The Chachapoyas antpitta, or Graves's antpitta, is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is endemic to Peru.
Region
Northern Peruvian Andes
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane cloud forests with dense understory, often in mossy, shaded ravines and along forested slopes. It favors areas with thick leaf litter and patches of Chusquea bamboo, where it forages on or near the ground. The species is known from the Chachapoyas area and adjacent ranges such as the Cordillera de Colán. It may use mature forest as well as well-structured secondary growth and forest edges.
Altitude Range
2000–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Chachapoyas antpitta, also called Graves's antpitta, is a shy, ground-dwelling bird of the Andean cloud forests in northern Peru. It was described to science only recently and is best detected by its distinctive, mellow whistled song rather than by sight. Like many antpittas, it spends much of its time hopping quietly through dense understory and leaf litter. Ongoing habitat changes in the region make understanding its distribution and ecology a conservation priority.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; reluctant flier that mostly hops
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly or in pairs, keeping to dense cover. Nests are likely placed low in vegetation or on banks, with both parents involved in care as in related antpittas. Territorial duets and countersinging between neighbors are common during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, mellow series of whistles delivered at measured intervals, often carrying far through cloud forest. Phrases can accelerate slightly or descend in pitch, and birds may respond antiphonally across territories.
Plumage
Compact, round-bodied antpitta with warm rufous-brown upperparts and paler, buffy underparts with faint dusky mottling on the breast. Face often shows a grayish wash with a subtly paler throat and fine scaling. Feathers appear soft and loose, giving a plush, puffy look typical of antpittas.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects and other arthropods gleaned from leaf litter and mossy ground, including beetles, ants, and spiders. It will probe soft soil and flip leaves to uncover hidden prey. Occasionally takes small worms or other invertebrates, and rarely small vertebrates.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the shaded forest floor, along quiet trails, and in dense bamboo or understory thickets. Often uses natural edges, fallen logs, and root tangles where prey accumulates.
