Hooded Antpitta

Overview

The hooded antpitta (Grallaricula cucullata) is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Grallariidae, found exclusively in Colombia and Venezuela. It is a small Andean antpitta that inhabits the undergrowth of humid subtropical montane forests, though its range is patchy and poorly known.

Identification

• Approximately 10 to 12 cm in length, with uniform plumage between sexes.
• Nominate subspecies feature a bright orange rufous hood covering the entire head, neck, and throat, contrasting with olive brown upperparts and a white lower belly.
• Subspecies G. c. venezuelana is similar but has wings and tails with a reddish tinge, an olivaceous breast wash, and pale cream or yellowish lower belly and undertail coverts.
• Possesses a dark brown iris, a pale yellowish to orange-pinkish bill, and gray to bluish slate legs.
• Song described as 8-10 high notes that rise then fall, alongside a di- or trisyllabic, high-pitched, liquid call repeated 2-3 times.

Habitat

This species occupies the undergrowth of humid subtropical montane forests at elevations between 1,500 and 2,800 m in Colombia and 1,500 to 2,550 m in Venezuela. It is resident throughout its restricted and fragmented range, which includes the Western and Eastern Andes of Colombia and the northwestern states of Venezuela.

Diet

The diet is not fully detailed but includes insects and likely other invertebrates. It forages primarily in low vegetation but rarely on the ground.

Did you know?

Almost nothing is known about the breeding biology of this species, beyond the discovery that a female specimen collected in September contained a fully shelled egg.