Tschudi's Tapaculo

Overview

Tschudi's tapaculo (Scytalopus acutirostris) is a small passerine bird endemic to the Andes of Peru. It belongs to the family Rhinocryptidae and is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN despite its restricted range.

Identification

• Length of 10.5 cm with males weighing 17–20 g and females 16.5–19 g.
• Adult males are dark gray above and lighter gray below, while females are paler overall with a brown wash on the rump and tawny, black-barred flanks.
• Song consists of short notes or series of notes, often described as variable, with calls repeated as single notes.

Habitat

Found in the Andes of Peru from Amazonas south to Junín, occupying a narrow elevational band of 2,675 to 3,500 m. It inhabits the undergrowth of humid cloud forest and is rarely found in bamboo, unlike several other tapaculo species.

Diet

The diet appears to be mostly insects but also includes seeds. No information is available regarding its specific foraging technique.

Did you know?

Tschudi's tapaculo was previously considered a subspecies of the Magellanic tapaculo but was elevated to full species status based on differences in their vocalizations.