Chachapoyas Antpitta

Overview

The Chachapoyas antpitta, also known as Graves's antpitta (Grallaria gravesi), is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is endemic to Peru and was recognised as a distinct species following research published in 2020, previously having been considered part of the rufous antpitta complex.

Identification

• Plump and round body, measuring 14.5 to 15 cm in length with an average weight of 42 g.
• Plumage is mostly dark reddish yellow-brown on the crown, upperparts, wings, and tail, with lighter edges on the flight feathers.
• Features a pale buff eyering, dark brown iris, slate gray bill, and blue-gray legs and feet.
• Long song consists of a series of buzzy notes that increase and then decrease in pace, with the final few notes rising in pitch; short song is a modulated two-noted call lasting between 0.75 and 1.25 seconds.

Habitat

Found on the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes in the departments of Amazonas, San Martín, and Huánuco, specifically south and east of the Marañón River and north of the Huallaga River. It favours the floor and understory of humid montane forest, often characterised by moss, epiphytes, and Chusquea bamboo, at elevations between 2,400 and 3,900 m.

Diet

The diet includes insects and is assumed to contain other arthropods and earthworms, similar to other Grallaria species. Foraging behaviour involves running or hopping on the forest floor, stopping to flip aside leaf litter and probe the soil for prey.

Did you know?

The specific epithet gravesi and the alternate English name Graves's antpitta honour Dr. Gary R. Graves, an ornithologist whose work contributed to the discovery of the species.