Grallaria ridgelyi
The Jocotoco Antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi) is a strikingly large and relatively recently discovered passerine, a true jewel of the cloud forest in the Andes. Measuring approximately 22-25 cm (8.7-9.8 inches) in length and weighing around 150-180 grams, it boasts a distinctive appearance. Its plumage features a rich, dark brown crown and upperparts, contrasting with a bold rufous-orange breast and flanks, and a prominent white patch on the throat framed by black malar stripes. A key identifica...
This species inhabits humid, mossy cloud forest understory, particularly around gully bottoms with dense vegetation, at elevations typically between 2,300 and 2,700 meters (7,500-8,900 feet).
The diet consists mainly of invertebrates, including beetles, spiders, crickets, and earthworms, primarily foraged by probing leaf litter and soil.
The Jocotoco Antpitta is primarily terrestrial and highly elusive, spending most of its time on or near the forest floor, active during the day but often most vocal at dawn and dusk. It forages by hopping along, pausing to flick leaf litter and probe the soil with its sturdy bill, primarily consu...
The Jocotoco Antpitta possesses an extremely restricted and fragmented range, known from only a few isolated populations in the Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru. In Ecuador, its primary stronghold is found within the Tapichalaca Biological Reserve in Zamora-Chinchipe province, where it...
Critically Endangered
- The Jocotoco Antpitta was one of the last large bird species to be discovered in the American tropics, formally described as new to science only in 1999. - Its scientific name, *Grallaria ridgelyi*, honors the eminent ornithologist Robert S. Ridgely, who was instrumental in its discovery and id...