Jocotoco Antpitta

Overview

The jocotoco antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi) is an endangered bird species in the family Grallariidae, found exclusively in Ecuador and Peru. As the largest member of its family, it is a plump and round antbird with fluffed feathers, a stout bill, and a very short tail.

Identification

• Size and shape: 20–24 cm long, plump and round body with very short tail.
• Plumage: Black crown, brownish olive upperparts, reddish brown tail, and light gray underparts darker on the flanks.
• Markings: Large shaggy fan-shaped white patch from bill to below the eye; snowy white throat.
• Song: A slow series of low-pitched hooting notes likened to a dog bark or cow's moo; a staccato 'hoó-có-kurr' call gives the species its common name.

Habitat

It inhabits steep slopes within wet, dense, mossy forest featuring Chusquea bamboo stands and silvery-leaved Cecropia trees in southeastern Ecuador and adjacent Peru. Elevations range from approximately 2,250 m in Peru to 2,300–2,650 m in Ecuador.

Diet

Almost entirely terrestrial, it forages by probing leaf litter with its bill and feet, and occasionally follows army ant swarms to capture disturbed prey. Its diet consists of arthropods, other invertebrates, and earthworms.

Did you know?

The common name 'jocotoco' is onomatopoetic, derived from a staccato call that sounds like 'hoó-có-kurr'. The species' scientific name honors ornithologist Robert S. Ridgely, who participated in its initial documentation in 1997.