Herpsilochmus atricapillus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The black-capped antwren (Herpsilochmus atricapillus) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. The black-capped antwren was described by the Austrian ornithologist August von Pelzeln in 1868 and given its current binomial name Herpsilochmus atricapillus. It and the Bahia antwren (H. pileatus) are sister species. The black-capped antwren is monotypic.
The black-capped antwren is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 8 to 11 g (0.28 to 0.39 oz). Adult males have a black crown and nape, a long white to pale gray supercilium, and a black streak through the eye. The rest of their upperparts are gray with white-edged blackish scapulars and a white patch between them. Their wings are black with white tips on the coverts and white edges on the flight feathers. Their tail is black with large white feather tips and white edges on the outermost. Their underparts are mostly gray to pale gray with a white belly. Adult females have a buffish forehead and black and white streaked crown. Their upperparts are gray with an olive tinge...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 3 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | João Pessoa | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Goiânia | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Maceió | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Antwren sighting in Madidi National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 96th most-seen of the 239 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Antwren in Madidi National Park on a given day, against about 10% in February, April–September and November, the lowest months. That is one of Madidi National Park's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 40 mm in July. March and December have too few records to rate.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-capped 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.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Black-capped Antwren sightings, Madidi National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Amboró National Park (Bolivia, about 50%).
Same family: Thamnophilidae
The closest relatives of the Black-capped 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-capped Antwren is recorded against all the birds logged in Madidi National Park (19 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.
