White-crowned Tapaculo

About the White-crowned Tapaculo

The white-crowned tapaculo (Scytalopus atratus) is a species of bird in the family Rhinocryptidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The white-crowned tapaculo was formerly considered a subspecies of rufous-vented tapaculo (Scytalopus femoralis) but was separated based principally on differences in their vocalizations.

Three subspecies of northern white-crowned tapaculo are recognized, the nominate Scytalopus atratus atratus, S. a. nigricans, and S. a. confusus. However, the vocalizations of birds of the eastern Andes (S. a. atratus in part) differ from those in the west, "suggesting that [they] are a separate species".

The white-crowned tapaculo is 12 cm (4.7 in) long. Males weigh 24.6 to 32.5 g (0.87 to 1.15 oz) and one female weighed 25.3 g (0.89 oz). The male of the nominate subspecies is mostly blackish above and slightly lighter below. The flanks and vent are reddish brown and have black bars. It has a white patch on the crown of the head. The female is paler than the male and washed with brown above and is more reddish on the flanks. The juvenile is rust colored with heavy barring. The male S. a... Wikipedia →