Bird Guide

Black-hooded Antshrike vs Variable Antshrike

Black-hooded Antshrike (Thamnophilus bridgesi)

Black-hooded Antshrike

Thamnophilus bridgesi

Small27 gForest

The black-hooded antshrike is 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 26 to 27 g (0.92 to 0.95 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits some sexual dimorphism. Adult males are mostly black. They have a white patch between their scapulars, small white dots on their wing coverts, and dark gray belly and undertail coverts. Adult females have blackish gray forehead, crown, and face with narrow white streaks. Voice: Garrigues and Dean describe the black-hooded antshrike's song as "an accelerating series of staccato notes that end in a longer, lower note". VanPerlo describes it as a "high wooden wekwekwekkerwikkerwek, varied in speed and length". Its call is "an extended, complaining note, usually repeated 2–3 times".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kradlum · CC BY 2.0
Variable Antshrike (Thamnophilus caerulescens)

Variable Antshrike

Thamnophilus caerulescens

Small21 gForest

The variable antshrike, as its common name suggests, is arguably the species of antbird with the most variable plumage. It is 14 to 16 cm (5.5 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 15 to 24 g (0.53 to 0.85 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism as well as the differences among subspecies. Adult males of the nominate subspecies T. c. caerulescens have a black crown and nape and a gray face. Voice: The variable antshrike's song varies somewhat with geography but the differences are clinal. In general its song is "a simple countable series of usually 6–7 plaintive, evenly spaced whistles of same pitch and intensity". Variations include the pitch and intensity of the first and last notes and the song's pace. The song has been written as "nyah nyah nyah nyah" and "au-au-au-au".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: filipeprates · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-hooded Antshrike and Variable Antshrike.