The chucao tapaculo (''Scelorchilus rubecula'') is a species of
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
in the family
Rhinocryptidae. It is found in central
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and adjacent
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
; it has also been recorded in Chile's
Magallanes Province
Magallanes Province ( es, Provincia de Magallanes) is one of four Provinces of Chile, provinces in the southern Chilean Regions of Chile, region of Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena. The provincial capital ...
.
[Cárcamo, J. ''et al.'' (2008) First record of ''Scelorchilus rubecula'' (Kittlitz, 1830) (Rhinocryptidae) in Magallanes. ''Anales del Instituto de la Patagonia'' 36(2):79-81.]
Taxonomy and systematics
The chucao tapaculo has two subspecies. The nominate ''Scelorchilus rubecula rubecula'' is primarily found in central Chile from the
Biobío Region
The Biobío Region ( es, Región del Biobío ), is one of Chile's sixteen regions of Chile, regions (first-order administrative divisions). With a population of 1.5 million, thus being the third most populated region in Chile, it is divided int ...
south to the
Aysén Region
The Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region ( es, Región de Aysén, , '), often shortened to Aysén Region or Aisén,Examples of name usage1, official regional government site refers to the region as "Región de Aysén"., Chile's of ...
and the adjoining parts of Argentina. It has occasionally been recorded further north and once in the far southern Magallanes Province. The other subspecies, ''S. r. mochae'', is found only on
Mocha Island
Mocha Island ( es, link=no, Isla Mocha ) is a small Chilean island located west of the coast of Arauco Province in the Pacific Ocean. The island is approximately in area, with a small chain of mountains running roughly in north-south direction. ...
off the Chilean coast.
[Krabbe, N. and T. S. Schulenberg (2020). Chucao Tapaculo (''Scelorchilus rubecula''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.chutap1.01][
]
Description
The chucao tapaculo is long. Three specimens of unknown sex weighed and a single male specimen weighed . The adult is dusky brown above; much of the face and the throat and upper breast are rufous. The rest of the breast is dark gray with white bars and the flanks and vent are reddish brown to olive brown.[
]
Distribution and habitat
The chucao tapaculo occurs from sea level to elevation.
Its habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
is temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
and humid forests. It is typically found in ''Chusquea
''Chusquea'' is a genus of evergreen bamboos in the grass family. Most of them are native to mountain habitats in Latin America, from Mexico to southern Chile and Argentina.
They are sometimes referred to as South American mountain bamboos. Unl ...
'' bamboo thickets within ''Nothofagus
''Nothofagus'', also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 43 species of trees and shrubs native to the Southern Hemisphere in southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Gui ...
'' forest but also inhabits secondary woodland.[
]
Behavior
Feeding
The chucao tapaculo's diet is dominated by arthropod
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
s and seeds. It forages on the ground alone or in pairs. It usually remains hidden in dense foliage but occasionally feeds in more open areas.[
]
Breeding
In Chile the chucao tapaculo lays eggs in September to October and in Argentina, November. The open cup nest is made of soft grass and rootlets built at the end of a burrow up to deep. Two to three eggs are laid. Both the male and female tend nestlings.[ This species showed a pattern of aggressiveness and territoriality towards the other species of tapaculos in the forest of southern Chile.
]
Vocalization
The chucao tapaculo has a loud song beginning and ending with soft churrs surrounding four or five clearer, louder, and higher pitched note
[
]
Status
The IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
has assessed the chucao tapaculo as of Least Concern, though the population is thought to be decreasing.[Wilson, M.F. (2006) Chucaos in Chiloé.''Boletín Chileno de Ornitología'' 12:40-44.]
References
External links
Chucao Tapaculo in IBC (Internet Bird Collection
Chucao Tapaculo sounds in Xenocanto
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1262783
chucao tapaculo
Birds of Chile
Birds of Argentina
chucao tapaculo
Taxa named by Heinrich von Kittlitz
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot