Birds of Colombia

    PASSERIFORMES: Grallariidae (Antpittas)  
Genus: Grallaria (24 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.

Boyaca Antpitta
Boyaca Antpitta (Grallaria alticola) ENDEMIC
Sumapaz National Park, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

The alticola race on the Tawny Antpitta in the eastern Andean chain of Colombia is smaller, whiter and more streaked. In 2023 it was split as the Boyaca Antpitta.

Chami Antpitta
Chami Antpitta (Grallaria alvarezi) ENDEMIC
Jardin, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

The newly described Chami Antpitta is part of a big split of the Rufous Antpitta, and is found only in the western Andean chain in Colombia. It is a bit redder than others.

Santa Marta Antpitta
Santa Marta Antpitta (Grallaria bangsi) Vulnerable ENDEMIC
ProAves El Dorado Reserve, Santa Marta Sierra Nevada, Magdalena, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Found at mid altitude levels (1500-2400 meters), and the only antpitta in that range.

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


Great Antpitta
Great Antpitta (Grallaria excelsa excelsa) Near Threatened
west, Venezuela  
   
Photograph by David Ascanio - www.abtbirds.com   © 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.


Cundinamarca Antpitta
Cundinamarca Antpitta (Grallaria kaestneri) Endangered ENDEMIC
Refugio del Tororoy, Guayabetal, Cundinamarca, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Found in dense forest undergrowth at around 1800-2300m (HBW). Found on eastern Andean slope.

Brown-banded Antpitta
Brown-banded Antpitta (Grallaria milleri) Vulnerable ENDEMIC
Rio Blanco Ecological Reserve, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
  Named after weak brown band across chest. Found only around Nevado del Ruiz around 2500 meters.
   
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.

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.

Muisca Antpitta
Muisca Antpitta (Grallaria rufula)
Chingaza, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Peter Hawrylyshyn   © All Rights Reserved.

Part of a five-way split of the Rufous Antpitta in Colombia, and found only in the eastern Andean chain (the Andes breaks into three ranges in south Colombia).

Perija Antpitta
Perija Antpitta (Grallaria saltuensis) Near Threatened
 
   
Photograph by Manakin Nature Tours - Luis Urueña   © All Rights Reserved.

Perija Antpitta
Perija Antpitta (Grallaria saltuensis) Near Threatened
  Note large size, greyish color and eye-ring on Perija race.
   
Photograph by Manakin Nature Tours - Luis Urueña   © All Rights Reserved.

Note large size, greyish color and white eye-ring, different from other species in the Rufous Antpitta complex.

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 chain in Colombia, and continues into Ecuador and Peru.

No Image
Sierra Nevada Antpitta (Grallaria spatiator) ENDEMIC
   



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


Urrao Antpitta
Urrao Antpitta (Grallaria urraoensis) ENDEMIC
ProAves Dusky Starfrontlet Reserve, Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia  
   
Photograph by Tom Friedel   © All Rights Reserved.

Recently discovered, and only found in the forests below the paramo of Urrao.

Variegated Antpitta
Variegated Antpitta (Grallaria varia)
Parque Estadual da Serra da Cantareira, Sao Paulo-SP, Brazil  
   
Photograph by Dario Sanches     Copyright and usage info



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