The reddish-winged bare-eye is a species of insectivorous passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Region
Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid lowland rainforest across much of the western and central Amazon Basin of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It favors primary forest but also uses mature secondary growth where understory is dense. Most activity is in the shaded understory within a few meters of the ground, especially along trails of army ants. It avoids open habitats and heavily disturbed areas.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A specialist ant-follower, it shadows army ant swarms to snatch insects and other arthropods flushed from the leaf litter. Its name comes from the conspicuous patch of bare skin around the eye, a hallmark of the bare-eyes. It spends most of its time in the dim rainforest understory and is more often heard giving soft whistles and chips than seen.
Temperament
secretive and methodical
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low fluttering hops between perches
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, often accompanying mixed-species ant-following assemblages around active army ant swarms. Pairs maintain territories and communicate with soft calls in the understory. Nesting is typically low above the ground, with both sexes involved in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of clear, mellow whistles, sometimes slightly descending. Contact calls are soft chips and notes delivered from low perches near the forest floor.
Plumage
Mostly dark, with sooty to blackish-brown body plumage contrasted by rich rufous wing coverts forming a distinct wing patch. Feathers are smooth and close-set, suited to maneuvering through dense understory. The face shows an extensive patch of bare skin around the eye. Tail is relatively short and dark.
Diet
Primarily takes arthropods such as beetles, crickets, spiders, and other insects flushed by army ants. It sallies to the ground or low foliage to seize prey, rarely taking the ants themselves. Opportunistically captures small invertebrates from leaf litter and low branches between ant swarms.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the dim, dense understory of mature rainforest, especially along active Eciton army ant columns. Often forages within 0–3 meters of the ground along logs, root tangles, and viney thickets.
