Breeding

Several nests of Moustached Antpitta have been discovered, which is remarkable, given how difficult this antpitta is to observe, and how little otherwise is known about this species. Nests have been found in March in Ecuador and in September and November in Colombia (Freile and Renjifo 2003, Londoño et al. 2004). The nest is a bulky structure with a deep cup, and is composed of damp dead leaves, fresh mosses, rootlets, and small stems and fibers. Nest dimensions are 22-23 cm (external diameter) x 17-22.5 cm (external height), and of the nest cup are 10.0-11.8 cm (diameter) x 4.5-7.0 cm (depth). Nests were placed 0.13-1.3 m above the ground; one was nestled in an epiphyte and supported in part by the epiphyte and a small shrub, and another nest was supported by a mossy diagonal branch (Freile and Renjifo 2003, Londoño et al. 2004).

The clutch size is two. The eggs are light blue and unmarked; egg dimensions are 30.0-30.7 x 24.3-24.7 mm (n = 1) (Freile and Renjifo 2003, Londoño et al. 2004). Nestlings are covered with dark gray down. Both sexes provision the nestlings (Freile and Renjifo 2003, Greeney and Gelis 2006), with earthworms and arthropods (see Food). Multiple prey items are brought to the nest with each visit (Greeney and Gelis 2006). Adults remove fecal sacs, which may be carried away from the nest or eaten at the nest (Greeney and Gelis 2006). The nestling period is estimated at 15-17 days (Greeney and Gelis 2006).