Blue-lored Antbird

Hafferia immaculata

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.”

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Hafferia immaculata
Authority
(Lafresnaye, 1845)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Thamnophilidae
Genus
Hafferia

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

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