Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Ocellated Antbird (Phaenostictus mcleannani)
Ocellated Antbird

Ocellated Antbird

Phaenostictus mcleannani

The Ocellated Antbird, a member of the Thamnophilidae family, is a distinctive bird species that is the sole representative of the genus Phaenostictus. This bird is known for its striking plumage and the large, bare blue skin surrounding its eye. It is a medium-sized bird, typically measuring around 19 cm in length and weighing approximately 50 grams.

Identification Tips

Adult Ocellated Antbirds exhibit sexual monomorphism, meaning males and females share similar plumage and bare part coloration. They have a black head and throat, a grey crown, and a rufous nape. The upperparts and wing coverts are olive brown with black spots, while the breast is rufous and the belly olive brown, both adorned with large black spots. The bill is notably large and black. Juveniles can be distinguished by their darker crowns, brighter rufous areas, and reduced or absent spotting.

Habitat

The Ocellated Antbird is a bird of the rainforest, favoring the understory of lowland and hill primary rainforests, as well as secondary forests. It thrives close to the forest floor and is typically found at elevations up to 1,200 meters in Costa Rica, though it is more commonly seen below 400 meters in Ecuador.

Distribution

This species ranges from Honduras to Ecuador, with three recognized subspecies: P. m. saturatus in northern and eastern Honduras through to western Panama, P. m. mcleannani in the remainder of Panama and western Colombia, and P. m. pacificus in southern coastal Colombia and northwestern Ecuador.

Behaviour

Ocellated Antbirds are obligate followers of army ant swarms, such as Eciton burchellii, rarely foraging away from these swarms. They are dominant among other ant-following species and exhibit an unusual social structure, forming clans centered around a breeding pair, their male offspring, and their mates. These clans cooperate to defend their territories.

Breeding

The species' breeding biology is characterized by group cooperation. The open nest cup, which holds a clutch of two eggs, was only recently described, shedding light on the reproductive habits of these communal birds.

Similar Species

While the Ocellated Antbird is unique within its genus, it may be confused with other antbird species. However, its large size, distinctive blue facial skin, and spotted plumage make it quite recognizable.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Ocellated Antbird consists primarily of insects, arthropods, and occasionally small lizards. They are adept at capturing prey flushed out by the movements of army ant swarms.

Conservation status

The Ocellated Antbird is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that it does not face any immediate threat of extinction.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Ocellated Antbirds on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Diego Ramírez-Calvo
Diego Ramírez-Calvo
16 Apr 2024 - 6:23pm
Costa Rica

More Antbirds

A photo of a Giant Antshrike (Batara cinerea) , male

Giant Antshrike

Batara cinerea
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.