Birds
Great Antshrike
Taraba major · also called great antshrikes
A deep, rolling growl emerges from a tangle of dense vegetation, sounding more like a small mammal than a bird, before a bright-eyed great antshrike briefly reveals itself at the edge of the thicket it prefers to stay hidden within.
Overview
The great antshrike, Taraba major, is one of the largest antshrike species, native to forest and grassland edge habitat across a broad range spanning much of South America and parts of Central America. Its deep, unusually mammalian-sounding call, striking red eyes, and preference for skulking through dense tangled vegetation rather than following ant swarms make it one of the more acoustically and behaviourally distinctive members of the antbird family found anywhere in the Neotropics.
A voice that doesn’t sound like a bird at all
Few birds anywhere produce a call as deep and unbird-like as the great antshrike’s rolling growl, a sound so low that many first-time listeners assume they are hearing a small mammal rather than a bird hidden in the undergrowth.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across suitable forest and grassland edge habitat throughout much of South America and parts of Central America.
Great Antshrike: common questions
Why does the great antshrike's call sound so unusual?
This species produces a deep, rolling call unlike the higher-pitched songs typical of most small birds, a sound low and resonant enough to seem almost mammalian to unfamiliar listeners, making it one of the more distinctive vocalisations among antbird family species.
Does the great antshrike follow army ant swarms like some relatives?
No, this species instead skulks through dense, tangled understorey vegetation to forage, relying on thick cover rather than following army ant swarms, a different foraging strategy from several other antbird family members.
How can you identify a great antshrike?
This species has a distinctive bright red eye that stands out clearly against its plumage, along with bold black-and-white colouring in males and warmer rufous-brown tones in females, making it one of the more visually striking antshrike species.
How big is the great antshrike compared with other antshrikes?
This species is among the largest members of the antshrike group, noticeably bigger than many of its smaller relatives, such as the barred antshrike, found across overlapping forest and grassland edge habitat.