Planalto Tapaculo

Overview

The Planalto tapaculo (Scytalopus pachecoi) is a small passerine bird in the family Rhinocryptidae found in southeastern Brazil and extreme northeastern Argentina. It was previously considered part of the mouse-colored tapaculo but was described as a distinct species in 2005 due to differences in plumage and vocalizations. The species is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Approximately 12 cm long and weighing around 15 g.
• Males have mainly dark gray upperparts and paler gray underparts, with buff flanks featuring dark bars that distinguish them from the similar mouse-colored tapaculo.
• Females are browner than males.
• Song consists of a long series of notes starting at two or three per second that accelerate into a trill, along with a distinctive, monosyllabic contact call and a loud alarm call.

Habitat

This species inhabits forest and forest edge environments, frequently near streams and within undergrowth such as bamboo thickets. It is known from parts of Rio Grande do Sul and southeastern Santa Catarina in Brazil, as well as the extreme northeast Misiones Province of Argentina. The bird is often found at higher densities in secondary forest than in undisturbed areas and ranges up to 1,500 m in elevation.

Diet

The Planalto tapaculo forages for arthropods in the forest understory, primarily within thickets of terrestrial bromeliads and bamboo.

Did you know?

Almost nothing is known about the breeding phenology of this species, though a nest found in September in Argentina contained two eggs. Its scientific name honours Fernando Pacheco, a Brazilian ornithologist.