Neoctantes niger
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The black bushbird (Neoctantes niger) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The black bushbird was described by the Austrian ornithologist August von Pelzeln in 1859 and given the binomial name Xenops niger. The current genus Neoctantes was erected by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1869.
The black bushbird is the only member of genus Neoctantes and has no subspecies. The black bushbird is 15 to 16 cm (5.9 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 29 to 32 g (1.0 to 1.1 oz). It is rather stocky with a short tail and an unusual upturned bill. The sexes have different plumage. Adult males are entirely black except for a small, mostly hidden, patch of white between the shoulders. Adult females are mostly sooty black with a rufous breast and upper belly.
The black bushbird has a disjunct distribution. The largest range encompasses south-central and southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northeastern and southeastern Peru, and western Brazil. Isolated ranges are scattered throughout central Amazonian Brazil... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Bushbird sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 556th most-seen of the 641 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Bushbird in Manu National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Bushbird 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 2 parks where we can rate Black Bushbird sightings, Manu National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, under 5%).
Same family: Thamnophilidae
The closest relatives of the Black Bushbird that you can see in Manu National Park (family Thamnophilidae, Typical Antbirds) are Plain-winged Antshrike (about 20%), White-browed Antbird (about 20%) and White-lined Antbird (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Bushbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Manu National Park (16 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.
