Gymnopithys rufigula
The Rufous-throated Antbird (Gymnopithys rufigula) is a small, enigmatic passerine belonging to the antbird family Thamnophilidae, renowned for its obligate association with army ant swarms. Measuring approximately 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 inches) in length and weighing 20-25 grams, this compact bird displays a striking rufous throat and chest, contrasting sharply with its sooty blackish upperparts and dark grey underparts, often with a rufous wash on the flanks and lower belly. Its most distinctive...
Primarily inhabits undisturbed, humid lowland tropical rainforests, favoring both primary and mature secondary growth, generally at elevations up to around 700 meters.
Feeds primarily on a wide variety of arthropods, including beetles, cockroaches, spiders, and orthopterans, supplemented occasionally by small frogs or lizards. It forages exclusively by snatching prey flushed from the forest floor by army ant swarms.
This diurnal antbird is an obligate follower of army ant swarms, with its daily activity centered around locating and exploiting these nomadic insect hordes. Foraging involves perching low to mid-story, then darting to snatch insects, spiders, and small vertebrates flushed from the leaf litter by...
The Rufous-throated Antbird is a resident species found exclusively in the tropical lowlands of northeastern South America. Its primary distribution encompasses the Guiana Shield region, including all three Guianas—French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana—where it is widespread. The range extends into...
Least Concern
- The Rufous-throated Antbird is an "obligate" army ant follower, meaning it almost exclusively feeds on insects and other small creatures flushed by army ant swarms. - Despite their close association, these antbirds do not eat the army ants themselves, but rather the prey the ants disturb. - The...