Perija Antpitta
Grallaria saltuensis
Medium-sized antpitta restricted to the Perijá Mountains, which lie north of the main chain of the Andes and straddle the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Plumage is mostly light brown, with a buffy tinge to its head and throat, pale belly, and white eyering. Similar to Rusty-breasted Antpitta, but larger with paler underparts and longer legs. Inhabits understory of high elevation cloud forest. Spends most of the time on the ground, but sometimes perches higher, especially when singing. Vocalizations include a short, gargled note repeated every few seconds and a series of clear whistles that accelerates and descends in pitch. Formerly considered to be a subspecies of what used to be called Rufous Antpitta.
Identification
The Perija antpitta (Grallaria saltuensis) is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Grallariidae. It is endemic to the Serranía del Perijá on the border of Colombia and Venezuela.
Taxonomy
The Perijá antpitta was described as a subspecies of rufous antpitta (Grallaria rufula saltuensis) in 1946, but in 2016 was elevated to species status on the basis of its vocalizations and olivaceous plumage. It is recognized by the HBW and BirdLife Checklist. In 2020, a new study provided additional genetic evidence and vocal analysis for its classification as species.<p>It is sometimes believed to be conspecific with the Tawny antpitta, however the Perijá antpitta is smaller and has significant differences in plumage.<p>The Perijá antpitta gets its name from the mountain range in which it is confined, the Serranía del Perijá.
- Scientific name
- Grallaria saltuensis
- Authority
- Wetmore, 1946
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Grallariidae
- Genus
- Grallaria
Range and habitat
The Perijá antpitta is found entirely within the Serranía del Perijá, and is found in the Venezuelan state Zulia, and the Colombian departments of La Guajira and Cesar. It is found at elevations of 2300-3650m. It is protected in part of its range by the Sierra de Perijá National Park, Venezuela. It prefers humid montane forest and is mostly found in the forest understory and on the forest floor. It can also be found at forest borders and nearby disturbed habitat.<p>The Perijá antpitta is separated from the closely related Muisca antpitta by the Serranía de Los Motilones, and from the also closely related Sierra Nevada antpitta by the Cesar depression that separates the Perijá range from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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