The jocotoco antpitta is an endangered species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane cloud forests on the east slope of the Andes in southern Ecuador and extreme northern Peru. Favors dense understory with mossy ground, tree ferns, and Chusquea bamboo, often near steep ravines and stream gullies. The species is patchily distributed and tied to relatively undisturbed forest with thick leaf litter. Territories are small and localized, making populations vulnerable to habitat fragmentation.
Altitude Range
1800–2500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Discovered as recently as 1997 and described in 1999, the Jocotoco Antpitta became a conservation flagship for Fundación Jocotoco in Ecuador. Its common name reflects a distinctive, far-carrying call often rendered as 'joco-tóco.' It is famously shy but can be seen at protected reserves where earthworms are offered at feeding stations. Habitat protection in Ecuador and adjacent northern Peru is key to its survival.
Temperament
shy and elusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, usually low to the ground
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, maintaining discrete territories on the forest floor. Nests are placed low, often a mossy cup near banks or dense vegetation; clutch size is small and both adults care for the young. Much activity involves hopping and pausing while scanning and sallying to the ground for prey.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A resonant, far-carrying, two-note to three-note whistle often rendered as 'joco-tóco' repeated at intervals. Calls are given from concealed perches and can echo through cloud forest ravines, aiding territory advertisement.
Plumage
Sooty to dark olive-brown overall with a darker face and contrasting white crescent behind the ear coverts extending into the malar area; underparts plain to slightly mottled. Wings and flanks can show warmer rufous tones; tail short. Dense, soft plumage adapted to wet, cool montane conditions.
Diet
Primarily feeds on arthropods such as beetles, spiders, and caterpillars, along with earthworms. Will also take small invertebrates and occasionally small vertebrates when available. Forages by gleaning and pouncing on prey on or just below the leaf litter.
Preferred Environment
Dense, wet understory with deep leaf litter, bamboo thickets, and mossy ground near streams and gullies. Often forages along quiet forest trails and at the edges of bamboo patches.
