The wing-banded antbird is a species of passerine bird in subfamily Myrmornithinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Central America and the Amazon Basin of northern South America
Typical Environment
It inhabits lowland evergreen forests from Nicaragua and Panama south through Colombia and Ecuador and widely across the Guianas, Venezuela, Peru, and northern to central Brazil. Most often it occupies intact terra firme forest with dense understory and abundant leaf litter. It also occurs along forested streams, in vine tangles, and locally in white-sand (campinarana) forests. It generally avoids open areas and heavily fragmented habitats, remaining within shaded interior forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This secretive ground-dwelling antbird is more often heard than seen, advertising its presence with clear, whistled notes from low perches. Despite its name, it is not an obligate ant follower, foraging mostly by gleaning and pouncing on leaf-litter arthropods. The bold white wing band flashes when it flicks or adjusts its wings, aiding identification in dim forest light.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief low flights
Social Behavior
Usually encountered alone or in pairs maintaining territories on the forest floor. Nests are placed low in vegetation or on banks, with both parents involved in care. It keeps close to cover, moving with deliberate hops and short dashes.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of clear, whistled notes that may rise or fall slightly in pitch, carrying well in dense forest. Calls include sharp tsk notes and soft trills given from low perches.
Plumage
Compact, short-tailed antbird with warm brown upperparts and rich rufous underparts; shows a crisp pale to white wing band formed by the wing coverts. Plumage is adapted for camouflage in dim understory, appearing plain until the wing patch is flashed.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects and other arthropods such as spiders and beetles, taken from leaf litter and low vegetation. It forages by gleaning, probing, and short pounces to the ground. It may occasionally attend army-ant swarms but is not an obligate follower.
Preferred Environment
Shaded forest floor, near fallen logs, root tangles, and dense understory where leaf litter accumulates. Often close to small streams or damp gullies with thick cover.
