Tatama Tapaculo

Overview

The Tatama tapaculo (Scytalopus alvarezlopezi) is a near-threatened species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae, endemic to western Colombia. Named after Cerro Tatamá, it was formally described in 2017 after first being discovered in 1992.

Identification

• Almost entirely black plumage, with underparts that are grayish black and a rump with a tinge of dark brown.
• Indistinct bars are visible on the flanks and lower abdomen.
• Overall length is approximately 12 cm, with recorded weights of 24.0 g and 25.4 g in males.
• The song is described as a seemingly endless, machine-like series of short, unmodulated, frog-like phrases consisting of 7–9 nearly identical notes, which can repeat for 1.5 minutes or more.

Habitat

This species inhabits dense undergrowth in primary cloud forest, specifically on the west side of the West Andes of Colombia, while shunning secondary forest. Its elevation range is between 1,300 and 1,750 m on the west side of the mountains, extending up to 2,200 m on the east side of some ridges.

Diet

The bird forages for arthropods in leaf litter by walking and hopping on the ground, and also flutters up to half a meter above the ground to pick prey from foliage.

Did you know?

The specific epithet honors Colombian ornithologist Humberto Álvarez-López, and both the holotype and paratype specimens had enlarged gonads, suggesting the species breeds during the northern summer when rainfall is at its lowest.