Formicivora melanogaster
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The black-bellied antwren (Formicivora melanogaster) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. The black-bellied antwren was described by the Austrian ornithologist August von Pelzeln in 1868 and given its current binomial name Formicivora melanogaster. It and the serra antwren (F. serrana) are sister species.
The black-bellied antwren is 12 to 14 cm (4.7 to 5.5 in) long. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a wide white supercilium that extends down the neck, along the side of the breast, and widens on the flanks. Their crown and upperparts are dark grayish brown with white edges on the outer scapulars and a hidden white patch between them. Their wings are blackish with white tips on the coverts. Their tail is black with white feather tips that increase in size from the central to the outer feathers. Their face, throat, and underparts are black with white underwing coverts. Adult females have a browner...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Antwren sighting in Madidi National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 188th most-seen of the 239 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Antwren in Madidi National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–September and November, the lowest months. Those are among Madidi National Park's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in July. March and December have too few records to rate.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-bellied Antwren sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Black-bellied Antwren sightings, Madidi National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Chapada Diamantina National Park (Brazil, under 5%).
Same family: Thamnophilidae
The closest relatives of the Black-bellied Antwren that you can see in Madidi National Park (family Thamnophilidae, Typical Antbirds) are Great Antshrike (about 40%), Barred Antshrike (about 20%) and Chestnut-tailed Antbird (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-bellied Antwren is recorded against all the birds logged in Madidi National Park (6 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.
