Tacarcuna tapaculo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tacarcuna tapaculo |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Scytalopus
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| Species: |
panamensis
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The Tacarcuna tapaculo (scientific name: Scytalopus panamensis) is a small, shy bird. It belongs to a bird family called Rhinocryptidae, known as "tapaculos." You can find this special bird only in Panama and Colombia. Sadly, the Tacarcuna tapaculo is at risk of becoming endangered. This is partly because the places meant to protect them don't cover all the areas where they live. For example, some protected forests are too low for these birds, which prefer higher elevations.
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What's in a Name?
Birds, like all living things, have scientific names. This helps scientists around the world know exactly which animal they are talking about. The Tacarcuna tapaculo's scientific name is Scytalopus panamensis. This bird used to be called the "pale-throated tapaculo." Scientists later realized that another bird, the Nariño tapaculo, was a separate species.
What Does It Look Like?
The Tacarcuna tapaculo is about 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) long. Male birds have dark gray feathers on their upper bodies. Their lower back and rump (the area above the tail) are reddish. Their throat and chest are a lighter gray. The sides of their body and the area around their legs are a brownish-yellow color with black stripes. They also have a clear whitish stripe above their eyes, like an eyebrow. Female birds look similar to males. However, their upper parts are a bit browner.
Where Does It Live?
The Tacarcuna tapaculo lives in a very specific area. You can find it only on Cerro Tacarcuna, a mountain that sits on the border between Panama and Colombia. It also lives on Cerro Mali, which is a bit further south in Panama. These birds like to live in the thick plants under humid mountain forests. They also live on the edges of these forests. They prefer higher places, usually between 1,050 and 1,500 meters (3,440 to 4,920 feet) above sea level.
How Does It Behave?
The Tacarcuna tapaculo usually moves around in pairs. They look for food on the ground or low in the plants. Scientists haven't recorded exactly what these birds eat yet. We also don't know much about their breeding habits, like when or how they raise their young.
Why Is It at Risk?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the Tacarcuna tapaculo as "Near Threatened." This means it could become endangered in the future. Even though there are a good number of these birds in their home area, that area is quite small. It's only about 490 square kilometers (189 square miles). Experts believe there are between 6,000 and 15,000 Tacarcuna tapaculos, and their numbers seem to be steady.
Even though parts of their habitat are protected in national parks in both Panama and Colombia, these birds still face dangers. Things like mining and farms expanding into their forest homes threaten them.
