Utcubamba tapaculo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Utcubamba tapaculo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Rhinocryptidae
Genus:	Scytalopus
Species:	S. intermedius
Binomial name
Scytalopus intermedius John T. Zimmer, 1939
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The Utcubamba tapaculo (Scytalopus intermedius) is a small bird that lives only in Peru. It belongs to the Rhinocryptidae family, which are often called "tapaculos." In July 2020, a group of bird experts decided that this bird was a separate species from the blackish tapaculo.

What Does It Look Like?

The Utcubamba tapaculo is a small bird, even for a tapaculo. It is about 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) long. Male Utcubamba tapaculos weigh between 16.7 and 22 grams (0.6 to 0.8 ounces). Females are a bit lighter, weighing 14 to 20 grams (0.5 to 0.7 ounces).

Male birds are completely black. Female birds are dark gray on their backs. Their undersides are a lighter gray, and they have very little or no brown on their sides.

How Scientists Classify It

The Utcubamba tapaculo was first thought to be a type of another bird called the unicolored tapaculo. Later, after some changes, it was considered a subspecies of the blackish tapaculo.

However, in January 2021, a big bird organization called the International Ornithological Congress (IOC) decided it was its own unique species! But another group, the Clements taxonomy, still sees it as a subspecies of the blackish tapaculo (S. latrans intermedius).

Where Does It Live?

The Utcubamba tapaculo is only found in the central Andes mountains of Peru. Most of these birds are found near the Utcubamba River. Their home stretches from the Utcubamba River west to the Marañón River, east to the Huallaga River, and south into the San Martín region.

They live in high places, from about 2,560 to 3,600 meters (8,400 to 11,800 feet) above sea level.

Is It Endangered?

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) hasn't yet checked on the Utcubamba tapaculo to see if it's endangered. This means we don't know its exact conservation status yet.

See also