Bird · GBIF taxon 2490070
Bare-crowned Antbird
Gymnocichla nudicepsAlso known as Bare-headed Antbird
Bare-crowned antbirds are striking dark-plumaged birds named for the vivid, featherless cobalt-blue skin crowning their heads. Males display a glossy black plumage with bold white wing bars, while females exhibit rich rufous-brown tones paired with a slightly smaller patch of blue facial skin. They frequent dense thickets and vine tangles in humid lowland forests, where they regularly track swarms of army ants to catch flushed insects.
InsectivoreAnt-FollowerTropical
1 / 4—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Army ant-flushed insects
- Spiders
- Grasshoppers
Predators
- Forest falcons
- Snakes
- Small arboreal mammals
ThreatsDeforestation and habitat loss
HabitatsHumid lowland forests, dense second-growth, river margins
Life span5–8 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyThamnophilidae
- SpeciesGymnocichla nudiceps
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Listen for songs: Locate vocalizing pairs by their loud, musical whistle echoing through dense thickets.
- Track army ants: Search near active army ant columns where these birds congregate to hunt.
- Stay on trails: Avoid pushing into dense undergrowth to preserve sensitive nesting habitat.
Ant Follower Co-Occurring Relative Co-Occurring Relative
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