Breeding

Phenology.—In Tambillo, Peru, Stolzmann (in Taczanowski 1884) found a nest with 2 eggs in January (presumably caniceps). In the Central Andes of Colombia, breeding occurs March to July (Beltrán and Kattan 2001, Clement 2000). In Panama, breeding reported in April and May (Wetmore et al. 1984).

Eggs.—Clutches of 1–2 eggs in a sturdy cup nest comprised of rootlets, moss, and leaves. As in other Cathari, no mud is used in nest construction (Wallace 1965, Beltrán and Kattan 2001, Heckscher et al. 2014). Nests in Costa Rica lined with black Marasmius rhizomorphs (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Throughout range, nests are typically located ≤ 3 m from the ground amidst dense forest understory vegetation. Nest apparently built by female alone, as in other Catharus, but few data are available (Beltrán and Kattan 2001, Clement 2000).

In Costa Rica and western Panama (hellmayri), eggs described as "pale blue, thickly speckled and dotted and blotched over the entire surface with light chestnut-rufous. Measurements: 25 x 18mm" (Carriker 1910), whereas a set of eggs collected on Cerro Pirre in the Panamanian Darién (mirabilis) were "very pale greenish white, spotted lightly with dots of cinnamon-brown, which are grouped to form a faintly-indicated cap on the summit of the blunt end. They measure...24.7 x 17.7, and 25.0 x 18.3 mm." (E.A. Goldman in Wetmore et al. 1984). In the Central Andes of Colombia, a nest contained a single egg, "pale blue...with light brown spots and blotches that were more densely concentrated at the larger end. The egg weighed 3.5g and measured 26.8 x 16.4mm." (Beltrán and Kattan 2001).

Incubation.—In Colombia, incubation apparently performed by only one adult (Beltrán and Kattan 2001); the mean duration (±SD) of incubation bouts was 72.6 ± 51.8 min (n = 7), and mean recess duration was 30.4 ± 17.6 min (n = 5).