Bulletin 391 - Colombia 2021 #8 - Antbirds Part 2 and Antpittas

 I finally made it back to Colombia for my second visit and again used the guide services of Pablo Florez. I went with my friend Martin Jackson. We visited Inirida on the Orinoco, Santa Marta of course, Guajira Peninsula on the Caribbean coast, and a couple of National Parks around Bogota.

The 6" Santa Marta Antbird (Drymophilia hellmayri) is endemic to those mountains. It has brown wings and a black and white streaked throat. The sexes are very similar. It was formerly one of 4 species called Long-tailed Antbird.

Santa Marta Antbird

The 4.5" female Black-chinned Antbird (Hypocnemoides melanopogon) is a gray bird with a white throat and faint black streaks. The male has a black throat. Their habitat of flooded forest foraging just above the water line is diagnostic. We had a pair about 10 meters away in deep shadow just before dusk. It was too dark to get a photo, but just as we were about to leave in the boat, the female flew and landed in the open right beside the boat!

Black-chinned Antbird - female

The beautiful male 6" White-bellied Antbird (Myrmeciza longipes) is 'unlike any other' and an easy ID. This bird is the easiest antbird I have ever photographed. He came to within 2 meters, in the open, and sang continuously.

White-bellied Antbird

The 4.75" female Dot-backed Antbird (Hylophylax punctatus) has a black face, white chin, and white dot on lower back. The male is similar but with a black chin. Their habitat is like the Black-chinned Antbird - flooded forest - but they forage 1-4 meters above the water surface.

Dot-backed Antbird

The 5" male Southern White-fringed Antwren (Formicivora grisea) is an easy ID. he is brown above and black below with a white line between them. It was recently split into Northern and Southern species

Southern White-fringed Antwren - male

Antpittas are a closely related family to antbirds - and usually even more difficult to see and photograph. But in the past 20 years, it was discovered that they can be trained to come to a feeder enticed by worms. I photographed 3 species on the trip and saw a 4th one.

The 7" Santa Marta Antpitta (Grallaria bangsi) came to a feeding station at a research site in the Santa Marta range. It is endemic to those mountains.

Santa Marta Antpitta

The 6.5" Tawny Antpitta (Grallaria quitensis) is a resident high in the mountains and on the paramo. It often comes in the open as this one did - on the road.

Tawny Antpitta

The one that we saw but I wasn't able to photograph was the Rufous Antpitta in the Santa Marta range. This species of antpitta was split into 14 different species in July 2021! This one is now the Sierra Nevada Antpitta.

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 29 of the 238 species of antbirds

I have photos of 10 of the 69 species of antpittas

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2021 David McDonald

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