From the cloud forests of Ecuador

This is a Giant Antpitta, a member of one of the unique families of birds in South America (IMO). Although these birds can fly, they rarely do. Look at the placement of the legs-truly a small football (about the size of a Mourning Dove) with legs on one end. They hop in the undergrowth of the rain and cloud forest. Under normal circumstances the average tourist would rarely see one of these birds; it is hard to describe how thick the undergrowth is and how rugged and mountainous the areas where they live are. A number of years ago, Angel Paz, a member of a family that owned property in NW Ecuador was tending to his dairy cattle. He noted that in a particular spot he regularly heard, but rarely saw this bird. Over a long period of time (what patience) he trained this bird to come to his call (he named the bird “Maria”) and to the placement of bits of earthworm. Now this, and 4 other species of Antipittas) can be viewed with regularity on his family’s farm. You sit very quietly in a small cleared area and one of the family members starts to call this bird. Sometimes it does not come-must have something better to do that day. But other times it does and it is almost spiritual when it appears out of the undergrowth. Now the Paz farm is devoted to tourism where people can come to see and experience (truly an experience) these and other incredible birds.

To get an idea of how dark it is, note the EXIF data from Deb’s camera-ISO 3200, SS of 1/6th second and aperture of f/7.1. Taken off a tripod at a distance of about 25 feet.