Pithys albifrons
The White-plumed Antbird, *Pithys albifrons*, is a striking member of the antbird family (Thamnophilidae), renowned for its obligate association with army ant swarms. Measuring a petite 11.5-12.5 cm (4.5-5 inches) in length and weighing 14-17 grams, its most distinctive feature is a brilliant white crown and broad supercilium that extends in wispy 'plumes' down the sides of its neck, contrasting sharply with its otherwise uniform sooty-gray to blackish plumage. It possesses a notable bicolore...
This species primarily inhabits the dense understory of humid lowland evergreen forests, particularly non-flooded (terra firme) rainforests, typically found at elevations up to 700 meters.
Its diet consists almost exclusively of arthropods, including insects like beetles, cockroaches, and grasshoppers, as well as spiders, all flushed from the leaf litter by army ant swarms.
The White-plumed Antbird is an obligate army ant follower, dedicating its daily activity to tracking the nomadic swarms of species like *Eciton burchellii*. It forages by hopping agilely on or very close to the forest floor, snatching insects and other arthropods flushed by the ants' advancing fr...
The White-plumed Antbird is a resident species distributed widely across the northern Amazon Basin in South America. Its extensive breeding range encompasses southern Venezuela, the entire Guianas region (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana), and a significant portion of northern and eastern Brazil. ...
Least Concern
- The White-plumed Antbird is considered an 'obligate' ant-follower, meaning it relies almost entirely on army ants to find its food. - It primarily tracks swarms of *Eciton burchellii* and *Labidus praedator*, two common army ant species in its range. - Despite its small size, it often holds a d...