Yellow-breasted Antpitta

Overview

The yellow-breasted antpitta (Grallaria flavotincta) is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae found in Colombia and Ecuador. It is a resident species with a stable population that is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, although it may be locally vulnerable in Ecuador due to its restricted range and preference for intact forest.

Identification

• Adults are plump and round, measuring 17 to 18 cm in length, with unmarked rufous brown upperparts and white underparts featuring a yellow wash that is darkest on the throat and upper breast.
• They possess a stout black bill, bluish-gray legs, and dark brown irises, with pale bluish or grayish white bare skin around the eye.
• The song consists of three hollow notes, transcribed as "pu-püüü-puuh", where the first two notes are almost merged and the final one is higher.
• Juveniles differ with an almost entirely dark gray head, yellowish to orangish yellow bare skin around the eye, and mottled underparts with chestnut brown splotches.

Habitat

The species inhabits the Pacific slope of the Andes, ranging from Antioquia Department in northwestern Colombia to Pichincha Province in northwestern Ecuador. It primarily occupies the interior understory of humid montane forest, favouring steep slopes and ravines along watercourses, as well as forest edges between elevations of 1,300 to 2,100 m in Colombia and 1,500 to 2,350 m in Ecuador.

Diet

Almost entirely terrestrial, this bird forages by hopping along the ground and pausing to probe soil and leaf litter for prey. Earthworms are thought to be a large part of their natural diet, as they are regularly fed earthworms at feeding stations, though their complete dietary habits are otherwise unknown.

Did you know?

The species is notable for coming to feeding stations set up for birders, where it is offered earthworms. Its nest is described as a deep, bulky cup made of green moss and fern fronds, placed 1.5 m above the ground and shaded by epiphytes on a tree trunk.