The diademed tapaculo (''Scytalopus schulenbergi'') is a species of
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
in the family
Rhinocryptidae. It is found in
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
and
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
.
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 k ...
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 in Peru's Department of Cuzco southeast to the Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba (, , ), from Quechua ''qucha'' or ''qhucha'', meaning "lake", ''pampa'' meaning "plain", is one of the nine departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the " granary" of the country because of its variety of agricultural products from ...
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 lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...
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) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...
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