Choco Tapaculo Scytalopus chocoensis Scientific name definitions
- LC Least Concern
- Names (21)
- Monotypic
Text last updated September 25, 2017
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Species names in all available languages
Language | Common name |
---|---|
Catalan | tapacul del Chocó |
Croatian | čokoska strmorepka |
Dutch | Chocotapaculo |
English | Choco Tapaculo |
English (United States) | Choco Tapaculo |
French | Mérulaxe du Choco |
French (Canada) | Mérulaxe du Choco |
German | Chocótapaculo |
Japanese | チョコオタテドリ |
Norwegian | chocotapakulo |
Polish | krytonosek okopcony |
Russian | Чокский тапакуло |
Serbian | Čokoanski tapakulo |
Slovak | tapakulo tmavosivý |
Spanish | Churrín del Chocó |
Spanish (Ecuador) | Tapaculo del Chocó |
Spanish (Panama) | Tapaculo del Chocó |
Spanish (Spain) | Churrín del Chocó |
Swedish | chocótapakul |
Turkish | Çoko Tapakolası |
Ukrainian | Тапакуло темний |
Scytalopus chocoensis Krabbe & Schulenberg, 1997
Definitions
- SCYTALOPUS
- chocoana / chocoanus / chocoensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Introduction
The Choco Tapaculo takes its name from the Chocó biogeographic region, which extends from eastern Panama to northwestern Ecuador and which encompasses the geographic range of this species. The Choco Tapaculo occurs at relatively low elevations for a Scytalopus tapaculo, with an elevational range between about 350-1450 m. For many years this species was confused with the Nariño Tapaculo (Scytalopus vicinior), which is extremely similar in appearance. Recent field work has revealed that the Choco and Nariño tapaculos have different vocalizations, however, and also demonstrate little overlap in elevational distribution, with Nariño Tapaculo occurring mostly at higher elevations than Choco Tapaculo. The loud, long song of Choco Tapaculo, which typically begins with a short stutter, is heard far more often than this bird is seen. It forages for small invertebrates on or very near the ground in humid forest, but most aspects of the biology of the Choco Tapaculo are not documented.
Field Identification
11 cm; male 19–22·5 g, female 17–20·1 g. A fairly small tapaculo with relatively heavy bill and dark-barred brown flanks. Male has upperparts dark grey, crown and mantle with indistinct dark feather tips, wings, lower back and uppertail-coverts, sometimes also central nape, washed with dark brown, rump brown, rump and uppertail-coverts barred dusky; tail blackish; grey below, palest on throat, upper belly occasionally with lighter broad tips, flanks, lower belly and undertail-coverts dark reddish-brown with blackish lunulate bars; iris dark brown; bill varies from black to blackish; tarsus blackish-brown to blackish on front and outside, grey-brown to dark grey-brown on rear and inside. Female is similar, but brownish wash above more extensive, including mantle and crown, throat distinctly light grey and grading to grey of breast, lower belly sometimes with some bright ochraceous. Juvenile is drab brown above (paler on primary coverts) with narrow dark tips, rump and uppertail-coverts as adult; appears barred below, feathers of chin and throat basally light grey, those of breast and belly blackish, all with paler subterminal band and narrow blackish tip, flanks and undertail-coverts as adult.
Systematics History
Subspecies
Distribution
Pacific slope in E Panama (Cerro Pirre, Serranía de Jungurudó (1) ) and from W slope of W Andes of W Colombia S to NW Ecuador (R Guayllabamba).
Habitat
Inhabits dense undergrowth of wet, mainly primary forest, occasionally forest borders, at 250–1250 m; 1340–1465 m in Panama. Replaced at higher elevations by S. vicinior, with no known areas of contact; in extreme N of range, replaced on Cerro Tacarcuna massif by S. panamensis.
Movement
Diet and Foraging
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Male song a very resonant series 5–60 seconds long of similar up-downstrokes at 3 kHz (first overtone; fundamental audible), pace 2·6–3·6 per second, first few notes often slightly lower-pitched and delivered at faster rate. Call by both sexes a series 0·4–1 second long of 3–8 short, sharp notes at 2·5 kHz (first overtone; fundamental audible); female may give sharp, explosive, buzzy “brzk” at 5 kHz.
Breeding
Conservation Status
- Year-round
- Migration
- Breeding
- Non-Breeding