Photo by Sarah Hadley
Species of the day –– Bicolored Antbird (Gymnopithys leucaspis)
These birds are called antbirds because they follow swarms of army ants. They don’t actually eat the ants themselves, but eat the insects and spiders that are fleeing from the swarm. Many have quite remarkable facial skin coloring such as the blue eye ring on this one.
It’s especially interesting how the antbirds are evolved to sit “sideways” on vertical saplings above the ant swarms on the forest floor. This allows the antbirds to forage just above or in front of the swarming ants and catch their pray from their vertical perches, as it is fleeing the ants.
Finding a swarm of army ants is a lucky find for a birder. There are some 18 species of birds that are “ant followers” and are almost never found away from the swarming ants.