Antbirds, Antthrush, Spinetail & Xenops in Belize | Belize Budget Suites

Antbirds, Antthrush, Spinetail

Plain Antvireo

Plain Antivireo - Antvireos, as the name, suggests, resemble vireos, with rather heavy bills and shortish tails. This species inhabits open understory in humid forest of tropical lowlands and foothills. Usually found as sluggish singles or pairs, at times moving with mixed-species feeding flocks. Male has gray face and breast with a broad dark mask. Female has rusty cap and plain face and breast with a whitish eyering.
BELIZE HABITAT - Mid-levels to sub-canopy within primary broadleaf forest.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Uncommon to locally fairly common resident in west Orange Walk, most of Cayo south of Belize River, and Maya Mountains, and foothills of west Stann Creek and northwest Toledo.

Dusky Antbird

Dusky Antbird - This skulking species lives in humid tropical lowlands, favoring thickets and tangles at forest edges and along streams. Often heard song of piping whistles usually reveals the presence of Dusky Antbirds, which usually occur in pairs but are difficult to see clearly. Male is slaty gray overall with narrow whitish wingbars. Female has a rusty “blank” face and rusty underparts.
BELIZE HABITAT - Dense second-growth scrub, tanlges, understory of forest edge.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Fairly common to common resident north to north Orange Walk and north Belize.

Slaty Antwren

Slaty Antwren - Small, warblerlike bird of humid evergreen forest in tropical foothills and locally in lowlands. Usually in pairs, foraging in tangles and leaf clusters at low to middle levels in forest understory, often with mixed-species feeding flocks; easily overlooked. Note the rather short tail. Male gray overall with blackish throat and breast patch and white wingbars. Female notably drab brownish overall, with paler throat and eyering; best identified by nearby presence of male.
BELIZE HABITAT - Mid-levels to sub-canopy within primary broadleaf forest.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Uncommon to fairly common resident at higher elevations in Maya Mountains in south west Toledo and probably adjacent Cayo.

Dot Winged Antwren

Dot Winted Antwren - This species inhabits humid forest and edge in tropical lowlands. Usually found in pairs or small groups, moving actively in vine tangles and leafy thickets at low to middle levels in understory and edge. Both sexes distinctive with bold white dots on the wings and a graduated, white-tipped tail. Male is black overall. Female is slaty gray above and rich rusty below.
BELIZE HABITAT - High understory to sub-canopy within broadleaf forest interior and forest edge.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Fairly common to common resident on mainland, mostly in interior north to northeast Cayo; north central Orange Walk, and locally to south Corozal.

Russet Antshrike

Russet Antshrike - Rather undistinguished looking bird of humid evergreen forest in tropical lowlands and foothills. Typically forages sluggishly at middle to upper levels in shady forest understory; often travels with mixed-species feeding flocks and is easily overlooked. Warm brown overall with broad, pale buffy eyebrow, rustier tail, and stout, slightly hooked gray bill. Sexes look alike.
BELIZE HABITAT - Vines and tangles in sub-canopy to canopy within primary broadleaf forest interior.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Uncommon (lower elevations) to fairly common (higher elevations) resident in Maya Mountains and foothills of west Toledo and south Cayo.

Bare Crowned Antbird

Bare Crowned Antbird - Scarce and rather shy antbird of evergreen forest, second growth thickets, and overgrown plantations in humid tropical lowlands. Usually in pairs, on or near the ground, where often accompanies army ant swarms to capture prey flushed by the ants. Male is black with white wingbars with bright blue naked skin on crown and around eyes. Female is rusty brown overall with bright blue naked eyering.
BELIZE HABITAT - Understory and ground within broadleaf forest interior and forest edge.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Very uncommon and sparsely distributed resident at low elevations along the base of Maya Mountains, in Toledo, south Stann Creek, and south Cayo.

Barred Antshrike

Barred Antshrike - A retiring bird of thickets, forest edge, and other tangled vegetation. Distinctive song is heard regularly and pairs are usually within earshot of each other, but antshrikes generally remain hidden. The sexes look very different, but both have a spiky crest that is often raised. Male is barred black-and-white in ‘convict stripes,’ whereas female looks a lot like a wren with a stout bill that has a slightly hooked tip.
BELIZE HABITAT - Dense tangled, second-growth scrub, understory to mid-levels within broadleaf and pine forest edge.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Common resident on mainland; recorded twice recently on Ambergris Caye.

Western Slaty Antshrike

Western Slaty Antshrike
BELIZE HABITAT - Understory to sub-canopy within broadleaf forest interior and forest edge.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Fairly common to locally common resident in coastal plain of Toledo north to Monkey River.

Great Antshrike

Great Antshrike - Strikingly patterned but very skulking bird of forest borders, thickets, and tangles in humid tropical lowlands; uncommon. Heard much more often than seen; typically sings from dense vine tangles. Song suggests some trogons, but ends with a quiet snarl audible at close range. Male is black above; female is rusty above. Both have clean white underparts, bright red eyes, stout hooked bills, and crests that can be raised or lowered.
BELIZE HABITAT - Dense tangles, second-growth scrub, forest edge, and occasional understory within forest interior.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Fairly common resident generally away from coast north to north Cayo, and central Belize, and locally in vicinity of New River east Orange Walk.

Black Faced Antthrush

Black Faced Anthrush - Elusive inhabitant of humid tropical lowlands and foothills. Walks like a small chicken (not like a thrush) on the shady forest floor, holding its tail cocked and tossing leaves with its bill. Loud song of accelerating hooting whistles is often heard, but birds can be very difficult to see. Dark overall with pale bluish eyering and black face bordered by dark rusty band.
BELIZE HABITAT - Ground and understory of broadleaf forest interior.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Fairly common to common resident on mainland.

Plain Xenops

Plain Xenops - Active small bird of humid tropical forest. Usually found singly, often moving with mixed-species feeding flocks. Clambers and climbs on small branches, twigs, and vines, mainly at middle to upper levels inside forest. Often hangs upside down like a chickadee. Note the bold white whisker mark, boldly patterned black-and-rusty wings and tail, and short, wedge-shaped bill. Song is a short, high, liquid trill.
BELIZE HABITAT - Mid-levels to canopy within broadleaf forest interior and edge.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Fairly common resident on mainland.

Rufous Breasted Spinetail

Rufous Breasted Spinetail - Small, long-tailed, rather wrenlike bird of scrubby second-growth thickets and overgrown clearings. Typically rather skulking and heard much more often than seen. Distinctive song is a sneezy “whit’chew” or “whi-whi whit’chew” (“pleased to MEET you!”). Bright rusty breast blends into bright rusty wings and sets off black collar at base of throat. Long, spiny tail and wings lack the dark barring shown by wrens.
BELIZE HABITAT - Dense tangles, especially along roadsies and riverbanks.
Where can I find this bird in Belize?
Uncommon to locally common resident on mainland nearly throughout, but scarce or absent in much of Corozal.