Birds of Ecuador

    PASSERIFORMES: Grallariidae (Antpittas)  
Genus: Grallaria (15 species, 47 worldwide)

Genus Grallaria are antpittas, short-tailed insect-eating tropical birds that stand upright and hop along forest floor, almost never flying and rarely perching on branches. Sizes range from about 16 cm. to about 24 cm.


Moustached Antpitta
Moustached Antpitta (Grallaria alleni andaquiensis) Vulnerable
Paz de las Aves, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A medium-sized antpitta found in healthy forests at around 1500-2000m.

Ochre-striped Antpitta
Ochre-striped Antpitta (Grallaria dignissima)
Yasuní Research Station, Orellana, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas)   © All Rights Reserved.


Yellow-breasted Antpitta
Yellow-breasted Antpitta (Grallaria flavotincta)
Paz de las Aves, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Found only in healthy forests on the western Andean slope.

Giant Antpitta
Giant Antpitta (Grallaria gigantea) Vulnerable
Tandayapa Lodge, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A huge Antpitta found in Ecuador, and allegedly south Colombia as well, although most records are older.

Scaled Antpitta
Scaled Antpitta (Grallaria guatimalensis regulus)
Kilometro 18, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A large antpitta that sometimes goes into the canopy. Most closely related to the Moustached Antpitta.

Plain-backed Antpitta
Plain-backed Antpitta (Grallaria haplonota chaplinae)
Wildsumaco Lodge, Sumaco, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A smaller antpitta found at around 1500m that is very difficult to see.

White-bellied Antpitta
White-bellied Antpitta (Grallaria hypoleuca castanea)
Palestina, Tolima, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Chestnut-naped Antpitta
Chestnut-naped Antpitta (Grallaria nuchalis ruficeps)
San Sebastian Reserve, Envigado, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A reasonably common larger antpitta found around 2500-3000m.

Tawny Antpitta
Tawny Antpitta (Grallaria quitensis)
Cajas National Park, Ecuador
  A large antpitta
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A large antpitta, and unlike most antpittas in that it is often found in the open, usually above 3500m, in the paramo above the treeline.
Additional photo.

Jocotoco Antpitta
Jocotoco Antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi) Endangered ENDEMIC
south, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Francesco Veronesi     Copyright and usage info

A large antpitta found in only one wet mossy area of south Ecuador. Recently discovered.

Chestnut-crowned Antpitta
Chestnut-crowned Antpitta (Grallaria ruficapilla ruficapilla)
Rio Blanco Ecological Reserve, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

This wide-ranging medium-sized species is generally the most frequently seen and heard cloud forest antpitta.

Bicolored Antpitta
Bicolored Antpitta (Grallaria rufocinerea rufocinerea)
Rio Blanco Ecological Reserve, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

A small uncommon antpitta generally found around 2500-3000m.

Equatorial Antpitta
Equatorial Antpitta (Grallaria saturata)
Hacienda de Bosque, Manizales, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

The newly described Equatorial Antpitta is part of a big split of the Rufous Antpitta, and is found only in the central Andean ridge in Colombia, and continues into Ecuador and Peru.

Undulated Antpitta
Undulated Antpitta (Grallaria squamigera squamigera)
Rio Blanco Ecological Reserve, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.


Watkins's Antpitta
Watkins's Antpitta (Grallaria watkinsi) Near Threatened
Jorupe Reserve, Loja, Ecuador  
   
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas)   © All Rights Reserved.



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