Antbird

An antbird is a passerine bird in the Neotropical family Thamnophilidae. Many species capture insects and other small animals flushed by moving army-ant swarms.

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Army ant: A nomadic ant that raids in large groups, flushing small animals from the ground and vegetation. Antbirds such as ant-followers catch prey escaping from army-ant raids.
Thamnophilidae: A family of passerine birds native to the Neotropics, including antshrikes, antwrens, and antbirds. This is the taxonomic family to which antbirds belong.
William Swainson: An English naturalist and artist who described numerous animal species and contributed to nineteenth-century classification. Swainson established the genus Thamnophilus, central to the group's early scientific naming.
Ocellated antbird: A large antbird of Central America with striking blue facial skin and a close association with army-ant swarms. It is a conspicuous example of a species that depends heavily on ant swarms for prey.
Ant-following: A foraging strategy in which animals feed on prey displaced by moving army-ant colonies. It describes the best-known feeding relationship of many antbird species.
Passerine: A bird in the order Passeriformes, the largest order of birds, often called perching birds. Antbirds are passerines, sharing the order's defining foot structure.
Carl Linnaeus: A Swedish naturalist who formalized binomial nomenclature and a system for classifying organisms. Linnaeus named several species now classified within the antbird family.
Rufous-vented ground-cuckoo: A large terrestrial cuckoo of Central and South American forests that follows army-ant swarms. This non-antbird shares the swarm-following niche, showing that antbirds do not monopolize it.
Antshrike: A group of often robust antbirds in the subfamily Thamnophilinae, many of which forage in forest understory. Antshrikes are a prominent, diverse branch of the antbird family.
Bird vocalization: A sound produced by a bird, including songs and calls used in communication. Antbirds use vocal signals to defend territories and coordinate with mates.