Ochre-breasted Antpitta

Overview

The ochre-breasted antpitta (Grallaricula flavirostris) is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae found across western and central South America and Central America. It is classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, although its population is believed to be decreasing due to deforestation.

Identification

• Approximately 10 cm long and weighing 14 to 18 g, with olive-brown upperparts and a light gray wash on the crown.
• Adults of the nominate subspecies feature ochraceous lores and eyerings, a black malar stripe, and an ochraceous throat and breast with olive-brown streaks or scallops.
• Possesses a blackish bill with a pinkish gray base to the mandible, a dark brown iris, and pinkish gray legs and feet.
• Song varies by region, described generally as an evenly paced series of approximately 30 notes that rises in volume and pitch before leveling out; in Costa Rica, it is a high trill with a rattling quality.

Habitat

This species inhabits the undergrowth of humid to wet montane forest in foothill and subtropical zones, typically at elevations between 900 and 2,200 m. Its range spans Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru, with a disjunct distribution where few subspecies ranges are contiguous.

Diet

The diet is not known in detail but includes insects. The bird typically forages alone or in pairs, hopping through thick vegetation usually within about 1 m of the ground and occasionally making short sallies to foliage and trunks.

Did you know?

One observed nest was constructed as a cup of moss lined with fungal rhizomorphs and was situated 3.1 m high in a medium-size tree.