Bird Guide

Great Antshrike vs Plain Antvireo

Great Antshrike (Taraba major)

Great Antshrike

Taraba major

Small59 gForest

The great antshrike is a large and distinctive bird, 19 to 20 cm (7.5 to 7.9 in) long and weighing 47.5 to 70 g (1.7 to 2.5 oz). The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism, though both sexes of all subspecies have a large crest, a red iris, and a heavy black bill with a hook at the end like true shrikes. Adult males of the nominate subspecies T. m. major have a black head with the color extending to below the eye. Their upperparts are mostly black with a usually hidden white patch between the scapulars. Voice: The great antshrike's song is generally "a long, accelerating series of c. 40 notes, 5–14 seconds, usually ending in a snarl", though the more northern and western subspecies tend to sing fewer notes and often omit the snarl.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Great Antshrike
Recorded by Alisson · Uncertain · Chã de Alegria, State of Pernambuco, Brazil · CC0
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bertrandocampos/ · CC BY 2.0
Plain Antvireo (Dysithamnus mentalis)

Plain Antvireo

Dysithamnus mentalis

Tiny15 gForest

The plain antvireo is 10 to 13 cm (3.9 to 5.1 in) long and weighs 12 to 16 g (0.42 to 0.56 oz). It is a rather chunky bird with a large head and short tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies D. m. mentalis have a dark gray forehead and crown and blackish ear coverts. Their upperparts are grayish olive with a hidden white patch between the scapulars. Their wings are dark grayish olive with olive edges on the flight feathers, white tips on the grayish olive greater coverts, blackish median coverts with white tips, and blackish lesser coverts. Voice: The plain antvireo's song is generally a "short...series starting with a few...evenly paced, countable notes at same pitch, notes then gradually becoming more abrupt and dropping in pitch, ending in accelerating roll". Authors have described it as a "high nasal watje watjwatwaturururu sounding as a rattle" and as "a nasal barking series...weu-weu-weu-Weu-Weu-Weu-Weu-Weu'weu'wru'weu'u'u'u".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Plain Antvireo
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Napo: km 11.6 Narupa-Loreto road, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: rodrigo_lazaro · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Great Antshrike and Plain Antvireo.