Black-headed Antbird
Percnostola rufifrons
Medium-sized, stocky bird of forest understory. Shows substantial geographic variation in plumage, but males are always black and dark gray, females rufous and gray-brown. Both sexes show thin wingbars: white in males, rufous-buff in females. Eastern populations (Guianas and NE Brazil) have striking red eyes; those of more western subspecies are gray. Found in tall rainforest and in lower-stature forests on sandy soils, usually in pairs or small groups that often follow army ants but are just as likely to be seen away from them, searching deliberately for insects in low vegetation. Not especially shy but often assesses observers warily from dense cover, pumping tail and giving low churring calls similar to other antbirds. Song is a series of clear, whistled notes on one pitch, with some geographic variation in pace; most common call is a sharp bark, similar to call of Black-faced Antthrush. In dim forest light, male may be confused with Spot-winged Antbird; Black-headed is best distinguished by wing bars (not spots), stockier profile, and vocalizations.
Taxonomy
The black-headed antbird was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the thrushes in the genus Turdus and coined the binomial name Turdus rufifrons. The specific epithet rufifrons combines the Latin rufus meaning "red" or "rufous" with frons meaning "forehead" or "front". Gmelin based his description on "Le merle roux de Cayenne" that had been described and illustrated in 1775 by the French polymath, the Comte de Buffon in his book Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The black-headed antbird is now placed together with the Allpahuayo antbird in the genus Percnostola that was introduced in 1860 by Jean Cabanis and Ferdinand Heine.<p>Four subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Percnostola rufifrons
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Genus
- Percnostola
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Cuban Oriole
Icterus melanopsis
A sleek forest bird that sometimes ventures into gardens and parks in search of flowers and fruit; prefers areas with palms. The adult is dressed in black except for its yellow rump and shoulders. No similar species occur within its range. Immatures are largely yellow-green with a tattered black beard and somewhat resemble immature male Orchard Orioles, but the Orchard Oriole is smaller and lacks the Cuban Oriole’s yellow shoulders. Calls include a whistled “tsee-tsoo” and “pit-see-ee-oo,” plus a loud squeaky “spwit.” Full song is fluid series of whistled upslurred and down-slurred notes.
Melodious Warbler
Hippolais polyglotta
Medium-sized warbler, light olive-brown above and yellowish below with a rather long bill. Compared to Icterine Warbler, wings are shorter and lack the pale panel. Song is fast and prolonged, containing quite a lot of mimicry and usually some House Sparrow-like chattery calls intermixed. Breeds in southwest Europe and northern Morocco, in forests, scrubbier vegetation, orchards, and well-wooded gardens. Winters in various wooded habitats in tropical Africa, including wooded savanna.
Black-headed Saltator
Saltator atriceps
Fairly common in humid tropical lowlands. Favors forest edge, plantations, adjacent semi-open areas with trees and hedges. Usually in noisy small groups moving at mid-upper levels. Black head and bib surrounds white throat patch (throat patch buffy in Los Tuxtlas region of southern Veracruz), upperparts bright golden green. Larger and noisier than the rather similar Buff-throated Saltator, which has a less contrasting black head.
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