The slaty-crowned antpitta or slate-crowned antpitta is a species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela.
Region
Northern Andes and Guiana Shield (Tepui region)
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid montane and foothill forests and on tepui slopes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, and adjacent northern Brazil. Prefers mossy cloud forest with dense understory, often along ravines, stream edges, and thickets. Commonly uses vine tangles, bamboo or chusquea patches, and forest edges with ample ground cover. It is generally local but can be fairly common where suitable habitat persists.
Altitude Range
800–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This tiny antpitta spends most of its time on or near the forest floor, slipping through dense understory where it is more often heard than seen. Its slaty-gray crown is a distinctive field mark across its range. Several subspecies occur from the Andes to the Guiana Shield tepuis, showing subtle variation in tone and pattern. It typically gives a soft, mournful whistle that carries surprisingly far in humid forest.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, brief flights
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, maintaining small territories within dense understory. Nests are typically mossy cups placed low in vegetation or on banks, with a small clutch. Both parents likely share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, plaintive whistle delivered in spaced notes, often at dawn and dusk. Calls are simple but carry well in humid forest, aiding contact between mates. It may repeat phrases at regular intervals from a concealed perch.
Plumage
Compact, short-tailed antpitta with a neat, slaty-gray crown bordered darker, warm rufous face, olive-brown upperparts, and buffy underparts with fine dusky mottling or streaking on the breast. Feathers appear soft and compact, aiding its rounded, ball-like profile in dense cover.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods such as beetles, ants, spiders, and other insects, taken from the leaf litter and low vegetation. Occasionally snaps up small invertebrates flushed by movement. May take tiny vertebrates opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Forages on or near the ground in dense, humid understory, especially along shaded trails, stream banks, and mossy ravines. Sometimes works through bamboo or vine tangles where cover is thick.
