Stripe-headed Antpitta

Overview

The stripe-headed antpitta (Grallaria andicolus) is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae, native to the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. Assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, this plump and round antbird is found primarily in high-altitude woodlands, though its exact taxonomic relationship within the genus Grallaria remains unresolved.

Identification

• Size 16 to 16.5 cm in length, with a stout bill and very short tail.
• Plumage features a blackish or brown crown with white or buff streaks, a scaled breast center, and a spotted belly; the nominate subspecies has an olive-brown back with streaks, while the punensis subspecies has an unstreaked back and orange-buff crown streaks.
• Both subspecies possess brown irises, a black bill, and blue-gray legs and feet.
• The song is a low, grinding, froglike trill that rises and falls, often accompanied by an introductory stutter.

Habitat

A bird of the Andes, the stripe-headed antpitta primarily inhabits Polylepis and Gynoxys woodlands, though it also occurs in puna grasslands and at the edges of treeline forest. In Peru, it typically ranges between 3,500 and 4,600 m in elevation, but locally as low as 3,000 m, with its distribution covering western and central Peru extending into western La Paz, Bolivia.

Diet

The diet and foraging behavior are not fully detailed, but the species is known to feed on insects. It is primarily terrestrial, foraging on the ground and occasionally climbing branches slightly above it.

Did you know?

Although generally tolerant of habitat disturbance, the antpitta is found in Polylepis woodland, an ecosystem that is actively decreasing due to grazing and cutting for fuel.