White-throated Tapaculo

Overview

The white-throated tapaculo (Scelorchilus albicollis) is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is endemic to Chile and is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Approximately 19 cm long with a cinnamon forehead and bold white supercilium.
• Gray-brown upper parts with a lightly barred rump; underparts are whitish, darkening to pale cinnamon on the belly with dark brown bars.
• The nominate subspecies has gray-brown upper parts, while S. a. atacamae is paler with much grayer upper parts.
• Juveniles resemble adults but are barred all over.
• Song consists of a series of "barking" notes falling in pitch, accompanied by a harsh grunt similar to a pig's call.

Habitat

Found exclusively in Chile, with the S. a. atacamae subspecies ranging from the Antofagasta Region south to the northern part of the Coquimbo Region, and the nominate S. a. albicollis found from the Coquimbo Region south to the Maule Region. The habitat in the northern part of its range is characterised by xeric shrublands, while the more southerly areas consist of woodlands and scrub in a Mediterranean climate. It typically inhabits altitudes from sea level to 1,000 m, occasionally reaching up to 1,600 m, and is thought to be sedentary.

Diet

The diet is almost exclusively arthropods. Foraging is conducted mostly on the ground within dense cover.

Did you know?

The nest is a cup made of soft grass built at the end of a tunnel up to 2 m long. Eggs are laid in September and October, with both parents incubating the eggs and feeding the nestlings.