Scaled Antbird

Small, charismatic species with a long spiky tail and a short crest. Has generally pale gray-brown plumage with a streaked throat and crest. Occurs in woodland, scrub, and gallery forests. Forages acrobatically from the understory up to the canopy. The song starts with sharp notes and ends with a very thin trill: “tsi, tsirrrrr.”

Antshrikes have large, flat heads and large, hooked bills; they often angle their tails downward, below the line of the body. Male Black-hooded is mostly black with a slightly paler belly; note small white spots on the shoulder. The female is paler gray overall with whitish streaking on the head and breast. Most often seen in pairs in the understory of forest and edges. Follows mixed flocks. Listen for accelerating chuckle with a longer raspy note at the end.

A nest parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of Bar-breasted Firefinch. Breeding males are glossy purplish-black with a pale brownish panel in the wings, while females and non-breeding males are brown and streaky on the back and pale below, with a bold facial pattern. The bill is white and the legs pinkish. Found in a wide variety of open habitats including open woodland, thickets, savanna, cultivated areas, and scrub. Breeding males can be identified with care by their vocalizations and purple gloss. Non-breeding males and females cannot be separated visually from other indigobirds. Imitates the vocalizations of its host firefinches: a low “chip” call and an up-and-down twittering song.