Undulated Antpitta Grallaria squamigera Scientific name definitions

"Grallaria squamigera was to me the most interesting species. It is a huge, heavy-bodied bird, olive above and tawny barred with black below. From a distance the coloration reminds one of a large immature robin, but the tail is very short and protrudes only about half an inch beyond the lower coverts, and the long legs measure fully five inches. The plumage is long and full. Occasionally we saw the shy creatures as we worked in front of our tent in the afternoons; we always made it a point to be very quiet and the reward came in the way of shadowy forms that unconcernedly pursued their lives among the logs and brush without suspecting our presence. This shows the advantage of camping in the midst of the wilderness, where one is sure to see and hear wild things at the most unexpected times—experiences that are lost if one does not spend his entire time in the very heart of their environs." – Alden H. Miller (1918: 50)

The Undulated Antpitta is on par with respect to measurements, but bested in terms of name, by its two relatives, the Giant Antpitta (Grallaria gigantea) and Great Antpitta (Grallaria excelsa). Although it is not especially scarce in parts of its range, it is definitely one of the trickiest antpittas to see. It occurs from western Venezuela, through the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador, and along the Amazonian slope and central Andes of Peru, as far south as Cochabamba and La Paz in Bolivia. Like other large Grallaria, the Undulated Antpitta seems largely terrestrial and rather tied to closed-canopy habitats. Occasionally, especially when occurring near the treeline, it ventures into the open, apparently more frequently on overcast days and at twilight.

This species is basically dark brownish above with a grayer crown and nape, the throat and moustachial region are white, separated by a narrow black malar line, while the underparts are predominantly orange-buff to ochraceous, heavily barred darker. The Undulated Antpitta can be devilishly difficult to see, despite being at least locally quite common, in part due to its ventriloquial vocalizations. Two subspecies of the Undulated Antpitta are recognized, but these are only marginally differentiated in morphology. The species’ nest has only very recently been described.