White-crowned tapaculo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-crowned tapaculo |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Scytalopus
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| Species: |
atratus
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The white-crowned tapaculo (Scytalopus atratus) is a small bird found in South America. It belongs to a group of birds called Rhinocryptidae, known as tapaculos. You can find this bird in countries like Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It is known for its special calls and a small white patch on its head.
Contents
About the White-Crowned Tapaculo
How Scientists Classify It
The white-crowned tapaculo was once thought to be a type of another bird, the rufous-vented tapaculo. However, scientists later realized it was a separate species. They made this decision mainly because of the different sounds and songs it makes.
There are three main types, or subspecies, of the white-crowned tapaculo. These are Scytalopus atratus atratus, S. a. nigricans, and S. a. confusus. Birds from the eastern Andes mountains sound different from those in the west. This suggests they might even be a separate species themselves.
What It Looks Like
The white-crowned tapaculo is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long. Male birds usually weigh between 24.6 to 32.5 g (0.87 to 1.15 oz). Females are a bit lighter, with one female weighing 25.3 g (0.89 oz).
The male of the most common type (S. a. atratus) is mostly blackish on its back and a bit lighter underneath. Its sides and under-tail area are reddish-brown with black stripes. It has a clear white patch on the top of its head, like a little crown.
Female birds are usually paler than males. They have a brownish color on their backs and more reddish on their sides. Young birds, called juveniles, are rusty colored with many stripes.
The S. a. nigricans male is darker than the common type. Its female is gray underneath. The S. a. confusus male is lighter, a slaty black color, with a brownish lower back. The reddish-brown on its sides and under-tail covers more area and has more stripes.
Where It Lives
The white-crowned tapaculo lives from western Venezuela all the way to central Peru.
- The S. a. nigricans type is only found in Venezuela. It lives in the Sierra de Perijá mountains and the southern Andes in Táchira and Mérida states.
- The S. a. confusus type lives in the central and western Andes of Colombia.
- The S. a. atratus type is the most widespread. It ranges from the eastern Andes of Colombia and Ecuador to the central Andes of Peru. It goes as far south as the Department of Cuzco.
These birds live in the thick plants and bushes found inside and at the edges of wet montane forest. They prefer elevations from 850 to 1,900 m (2,790 to 6,230 ft) high in the mountains.
White-Crowned Tapaculo Behavior
Feeding Habits
The white-crowned tapaculo searches for food on or very close to the ground. It mainly eats insects.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Scientists do not know much about how the white-crowned tapaculo reproduces. A young bird was found in January, and an adult male ready to breed was found in November. Both observations were made in Ecuador. These birds are known to protect their territory all year round.
Vocalization (Songs and Calls)
The songs of white-crowned tapaculos can be very different depending on where they live. You can listen to some examples:
- A song from near Bogotá, Colombia: [1]
- A song from near La Florida, Department of Amazonas, Peru: [2]
- A song from Mérida, Venezuela: [3]
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has evaluated the white-crowned tapaculo. They have listed it as a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently considered to be at risk of disappearing. The bird lives across a large area. Even though its exact population size is not known, experts believe the number of these birds is stable.
