The masked antpitta is a Vulnerable species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is endemic to Bolivia.
Region
Bolivian Yungas (eastern Andean slopes)
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid subtropical and montane evergreen forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes. It favors dense understory with abundant leaf litter, often near steep ravines, streams, and thickets of Chusquea bamboo. The species is highly local and patchy, tied to intact forest. It generally avoids heavily degraded or open areas and retreats deeper into forest when disturbed.
Altitude Range
1200–2600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Masked Antpitta is a shy, ground-dwelling bird of dense montane forest undergrowth and is far more often heard than seen. Its soft, mournful whistles carry through the Yungas where it keeps to shadowy ravines and bamboo tangles. Habitat loss from agriculture and logging threatens its limited range, which is why it is assessed as Vulnerable.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low and infrequent flights
Social Behavior
Mostly solitary or in pairs, maintaining territories in dense understory. Nests are placed low, often near the ground on banks or in thick vegetation, with both parents likely involved in care. Displays and territory are often maintained by song rather than visual encounters.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, mournful series of clear whistled notes, often given at dawn and dusk. Phrases are spaced and can rise or fall slightly, carrying surprisingly far through dense forest.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with a slightly rufescent crown and nape; underparts buffy to ochre with fine dusky spotting across the breast and sides. Face shows a dusky to blackish mask contrasting with a paler, buffy eyebrow and throat. Tail is very short; legs long and sturdy, typical of antpittas.
Diet
Feeds primarily on arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and other leaf-litter invertebrates. It may also take small worms or other soft-bodied prey. Foraging involves quiet hopping and pausing to glean or peck at the forest floor. It occasionally forages near army-ant activity to capture flushed prey but is not an obligate ant follower.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory with deep leaf litter, especially along shaded ravines, stream edges, and bamboo thickets. Prefers undisturbed forest interiors where cover is continuous.
