Marsh Tapaculo

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Marsh Tapaculo
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Formicariidae
Genus: Scytalopus
Species: S. iraiensis
Binomial name
Scytalopus iraiensis
Bornschein, Reinert & Pichorim, 1998

The Marsh Tapaculo (Scytalopus iraiensis) is a recently-discovered passerine bird which belongs to the genus Scytalopus, a genus of tapaculos. It is also known as the Wetland Tapaculo or Tall-grass Wetland Tapaculo.

It is a small, wren-like bird with broad tail-feathers and is 12.5 cm long. The upperparts are plain blackish in colour while the underparts are dark grey. The flanks are slightly barred with brown, at least in young birds. The legs are reddish-brown and the bill is dark. The song includes a long series of short 'tchek' notes. The birds run rapidly and will fly short distances when flushed.

It is endemic to a small area in southern Brazil and was first sighted on April 19, 1997 in wetlands beside the Iraí River. The species has now been recorded from 24 sites in the eastern part of Paraná state, mainly around the city of Curitiba. It occurs in seasonally-flooded grassland in the floodplains of rivers. It inhabits areas of tall (60-180 cm), dense vegetation dominated by sedges (such as Eleocharis) and grasses. It forages at or near ground-level and feeds on small arthropods, mainly insects such as bugs and beetles. Breeding occurs in late spring.

It is classified as an endangered species due to its small and declining population and destruction of its habitat. Threats include drainage, sand extraction, burning of grassland and the flooding of land due to the construction of dams.

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