#antbirds
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mikemelton.bsky.social
I watched a large group of young Ocellated Antbirds hunting in an antswarm with their parents yesterday. I've never been this close to this species, as I could have literally reached out and touched this bird.

This is an obligate antbirds, meaning...

#birds #costarica
Brown and black speckled bird with a blue face and pale bill perched on a slanted branch against a soft, blurred background.
November 23, 2025 at 2:16 AM
mikemelton.bsky.social
One of the easiest antbirds in Costa Rica, the Spotted Antbirds are curious and comfortable around people. I have a pair of these around @casabentbill.bsky.social but I'm not sure if they're nesting there or not.

#birds #costarica #nature
A small bird perched on a diagonal branch, showing a striking pattern of colors. Its head and beak are dark gray, while the throat and chest are white, speckled with bold black spots.
September 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
mikemelton.bsky.social
One of the most spectacular of Costa Rican antbirds, the Ocellated Antbird is larger and more shy than Spotted and Bicolored Antbirds.

#birds #costarica
A red and black bird with a blue patch around its eye.
July 17, 2024 at 7:39 PM
mikemelton.bsky.social
Ocellated Antbirds are one of the shyest Costa Rican antbirds and they very seldom get close. But there were a few family groups this morning with a bunch of hungry young birds and the adults were busy showing them how to hunt for insects flushed by the army ants.

#birds #nature At Tapir Valley
Close-up of a brown bird with intricately patterned feathers and vivid blue skin around its eye, set against a soft green forest background.
November 22, 2025 at 1:28 AM
mikemelton.bsky.social
The Ocellated Antbird is the largest antbird in Costa Rica, and it depends on army ant swarms for its food source. It doesn't eat ants, but the many insects and arachnids that are fleeing the raiding ants.

This bird was working a swarm with other antbirds at @tapirvalley.bsky.social #CostaRica 🌿🪶
May 6, 2025 at 4:43 PM
mikemelton.bsky.social
One of my favorite antbirds, these little gems of the primary forest habitat.

Spotted Antbird, male

@tapirvalley.bsky.social

#birds
A Spotted Antbird on a branch.
July 17, 2024 at 4:10 AM
mikemelton.bsky.social
Me, in my happy place: sitting in the mud with army ants and antbirds.

At @tapirvalley.bsky.social #CostaRica

#loco #birds #puravida
A man in muddy boots lies on a forest trail in dense green jungle, aiming a camera with a long lens at the base of a tree.
November 23, 2025 at 12:39 PM
elnopower.bsky.social
Silvery-cheeked Antshrike.

The silvery-cheeked antshrike (Sakesphoroides cristatus) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds".

The silvery-cheeked antshrike is a bird of the caatinga of northeastern Brazil.

📸: @glopezespina
June 17, 2026 at 5:04 PM
elnopower.bsky.social
Barred Antshrike.

The barred antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) is a passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in the Neotropics in Mexico, every country in Central America, Trinidad and Tobago.

📸: @donovan.nature
October 3, 2026 at 9:32 PM
elnopower.bsky.social
Spotted Antbird.

The spotted antbird (Hylophylax naevioides) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

📸: @giorgesuarez
May 25, 2026 at 7:12 PM
elnopower.bsky.social
Barred Antshrike.

The barred antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) is a passerine bird, a "typical antbirds". It is found in the Neotropics in Mexico, every country in Central America, Trinidad and Tobago, and every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay

📸: @cmazaracki
January 20, 2026 at 1:53 AM
mikemelton.bsky.social
White-throated Antbird, Reserva Natural Palmari, Brazil

#birds #nature #antbirds
A tiny blue-gray bird clinging sideways to a thin tree trunk, showcasing its remarkable climbing ability. Its compact, round body features soft slate-colored feathers with a contrasting white throat patch. The bird's dark, alert eye and slender pointed beak are captured in sharp detail, while its nimble claws grip firmly to the bark.
March 29, 2025 at 2:50 AM
mikemelton.bsky.social
Black-faced Antbird at Santa Cruz, Vaupés, Colombia. An Amazonian species and one of the less common antbirds.

#birds #antbirds #amazonia
A striking close-up of a small bird perched on a moss-covered branch, its sharp, inquisitive gaze directed forward. The bird's plumage features bold contrasts of black and white, with a dark face and throat that give it a distinctive and expressive appearance. Its bright eyes glimmer with alertness, while its slender legs and delicate claws grip the textured branch. The softly blurred green background provides a serene, natural setting, drawing attention to the bird's intricate details and curious posture.
November 21, 2024 at 4:31 PM
jenteo.bsky.social
Your daily Avian Hybrids story!

