Cundinamarca Antpitta Grallaria kaestneri Scientific name definitions

Cundinamarca Antpitta was described little more than a decade ago and is known from only a few locations on the east slope of the East Andes in Colombia, all of them reasonably close to the country’s capital, Bogotá. Given its small range and the degree of deforestation this region has suffered, the conservation status of Cundinamarca Antpitta originally was evaluated as Vulnerable, but continued threats to habitat and apparently declining populations have led its threat status to be revised to Endangered. It is a medium sized olive brown antpitta with a dull white throat mottled darker, and a grayish olive breast with very narrow, white shaft streaking. Cundinamarca Antpitta inhabits the understory of wet primary and older second-growth cloud forest, at elevations of 1,700–2,300 m. It is perhaps even more terrestrial than others in the genus, foraging through the leaf litter and soil for arthropods and earthworms. The scientific name of this species honors its discoverer, Peter Kaestner, while its English name echoes the department of Colombia to which this antpitta apparently is restricted. The nest, eggs, and breeding behavior of Cundinamarca Antpitta remain completely unknown.