Black-throated Antshrike

About the Black-throated Antshrike

The black-throated antshrike (Frederickena viridis) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is native to the Guiana Shield. The black-throated antshrike shares genus Frederickena with the undulated antshrike (F. unduliger) and fulvous antshrike (F. fulva). It is monotypic.

The black-throated antshrike is a large dark antbird, 19 to 22 cm (7.5 to 8.7 in) long and weighing 65 to 75 g (2.3 to 2.6 oz). The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism, though both sexes have a crest (that usually is flattened), red irises, and a heavy black bill with a hook at the end like true shrikes. Adult males are mostly slate gray with a black head, throat, and breast, a usually hidden small white patch between their scapulars, and faint white bars on their tail. Adult females have a rufous crest, nape, upperparts, and wings. Their forehead, sides of their head, underparts, and tail are barred with pale buff to white and blackish brown; their flanks have a rufous tinge. Subadult males have mixed gray and brown upperparts and underparts like adult females'. Wikipedia →