I recently encountered an impressive antswarm in gallery forest at
Fazenda Tabapuã dos Pireneus, a private reserve located outside the town of Cavalcante, Goiás. In the dry season, the leaf litter piles high on the forest floor, giving arthropods plenty of cover; however, when a flood of voracious ants drives them out into the open, a startling variety of birds jostle opportunistically for position near the ground. A patient, and lucky, birder can sometimes position himself right in the middle of the action. I photographed the following six species at the swarm; also in attendance was Rufous-Capped Motmot, Rufous Gnateater, Moustached Wren, Flavescent Warbler, White-Lined Tanager, Black-Goggled Tanager, and Plain Antvireo.
Chestnut-Capped Foliage-Gleaner, Hylocryptus rectirostris
Helmeted Manakin Male, Antilophia galeata
Pale-Bellied Tyrant-Manakin, Neopelma pallescens
Planalto Woodcreeper, Dendrocolaptes platyrostris
Gray-Headed Tanager, Eucometis penicillata
Squirrel Cuckoo, Piaya cayana
