Photo: Michael Woodruff / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Esmeraldas Antbird
Sipia nigricauda
Esmeraldas Antbird (Sipia nigricauda) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Esmeraldas Antbird (Sipia nigricauda) is a member of the Thamnophilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 24 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 Sipia
- Species nigricauda
Quick facts
- Weight
- 24 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Thamnophilidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Esmeraldas Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Esmeraldas Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Esmeraldas Antbird (Sipia nigricauda) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA w Colombia and w Ecuador.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 24 g, with a wing length of about 6.4 cm and a tail of around 5.2 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 65,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Esmeraldas Antbird?
The Esmeraldas Antbird is a small bird that weighs around 24 g.
Where does the Esmeraldas Antbird live?
The Esmeraldas Antbird is found across South America with a range covering SA w Colombia and w Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Esmeraldas Antbird belong to?
The Esmeraldas Antbird (Sipia nigricauda) belongs to the Thamnophilidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Esmeraldas Antbird eat?
The Esmeraldas Antbird is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Esmeraldas Antbird migrate?
The Esmeraldas Antbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Esmeraldas 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 Esmeraldas Antbird make?
1 real field recording of the Esmeraldas 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 Esmeraldas Antbird's range?
The Esmeraldas Antbird has a mapped global range of about 65,000 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.