White-plumed Antbird Identification Guide

Key Field Marks

• Tiny (about 12-13 cm), entirely blackish plumage in both sexes
• Diagnostic tuft of stiff, filamentous white plumes projecting from the crown and forecrown like a "powder puff" or shaving brush
• Bare, pale blue-gray skin surrounding the eye, contrasting with the black head
• Slim black bill and pale pinkish legs
• Wings and tail uniform blackish, lacking obvious wing bars or tail spots

Similar Species

• Bicolored Antbird: larger, with rich rufous-brown upperparts and a whitish belly; lacks the white crown plumes
• White-cheeked Antbird / White-fronted Antbird: show white restricted to face patches rather than an erect crown tuft, and have different body coloration
• Other black antbirds at swarms (e.g., Black Antbird): lack any white plumage; the combination of overall black body plus the spiky white "powder-puff" crest is unique to this species

Behavior & Habitat

White-plumed Antbird is one of the classic "professional" ant-followers of the Amazon. It attends swarms of army ants (especially Eciton burchellii) almost exclusively, perching low over the swarm front and sallying down to snatch arthropods and small vertebrates flushed by the ants. It rarely forages away from an active swarm and is often among the most dominant, conspicuous species at a swarm, perching in the open at eye level or lower in the dim understory.

Where & When to See It

Found throughout the lowland Amazon Basin, including Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas, in humid terra firme and várzea forest understory. It is a non-migratory resident. The most reliable way to find one is to locate an active army ant swarm — listen for the excited chatter of mixed antbird flocks and the buzzing of flushed insects.

Voice

Gives sharp, dry chip notes and buzzy, chattering trills, most often heard while attending an ant swarm alongside other obligate and opportunistic ant-following species.