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Equatorial Antpitta | Grallaria saturata
Evenaarmierpitta | Tororoí ecuatorial | Tovacuçu-equatorial
The Equatorial Antpitta has been a separate species since the split of Rufous Antpitta in 2020; the form saturata had already been described earlier as a subspecies. The name refers to Ecuador, where most of the range lies. It is the most widespread species of the rufula group in the north of the guide area.
Voice
As in the other species of the rufula group, the song differs mainly in pace, number and pitch of the notes. It gives short series of clear whistled notes and single call notes; a recording of the song is the main aid to identification.
Recording: Bobby Wilcox — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
14–15 cm, small, round and almost tailless, on long dark legs, with a dark bill. The upperparts and underparts are rich rufous-brown, the underparts slightly paler, palest on the centre of the belly. A narrow pale ring around the eye. The sexes are alike.
Confusion species
Chami Antpitta Grallaria alvarezi in the Western Andes and northern Central Andes of Colombia is very similar and is separated mainly by song and range. Muisca Antpitta Grallaria rufula lives only in the Eastern Andes. Tawny Antpitta Grallaria quitensis is larger and olive-brown and lives in open páramo. Bicolored Antpitta Grallaria rufocinerea has grey underparts. Rusty-breasted Antpitta Grallaricula ferrugineipectus is smaller, with a pale crescent in front of the eye.
Habitat
Dense undergrowth and bamboo in humid high montane forest and cloud forest up to the treeline, also in secondary forest and scrub at forest edges, roughly between 2200 and 3700 m. It searches the ground for invertebrates and at some sites comes to feeding stations with worms. The nest is a cup of moss and rootlets low in dense vegetation.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In Colombia in the Central Andes of Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío and Tolima southwards, and in the south through Huila, Cauca, Nariño and Putumayo. In Ecuador on both slopes of the Andes along the whole length of the country. In Peru only in the extreme north, north and west of the Marañón. Absent from Bolivia and the Galápagos. Does not occur outside the guide area.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
Listen at dawn in the high montane forest around Quito, for example at Yanacocha on Pichincha, or along the road to Papallacta, for short series of whistled notes from dense undergrowth. At a few lodges in Ecuador and Colombia the bird comes to a feeding station.
Conservation status
Not evaluated as a separate species; Rufous Antpitta in the broad sense is listed as Least Concern. The species has a large range and tolerates some forest disturbance, but high montane forest is cleared in many places for agriculture and cattle ranching.
Scientific name
Grallaria saturata | Domaniewski & Sztolcman, 1918
Domaniewski & Sztolcman described the species in 1918 and placed it straight away in the genus where it still stands. The genus Grallaria was introduced in 1816 by Vieillot. The genus name comes from New Latin grallarius, 'stilt-walker', referring to the long legs. The species name comes from Latin saturatus, 'saturated, deeply coloured'. The specimen the first description was based on came from San Rafael, Tungurahua, Ecuador.