Abstract: Chestnut-crowned Antpitta occurs in Andean forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru from 1200-3600 m. In the eastern Ecuadorian Andes it is one of the most numerous species by voice and is somewhat less difficult to see than most other antpittas. A nest of G. ruficapilla was discovered at 2250 m on the eastern slope of the Andes in Napo province, Ecuador. The nest was in a mat of live Chusqea bamboo branches 197 cm above the ground and was composed mostly of sticks and twigs, with additional bamboo leaves, sparse moss, leaf petioles, and some dicot leaves, with a sparse lining of dark rootlets. There was some original confusion about the color and form of the eggs of G. ruficapilla; however, in the well-documented nest above, the clutch consisted of two uniform turquoise or pale greenish-blue eggs with no flecking or spotting. Two adults were involved in care of the eggs and nestlings.

Krabbe, N. & T.S. Schulenberg. 2003. Family Formicariidae (ground-antbirds). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. (eds.). Handbook of the birds of the world, 8. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.

Martin, P. R. & Greeney, H. F. 2006. Description of the nest, eggs and nestling period of the Chestnut-crowned Antpitta Grallaria ruficapilla from the eastern Ecuadorian Andes. Cotinga 26: in press.

Sclater, P. L. & Salvin, O. 1879. On the birds collected by the late Mr. T. K. Salmon in the state of Antioquia, United States of Colombia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1879: 486-550.

DATE	LOCATION	STAGE	SOURCE of data
20 September 2004	SierrAzul, Napo, Ecuador, 2350m	Incubation	Martin & Greeney, 2006
11 March 2005	Yungilla, Azuay, Ecuador, 1700m	Incubation	HFG unpubl.

Eggs of G. ruficapilla

Egg # H05-152, 2005,Yungilla, Azuay, Ecuador

Complete clutches of G. ruficapilla in nest

Complete clutch at Yungilla, Azuay, Ecuador

Nestlings of G. ruficapilla

Nestling of Grallaria ruficapilla on the day of hatching. SierrAzul Research Station, Napo, Ecuador	Nestling of Grallaria ruficapilla on the day of hatching. SierrAzul Research Station, Napo, Ecuador
Nestling of Grallaria ruficapilla on the day of hatching. SierrAzul Research Station, Napo, Ecuador	Nestling of Grallaria ruficapilla on the day of hatching. SierrAzul Research Station, Napo, Ecuador

Additional photographs of G. ruficapilla

Nest of Grallaria ruficapilla, in open field of second growth, Yungilla, Azuay, Ecuador. Photo by H. F. Greeney.		Nest of Grallaria ruficapilla, in open field of second growth, Yungilla, Azuay, Ecuador. Photo by H. F. Greeney.
Hatching day at a nest of Grallaria ruficapilla, Yungilla, Azuay, Ecuador. Photo by H. F. Greeney.	Adult brooding two nestlings in the early evening, Yungilla, Azuay, Ecuador. Photo by H. F. Greeney	Adult Grallaria ruficapilla incubating two eggs, SierrAzul Research Station, Napo, Ecuador. Photo by H. F. Greeney.

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