Sooty Antbird (Hafferia fortis)

Identification & Behavior: ~18.5cm (7.2 in). The male Sooty Antbird is uniformly black with some white lining on the carpal area. The female has a brown back and a rufous crown. The sides of the head and underparts are gray. It forages in the understory of terra firme forest where it is often associated with army ants. The male is similar to a male Goeldi’s Antbird and White-shouldered Antbird but is distinguished by lacking the semi-concealed white patch of the back, by having a broad and complete eye-ring of blue bare skink, and by having a brown iris (bright red in the other Antbirds).

Status: The Sooty Antbird is uncommon and widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1300 m along the east slope of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Hormiguero Tiznado.

Sub-species: Sooty Antbird (Hafferia fortis fortis), (P. L. Sclater and Salvin), 1868.

Meaning of Name: Hafferia: In honor of Dr. Jürgen Haffer (1932-2010) German geologist, palaeontologist, ornithologist. fortis: L. fortis= robust, strong.

Formerly known as Myrmeciza fortis (2018).

See more of the Family Thamnophilidae