White-bellied antpitta

Grallaria hypoleuca

Photo by Scott Olmstead (Flickr)

Common name:
white-bellied antpitta (en); tuvacuçu-de-barriga-branca (pt); grallaire à ventre blanc (fr); tororoí ventriblanco (es); blassbauch-ameisenpitta (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Formicariidae

Range:
The white-bellied antpitta is found along the western slopes of the Andes, from northern Colombia to extreme northern Peru.

Size:
These birds are 16-18 cm long and weigh 62-69 g.

Habitat:
This species is mostly found on the floor and in the lower understorey of mountain rainforests, also using second growths to a lesser extent. they occur at altitudes of 1.400-2.300 m.

Diet:
They are known to eat insects, but there is little available information about their diet.

Breeding:
White-bellied antpittas breed in March-September and are presumed to be socially monogamous. The nest is a cup made of twigs and rootlets and placed in a fork in a tree about 1 m above the ground. The female lays 2 light greenish eggs with light brownish blotches. The eggs are incubated by both parents, but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.