Ampay tapaculo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ampay tapaculo |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Scytalopus
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| Species: |
whitneyi
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The Ampay tapaculo (Scytalopus whitneyi) is a small, shy bird that lives only in Peru. It belongs to a family of birds called Rhinocryptidae, known as tapaculos. These birds are often hard to spot because they live in dense bushes and forests.
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About the Ampay Tapaculo's Name
The Ampay tapaculo is one of several new tapaculo species discovered or officially recognized in 2020. Bird experts from different groups, like the American Ornithological Society and the International Ornithological Committee, agreed it was a new species.
This bird's English name comes from the Bosque Ampay, which is a forest in Peru. This is where scientists first found and recorded sounds of these birds. Its scientific name, whitneyi, honors Bret M. Whitney. He is a famous bird expert who has studied many birds in South America, especially tapaculos.
What Does the Ampay Tapaculo Look Like?
Like other tapaculos, the Ampay tapaculo is a small, round bird with dull colors. It is about 10 to 11 centimeters (4 to 4.3 inches) long. That's about the length of a pen!
- Males: They are mostly dusky gray. Their face is darker, but their crown (the top of their head) is lighter, almost like a pale eyebrow. Their throat is also lighter. Their wing feathers have brown tips, and their tail has faint dark yellowish-brown stripes. The sides of their body have ochre-tawny and dusky bars.
- Females: The one female bird studied had dark reddish-brown upper parts. Her lower back and rump had blackish stripes. She had a clear pale stripe above her eye. Her throat and chest were a lighter gray than the male's. The lower part of her belly was buffy brown, and the stripes on her tail were easier to see than on the male.
Where Does the Ampay Tapaculo Live?
The Ampay tapaculo lives only in east-central Peru. It has been found in two main areas that are about 100 kilometers (62 miles) apart.
- One area is in eastern Ayacucho, south of the Mantaro River. Here, it mostly lives in places with shrubs and tall grass on steep, rocky hills. These areas are very high up, between 3,500 and 4,200 meters (11,480 to 13,780 feet) above sea level. Another type of tapaculo, the trilling tapaculo, seems to keep the Ampay tapaculo out of the nearby forests.
- The other area is southeast of Ayacucho, in the Department of Apurímac. This is between the Apurímac River and the Pampas Rivers. In Apurímac, it mostly lives in montane forests and shrublands. It especially likes forests with Podocarpus and Polylepis trees. These areas are also very high, between 3,150 and 4,500 meters (10,330 to 14,760 feet) high.
How Does the Ampay Tapaculo Behave?
What Does the Ampay Tapaculo Eat?
The Ampay tapaculo looks for food on the ground. It moves among moss, rocks, and clumps of grass. It also hops along branches close to the ground. Scientists don't know exactly what it eats, but it seems to mostly eat small arthropods, which are like insects and spiders.
How Does the Ampay Tapaculo Breed?
Scientists don't know much about how the Ampay tapaculo raises its young. One nest with two large baby birds was found in late December. A young bird was also seen around that time in another place. The nest was hidden deep inside a crack in a large rock, surrounded by shrubs and small plants.
What Does the Ampay Tapaculo Sound Like?
The Ampay tapaculo has two main songs:
- Its primary song is a single note, like "chip," repeated quickly. It sings this note about 1.5 to 2.2 times per second, and it can last for 90 seconds or even longer!
- Its secondary song is made of repeated "churrs" that last for up to 60 seconds.
Interestingly, the songs sound a little different between the two groups of birds living in different areas.
What is the Ampay Tapaculo's Status?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), which checks on endangered species, has not yet officially assessed the Ampay tapaculo. This bird lives in a very small area. However, there might be more suitable places nearby that haven't been explored yet.
It is common inside the protected Bosque Ampay. It is also common in some unprotected areas of Apurímac. But in Ayacucho, it is not very common and only found in a few spots. The scientists who described the bird in 2020 think it should be considered "Near Threatened." This means it could become threatened in the future if its habitat is not protected.
See also
In Spanish: Churrín de Ampay para niños
