Watkins's Antpitta

Overview

Watkins's antpitta (Grallaria watkinsi) is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Grallariidae found in Ecuador and Peru. It belongs to a group of plump, round antbirds with stout bills and very short tails.

Identification

• Approximately 18 cm in length and weighing between 58 and 84 g.
• Features a pale rufous crown and nape with thin whitish streaks and black spots on the forecrown.
• Displays white lores, a white eye-ring, and pale olive upper ear coverts with white lower ear coverts marked by thin olive streaks.
• Song consists of 4-7 well-enunciated whistled notes, ending with a longer, sharply upslurred note, such as 'keeu, keew-kew-kew k-wheeeei?'.

Habitat

The species inhabits dry deciduous and semi-deciduous forests, woodlands, and regenerating scrublands in southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. Its elevation range extends from near sea level to 1,800 m in Ecuador and between 400 and 900 m in Peru. It is resident throughout its range.

Diet

Watkins's antpitta feeds on insects and is primarily terrestrial, foraging on or near the ground. It occasionally follows large mammals to capture prey that these animals disturb.

Did you know?

The species was originally described as a separate species but was later regarded as a subspecies of the chestnut-crowned antpitta before returning to full species status following a 1995 publication. Both sexes of this species sing, typically from the ground or a low branch at dawn and dusk.