Caracas Tapaculo

Overview

The Caracas tapaculo is a small bird species in the family Rhinocryptidae, endemic to Venezuela. It was previously considered a subspecies of the brown-rumped tapaculo but is now recognised as a separate species based on differences in vocalisations.

Identification

• Body length of 11.5 cm with a weight of approximately 24 g.
• Dark grey upperparts and paler grey throat and breast.
• Tawny rump, with tawny flanks and crissum featuring dusky barring.
• Song described as a series of notes rising and then falling in both volume and pitch.

Habitat

It inhabits the undergrowth of humid primary and secondary woodlands and their edges in the Venezuelan Coastal Range and a small area where Sucre, Anzoátegui, and Monagas States meet. Elevation ranges from 1,200 to 2,400 m.

Did you know?

Unlike many other tapaculos, the Caracas tapaculo tends to shun Chusquea bamboo.