Trips

Rusty-breasted Antpitta in Ecuador

November 19, 2011 by Renato 3 Comments

It is a very small antpitta that lives in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia. This antpitta is found in southern Ecuador (near Peru) and curiously also inside the Puluahua Crater which is my residence near Quito in northern Ecuador. There has been no studies that explain why this bird only resides inside our homey crater, but I suspect that most of its habitat has been destroyed in the highlands of Ecuador and somehow it found the correct conditions for its subsistence in this crater.


Pululahua Crater

This bird is fairly common here in the Puluahua Geobotanical Reserve and lives between 2000 and 2600 m.a.s.l. It is very shy and difficult to see; playback is necessary to lure it out of the chusquea (highland bamboo) vegetation which is one of its preferred habitats. It typically shows-up in the vegetation just above ground level for very short periods before it finds a better hiding spot. The best way to find it is by its song which resembles a two day old chick: pew, pew, pew.

Rusty-breasted Antpitta – Grallaricula ferrugineipectus

Written by Renato
Renato was born in Quito, Ecuador and quickly flew to the USA to learn all about engineering and climbing company ladders. After getting his engineering degree from the University of Minnesota he worked in the Standard-American-Rat-Race-Company for fifteen years. After climbing the ladder to where he could no longer see the ground, he decided to jump off the ladder and migrate south like all normal birds do. To his surprise home did not look like it did when he left as a young fledgling; the towns were bigger, most of his friends had nests of their own, and the countryside was changed. Shocked by all the change he searched for a new life and a new wife. He stumbled across a vivacious young chick who would accompany him inside a volcanic crater to set up a love nest. So, after eight years of nesting inside the crater a new love for nature and birds has sprung a career in environmental conservation and birding tours. Finally this bird has come home to roost!