Antpitta (1 Viewer)

[njlarsen]

I thought there was a thread named Grallaria, but a search could not bring it up.

We today received an email from ProAves in Colombia that they had discovered a large Antpitta in the El Dorado area of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, superficially similar to Undulated, but different enough that they think it is a different species.
Niels

 

[Acanthis]

I thought there was a thread named Grallaria, but a search could not bring it up.

There is now😉
Well "antpitta" at least

 

[Markus Lagerqvist]

I thought there was a thread named Grallaria, but a search could not bring it up.

We today received an email from ProAves in Colombia that they had discovered a large Antpitta in the El Dorado area of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, superficially similar to Undulated, but different enough that they think it is a different species.
Niels

More information (including a video) about the new antpitta here:

Sorprendente nueva especie de ave para la Ciencia descubierta en la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

 

[Acanthis]

Cool find!
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an area of high endemism I believe isn't it?

 

[pbjosh]

Yes, lots of endemism in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Are there any publicly available recordings? I’d like to hear this “surprisingly different” voice. Voices seem pretty well conserved in this group of Grallaria though there is variation in Scaled and it is often mooted as a potential for some splits, and the E slope Giant Antpitta also has an apparently distinctive voice.

 

[Acanthis]

Yes, lots of endemism in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Are there any publicly available recordings? I’d like to hear this “surprisingly different” voice. Voices seem pretty well conserved in this group of Grallaria though there is variation in Scaled and it is often mooted as a potential for some splits, and the E slope Giant Antpitta also has an apparently distinctive voice.

From the youtube video it sounds remarkably like an electric guitar 🙃

 

[Acanthis]

Yes, lots of endemism in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Are there any publicly available recordings? I’d like to hear this “surprisingly different” voice. Voices seem pretty well conserved in this group of Grallaria though there is variation in Scaled and it is often mooted as a potential for some splits, and the E slope Giant Antpitta also has an apparently distinctive voice.

If I remember correctly in the paper Harvey et al ( https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaz6970 ) that came out a few years ago there was a suggestion from the phylogenetic tree that this family contained considerable cryptic diversity

 

[cajanuma]

Undulated Antpitta was first recorded in Santa Marta about ten years ago (https://sao.org.co/publicaciones/boletinsao/24_1n2/BS2016-03.pdf) so the wording of that press release is a little odd/disingenuous, as it does not mention this record (and other subsequent ones) and implies this was a recent discovery. I think it is safe to assume that all these records concern the same taxon.

I guess vocalizations and genetics will tell the tale, though at least phenotypically it doesn't look much different from a regular Undulated Antpitta.

 

[Jacana]

Lots of photos on eBird:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S160747151

https://ebird.org/checklist/S160915621

https://ebird.org/checklist/S160820043

https://ebird.org/checklist/S160625016

 

[thomasdonegan]

Undulated Antpitta was first recorded in Santa Marta about ten years ago (https://sao.org.co/publicaciones/boletinsao/24_1n2/BS2016-03.pdf) so the wording of that press release is a little odd/disingenuous, as it does not mention this record (and other subsequent ones) and implies this was a recent discovery.

😴

The ProAves press release of 15 February clearly mentions the 2015 record. See below.

Astounding new species of bird for Science discovered in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia - Fundación ProAves - por la conservación en el país de las aves

EspañolFundación ProAves team member Nemesio Andres Gulfo discovered a mysterious huge antpitta – a thrush-like bird with powerful legs and appears tailless – that was feeding on the ground close to the El Dorado ProAves Reserve eco-lodge. ProAves ornithologists rushed to the El Dorado reserve...

proaves.org

I quote from the ProAves release: "Approximately 10,000 ornithologists and birdwatchers have visited the El Dorado ProAves Reserve and surrounding area in the past two decades and never seen or heard the species. There was one sighting of a bird for five minutes in 2015 by Sophie Osborn and Chad Olson , but only a distant blurred photograph was taken and which they considered to be of Undulated Antpitta. "

ProAves also emphasised to the journalist who published a couple of days ago in El Tiempo newspaper (Colombia national newspaper) the importance of mentioning the 2015 record - that record and the names of the two observers concerned feature in that news report.

Exclusivo: esta es la nueva especie de ave que colombianos descubrieron en el Caribe

Proceso incluyó grabación de cantos, medición y liberación de un ave, según indicaron a EL TIEMPO.

www.eltiempo.com

That 2015 record was a really important record and discovery - but it's worth recalling that this apparently sole prior record involves a somewhat blurry and distant photo of a juvenile. With the adult bird found, photographed, sound recorded, mist-netted, measured, sampled and released in Feb 2024 there is a lot richer data available to those taking forwards the study.

 

[cajanuma]

😴

The ProAves press release of 15 February clearly mentions the 2015 record. See below.

sorry about that, I must have missed it!

 

[pbjosh]

Forrest Rowland mentioned in a discussion on FB that he had seen an Undulated-type Antpitta on Santa Marta as well. I cannot now re-find the comment.

Diego Calderon made a comment that this new Undulated-type bird apparently sings in a similar manner to Scaled, perhaps resulting in it having been overlooked in the past?

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

I was there last week. Missed the bird, but my tour guide said that he thought it was an Undulated.

I was also told that nobody has heard the bird call or sing.

Lastly, they were planning on capturing it to get DNA.

 

[cajanuma]

Speaking of undescribed antpittas from Colombia, I have seen mentions of the 'Paisa' or 'Santa Rosa' Antpitta on FB posts by a number of people over the last few months. Part of the Tawny Antpitta complex, it occurs only in Antioquia (near the site for Antioquia Brush-Finch). There are photos in this eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S137719...95.2117780301.1708005395-817043584.1701336509

 

[andrew147]

Speaking of undescribed antpittas from Colombia...

Also, is the 'Dancing' Antpitta from Cali still undescribed? (Paper "coming soon" 5 years ago)

Antpitta discovered in Colombia is new to science

Precious few individuals have been found, leading to suspicions that it is already heavily threatened.

www.birdguides.com

 

[Rob Hunt]

Speaking of undescribed antpittas from Colombia, I have seen mentions of the 'Paisa' or 'Santa Rosa' Antpitta on FB posts by a number of people over the last few months. Part of the Tawny Antpitta complex, it occurs only in Antioquia (near the site for Antioquia Brush-Finch). There are photos in this eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S137719...95.2117780301.1708005395-817043584.1701336509

 

[Rob Hunt]

Photos taken using my mobile on 2nd February, whilst on the Birdquest Colombia with s Difference tour. The bird was at a feeding station, but we also saw one away from there. Never posted a photo here before so apologies for the duplication.

 

[Rob Hunt]

Forgot to mention that we also saw Antioquia Brushfinch at the site. Apparently the Antpitta was discovered whilst they were checking out the area for the Brushfinch.