Rusty-breasted Antpitta Grallaricula ferrugineipectus Scientific name definitions

Following the elevation of the southern subspecies, leymebambae to full species status (Leymebamba Antpitta), the Rusty-breasted Antpitta is known only from scattered populations in the mountains of costal Venezuela and northern Colombia, and in the Venezuelan and Colombian Andes. Like other members of the genus Grallaricula, this species is a difficult bird to observe, even with playback, as these tiny birds can be incredibly difficult to spot as they perch low and inconspicuously in the undergrowth. The plumage is mainly brown above and on the head, becoming warmer and more rufous over much of the face and underparts, although the belly is largely white. There is some degree of association between this species and bamboo stands, at least locally, but in general Rusty-breasted Antpitta inhabits humid or semi-humid montane forest. Compared to other Grallaricula, the nesting biology is fairly well documented, apparently differing by having a grey-green (rather than buffy-brown) ground coloration to the eggs.