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Grallariidae is a family of smallish suboscine passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central America and South America known as antpittas. They are between long, and are related to the , Thamnophilidae, and , Conopophagidae.
The antpittas were formerly placed in the family Formicariidae. Beginning in 2002 a series of molecular genetic studies found that Formicariidae, as then defined, was monophyletic. In 2008, the American Ornithologists' Union reorganised the genera to create monophyletic families and moved the antpittas to their own family Grallariidae. This family now contains 68 species in one large and four fairly small genus.
These are forest birds that tend to feed at or near the ground since many are specialist ant eaters. Most are drab in appearance with shades of (rusty) brown, black, and white being their dominant tones. Compared to other birds that specialize in following ants, this family is the most tied to the ground. The long, powerful legs (which lend the birds a distinctive upright posture) and an essentially vestigial tail aid this lifestyle.
The antpittas are sexually monomorphic; they resemble the Pittidae in that they are virtually tailless; they hop like some thrushes, and are much easier to hear than see—although their vocalizations may be rather atypical for .
They lay 1 to 6 eggs in a nest in a tree, both sexes incubating.
Lesser antpittas – possibly tribe Myrmotherini/subfamily Myrmotherinae
Taxonomy
The following cladogram shows the phylogeny of the antipitta family. It is based on a large molecular phylogenetic study of the suboscines by Michael Harvey and collaborators that was published in 2020. The three species in the genus Myrmothera were found to be embedded in the genus Hylopezus. A high resolution version of the phylogenetic tree in Figure 1 is available from the first author's website here. The species are those recognised by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).
Species
Typical antpittas – tribe Grallariini/subfamily Grallariinae
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