The southern antpipit is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Region
Eastern and south-central South America
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland and foothill forests of Brazil, eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina. It occupies primary and well-developed secondary humid forests, gallery forests in savanna mosaics, and forest edges with dense understory. Most activity is within the shaded forest floor and lower understory where it forages and sings from low perches. It tolerates some habitat disturbance but is most frequent in intact or semi-intact forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Southern Antpipit is a ground-oriented tyrant flycatcher that walks and runs along the forest floor, often holding its very short tail cocked, giving it a pipit-like look. Despite its name, it is not an antbird; it picks small arthropods from leaf litter and low perches and may only occasionally attend army-ant swarms. Its thin, high whistles can be surprisingly ventriloquial in dense understory, making it easier to hear than to see.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and direct over the forest floor
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, maintaining small territories within dense understory. Nests are placed low, often near the ground in concealed sites among roots or dense vegetation; clutches are typically small. The male often sings from a low perch just above the leaf litter, especially at dawn.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of thin, high-pitched whistles, often delivered in short phrases that can be difficult to localize. Calls include soft chips and sharp, high notes given when disturbed.
Plumage
Plain brown-olive upperparts with paler, buffy underparts and fine dusky mottling on the breast; very short tail and rounded wings. The throat is whitish to buffy, and a faint pale supercilium and eye ring may be visible at close range.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small arthropods such as ants, beetles, spiders, and other leaf-litter invertebrates. Forages by walking and pausing to pick prey from the ground or low foliage, and by making short sallies from low perches. It may occasionally attend army-ant swarms to take flushed prey but does not rely on them. Prey size is generally small, suited to its short, straight bill.
Preferred Environment
Prefers shaded forest floor and dense understory, including vine tangles and bamboo patches. Often forages along quiet forest trails and edges where cover is abundant.
