Glossy Antshrike

The glossy antshrike is about 17 cm (6.7 in) long and weighs 27 to 33 g (0.95 to 1.2 oz). This species exhibits minor sexual dimorphism, and both sexes have a shaggy crest. Adult males are almost entirely black. Their lower back, rump, lower belly, and crissum are dark gray. Some white is mostly concealed under their scapulars and the tips of their tail feathers are white. The amount of white varies somewhat across the species' range. Adult females are almost like males but with a deep chestnut-brown forehead and crest. Subadult males resemble adult females with usually some black in the crest.

The glossy antshrike is found throughout much of the Brazilian Amazon Basin, generally along the main Amazon river and its southern tributaries. It range is roughly bounded in the northwest by east-central Amazonas, in the northeast by Pará and Tocantins, in the southwest by northeastern Rondônia, and in the south and southeast by southeastern Mato Grosso and Goiás. It inhabits forest and woodlands along rivers and smaller watercourses, mainly in igapó and várzea but also in areas that seldom flood. It occurs locally on islands within the larger rivers. It tends to favor forest understorey to mid-storey that is heavy with shrubs and vines. In elevation it ranges from sea level to about 250 m (800 ft).

The glossy antshrike feeds on a wide variety of insects and other arthropods. It forages singly or in pairs and only occasionally joins mixed-species feeding flocks. It typically feeds from the ground up to about 15 m (50 ft) above it. It hops through dense vegetation, gleaning prey from leaves, stems, vines, and branches by reaching and sometimes making short upward jumps from a perch. It has been observed dropping to the ground to capture prey.