Driophlox gutturalis
The Sooty Ant Tanager (Driophlox gutturalis) is a striking, medium-sized songbird of the family Cardinalidae, measuring approximately 18 cm (7.1 inches) in length and weighing between 28-36 grams. Males are distinctively dull sooty-gray to blackish overall, contrasted sharply by a vibrant, conspicuous pinkish-red throat patch and a usually concealed scarlet crown patch. Females share the overall dark plumage but exhibit a duller, more orange-red throat and a smaller or absent crown patch, rep...
Inhabiting the understory and mid-story of humid lowland and foothill tropical evergreen forests, the Sooty Ant Tanager typically occurs from sea level up to 1500 meters, occasionally higher. It favors dense, often vine-tangled vegetation, especially near ravines or watercourses.
Its diet consists predominantly of insects and other arthropods, supplemented opportunistically with small fruits. It forages by gleaning, sallying, and most famously, by following army ant swarms.
The Sooty Ant Tanager is a diurnal species, spending its active hours foraging primarily in the dense understory. While often solitary or in pairs, it frequently joins mixed-species foraging flocks, enhancing its insect-finding efficiency. A notable behavioral trait is its facultative association...
The Sooty Ant Tanager is an endemic resident of northern South America, with its primary distribution centered in Colombia and western Venezuela. In Colombia, it is found throughout the lower and middle Magdalena Valley, extending along the Caribbean slope of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and ...
Least Concern
- Despite its common name, the Sooty Ant Tanager is not a true tanager (family Thraupidae) but belongs to the Cardinalidae family, making it a "Cardinal-tanager. - Males possess a striking, vivid scarlet crown patch that is typically concealed unless the bird is agitated or displaying. - Its scie...