White-shouldered Antshrike

White-shouldered Antshrike

Thamnophilus aethiops

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tambopata National Reserve

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

214 Verified sightings at Tambopata National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
318 In all 6 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the White-shouldered Antshrike

The white-shouldered antshrike (Thamnophilus aethiops) is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

The white-shouldered antshrike was described by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1858 and given the binomial name Thamnophilus aethiops. It, the uniform antshrike (T. unicolor), and the upland antshrike (T. aroyae) form a superspecies or are sister species.

The white-shouldered antshrike has these 10 subspecies: Several of the subspecies are separated by rivers in the Amazon Basin and authors have suggested that they might represent individual species. The white-shouldered antshrike is 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) long and weighs 23 to 30 g (0.81 to 1.1 oz). Members of genus Thamnophilus are largish members of the antbird family; all have stout bills with a hook like those of true shrikes. This species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism. Adult males of the nominate subspecies T. a. aethiops are mostly black. They have a few white spots on their wing's lesser coverts and the bend of the wing, white underwing... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:16

Brazil · 2025

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC978402 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:17

Bolivia · 2021

© Jacob Wijpkema · XC676371 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Canto0:15

Brazil · 2015

© Caio Brito · XC428059 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
2 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
3 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
4 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
5 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
6 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-shouldered Antshrike in Tambopata National Reserve?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-shouldered Antshrike sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 214 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 216th most-seen of the 550 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-shouldered Antshrike in Tambopata National Reserve?

January–March, May and August–November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-shouldered Antshrike in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in April, June–July and December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a White-shouldered Antshrike?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-shouldered Antshrike sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Tambopata National Reserve the best place to see a White-shouldered Antshrike?

Yes

Of the 6 parks where we can rate White-shouldered Antshrike sightings, Tambopata National Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Anavilhanas National Park (Brazil, under 5%) and Manu National Park (Peru, under 5%).

Which relatives of the White-shouldered Antshrike live in Tambopata National Reserve?

Same genus: Thamnophilus

The closest relatives of the White-shouldered Antshrike that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (genus Thamnophilus, Typical Antshrikes) are Plain-winged Antshrike (about 20%) and Barred Antshrike (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the White-shouldered Antshrike sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-shouldered Antshrike is recorded against all the birds logged in Tambopata National Reserve (214 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.

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