Postzygotic isolation drives speciation in Warbling-antbirds
avianhybrids.wordpress.com/2021/08/14/p...

#ornithology
Postzygotic isolation drives speciation in Warbling-antbirds
Several lines of evidence indicate strong selection against hybrids.
avianhybrids.wordpress.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:02 PM
mikemelton.bsky.social
Hairy-crested Antbird, Reserva Natural Palmari, Brazil.

#birds #antbirds
A close-up of a bird with striking blue eye rings that stand out against its dark, soft brown feathers. The bird's inquisitive gaze is directed downward, adding an element of mystery to its expression. The fine details of its plumage and intense blue eye markings create a captivating visual against the blurred background.
November 10, 2024 at 10:44 PM
mikemelton.bsky.social
One of the more common, friendlier antbirds of Costa Rica, the Spotted Antbird.

#birds #nature
A small bird with a striking black-and-white speckled chest perches on a slender branch in a dimly lit forest. Its head is covered in dark gray feathers, contrasting with its bright, alert eyes. The bird's back and wings display a mix of deep brown and black tones, blending with the surrounding foliage. Its delicate, pale legs and feet grasp the branch securely.
March 23, 2025 at 5:30 PM
neotropicbirds.bsky.social
Here’s the original Occellated Antbird painting mentioned in the previous post.
Seeing these guys in the wild for the first time was a very good day!
#BirdArt #Birds #Art #AntBird
A pair of Occellated Antbirds on branches near a tangled ferny, leafy forest floor in understory dappled light
February 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM
mikemelton.bsky.social
Bicolored Antbirds are ant-obligates, meaning they follow antswarms through the forest. Their big eyes help them find insects on the dark forest floor.

At Bijagua #CostaRica

#birds #nature
An adorable round bird perched on a moss-covered vertical stem in a rainforest setting. The bird has a distinctive two-tone appearance with rich chestnut-brown upper parts and a clean white throat and chest. Its prominent black eye with a light blue eye-ring gives it an alert, curious expression as it grips the thin branch with pale blue feet.
March 26, 2025 at 4:41 AM
mikemelton.bsky.social
Ocellated Antbirds on the hunt during an ant swarm at Heliconias Rainforest Lodge, Costa Rica.

#birds 🪶
Two reddish birds on a tree. They have blue circles around their eyes.
August 30, 2023 at 3:31 PM
johnmalloy.bsky.social
Antbirds in Costa Rica - Chestnut-backed and Bicolored on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

November 2025

#antbird #costarica #birding
November 29, 2025 at 8:33 PM
amcuervo.bsky.social
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... Brazilian Amazon Hypocnemis #ornithology #evosky
Diversification in Amazonian Hypocnemis antbirds (Aves: Thamnophilidae) inferred from Ultraconserved Elements (UCEs)
Warbling antbirds consist of an avian genus (Hypocnemis) with a wide distribution, confined to the Amazon basin, and whose true diversity and evolutio…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 20, 2025 at 1:49 PM
crevicedwelling.bsky.social
there’s about a million antbirds antthrushes antshrikes antwrens antpittas antvireos
April 28, 2025 at 11:12 PM
crowfielding.bsky.social
Hadn't heard of antbirds til this morning now I've seen two and I Love them look at these colours
mikemelton.bsky.social Mike Melton @mikemelton.bsky.social · Jul 17
One of the most spectacular of Costa Rican antbirds, the Ocellated Antbird is larger and more shy than Spotted and Bicolored Antbirds.

#birds #costarica
A red and black bird with a blue patch around its eye.
July 17, 2024 at 8:00 PM
mikemelton.bsky.social
A recently fledged Ocellated Antbird (Phaenostictus mcleannani) at Heliconias Rainforest Lodge, Costa Rica.

#birds #antbirds #costarica
A bird in a dark forest. It has a reddish-black breast and blue markings around its eye.
August 10, 2023 at 5:52 PM
ryanfm.bsky.social
i will be giving an intro to quantum presentation in the colombian tropical forest tomorrow
a slide titled "Quantum birdwatching: quantization and uncertainty" the left column has two blurry antbirds smeared together with the caption "A one-antbird cloud, spread between two locations" and beneath that another blurry antbirds with the caption "An antbird with a measured location, but unmeasurable speed" to the right is text that reads "And there are certain values that can’t be measured simultaneously. If I measure the exact location of the antbird with my binoculars, then I can no longer calculate the speed. If I measure its speed with a radar gun, it becomes a cloud diffusing between the possible locations."
September 8, 2025 at 11:48 AM