Species Profile: Jocotoco Antpitta

Out from the Shadows

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Field work in South America over the past 25 years has led to the discovery of many bird species new to science. Most of these discoveries have been relatively obscure species with obvious similarities to their closest relatives, so it came as a major surprise when a new species of antpitta was discovered in Ecuador in 1997 that differed significantly from all other members of the group.

The Jocotoco Antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi), at nine inches (with a very short tail), is distinctly larger than most of its cousins. Its white cheek patches contrast sharply with the bird's glossy black cap and black malar stripe. Flying very little, the antpitta, with its long blue-gray legs, is well suited for hopping on the ground or from limb to limb in the dense, bamboo-dominated, montane forests that this species inhabits. The name "Jocotoco" (pronounced "hocotoco") comes
from its call, a hooting similar to that of an owl that can be heard over long distances.

The fact that this new antpitta was only recently discovered suggests that its geographic range is limited and that it has specific habitat requirements; subsequent research has backed up both suppositions. Its known population is very small, and its elevational range extremely narrow, approximately 7,000 to 8,400 feet above sea level. Most of the antpitta's known range is encompassed within a 6,780-acre private reserve, Tapichalaca, owned and managed by Fundacion Jocotoco; further study is needed to determine its full range.

An exceptionally secretive bird, the antpitta is rarely seen except in response to playbacks of its vocalizations. When Fundacion Jocotoco's management became concerned that the playback might be disturbing the birds, they designed a worm compost pile at Tapichalaca hoping to attract the birds (worms comprise a large portion of the antpitta's diet). Happily for birders, an obliging antpitta comes in periodically to feed, affording visitors and residents the opportunity to see one of the world's most spectacular newly discovered species.