Blue-lored Antbird Hafferia immaculata Scientific name definitions

A large, uniformly plumaged antbird, Blue-lored Antbird generally sings from dense cover, and is therefore not necessarily easy to observe. Males are basically all black, with the exception of the dull blue orbital skin around the red irides, while females are essentially warm brown overall, becoming duskier over the face and throat, with a blackish tail, and share the bare surround to the eyes. Blue-lored Antbird occurs in the Cauca and Magdalena Valleys of Colombia, on the east slopes of the Eastern Andes of Colombia, and in the Andes of Venezuela. The species occupies the understory of humid evergreen forest, usually on hillsides, and frequently in areas where there are treefalls or natural light gaps. Formerly Blue-lored Antbird and Zeledon's Antbird (Hafferia zeledoni) were considered a single species, known as Immaculate Antbird, which was classified in the genus Myrmeciza. The recently proposed genus Hafferia, in which Blue-lored and Zeledon's antbirds now are classified, is named on honor of the late German ornithologist Jürgen Haffer.

18 cm; 38·7–43·6 g. Bare periorbital area wide, very pale blue. Male is black; concealed anterior lesser wing-coverts and line around bend of wing white; underwing-coverts blackish grey; iris deep red. Female nominate race has forehead, sides of head, chin and upper throat blackish, tail blackish, otherwise plumage dark reddish brown, slightly paler and greyer below, underwing-coverts blackish brown. Young male has female-like plumage. Recently described race concepcion possibly differs in male plumage in having more extensive bare skin and less extensive feathering on the lores and forehead, while female is generally less strongly rufous and paler brown on flanks and undertail-coverts; differs also vocally.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Understorey of humid evergreen forest, forest borders and older second growth, primarily found in wet forested foothills, occupying steep hillsides and ravines where landslides have created light-gaps and resulting lush second growth. In Colombia at 500–2000 m in Andes; in Venezuela occurs only above 900 m.

Feeds on variety of arthropods, with insects parts, including beetles (Coleoptera) in stomach contents; probably also small vertebrates. Pair-members, individuals, or family groups forage mostly 0–1 m above ground, apart from mixed-species flocks. Leapfrogs through undergrowth, progressing by wing-assisted hops; while foraging, habitually pounds tail downwards rapidly to c. 60 degrees below horizontal, then raises it slowly to just above plane of body. Foraging behaviour not known to differ from that of M. zeledoni, including frequent association with army ants (Labidus praedator) in Venezuela, where swarms were typically attended by 5–6 individuals, but not studied in detail.

Loudsong a series of rather long, evenly paced, slightly downslurred whistles (e.g. five notes, 2·3 seconds) on same pitch, first note less intense, notes shorten slightly. Call a short (e.g. 0·12 seconds) “tweet” rising and falling in pitch; rattle (c. 1 second long) slows down; both call and rattle high-pitched (4–4·5 kHz) for size of species. Loudsong of race concepcion generally slower than that of nominate, although there is marginal overlap, while individual notes have shorter termini and most are less downslurred over the first two-thirds of the note; furthermore, in concepcion, single-note calls are given in duets by pairs, with the second (higher) note generally being more downstroke-like or an up-downstroke, but duets in single-note calls are unknown in the nominate (or in M. zeledoni).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Status not well known; seemingly uncommon throughout most of its rather extensive range. This species occurs in several protected parks and reserves, including Serranía de los Yariguíes and Tamá National Parks, and Arrieto Antioqueño, Reinita Cerulea and Pauxi pauxi bird reserves (Colombia), as well as Yacumbú National Park (Venezuela); also found in extensive intact habitat that is not formally protected, but deforestation in parts of Colombia, such as in the Magdalena Valley, has accelerated recently following the return of improved political stability, with other species in C & E Andean foothills estimated to have incurred habitat losses of 25–30% over the last 10–20 years, suggesting that this species could be Near Threatened.