Spillmann's tapaculo

{{Short description|Species of bird}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2021}}

{{Speciesbox

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=Scytalopus spillmanni |volume=2018 |page=e.T22729270A132179752 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22729270A132179752.en |access-date=16 November 2021}}

| genus = Scytalopus

| species = spillmanni

| authority = Stresemann, 1937

| synonyms =

| range_map = Scytalopus spillmanni map.svg

}}

Spillmann's tapaculo (Scytalopus spillmanni) is a species of bird in the family Formicariidae. It inhabits the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ |title=IOC World Bird List (v 11.1) |last1=Gill |first1= F. |last2=Donsker|first2=D.|last3=Rasmussen |first3=P. |date=January 2021 |access-date=January 14, 2021 }}

Taxonomy and systematics

The Spillmann's tapaculo was previously considered a subspecies of brown-rumped tapaculo (Scytalopus latebircola) but was elevated to species rank due to differences in their vocalizations.Krabbe, N. and Schulenberg, T.S. (1997). Species limits and natural history of Scytalopus tapaculos (Rhinocryptidae), with descriptions of the Ecuadorian taxa, including three new species. Pp. 46–88 in: Remsen (1997) It and chusquea tapaculo (S. parkeri) form a superspecies.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 19 January 2021. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved January 19, 2021 The population in Colombia's eastern Andes might be different enoung to be a subspecies.Krabbe, N. and T. S. Schulenberg (2020). Spillmann's Tapaculo (Scytalopus spillmanni), 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.spitap2.01 retrieved April 29, 2021

Description

Spillmann's tapaculo is {{convert|12|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. Males weigh {{convert|21|to|30|g|oz|abbr=on}} and females {{convert|20|to|29.5|g|oz|abbr=on}}. The male is blackish gray above with a dark brown rump. It is lighter gray below with tawny to cinnamon flanks and vent area. Some females are like the male, but most have the upperparts heavily washed with brown and an orange lower belly. The juvenile is brown above and dusky below, with barring above and below.

Distribution and habitat

Spillmann's tapaculo is found in all three Andean ranges of Colombia and south into

Ecuador. In the west it extends to Cotopaxi Province and in the east into Morona-Santiago Province. It inhabits the undergrowth of humid montane forest and is especially partial to Chusquea bamboo. It ranges generally from {{convert|1900|to|3200|m|ft|abbr=on}} but is found locally up to {{convert|3500|m|ft|abbr=on}} and as high as {{convert|3700|m|ft|abbr=on}} in western Napo Province, Ecuador.

Behavior

=Feeding=

Spillmann's tapaculo forages on the ground or near it, mostly for small insects.

=Breeding=

Little is known about the breeding phenology of Spillmann's tapaculo, but it probably breeds throughout the year.

=Vocalization=

The song of Spillmann's tapaculo is a 10 to 20 second trill whose volume and sometime pitch increase [https://www.xeno-canto.org/641706]. The male and female have several calls such as [https://www.xeno-canto.org/583493], [https://www.xeno-canto.org/375580], and [https://www.xeno-canto.org/273449].

Status

The IUCN has assessed Spillmann's tapaculo as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range and appears to be common throughout it.

References