The sooty ant tanager (Habia gutturalis) is a species of bird in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae); formerly, it was placed with the true tanagers in the family Thraupidae.

Sooty ant tanager
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Habia
Species:
H. gutturalis
Binomial name
Habia gutturalis
(Sclater, PL, 1854)
Sooty Ant-Tanager

It is endemic to Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and secondary forest. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.

Taxonomy edit

The bird was first formally described in 1854 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater.[2] The binomial name derives from the Guaraní name habia for various finches and tanagers, and the Latin word gutturalis which means "of the throat".[3] The sooty ant tanager is a monotypic species.

Description edit

 
Sooty Ant-Tanager male with crest raised

19-20 cm in length. The adult male is dark grey with a conspicuous scarlet crest (not always raised) and a rosy-red throat. The adult female is duller with a pinkish-white throat.[4]

Distribution and Habitat edit

This bird is found in northwest Colombia, occurring in the Upper Sínu Valley at the northern end of the western Andes, and east along the north base of the Andes to the middle Magdalena River Valley.

Its natural habitat is humid tropical forests, edges, gaps and mature secondary forest. It prefers dense streamside and landslide habitats in extensive unbroken forest.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2021). "Habia gutturalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22722423A190930538. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22722423A190930538.en. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  2. ^ Sclater, P.L. (1854). "On a New Species of Tanager in the British Museum". The Annals and Magazine of Natural History. VIII, Second Series: 24–25. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 182, 184. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. ^ a b Restall, Robin; Rodner, Clemencia; Lentino, Miguel (2006). Birds of Northern South America: an Identification Guide. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. Vol 1 p676. ISBN 978-0-300-10862-0.