White-breasted Tapaculo

Overview

The white-breasted tapaculo (Eleoscytalopus indigoticus) is a small songbird belonging to the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil and is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, although its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Measures approximately 11 cm in length, with males weighing between 13 and 18 g and females between 12.2 and 16 g.
• Males possess blue-gray upper parts and a reddish-brown rump, contrasting with a white throat, chest, and belly.
• Flanks and the vent area feature chestnut plumage with dark barring, while females and immatures display browner upper parts.
• Produces a seven to eight-second trill that increases in volume after the first few seconds, often delivered from inside tree cavities.

Habitat

Found in Brazilian states ranging from eastern Bahia south to northeastern Rio Grande do Sul, including western Paraná and eastern Santa Catarina. It inhabits the undergrowth of open forests, forest edges, and dense secondary forests at elevations up to 1,500 m.

Diet

Feeds on insects captured on or very near the ground.

Did you know?

The white-breasted tapaculo and the Bahia tapaculo were formerly classified in the genus Scytalopus but are now known to be more closely related to the bristlefronts of the genus Merulaxis.