The Peruvian antpitta (''Grallaricula peruviana'') is a

Near Threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as that may be vulnerable to Endangered species, endangerment in the ne ...

species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the family

Grallariidae Grallariidae is a family of smallish suboscine passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America known as antpittas. They are between long, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gnateaters, Conopophagidae. T ...

. It is found in

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The Peruvian antpitta is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

. It and the ochre-fronted antpitta (''G. ochraceifrons'') form a

superspecies In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

.Greeney, H. F. (2020). Peruvian Antpitta (''Grallaricula peruviana''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.perant1.01 retrieved September 12, 2024

Description

"''Grallaricula'' are very small Andean antpittas, found mostly in low dense vegetation (such as treefall gaps, stream edges, and bamboo thickets)."Schulenberg, T.S., D.F. Stotz, D.F. Lane, J.P. O’Neill, and T.A. Parker III. 2010. ''Birds of Peru''. Revised and updated edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Plate 180 The Peruvian antpitta is about long; five individuals weighed . Adult males have a rufous-cream loral patch, a whitish partial eyering, and a white "moustache" with a black line below it on an otherwise brown face. Their crown and upper nape are rich orange-rufous. Their upperparts, wings, and tail are brown. Their throat is white. Their breast and belly are white and heavily covered with concave black crescents (scallops) except for the breast's center where the scallops are much lighter. The scallops end at the lower belly. Adult females have a rufous brown crown and nape, a buffy loral patch, and a buffy eyering. Their white "moustache" becomes a crescent across their upper chest. The black scallops on their underparts extend only to their belly and not onto it. Their upperparts, wings, and tail are like the male's. Both sexes have a dark chestnut iris, a blackish or grayish bill with a dull yellowish green tip, and pale pinkish gray legs and feet.

Distribution and habitat

The Peruvian antpitta is found on the eastern slope of the Andes. Its core range extends from central

Morona-Santiago Province Morona Santiago () is a province in Ecuador. The province was established on February 24, 1954. The capital is Macas. Economy The provincial economy is industrially unexploited to its potential due to poor means of transportation. Its economy ...

in Ecuador south into Peru as far as the Maranon River in the

Department of Cajamarca Cajamarca (; ; ) is a department and region in Peru. The capital is the city of Cajamarca. It is located in the north part of the country and shares a border with Ecuador. The city has an elevation of above sea level in the Andes Mountain Ra ...

. There are also scattered records in Peru as far north as

Napo Province Napo () is a province in Ecuador. Its capital is Tena. The province contains the Napo River. The province is low developed without much industrial presence. The thick rainforest is home to many natives that remain isolated by preference, descend ...

. The species' habitat requirements are not known, but it appears to favor

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...

areas and intact humid forest in the subtropical zone, shunning disturbed areas.

Behavior

Movement

The Peruvian antpitta is resident throughout its range.

Feeding

The Peruvian antpitta's diet is not known in detail but includes insects, other invertebrates, and small frogs. It apparently forages by gleaning in low vegetation but rarely feeds on the ground.

Breeding

Two Peruvian antpitta nests are known. They were active in May and September, which suggests that the species has a long breeding period that may extend year-round. The nests were shallow cups of moss placed on a platform of sticks and lined with dark rootlets. They were above the ground in small saplings, supported by ferns, thin branches, and

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

s. Both members of the pairs built them. One nest had a single pale brown egg with heavy darker and lighter markings. It was incubated by both parents for 20 days. Both parents brooded and provisioned the nestling. The time to fledging was not known.

Vocalization

The vocalizations of the Peruvian antpitta are imperfectly known. One, which might be a song, is "a single whistled note, given every 4-15 seconds: a rising-falling ''wheeu?''". Another, which is interpreted as an alarm call, is "a repeated, piercing ''eeeup!''".

Status

The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

has assessed the Peruvian antpitta as Near Threatened. It has a limited range and its estimated population of between 2500 and 10,000 mature individuals is believed to be decreasing. "The only threat known to this species is the loss and degradation of its forested habitat for conversion to agriculture and cattle pasture, mining operations and logging." It is considered "rare and local" in Ecuador and "presumably secretive and rare" in Peru. " appears that this species is confined to mature forest, often close to riparian areas, and any activities which threaten such habitat within their range are likely threats."

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q844208 Peruvian antpitta Birds of the Ecuadorian Andes Birds of the Peruvian Andes Peruvian antpitta Taxonomy articles created by Polbot