Order
Passeriformes
Family
Grallariidae
Genus
Grallaricula
 
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Version 1.0

This is a historic version of this account.  Current version

 - Slate-crowned Antpitta
 - Slate-crowned Antpitta (Slate-crowned)
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Slate-crowned Antpitta Grallaricula nana

Harold F. Greeney
Version: 1.0 — Published November 8, 2013

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Introduction

Slate-crowned Antpitta is one of the most widespread species of Grallaricula, inhabiting montane areas from north coastal Venezuela south and west, discontinuously, to northernmost Peru, as well as disjunctly in southeastern Venezuela and adjacent western Guyana. The plumage of Slate-crowned Antpitta is rather plain, uniform brownish above, a notably grayer crown, and principally unmarked rufous underparts. Like others of its genus, Slate-crowned Antpitta is usually shy and difficult to observe. It occurs in the undergrowth of humid forest, almost exclusively associated with montane bamboos in the genus Chusquea. Across its wide geographical range, the species occupies a broad altitudinal band that spans at least 700 to 3500 m. Up to eight subspecies have been recognized, but recent authors have suggested that Slate-crowned Antpitta would be better treated as three separate species, based on both vocal and morphological characters. Most authorities to date have partially followed this hypothesis by treating Sucre Antpitta (Grallaricula cumanensis) of northeastern Venezuela as a separate species, but have not yet elected not to recognize the tepui taxon, G. n. kukenamensis, as a species. The natural history and reproductive biology of this widespread species are not well known, but there is some information on nest architecture, eggs, and nestling development for this species.

Distribution of the Slate-crowned Antpitta - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Slate-crowned Antpitta

Recommended Citation

Greeney, H. F. (2013). Slate-crowned Antpitta (Grallaricula nana), version 1.0. In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/nb.slcant2.01