are abundant. Often forages near fallen logs, rotten wood, and along forest edges with thick cover.
