The rufous-capped antshrike is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Region
South America
Typical Environment
Occurs from eastern Peru and Bolivia across central and southern Brazil into Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. It inhabits dry to semi-humid woodland, cerrado, caatinga, Chaco scrub, and forest edges with dense understory. Common in overgrown pastures, gallery forests, and second-growth thickets near watercourses. Often remains low to mid-levels, favoring tangled vegetation and thorny shrubs.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This antshrike is a typical understory skulker, usually seen in pairs moving methodically through dense thickets. Its rich rufous crown is a standout field mark against otherwise gray or brown plumage. Pairs often duet, and the species adapts well to disturbed edges and second-growth habitats. It rarely follows army ants compared with some other antbird relatives.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and direct
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs that maintain territories year-round. Pairs communicate frequently and may duet; they skulk through dense cover, flicking tail and wings while foraging. Nests are small cups placed low in shrubs or saplings, typically with two eggs.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a short, accelerating series of sharp, whistled notes that may end in a buzzy trill; pairs often produce coordinated duets. Calls include dry chacks and scolds given from cover.
Plumage
Male is slaty-gray with a rich rufous crown and contrasting white wing spots/short bars; tail dark with pale tips. Female is warm brown to rufescent above with a rufous cap and paler buffy underparts, wings showing pale spotting. Both sexes have a stout, slightly hooked bill typical of antshrikes.
Diet
Feeds primarily on arthropods such as beetles, orthopterans, caterpillars, spiders, and other small invertebrates. It gleans prey from leaves, twigs, and vine tangles, and occasionally makes short sallies to snatch insects. Foraging is deliberate and methodical, with frequent pauses to inspect foliage.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory of scrub, second growth, and forest edges, often near thickets, vine tangles, and thorny shrubs. It stays within a few meters of the ground and forages along shaded edges and riparian thickets.
