Pyriglena leucoptera
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The white-shouldered fire-eye (Pyriglena leucoptera) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The white-shouldered fire-eye was described by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1818 and given the binomial name Turdus leucopterus. The specific name is from the Ancient Greek leukopteros meaning "white-winged". The current genus Pyriglena was introduced by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis in 1847. The species at times has been treated as conspecific with the fringe-backed fire-eye (P. atra) and what was at the time the white-backed fire-eye (P. leuconata); the latter has since been split into several species.
The white-shouldered fire-eye is monotypic. The white-shouldered fire-eye is 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 25 to 34 g (0.88 to 1.2 oz). Adults of both sexes have bright red irises. Males are mostly glossy black. They have a white patch between their scapulars, white lesser wing coverts, white-tipped median and greater wing coverts, and blackish gray underwing coverts. Females have yellowish brown... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santos | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-shouldered Fire-eye sighting in Iguazú National Park on a given day, based on 1,209 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 343 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–June and August
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-shouldered Fire-eye in Iguazú National Park on a given day, against about 20% in July and September–February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-shouldered Fire-eye sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate White-shouldered Fire-eye sightings, Iguazú National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Itatiaia National Park (Brazil, about 30%) and Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 30%).
Same family: Thamnophilidae
The closest relatives of the White-shouldered Fire-eye that you can see in Iguazú National Park (family Thamnophilidae, Typical Antbirds) are Rufous-margined Antwren (about 40%), Spot-backed Antshrike (about 30%) and Plain Antvireo (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-shouldered Fire-eye is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguazú National Park (1,209 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
