Great Antpitta

The Great Antpitta is classified as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Great Antpitta (Grallaria excelsa) is a species of bird in the Formicariidae family. It is endemic to Venezuela. It eats insects,spiders,millipedes,frogs,and small lizards. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss. References - * BirdLife International 2004. Grallaria excelsa. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 26 July 2007. More

Antpittas - the very rarely seen and little known Great Antpitta in Yacambu, and the much more frequently encountered Gray-naped Antpitta in the Andes bordering Merida; while hummingbirds were a surefire centerpiece of this tour with 33 species seen including the two endemic sunangels that were easily found - Merida (Longuemare's) Sunangel & Orange-throated Sunangel, along with Golden (tailed) Starfrontlet. More

One reason we came was to look for Great Antpitta, which Dave Willis had rediscovered there in April 2000. We heard one calling late afternoon on the right of the road, just before a narrow trail on the right before the track to El Blanquito (at 1400m). It responded to the tape (copied from Peter Boesman More

Order : Passeriformes
Family : Formicariidae
Genus : Grallaria
Species : excelsa
Authority : Berlepsch, 1893