Tawny Antpitta

Overview

The tawny antpitta, or western tawny antpitta, is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a population that is believed to be stable.

Identification

• Measures 16 to 18 cm in length and weighs between 58 and 81 g, with males and females sharing the same plumage.
• Exhibits an olive brown to rufous olive face with pale buff lores and whitish areas around the eye, contrasting with a chestnut brown iris.
• Features a black to blackish gray bill with dark brownish to blackish legs and feet.
• Underparts are mostly tawny brown with indistinct white mottling, while the belly is whitish and undertail coverts are a richer rufescent tawny.

Habitat

This species inhabits the páramo and the semi-open edges of elfin forest and Polylepis forest along the spine of the Andes. It favors lakeshores and swampy areas, occurring between elevations of 2,200 and 4,500 m depending on the country. It is considered common in Colombia and numerous in Ecuador.

Diet

Its diet consists of a variety of insects, other invertebrates, and small vertebrates. The bird usually forages alone on the ground, hopping and pausing to flick aside leaf litter, probe mosses and the ground, and glean from vegetation.

Did you know?

Despite living in generally open habitats, the tawny antpitta is more often heard than seen, producing a simple, three-note song that lasts about 1.1 to 1.3 seconds.