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Chucao Tapaculo

Scelorchilus rubecula
(Kittlitz, FH, 1830)
Chucao

Family: Rhinocryptidae
Order: Passeriformes
Class: Aves
Phylum / Division: Chordata
Kingdom: Animalia

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Conservation status according to BirdLife International: Least Concern

Synonyms: Pteroptochos rubecula.

Subspecies:


Description: Black beak and brown iris, with a general olive-brown coloration, featuring a striking reddish bib covering the neck and throat, a thin eyebrow of the same color passing behind the eyes and extending to a small portion above the beak. It has a fine white barring on the chest and a barely marked periocular of the same color.

Sexual Dimorphism: Same sexes.

Habitat: Inhabits dense vegetation in the humid forests of the south.

Behavior: Curious, active, it is common to see it running through the fallen leaves and branches of the forest at high speed, making it hard to spot, but if one stays still and silent, it is very likely to approach to investigate, where it becomes easier to observe. When it perches on a low branch, it does so with its tail erect.

Song: A powerful scream, heard from a great distance, which it repeats at intervals possibly to communicate with others. Whenever one screams, another can be heard responding from afar (Kovacs, 2005). The name “Chucao” is onomatopoeic, derived from the territorial cry it emits (Costa et al., 2012).

Nesting: Nests in holes that it digs itself in white soil ravines, where it lays a maximum of three white eggs.

Feeding: Feeds on small invertebrates that it searches for by scratching the soil and leaf litter of the forest with its feet.

Authors of this description: Diego Oscar

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Last published photographs

Foto
Photography ID: 362949
♂ ♀
  Adult

San Carlos de Bariloche
Río Negro
Argentina
01/17/2014
Daniel Osvaldo Fernández
Foto
Photography ID: 109985
  Adult

San Carlos de Bariloche
Río Negro
Argentina
01/30/2014
Diego Alfonso Rosa
Foto
Photography ID: 65825
  Adult

Lago Gutierrez
Río Negro
Argentina
10/11/2014
Patricio M. Silfeni
Foto
Photography ID: 49955
  Adult

Parque Nacional Los Alerces
Chubut
Argentina
04/25/2014
José Fernández
Foto
Photography ID: 47161
  Adult

Parque Nacional Lanín
Neuquén
Argentina
03/27/2014
Edith Polverini
Foto
Photography ID: 40631
  Adult

El Bolsón
Río Negro
Argentina
02/12/2014
Veronica Edith Schefski
Foto
Photography ID: 40600
  Adult

Chaitén
Región de Los Lagos
Chile
02/05/2014
Julián Tocce
Foto
Photography ID: 39220
  Adult

San Carlos de Bariloche
Río Negro
Argentina
02/15/2014
Mariano Costa



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Last Vocalizations published



Audio playerUserDateCountryProvincePlaceSexLife stageIt was observedDetails
Dolores Fernandez12/22/2014ArgentinaNeuquénHua HumParque Nacional LanínIndistinguishableAdultYesNo
Mariano Costa01/16/2014ChileRegión de la AraucaníaValdiviaIndistinguishableAdultNoNo



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Last Filmings published




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 Reports


 Detail of places sorted by number of records








Page 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
21315922/12/2014ArgentinaNeuquénHua Hum, Parque Nacional LanínDolores Fernandez
20588924/11/2014ArgentinaNeuquénLago QuillenEsteban Argerich
20446422/11/2014ArgentinaRío NegroSendero a Refugio Frey, Parque Nacional Nahuel HuapiSantiago Juan Torres
19841015/11/2014ArgentinaRío NegroSan Carlos de BarilocheLaura Varano
22108313/11/2014ArgentinaRío NegroParque Municipal Llao LlaoRamiro Ramirez
18928611/10/2014ArgentinaRío NegroLago GutierrezPatricio M. Silfeni
19272609/10/2014ArgentinaChubutCosta del Lago Futalaufquen, Parque Nacional Los AlercesJimena Varano
17750927/07/2014ArgentinaRío NegroCamping Los Rápidos, Parque Nacional Nahuel HuapiMariano Costa
15206724/05/2014ChileRegión de Los LagosEntre LagosPaula Martínez
14298203/05/2014ArgentinaNeuquénLaguna Rosales, San Martin de los AndesJosé Fernández
Page 1

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Bibliography related


Artículo Costa M., R. Moller Jensen Y Otros. 2011. Proyecto Freebirds Guía de las Aves. <http://www.freebirds.com.ar>.

Artículo Kovacs, C. J., O. Kovacs, Z. Kovacs, C. M. Kovacs. 2005. Manual ilustrado de las aves de la Patagonia: Antártida Argentina e Islas del Atlántico Sur. Carlos Kovacs; Ors Kovacs; Zsolt Kovacs – 1ed – El Bolsón, 368 págs.



Citation recommended:

EcoRegistros. 2026. Chucao Tapaculo (Scelorchilus rubecula) - Species sheet. Acceded from https://www.ecoregistros.org on 15/03/2026.