Black-billed Wood-Dove

Large, chunky, dark antbird restricted to northern Colombia and western Venezuela. Male entirely black with namesake blue lores and triangular patch of paler bluish skin behind eye. Female similar but warm dark brown instead of black. Long broad tail often strongly flicked downward and raised back up slowly. Usually seen in pairs, which forage close to the ground within forest. Can be shy and difficult to see. Sometimes follows ant swarms, but frequently seen away from them. Found mainly in the foothills and lower subtropics, up to 1,800 m. Listen for a mourning series of plaintive whistles, “teew, teew, teew, teew.”

Striking antbird with a conspicuous white throat and breast. Males have a black cap, brown back, and gray belly, while females have a cinnamon cap and underparts scaled black-and-chestnut. Note the bare yellowish eyering in both sexes. Found in humid forest, where it forages in the understory, exclusively around army-ant swarms. The song is a descending series of whistled notes, finishing with a few harsh sharp notes.

Uncommon in forest, marshes, and mangroves, where usually greatly outnumbered by similar Common Black Hawk. Slightly larger and lankier than Common Black Hawk, with longer legs and tail, and adults of the two species have very different calls in flight. Adult Great Black has 2 white tail bands (1 on Common) and less extensive yellow in face. Immature looks whiter-headed than Common (no big black moustaches), and its longer tail has narrower and more numerous pale bars. Usually warier than Common, which can be quite unconcerned by people.