Photo: Christoph Moning / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Jet Antbird
Cercomacra nigricans
Jet Antbird (Cercomacra nigricans) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Jet Antbird (Cercomacra nigricans) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 16.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Thamnophilidae Antbirds
- Genus Cercomacra
- Species nigricans
Where it lives
Panama to western Ecuador, northwestern Colombia and eastern Venezuela
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Jet Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Jet Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Jet Antbird (Cercomacra nigricans) is a species of bird in the Thamnophilidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Panama to w Ecuador, nw Colombia and e Venezuela.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.6 g, with a wing length of about 6.5 cm and a tail of around 6.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 547,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Jet Antbird?
The Jet Antbird is a small bird that weighs around 16.6 g.
Where does the Jet Antbird live?
The Jet Antbird is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Panama to w Ecuador, nw Colombia and e Venezuela, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Jet Antbird belong to?
The Jet Antbird (Cercomacra nigricans) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Jet Antbird eat?
The Jet Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Jet Antbird migrate?
The Jet Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Jet Antbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Jet Antbird make?
1 real field recording of the Jet Antbird — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Jet Antbird's range?
The Jet Antbird has a mapped global range of about 547,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Thamnophilidae
A field guide to the Thamnophilidae family — 240 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.