Rufous-capped Antthrush
A species of Formicarius Antthrushes Scientific name : Formicarius colma Genus : Formicarius Antthrushes
Rufous-capped Antthrush, A species of Formicarius Antthrushes
Botanical name: Formicarius colma
Genus: Formicarius Antthrushes
Content
Description General Info
Description
The Formicarius colma is generally a small bird, averaging around 18 cm with males weighing between 38 and 49 grams and females between 41 and 49 grams. Males are marked by a black forehead, rufous-colored (red-brown) crown and nape, with the crown including a variable amount of black feathers. Its back, rump, and wings are olive-brown color with a dusky brown tail and black on the neck, throat, and sides of the head. The upper breast is a dark black that merges into a dark gray on the lower breast while the belly and flanks are a paler gray with (occasionally) a brown wash. Underwing coverts are marked by a mix of black and cinnamon with the inner webs of remiges being dusky with a broad cinnamon bar across the base. Facial features include a brown iris and black bill while the tarsus vary from light gray-brown to a purplish-gray. The female is largely the same as the male, being marked with a white throat rather than the black seen in males. The four subspecies differ slightly from each other; the nigrifrons largely resemble colma but with more black on the head, the amazonicus resemble the nigrifrons but smaller with a deeper rufous head, short tail, and browner upperparts, and the ruficeps having an extensively rufous head. Juvenile rufous-capped antthrushes are marked by a white throat (like the female) and black spotting. The song of the rufous-capped antthrush is generally a 4 to 6 second long, fast, even-paced trill of about 14 notes per second. This song is between 2.2 and 3kHz, with this frequency being speculated as optimal for communication in thick, humid underbrush. The call of the rufous-capped antthrush is described as a single, clear “psee-eh” or “pier,” while the song is described as a “re-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee”. 
Size
18 cm
Feeding Habits
Rufous-capped Antthrush primarily consumes ants and grasshoppers, foraging solo or in small groups by tactfully walking on the forest floor and sifting through leaf litter. They occasionally eat snakes, showcasing a unique predatory adaptation.
Habitat
The rufous-capped Antthrush typically resides in the dimly lit undergrowth of dense, humid terra firme forests. Although predominantly associated with these forests, it can also inhabit transitional forests, occasionally várzea environments, or savanna woodlands. It tends to occupy habitats featuring higher ravines and drier ridges, especially where its range overlaps with closely related species. The rufous-capped Antthrush is largely a lowland bird, favoring habitats that support its specialized foraging and nesting requirements.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Distribution Area
The F. colma is found in east Colombia (south of Vaupés), south and east Venezuela, the Guianas, and in Brazil north of the Amazon while the subspecies F. nigrifrons are found east of Ecuador, east of Peru, north of Bolivia (south to La Paz), and south of the Amazon. F. amazonicus is found in Brazil south of the Amazon, from east Madeira to north Maranhão, and south of Ji-Paranã and Mato Grosso. F. ruficeps is found on the coastal east and southeast of Brazil from Pernambuco to Rio Grande do Sul. The rufous-capped antthrush are widespread, predominately preferring the cooler, shady floor of terra firme forests, although they can occasionally be spotted inhabiting traditional forests and savanna forests. While they generally occupy the lowlands to 500m and locally to 1100m, interspecies aggression between the rufous-capped antthrush and F. analis has been observed to induce altitudinal displacement, with F. colma fleeing to higher and drier ravines and ridges while the F. analis occupy the lower lands. Additionally, in Manu, the black-faced antthrush, being both larger and more population-dense, dominate over the rufous-capped antthrush. While the two species frequently overlap due to F. colma's large distribution, the song of the F. colma has been reported to induce an aggressive response from the black-faced antthrush while the song of the black-faced antthrush causes recession of the rufous-capped antthrush, indicating further interspecies aggression. Other than interspecies aggression, the driving factor controlling the rufous-capped antthrush’s distribution is poorly understood, as they are believed to be a sedentary species.
Species Status
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, rufous-capped antthrushes are considered of least concern and are not globally threatened. They are generally rated as uncommon to fairly common based on location and inhabit many protected zones. F. colma are fairly common in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia,Venezuela, and in the Guianas and rare in the Rio Grande do Sul.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Antthrushes and antpittas Genus
Formicarius Antthrushes Species
Rufous-capped Antthrush 
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