Crescent-faced antpitta (crop), Giles-Fuertesi Reserve, Colombia
Our original plan was to see this bird at Hacienda El Bosque, where it is regularly photographed as part of a feeding ritual. It did not show up for us there and the birding whisper network soon revealed that it had not appeared for weeks.
The last chance would be to see it in the wild (non-feeder), here at Giles-Fuertesi Reserve. Allegedly, that is close to a mission impossible, there's almost no wild observations of this bird at all.
The poor odds were confirmed as a lengthy search and repeated playback did not lead to anything.
"What about this bird?", says our humble driver Jose, whom normally doesn't even join us in hikes. Jaws dropped as he casually points out a perched Crescent-faced Antpitta.
It just sat there, 10 feet away from us. A dark silhouette in a thick, dense and very dark section of bamboo.
The crescent-faced antpitta is a species of bird in the Grallariidae family. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.
