Grallaria gigantea

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PASSERIFORMES	FORMICARIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Grallaria gigantea

Species Authority:

Lawrence, 1866

Common Name/s:

English

–

Giant Antpitta

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable B1ab(i,ii,iii,v);C2a(i) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s:

Freile, J., Krabbe, N. & Salaman, P.

Justification:
This species has a very small range, within which its habitat is continuing to decline. It consequently qualifies as Vulnerable (Collar et al. 1992).

History:

2008	–	Vulnerable
2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Endangered
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Grallaria gigantea has three subspecies in the Andes of Ecuador and south-west Colombia. In Colombia, subspecies lehmanni is known from historical specimens taken on both slopes of the Central Andes in Cauca and Huila, while both recent records (1988 and 1989) are from La Planada Nature Reserve, Nariño (subspecies unknown) (de Soye et al. 1997). In Ecuador, the only recent records of the nominate subspecies are from west Napo, but older records exist from eastern Carchi and Tungurahua; and the subspecies hylodroma is known from a few localities on the west slope of the Andes in Pichincha and Cotopaxi (Krabbe et al. 1994b, N. Krabbe in litt. 1999, Ridgely and Greenfield 2001). Some uncertainty surrounds the origin of two old specimens described as hylodroma from El Tambo (probably in western Cañar province) and Cerro Castillo, western Pichincha (J. F. Freile in litt. 2000, 2002, 2007).
Countries:	Native: Colombia; Ecuador
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The population is estimated to number 1,000-2,499 individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This estimate is equivalent to 667-1,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 600-1,700 mature individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

The population is estimated to number 1,000-2,499 individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This estimate is equivalent to 667-1,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 600-1,700 mature individuals.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabits humid montane forest in the upper subtropical to temperate zones, with lehmanni known from 3,000 m, gigantea from 2,200-2,600 m or above, and hylodroma from 1,200-2,000 m. It frequents swampy areas in humid cloud-forest understorey, but has also been recorded in adjacent pastures (presumably only for brief foraging periods) and secondary forest (Krabbe et al. 1994b). Observations of hylodroma and gigantea indicate that giant earthworms Rhynodrilus are important dietary components, with beetle larvae and slugs also eaten (Krabbe et al. 1994b, de Soye et al. 1997). Information on nesting is provided by Solano-Ugalde et al. (2009).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It inhabits humid montane forest in the upper subtropical to temperate zones, with lehmanni known from 3,000 m, gigantea from 2,200-2,600 m or above, and hylodroma from 1,200-2,000 m. It frequents swampy areas in humid cloud-forest understorey, but has also been recorded in adjacent pastures (presumably only for brief foraging periods) and secondary forest (Krabbe et al. 1994b). Observations of hylodroma and gigantea indicate that giant earthworms Rhynodrilus are important dietary components, with beetle larvae and slugs also eaten (Krabbe et al. 1994b, de Soye et al. 1997). Information on nesting is provided by Solano-Ugalde et al. (2009).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	At the latitude where subspecies lehmanni occurred, land use on both slopes of the Central Andes has been almost wholly agricultural at lower to mid-elevations since the early 20th century or before, and forest loss continues at higher altitudes where the species may persist. Cloud-forests in the West Andes of Nariño, Colombia have suffered extensive deforestation through logging and conversion to agriculture and narcotics plantations, while logging and agricultural conversion have also lead to extensive deforestation in Pichincha, Ecuador. Habitat destruction continues throughout the Pacific slope (Krabbe et al. 1998, Robbins and Stiles 1999, P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, 2000).. The east slope forests in Ecuador are more intact and secure but deforestation is occurring in at lower altitudes (around 1,000 m).

Major Threat(s):

At the latitude where subspecies lehmanni occurred, land use on both slopes of the Central Andes has been almost wholly agricultural at lower to mid-elevations since the early 20th century or before, and forest loss continues at higher altitudes where the species may persist. Cloud-forests in the West Andes of Nariño, Colombia have suffered extensive deforestation through logging and conversion to agriculture and narcotics plantations, while logging and agricultural conversion have also lead to extensive deforestation in Pichincha, Ecuador. Habitat destruction continues throughout the Pacific slope (Krabbe et al. 1998, Robbins and Stiles 1999, P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, 2000).. The east slope forests in Ecuador are more intact and secure but deforestation is occurring in at lower altitudes (around 1,000 m).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway If the Colombian race lehmanni is extant, it probably occurs in Puracé National Park, where it was collected in 1941 (Wege and Long 1995, P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, 2000). Searches for the species at La Planada Nature Reserve in the 1990s were unsuccessful (de Soye et al. 1997, P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, 2000). Subspecies hylodroma is protected in the Mindo-Nambillo Protection Forest and Maquipucuna, Otonga and Río Guajalito Reserves in Ecuador, and may occur in other protected areas (Robbins and Stiles 1999, Wege and Long 1995, J. F. Freile in litt. 2000, 2002, 2007). There are no records from the large Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, north of Pichincha, and only two recent records from the surrounding areas of Illinizas Ecological Reserve, but distribution models predict the occurrence of hylodroma in both protected areas (Freile et al. 2010). The nominate race is protected at San Isidro Lodge and at least partially at Antisana Ecological Reserve (J. F. Freile in litt. 2000, 2002, 2007). Conservation Actions Proposed Survey to reconfirm historical, and locate additional, sites for the species (P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, 2000). Estimate population densities at known sites. Increase the area of suitable habitat that has protected status.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
If the Colombian race lehmanni is extant, it probably occurs in Puracé National Park, where it was collected in 1941 (Wege and Long 1995, P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, 2000). Searches for the species at La Planada Nature Reserve in the 1990s were unsuccessful (de Soye et al. 1997, P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, 2000). Subspecies hylodroma is protected in the Mindo-Nambillo Protection Forest and Maquipucuna, Otonga and Río Guajalito Reserves in Ecuador, and may occur in other protected areas (Robbins and Stiles 1999, Wege and Long 1995, J. F. Freile in litt. 2000, 2002, 2007). There are no records from the large Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, north of Pichincha, and only two recent records from the surrounding areas of Illinizas Ecological Reserve, but distribution models predict the occurrence of hylodroma in both protected areas (Freile et al. 2010). The nominate race is protected at San Isidro Lodge and at least partially at Antisana Ecological Reserve (J. F. Freile in litt. 2000, 2002, 2007).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey to reconfirm historical, and locate additional, sites for the species (P. G. W. Salaman in litt. 1999, 2000). Estimate population densities at known sites. Increase the area of suitable habitat that has protected status.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2012. Grallaria gigantea. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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