Tapaculo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Crested Gallito, Rhinocrypta lanceolata
|
||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
The tapaculos are a group of small suboscine passeriform birds with numerous species, found in South America. They were traditionally placed in a distinct family Rhinocryptidae; more recent research (Irestedt et al. 2002, Rice 2005a,b) indicates that according to analysis of mt and nDNA sequence data, the tapaculos might be better merged into the Formicariidae as tribe Rhinocryptini, as they are closer to the antthrushes than either is to the true antpittas.
Alternatively, the latter might be raised to family status. In this case, it would be possible to maintain the tapaculos as a separate family too, but it would seem altogether more warranted to consider them a subfamily of the Formicariinae sensu stricto, which would be called Rhinocryptinae.
Whether this latter approach, the placement as a tribe in a tapaculo-antthrush Formicariinae subfamily, or maintenance as a separate family is to be preferred depends on whether the true antpittas are closer to the tapaculos and true antbirds, or rather to the Pittasoma "gnatthrushes" and other gnateaters and the true antbirds. There are some, albeit very tentative, indications that the latter may indeed be the case, which would be reflected in the placement of the tapaculos as subfamily Rhinocryptinae, with the Formicariinae being restricted to the true antthrushes (Rice 2005a).
It must be noted that apparently not all tapaculo genera would have to be moved to the formicariids (Irestedt et al. 2002). As the type genus Rhinocrypta certainly would, any distinct genera (such as the peculiar crescent-chests) would need a new family name.
Contents |
These are terrestrial species that fly only poorly on their short wings. They have strong legs, well-suited to their habitat of grassland or forest undergrowth. The tail is cocked and pointed towards the head, and the name tapaculo derives from the Spanish for "cover your behind".
While the majority of the family are small blackish or brown birds there are some larger and more colourful species. They are best located and identified by their vocalisations.
They feed on insects, seeds and other soft plant material with their pointy bills, and will scratch on the ground like a pheasant.
Most species lay two or three white eggs in a covered location, whether it be a burrow, a hole in a tree, or a domed nest.
[edit] Species list
Genera allied with antthrushes
- Genus Pteroptochos, the huet-huets
- Black-throated Huet-huet, Pteroptochos tarnii
- Chestnut-throated Huet-huet, Pteroptochos castaneus
- Moustached Turca, Pteroptochos megapodius
- Genus Scytalopus
- Unicolored Tapaculo, Scytalopus unicolor
- Blackish Tapaculo, Scytalopus latrans
- Trilling Tapaculo, Scytalopus parvirostris
- Large-footed Tapaculo, Scytalopus macropus
- Rufous-vented Tapaculo, Scytalopus femoralis
- Long-tailed Tapaculo, Scytalopus micropterus
- Bolivian Tapaculo, Scytalopus bolivianus
- White-crowned Tapaculo, Scytalopus atratus
- Perija Tapaculo, Scytalopus nigricans
- Santa Marta Tapaculo, Scytalopus sanctaemartae
- Pale-throated Tapaculo, Scytalopus panamensis
- Narino Tapaculo, Scytalopus vicinior
- Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Scytalopus argentifrons
- Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Scytalopus latebricola
- Merida Tapaculo, Scytalopus meridanus
- Colombian Tapaculo, Scytalopus infasciatus
- Caracas Tapaculo, Scytalopus caracae
- Spillman's Tapaculo, Scytalopus spillmanni
- Zimmer's Tapaculo, Scytalopus zimmeri
- Puna Tapaculo, Scytalopus simonsi
- Vilcabamba Tapaculo, Scytalopus urubambae
- Neblina Tapaculo, Scytalopus altirostris
- Ancash Tapaculo, Scytalopus affinis
- Paramo Tapaculo, Scytalopus canus
- Magellanic Tapaculo, Scytalopus magellanicus
- Matorral Tapaculo, Scytalopus griseicollis
- White-browed Tapaculo, Scytalopus superciliaris
- Dusky Tapaculo, Scytalopus fuscus
- Tschudi's Tapaculo, Scytalopus acutirostris
- Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Scytalopus speluncae
- Planalto Tapaculo, Scytalopus pachecoi
- Brasilia Tapaculo, Scytalopus novacapitalis
- Bahia Tapaculo, Scytalopus psychopompus
- Wetland Tapaculo, Scytalopus iraiensis
- White-breasted Tapaculo, Scytalopus indigoticus
- Diademed Tapaculo, Scytalopus schulenbergi
- Choco Tapaculo, Scytalopus chocoensis
- Ecuadorian Tapaculo, Scytalopus robbinsi
- Stiles' Tapaculo, Scytalopus stilesi
- Chusquea Tapaculo, Scytalopus parkeri
- Upper Magdalena Tapaculo, Scytalopus rodriguezi
- Genus Scelorchilus[1]
- White-throated Tapaculo, Scelorchilus albicollis
- Chucao Tapaculo, Scelorchilus rubecula
- Genus Rhinocrypta
- Crested Gallito, Rhinocrypta lanceolata
- Genus Liosceles
- Rusty-belted Tapaculo, Liosceles thoracicus
Probably a distinct family N.N.
- Genus Melanopareia, the crescent-chests
- Collared Crescent-chest, Melanopareia torquata
- Olive-crowned Crescent-chest, Melanopareia maximiliani
- Elegant Crescent-chest, Melanopareia elegans
- Maranon Crescent-chest, Melanopareia maranonica
- Genus Teledromas[1]
- Sandy Gallito, Teledromas fuscus
Placement unresolved
- Genus Psilorhamphus
- Spotted Bamboowren, Psilorhamphus guttatus
- Genus Merulaxis, the bristlefronts
- Slaty Bristlefront, Merulaxis ater
- Stresemann's Bristlefront, Merulaxis stresemanni
- Genus Eugralla
- Ochre-flanked Tapaculo, Eugralla paradoxa
- Genus Myornis
- Ash-colored Tapaculo, Myornis senilis
- Genus Acropternis
- Ocellated Tapaculo, Acropternis orthonyx
[edit] References
- Irestedt, Martin; Fjeldså, Jon; Johansson, Ulf S. & Ericson, Per G.P. (2002): Systematic relationships and biogeography of the tracheophone suboscines (Aves: Passeriformes). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 23(3): 499–512. DOI:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00034-9 (HTML abstract)
- Rice, Nathan H. (2005a): Phylogenetic relationships of antpitta genera (Passeriformes: Formicariidae). Auk 122(2): 673-683. [English with Spanish abstract] DOI:10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0673:PROAGP]2.0.CO;2 PDF fulltext
- Rice, Nathan H. (2005b): Further Evidence for Paraphyly of the Formicariidae (Passeriformes). Condor 107(4): 910-915. [English with Spanish abstract] DOI:10.1650/7696.1 PDF fulltext
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] External links
- Tapaculo videos on the Internet Bird Collection
