Great Antshrike

Taraba major

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tikal National Park

1 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026

5,968 Verified sightings across all 51 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Great Antshrike

The great antshrike (Taraba major) is a passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in southern Mexico, in every Central American country except El Salvador, on Trinidad, and in every mainland South American country except Chile, though only as a vagrant in Uruguay.

The great antshrike was described by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1816 and given the binomial name Thamnophilus major. The current genus Taraba was introduced by the French naturalist René Lesson in 1831.

The great antshrike has these ten subspecies: The great antshrike is the only member of genus Taraba. Its closest relatives appear to be the fasciated and bamboo antshrikes of genus Cymbilaimus. The subspecies' vocalizations fall into two groups, T. m. melanocrissus through T. m. granadensis and T. m. semifasciatus through T. m. major. The first, found in Central America and mostly west of the Andes, may represent a separate species from the other, which are found east of the Andes. In addition, differences within the members of each group may not be significant enough in some cases to warrant subspecies status... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Thamnophilus doliatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Dysithamnus mentalis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Microrhopias quixensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Cercomacra tyrannina

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Psilorhinus morio

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Psarocolius montezuma

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Dives dives

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Setophaga magnolia

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Hylophilus decurtatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Pheugopedius maculipectus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Mniotilta varia

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~70%
2	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~40%
3	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
4	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
5	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
6	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
7	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
8	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
9	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
10	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
11	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
12	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
13	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
14	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~10%
15	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
16	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
17	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
18	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
19	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
20	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
21	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
22	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	<5%
23	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
24	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
25	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
26	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
27	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
29	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
30	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
31	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
32	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
33	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
34	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
35	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
36	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
37	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
38	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
39	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
40	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
41	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	Insufficient data
42	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
43	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
44	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
45	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
46	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
47	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
48	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
49	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
50	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
51	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

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Great Antshrike

About the Great Antshrike

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Barred Antshrike

Plain Antvireo

Dot-winged Antwren

Dusky Antbird

Brown Jay

Montezuma Oropendola

Melodious Blackbird

Social Flycatcher

Magnolia Warbler

Lesser Greenlet

Spot-breasted Wren

Black-and-white Warbler

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found