Red-throated Ant Tanager - BirdForum Opus

Habia fuscicauda

Male. Photo by Gary Clark.
Location: Parque Natural Metropolitano, Panama.

Identification

19 cm. Dull red, paler below, bright red throat and central crown, dark bill and eyes. The female is brown-olive, paler and greyer below, yellow throat and small dull yellow crown stripe. Young birds are brown and lack the throat and crown patches.

Similar Species

Very difficult to distinguish from the Red-crowned Ant Tanager. However, this species has darker lories, and the red or yellow crown stripe lacks the black edge found on the Red-crowned Ant Tanager. Both these differences are subtle; best differentiation is voice.

Distribution

Mexico to Panama and Colombia

Female. Photo by Cedric K.
Location: Parque Natural Metropolitano, Panama.

Taxonomy

Six subspecies are recognized:^[1]

• H. f. salvini
• H. f. insularis
• H. f. discolor
• H. f. fuscicauda
• H. f. willisi
• H. f. erythrolaema

Habitat

Thick undergrowth at the edge of forest.

Behaviour

• Breeding: It builds a cup shaped nest in the fork of a shrub or tree and 2-3 white eggs are laid.
• Diet: Includes insects, arthropods and fruit.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Red-throated Ant Tanager. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-throated_Ant_Tanager

External Links

Search for photos of Red-throated Ant Tanager in the gallery