Rusty-belted Tapaculo

Overview

The rusty-belted tapaculo (Liosceles thoracicus) is a suboscine passerine bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is the sole species within its genus and is distinguished by having the most unusual plumage among tapaculos.

Identification

• 19.5 cm in length with a weight of 39–42 g.
• Plumage features a reddish brown back and wings, a white throat with black side-streaks, and barred flanks.
• A distinctive yellow to orange-brown band on the upper breast gives the species its common name.
• Song consists of an easily imitated whistled note repeated at intervals and ending in a descending series, with calls described as repeated 'cree' or 'cree-cree'.

Habitat

Found in Amazonian rainforests across Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, it is the only member of its family to inhabit this ecosystem. It primarily resides in humid terra firme forest but also occupies seasonally flooded várzea habitats. Elevations generally reach 600 m, though in Peru they may extend up to 1,000 m.

Diet

The primary prey is terrestrial true bugs (Hemiptera). The bird forages by walking and hopping on the forest floor, picking insects from atop the litter, and also feeds along fallen tree trunks.

Did you know?

Only one nest of this species has ever been documented, which was a spherical structure made of twigs and grass located on the ground among the roots of a small tree.