Batara à dos noir Thamnophilus melanonotus

A short-crested antshrike with a heavy bill and bold wing markings, found along coastal slope of northern Colombia and Venezuela. Male is mostly black with white flanks and wing and tail markings. Female is dull buff colored with a dusky spotted crown, dark wings with buffy markings, rufous tail, and a prominent buffy eyering. Locally common but hard to see in dense vine tangles in dry forest and shrubby areas. Territorial, mostly in pairs in the understory to mid-levels of the forest. Best found by voice, a nasal and harsh “kuarrrr!” repeated every two seconds. Similar to Black-crested Antshrike, but that species has a much more prominent crest, and the female has black wings and rufous crown.