Red-throated ant tanager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-throated ant tanager |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Male in Belize | |
 |
|
| Female in Costa Rica | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Habia (bird)
|
| Species: |
fuscicauda
|
 |
|
The red-throated ant tanager (Habia fuscicauda) is a medium-sized bird. It's a type of passerine, which means it's a perching bird. These birds live all year round in the same place. You can find them on the Caribbean side of Central America. Their home stretches from southeastern Mexico all the way to eastern Panama.
Even though they are called "ant tanagers," scientists now think they are more closely related to cardinals. This means their name might be a little bit confusing!
Contents
What They Look Like
Red-throated ant tanagers are about 19 cm (7.5 in) long. That's about the length of a small ruler. They weigh around 40 g (1.4 oz), which is like a few pieces of candy.
Male and Female Differences
Adult male red-throated ant tanagers are a dull, dark red color. They are a bit lighter on their belly. They have a bright red throat and a bright red patch on top of their head.
Female birds look different. They are brownish-olive in color. Their belly is lighter and more grey. Females have a yellow throat and a small, dull yellow stripe on their head. Young birds are brown and don't have the colorful throat or head patches yet.
These birds are usually duller and darker than a similar bird, the red-crowned ant tanager. That bird lives on the Pacific side of Central America.
Where They Live
Red-throated ant tanagers like to live in thick bushes. You can find them at the edge of forests. They also live in areas where forests are growing back or in old farms. They live from sea level up to about 600 m (2,000 ft) high.
Nesting and Reproduction
These birds build a large but messy cup nest. They usually place it about 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) high. The nest is built in the fork of a shrub or a tree. Sometimes, they even decorate their nests with living ferns!
Female birds usually lay two or three white eggs. They lay their eggs between April and June.
What They Eat
Red-throated ant tanagers usually live in pairs or small groups. They love to eat insects and other small creatures like arthropods. They also enjoy eating fruit. Some of their favorite fruits come from plants like Cymbopetalum mayanum and Trophis racemosa.
Following Army Ants
These birds are known to follow army ant columns. Army ants march in large groups and stir up insects as they move. The tanagers follow them to catch the insects that are trying to escape. This is especially common in low areas where other "antbirds" are not often found.
When a predator comes near, the flock will spread their wings and tail. This display helps to scare away danger.
Different Types of Red-Throated Ant Tanagers
There are six different types, or subspecies, of the red-throated ant tanager. They live in slightly different areas:
- H. f. salvini: Found from eastern Mexico to El Salvador.
- H. f. insularis: Lives in the Yucatan Peninsula (southeastern Mexico) and northern Guatemala.
- H. f. discolor: Found in northeastern, central, and eastern Nicaragua.
- H. f. fuscicauda: This is the main type, found from southern Nicaragua to western Panama.
- H. f. willisi: Lives in central Panama.
- H. f. erythrolaema: Found in northern Colombia.
