Spotted Antbird

The Spotted Antbird is a small, compact member of the antbird family found in the forest understory from Nicaragua through Panama and Colombia to northwestern Ecuador. Males have rich rufous-brown upperparts, a black face and throat, and bold black spots across a white breast, set off by two crisp white wingbars. Females share the pattern but are paler and buffier, with less contrasting spotting.

This species is one of the classic "professional" ant-following birds of Neotropical forests, rarely seen far from an active army ant swarm.

Key field marks

• Small size, short tail, and an upright, alert posture close to the ground.
• Rufous-brown back and crown; black face/throat; white underparts marked with bold black spots (male) or buffier with lighter spotting (female).
• Two conspicuous white wingbars.

Similar species

Bicolored Antbird is larger, plainer, and lacks spotting. Ocellated Antbird is much larger with a scaly, scalloped pattern rather than discrete spots and bare blue facial skin. Within its range, the combination of small size and bold spotting on white underparts is diagnostic.

Spotted Antbirds inhabit the understory of humid lowland and foothill evergreen forest, generally below about 900-1,000 m. Their range runs from Nicaragua through Costa Rica, Panama, and Pacific/northern Colombia to northwestern Ecuador (the Chocó bioregion). They are non-migratory, sedentary residents that hold territories year-round, though individuals may shift locally to track moving ant swarms.

Voice

The song is a short, thin series of whistled notes that rises then falls, distinctive enough to help locate an ant swarm even before the bird is seen.

Feeding

Spotted Antbirds are obligate army ant followers, perching on low stems and saplings just above the swarm front to snatch insects, spiders, and other small arthropods flushed by the advancing ants — they do not eat the ants themselves.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs build a small open cup nest low in the understory. Both parents incubate and feed nestlings. Because army ant swarms move unpredictably, pairs must balance nest defense with following productive swarms for feeding opportunities.