The Panao antpitta, also known as O'Neill's antpitta, is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is endemic to Peru.
Region
Central Peruvian Andes
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane and cloud forests, favoring dense understory with mossy ground, vine tangles, and bamboo (Chusquea) thickets. It keeps close to the forest floor, using fallen logs, root buttresses, and shaded ravines as cover. Territories tend to follow steep, wet slopes and stream gullies where leaf litter accumulates. It is patchily distributed but can be locally common where intact forest persists.
Altitude Range
2400–3500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called O’Neill’s antpitta, this species was described only recently after the Rufous Antpitta complex was split, highlighting hidden diversity in Andean cloud forests. It is notoriously skulking and is far more often detected by its distinctive whistles than seen. Like many antpittas, it spends most of its time on or near the forest floor, hopping through leaf litter.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low to the ground
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, maintaining discrete territories within dense understory. Nests are placed low, often near the ground in thick vegetation or on banks, with both sexes likely participating in care. Courtship and pair bonding are discreet, relying more on song than display.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, fluted whistles delivered at measured intervals, often slightly accelerating or descending toward the end. Calls are soft, mournful notes that carry well through cloud forest. Individuals sing most at dawn and dusk, especially after rain or in mist.
Plumage
Overall warm rufous to chestnut with subtly darker scalloping on the breast and slightly paler throat. The face can appear slightly grayer, contrasting with rich rufous crown and mantle. Underparts are largely uniform rufous with faint mottling.
Diet
Primarily ground-dwelling arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and caterpillars. It also takes earthworms and occasionally small amphibians or other invertebrates when encountered. Foraging involves short hops and pauses while flipping leaves and probing soft soil and moss.
Preferred Environment
Dense, shaded understory with deep leaf litter, root tangles, and bamboo patches where it can remain concealed. It forages along trails, stream edges, and fallen logs, often in dim, humid microhabitats.
