First description of the nest and nestlings of the thicket antpitta (hylopezus dives)

Abstract

The Thicket Antpitta (Hylopezus dives) is a poorly known inhabitant of the understories of humid tropical forests from eastern Honduras to southwestern Colombia. We studied a nest of the nominate subspecies in the Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal, Costa Rica. This is the first report of the breeding biology for this species, and only the fourth nest description for the genus. The nest, a broad, shallow open cup, and the dark-skinned young nestlings, devoid of natal down, were very similar to those described for other members of the genus. Similarities with the nests and nestlings of Hylopezus antpittas suggest that their closest affinities within the Grallariidae are with Grallaricula and Myrmothera antpittas.