The jocotoco antpitta (''Grallaria ridgelyi'') is an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

antpitta Grallariidae is a family of smallish passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America known as antpittas. They are between 10 and 20 cm (4–8 in) in length, and are related to the antbirds, Thamnophilidae, and gn ...

, a

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

from

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. It was discovered in 1997, and scientifically described in 1999.

Description

The jocotoco antpitta is a large (150–200 g) antpitta with a striking head pattern showing tufts of white plumes beneath the eyes. It has a song similar to the hooting of the rufous-banded owl.

Taxonomy

Its closest relatives appear to be the

chestnut-naped antpitta The chestnut-naped antpitta (''Grallaria nuchalis'') is a species of bird placed in the family Grallariidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and far northwestern Peru. Its natural habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the a ...

and the pale-billed antpitta, with which it forms a group of antpittas with uniform breast plumage and smoky-grey flanks. This bird's specific name honors the

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

Robert S. Ridgely, who took part in the initial discovery of this species. The

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

refers to the local name of the bird, ''jocotoco'', which is

onomatopoetic Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...

after its hooting calls and song.

Distribution and habitat

The antpitta is known only from a very small number of locations in southeastern Ecuador and adjacent Peru, and appears to be declining. It was believed to be limited to the upper Chinchipe River drainage in Zamora-Chinchipe,

, but in 2006 a population was discovered in

Cordillera del Cóndor The Cordillera del Cóndor (Condor mountain range) is a mountain range in the eastern Andes that is shared by and part of the international border between Ecuador and Peru. The range extends approximately 150 km north to south and its m ...

Cajamarca Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Peru ...

. It inhabits only wet, mossy forest with ample ''

Chusquea ''Chusquea'' is a genus of evergreen bamboos in the grass family. Most of them are native to mountain habitats in Latin America, from Mexico to southern Chile and Argentina. They are sometimes referred to as South American mountain bamboos. Unl ...

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

stands and silvery-leaved ''

Cecropia ''Cecropia'' is a Neotropical genus consisting of 61 recognized species with a highly distinctive lineage of dioecious trees. The genus consists of pioneer trees in the more or less humid parts of the Neotropics, with the majority of the speci ...

'' trees. It is found at altitudes of 2,250 to 2,700 meters.

Conservation and status

To protect the presumably small population, the Tapichalaca Biological Reserve was established on behalf of

Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco (Jocotoco Conservation Foundation) is an Ecuadorian non-governmental environmental organization. It was established to purchase and protect land important to the conservation of endangered birds in Ecuador. Fund ...

in 1998. The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

classifies it as endangered (B1ab(i, ii, iii, v)). This means that based on available data, it is estimated to occur in no more than five locations over a total area of less than 5000 km², with both habitat quality and availability, and numbers declining, and some of the

subpopulation In statistics, a population is a set of similar items or events which is of interest for some question or experiment. A statistical population can be a group of existing objects (e.g. the set of all stars within the Milky Way galaxy) or a hypothe ...

s in danger of disappearance. Owing to its shyness and the call, which might be mistaken for that of a rufous-banded owl, it could be more widespread than now known, although surveys at several seemingly appropriate localities have failed to find any evidence of it.

References

External links

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

Jocotoco Antpitta ''Grallaria ridgelyi'' Species Factsheet
Retrieved 11 February 2020. *

World Land Trust The World Land Trust is a UK registered charity. It raises money to buy and then protect environmentally-threatened land in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. In 2018 it claimed to have raised more than £25 million and to have bought ...

Jocotoco Antpitta ''Grallaria ridgelyi''
Retrieved 2007-FEB-22. {{Taxonbar, from=Q1263452

jocotoco antpitta The jocotoco antpitta (''Grallaria ridgelyi'') is an endangered antpitta, a bird from Ecuador and Peru. It was discovered in 1997, and scientifically described in 1999. Description The jocotoco antpitta is a large (150–200 g) antpitta ...

Birds of the Ecuadorian Andes Birds of the Peruvian Andes

Endangered animals