The diademed tapaculo (''Scytalopus schulenbergi'') 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

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The diademed tapaculo has at various times been thought to be closely related to puna tapaculo (''Scytalopus simonsi''), Vilcabamba tapaculo (''S. urubambae''), and silvery-fronted tapaculo (''S. argentifrons''), though the last appears the least likely.Krabbe, N. and T. S. Schulenberg (2020). Diademed Tapaculo (''Scytalopus schulenbergi''), 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.diatap1.01 retrieved May 1, 2021

Description

The diademed tapaculo is long; two males weighed . The species gets its name from the males' silvery forecrown and

supercilium The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head.Dunn and Alderfer (2006), p. 10 Also ...

set off by a black "mask" below the supercilium. The male's upper parts are dark gray washed with brown, and it has an orange red rump with dusky bars. It is gray below, lighter to darker front to rear. The flanks and vent, like the rump, are orange red with dusky bars. The female is similar but the "diadem" is smaller and duller and the upper parts' brown wash is darker. The juvenile is a golden brown that is lighter on the underside and has bars and spots throughout.

Distribution and habitat

The diademed tapaculo's range extends from the

Cordillera Vilcanota The Cordillera Vilcanota (Spanish ''cordillera'': "mountain range", Aymara Willkan Uta or Willkanuta: "house of the sun") is a mountain range located in Peru southeast of Cusco, on the boundary between the regions of Cusco and Puno. It extends b ...

in Peru's

Department of Cuzco Cusco, also spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu suyu ), is a regions of Peru, department and region in Peru and is the fourth largest department in the country, after Department of Madre de Dios, Madre de Dios, Department of Ucayali, Ucayali, and Depar ...

southeast to the

Cochabamba Department Cochabamba ( ay, Quchapampa Jach'a Suyu, es, Departamento de Cochabamba , qu, Quchapampa Suyu), from Quechua ''qucha'' or ''qhucha'', meaning "lake", ''pampa'' meaning "plain", is one of the nine departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the ...

of Bolivia. It is found in bamboo and other dense undergrowth of humid

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

near tree line, at elevations of .

Behavior

Feeding

The diademed tapaculo forages on and near the ground for insects. It moves quickly while gleaning from moss and vegetation and probing mossy branches.

Breeding

The diademed tapaculo is thought to breed between September and January. The one nest that has been described was a ball of moss and lichens.

Vocalization

The diademed tapaculo's song is a trill of varying intensity, pitch, and pace lasting up to 15 second

Its scold call is a series of soft notes that lasts about a secon

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 diademed tapaculo as being of Least Concern. Though its population size has not been determined, it appears to be stable. The species occurs in several protected areas.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1267961 diademed tapaculo Birds of the Peruvian Andes Birds of the Bolivian Andes diademed tapaculo Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Birds of the Yungas