Ancistrops strigilatus
The Chestnut-winged Hookbill (*Ancistrops strigilatus*) is a captivating small passerine, measuring approximately 15-16 cm (6 inches) in length and weighing around 20-25 grams. Its most distinctive feature is its robust, strongly hooked bill, where the maxilla conspicuously overlaps the mandible, giving it a unique profile among ovenbirds. Plumage is characterized by a streaked olive-brown head and upperparts, contrasting sharply with brilliant rufous or chestnut wings, a prominent field mark...
Found in humid foothill and lower montane evergreen forests, typically occurring at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,500 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods, including beetles, spiders, and larvae, which it gleans and probes from vegetation.
This diurnal species is primarily known for its active foraging behavior, often joining mixed-species flocks, particularly with tanagers and other furnariids. It gleans insects and other arthropods with remarkable agility, frequently hanging upside down to probe dead leaves, bark crevices, and ep...
The Chestnut-winged Hookbill is an endemic resident of the humid, subtropical and tropical forests of the Andean foothills and western Amazon basin in South America. Its distribution stretches from southern Colombia (Meta, Caquetá, Putumayo), through eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru, extending s...
Least Concern
- The Chestnut-winged Hookbill's genus name, *Ancistrops*, literally means 'hook-faced' in Greek, a direct reference to its remarkably distinctive bill. - Its unique, strongly hooked bill is an adaptation for tearing apart dead leaves, bark, and epiphyte clusters to extract hidden insects. - Unli...