Speckle-breasted Antpitta

Overview

The speckle-breasted antpitta (Cryptopezus nattereri) is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is the only member of its genus and has no recognized subspecies. This species is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Identification

• Measures 13.5 to 14 cm in length, with males weighing between 31 and 33 g.
• Features pale buff lores, a whitish moustache, and a ring of bare buffy white skin around the eye.
• Displays olive-brown upperparts, a blackish bill with a pinkish gray base, and pinkish gray legs.
• The breast and upper belly are pale ochraceous-buff with dusky spots, while the throat and center of the belly are white.
• The song consists of a short, fast, fluted series of about 10 notes that increase in volume and pitch.

Habitat

The species inhabits the floor and undergrowth in the interior and edges of humid montane forest and mature secondary woodland, with a preference for dense tangled vegetation and bamboo. Its range extends from southern Minas Gerais and western Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, south to northern Rio Grande do Sul, and west into eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina's Misiones Province. Elevation ranges between 1,200 and 1,900 m in the north and below 300 m in the south.

Diet

The specific diet of the speckle-breasted antpitta is not known. It is primarily terrestrial, foraging with short hops and abrupt stops to study and probe leaf litter and soil.

Did you know?

Although its breeding biology is largely a mystery, a bird was observed in September sitting on a nest constructed from sticks. This species has a complicated taxonomic history, having been moved between genera before Cryptopezus was established in 2019 to accommodate it.