Scaled antpitta

Grallaria guatimalensis

Photo by Chris West (Flickr)

Common name:
scaled antpitta (en); tovacuçu-corujinha (pt); grallaire écaillée (fr); tororoí cholino (es); kleine bartameisenpitta (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Formicariidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico to Colombia and Venezuela, and through Ecuador into Peru and Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long and weigh 94-98 g.

Habitat:
The scales antpitta is mostly found in moist tropical forests, especially in mountainous areas but also in the lowlands. They are also found in plantations. This species is found at altitudes of 200-3.000 m.

Diet:
They forage among the forest leaf litter, taking worms, large insects and other invertebrates, and also small frogs.

Breeding:
Scale antpittas breed in May-July. The nest is a large, bulky cup, made of dry leaves, twigs and moss, and lined with fine rootlets and moss. The nest is placed on the branches of a tree, near the trunk, up to 1,5 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 turquoise-blue eggs. There is no information regarding the length of the incubation period, but the chicks fledge 17-19 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is expected to decline moderately due to habitat loss and fragmentation, based on current models of Amazonian deforestation, but it is not considered threatened at present.

Rusty-breasted antpitta

Grallaricula ferrugineipectus

(Photo from Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
rusty-breasted antpitta (en); tovaca-de-peito-castanho (pt); grallaire à poitrine rousse (fr); ponchito pechicastaño (es); rostbrust-ameisenpitta (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Formicariidae

Range:
This species is discontinuously along the Andes, from western Venezuela to central Colombia and from northern Peru to northern Bolivia.

Size:
These birds weigh around 17 g.

Habitat:
The rusty-breasted antpitta is found in moist, mountain tropical forests, at altitudes of 600-3.350 m.

Diet:
They feed on various terrestrial invertebrates.

Breeding:
The nest of the rusty-breasted antpitta nests in a small cup made of twigs and leaf rachises, placed on a small branch. There the female lays 2 light green eggs with dark markings, which are incubated for 16-17 day, possibly by both sexes. The chicks fledge 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Ochre-breasted antpitta

Grallaricula flavirostris

Photo by Scott Olmstead (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
ochre-breasted antpitta (en); tovaca-ocre (pt); grallaire ocrée (fr); tororoi piquigualdo (es); ockerbrust-ameisenpitta (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Formicariidae


Range:
This species is found along the Pacific slopes of Central and South America, from Nicaragua down to Bolivia.


Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh 16 g.


Habitat:
Ochre-breasted antpittas are found in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests, at altitudes of 500-2.750 m.


Diet:
They forage on the ground or in low vegetation, mostly hunting insects.


Breeding:
The ochre-breasted antpitta breeds in April-July. The cup-shaped nest is made of fresh green moss and lined with thin sticks, black rhizomorphs and more moss. It is placed in a fork in a small tree or sapling, 2-4 m above the ground. There the female lays 1-2 pale reddish-brown eggs with dark spots, which are incubated for 17-21 days. The chicks fledge 14-16 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.