Black-spotted Bare-eye
Phlegopsis nigromaculata
The Black-spotted Bare-eye (Phlegopsis nigromaculata) is a rare antbirds, antshrikes, antwrens, and antvireo found in 5 countries, weighing about 45 g. The black-spotted bare-eye is a species of insectivore passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds".










About the Black-spotted Bare-eye
The black-spotted bare-eye is a species of insectivore passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black-spotted bare-eye is 16.5 to 18.5 cm (6.5 to 7.3 in) long and weighs 42 to 51 g (1.5 to 1.8 oz). The sexes are alike. Both have a large ring of bare red skin around the eye. Adults of the nominate subspecies P. n. nigromaculata have a black head, neck, throat, and upper belly. Their upperparts are light olive with lengthwise oval black spots that have pale yellowish olive-brown edges. Their flight feathers are cinnamon-rufous and their tail rufous-chestnut. Their underparts below the black breast are olive-brown that becomes cinnamon-rufous towards the tail. Subspecies P. n. Voice: The black-spotted bare-eye's song is "a short series of moderately long, flat, rich whistles, each slightly lower in pitch and becoming harsher in quality"; the number of notes varies. It has been written as "zhweé, zhwu, zhwu" and "HEEEW heer heer". Its calls include an "abrupt 'chip', a long...'chirr' falling in pitch and intensity, and a short series...of lengthening notes that drop in pitch".
Where it lives
When to see it
The Black-spotted Bare-eye can be seen all year round, with peak activity in August. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-spotted Bare-eye?
- The black-spotted bare-eye is 16.5 to 18.5 cm (6.5 to 7.3 in) long and weighs 42 to 51 g (1.5 to 1.8 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-spotted Bare-eye?
- The Black-spotted Bare-eye is a small sized bird weighing about 45 g.
- Where can you see a Black-spotted Bare-eye?
- The Black-spotted Bare-eye occurs in 5 countries, including Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia.
- What birds look similar to a Black-spotted Bare-eye?
- The Black-spotted Bare-eye is most easily confused with the Reddish-winged Bare-eye and the Pale-faced Bare-eye.
- Is the Black-spotted Bare-eye endangered?
- The Black-spotted Bare-eye is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black-spotted Bare-eye for real
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