Spotted Antbirds belong to the family Thamnophilidae and occupy the Neotropics from Southern Honduras to Central Panama. They are a medium sized bird that feed on insects and facultatively follow swarms of ants. Reproduction occurs during the rainy season and the birds possess a clutch size of generally two eggs. They are socially monogamous and have a max life span of 14 years (Willis 1972).
Spotted Antbirds occur in tropical lowlands, but may also range in elevation as high as 900 meters. They are found in Caribbean lowland forests from southeastern Honduras to lower Magdalena Valley of northern Colombia. Over the Cordillera de Guanacaste of northern Costa Rica and in Central Panama they range to the Pacific coast. From central Panama to central Ecuador they live in Pacific lowland forests (Willis 1972).
Spotted Antbirds are a small to medium sized bird, 11.5 cm in length, with a short tail typical of most Antbirds. The mass for an individual ranges from 15-19 grams and an average of 17 grams (Willis 1972). Unlike many other Antbirds, the Spotted Antbirds do not have a bare patch of blue skin around the eye. The bill is a light charcoal gray in females and a darker charcoal color in males. The tarsi and toes are medium to dark charcoal gray in both sexes. Males have a dark gray head, a chest with black or dark gray spots, and chestnut-colored wings and back. Females have a dull tan chest and head with chestnut-colored wings and back. The song of Spotted Antbirds is developed without learning from a conspecific tutor (Touchton et al. 2014). The song of the male is loud and documented to be longer than the female, however, both sexes use loud-song defense for territories. The loud song consists of a variable number of repeated syllables each comprised of a 'peeee' whistle followed by a short 'ti' note, giving a full sequence 'peeeeeti-peeeti-peeeti-peeeti-peeeti-peeeti-peeeti-peeeti' of variable length (Willis 1972).
Diet includes small spiders, cockroaches, katydids, crickets, centipedes, sowbugs, and moths (Wills 1972). Prey is usually no larger than 21 mm and foraging occurs primarily on or near the ground less than one meter, antbirds rarely forage above two meters. Foraging usually takes place in open areas in forest understory, unless army ants are flushing insects in dense underbrush. Willis estimates that sallying made 87% of food capture, 10.2% by lunging, and 2.3% by leaf tossing (Willis 1972). Of these methods, 71.7% of the prey was on the ground, 12.3% on stems or lianas, 11.4% on leaves or twigs, 1.9% in the air, and 1.5% on a trunk or log.
In an experiment conducted by Willis (1972) it is estimated that 50% of the Spotted Antbird diet is made up of prey flushed by swarms of army ants (primarily Eciton burchelli and Labidus praedator). Unlike obligate ant-following species such as the Bicolored Antbirds (Gymnopithys leucaspis) and Ocellated Antbirds (Phaenostictus mcleannani), Spotted Antbirds facultatively follow ant swarms. Whereas the professional ant-followers seem to rely on swarms for food, there is evidence that Spotted Antbirds respond to a variety of situations in which insects are flushed from hiding spots from other species such as leaf cutter ants or agoutis (Dasyprocta punctata) (Willis 1972).
However, it is observed that due to a population decrease of the Ocellated Antbird, Spotted Antbirds now spend much more of their time following ant swarms. It is seen that their metabolic biomass at these swarms has more than tripled since the disappearance of the Ocellated Antbird (Touchton and Smith 2011).
The Maximum observed lifespan for a Spotted Antbird is 14 years 7 months. Two other adult males have been observed to live 13 years 6 months and 13 years 5 months (Willis 1983)
Spotted Antbirds are socially monogamous and form long-term pair ponds. For all populations of Antbirds, the breeding coincides with the rainy season (Willis 1972). The breeding season in Costa Rica starts in April and ends in July and nesting season ends before the peak of the rainy season, November-December. Nest building begins in late March or early April in central lowland Panama. The nest made by the Spotted Antbird is placed within two meters of the ground, found in open undergrowth and is an open cup design. The nest is mainly composed of dark-colored fungal rhizomorphs (Willis 1972). Eggs are white with an oblong shape and have many dark red to brown marks or spots. The eggs measure 22m along their long axis and 15mm along their short axis (Willis 1972). The model clutch size is 2 per a pair of birds and rarely is higher. The nesting period has duration of 11 days and the hatchlings have naked, dark gray or black skin weighing 2 grams. Nestlings are brooded from the first to the 8th day of nesting and are rarely brooded for longer. Males and females feed the nestlings equally. Young Spotted Antbirds fledge at around 13-14 grams (Willis 1972). Spotted Antbird nests are susceptible to nest predators such as mouse opossums, white faced capuchins, motmots, toucans, and raptors (Styrsky 2005). Reusing nest sites and nest structures is a vital part of the breeding biology of Spotted Antbirds. Pairs prefer to reuse successful nests in their territory rather than reusing previously nests that have been predated upon (Styrsky 2005).
The spotted antbird (Hylophylax naevioides) is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. In southern Central America, it is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama; also Colombia and Ecuador of northwestern South America. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
A smallish bird, measuring 11 cm (4.3 in) and weighing 16–19.5 g (0.56–0.69 oz). The male spotted antbird's plumage is a distinctive combination of a necklace of large black spots on a white chest, chestnut back, grey head, and black throat. The female is a duller version of the male, but also distinctive with large chest spots and two wide buffy wing-bars.[2]
Forages as individuals or pairs in lower levels of mature, humid forests. Found in lowlands and foothills up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[2][3]
Spotted antbirds are known to follow army ant swarms to catch insects and other small animals trying to flee. They eat spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, katydids, crickets, centipedes, sowbugs, moths, beetles, caterpillars, ants, bristletails and, on occasion, lizards and frogs.
This bird is an open-cup nesting species that lays an average clutch of 2 maroon-splotched white eggs,[4][5] which both adults incubate.[6] The nestling period is 11 days.[4][6]
The spotted antbird (Hylophylax naevioides) is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. In southern Central America, it is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama; also Colombia and Ecuador of northwestern South America. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
