JOCOTOCO ANTPITTA BIRDWATCHING TOURS ECUADOR
Jocotoco Antpitta illustration
Jocotoco Antpitta. Grallaria Ridgelyi, Birdwatching Tours Ecuador
DESCRIPTION
Jocotoco Antpitta, Grallaria Ridgelyi, Birdwatching Tours Ecuador. 23 cm (9″) Uncommon and extremly local on or near ground inside temperate forest with extensive bamboo on e, slope in south Zamora Chinchipe (mainly at Quebrada honda / Tapichalaca Reserve). A recently described species, unmistikable and ery different from any other antpitta. Crown glossy black contrasting with broad snowing white malar stripe that starts at lores and is outlined by black submalar stripe and ear coverts ; otherwise rich olive brown above, back variably suffused with black; wings especially flight feathers , more rufescent. Throat snowy white; underparts white, variably suffused and mottled with gray, specially across breast and down flanks; crissum dusky.
SIMILAR SPECIES
No other antpitta is patterned anything like this very large species.
HABITS
Poorly known, but seems similar to other antpittas. Very difficult to observe in part because of the steep and heavily vegetated terrain it favors, in part because it appears genuinely shy and wary.
ranges in pairs, mainly on steep slopes near streams , at times responding strongly to tape recordings of its voice, sometimes even audibly crashing through undergrowth; agitated birds often run rapidly back and forth on horizontal branches , boobing their head and occasionally pausing to sing. Pairs seem highly sedentary.
VOICE
Jocotoco Antpitta, Grallaria Ridgelyi, Birdwatching Tours Ecuador.- Male, unmistikable song – very different from other antpittas, a series, sometimes long continued (for a minute or more , especially in response to tape playback), of low-pitched hooting “hoo” notes repeated steadily at 1 to 2 seconds intervals. Othetr calls, given by both sexes, include a doubled “hoo-coo” and, more infrecuently , a more guttural ” ho?-krrr.” natural singing is most frecuent around down and dusk.
Information taken from Birds of Ecuador of Robert Ridgelyi