Sooty Ant-Tanager Habia gutturalis

The Sooty Ant-Tanager is an endemic, range-restricted passerine from the lowlands and foothills of northwestern Colombia. This forest-dwelling species usually is more heard than seen in the dense, bushy understory that it prefers. It might be regarded as a songbird that lives in family groups, with noisy calls and harmonious dawn songs. Traditionally grouped with the tanagers (Thraupidae), this species and his closest relatives (within the Habia genus) are now classified as Cardinalines. Among the species on the genus Habia, H. guturalis is characterized by a dull plumage, and sexual dimorphism, males having more red in the crown and throat than females. Forest fragmentation in the core area of distribution is one of the main threats for this Near Threatened (NT) species. Anecdotal information suggests it might thrive in clearings with busy vegetation, although to date no study has tested this hypothesis.