Rufous-crowned antpitta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rufous-crowned antpitta |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Conopophagidae |
| Genus: | Pittasoma |
| Species: |
P. rufopileatum
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| Binomial name | |
| Pittasoma rufopileatum Hartert, 1901
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The rufous-crowned antpitta (Pittasoma rufopileatum) is a cool type of bird that lives in the forests of Colombia and Ecuador. It's part of the gnateater family, which are small, shy birds.
Contents
About the Rufous-crowned Antpitta
Scientists group animals into families. The rufous-crowned antpitta belongs to a small group of birds called Pittasoma. There are only two species in this group. Experts are still figuring out the exact family tree for these birds.
There are three slightly different types, or subspecies, of the rufous-crowned antpitta:
- Pittasoma rufopileatum rufopileatum (the main type)
- P. r. rosenbergi
- P. r. harterti
Some scientists think that harterti might actually be the same as the main type.
What Does It Look Like?
The rufous-crowned antpitta is about 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 in) long. That's about the size of a small robin. It looks a bit like other antpittas, which are usually plump birds with long legs.
Let's look at the main type (rufopileatum):
- Males: They have a bright reddish-brown (rufous) cap on their head with a bold black stripe just below it. Their face is yellowish. The rest of their upper body is olive-brown and looks a bit scaly. Their wings are brownish with small white spots. Their throat and the area under their tail are light brown (buffy). Most of their belly has wavy black stripes.
- Females: They look similar to males, but their cap isn't as bright. The black stripe is smaller, and their face has more reddish-brown color. Their belly is creamier, and the black stripes are not as strong.
Other types:
- P. r. rosenbergi: This type is smaller and its colors are not as bright. Both males and females have reddish-brown heads, not just the cap. They also don't have the black stripes on their belly.
- P. r. harterti: This type is somewhere in between the other two. Its whole face is reddish-brown, and it does have stripes on its belly.
Where It Lives and Its Home
The rufous-crowned antpitta lives on the western side of Colombia and Ecuador, near the Pacific Ocean.
- P. r. rosenbergi lives the furthest north, only in a part of Colombia called Chocó Department.
- P. r. harterti lives in western Nariño Department, also in Colombia.
- The main type (rufopileatum) lives in Esmeraldas and Pichincha Provinces in Ecuador.
These birds like to live in wet forests in low areas and on the lower parts of hills. They can be found up to 1,100 m (3,600 ft) high. We don't know much about their favorite spots within these forests, but they stick to these humid, green areas.
Behavior
Feeding Habits
We don't know a lot about what the rufous-crowned antpitta eats or how it finds its food. Scientists have found insects and spiders in the stomach of one bird they studied. This suggests they mostly eat small creatures they find on the forest floor.
Reproduction
There isn't much information about how these birds raise their young. Scientists have only found two birds that were ready to breed: a female in November and a male in February, both in Colombia. This means they likely breed during those months, but more research is needed to understand their full life cycle.
Vocalization
The rufous-crowned antpitta has a special song. It sounds like a sharp, clear keeee-yurh note [1]. When it's alarmed or senses danger, it makes a fast, chattering sound that slows down [2].
Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the rufous-crowned antpitta as Near Threatened. This means it's not in immediate danger of disappearing, but it could be in the future. The main problem is that its forest home is being cut down very quickly. Because of this, the number of these birds is going down at a "moderately rapid" rate. Protecting their forest habitat is very important to help these unique birds survive.
 | Georgia Louise Harris Brown |
 | Julian Abele |
 | Norma Merrick Sklarek |
 | William Sidney Pittman |
